Patent GB-190808706-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Printing Machines.
Inventor: MILLS BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD
Filed: 1908-04-21
Granted: 1908-12-17
Abstract: 8706. Mills, B. J. B., [Dick Co., A. B.]. April 21. Cylinder machines; platen presses; feeding sheets; delivery apparatus.-A machine for printing copies of letters, circulars, &c. in imitation of typewriting for office use is constructed with a roller coacting with a page forme covered by an inking - ribbon, the roller being moved over the forme in a straight line to effect the printing; preferably, two rollers are carried by a chain so that one roller is operating while the other is returning. F e e d and delivery apparatus, which may be automatic, are also used. Specification No. 18,429, A.D. 1899, is referred to. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the sheets are fed by hand against a pivoted stop l<8> projecting through a slot in the lower of two feeding-g rippers k, k' arranged on a feed-board H, which is pivoted on a shaft h arranged in side frames above the chase b secured by screws b<1> to projections b<2> of a support B. The board H is reciprocated, between the positions shown in full and dotted lines in Fig. 1, by means of a cam h<2>, which is driven from the main hand - operated shaft C, the cam acting on an arm h<1> secured to the board H. When the sheet has been positioned against the stop l<8>, the shaft C is rotated, and this causes the grippers k, which are pivoted to a sliding bar k<3>, to move towards the grippers k<1>, which are attached to the bar k<3>. The grippers k are actuated by notched levers L reciprocated by a link l, a spring controlled lever l<2> loosely mounted on the shaft h, and a cam l<5>. The notch of the lever L engages trunnions on arms k<4> which carry the grippers k. When the grippers have engaged the sheet, further movement of the lever L causes the grippers to move forwards with the bar k<3>, and the sheet is fed into the bite of constantly-driven sectional rolls J, J' carried by side frames j of the board H, and these rollers in conjunction with a curved guide j<2> move the sheet on to the top of the printing-forme. A strip l<9> on the underside of the board H engages the stop l<8> and moves it under the board out of the way of the grippers. As the grippers return, the pivotal movement of the gripper k<8> is limited by stops l<7>. The board H is then moved to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, and a roller D or D', carried by chains c<2>, c<3> driven by the shaft C, presses the sheet against the type, which is covered by an inking-ribbon E. The rollers D, D' are positively driven during the time of printing by gear-wheels d<2> which engage a fixed rack d', and the rollers are at the same time constrained to move in a straight line by means of cams F, F which engage the bearings of the rollers, these cams being adjustable vertically by means of nuts f<2>, which are arranged between bifurcated offsets of the frame and engage screws f<3> fixed to the cams. Lock-nuts f<4> lock the cams in position. After the printing is effected, the sheet is delivered by fingers, carried by rods g on the chains, which push the sheets on to an inclined tray g<1>. The fingers engage only the edges of the sheet, and so are clear of the ribbon E, as shown in Fig. 2. This ribbon is moved slightly at each printing-operation, preferably by fixing a ratchet-wheel on each of the spools e, e', and operating one of these ratchets by means of a pawl. Two pawls are provided, and to reverse the direction of motion of the ribbon the pawls are so connected that one is put into operation, by the same handle that throws the other out of operation. In a modification a fixed feed-board H is used, and the paper is held-before printing by a stop which is spring-controlled so as normally to keep it vertical. The roller D, before printing begins, moves the stop so as to clamp the fed sheet between the stop and a fixed strip until the printing-operation starts. During delivery, the sheet is guided by a strip bent downwards at its end. In a further modification, Figs. 7 and 8, the type are arranged with their printing-faces downwards, and the rollers D, D' press the type on to the paper, which is supported by a platen B<1> reciprocated vertically by means of cams o<3>, which are mounted on shafts o, o' arranged between pairs of bifurcated arms O on the platen. The sheets are fed in from the side of the machine, and are brought against spring-controlled stops P pivoted to spring-controlled links p. When a sheet has been fed, the cams o<3> raise the platen, but previous to this the stops P are moved out of the way of the platen by cams p<2> acting on curved arms p<1> of the stops. After the roller D has effected the printing by pressing on a flexible cover arranged above the type and forcing the type on to the supported paper, the stops P return by spring action and force the sheets into the bite of delivery rolls R, which discharge the sheet into a tray g'. The type b<3> are dropped into channels in the chase b, and are provided with shoulders which limit their downward movements. The chase is held by bars b<4> which bear on flanges of the chase.