US1557317A - Machine - Google Patents

Description

Oct. I3, 1925- J. R. NOLAN STAPLING MACHINE Filed April 20.

1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 oct. 13,1925. 1,557,517

J. R. NOLAN STAPLING MACHINE -Filed April 2o.` 1922 5 sheets-sheet 3 J. R. NOLAN STAPLING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet Filed April 2O 1922 ,lill

MSN

ou. 1a, 1925. l 1,557,317

J. R. NOLAN sTAPLING MACHINE Filed April 2o, 1922 5 sheets-sheet 5 C l0- z' @9 l 69 a v l Patented @et 13, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT onirica.

.TOI-IN R. NOLAN, F NEN? YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOB. TO THE DIAMOND MATCH COMPANY,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS., A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS..

STAPLING: MACHINE.

Application filed April 2D, 1922.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN R. NOLAN, a citizen ot' the United States, and resident ot' the city of New York, borough of Manhattamin the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvemen-ts in Sta-pling Machines, of Which theiolloiving is av specification.

'Ihis invention relates to staplng machines, having reference more particularly to machines employing staple forming, drive ing and clinching mechanisms.

The invention is especially applicable to machines tor use in the production oi" socal-led book matches comprising cards oit matches stitched by Wire staples to their respective covers; although, of course, a niachine embodying the principles of the invention may be advantageously employed to staple sheets or books of different kinds or descriptions.

The invention is herein illustrated iu connection With the bookfmatch making machine forming the subject ot U. S. Patent No. 1,468,810, dated September 18, 1923, which machine embodies an endless carrier by means oi which associated card matches and covers are supported in co-operative relation to the stitching mechanism. The said carrier is constructed and arranged to receive a succession of spaced-apart covers and transport. them to a location Where card matches are delivered to succeeding series ot covers; and the stitching mechanism is; so constructed and arranged in relation to the path of the carrierthat, immediately upon the delivery of the cards to the covers in the conveyer, Wide staples arel driven into and through the respective associated cards and covers, and the protruding legs of the' staples are then simultaneously clinched against the covers in a `mannerto complete the stitching operation. Thereupon the carrier transports the united cards and cov,e ers to other devices Whichprogressively eftect and complete the book-forming operation. Y

The construction, organization and operations of the various instrumentalities constituting my improved stapling machine, in a preferred form of embodiment ofthe invention, Will be hereinafter described in de-v tail, and the precise scope of the invention then be defined in the appended claims; it being understood that the mechanisms here Serial No. 555,696.

in disclosed may be greatly modiiied Without departure from the fair spirit of the invention.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a side elevation or" stapling mechanism embodying the principle of my invention, the mechanism being illustrated as applied to a book-match machine, parts of `which are indicated in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section, enlarged, through the stitcher head, and ad-` juncts, as on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, showing the anvils in their forward position preparatory to the feeding of the Wires across the anvils. In this View a portion of the carrier with book-matches therein and also a part of one of the sprocket Wheels for the carrier are shown.

Fig. 3 is a similar section in av plane through the head and the staple clinching hars, but showing the mechanisms in stapleforming position.

Fig. 4t is a section similarl to Fig. 3. but showing `the `mechanisms in the position which they occupy upon the completion of the driving and clinehing of the staples.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view, partly in section, of'a portion of the table of the book match machine with a portion Iot' the carrier With covers therein, showing the clinching bars and the spaced-apart anvils of the stapling mechanism, including the blockin Wiich said bars and anvils are mounted.

Y Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the clinch# ing` bars separated. u

Fig. 7 is a horizontal section through a portion ot' the block showing one end oit the clinching bars and the rotary cam for ac tuating the same. f

Fig. 8 is a section through said block and bars, on the line 8 8 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is an elevation of the Wire-feeding mechanism, the table being indicated in' section. Y

Fig. 10 is a transverse vertical section through the Wire-feeding mechanism, as on the line 10-10 of Fig. 9.

