Patent GB-900117-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in rotary machines for selective duplicating or printing
Inventor: BONSCH FRANCOIS RODOLPHE
IPC: B41L11/00
Filed: 1957-08-19
Abstract: 900,117. Copying documents. BLOCK & ANDERSON Ltd. Aug. 13, 1958 [Aug. 19, 1957 (2); Oct. 7, 1957], Nos. 26145/57, 26146/57 and 31327/57. Class 100 (2). In a duplexing or printing machine with a master carried on a rotatable drum and having axially extending text lines, and a co-operating counter-pressure roller, the drum surface includes an arcuate region divided into separate segments corresponding to parts of the text and each individually displaceable radially between a printing position and an inner inoperative position, and pre-selection means for the segments are arranged so that segments selected to be operative are brought into printing position only as they approach the printing zone and are returned to inoperative position as they leave the zone. The drum 10 is rotatable on a stationary axle 11, Figs. 4 and 5, and is formed with four plates 39a, 39b, 39c, 39d, supporting over part of the drum periphery an arcuate member 34 carrying a master sheet clip 21. The plates 39 where not covered by the member 34 are provided with circumferentially spaced and axially-aligned radial slots 41 receiving web portions 42 of segments 30 having head portions 43. The segments are urged inwardly by springs 45, and each segment is divided into a partsegment 30a supported on plates 39a, 39b and a shorter part-segment 30b supported on plates 39c, 39d. Secured to the axle 11 are two cam discs 60 having valley regions 61 in which is accommodated a bracket 62 carrying rollers 65 in alignment with the counter-pressure roller 16. Similar rollers 74 are carried on a bracket 70 on a collar 71. In the normal axial position of the segments 30, notches 67, 75 are aligned with the rollers, and the segments are not moved onwards. Control levers 54, one for each line of text, arranged in a vertical bank beside a copy of the master sheet, selectively actuate plungers 52 to align lugs 55 with noses 49 of the segments 30b, and when a body 50 is moved to the left and back again through a one-revolution clutch 58 on a constantly rotating shaft 57, the selected segments 30 are moved to the left, and on reaching the printing zone are moved out by the rollers, thereafter being retracted by springs. On closing a one-revolution clutch 92, a camplate 90 moves a rod 80 to the right, and a resetting plate 77 on the collar 71 engages the end of a slot 78 to move the segments 30b to the right and render them inoperative. On closing a similar clutch 95, a cam-plate 93 moves the rod 80 a greater distance to the right, and a resetting plate 88 on a collar 85 engages the end of a longer slot 89 to reset all the segments. Every sixth segment 30a carries rollers 97 engaging the cams 60 to hold the segments normally in printing position, the segments being retracted at the valleys 61 unless selected. For printing the whole text, discs 36 are rotated through half the angle between adjacent segments, by moving a bar 29 axially, the latter having ramp edges engaging plates 28 on the discs, to bring short slots 38 in the discs out of alignment with the webs 42. All the levers 54 are actuated to move the segments to the left, when ramp surfaces 40 thereon ride up bevelled edges 37 on the discs, and all the segments are held in printing position. If the clutch 92 is then operated, only the segments 30a will be so held. For holding segments in printing position over an adjustable arcuate length of drum rotation, the rollers 65, 74 are replaced by pairs of rollers an adjustable circumferential distance apart. In another form, Fig. 10, each segment is in three parts 106a, 106b, 106c, and each part co-operates with two rollers 109 on a bar 108. Selecting rods 126 rock selected levers 125 to move operating levers 115 radially outwards, selected levers 115 striking a roller 127 at the printing zone to move the associated bar 108 to the left and move the segments outwardly, the rollers 109 riding up cam surfaces on disc 111. The end discs 111 can be moved axially outwards to inoperative positions by means of rods 113a, 113b, to render the end part-segments inactive. According to the second Provisional Specification, there may be provided means for locking a selected combination of segments in printing position for repeat printing. According to the third Provisional Specification means to locate the segments positively in either of their axial positions comprises protuberances on the web edges on one side or the other of the discs, the segments being lifted slightly outwardly against their springs during axial displacement, and there may be provided a display board holding a copy of the master sheet, with light-emitting apertures for each line closed by shutters opened by the control levers to indicate which lines have been selected, or lights may be provided, controlled by switches linked to the control levers. The arc of movement of the drum over which the segments are held in printing position may be adjusted by varying the amount or direction of axial movement of the segments, the portions of the webs engaging the rollers having axially displaced zones of different circumferential thickess. Specification 882,924 is referred to.