Please help. The counter stopped on AB Dick 360 This is on a AB Dick 360 machine

[Mark Olson]

Please help. The counter stopped working on the AB Dick 360
This is on a AB Dick 360 machine. I am normally very good at fixing anything on this machine that breaks down. You simply take it apart and take a look at it and you can figure out what part or gear controls what mechanism and can see how to fix it. But I have been pulling my hair out trying to figure out how to fix this and can’t even figure out what mechanism makes it work.

Our counter no longer counts. Or should I say it counts 25% of the time randomly on and off. I want to first make it clear that the counter part its self works. And the part that bumps it up to count works fine also. This is very hard to explain what part is not working so I decided to take detailed pictures and explain what’s going on in hopes that somebody can be kind enough to help me correct what is wrong. Counters only bump up when a sheet of paper feeds into the press. Even though the feeder is on but no paper goes in, it will not count. Its genius for this press to somehow know is a sheet of paper is being fed in or not without a computer. I have never been able to figure out how the press without any computer can detect if a sheet of paper actually goes in or not. I would assume that when your feed lever is on it just counts the revolutions after that but it does not. It literally can tell if a sheet goes in or noteven if the feed lever is always up. If there is a jam it stops counting. I don’t understand how the heck the press can figure this out without a computer?

Anyway…

I opened the press up and I noticed there is a clamp on the top that I highlighted in the pictures as well as a wheel on the bottom with a bearing. When a sheet of paper feeds in the clamp on the top of the picture bites down causing the bearing on the bottom of the picture to go into the pocket of the wheel. This bearing going into the pocket of the wheel causes a lever to bump the counter up on the right side. This is how the counter mechanism works. This all makes perfect sense except for the fact that when paper feeds in the press the clamp at the top does not go down anymore. My issue is I cannot figure out how this machine detects a sheet being brought in which causes this clamp at the top to bite down? If I can figure this out I can fix the problem. But I have absolutely no idea and played for hours with it.

How do I get that clamp to bite down every time a sheet of paper is fed into the machine?

I am please hoping someone here knows.

I should make a fast note and say there is no blanket on the press at this time. We are counting sheets of paper so there is no need for a blanket. Its at this time I noticed the counter sometimes works and sometimes does not work. I don’t know if a blanket is needed for pressure, which somehow causes that clamp to bite or not but I thought it was worth mentioning just in case.

I hope someone knows how we can get the counter working and I thank anyone that can.

 

[Joseph Fioretti]

As the paper feeds into the Forwarding rollers the Paper Feelers come down and detects the sheet then locks press into impression and starts counting.
Photo 1 with Orange marker shows Fowarding rollers and Paper Feelers.
If it is not counting the impression cylinder lock needs to be adjusted See photo with Pink marker. To adjust turn the screw behind that arm 1/16th of a turn (very little).
If

 

[Mark Olson]

Hey thank you for responding and your help!

I am not sure if what you wrote was cut off but it endes with you saying "If" looking like you were starting a new sentence. Were you?

So your telling me all I have to do is turn that screw 1/16 of an inch? That is such a small amount. Do I turn it clock wise or anti clock wise?

And what happens if I turn it to much or turn it the wrong way? And by turning it such a small amount (1/16) could it slip back again? I am just asking to understand this better?

 

[Joseph Fioretti]

Turn it clockwise.
If you turn it too much the press won't come out of impression and continue to count with no paper running through.
Turn it in 1/16 increments so that you won't turn it too far.

 

[Mark Olson]

Sadly it did not work. I only opened the side of the press where the motor is. Unless there is something on the control side I have to do also?

I moved it only 1mm at a time clock wise. Nothing happened until over one full turn. Finaly it started counting even if a paper was not going in. So I got excited and said I just moved it to far like you said. I slowly moved it anti clockwise by 1mm everytime to where it took just about a full turn to finaly stop.. No matter how small a turn it either always counted or never counted. I could not just get it to count paper. Sometimes it would but not perfect because it would count 1 sheet 3 times at times. But a little 1mm turn could make it stop altogether and then it could take up to a full half turn to count none stop. There is no sweet spot I tried 1mm turns forever.

Something its very off because u could do 1mm turns a few times to get it to always count and then it would take up to a half or full turn to make it stop again even though it was only 1mm turns before.

Do you have any advice?

 

[Joseph Fioretti]

Are you adjusting it while feeding paper? That is the best way I have found.

 

[Mark Olson]

Yes I was adjusting it while feeding the paper and same issue. When I say "keept counting" I mean if a paper is in or not it keeps counting.

This is why its odd. I will turn like 1mm at a time. It could take 20mm before it starts to count no matter paper or not. So if that last mm turn made it keep counting you would think 1mm anti clockwise back it would stop. But nope, it could take a full 20mm back to stop counting after turning it 1mm to make it start. So something is very off. How could a 1mm turn make it count no matter what then I have to go back a while 20mm the other way to make it stop? The best I could do was make it count when paper goes through but not be accurate. Sometimes 1 sheet will be counted as 3 sheets.

I spent 30mins with that screw turning it 1mm at a time and it was either no count, always count or sometimes count.. So I guess I might be screwed at this point.

 

[UncleTim]

Just buy a new counter and throw it n there. Why go to the bother of messing with it for so long?
I wish my problems were along this line. I love the older mechanical machines without all the computer crap. I can fix mechanical problems.
It’s the electronic stuff that stumps me or ends up being very expensive to find someone who can help or parts. If all I have to do is replace a part
I can locate it, have it delivered, install it and get back to work.