Patent GB-770536-A (GB)
Title: An improved printing machine
IPC: B41K3/04
Filed: 1954-04-15
Abstract: 770,536. Printing machines; feeding webs. MAGNOID (BRISTOL) Ltd., AMSEL, Ltd., TUCKER, G. E. R., AMSEL, H., and WRIGHT, O. L. April 15, 1955 [April 15, 1954; March 8, 1955], Nos. 11248/54 and 6829/55. Classes 100(1) and 100(2) In a method o: printing a series o: different prints, e.g for labels, some or all of which may be repeated to pro vide small batches of identical prints the printing element is in the form of a web on which the printing matter is arranged in a series of distinct areas or frames, this web being moved in steps in the direction of its length so that the successive frames register with a printing location, a print-receiving ' web being likewise moved in steps past the printing location and means being actuated for pressing the printing web and the print-receiving web together to make a printed impression. The printing web may'be made in a typewriter and may be hectographic, the copy web being moistened with a suitable solvent. Alternatively the printing web may be in stencil form and it then co-operates with an inked pad. In the form of Fig. 2, the printing web 27 is brought from a roll 28 over rollers 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, over a feed roller 35 and away between draw rollers 36, 37. The feed roller 35 has a series of tractor pins at each edge engaging in a series of marginal perforations in the printing web. The roller 35 is rotated to advance the web by a one way clutch consisting of a disc 68 having a notch 73 in the edge in which is located a roller 71 adapted when the disc is rotated in an anticlockwise direction to bear on the inner surface of a rim 69 fixed to the roller 35. The clutch allows free relative movement when the disc is rotated in a clockwise, direction but rotation in the opposite direction rotates the roller 35 and advances the printing web by one step. The rim 69 has a series of notches which co-operate with a yielding catch 75 to locate the drum accurately in the correct angular positions. The copy web 41 is fed from a roll 42 over pulleys 44, 45, 46, over feed roller 47, between draw rollers 48, 49, between cutting blades 177 and between further draw rollers 51, 52. The feed roller 47 is similar to that 35 and rotated in steps by a similar one-way clutch having a driving disc 79. The discs 68 and 79 are connected by links to a pin 64 eccentrically mounted on a shaft 57 so that as the shaft rotates the discs are rotated backwards and forwards, driving the feed rollers forward in steps. The printing web 27 and copy web 41 pass between a fixed impression member 91 and a impression member 92 mounted for vertical movement on a guide 93 and lifted by a cam to make a printing operation. A window is provided in the casing and a mirror is so positioned that the frame of the printing web which is next to come into the printing position can be seen and another window allows the last print made on the copy web to be visible. The moistening liquid is applied by a felt carried in a housing on a cam operated lever the felt being moved into contact with thecopy web at the time it is being advanced for the next print: To allow more than one print to be taken from a particular frame of the printing web the clutch driving the feed roller 35 may be disabled to prevent further advance of the printing web by a lever 114 which when displaced to the left by rotation of shaft 145, prevents the roller 71 moving to binding position. The lever is retained in either operative or inoperative position by a spring detent 116. Control mechanism.-Mounted on one side of the path of travel of the web is a control mechanism. comprising a pair of discs 121, 158. Figs. 5, 6, each having a knurled flange 122, 159 projecting from the casing so that these discs can be set manually to any desired position. A drum part 123, 161 of each disc carries numerals visible one at a time through a window and another part 124, 162 of each disc carries ratchet teeth. A pawl 127, 165 co-operates with each set of ratchet teeth the pawls being mounted on arms 128 secured to a shaft 129 rocked by a cam 132 mounted on shaft 57. As the shaft 57 rotates the pawl 127 turns the disc back from the set position towards the zero position. In this position the teeth are interrupted so that no further movement takes place. The shaft 57 is driven through a simple clutch comprising a pair of opposed discs, a driving disc 61 mounted on shaft 59 and a driven disc 62 mounted on shaft 57 carrying a spring-loaded plunger 60 adapted to engage an opening in disc 61. An arm 140 mounted on shaft 139 has a cam face formed at the end which is adapted when the arm is in stopping position, to engage and displace the plunger. 