US3127163A

US3127163A - Newspaper collator

Info

Publication number: US3127163A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1964-03-31
Anticipated expiration: 1981-03-31

Description

w. M. CHAMBERS ETAL 3,127,163

- March 31, 1964 NEWSPAPER COLLATOR 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. l0. 1961 INVENTORS. WALLACE/ZCHA/Vms Big Low Wmz/v.

Ima/(ff March 3l, 1964 w. M. CHAMBERS ETAL NEWSPAPER COLLATOR Filed Nov. l0. 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS.

BY oYD'I/IZBEL/N. L www iron/f" WAL/:MEM HAMBERS &

March 31, 1964 w. M. CHAMBERS ETAL 3,127,163

NEWSPAPER coLLAToR Filed Nov. 1o, 1961 4 sheets-sheet 4 Fig. J1.

I N VENTOR. MIZ/IUFM WAHM/9s Y LL oy@ I/IKEL/M United States Patent Office 3,127,163 Patented Mar. 31, 1.964

3,127,163 'NEWSPAPER COLLATOR Wallace M. Chambers, 506 Jewel St., Capitola, Calif., and Lloyd W. Berlin, '429 San Juan Ave., Santa Cruz, Calif. Filed Nov. 10, 1961, Ser. No. 145,1# 8 Claims. (Cl. 270-57) Our present invention relates to collators and more particularly to a machine for stufling together the several folded sections of a newspaper as they come from the press.

An object of the invention is to provide an automatically operating machine by which any number of different folded sections of a newspaper may be interleaved or stuffed together in properly assembled relation for delivery to the newsstands.

An object of the invention is to provide a novel arrangement by which the folded sections of a newspaper may be automatically stuffed together in a continuous and ethcient manner with a minimum of supervision.

Further object of the invention is to provide a newspaper collating machine by which several folded sections of a newspaper supported at a substantially uniform level and in horizontal alignment are successively picked up and carried into stuffed relation with succeeding sections as a continuous operation following which the completely assembled newspaper is delivered free of the collating machine.

A more specific object of our invention is to provide a collator for stuffing the sections of a newspaper as the printed and finally folded sections come from the press which includes a row of aligned hoppers, one behind another, with the similar sections of the paper arranged in a particular hopper, the stacks of sections being so arranged that the section in the rst hopper will be stuffed into a folded section from the next following hopper and these stuffed sections will be stuffed as a unit into another section of the paper in the next following hopper until the several sections of the complete edition of the newspaper have been thus assembled, there being a novel fold opening means and a positioning of the folded sections in each hopper such that sections of a newspaper consisting of several pages can be stuffed into succeeding sections each of several pages until the complete edition is fully assembled and discharged from the machine for delivery to the newstands as a continuous operation.

Other objects and advantages will be evident to those skilled in the art and in part pointed out hereinafter in the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein there is shown by way of illustration and not of limitation a preferred embodiment of our invention.

In the accompanying drawing wherein like numerals referred to like parts throughout the several views:

FIGURE l is a plan view of our machine,

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the machine as shown in FIGURE l,

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary top view showing in detail the newspaper section engaging arms employed in our machine,

FIGURE 4 is an end View in section taken along line 4 4 of FIGURE 3,

FIGURE 5 is a detailed view of preferred form of arm supporting link of the operating link chain,

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary top View showing the newspaper engaging arm of FIGURE 3, as in an inoperative position,

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary view showing a further detail of the newspaper engaging arm and its Ycontrol means,

FIGURE 8 is a larger fragmentary plan view showing other details of construction,

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary side elevation of that'portion of our machine shown in FIGURE 8, and

FIGURE 10 is a perspective view showing a folded section of a newspaper as opened for stuffing by the fold opening means of our stuffing device.

