Untitled record

(Application filed Dec. 14, 1897.) (No Model.)

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T“E NORRIS PETERS CO . PHOTO-LITHO.. WASHINGTON. D, C.

United States Patent Office.

JOSEPH C. WILLETTS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO TALBOT C. DEXTER, OF PEARL RIVER, NEW YORK.

SHEET-SEPARATING DEVICE FOR PAPER-FEEDING MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 616,043, dated December IS, 1898;

Application filed December 14, 1897. Serial No. 661,805. (No model.)

To coll whom it may concern:

_# Be it known that I, Joseph C. Willetts, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, county and State of New York, have 5 invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sheet-Separating Devices for Feeding-Machines, of which the following specification, taken in connection’with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact io description.

My invention relates to improvements in the sheet-separating devices for feeding-machines invented by James J. Parker and covered by an application filed by him June 8, 15 1897, Serial No. 639,983. The Parker device is an improved form of frictional sheet-separating device adapted to be applied to a paper-feeding machine for insuring the delivery of single sheets from the machine. The sep20 arating or sheet - retarding member of the Parker device is formed of a block or pad of soft rubber having lines or strips of material of less frictional capacity traversing across or through its working surface in the direc25 tion of feed, said strips or lines of material being preferably of metal. Cooperating with the sheet-retarding member is a reciprocating feeding member of soft rubber which is adapted to pass the successive upper sheets of a. 30 pile over the separating member. The main utility in the Parker device consists in providing a frictional resistance for the sheettetarding bed which will be sufficient to overcome the adhesion between two sheets, but 35 which will be enough inferior to the frictional capacity of the feeding member to avoid the objectionable holdback of the upper sheet.

My invention consists of a sheet-retarding bed of any suitable material having variable 40 lines or strips of inferior frictional material traversing the retarding-bed in the direction of feed and adjustable transversely of the direction of feed, in combination with a suitable frictional feed-pad. Any suitable means may 45 be employed, for securing the lines or strips of inferior frictional material in adjusted position upon the surface of the retarding-bed.

I prefer to form the retarding-bed with recesses or shoulders at its ends and the lines 50 or strips of inferior frictional material of wires or rods having their ends bent to form spring locking-shoulders adapted to engage the recesses or shoulders of the retarding-bed, but said rods may be of other material differently formed and secured. Any number of wires 55 or rods may be applied to the surface of the separating-bed, according to the amount of frictional resistance required, and their position transversely of the bed maybe arranged to accomplish the best results. 60

In order that my invention may be fully understood, I will first describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings and afterward point out the novelty with more particularity in the annexed claims. 65

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a pair of sheet separating and feeding devices having my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the rubber separating-block removed from its 70 metal support.

. For the purpose of illustrating my invention I have represented it applied to the sheet feeding and separating devices described in an application filed by Talbot C. Dexter De- 75 cember 28, 1898, Serial No. 617,263, for improvements in paper-feeding machines.

B represents a portion of a reciprocating carriage adapted to travel upon a track (not shown) and have motion imparted to it by any 80 suitable mechanism.

D is a vertically-movable arm mounted in the carriage B and adapted to be moved to and from the plane of feed of the sheets at.the beginning and ending of its strokes, 85 said mechanism being of any suitable construction.

A represents the forward edge of a pile of sheets adapted to be supported upon an adjustable platform or table, whichisnotshown. 90

E represents the upper reciprocating feeding member of the sheet-separator, comprising, as illustrated, a metal backing, within which is secured a block or pad or soft rubber E'.

F is a metal casing or bracket, within which is supported a block or pad of soft rubber F', the casing F being mounted at the delivery end of the paper-feeding machine and adjacent to the forward edge of the pile of sheets A. 100

616,043

F and F' constitute oiie of the lower Separating or sheet-retarding members, two of which are preferably employed at the delivery end of each feeding-machine.

My invention consists in providing the retarding block or bed F' with rods, wires, or strips of an inferior frictional material I,.preferably metal, which are removable, variable, andadjustable transversely of theline of feed io of the sheets. I prefer to form the rods or wires I with the bent spring ends I', which are adapted to fit in transverse. recesses/' over the shoulders f~ of the retarding-pads F . It will be observed that the rods or wires I, 15 extending longitudinally of the direction of feed, can readily be adjusted transversely of the retarding rubber pads.

It will be observed that by reason of the rods or wires I extending longitudinally over 2o the surface of the rubber separator-pads the friction of the lower separator-pad will be sufficiently greater than the frictional adhesion between two sheets to hold back the under sheet or sheets which may by chance follow 25 the top sheets from the pile under the action of the feeding member E E', but that the friction of said lower separator member will be sufficiently inferior to the friction of the upperfeedingmember to avoid interference with 30 the passage of the successive top sheets singly from the machine.

The variability of the wires or rods I transversely of the separator-pads is important, because it enables the operator to regulate to 35 a nicety the relative frictional resistance between the upper and lower feeding and separating members. This adjustment is important because different qualities and sizes of paper sheets present widely-different diffi40 culties to overcome,· particularly under varying atmospheric conditions, and therefore everytime a different kind of paper is placed in the machine it is necessary to adjust the parts of the feeder and separator to operate 45 properly upon the particular kind of paper.

Though I have shown but one form of device for adjustably securing the rods or strips of inferior frictional material upon the surface of the retarding-bed, I would have it un50 derstood that various equivalent forms of devices—such as set-screws and tie-rods, for instance—may be employed for accomplishing the same result without departing from the spirit of my invention.