Patent GB-372514-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to printing machines
IPC: B41L47/58
Filed: 1931-04-09
Abstract: 372,514. Printing -machines. ADDRESSOGRAPH CO., 901, West Van Buren Street, Chicago, U.S.A. April 9, 1931, No. 10484. Convention date, May 12, 1930. [Class 100 (ii).] Addressing and like machines ; platen machines ; stopping, starting, and tripping arrangements; impression adjustments.-In addressing or like series-printing machines of the kind adapted at each operation to print from part of the data on a printing-device in printing position, the matter to be printed is selected and printed by the operation of mechanism automatically controlled by tabs &c. on the printing-devices. As shown, each printing-plate has three lines of type characters, and one of a corresponding set of platens is moved into operative position at each impression. Two impressions are printed from each plate, one from the top line and the other from either the second or the third line according to the position of a switch tab on the plate ; the tab also controls the movement of a paper sheet to align the two impressions. (1) Address-plates 59, Fig. 1, are fed from a magazine 129 to printing position by a reciprocating feed-bar actuated from an oscillating arm 26 through the intermediary of a link 147<1>, a pivoted arm 134, and a pawl. As it is necessary to print twice from each plate, the pawl is disabled, at alternate oscillations of the member 26, by a rod 148, Fig. 19, carried by a yoke 152 pivoted to an arm 153 rocked about the axis of a ratchet 147 by an oscillating arm 158, Fig. 14, rigid with the arm 134. A pin 154, Fig. 19, on the rod 148 intermittently rotates the ratchet, which is provided with alternate deep and shallow teeth, the latter causing the movement of the rod to disable the pawl. When skipping occurs, the ratchet remains stationary as described in (7) below so that a fresh plate is fed forward immediately. (2) Three side-by-side platens 119, Fig. 12, are mounted in a casing 66 fixed to an arm 65, which is rocked by means of a shaft 72 carrying an arm 73, Fig. 1, connected by a link 74 to a pivoted arm 76 adapted to be oscillated by a dog 771 carried by the arm 26. The platens are carried by slides 80, 81, 82, normally retained in inoperative positions by pawls 87, 88, 89 against the action of springs 83, 84, 85. The pawls are fixed to shafts 90, 91, 92, Fig. 14, rigid with arms 93, 94, 95 carrying pivoted rods 96, 97, 98 passing through holes in a flange on an arm 100 fixed to a shaft 101, which is rocked a variable amount, as described in (4) below, selectively to align one of the rods with a stud 104 on one arm 105 of a bell crank 106 carrying a pawl 114 lying in the path of an arm 79 on the shaft 72, whereby, at each downward movement of the arm 65, one of the platens is released and snaps down into printing position. Subsequent movement of the arm 79 rocks an arm 126 fixed to a bar 122 which returns the released platen to normal position ; the bar 122 normally acts as a stop limiting the downward movement of the platens. When a "heading" printing-plate arrives in printing position, the platens are released manually as required by depressing the free ends of the arms 93, 94. 95 ; in that case, actuation of the bell crank 106 is prevented by pushing in a rod 390 adapted to move the pawl 114 out of the path of the arm 79. (3) One side edge of a list-sheet 29, Fig. 3, is gripped by a spring- pressed clamping-plate 37 carried by a plate 40 fixed to a bar 36 having a lateral extension 34 secured in adjusted position in a slide 33 mounted' on a rod 30 fixed to brackets 31, 32 supported on rollers to allow the carriage to move transversely as a whole. Racks 239, 240 passing through the slide 33 are mounted in the brackets 31, 32. A roller-arm 238, Fig. 1, oscillated by an arm 235 on the shaft 72 at each descent of the platen, moves the rack 240 to the left in Fig. 1, the slide 33 being meanwhile locked against movement by a pawl engaging the rack 239. This movement of the rack 240 compresses a spring 245 arranged between a lug on the rack and the head of a bolt 244 fixed to the rack 239, and, at the same time, an arm pivoted on the rack 240 is raised out of a recess in the rack 239 so as to lift an arm 256 fixed to a rod 255 adapted to release the pawl from the rack 239 ; each time the carriage is moved to the right in Fig. 3 for column spacing, the rack 240 is released from the arm 238 and is moved forward by the spring 245 whereby the sheet is advanced to bring the next line into printing position. (4) The sheet is moved to the right in Fig. 3 to receive the first impression, which is printed in the right-hand column and is the controlled impression, and is then moved back to receive the other impression. The bracket 32 is connected by a spring-pressed pin to a slide 288, Fig. 1, reciprocated by means of a rod 286, Fig. 19, connected to a bar 284 .adjustably fixed in a groove in a disc 282 fixed to a disc 278 rotated intermittently by a pawl 