For a more detailed description of our invention reference is made tothe accompanying drawings wherein the numeral 10 designates generally a supporting frame having, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawings, three

separate hoppers

1l, 12 and 13 in which different sections of a complete newspaper edition are stacked for assembly in stuffed relation for delivery to the newsstands. These

hoppers

11, 12 and 13 have paper supporting bottoms that move upwardly to compensate for the removal of the top folded section of a newspaper therefrom as the stuffing of the newspaper continues. For illustration, in 'FIG- URE 2 of the drawings the bottom 14 of the hoppers V11, 12 and 13 are here shown as biased upwardly by spring means 15, but it will be understood that other well known means, to be hereinafter described maybe employed for this particular operation. In this manner the top folded sections of the newspaper in each of these hoppers will be supported at a correspondingly uniform level. Extending along the sides of the

hoppers

11, 12 and 13 we provide

continuous link chains

16 and 17 that operate in parallel vertical planes with their upper course of travel riding over chain guiding rails 18 and disposed respectively over the

hoppers

11, 12 and 13 there are inverted U-shaped supporting

yokes

19, 20 and 21 which carry fold opening vacuum cup members 22, 23 and 24. These

yoltes

19, 20 and 21 have depending ends 25, 26 and 27 that are pivotally mounted at spaced points along the sides of the supporting frame 1t) and are connected to operate in timed relation with the movements of newspaper section engaging arms 28 over the

hoppers

11, 12 and 13. The section engaging arms 23 are pivotally mounted in properly spaced relation upon special links of the

chains

16 and 17, and Vas will be hereinafter described, they are held in an operative position by means of a control cam or camming surface 29 as they are moved over the hoppers 11, 12 and'13 by the

chains

16 and 17. This camming surface 29 is formed by an outer liange 30 upon va U-shaped channel member 31, which in this instance, with its inner flange provides the chain guiding rail 18. The frame 10 is also shown as having a take-off conveyor which consists of several parallel belts 32, that ride over

pulleys

33 and 34 and operate to gather the stuffed-newspapers as they leave the stuffing station as encompassed by the upper course of travel of the link chains'16 and 17.

By referring again to FIGURE 2 of the drawings it will be noted that the link chain 16 is carried over two spaced sprockets 35 that are mounted upon transversely extending shafts 36 which carry similar sprocket `37 over which the chain 17 rides in its operating course of travel along its guide rail 18. The link chain 16 travels around and over the sprockets 35 in both its operating and return course of travel but the chain 17 is extending downwardly and around two additional sprockets 3S so that the return course of this chain will be disposed below the level of the

hoppers

11, 12 and 13, which are open on this side of the frame 10, to permit a more convenient loading thereof. In this arrangement it will be noted that the chain 17, being longer than the chain 16 is therefore provided with additional properly spaced newspaper section engaging arms 28 in such a manner that two of the arms 28 will come into opposed cooperating relationship as they are carried in pairs over the

hoppers

11, 12 and 13 by

chains

16 and 17. A driving motor 39 is shown as provided for driving one of the sprockets 38 and with the interconnection provided by the shafts 36, between the

sprockets

35 and 37 it will be seen that each of the

chains

16 and 17 will be driven at a corresponding rate as they move over the guide rails 18 at the sides of the

hoppers

11, 12 and 13.

Reference is now made to FIGURES 3 and 4 of the drawings, yfor a more detailed description of the construction and mo-unting of the newspaper gathering arms 2S upon the

conveyor chains

16 and 17. In these figures the link chain 17 is shown as provided with specially constructed links 40, which `as is shown in FIGURE have depending

cheeks

41 and 42 that are adapted and arranged to position the links 4d for sliding movement along the guide rail 1S, here indicated by dot and dash lines. At this point it will be also noted that each of the links 49 carry a vertically extending stud or spindle 43 upon which the section engaging arms 28 are pivotally mounted. The cheek 42 of this special link 40 also has an upstanding stop forming extension 44 against which the section gathering arms 28 are biased into an inoperative position upon the spindle 43 by spring means 45. In order to maintain the arms 28 in an operative position against the action of the biasing spring 45, these larms are provided with rearwardly and angularly trailing lever arms 46 that carry cam engaging rollers 47 which when in engagement with the camming surface 29 of the member 31, as here shown, will operate against the biasing spring 45 and maintain the arms 28 in a right angled operative position upon the chain 17 as they are moved over hoppers 11, 12 Iand 13 by the link chain 17 In order to also maintain the arms 28 in a substantially horizontal position when extended over the

hoppers

11, 12 and 13, lthe camming surfaces 29 of the U-shaped members 31 are provided with overhanging lips 4S at the upper edges under which the rollers 47 at the end or" the lever arms 46 are positioned.

