US2938723A - Side guide register for sheet feeders - Google Patents

Description

May 31, 1960 H. E. PAULSON 2,938,723

SIDE GUIDE REGISTER FOR SHEET FEEDERS Filed July 17, 1958 s Sheets-Sheet 1 I /7 a L INVENTOR flare/0 f Pau/san BY Mag ATTORNEY May 31, 1960 H. E. PAULSON 2,938,723

SIDE GUIDE REGISTER FOR SHEET FEEDERS Filed July 17, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Harv/0 A. Paw/$011 ATTORNEY May 31, 1960 H. E. PAULSON $938,723

SIDE GUIDE REGISTER FOR SHEET FEEDERS Filed July 17, 1958' 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 v! 73 qg/77 2f 7E7 ,\\-'=a\\ m\\ \w 9 I (5 W Eg 25 nhll chi INVENTOR United States Patent SIDE GUIDE REGISTER FGR SHEET FEEDERS Harold E. Paulson, 842 W. Nebraska, St. Paul, Minn.

Filed July 17, 1958, Ser. No. 749,251

14 Claims. (Cl. 271-49) This invention relates to an improvement in side guide register for sheet feeders and deals particularly with a sheet registering device which provides an extremely accurate guide for sheets being fed into an ofiset printing press and the like.

Considerable difficulty is experienced in providing an accurate adjustment for sheets being fed by movable belt into an offset printing press. In many presses of this type, one edge of the sheet is registered by means of a device commonly known as a jogger. This device includes an adjustable collar movable transversely of the feed table and supporting a pair of threaded adjustment nuts which support a light curved spring. This curved spring is designed to engage against an edge of the sheet to form a side guide. Considerable difficulty is often experienced in properly registering the sheets by means of this single light spring. This is particularly true when it is understood that sheets of various thicknesses may be printed on the presses. An extremely fine adjustment is required if the device is to properly register both sheets of the thickness and strength of tissue and other sheets which are of substantial thickness and strength. Usually, the belts and guide springs overlying the belt must be very carefully positioned if the sheets are to be accurately registered.

A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a pair of guides between which the sheets are fed to provide an extremely accurate register thereof. The registering means includes normally one side guide which actually provides the register and incorporates a light spring which is retractable to the side edge of the guide. This side guide is mounted upon the adjustment nut which normally supports the jogger spring and replaces this spring. The other side guide comprises a somewhat similar structure which is fixed in adjusted position under normal conditions but which in itself is laterally adjustable to provide a fine adjustment.

A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a pair of side guides which are so constructed that the guide actually used as the side register may be positioned for engagement with either side of the sheet. By merely interchanging the supporting means for the side guides, the adjustable registering guide may be arranged to contact either edge of the sheet. A further feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a pair of side guides which are normally supported in parallel relation but which are adjustable so that one guide may be angularly related relative to the other for use in the feeding of sheets of odd sizes and shapes.

A further feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a pair of accurate side guides which may be used to replace the jogger spring normally used for the side register of the sheets without changing or modifying the feeder. The side guides are also constructed in such a manner as to be applicable to numerous models of ofiset presses of the type described.

\7 A further feature of the, present invention resides in 2,938,723 Patented May 31, 196 0 the provision of a side guide having a horizontal flange designed to extend beneath one of the feed belts and which is adjustable in elevation so as to raise or lower the horizontal flange of the side guide as Well as the remainder thereof.

A further feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a pair of side guides including a body portion including a horizontal flange and a vertical flange arranged in right angular relation so that the horizontal flange may extend beneath a feed belt and the vertical flange may extend alongside of the feed belt.- A spring is mounted intermediate the ends of the vertical flange and is designed to extend against the edge ofthe sheet with an extremely light pressure. The spring is rectractable into the vertical flange so as to guide the sheet: along the surface of the vertical flange while applying a light pressure to the sheet. 7

An additional feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a supporting member which is supported parallel to the direction of movement of the sheets and which is adjustable laterally thereof. The angular body of the guide is connected to the supporting member by a pair of longitudinally spaced adjustment screws which permit the angle of the guide body to be adjusted into or out of parallel relation with the support.

Another feature of the present invention resides in the provision of an eccentric mounted at oneend of: the guide body at the end thereof opposite the registering'side guide. By rotating the eccentric, the elevationof the guide body may be varied.

A further feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a side guide having a portion of the body thereof cut away to provide a spring aperture through which a portion of the feed table may be seen. As the feed table is provided with laterally spaced gauge marks, an accurate alignment of the body of the guide relative to the gauge marks may be obtained by looking through this cut away portion of the guide.

