Sheet registration on feed table of printing press

In a device for registering a sheet against front and side stops on the feed table of a printing press having a press drive and having means for cyclically feeding sheets across the table toward the front stop, the combination comprising a suction head recessed in the table adjacent the side stop and having a set of openings which are flush with the table, the suction head being shiftable parallel to the surface of the table, reciprocating means coupled to the press drive and timed with the arrival of a sheet at the front stop for shifting the head laterally in the direction of the side stop and for returning it, a source of suction, first valve means coupled to the source of suction for admitting suction to the head timed with the lateral shifting movement so that the sheet is shifted into contact with the side stop, anti-friction means for mounting the suction head for free play from a reference position in the direction of feeding movement of the sheet so that the sheet is free to settle against the front stop as it is shifted by the head toward the side stop, a source of air pressure, second valve means coupled to the source of air pressure for applying a short puff of air to the head timed with completion of the shifting means to free the sheet from the head in readiness for removal of the sheet from the table, and means timed with the return of the head for restoring it to reference position thereby to insure that the full amount of play is available for the next sheet.

In a device for registering a sheet against front and side stops on the feed table of a printing press having a press drive and having means for cyclically feeding sheets across the table toward the front stop, the combination comprising a suction head recessed in the table adjacent the side stop and having a set of openings which are flush with the table, the suction head being shiftable parallel to the surface of the table, reciprocating means coupled to the press drive and timed with the arrival of the sheet at the front stop for shifting the head laterally in the direction of the side stop and for returning it, a source of suction, first valve means coupled to the source of suction for admitting suction to the head timed with the lateral shifting movement so that the sheet is shifted into contact with the side stop, a source of air pressure, second valve means coupled to the source of air pressure for applying a short puff of air to the head timed with completion of the shifting movement to free the sheet from the head in readiness for removal of the sheet from the table, the head being in the form of a hollow cylindrical capsule, the reciprocating means including a slide supporting the head, means extending between the slide and the head for mechanically coupling the same to impart lateral reciprocating movement to the head while permitting lost motion in a direction perpendicular to the direction of reciprocating movement to accommodate residual feeding movement of the sheet, the air conduit having provision for lost motion in the same perpendicular direction, and an anti-friction bearing interposed between the head and the slide for insuring that the lost motion occurs freely.

In a device for registering a sheet against front and side stops on the feed table of a printing press having a press drive and having means for cyclically feeding sheets across the table toward the front stop, the combination comprising a suction head recessed in the table adjacent the side stop and having a set of openings which are flush with the table, the suction head being shiftable parallel to the surface of the table, reciprocating means coupled to the press drive and timed with the arrival of the sheet at the front stop for shifting the head laterally in the direction of the side stop and for returning it, a source of suction, first valve means coupled to the source of suction for admitting suction to the head timed with the lateral shifting movement so that the sheet is shifted into contact with the side stop, a source of air pressure, second valve means coupled to the source of air pressure for applying a short puff of air to the head timed with completion of the shifting movement to free the sheet from the head in readiness for removal of the sheet from the table, the head being in the form of a hollow cylindrical capsule having a central axis, the reciprocating means including a slide supporting the head, means for mechanically coupling the same to impart reciprocating movement to the head while permitting lost motion in a direction perpendicular thereto, means including an air conduit extending from the slide axially into the head, the air conduit having a slip joint permitting relative rocking of the head about its central axis and permitting lost motion in the same perpendicular direction, and a circular coaxially arranged anti-friction bearing interposed between the head and the slide for facilitating both the lost motion and the rocking movement.

In a device for registering a sheet against front and side stops on the feed table of a printing press having a press drive and having means for cyclically feeding sheets across the table toward the front stop, the combination comprising a suction head recessed in the table adjacent the side stop and having a set of openings which are flush with the table, the suction head being shiftable parallel to the surface of the table, reciprocating means coupled to the press drive and timed with the arrival of the sheet at the front stop for shifting the head laterally in the direction of the side stop and for returning it, a source of suction, first valve means coupled to the source of suction for admitting suction to the head timed with the lateral shifting movement so that the sheet is shifted into contact with the side stop, a source of air pressure, second valve means coupled to the source of air pressure for applying a short puff of air to the head timed with completion of the shifting movement to free the sheet from the head in readiness for removal of the sheet from the table, the reciprocating means being in the form of a slide, a spring for imparting shifting movement to the slide, means including a cam and cam follower interposed between the press drive and the slide for returning the slide from its shifted position, and means including an adjustable stop arranged in the path of shifting movement of the slide for adjusting the length of the shifting stroke of the head.