Printing press with delivery including independently mounted sprockets

A sheet-fed offset printing press having a chain delivery assembly for withdrawing sheets from a rotating cylinder, said chain delivery system comprising:

• first and second spaced apart sprockets independently mounted for rotation about a common axis which is parallel to the axis of said rotating cylinder;
• first and second gears coaxially affixed adjacent to said first and second sprockets, respectively;
• first and second chains carried by said first and second sprockets, respectively, each having an upper run leading toward said cylinder and a lower run leading away from said cylinder;
• gripping means carried by said chains for engaging leading edges of said sheets to carry them away from said cylinder;
• a rotatable shaft whose axis is parallel to the axis of said rotating cylinder mounted away from said chains and having third and fourth gears affixed to opposite ends thereof;
• and
• power means operatively connected to said first sprocket for rotation of said first sprocket and said first gear, said first gear being operatively connected to said third gear for rotation of said rotatable shaft and said fourth gear at the opposite end thereof, said fourth gear being operatively connected to said second gear to drive said second sprocket in coordinated rotation with said first sprocket.