Stock Feeding Machine

This invention pertains to feeding sheets of stock material, such as paper, in an accurate sequence and with proper spacing to an associated receiving mechanism such as a printer or laminator or the like. Such sheets particularly of large size were mostly hand fed and a conveyor sequenced the items to progress into the processing equipment. This type of system is slow and costly since it requires the constant attendance of an operator. Previously designed machines of the type under consideration and of reasonable cost have been inadequate or nonexistent.

This invention relates to novel sheet feeding machines which are readily attachable to conveyor components of existing processing equipment and which is of simple electrical-mechanical design and which eliminates conventional expensive, complex and troublesome vacuum pick-up mechanisms.

An object of this invention is to provide a novel feeder which feeds from the top of a stack and comprises a reciprocating device which on its feed stroke peels off the top sheet and advances it to the feeding nip of a retard assembly of a pull-out mechanism and on a return stroke moves the succeding sheet to a preset registered position from which is is next pulled and fed to the pull out mechanism.

A further object is to provide a novel feed mechanism which comprises a stock support tray disposed diagonally upwardly toward it upper discharge end, the lower end of the tray having a stop against which the trailing edges of the paper sheets are stacked and the leading edges of the paper being disposed adjacent the upper discharge end of the inclined tray, the feeder comprising a reciprocating element positioned above the stock and having a lower end provided with gripper wheels engaging the top sheet, one of the wheels being rotatable in one direction and only toward the stop and the other wheel being rotatable only in the opposite direction toward the discharge end of the tray, and thus as the reciprocating element moves back and forth one wheel drags the paper toward the stop while the other rotates and then as the reciprocating element reverses its stroke the previously rotating wheel stops and drags the paper toward the discharge end of the tray, while the previously non-rotating wheel rotates. This alternating rotation causes each sheet to be brought to the stop and then moved to discharge.

Broadly, the invention comprehends providing a mechanism which is adjustable to regulate the delivery of sheets of paper always starting each sheet from a precise initial position.

These and other objects and advantages inherent in and encompassed by the invention will become more apparent from the specification and the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the novel feed mechanism with parts removed for clarity;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially on line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the essential parts of the invention, and

FIG. 4 is is a perspective view of the tray loader portion of the invention .

The feeding mechanism generally designated 2, comprises a tray 3 which has an inclined bottom wall 4 and a pair of laterally adjustable guide side rails 5 and 6 for confining the sheets 8 of a paper stack 10 positioned upon the bottom wall 4 in guided engagement with the side wall 5 and 6. The trailing edges 12 of the papers of the stack are seated against the interior of an adjustable stop or register wall 13 at the lower end of the tray.

Thus the stock items 8 are inclined in an upward direction toward their leading ends 14 which are positioned adjacent to the feed roller assembly 13a comprising peripherally engaged upper and lower feed rollers 15 and 16.

The lower rollers flank a cylindrical nonrolling retard member 18 which is mounted on one end of an arm 19, the other end being pivotally mounted by a pin 20 from bracket 22 carried upon the framework 25 of the machine. The retard is urged upwardly toward the upper roller 15 and by a spring loaded assembly 26 which has a limit stop 27 engaged with the bracket leg 28. The spacing of the periphery of the retard is adjustable by rotaing the nut 29 on the lower end of shank 30 and the compression of the spring 32 which urges the arm 19 and retard 18 upwardly, is adjusted by nut 34 threaded on shank 30, the spring reacting at its top end against nut 29 and at its lower end against the top of leg 28 of the mounting bracket 22.

Each lower roller 16 is mounted on one end of the spring loaded arm 36, which is pivoted at its other end 38 to the bracket 22 and is urged upwardly toward the roller 15. Roller 15 is provided with a one-way clutch 40 which connects roller 15 with drive shaft 42 which is connected to any suitable power source 43 through a chain and sprocket drive 44 which drives a single revolution clutch 45 which is operated by a solenoid 46 coupled with and controlled by an electric eye 47.

