Patent GB-1038958-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to printing machines
Inventor: CHANDLER MICHAEL ANTHONY
IPC: B41L45/02
Filed: 1964-03-17
Abstract: 1,038,958. Printing machines. ADDRESSOGRAPH MULTIGRAPH Ltd. June 8, 1965 [March 17, 1964], No. 11301/64. Heading B6C. In a printing-machine wherein a sheet carried by an anvil or platen 29 is printed through an ink-ribbon 19 by a printing plate 14 carried by a manually-operated head 3, means are provided whereby after a sheet is printed in one zone by one actuation of the head 3, the sheet is stepped forward so that during the next operation of the head it is printed in a different zone. The head 3 is carried by arms 4, 5 pivoted to the base 1 near one end of the base rear edge, and is shaped so that the plate 14 is situated above the anvil 29. The latter is in three parts 29A, 29B, 29C, of which, as shown, the part 29B is fixed, and the parts 29A, 29C are normally held by springs with their upper surfaces below the upper surface of part 29B. By means of cams actuated by knobs 33, one or both of the parts 29A, 29C can be raised to operative position. The sheet to be printed is clamped to the base by means of two rubber rollers 40 engaging two milled rollers 41, the rollers 40 being carried by a plate 39 freely pivoted at its midpoint to a lever 36 spring- pressed downwardly. Lifting of the lever 36 to insert a sheet is effected by means of a lever 43 whose pivot pin 43A has a cam part engaging a hole in the lever 36. The milled rollers 41 are driven, as the head moves upwardly after an impression has been taken, to feed the sheet a distance equal either to the width of anvil 29B or to the combined widths of anvils 29A, 29B. The leading roller 41 has a slightly larger diameter than the trailing roller so that the sheet is tensioned between the two rollers. When the machine used, e.g., for preparing a list of troops for transportation purposes, a plate for printing the regiment's name and having a width corresponding to that of anvil 29C is slid on to a support, comprising a base-plate 12 and edgeengaging plates 13, until it abuts a stop. The anvil 29C is raised to operative position. A second plate, containing a serviceman's name, and particulars about him, is now slid on to the support until it abuts the first plate. If the width of the second plate is equal to that of anvil 29B, the drive of the rollers 41 is adjusted as described later so that the sheet is moved a distance equal to that width when the head is moved upwardly after an impression has been taken. When, however, the width of the second plate is equal to the combined widths of anvils 29A, 29B, the feed is adjusted to move the sheet a corresponding distance and the anvil 29A is raised to operative position. An impression of the two plates is now taken on the sheet which is afterwards advanced as described. The serviceman's printing-plate is now replaced by that of another man and the anvil 29C is moved to inoperative position. Upon operation of the head 6, an impression from the one plate is obtained and the sheet is again advanced. A succession of servicemen's plates are inserted in turn until the list is complete. To drive the wheels 41, they are geared together, and the shaft 51, Fig. 2 (not shown) of one of them carries a ratchet wheel 50 engaged by a pawl 48 on a connecting-rod 46 carrying a spring-pressed pin which can be engaged with one or the other of enlarged ends of a slot 45A in a plate 45 fixed to the arm 4. According to which end of the slot 45A is engaged by the pin, the wheels 41 are rotated, as the head 6 is raised, a distance equal to the width of anvil 29B or a distance equal to the combined widths of anvils 29A, 29B. A spring 56, Fig. 3 (not shown), for raising the head 3 is connected to a pin 55 on the arm 5 and to an adjustable plate 57. The motion of the head is damped by a pneumatic piston-and-cylinder 59 connected between the pin 55 and plate 57 and also serving as a stop to limit the upward movement. The ink-ribbon 19 is stepped forward at each upward movement of the head 6. Fibre-glass covers 2, 9 are provided for the base and head and enclose the machine when the head 6 is latched in its lowered position by means of a catch 61, Fig. 3. Printing surfaces.-The printing plate 14 is formed by sandwiching a thin strip of synthetic plastic, having typed thereon the matter to be printed, between two similar transparent strips, cutting the laminated strip to size and then embossing it to form the required characters.