Patent GB-318763-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to machines for printing upon cheques and the like
IPC: B41L19/00
Filed: 1928-02-13
Abstract: 318,763. White, A. E., (Todd Co., Inc.). Feb. 13, 1928. Rotary offset machines. - To prevent fraud, cheques, drafts, &c. are printed with a signature and a photograph or other identifying characters in a rotary offset machine comprising a number of individual printing-units arranged side-by-side within a casing, the cheques &c. being in the form of a number of blanks printed upon a sheet which is severed into the separate cheques after the printing of the signature &c. In the machine shown in Figs. 3 and 4, five printing-units driven by a common driving-motor are mounted within the casing, each unit consisting of a plate cylinder 32, offset cylinder 34, and impression roller 35. The plate cylinders 32 are mounted upon a shaft 24 extending longitudinally of the casing between an end wall 11 and a stub shaft 28 journaled within a frame 12 adjacent to the other end wall 14, a pinion 27 on the stub shaft being engaged by the driving-mechanism. Intermediate bearings 29 take up the upward thrust on the shaft 24. The hubs 51 of each plate cylinder are provided with extensions which form abutments for a pair of plates 52, Fig. 4, mounted on either side thereof and serving to support the offset cylinders 34 and a set of distributing-rollers, the shaft 24 and a shaft 25 mounted between the end supports 11, 12 both extending through these plates. Each offset cylinder 34 is rotatably mounted on a pin 73 which is supported by end screws 74 in a pair of arms 75 pivoted on the insides of the plates 52 and 76. The pressure between the plate cylinder and offset cylinder is regulated by adjusting- screws 77 extending through lugs 78, 79 respectively on the arms 75 and plates 52, a locking- screw 80 being provided to hold them in a set position. Each offset cylinder is driven by a pinion 84 secured coaxially thereto between the roller and an arm 75 and engaged by a pinion 87, Fig. 4, on the shaft 25, which has has a pinion 88 at its right-hand end engaged by a driving pinion 89 rotatably supported on the frame 12. The offset cylinders project through slots 46 in a plate 45 secured beneath them, the front portion of the plate being curved upwardly to form a guide for the sheets placed on a tray 44 on the base 10 of the casing. An adjustable aligning- bar 48 facilitates the correct positioning of the sheets for printing. The impression rollers 35 are mounted beneath the tray 44 and project upwardly through slots 43. Each impression roller is mounted on a short shaft 36 carried by arms 37 pivoted on the base 10, the arms being provided with slotted extensions to receive vertical studs 38 carrying helical springs 40 which force the roller upwardly. The pressure is regulated by a screw 41, Fig. 3, extending through the arm between the studs 38 and bearing against the stud-support 39. The impression rollers may be moved away from the offset cylinders by means of links 158 provided with slots to receive pins 159 on the arms 37, the links being carried upon engage within apertures in the links. A crank 164 is provided for swinging the shaft 160. Printing-surfaces.-The plate cylinder 32, Fig. 10, has angularly disposed portions 165, 166 upon which the ends of a thin printing-plate, preferably of zinc, are clamped, one clamping-member 167 being provided with a rounded edge which forces an end of the plate into a groove when a holding- screw 169 is tightened. The opposite end of the plate is held similarly by a clamping-member 171 on a slide 170, the movement of which is controlled by a screw extending therethrough from a bar 173 secured upon the portion 166 of the cylinder. Inking-apparatus.-The inking-roller 18, Fig. 4, of each unit is journaled within a U-shaped lever 66 pivoted upon a lug 67 on a removable panel 17 at the front of the casing. A torsion spring 69 around the pivot tends to swing the lever inwardly to hold the roller 18 in contact with a roller 61 forming one of a. set of distributing-rollers supported by the plates 52 adjacent to the ends of the plate cylinders, but the roller 18 is normally held out of contact bv a latch 70 pivoted at the upper end of the lever 66. The roller is removed for inking, by releasing a catch 72 and taking out the panel 17 carrying the roller. The distributing-rollers consist of five, rollers 55 with the spindles engaging within slots 56 in the plates 52, these rollers being pressed into contact with the plate cylinder by rollers 57, 58, and 61, which are likewise supported within slots in the plates 52 and are pulled inwardly by springs 59, 63. Counting-apparatus. - A counting-apparatus 193, Fig. 3, of any known type is arranged so that it can be read through an opening in the front of the casing, and has a resetting-stem 194 extending through the end wall 14. The operating- shaft of the counter carries an arm 195, Fig. 6, connected to a link 196 which is connected at its lower end to an arm 197 pivoted on the frame 12. The arm 197 carries a roller 199 which projects through a slot in the frame 12 and engages a cam block 201 on a gear wheel 154 geared to the shaft 25. The arm and link are thus pulled downwardly once during each revolution of the gears and are returned by a tensioned spring 202, the counter being operated on the return movement. The counter is provided with a locking-device operated by the bolt of a lock which prevents the closing of the motor switch and also locks the shaft of the plate cylinders. Starting, stopping, and like arrangements.-A shaft 95, Fig. 7, journaled within a gear-casing 93 is coupled to the shaft of the. driving-motor and carries a worm 94 engaging a worm-wheel 98 on a stub shaft 28. One end of the shaft 28 is journaled in the casing and the other end rotates within a sleeve 91<a> provided on its inner end with projections 100 which engage within notches in the hub of a disc 100, a pinion 91 secured on the other end of the sleeve being in engagement with a gear train which drives the plate cylinders and offset cylinders. Mounted on the disc 100 is a pivoted pawl 102 adapted to engage a natchet wheel 103 on the worm-wheel 98. The pawl is provided with a projecting pin which is engaged by the forked end of a dog 106, Fig. 8 (not shown), normally engaged bv a latch, so that the pawl is disengaged from the ratchet wheel. The latch is connected by a link 119, Fig. 3, to a tripping-bar 124 arranged to be actuated by the operator simultaneously with the feeding of the cheques into the machine. A spring connected to the forked dog 106 pulls the pawl into engagement with the ratchet wheel when the latch is released. The switch controlling the motor may be of any known type and is preferably mounted on the end frame 11 and provided with an arm projecting between lugs 183, 184 on a plate 185 rotatably mounted on the shaft 24. A plate 186 adjacent to the plate 185 is rigidly secured upon the. shaft 24, the two plates each being provided with a notch to receive the bolt of a lock of any type. The key-receiving portion 190 of the lock projects through the frame side 11 so that the motor switch and plate cylinder shaft can be locked simultaneously against unauthorized use. Cutting-apparatus. - The means for cutting the printed sheets into separate cheques preferably consists of co-operating pairs of disc cutters 728, 129, Figs. 4 and 13, adjustably mounted between collars 132, 133 screwed on shafts 130, 131 which are geared together, the shaft 130 being geared to the stub shaft 28 driven continuously by the driving-motor. The cutting-discs are preferably staggered relatively to one another so that they act as thrust members and render the provision of thrust-bearings necessary on one shaft only. The speed of the cutting-discs is greater than that of the printing-couples, thereby causing the printed sheet to be tensioned when caught between the cutters. Delivery apparatus. - The separated cheques are received in a rack-like member comprising plates 145, Fig. 14, with their lower edges flanged to engage beneath lugs 147 struck up from a base plate 146, the receiver being disposed so that the upper edges 145<a> of the plates are staggered relatively to the cutting-discs, with the result that the cheques pass in an unbalanced condition on to the edges 145<a> and are tilted into their respective partitions between the plates.