Patent GB-692039-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to address or like printing machines
IPC: B41L47/18
Filed: 1950-05-23
Abstract: 692,039. Addressing or like machines. ADREMA MASCHINENBAU GES. May 23, 1950 [June 24, 1949], No. 12893/50. Class 100(ii) [Also in Group XXIV] An address or like printing-machine comprises a table, a device for feeding printing plates to a printing position on the table, and a vertically reciprocable platen above the table, and has means for controlling the number of printing operations performed from a printing plate, the feeding means comprising a controlling disc with teeth which co-operate with a pawl oscillated in synchronism with the platen, whereby the disc is rotated stepwise, the teeth comprising a series of large teeth disposed at equally spaced intervals around the disc and one or more small teeth disposed at equally spaced intervals between adjacent large teeth, and there being also provided a fixed plate a part of the periphery of which shields the small teeth from co-operation with the pawl while another part exposes a small tooth to the pawl during the last part of the operative stroke of the pawl, and a rotatable segment having a periphery which shields the large and small teeth during the ' whole or part of the operative stroke, the segment being angularly adjustable so as to expose a large tooth only, or to expose a large tooth or a small tooth, or to shield all the teeth, thereby retaining the printing plate at printing position for a selected number of reciprocations of the platen or continuously. Tripping control arrangements. -During each machine cycle, the platen 5, Fig. 1, is lowered and raised, a block 17 is reciprocated on a rod 18, and a link 25 is reciprocated, by the machine drive. A lever 13 is pivoted to a part 11a of a member 11 for feeding the printing plates. In order to control the number of printing operations performed from a plate, the member 11 is coupled to the block 17 to cause feeding to take place by 'swinging the lever 13 clockwise during desired cycles, when a recess 14 engages a projection 16 of the block 17. A controlling disc 39, Figs. 1, 3 and 4, having small teeth 44 and four large teeth 43, has four holes 38, each aligned with a large tooth, and when the disc is in any one of four positions 90 degrees apart, a projection on a lever 34 passes into a hole 38 under the action of a spring, and the lever 34 swings and allows a spring 13a to move the lever 13 into operative position. The table 2 supports a plate 45 which rotatably supports a tube 40 to which is fixed the disc 39. The link 25 causes a pawl 42 to move over the periphery of the disc between positions I and II during each cycle. The plate 45 has a portion 46 to prevent the pawl engaging the small teeth except in a recess 48, where the pawl can engage one tooth at the end of its stroke, a projection 47 of the pawl resting on the portion 46. Mounted on a rod 52 rotatable in the tube are a handle 53 and a projection 51 of a segment 50, whereby the angular position of the segment 50 can be adjusted by the handle, when the latter is pushed in against a spring 54 to disengage a pin 55 on the segment 50 from a groove or hole 56 in the plate 45. The segment 50 has a portion 57 on which the projection 47 rests to prevent the pawl engaging even a large tooth. In the position shown, the pawl engages a large tooth and rotates the disc 39 through 90 degrees during every cycle, so that the feed is operated and only one printing operation is performed from each plate. If the segment 50 is rotated clockwise the distance of one tooth 44, the pawl does not engage a tooth 43 at the beginning of its stroke, but engages a tooth 44 in the recess 48 and rotates the disc one step, thereby bringing a tooth 43 beyond the portion 57 for engagement on the next cycle, whereby the feed operates every second cycle, and two printing operations are performed from each plate. Similarly, by further rotating the segment 50, any number of operations from one to six can be performed from each plate. In every case, the lever 13 moves into operative position only after the disc 39 has been rotated by the engagement of the pawl with a big tooth. In a further position of the segment 50, the portion 57 covers the entire stroke of the pawl, and no rotation takes place. A projection on the segment 50 overlies a metal angle bracket 74 on the lever 34 and prevents movement of the lever 13, so that printing from one plate continues indefinitely. A pawl 59 on the plate 45 prevents reverse rotation of the disc 39, and a spring 62 engaging one of four pins 61 on the disc 39 tends to produce such reverse rotation, to keep the disc in position. When the handle 53 is pushed in, the segment 50 acts on the pawl 59 to move it out of the path of the small teeth, so that when the segment 50 is adjusted the spring 62 returns the disc to a zero position. A cover plate 67 rotating with the tube 40 has windows through one of which figures written on the table can be read to indicate the number of printing operations already performed from one plate.