Patent GB-850820-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to printing machines
IPC: B41F17/00
Filed: 1957-01-23
Abstract: 850,820. Printing machines. REJAFIX Ltd. and SIMPSON, A. W. Jan. 16, 1958 [Jan. 23, 1957], No. 2498/57. Class 100(2) A printing machine comprises a plurality of movable printing elements and a plurality of tube members projecting respectively from the printing elements and being capable of telescoping within each other to guide the printing elements between relatively spaced and closely adjacent positions. As shown, the machine prints peripheral bands which may be of different colours on resistors or like small cylindrical objects and is driven by a motor 11 mounted on a base 10 through a crank 19 and a connecting rod 20. The rod 20 is jointed to two links 16 which are pivoted at one end to brackets 17 and at the other to a pair or arms 18. The arms 18 are also pivoted to a frame 15 so that the reciprocation of the rod 20 causes the frame to oscillate about a shaft 14. Printing surfaces. The printing elements are carried in a support plate 24 secured to the frame 15 and comprise printing rules 36, 37, 38, 39. Printing rule 36 is fixed to the plate 24 and is apertured to permit a rod 30 and an assembly of tubes 32, 33, 34 mounted thereon to pass through. The rod 30 is secured in one side wall of the support plate and, with the tube assembly, passes through the other wall of the support plate. The tubes 32, 33, 34 are mounted in slidable telescoped relationship and are of different lengths, that with the smallest diameter being the longest. The tubes 32, 33, 34 carry the printing rules 39, 38, 37 respectively at one end and at the other have circlips 51. The rule 39 is of wedge-shaped crosssection and carries a member 42 which is secured to springs 44 to bias the rules towards their closed position. A lug 45 on the back of the rule 39 projects through a slot in the support plate which is parallel with the rod 30 and is there engaged by the bifurcated end of a lever 47 which is pivoted to the shaft 14 and which carries at its other end a cam follower 48. The cam follower 48 engages a semi-circular cam 49 so that when the frame 15 reaches a position in which the printing rules are furthest away from the base 10 the lever 47 has assumed the position shown in Fig. 2 thus moving the printing rules to their widely spaced position for inking, the circlips 51 being brought into abutting relationship with each other. When the frame 15 is lowered to make an impression the follower 48 rides up the cam 49 thus allowing the springs 44 to close the printing rules together until they are separated only by shoulders or washers 52. Instead of fixed rules rotatable discs may be used. According to the Provisional Specification the rules may be moved together and apart manually. Printing on curved surfaces. An offset pad 65 is slidably mounted on guides 64 along which it is reciprocated by the rod 20 acting through two pairs of links 58, 62, the movement being synchronised with that of the frame 15 so that the pad 65 is in position to receive an impression from the inked edges 41 of the printing rules when they are in the closely adjacent position. As the frame 15 is oscillated away from the base 10 the pad 65 is moved to a position adjacent to one end of the base 10, the greater part of the pad having passed beneath a cross-piece 67, held above and parallel to the surface of the base 10 by supports 66. A resistor is then placed on the pad 65 and as the latter is moved back to receive an impression from the printing rules the resistor abuts against the crosspiece 67 so that it rolls over the surface of the pad and receives an impression therefrom. According to the Provisional Specification the pad 65 may be fixed, the component being rolled over it manually by means of a special tool. Inking apparatus. The rule edges 41 are inked by a roller 28 mounted on a spindle 26 carried in the hooked ends of a pair of carrier rods 29 slidably mounted on the outsides of the arms 18 and spring urged to the left as seen in Fig. 1. Wheels 27 on the spindle 26 run on guide surfaces 25 mounted on the frame 15. An inking drum 21 and a gear wheel 22 are mounted on a spindle 21a in the frame 15, the gear wheel 22 being engaged by a toothed sector 23 integral with one of the arms 18, so that when the frame 15 is oscillated the drum 21 is rotated. As the frame 15 nears the impression position the roller 28 is brought into contact with the drum 21 by reason of the oscillation of the arms 18 and rods 29 and ink is transferred from raised portions 54 on the drum 21 to similar portions 54 on the roller 28; the ink on the several raised portions may be of different colours. As the frame 15 is raised the roller 28 is swung away from the drum 21 and, following the guides 25, rolls over the widely spaced printing rules, the portions 54 engaging and inking the edges 41. As the frame 15 is lowered the roller 28 is again brought up into contact with the drum 21. If rotatable discs are used instead of the fixed rules 36-39 the roller 28 is replaced by a non-rotatable pad. Ruling machines. The offset pad 65 may be omitted and the rules 36-39 may make direct impressions on articles. The articles need not be cylindrical.