Referring to FIGURES 6 and 7 of the drawings, it will be noted that the chain supporting rail 1S, camming surface 29 and carrying member 31 are as shown in FlGURE 1, provided with bowed out portions at the points A and B, respectively at the leading and trailing ends of this member. FIGURE 6 illustrates the manner in which the newspaper gathering arms 28 are controlled at the trailing end of their travel and FIGURE 7 shows the rail and camming surface carrying member 31, as having a roller engaging switch point or vertical plate 49 by which the newspapergathering .arms 2S are brought or switched back into their operating position upon the link chain 17. Now with particular reference to FIGURE 6, it will be noted that the roller 47 carried by the lever arm 46 of the newspaper gathering arm 28 is still in contact with the camming surface 29 formed by the flange 3i? of the rail carrying member 31 as the arm 28 approaches the end of its travel. However, contrary to this showing the camming surface 29 might be terminated .at the point C, for the stop 44 upon the special link 40 will still serve to retain the newspaper gathering arm 28 in its inopera-tive and coextending relation with the chain 17. After the arms 28 have reached this position the stop 44 will retain the gathering arms 28 in the position here shown throughout the remaining travel of the chain 17 in its return course and around its supporting sprockets 37 until they approach the leading end of the rail and camming surface carrying member 31. Then, as shown in FIGURE 7, when the arm 23 approaches the hopper 11 with the first section of the newspaper to be stuffed into the next following section as presented in the

hoppers

12 and 13 the roller 47 will be brought into engagement with the switch point or vertical plate 49, and this will cause the lever arm 46 with its roller 47 to follow the outwardly bow portion A in the camming surface 29 of the member 31. At the same time the link chain -17 will continue to move in the direction indicated by arrow and `as a result the roller 47 and the lever arm 46 will be moved from a leading position with respect to the pivotal axis of the arm 28 as here shown and into trailing relation with the axis about which the arm 23 rotates as shown in FIGURE 3 of the drawings. The dot and dash outlines with the direction arrows as applied to FlGURES 6 .and 7 show the path of travel and intermediate posit-ion of the lgathering arms 23 during their movement from one position to the other.

Reference is now made to FIGURES 8, 9 and 10 of the drawings for a more detailed description of the timing and operation of the fold opening vacuum cup members 22, 23 and 24 and the newspaper section gathering arms 28 as the

chains

16 and 17 move to the left in their indicated upper course of travel. As show-n in these igures of the drawings, the newspaper section gathering arms 2S, two sets of which are here illustrated, are carried in spaced relation upon each of the

link chains

16 and 17 and as these arms 28 in opposed relation approach the newspaper

section supporting hoppers

11, 12 and 13, the rst vacuum cup member 22 will unfold the uppermost section of the newspaper as is presented in the hopper 1v1. Then as the travel of the arms 28 continues, the lunfolded and engaged section of the newspaper taken from the hopper 1.1 will be carried over and into the unfolded section of the newspaper as presented by the hopper 12. At this time the vacuum cup member 23 will have unfolded this second section of the newspaper, as indicated by dot and dash lines. As a result the first section of the newspaper will be stuffed into the second section then as the yarms 28 continue to move to the left the two gathered sections of the newspaper will be stuffed into the third section of the newspaper as the vacuum cup member 24 unfolds the outer Isection of the newspaper as presented in the hopper 13. As a final operation the stuffed newspaper sections, only three of which `are :shown by way of illustration, will be carried by the arms 28 to a position where the stuffed newspaper will be carried from the stuffing stations and deposited upon the conveyor belts 32. At the same time the rollers 47 carried by the oppositely extending lever `arms 45 of the gathering arms 28 which will be moved outwardly and free of the gathered sections by the arm biasing springs 45 by following the bowed portion of the camming surface 29 of the member 31. It should be here stated that the newspaper sections as delivered from the press and presented to the gathering arms 28 by the hoppers 11, 12 and `13 will have two right .angle folds, therefore the fold opening vacuum cup members 22, 23 and 24 are so positioned upon their supporting

yokes

19, 20 and 21 that they will engage the newspaper section at the outer corner adjacent to the initial fold of the newspaper section or, as indicated in FIGURE 10 of the drawings, at a point 59. This will insure a full unfolding of the folded sections of the newspaper as they leave the press and are subsequently stacked in the

hoppers

11, 12 and 13.

