Detachable feed mechanism for printing devices and the like
OwnerRichard E. Shannoninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A feed apparatus for the input of a printing machine or the like having stationary and movable platform portions and upwardly extending adjustable guides, the forward end of the movable platform portion including a cavity portion which communicates with a source of suction pressure for gripping an article to be printed, and a guide member spaced from the cavity to form a space through which the forward edge of an article to be fed moves toward the printing machine. The subject feed unit also includes a drive for reciprocating the movable bed portion, and a timed valve for communicating the cavity to the source of suction pressure and an adjustable rod member to adjust the timing of the suction producing valve.
Claims19
A feed apparatus for printing and like machines comprising a feed magazine for receiving a stack of articles to be fed, said magazine including a platform having a substantially continuous top surface for supporting the articles, said platform being formed by adjacent stationary and movable portions in the same plane and having a forward end, drive means operatively connected to the movable platform portion at a location thereon spaced rearwardly from the forward end, said drive means including means to reciprocate said movable platform portion in the plane thereof, spaced means extending upwardly from positions adjacent to the platform to maintain articles to be fed in a stacked condition thereon, means forming a throat centrally located adjacent to the forward end of the platform through which the lowermost article in the stack can be fed, said throat extending at least in part below the article supporting platform, means centrally located adjacent to the forward end of the movable portion of the platform forming a cavity in the surface thereof adjacent to the throat forming means, a source of subatmospheric pressure and means periodically communicating said cavity with said source including conduit and valve means, said valve means having a pair of relatively movable valve members with cooperating valve chambers formed therein, one of said pair of valve members having an operative connection to the drive means for movement thereby whereby the cooperating valve chambers periodically establish communication between the subatmospheric pressure source and the cavity in the movable platform portion.
A feed apparatus for attaching to printing and like machines that contain drive means comprising a bed on which articles to be fed are positioned, said bed having a forward end and including adjacent stationary and movable portions together defining a substantially continuous upwardly facing article supporting surface thereon, drive means operatively connected to the movable bed portion at a position spaced rearwardly from said forward bed end including means to reciprocate said movable portion relative to the stationary portion while maintaining the article supporting surfaces of said stationary and movable portions in the same plane, means to attach the feed apparatus to a printing machine including means for operatively coupling the drive means to the drive means on the printing machine, means extending upwardly from the bed to define a magazine for containing a supply of the articles to be fed in a stacked condition thereon, means centrally located adjacent to the forward end of the bed forming a throat through which each succeeding lowermost article in a stack of articles on the bed passes during feeding, means associated with the movable bed portion for establishing a suction pressure condition adjacent to the throat including a source of suction pressure and means periodically communicating said source with said movable bed portion adjacent to the throat, said last named means including a suction source, conduit means and valve means including a pair of relatively movable valve members, one of said valve members having a valve inlet port and a valve outlet port, said conduit means communicating one of said ports to the movable bed portion adjacent to the throat and the other of said ports to the source of suction pressure, and means for adjusting the position of one of said relatively movable valve members relative to the other for controlling the timing of the communication between the inlet and outlet valve ports and the timing of the communication between the suction pressure source and the movable bed portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.