Still another feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a web foot used in conjunction with the side guide and which includes a ball or marble extend! ing partially through a curved plate. A spring is provided overlying the pressure ball, the spring being suffi ciently ductile to be bent to provide added pressure upon the ball while still being resilient within the limits of normal operation.

A further feature of the present invention resides in the fact that while both side guides include similar parts and each includes a spring, the spring of the normally stationary side guide may be bent out of operative position when not being used for register. present invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims:

These and other objects and novel features of the In the drawings forming a part of the specification:

Figure l is a diagrammatic view of a feed table showing a series of feed belts, and a pair of transversely ex tending supporting rods extending over the table from which the side guides, the web feet, and the pressure springs may be supported.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the registering side guide removed from the press.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the side guide shown in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an end elevational view of the side guide shown in Figures 2 and 3 and showing the manner in which this registering guide is adjustably supported.

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view through the adjustment means for providing lateral adjustment of the registering guide.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the normally stationary side guide.

' Figure 7 is a side elevational view of the side guide shown in Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a sectional view through the elevation adjustment, the position of the section being indicated by the line'8-.8 of Figure 7.' 7 a Figure 9 is an end elevational view of the side guide shown in Figures 6 and 7, a portion of the guide being broken away to disclose the construction thereof. 7

Figure 10 is a plan view of a portion of the feed table in enlarged form, showing the indicating marks used in positioning the guides.

Figure 11 is a side elevational view of a web showing .the construction thereof.

Figure 12 is a perspective view of the web foot shown inFigure 11.

Figures. 1 and 10 of the drawings diagrammatically illustrate a feed table 10 having a series .of laterally spaced conveyor belts 11, 12,, -13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 extending thereover. It will be understoodthat these belts are -mounted upon spaced parallel pulleys, the upper portions of the belts moving in unison to carry the sheets to the press. The conveyor belts are moving in the direction of the arrow 19 as viewed in Figures 1 and 10.

p A pair of supporting bars 20 and 21 are supported by the frame of the press, not illustrated in the drawings, to extend transversely of the direction of movement of the conveyor belts. The bar or rod 20 supports the adjustment mechanism 22 for one side guide. This adjustment mechanism may be best seen in Figures 4 and of the drawings. 7

* 'With particular reference to Figure 5, the adjustment mechanism 22 includes a collar 23 axially slidable on the rod 20 and held in adjusted relation thereto by a thumb screw 24. The collar 23 is provided with an integral externally threaded sleeve 25 also encircling the rod 20. A nut 26 having an external peripheral groove 27 acts to support the registering guide. Alternatively, the support may include two nuts 26 which engage on opposite sides of the side guide support to hold it in an adjusted position.

With reference now to Figures 2 through 5 of the drawings, the registering guide 29 includes an angular body including a vertical flange 30 and a horizontal flange 31. The vertical flange 30 is provided with a right angularly turned extremity 32 which supports a bolt 33 having a head .34, (Figure 8) a cylindrical body adjoining the head 34 and designated by the numeral 35, and an eccentric threaded shank 36. The threaded shank 36 extends through a suitable aperture 37 in the flange extremity 32 and is held in adjusted position by a nut 39. By loosening the nut 39 and rotating the bolt about its shank 36, the cylindrical portion 35 may be raised and lowered. A sleeve 40 is rotatably supported upon the cylindrical portion 35 and normally bears against the feed table outwardly of the various belts 11 through 17.

Near the center of the vertical flange 30 an aperture 41 is provided of generally rectangular outline extending to the juncture between the vertical flange 30 and the horizontal flange 31. An adjoining aperture 42 is provided in the horizontal flange 31 so that a portion of the feed table is visible therethrough. A spring 43 of the leaf spring type is bolted to the vertical flange 30 as indicated at 44, the bolt head of the bolt 44 being above the level of the sheets. The flat spring 43 is of very foot , light weight spring material and exerts a very gentle pressure against the edge of a sheet moving along the vertical flange 30. The lower edge of the spring 43 is below the level of the surface of the conveyor belt 17 which overlies the horizontal flange 31 and accordingly is engageable with the edge of a sheet carried by the conveyor belts. As indicated in Figure 10 of the drawings, the belt 17 has its outer edge in spaced relation to the vertical flange 30 so as not to interfere with the operation of the spring 43. j f 7 The outer surface of the vertical flange 30 is provided with a pair of spaced parallel threaded studs 45 and 46 having their axes normal to the plane of the flange 30. A supporting bar 47 is slidably supported upon the studs 45 and 46, the studs extending through apertures in the bar. Nuts 49 and 5% are provided on the studs 45 and 46 respectively and may tighten to decrease the distance between the bar 47 and the flange 30. Springs 51 and secured as indicated at 54 to the bar 47 to extend upwardly therefrom.