In order to tie in the operation of the vaccum cup members 22, 23 and 24 with the newspaper section gathering arms 28 as the latter move to the left, as viewed in FIGURE 9 of the drawings, the depending ends 25, 26 and 27 of the vacuum

cup supporting members

19, 20 and 21 are pivoted respectively in horizontal alignment upon pivot points 51. The depending ends 25 and 27 are extended ldownwardly lbeyond their pivoted mounting 51 and provided off center points to which the outer ends ,5 of pitmans '2. and S3 are connected. A-t their inner ends the pit-mans 52. and 53 are connected together upon the depending end 26 of the yoke 20 at a point above its pivotal axis 5-1 :and at a distance equal to the onset of these pitmans in their connection with the depending ends 25 and 27 ofthe vacuum cup members 22 and 24. The pitmans 52 and 53 are in turn connected to be operated by an `additional pitman 54 that -is driven Vfrom a crank pin SS carried by a gear 56 and Vwill impart a reciprocating movement to the pitmans 52 and 53. `ln this instance the pitman driving gear 56 is shown as connected by a driving chain 57 to .a sprocket 58 carried by `a shaft of one of the main sprockets 35 over which the chain 16 travels. In this arrangement with the vgather-ing arms 28 arranged in spaced relation as shown the vacuum cup members 22 and 24 will operate substantially ysimultaneously to unfold the newspaper sections as presented inthe hoppers 11 and 13 or from alternate hoppers where more than mthree such hoppers are provided. As a result the operations of the machine willbe carried out as a continuous operation without any delay being incurred should the machine be equipped with a larger number of newspaper section holding hoppers. At the same time the opposed pairs of section gathering arms 28 will operate in a successive manner and independently of each other `as the chains '16 and `17 carry the section engaging arms 28 along their upper course of travel over the hoppers `11, 12. land`13.

Reference is now made to FIGURES ll and l2 of the drawings, wherein we have 'shown an alternate arrangement by which thebottom 1 4 of the stacked newspaper

section supporting hoppers

11, 12 and 13 are raised to position 'the uppermost section of the newspapers at the proper level for engagement by the section engaging arms 28 as they pass over the hoppers. As indicated in these figures, the bottoms V14 of'each of the hoppers are's'upported at their four corners upon cables 460 that pass over accommodating pulleys 61 carried by the frame 10. At their lower ends the outer turn of the cables 60 pass around pulleys 62 and at their ends they are connected to cable recoiling drums 63 that are mounted upon a transversely extending shaft 64 that is driven by an electromagnetic ratchet mechanism 65. The ratchet mechanism 65 is a conventional notching device having an operating pawl 66 and a holding dog 67. This ratchet mechanism is connected to a suitable source of power 68 via a conductor V69 and through conductor 7i) to a pivotally mounted control arm 71 which has a paper engaging pad portion 72 that is adapted and arranged to engage with the top surface of the upper newspaper section and open contacts 73 which complete the circuit for the notching mechanism 65 as the arm 71 drops to engage with the next underlying newspaper section. Then as the notching device 65 elevates the bottom 14 of the hopper the newspaper sectionsvwill be elevated one or two notches depending upon the thickness of the section removed and/ or construction of the notching device 65. Following this the circuit of the notching device 65 will be subsequently interrupted as the stack of newspapers inthe hopper 11 is raised to a level that will open the contacts 73 of the control circuit. It will be understood that each of the hoppers l1, 12 and 13 will'have a similar and independently operating stack elevating control.