277 carried by a gear segment 267 engaging a segment 270, Fig. 1, oscillated by a rod 271 connected to the arm 26, the connection being automatically broken if the rod jams. The carriage is guided in its transverse movement by rollers 296, Fig. 3, on the bracket 32 which engage a track 296<1>; a roller carried by a spring-pressed pin on the bracket enters a groove 297 and so prevents longitudinal movement of the carriage, and a projection on the pin retains the rack 239 against longitudinal movement. As the carriage moves to the right in Fig. 3 for the first impression from a plate, the slide 33 is shifted to align the paper with either the second or the third line of characters by means of an arm 312, which is pivoted to an arm 314 extending from the bracket 32 and carries a roller 315 riding in a guide 306 movable into either of two angular positions according to whether a switch tab 349, Fig. 19, is in the position A or B. The guide 306 is carried by a shaft 304 fixed to a lever 305 oscillated from a shaft 320 carrying an arm 323 terminating in a pin 325, the arm 323 being periodically raised and allowed to fall towards a notched arm 326. Pawls 346, 347 lying in the path of the switch tabs are fixed to rods 356, 357 of different lengths whereby the arm 326 is rocked into either of two positions to present a notch 367 or 368 to the pin 325 and therefore to produce different angular movements of the arm 323 and of the guide 306. The lever 305 is locked in the position of adjustment by a toothed bar 328 moved towards a pin 327 on the lever 305 by means of a roller-arm engaging the disc 278. In the absence of a switch tab, indicating, for instance, the end of a series or the arrival of a plate to be manually selectively printed, the pin 325 engages a notch 369 so that the guide 306 assumes a parallel position and a cam 377 connected by a rod 372 to the arm 323 is rotated and lifts a pawl 164 normally preventing reverse movement of the ratchet, which therefore oscillates instead of advancing : operation of the sheet-moving and plate-feeding devices is thereby interrupted. (5) When a heading is to be printed, a knob 256<1>, Fig. 1, is turned to rotate a cam 257<1>, Fig. 3, adapted to rock the rod 255, whereby the pawls are raised out of engagement with the racks so as to release the slide 33, and a pin 292 is lifted to disconnect the bracket 32 from the slide 288. The sheet may therefore be positioned manually as required. (6) The variable movement of the racks also controls the selection of the platens. A vertical plunger 342, Fig. 3, carries a roller riding in a camrecess in the rack 239, and the plunger is therefore positioned at different heights in the two angular positions of the guide 306, and, by engaging a cam 338 fixed to the shaft 101 rocks the arm 100, Fig. 14, so as to bring the stud 104 opposite either the rod 97 or the rod 98. (7) The actuation of the platen arm 65 is controlled by means of feeler pins 183, Fig. 20, coacting with tabs on the printing-plates. The pins are selectively arranged in holes 181 in a bar 180 carried by a member 168 rocked about a shaft 167 by a roller-arm 175, which is fixed to a shaft 138 oscillated each time a plate is advanced, and engages a cam 172 pivoted to the member 168 and connected thereto by a spring. When no tabs are encountered, the bar 169 is free to move upwardly and rocks a lever 185 so as to depress a rod 192 engaging an arm 190 whereby a projection 196 is moved into the path of a pin 202 on a pivoted arm 201 rocked by a pawl 157, Fig. 14, mounted on the arm 158, and downward movement of an arm 205 resting on the pin is prevented so that a roller 80<1> on an integral arm 81<1> depresses the pawl 771 and trips the impression. Incidentally, a projection 328<1> on the arm 201 engages an extension of the arm 323 so as to disengage the pawl 164 and prevent movement of the ratchet 147. When the pin 154 engages, a shallow tooth to interrupt the printing-plate feed, the pawl 157 is moved into an inoperative position by a lug 155 on the yoke 152. When tabs are encountered, the pin 202 drops into the space between the projection 196 and a second projection 195, and the pawl 77<1> is allowed to function. When the selected plates are to be skipped, the lower end of the rod 192 is moved on to a recess 191, and the pin 202 is free to drop, or, alternatively, engages the projection 195. The pawl 157 may be moved into an inoperative position to disconnect the selector mechanism. (8) The machine is started by closing a switch to energize a magnet 17, Fig. 1, which raises a. lever 15 so as to throw in a clutch 14 whereby the arm 26 is actuated. The lever 15 is retained in this position by a catch engaging a lever 220 connected to the lever 15. When the magazine is empty, a bell crank, which is constantly pressed towards the pile of plates by a spring 213 periodically compressed by a rod 211 connected to a rocking lever 206, enters the magazine and removes the catch so that the lever 15 drops and the machine stops. An arm con