Patent GB-1125883-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in structure and operation of color boxes of printing apparatus
Inventor: JOHNSON JAMES REID
IPC: B41F35/04
Filed: 1965-10-04
Abstract: 1,125,883. Printing machines. JOHNSON FAST-PRINT MACHINE CORP. 4 Oct., 1965, No. 42004/65. Heading B6C. In a machine for printing on cloth or the like, and wherein colour is applied to a printing roller 30 by e.g. a brush 12 rotating in a colour box 10, for cleaning purposes the box and brush are movable away from the roller 30 and at the same time the box is rotated about its axis so that it assumes an upside down position with its edges engaging the rims 58 of a trough-shaped member R thus forming an enclosure through which washing fluid is passed. Slides 38 engaging fixed guides 40 carry the roller 30 and its associated colour box 10 and trough R, and are movable hydraulically along the guides 40 so as to withdraw the roller 30 from engagement with an impression cylinder 46. Frames 100 on which the colour box 10 and trough R are mounted, are adjustable on the slides 38 perpendicularly to the guides 40 by screwed shafts 104 rotated by hand wheels so that the frame 100 at one side can be operated independently of that at the other side. The box 10 is suspended about the brush shaft 12a, which is carried by members 14 engaged by screwed shafts 16 mounted on the frames 100 and rotated by a shaft 20 connected to an hydraulic motor so as to move the box and its brush away from the roller 30 and towards the trough R. During the last part of this movement, a gear 54 fixed to the box 10 engages a rack 56 so as to cause the box to overturn. Due to an offcentre pivotal-mounting thereof the trough R normally assumes an inclined position, Fig. 2, so that as the box 10 starts to turn, its leading edge engages a rim 58 on the trough. Subsequently, the other two edges of the box and trough engage, with the trough R in an upright position, Fig. 12 (not shown). Washing fluid from a supply pipe 168, Fig. 10, can now be passed to headers 124, 78 in the box and trough via valves 144, 146, 170, and is drained away through a passage 72. The header 78 has nozzles 80 directing jets on to the brush so as to cause it to spin. Air can be passed from a supply pipe 150 via a valve 172 to dry the parts when washing is completed. The header 124 can be used for supplying colour to the box 10 in which case, valves 146, 170 are closed and a valve 142, in a connection between the header 124 and a pipe 131 dipping into a colour container 130, is opened. The colour in the container 130 is subjected to air pressure applied through a pipe 152. In the connection from the pipe 131 to the header 124 is a valve 164 operated by a switch 162 connected to a member 160 situated at a predetermined level in the box 10. When the colour in the box is below the level of the member 160, the latter vibrates and causes switch 162 to maintain the valve 164 open allowing colour to enter the box 10 until the member 160 is submerged. Rotary machines; tripping.-A number of fixed guides 40, Fig. 2, may be provided, each carrying slides 38 with an intaglio printing roller 30 and associated colour supplying apparatus. The slides 38 are actuated by hydraulic cylinders 37 to move the rollers 30, &c., towards and away from the impression cylinder 46. Driving inking brush; cleaning printing cylinder.-If the printing roller 30 picks up foreign matter, this may be removed whilst the machine is running by rotating the brush 12 in a direction reverse to its normal movement. This is effected by means of a motor (180, Fig. 9) pivotally mounted so that a worm (178) on its shaft can be engaged with a gear-wheel (176) attached to the brush shaft 12a.