Itfis believed that the operation of our stuing machine will be fully understood from the above description and it therefore seems only necessary toA state that as a nal step the travel of the 'conveyor belts 32 which carry the stuffed newspapers from`the stuing stations is so timed that the stuned newspapers willV be deposited upon these belts in overlapping relation so that the stuffed newspaper sectionsiwill' be carried along in stack forming relation. The stuffed newspapers can then be taken from the stuffing machine in substantially uniformly stacked groups which can be handled for delivery by a single operator.

being adapted and arranged to cause said arms'to assume While we have, for the sake of clearness and in order to disclose our invention so that the same can be readily understood, described and illustrated a specific form and arrangement, we desire to have it understood that this invention is not limited to the specific form disclosed, but may be embodied in other ways that will suggest themselves Vto persons skilled in the art. It is believed that this invention is new and all such changes as come within the scope of the appended claims are to be considered as part of this invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1..:In a newspaper stufling machine of the character described, the combination of an elongated supporting frame having a plurality of horizontally aligned hoppers -into which folded sections of a newspaper are supported at a `substantially uniform level, a pair of continuous link chains operating in vertical planes with their upper courses moving along opposite sides and adjacent said hoppers, newspaper section engaging arms carried by Veach of said link chains extending toward each other and over said hoppers for successive engagement with the folded sections of the newspaper as they are moved over said hoppers by said link chains, a Vacuum cup lifting (means disposed over each of said hoppers operating to open the folded sections of the newspaper in timed relation with the movement of said section engaging arms for engagement by the said arms as they move over said hoppers, said section engaging arms being pivotally mounted upon said link chains, spring means for biasing said 'arms toward an inoperative position in coextending Vrelation with their supporting chains, a stationary cam means mounted upon said supporting frame disposed outwardly and extending along the upper course of said link chains for holding said arms in an operative position against the action of said spring means during their movement over said hoppers and releasing said arms for disengagement with said newspaper sections after passing 'over the final one of said aligned hoppers, chain supporting rails Vcarried by said'frame over which the upper course of said link chains travel, and means carried by said link chains cooperating with said chain supporting rails for maintaining said section engaging arms in cooperating relation with said stationary cam means.

2. In a newspaper stuing machine of the character described, the combination of a supporting frame having a plurality of aligned stations in which stacks of folded sections of a newspaper are supported with the uppermost sections at a substantallyuniform level, a continuous link chain operating in a vertical plane and havingV its upper course moving along each side of said aligned stations, chain supporting rails mounted upon said supporting frame upon which the upper course of said chains are supported, newspaper section engaging arms carried in opposed relation by said link chains and extending over said stations for successive engagement with the uppermost section of the stacks of sections of newspapers as they move over said stations, a section fold lifting means disposed over each of said stations operating in 'timed relation with said -section engaging arms to open the folded sections of the y newspaper for engagement by the said arms as they move successively over said stations, said section engaging arms being pivotally mounted at spaced points along said link chains and biased toward an inoperative position, cam means mounted upon said supporting frame extending parallel with the upper course of said chains for holding said arms in an operative position as they are moved in their upper course along said 4chain supporting rails and over said stations by said link chains, said cam means sections of'the newspaper'will be freed of said arms, and

means at the end of said supporting frame for gathering the stuffed sections of the newspaper as the stuilng machine continues to operate.

3. In a newspaper stuffing machine of the character described, the combination of an elongated supporting frame having a plurality of aligned open top hoppers into which folded sections of a newspaper are supported with the upper sections at a substantially uniform level, chain supporting rails carried by said supporting frame and extending along opposite sides of said open top hoppers, continuous link chains carried by said rails operating in horizontally spaced vertical planes with their upper courses of travel moving along said rails at opposite sides of said open top hoppers, newspaper section engaging arms carried by each of said link chains and extendable over said hoppers for successive engagement with the folded sections of the newspaper as they move over said hoppers, a vacuum lifting means operating in timed relation with the movement of the arms carried by said link chains to open the folded sections of the newspaper for engagement by the said arms as they move over said hoppers, said section engaging arms being pivotally mounted upon said link chains, means normally biasing said arms toward an inoperative position during a portion of the course of travel of said link chains, and means operating to overcome said last means and hold said arms in an operative position during the course of their movement over said hoppers.