Referring to the drawings, 11 designates a supporting frame, including a'table 12; 13 designates a main shalt, and 14, 15 desig-` natetivo driven shafts appropriately geared together and With thev main shaft, all said shafts extending longitudinally of the machine and being in parallelism. t

17 designates .an endless chain oi' links,

ll l) constituting a cover and card carrier, the upper run of which travels intermittently along a guide way on the top of the table. At one end of the table book-match covers a having folded end portions Z are introduced into the links of the carrier, such covers thus being transported in spaced relation to each other toward the opposite end of the table. A bar 18, which is supported on the table and is arranged to overhang the end folds longitudinally of and adjacent the upper run of the carrier, is provided along its forward edge with a depending lip or shoulder 19 against which the `free edges of the folds contact land are thereby maintained in folded condition during the progress of the covers with the carrier.

The chain passes about sprocket wheels mounted at the respective ends of the table, one of which wheels is shown at 20. On the shaft 21 of this wheel is a pinion 22 in mesh with the gear `teethl of a pin wheel 23 which is mounted on a suitably-disposed -studshaft 24. The pins 25 of the pin wheel engage a cam 26 fast on the main shaft 13, the contour of which cam is such that the pin wheel is intermittently rotated and the motion transmitted thence through the gearing to the carrier.'

In the present instance the carrier in each movement thereof travels a distance of three links, and in each succeeding dwell of the carrier the co-vers contained in three links are not only supplied with card matches, but the three covers with their associated cards are presented to the action of the stitching mechanism, the lpreferred form of which will now be described.

Mounted on the table l2 "and adjacent the path of the carrier, is Aa stitchei' head comprising a standard 27 having a forwardly extending portion 28 which overliangs the bar 18 in proximity to the card inserting station, said portion 28 having a series (in this case three) of vertical guide bores 29 in spaced relation to each other and directly above and centrally of the folded ends of the respective covers borne by the carrier links at said station. The bar is provided with openings 30 directly below the respective bores 29.

Slidably mounted in each of the bores 29 is a hollow plunger v31, termed a stapleforming plunger, having a bifurcated depending portion whereof the spacedapart depending members 32 lare vertically grooved in their inner sides, as at 33. The space between the inner sides of the members i-s substantially equal to the length of a sta.- ple between the legs of the latter, the grooves being p-roperly proportioned to receive and support such legs when a staple is formed and positioned between the members, as hereinafterdescribed.

Vithin each of the hollow plungers 3l is slidably mounted a plunger 34, termed a staple driver, having a head 35 which is connected by means of a link .36 with an arm 37 fast on a rock-shaft 38 journaled in the upper portionof the standard 27. Hence by actuation of the rock-shaft the staple driver can be forcibly reciprocated. A spring 39 conhned within the hollow plunger and encircling the internal plunger 34 bears at its respective end-s against the head 35 and a lower annular flange 40 within the plunger 31. The lower end of the driver plunger extendsbelow the flange and is provided with a foot or collar 41 which, taking aga-inst the underside of the flange, limits the upward movement of the driver plunger in relation to the forming plunger. `This collar is preferably equipped with diametrically opposite inset strips 42 which project laterally of the periphery of the collar to provide vertical feathers which are slidably fitted iii the grooves 33 of the forming plunger. The strength of the spring 39 is such that when the driver plunger is depressed tlic latter and its associated forming plunger are positively and concurrently moved until the descent of the forming plunger is arrested, whereupon the driver plunger, overcoming the force of the spring, completes its descent independently of the forming plunger. The spring thus coli-stitutes a resilient resisting element between the two plungers. Upon the elevation of the driver plunger the collar 41 thereof abuts against the flanged end of the forming plunger and positively raises the latter.

The three driving plungers '34 are reciprocated concurrently and positively by ac tuation of the rock-shaft 38 in any suitable manner. In the present instance one end of the rock-shaft bears a crank-arm 43 which is connected by means of a. link 44 with one end of a crank-lever 45 that is hung on a shaft 46 supported in a bracket 47 depending from the table. The other arm of the crank lever is connected by means of a link 47 with the Lip-projecting arm 48 of a. rocklever 49 which is fulcrumed on a shaft 5() in Ya bracket 51 beneath the table. pending arm 52 of the lever carries a roll 53 in operative engagement with the race of a suitable cam 54 fast on the driven shaft 14, the contour of the race being such as to ensure through the lever and link connections just described the timely positive operations of the respective staple driving plungers.