60 so as to uncouple the clutch and stop the machine. Also mounted on shaft 139 is a control lever 148 having an end projecting from the casing for manual operation. At the inner end the lever 148 is formed with a slot 137 to receive a pin 136 on a control link 135. This link is connected at its upper end with an arm 144 through pin 143 and slot 142. A nose 134 formed on the link 135 engaged by a pin 133 on the control disc 121 when this disc moves into the zero position. The consequent upward displacement rotates shaft 145, to move the clutch disabling lever 114, Fig. 2, to inoperative position, and rotates shaft 139 so that lever 140 moves into the path of plunger 60 and stops the machine. By setting the disc 121 any desired number of prints can be made, from any particular frame on the printing web, the clutch driving the roller 35 remaining out of operation because of lever 114 until the disc 121 returns to zero position. When the disc reaches zero position the drive to feed roller 35 is re-established but the roller does. not advance the web until the first cycle of the next run. During a run of prints from one frame the next frame to come into printing position is visible so that the other control disc 158 can be set accordingly to the desired number of prints from the next frame. The pawl 165 co-operating with this control disc is held out of engagement with the ratchet thereon by a bar 171, Fig. 5, on a control lever 167 which is carried on a sleeve 168 slidably and rotatably mounted on a cross shaft 169. The bar 171 is capable of holding down either pawl 127, 165 or both. A gate having slots is provided so that the lever 167 may be selectively position to render one or other or both of the control discs inoperative. After a run of prints from one printing frame the machine is automatically stopped say, by control disc 121, and the driving connection to the feed roller 35 is re-established as described above. The control lever 167 is then moved to the opposite position so as to free the pawl 165 co-operating with the other control disc 158 and to hold down the pawl 127 co-operating with the disc 121. The machine is then started again by means of lever 148 which is lifted to move arm 140 out of the path of clutch plunger 60 so that the driving shaft 57 is again rotated. In the first cycle of the second run the printing web is advanced by rotation of feed roller 35 to bring the desired frame into printing position and then the clutch driving the feed roller is disconnected by rotation of shaft 145 through a second arm 157, a link 154 and a lever 151 on shaft 95. At the end of the second run, the control disc 158 returns to zero and a pin 166 thereon lifts link 135 to stop the machine as before. This process is repeated for each frame on the printing web where a number of prints are required from each frame. Where only one print is required, the control discs are put out of action by moving the lever 167 to the central position where bar 171 holds down both pawls 127. 165. The machine is then under the control of lever 148 and both the printing web and the copy web are fed forward one step for each printing cycle. The printed copy web is cut into separate sheets by blades 177 as it leaves the machine. In another form. Fig. 13, the copy web 205 is advanced by feed rollers driven in unison by a chain 208. The chain is advanced in steps by a pawl mounted in a slider 213 caused to reciprocate by a solenoid 220. The printing web 204 crosses the copy web at right angles and is advanced in a similar way. Printing takes place where the webs cross. the impression member 226 being lifted by toggle links under the action of solenoid 228. The copy web is moistened by a felt 218 urged into contact with the web by the action of a solenoid 221 and supplied with liquid by a solenoid operated pump 222. Control discs 239, 241 are set to the number of repeat prints required from each frame and are notched back towards zero position by solenoid operated pawls co-operating with ratchet teeth on the disc. In the zero position pins 250 on the discs operate control switches 251. The cutting blades 231 are also operated by a solenoid. A selector switch puts the control of the machine under control disc 239 or 241 as desired and the various solenoids are energized through switches closed and opened at the correct instant by cams on a common cam shaft. The machine is driven by an electric motor and operates in a manner similar to the form first described. Sheet delivery-A table may be provided on the delivery side of the cutting blades to receive the printed sheets. The table may be mounted as to be rotatable through 90 degrees about a vertical axis so that successive batches of sheets may be displaced through 90 degrees. The table may be turned by a soleniod energized through contacts on each side of the receiving web. Holes, through which the contacts make, are punched in the copy web by a solenoid actuated punch energized each time the printing web is advanced. By this means the table is automatically operated to displace the successive batches of identical prints so that they can readily be separated.