The electric eye 47 is positioned downstream of the feed roller assembly 13a and comprises a light emitting section 49 mounted on a portion of the framework 50 of the conveyor 52 in a position above the path 54 of the paper flow. A reflector 54 is positioned below path 54 in alignment with the beam from the eye such that as each sheet passes between the light source 49 and the reflector, it interrupts the light beam. As the sheet moves downstream and its trailing or rear edge 12 passes beyond the reflector, the beam of the eye then bounces back and being in a circuit (not shown) with the solenoid 46, actuates the solenoid 46 of clutch 45 which then couples the power source with the shaft 42 driving it to pick up a sheet by assembly 13a, the sheet being advanced thereto by a reciprocating swabbing assembly 60.

The swabbing assembly comprises a crank 62 at each end of a shaft 64 which is journaled in a pair of laterally spaced saddle members 66,66 which have inverted U-shaped sockets or slots which admit bearings 68,68 sleeved on drive shaft 42. Thus the assembly is easily liftable to engage and disengage the gears 70,72 connected respectively to the shafts 64,42.

Each gear 70,70 has the the crank 62 connected thereto, the throw 76 of which is rotatably journaled to one end of a pitman 77, and the other end of which is pivotally connected to a cross-head 79.

The cross-head 79 may be in the form of a rod which rotatably mounts a pair of grooved guide wheels 80,80 which ride on the upper edges of side walls 5 and 6 of the tray.

The cross-head is pivotally connected intermediate its ends through a bearing block 81 to the upper end of a secondary pitman 82 which at its lower end mounts a pair of mounting blocks 83, 84 which are adjustable along the length of the pitman rod 82 and adapted to be locked in position by set screws 85,86, respectively. Blocks 83,84 carry laterally extending stub shafts 87,88 which mount swab wheels 89,90 through one way clutches 91,92.

It will be noted that wheel 89 rotates in a counterclockwise direction as shown by the arrows in FIG. 4. The wheel 90 rotates only in a clockwise direction.

A hold-down slider foot 91a is carried by the pitman 82 via a block 84 adjacent to its lower end which projects through slot 93 in the stop end wall 13 of the tray agaist which the trailing edges of the stock sheets bear.

In operation, as the recipricator moves back and forth, the slotted wheel 90 is locked on the advance stroke of the swab assembly and being made of soft elastomeric material sloughs off from the stack of material the top sheet toward the retard and feed roller assembly 13a which grasps the advancing sheet and moves it to the pull-out roller assembly 95 of the conveyor. The roller assembly 95 continuously rotates and the one way clutch of the upper feed roller 15 and the free rolling of the lower rollers 16 accommodate pullout of the entire sheet once it enters and is grasped by the pull-out rollers.

On the return stroke of the swab assembly, the swab wheel 89 is locked against rotation and rubs against the sheet therebelow moving it to a feed-ready registered position whereat the trailing edge of the sheet abuts against the lower stop wall 13 of the tray. Any slight overtravel of the wheel 89 is accommodated by wheel 89 sliding over the sheet. The wheels are adjusted to bear only slightly on the paper sufficient to move the sheet without wrinkling it after is comes against the stop, or the retard. Thus the travel of each sheet and its start position is accurately controlled.

It will be noted that the travel positions of the pitman assembly is controllable by raising the swab assembly and the upper gears so as to disengage the gears 70 from the gears 72. The gears 70, 70 may then be rotated freely in either direction thus changing the position of the pitmans and the throws whereby the beginning advance and retract positions of the swab wheels are readily adjusted.

An auxiliary refill tray 100 is provided upon which a supply of sheets may be deposited while the equipment is running. The tray 3 comprises a pair of front and rear support plates 101 and 102 spaced longitudinally of the main tray. Plate 101 is inserted through laterally aligned slots 103,104 in the upright side walls of the main tray and plate 102 extends trough similar slots 105, 106 in the side walls 5 and 6. Slots 105,106 have upright sections 105a and 106a to accommodate the upright wall 107 of plate 102.

In use these plates are positioned in respective slots, and the additional sheets of paper are inserted under the cross-head onto the front and rear plates 101 and 102. These plates are withdrawn sidewise of the main tray and the additional paper falls upon the sheets therebelow. With practice many operators can add sheets without missing a stroke of the feed. The new load is dropped ahed of the swab wheels and the pushed hereunder.

The apparatus then continues to operate as before.

Having described a preferred embodiment of the invention, other embodiments will now become apparent which fall within the scope of the appended claims.