Reciprocable into and from the paths 0f the bifurcated lower ends of the forming plungers 31 are anvil members comprising in the present instance hook-shaped arms 54 which are fast at their lower ends to a rock-shaft 55 journaled in a suitably-disposed -block 55 on the table. The upper or The del free end of each of the arms 54 is preferably rectangular in cross-section, its width being substantially equal to the open space in the bifurcated foot of the adjacent plunger 31, whereby the latter in its descent em braces the proximate arm when such arm is positioned to overhang an opening 30 of the bar 18.

One of the anvil arms is connected by a lilik 56 with an arm 57 of a bellcrank lever fulcrumed on the shaft 50. The other arm 58 of the lever carries a roll 59 which runs in the race of an appropriate cam 60 fast on the shaft 14:, the contour of the race being such thatduring the rotation of the cam the lever is positively actuated to effect the timely operation of the rock-shaft and its anvil arms.

A plurality of strands of wire, 61, (in the prese-nt instance three) from which staples are to be formed, are simultaneously advanced to locate the leading ends of the strands upon and across the respective anvil arms 54 when the latter are positioned to overhang the openings 80 of the bar 18; suitable means being provided whereby staple lengths are cut from the ends of the respective strands. These strands, which are drawn from a series of suitably-disposed reels, (not shown) pass through the bites of paired feed-rolls 62, 63 (Figs. 1, 9 and 10) which are mounted within a suitable housing 64 on the table, the rolls being peripherally grooved to receive and guide the respective wires.

The upper rolls 62 are fast on a shaft 65 having its bearings in a vertically-adjustable frame 66. This frame comprises a rectangular structure whereof one side is pivoted inl and between lugs 67 on the rear wall of the housing so as to overhang tihe latter. The end members of this frame are perforated for the free passage of. tip-standing screws 68 on the end walls of the housing, which screws are equipped with thumb-nuts 69, that, bearing upon the end members, may be manipulated to effect vert-ical adjustment of the frame and its rolls.

The lower rolls 63 are preferably mounted upon separate stud shafts 70 carried by arms 71 extending inwardly from a rock-shaft 72 journaled in the front wall of the housing, each of the arms, together with its shaft and roll7 being yieldingly supported by a spring 73 seated in a socket 711 on the bottom of the housing. Thus the lower rolls 63 are maiir tained iirinly yet yieldingly in contact wit-l1 the respective upper rolls 62 so as to ensure the gripping of the wires. On one side of each of the lower rolls is a gear wheel 75 in mesh with a gear wheel 76 on a lower shaft 77 having its bearings in the end walls of the housing. The shafts 65, 77 are extended at one end beyond the housing and are provided with pinions 78 in mesh with an interposed spur wheel 79 mounted on a stud shaft 8O projecting from the adjacent end of the housing. Fast on the spur wheel is a ratchet-wheel 81 with the teeth of which engages a pawl 82 carried by one arm 83 of an oscillatory crank lever loose on the stud shaft 80, said pawl being preferably held in operative engagement with the ratchet wheel by means of al suit-ably-disposed spring 84. The other arm 8l of the lever is connected by means of a link 82 with the longer arm 83 of a crank lever which is fulcrumed on a bracket 85 beneath the frame bed. The shorter arm 86 of the latter lever bears a roll 87 which is held in contact with an appropriate cam 88 on the driven shaft 15, by means ofv a spring 89 secured to the lever and the table; the conto-ur of the cam being such that in its rotation theV crank l'ver is oscillated toactuate the pawl connect-ions in a manner to advance the ratchet-wheel 81 intermittently, and thus turn the feed rolls to effect the simultaneous feeding of the wires step-by-step. Each wire feeding impulse of the rolls occurs during the iirst part of each movement of the carrier.

The wires are guided from the feed rolls through guide tubes 9() which are suitably curved and positioned to terminate laterally of the upper or free ends of the respective anvil arms when the arms are in their forward position beneath the forming plungers. The bottom of the standard portion 28 is preferably provided with perforated blocks 91 which receive and support the ends of the respective tubes 90, the perforations of the blocks thus permitting the passage of the free ends of the wire transversely of the path of the plunger and above the respective anvils. (See Figs. 2, 3 and 4.) lVhen the wires are thus positioned staple lengths are severed therefrom by suitable cutters. In the present instance each cutter comprises a blade 92 whichy is reciprocative vertically across the path of the wire. This bladeI is affixed to the lower portion of the forming plunger, and is vertically movable in a lateral channel 93 in the adj acentguide-bore of the standard portion 28, whereby in the initial descent of the forming plunger the blade 92 is forcibly depressed in a manner to sever a staple length from the leading end of the wire. Suitably-disposed depending studs 94 afford stops for the free ends of the respective wires when they are positioned on the anvils. f