This plate 53 is provided with a lateral notch 55 of proper dimensions to fit in the groove 27 or between the clamping nuts 26 and to partially encircle the shank 25 of the collar 23. By adjustment of the nut or nuts 26, the lateral position of the bracket plate 53, the supporting bar 47, and the entire side guide 29 may be laterally adjustedr V V 7 With reference now to Figures 6 and 7 of the drawings, it will be noted that the normally stationary side guide has many parts which are identical with the parts of the side guide 29. The side guide 56 includes an angular body including a vertical flange 57 and a horizontal flange 59 which are connected at right angles .and which are opposite or in reversed arrangement to the flanges 30 and 31 of theside guide 29. The vertical flange 57 is provided with a right angularly turned extremity 60 which accommodates an eccentric adjustment 33 identical to that previously described. The vertical flange 57 is provided with a generally rectangular aperture 61 adjoining the lower edge thereof and the horizontal flange 59 is provided with a communicating aperture 62 through which a portion of the feed table can be viewed. A flat spring 63 is bolted or otherwise secured to the vertical flange 57 by means of the bolt 64. Fixed studs 65 and 66 are provided on the vertical flange 57 to project with their axes normal to the plane of the flange 57. It is important to note that the spacing between the studs and 66 is identical to the spacing between the studs 45 and 46. I

An elongated supporting bar 67 is slidably supported upon the studs 65 and 66 and clamping nuts 69 and 70 are provided on the studs 65 and 66 to move the supporting bar 67 toward the vertical flange 57. Springs 71 and 72 are interposed between the vertical flange 57 and the supporting bar 67 to normally urge these ele-, ments apart.

A mounting bracket 73 is attached to the supporting bar 67 by a bolt 74 which extends through one of a pairof apertures 75 in the bar 67. The bracket 73 includes a channel shaped structure including a vertical side 76 which is attached to the bar 67, a horizontal connecting member 77, and a downturned flange 79 parallel to the side 76. The sides 76 and 79 are provided with aligned apertures 80 extending therethrough designed to accommodate the cross bar 21 on theframe of the press. A thumb screw 81 is threaded through the connecting member 77 and engages against the rod 21 to hold the mounting bracket 73 and the remainder of the sidein fixed relation-upon this rod. 7 It will be noted that the body of the side guide including the vertical flange 57, the horizontal flange 59, the angularly turned extremity and adjustment member 33, and the spaced studs 65 and'66 are identical to the corresponding parts of the side guide 29 but are reversed therefrom. In the particular arrangement illustrated, the fixed guide 56 forms a guide for the left hand side of the paper while the side guide 29 forms a means of registering the right hand edge of the paper. Ifiit is desired that the registering 'or adjustable guide be on the left side of the sheet, and the fixed guide on the right, the. thumb nuts 69 and 70 are removed, and the supporting bar 67 and its associated parts are substituted for: the mounting bar 47 and associated parts of the guide 29. Thus, either side 'maybe used as the regis tering side guide.

' With reference now to Figures 11 and 12 of the drawings, the pressure applying devices which are known as web feet include a pressure shoe 83 having upturned ends 84 to guide the paper sheets beneath the shoe. A vertical flange 85 is provided along one edge of the shoe 83 and a bracket 86 is attached to the flange 85, the flange 85 extending into a notch 87 in the bracket 86 and held in place therein. The flange 85 includes an upwardly projecting ear 89 which extends to the top of the slot 87 and is held in place by a set screw 90. This set screw 90 permits vertical adjustmentof the web foot relative to its supporting'bar which adjustmenthas not been normally available in connection with devices of this type. A second vertical notch 91 is provided in the bracket 86 to accommodate a supporting bar 93 which is adjustably connected by a bracket 94 to the rod 21. As the rod 93 and bracket 94 are common on devices of this type, the details are not illustrated.

A spring leaf 95 is secured to the upper surface of the shoe 83 and overlies a ball or bearing 96 which extends partially through an aperture 97 in the center of the shoe. If the spring 95 is bent upwardly to some extent, the ball will be held in place merely by the weight of the ball itself. The spring 95 is of sufficiently ductile material to permit it to be bent. When pressed downwardly, pressure is applied to the top of the ball which in turn applies additional pressure downwardly against the sheets.