4. In a newspaper stuiling machine of the character described, the combination of a supporting frame having a plurality of hoppers with open tops arranged in horizontal alignment into which the uppermost of double folded sections of a newspaper are supported at a substantially uniform level, a continuous link chain moving in a horizontal course along opposite sides of said hoppers, spaced newspaper section engaging arms carried by f each of said link chains and extending over said hoppers for successive engagement with the folded sections of a newspaper as they are moved over said hoppers, means disposed over each of said hoppers operating in timed relation with the travel of said section engaging arms to open the upper fold of said folded sections of the newspaper for engagement by the said arms, said section engaging arms being pivotally mounted upon upstanding vertical spindles carried by said link chains, chain supporting rails for supporting the horizontal course of said chains at a uniform level adjacent said hoppers, spring means for biasing said arms toward an inoperative position upon said chains, and means operating against the action of said biasing spring means for holding said arms in an operative position during the course of their travel over said hoppers and ceasing to operate against said biasing means after said arms pass over the last of said aligned hoppers, said section engaging arms having an oppositely extending portion cooperating with said last means, and said last means comprising a horizontally extending cam supported by said frame and disposed outwardly in spaced parallel relation with said chain supporting rails in the upper course of said link chains along which the oppositely extending portions of said newspaper section engaging arms ride during the movement of said arms over said stations.

5. In a newspaper stuiling machine of the character described, the combination of an elongated supporting frame having a plurality of aligned open-top hoppers into which folded sections of a newspaper to be stuffed are supported at a substantially uniform level, a continuous length of link chain operating in a vertical plane along a side of said frame with the upper course thereof located adjacent the open tops of said aligned hoppers, a rail of channellike cross section carried by said frame having an inner upstanding flange along which said link chain moves in its upper course of travel and an outer control flange, a plurality of newspaper section engaging arms pivotally mouted upon spaced links of said link chain, characterized by the fact that the spaced links upon which said arms are mounted have depending cheeks that engage the side of the inner upstanding flange of said rail to retain said link chain thereupon, and a lever forming extension with a roller upon said section engaging arms in engagement with the outer control llange of said rail for retaining said section engaging arms in an operative position upon said chains as they pass over said hoppers.

6. In a newspaper stufng machine of the character described, the combination of an elongated supporting frame having a plurality of aligned open top hoppers into which pre-folded sections of a newspaper are supported at a substantially uniform level, a member of channel cross-section mounted upon said frame and disposed in parallel relation along opposite sides of said aligned newspaper supporting hoppers having upstanding ilanges providing a chain supporting rail and an outwardly spaced control cam, a link chain operating in a vertical plane with its upper course riding upon the chain supporting rail ilange of said member, said link chain having links at spaced points therealong with depending cheeks for retaining said chain upon the chain supporting rail ilange of said member, newspaper section engaging arms pivotally mounted upon said spaced links of the chain, means normally biasing said arms toward a coextending inoperative position upon said link chain, and an oppositely extending lever arm carried by said pivotally mounted section engaging arms having a roller in contact with the spaced control cam of said member operating to retain said section engaging arm in an extended operative position at a right angle to said chain as said section engaging arms are carried over said hoppers by said link chain.

7. In a newspaper stulng machine of the character described, by which folded sections of a newspaper may be assembled for delivery, the combination of supporting frame having a plurality of aligned open top hoppers into which folded sections of a newspaper are supported at a substantially uniform level, a chain supporting rail mounted upon said frame disposed horizontally in parallel relation along the opposite sides of said aligned open top hoppers, a link chain operating in a vertical plane with its upper course riding upon each of said chain supporting rails, said link chain having links at spaced points which carry vertically extending spindles, newspaper section engaging arms pivotally mounted upon the spindles carried by said spaced links and operatively extending at a right angle from said chain and over said hoppers, spring means normally biasing said arms toward an inoperative position upon said link chain, an oppositely extending lever carried by said pivotally mounted arms having a roller for contact with a spaced control cam, and a control cam disposed outwardly from said rail along which said rollers move to retain said section engaging arms in an extended operative position upon said chain as said section engaging arms are carried over said hoppers by said link chain.