The wire-feeding, staple-forming and staple-driving devices above-described are so constructed, arranged and ladapted to cooperate that during each interval of movement of the carrier the anvils are in their forward position; the feed rolls are actuated to feed the wires transversely of and above the anvils, and the driving plungers are partially depressed, thus similarly depressing the forming plungers which in their initial movement actuate the Cutters to `sever staple lengths from the wires as previously explained, and then bend down the ends of the opposing wire lengths against the sides of the anvils in a manner to form staples whereof the legs are seated in the internal grooves of the respective biturcated ends oi the forming plungers. (See Fig. The anvils are then retracted i'rom the staples.

t Immediately upon the positioning of the cards c on their respective covers the driver plungers are positively depressed against the action of the springs 39, so as to drive the legs oi the opposing staples into and through the respective covers and their associated match cards, whereupon the protruding eilds of the legs ot the staples are clinched against the under sides of the respective covers by the agency of a pair or oppositely-acting clinching bars 95. (See Fig. 4.) The operations just described occur in sequence during each movement and dwell of `the carrier.

The clinching bars 95 are slidably arranged one upon the other in a guide-way 96 formed in the block 55 on the table, directly below the staple-driving devices, whereby the sai-d bars can be simultaneously reciprocated in opposite directions to yeach other. rl"he lower bar is provided with upstanding projections 98 which slidably enter longitudinal slots 99 in the upper bar, -said projections and the slots being in such spaced relation to each other that when the staples have beendriven the protruding legs thereof depend into the spaces 100 between the projections and the opposing ends 101 of the slots of the respective bars. Hence when the bars are simultaneously moved inward the protruding legs oi' each staple are bent toward each other and against the under side of the 4adjacent cover by the action ci' the opposing portions 9S, 101 of the respective bars, the tops of which portions are longitudinally grooved, as at 102, to receive `the clinched staple legs.

In the present instance the upper and lower bars are provided adjacent one end with depending studs 108, 104 respectively, the stud 103 extending freely through an appropriate slot 105 in the lower bar. These studs enter peripheral lcam grooves formed in a cam head 106 tast on one end of the rock-shaft 55 which carries the anvil arms. Each of the cam grooves comprises a straight portion 108 and an inclined portion 109, the portions 109 ot' the two grooves being inclined in opposite directions. The relation of the parts is such that the studs are engaged with the straight portions of the grooves when the anvils are forward and the clinching bars in outer or open position. Such studs remain thus engaged when the anvils are `retracted initially .from the staples and until `thelatter have been driven into Ythe underlying articles. Thereupon in the `continued retraction ot the anvils the inclined portions of the cam grooves receive the studs and force them away from each other, thus moving theclinching bars in opposite directions to effect the simultaneous clinching ot the staple legs. In the suc- @cedingmovementl of the rock-shaft to swing the anvils to their forward or active position, the cam grooves act upon the studs to sliii't the clinching bars and space apart their clinching portions in readiness i'or a succeeding clinching operation.

By lthe mechanism just described it will be seen that the relative movements. of the anvils and of the clinching bars are positively andetl-'ectively controlled by the operation oil the rock-shaft.

I claimyl. In a stapling machine, the combination with staple-forming mechanism including a reciprooative plunger, ot a staple-driving plunger, means o-r positively reciprocating the latter' plunger, and a resilient resisting elementbetween. the two plungers, said element normally eillecting the positive and concurrent motion of the two plungers during the staple-forming operation and thereai'ter being .compressed by the driving plunger to .permit the independent driving lotion of the latter plunger.

2. In a stapling machine, the combination with staple-forming mechanism, including a reciprocative tubular plunger, of a stapledriving plunger telescopically mounted in said tubular plunger, means tor positively reciprocating the staple driving plunger, a spring encircling the staple driving plunger and tending to press the plungers longitudinally in opposite directions to each other, and stop co-acting with the said plungers to limit their opposite directional movements and maintain them in idle position, said spring being non-compressible during the initial working stroke of the staple-driving plunger so as to actuate the staple torming .plunger positively and concurrently with the driving plunger, and being thereafter compressible by the driving plunger to permit Athe independent driving motion of the latter plunger.