As is usual in feed devices of this type, elongated spring fingers such as 99 are provided with clamps 100 at one end thereof which are slidable on a cross bar such as the bar 21. These springs are designed to flex down against the surface of the conveyor belt to hold the sheets in contact therewith. Certain of such leaf springs 101 may be considerably longer than others so as to hold the sheets in place over a greater proportion of the feed table. The springs 101 may be provided with clamps such as 100 and may be secured to a cross member parallel to the rod 21 and not shown in the drawings.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principles of construction and operation of my improvement in side guide register for sheet feeders, and while I have endeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that changes may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A sheet guide for use in conjunction with a sheet feeding table having a series of substantially parallel conveyor belts, the device including a guide body including a generally horizontal flange designed to extend beneath a conveyor belt and a vertical flange connected thereto and adapted to extend alongside of the conveyor belt, a supporting bar extending in generally parallel relation to said vertical flange, a pair of spaced adjustable connections connecting said vertical flange and said supporting bar by means of which the distance between said vertical flange and said supporting bar may be adjusted, means adjoining one end of said supporting bar for pivotally supporting the bar about a substantially horizontal axis, whereby said guide body may be adjusted relative to said supporting bar.

2. The construction described in claim 1 and including means connected to said guide body and spaced from said means for pivotally supporting said supporting bar for adjusting the elevation of said guide body.

3. The construction described in claim 2 and including a spring blade connected to said vertical flange and extending inwardly in the direction of said horizontal flange for engagement with the side edges of sheets extending over said horizontal flange on the conveyor belt.

4. The construction of claim 2 and in which said means for adjusting the elevation of said guide body comprises a rotatable eccentric and means for holding said eccentric in adjusted position extending beneath the level of said horizontal flange. I

5. A sheet side guide register for sheet feeders hav ing a feed table including a series of substantially parallel conveyor belts and a pivot rod extending transversely of said conveyor belts and above the level thereof, the register including a supporting bar, a bracket on said bar near one end thereof pivotally engaging said transverse rod for pivotal movement about and slidable movement along a generally horizontal axis provided by said rod, means associated with said bracket in a preferred position on said rod, an angular guide body including a substantially horizontal flange and a substantially vertical flange connected to an edge of said horizontal flange and extending upwardly therefrom, a pair of studs extending in parallel relation from said vertical flange and having their axes substantially normal thereto, said studs extending through said supporting bar, means on said studs adjustable for varying the distance between said vertical flange and said supporting bar, said horizontal flange being adapted to extend beneath one of the conveyor belts, and a leaf spring connected to said vertical flange and extending inwardly therefrom in the direction of said horizontal flange, said spring being engageable with the edges of sheets extending along said vertical flange.

6. The construction described in claim 5 and in which said vertical flange is provided with an aperture therethrough through which said leaf spring extends.

7. The construction described in claim 5 and including springs encircling said studs and normally urging said vertical flange away from said supporting bar, and in which said adjusting means includes nuts on the ends of said studs and engageable against said supporting bar to draw said vertical flange toward said supporting bar.

8. The construction described in claim 5 and including means on said guide body at a point longitudinally spaced from said bracket on said supporting bar engageable against the feed table for adjustment of the elevation of said guide body.

9. A paper sheet guide for use on press feeders including a feed table including a plurality of substantially parallel conveyor belts movable thereover, the guide means including a pair of angular guide bodies arranged in opposed relation, each guide body having an inward- 1y directed substantially horizontal flange and a vertical flange connected to the outer edge thereof, a pair of studs projecting outwardly from each of said vertical flanges, a supporting bar extending generally parallel to each said vertical flange and through which said studs extend, springs encircling said studs between said vertical flanges and said supporting bars, the horizontal flanges of both said guides being designed to underlie a conveyor belt, means on one said supporting bar at the end thereof forming the trailing edge of said guide device in the direction of movement of said conveyor belt for pivotally connecting said one supporting bar on a substantially horizontal transverse axis, and means on the other supporting bar at the leading edge of said other guide device pivotally supporting said other guide device about a transverse horizontal axis. 10. The structure described in claim 9 and including a leaf spring secured to the vertical flange of said one guide device and extending inwardly of said vertical flange toward the other guide device engageable with the edges of sheets being guided by the vertical flange of said one guide device.

11. The construction described in claim 9 and includ ing means at the leading edge of said one guide device engageable with the feed table for adjusting the elevation thereof.

12. The construction described in claim 9 and in which thestuds of each of said vertical flanges being equally spaced, the supporting bar of one guide device being in terchangeable with the supporting bar of the other guide device. 7 r

' 13. The construction described in claim 5 and in which said horizontal flange is provided with an aperture therethrough adjoining said vertical flange through which underlying portions of the feed table may be seen. v 14. The construction described in claim 9 and including web feet devices overlying certain of said feed belts, eachwveb foot including a bottom portion having upwardly curved leading and trailing edges relative to the 7 References Cited in the file of this patent V UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,120,983 Sigafoos Dec. 15,1914 2,387,954 Thompson Oct. 30 1945 2,669,454 Babicz ..L ....Q. Feb. 16, 1954 2,699,940 Huck et al. Jan. 18,1955

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