8. In a newspaper stuiling machine of the character described, the combination of a supporting frame having a plurality of aligned newspaper section supporting hoppers, a chain supporting member of U-shaped cross-section carried by said supporting frame and extending along opposite sides of said hoppers having an upstanding flange at one side forming a chain supporting rail and its other upstanding flange forming a camming surface outwardly from said chain supporting rail forming flange, a link chain movable along said chain supporting rail having depending cheeks for retaining said chain against lateral displacement from said rail, a newspaper section gathering arm pivotally mounted upon and carried by said link chain normally extending into an operative position at a right angle to said chain, spring means for biasing said section gathering arm toward an inoperative position in coextending alignment with said link chain, a stop carried by said chain for limiting the action of said biasing means when said arm is in its inoperative position upon said chain, and an oppositely and angularly extending lever arm carried by said gathering arm having a roller in trailing engagement with the camming surface forming flange of said member for holding said section gathering arm in an operative position upon said chain as it moves along the upper course of said chain and over said aligned newspaper section supporting hoppers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Cox Nov. 5, 1912 Harford Dec. 30, 1924 Hathaway Feb. 16, 1932 Kleinberg May 31, 1955

Claims

1. IN A NEWSPAPER STUFFING MACHINE OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED, THE COMBINATION OF AN ELONGATED SUPPORTING FRAME HAVING A PLURALITY OF HORIZONTALLY ALIGNED HOPPERS INTO WHICH FOLDED SECTIONS OF A NEWSPAPER ARE SUPPORTED AT A SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM LEVEL, A PAIR OF CONTINUOUS LINK CHAINS OPERATING IN VERTICAL PLANES WITH THEIR UPPER COURSES MOVING ALONG OPPOSITE SIDES AND ADJACENT SAID HOPPERS, NEWSPAPER SECTION ENGAGING ARMS CARRIED BY EACH OF SAID LINK CHAINS EXTENDING TOWARD EACH OTHER AND OVER SAID HOPPERS FOR SUCCESSIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH THE FOLDED SECTIONS OF THE NEWSPAPER AS THEY ARE MOVED OVER SAID HOPPERS BY SAID LINK CHAINS, A VACUUM CUP LIFTING MEANS DISPOSED OVER EACH OF SAID HOPPERS OPERATING TO OPEN THE FOLDED SECTIONS OF THE NEWSPAPER IN TIMED RELATION WITH THE MOVEMENT OF SAID SECTION ENGAGING ARMS FOR ENGAGEMENT BY THE SAID ARMS AS THEY MOVE OVER SAID HOPPERS, SAID SECTION ENGAGING ARMS BEING PIVOTALLY MOUNTED UPON SAID LINK CHAINS, SPRING MEANS FOR BIASING SAID ARMS TOWARD AN INOPERATIVE POSITION IN COEXTENDING RELATION WITH THEIR SUPPORTING CHAINS, A STATIONARY CAM MEANS MOUNTED UPON SAID SUPPORTING FRAME DISPOSED OUTWARDLY AND EXTENDING ALONG THE UPPER COURSE OF SAID LINK CHAINS FOR HOLDING SAID ARMS IN AN OPERATIVE POSITION AGAINST THE ACTION OF SAID SPRING MEANS DURING THEIR MOVEMENT OVER SAID HOPPERS AND RELEASING SAID ARMS FOR DISENGAGEMENT WITH SAID NEWSPAPER SECTIONS AFTER PASSING OVER THE FINAL ONE OF SAID ALIGNED HOPPERS, CHAIN SUPPORTING RAILS CARRIED BY SAID FRAME OVER WHICH THE UPPER COURSE OF SAID LINK CHAINS TRAVEL, AND MEANS CARRIED BY SAID LINK CHAINS COOPERATING WITH SAID CHAIN SUPPORTING RAILS FOR MAINTAINING SAID SECTION ENGAGING ARMS IN COOPERATING RELATION WITH SAID STATIONARY CAM MEANS.