3. In a stapling machine, the combination with staple-forming mechanism including a reciprocative plunger, of a. .staple-driving plunger' extending axially and slidably through the forming plunger, means for positively reciprocating the staple-driving plunger, a resisting spring interposed between 'the 'two plungers, and a stop member on the acting end Loi: the staple-driving plunger, said member being normally held in Contact with the opposing end ot' the formingv plunger by the force of the spring.

CII

4. In a stapling machine, the combination with a reciprocative plunger having a staple-forming portion, a reciprocative staple-driving plunger movable relatively to the first-named plunger, of an anvil movable` into and from the path of said stapleforming portion, a rock-shaft operable to effect the movement of said anvil at predetermined intervals in respect to the oper ation of the plungers, oppositely-acting clinching members positioned to receive the protruding legs of a staple when they are driven, a cam on said rock-shaft, and a connection between the said cam and the respective clinching members whereby said members are simultaneously moved in opposite directions to each other.

5. In a stapling machine, the combination with a reciprocative plunger having a stapleforming portion, a r-eciprocative stapledriving plunger in the first-named plunger, and means for actuating said plungers, of a rock-shaft, an anvil thereon movable into and from the path of the said staple-forming portion, means for oscillating said shaft, oppositely-acting clinching members positioned to receive the protruding legs of a staple when they are driven, and cam connections between the rock-shaft and the clinching members.

6. In a stapling machine, the combination with a reciprocative plunger having a stapleforming portion, a reciprocative stapledriving plunger in the first-named plunger, aud means for actuating said plungers, of a rock-shaft, an anvil thereon movable into and from the path of the said staple-forniing portion, means for oscillating said shaft, a pair of oppositely-movable bars having clinching portions between which the legs of a sta-ple extend when they are driven, a cam member fast on said shaft, and operative connections between said cam member and the respective bars.

7 In a stapling machine, the combination with a staple-forming mechanism, including a rock-shaft and an anvil fast thereon, of a pair of oppositely-movable bars having complementary clinching portions, a cam member fast on said shaft, operative connections between said member and the respective bars whereby the bars are simultaneously moved in opposite direction to each other, and means for oscillating said shaft- S. In a stapling machine, the combination with staple-forming mechanism including a reciprocative plunger, of a staple-driving plunger, means for positively reciprocating said plunger, a resilient resisting element between the two plungers, said element normally effecting the positive and concurrent motion of the two plungers during the staple-forming operation and thereafter being compressed by the driving plunger to permit the independent driving motion of the latter plunger, an anvil movable into and from the driving path of the staple-driving plunger, means for actuating said anvil at predetermined intervals in respect to the operation of the plungers, means for intermittently feeding wire across the anvil, and a wire cutter fast on the acting end of the staple-forming plunger.

9. In a stapling machine, the combination with staple-forming mechanism including a reciproca-tive plunger, of a staple-driving plunger, means for positively reciprocating said plunger, a resilient resisting element between the two plungers, said element permitting concurrent motion of the two plunger-s during the staple-forming operaation and thereafter independent driving motion of the staple-driving plunger, an anvil movable into and from the driving path of the staple-driving plunger, means for actuating said anvil at predetermined intervals in respect to the operation of the plunger, means for intermittently feeding wire across the anvil, a wire cutter fast on the acting end of the staple-forming plunger, oppositely acting clinching members positioned to receive the protruding legs of a staple when thev are driven, and means including connections with the anvil for actuating said clinching members.

10. In a stapling machine, the combination with a plurality of staple driving mechanisms in spaced relation to each other, of a pair of oppositely movable bars having pairs of clinching portions in operative relation to the respective driving mechanism, and means for simultaneously moving the said bars in opposite directions to each other.

1l. In a stapling machine, the combination of a plurality of staple-forming mechanisms, each including a movable anvil, a plurality of staple-driving mechanisms associated with the respective forming mechanisms, a pair of oppositely-movable bars having clinching portions in operative relation to the respective driving mechanisms, and means for simultaneously operating said anvils, said means including connections whereby the said bars are simultaneously reciprocated in opposite directions to each other.

Signed at New York in the county and State of New York this 19th day of April JOHN R. NOLAN.

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