Patent GB-1054542-A (GB)
IPC: B41L11/00
Abstract: 1,054,542. Printing apparatus. BLOCK & ANDERSON Ltd. July 29, 1963 [April 27, 1962], No. 16198/62. Heading B6C. In a duplicating or like printing machine employing a hectographic master sheet and wherein at least part of the surface of one of the machine cylinders is divided into axial line segments which can be selectively moved from an inward position to an outward position to print a corresponding line on the master sheet, the segments are set by means of finger levers 10, Fig. 3, through e.g. Bowden cables 21, and each lever is associated with an indicating device which is set when its lever is operated but is not returned to its original position when the lever is returned. Each indicating device comprises a vertically movable strip 14 which is frictionally retained in any position to which it is set. At its forwardly-facing upper part each strip has red and white regions 16a, 16b, the red region being exposed through an aperture 17 in a front plate 11 when the strip is moved downwardly by the depression of its associated lever 10 which engages a pin 15 on the strip. The levers 10 are divided into two groups 18, 19, Fig. 1 (not shown), namely, a left-hand group associated with the leading segments employed for printing heading matter and a right-hand group employed for the remaining segments for printing individual lines. Setting of the levers 10 corresponding to the heading can be effected in one operation by means of a bar 24 engaging the tails 22 of all the heading levers 10 and moved upwardly by a link 25 and hand lever 23. Similarly, a bar 28, Fig. 3, operated by a hand lever 29 can be used to set all the item levers simultaneously. The heading group of levers 10 can be restored by a clearing bail 30 carried by a shaft 33 and the second group by a bail 31, Fig. 5, carried by a shaft 35 coaxial with shaft 33 and coupled by a Bowden cable 37 to the mechanism of the machine whereby a " clear " operation is performed under control of the operator. The two shafts 33, 35 can be coupled by a member 38 set by a hand lever 39, Fig. 4, for simultaneous restoring of all levers 10. Operation of a " clear " push-button switch serves, when the machine is idling, to move all the operative segments to inoperative position and at the same time causes the actuation of the cable 37 so that the second set of levers 10 are restored, and also the first set, if the shafts 33, 35 are coupled. In addition, the normal footpedal for initiating single printing operations is provided with a foot-operated switch button which can be operated when the pedal is depressed and when so operated energizes control means which are primed to effect clearing operations when the cylinders reach the end of an operative revolution. The indicator strips 14 for the second group or item levers 10 are restored by a bar 43, Fig. 3, carried by a shaft 44 turnable by a handle 45 to raise the bar and the displaced strips situated above it. The strips for the heading levers 10 can be restored by upward movement of a bar 41 carried by a shaft 42. This shaft 42 is actuated through a lost-motion connection 48, 49 when the clearing bail 30 for the heading levers is actuated. A lateral extension on the bar 41 underlies the bar 43 so that whereas the righthand or stem indicators can be separately restored, restoration of the heading indicators also causes the item indicators to be restored.