Patent GB-631849-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to machines for embossing and printing webs of paper and other material
IPC: B41F19/02
Filed: 1947-08-21
Abstract: 631,849. Printing and embossing machines. BECKER, A., and ASHLEY UNITED INDUSTRIES, Ltd. Aug. 21, 1947, No. 23164. [Class 100 (ii)] A machine for embossing and printing wallpaper, textiles, plastics and other materials in web form comprises an embossing roller and a co-operating bowl between which the web is fed, printing means for applying an inked design either directly or through an off-set roller to the surface of the embossing roller, printing rollers against which the unembossed web is fed before reaching the embossing roller, and other printing rollers against which the embossed web is fed after leaving the embossing roller, all of which printing rollers together with the embossing roller, its design-applying means and co-operating bowl are coupled by toothed gearing to rotate in synchronism. As shown, the machine has two side structures each comprising a lower frame 11, an open-ended guideway 13, and intermediate and upper frames 15, 18 mounted respectively one upon the other, the two side structures being braced together by stays 12, 16, 19. The guideway frame 13 houses journals 24 carrying the embossing roller 25, and similar journals 25 carrying the co-operating bowl 29, slidingly adjustable in the guideway 13 by means of connecting rods 30 threaded into blocks 31 and operated by hand wheel 32. The embossing rollers and bowl 25, 29 are geared together and are driven from a main driving shaft 20. Mounted on the top of the intermediate frame 15, on a shaft 37, is a large drum 39 driven by one of two large gear-wheels on each side of the drum and which is driven from a gear on the shaft 27 of the bowl 29 through an adjustable idler gear 35. Printing is firstly effected by roller assemblies on two brackets 40 as the web passes between them and one side of the large drum 39 before it reaches the embossing rollers where printing may also be effected by similar roller assemblies 65-78 which either co-operates, as shown, with an offset cylinder 61 which transfers inked designs to the embossing roller 25, or apply coloured designs direct to the roller 25. Lastly, coloured designs can be applied by roller assemblies 80-89 which print on the raised portions of the web as it passes between them and the other side of the large drum 39. The offset roller 62 is mounted together with its roller assemblies on a tilting frame 46 so that it may be pivotally adjustable as a whole about bolts 49 upon the machine base 48. The tilting is effected by a hand wheel 57 turning, through a worm drive 55, 54 an eccentric 51 rotatably mounted in the frame 46 and resting on blocks 53. The adjustment of the frame is accurately determined by an adjustable vernier stop 58, 59 mounted on the guideway 13. The first group of roller assemblies on brackets 40 and associated with the offset roller 62 are similar in construction and each comprises a roller 67 taking colour from a colour box, intermediate feeding rollers 68, 69 and a final printing roller 70, all geared together and to a large gear 36 on the shaft 37 in the case of the first roller assemblies and to a gear 61 on the offset roller shaft 60 in the case of other units. Each of the rollers 70 has differing raised portions to print various designs on the web and each roller assembly may supply a different colour. The pressure between rollers 68, 67, rollers 68, 69, and rollers 69, 70 can be adjusted by means of screwed columns 72, 73 and 74 respectively, thus regulating the colour supply. A hand wheel 75 operating through a worm drive adjusts the printing assembly relatively to the web, and a hand lever 78 operating an eccentric mechanism disengages rollers 68 and 69 and thereby discontinues the supply to roller 70. In the roller assemblies 80-89 colour is applied from a box 80 by a roller 81 co-operating with an endless web 79 travelling around tensioning rollers 82, 83, 84 and driven by a roller 85 geared with a second large gear wheel on the shaft 37 by an idler wheel 86. The colour is transferred to raised parts of the embossed web by various raised areas on the printing rollers 87. The supply of colour is adjustable by a control 88 which varies the position of the roller 81 in relation to the web 79, and a handlever 89 can completely disengage the roller 81 without alteration to the control 88. The bowl 29 may be removed from the machine by detaching the thrust blocks 31, the weight of the upper frameworks being taken by a pair of jacks 34 to prevent distortion to the guideway 13.