Patent GB-191030384-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to Printing Machines.
Inventor: GAMMETER HARRY CHRISTIAN
IPC: B41L15/06
Filed: 1910-12-31
Granted: 1911-08-11
Abstract: 30,384. Gammeter, H. C. Jan. 3, [Convention date]. Addressing-machines; rotary machines; tripping - arrangements; printing-surfaces.-A rotary printing - machine is constructed so as to print letters through an ink ribbon and to print also an address at the head of the letter by a single rotation in one direction, and on reversing the direction of rotation an envelope is printed with the same address and is delivered near the printed letter. The address formes are removed by hand and replaced by fresh formes after each actuation; the impression cylinders for the letters and envelopes are automatically tripped, and the ink ribbon is wound around a spool carried by the printing-drum and around a spool mounted on the frame and fitted with a spring barrel for winding up the ribbon as the drum is rotated back to its original position. The spools may both be fixed to the drum when used to print letters without addresses, and in this case the direction of feed of the ribbon is automatically reversed when one of the spools reaches a certain diameter. The letters to be printed are fed by hand to front stops 66, Fig. 6, between rollers 67, 68, which come together at the correct time and feed the letters between the printing- drum and an impression cylinder 30. When an envelope and a letter are to be printed, the letter is printed by rotating the drum in a counter-clockwise direction, and the envelope is addressed when the direction of the drum is reversed. The drum comprises a segment 18 formed with overhanging rails 19 for receiving grooved type, and the segment is secured to a frame comprising a shaft 13 and webs 16, 17 by means of a spring 23 which embraces the shaft 13, and by the engagement of rods 25 connecting the webs 16, 17 with slots in webs 22 rigid with the segment 18. The segment 18 is formed with a recess in which is placed a grooved type-carrier 120, Fig. 1, in which the address is set up in type 132. The carrier 120 is easily inserted by moving a sliding clamp 124 so as to engage a stop 129. The carrier 120 is then placed with one of its edges under a fixed clamp 123, and its notched parts 127 are then below the projections 126 on the clamp 124. When this clamp is moved to the right, the projections 126 securely hold the carrier in position, a spring 130 forcing the carrier upwards so as to be firmly held by the clamp 124. The ink ribbon 50 is wound around a spool 51 mounted in the drum, and a spool 52 detachably mounted between a shaft 63, Fig. 1, and a shaft 57, which is connected to a fixed bracket by a regulated bracket consisting of a spring washer 58 between the bracket and nuts 59 on the shaft. The spool 52 is connected to a barrel 55 in which is secured a coiled spring connected to the shaft 57, and this barrel winds in the ribbon around the spool 52 as the printing-drum is reversed. To feed out a certain amount of ribbon at each rotation of the drum, the spool 51 is fitted with a ratchet wheel 158, Fig. 4, which is actuated by a pawl 157 pivoted to a plate 152 actuated by a rod 151 and a fixed eccentric. When the address forme is not used, the ink ribbon may surround the drum and the spool 52 is secured in the position shown in Fig. 4. The plate 152 is held by a spring-pressed roller 155 to cause the pawl 157 to engage the ratchet 158, but when the roll on the spool 52 reaches a certain size, the plate 152 is moved bv the tautness of the ribbon and the roller 155 holds the plate in such a position that a second pawl 153 on the plate engages a ratchet 159 on spool 52, and the feed is thus reversed. This inking-mechanism is similar to that described in Specification 26,576/08. The printed letters are delivered by adjustable rollers 72, 73. The envelopes are placed with their flaps downwards on adjustable supports 110 carried by bars supported by rods 105, 106, and the impression roller 84 with a projecting segment 85 is tripped from its driving gear 92, Fig. 9, while the drum moves contra-clockwise by a fixed cam which engages a lug 95 on a pivoted dog 93, and moves a lug 94 on the dog out of engagement with a slot 96 in the roller. A split washer holds the roller as its gear rotates. On the reverse motion the dog engages the slot 96 and rotates the roller at such a time that the surface 85 coacts with the address forme only and the printed envelope is buckled past its supports and delivered over the rollers 72, 73. The roller 84 is mounted in eccentric bearings so that it can be held out of action altogether. The roller 30, which consists of a rubber surface and a metal shell 31, Fig. 12, is provided with bush trunnions 32, 33 which rotate on a shaft 34 provided with eccentric bearings 35, 36. The roller is constantly driven by a gear 46 having a pin-and-slot connexion with the shell 31, and geared to the printing- drum. The shell 31 tends to drive the shaft 34 by friction through a spring 70 but the motion of the shaft is limited by an arm engaging two adjustable stops. In one of these positions the impression roller is in the printing position. In the other position, which it occupies when the printing-drum is reversed, the impression roller is tripped. The roller can be held in this position by a screw.