Patent GB-344424-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to printing machines
IPC: B41L47/58
Filed: 1929-11-29
Abstract: 344,424. Printing-machines. THOMPSON, H. L., 25, Hamilton Avenue, Elgin, and WILDERSON, E., 7651, Stewart Avenue, Chicago, both in Illinois, U.S.A. Nov. 29, 1929, No. 36681. [Classes 100 (i), 100 (ii) and 100 (iv).] Addressing and like machines; cylinder machines.-In a printing- machine of the kind comprising an impression roller mounted in a carriage movable across a forme including both a fixed part and an exchangeable part, such as an addressplate, the exchangeable devices are fed rectilinearly in a plane parallel to the forme and are displaced singly and in succession in the plane of the feed and out of the line of feed into printing position adjacent the fixed part of the forme. The movement of the carriage may be interrupted when an address-plate selected for skipping is fed, and the feed mechanism may be disconnected when the machine is required to print consecutive impressions of the fixed matter only. As shown, an impression roller 147, Fig. 13, is mounted in a carriage 3 adapted to be reciprocated by hand over a bed 37 supported by a framework 1; an antifriction bearing as described in U.S. Specification 1,750,140 being arranged between the carriage and the framework. The carriage is in two parts comprising an upper housing 5 hinged to one side of a lower part 4 and locked in closed position by a releasable bolt. To prevent reverse movement of the carriage between the ends of its stroke, a block with two cam faces is arranged in a recess at one side of the carriage, and a ball is confined in the space between the block and an edge on the frame 1, recesses being provided to allow the carriage to be reversed at each end of its stroke. Address-plates 23 stored in a magazine 22, Figs. 9 and 15, are removed in succession and conveyed to a position opposite to the printing position by arms 31 carried by a reciprocatable bar 24, which is provided with a projection 26 normally lying in the path of a lug 27 on the carriage 3, the bar being moved in the feeding direction by the carriage and returned by a tape fixed to the bar and to a spring barrel. The address-plate then rests on a block 33 detachably secured to a support 32 fixed to a plate 20 which is reciprocated laterally. In moving to the left, the support 32 engages a shoulder 39 on a bed 34 which therefore moves with it, and, as the bed is supported by stationary conical pins, it is simultaneously raised and lifts the address-plate 23 into printing position adjacent a forme 37<1> on the bed 37. A pin carried by a bar 40 fixed to the bed 34 engages a hole in a bar fixed to the plate 20 to register the bed and to cause it to be returned to normal position when the plate 20 moves to the right. After printing, the address-plate returns to its former position in the line of feed, and dogs 49, Fig. 9, carried by a rod 48 mounted on the bar 24 remove the plate and discharge it via a shoot 86, Fig. 6, into a compartment 85 where a rocking-arm 80 packs the plates against a slidable weight 84. During the rearward travel of the carriage, a pin 54, Fig. 9, on an arm 53 fixed to the rod 48 rides under a bar 55 so as to lower the dogs 49 into operative position to engage the plate, and, during the forward movement, a spring 57 at the end of the bar directs the pin on to the top of the bar so that the dogs are raised clear of the plates. The plate 20 is reciprocated by means of a lever 15, Fig. 15, pivoted at 17 to the machine frame and oscillated by the movement of the carriage 3, which has a cross shaft 13 carrying a roller 14 engaging a cam groove in the lever: when printing is required from the forme 37<1> alone the address-plate feed is disconnected by rotating the shaft 13 so as to disengage the roller 14 from the cam groove. The block 33 is then removed, and a block is substituted to fill the gap in the forme. The skipping-mechanism comprises selector pins on the end of a bar 64, Fig. 6, mounted on a rocking-arm 62 carrying a pin 65, Fig. 9, engaging a slot 66 in a slide 50 reciprocating by means of a bar 59, which is fixed to the bar 24 and is adapted to engage pins 60, 601 on the slide 50 alternately. The slide 50 is mounted by means of curved slots 51 on stationary pins 52 so that it rises and falls and so actuates the arm 62. A pin 71 on a bell crank 70, Fig. 6, pivoted at 70<1> engages a curved slot 72 in an arm 67 connected to the arm 62, and the bell crank 70 engages a slide 76 the end of which is pushed into the path of the carriage 3, but, normally, at the end of the stroke of the pin bar, recedes slightly to allow the carriage to pass. When, however, the pin bar is arrested by encountering a tabbed address-plate the pin 71 remains in the curved part of the slot 72, and the bar 76 obstructs the movement of the carriage. A handle 25, Fig. 9, pivoted at 25<1> to the bar 24 and carrying the lug 26 is then rocked to remove the lug from the path of the projection 27 so that the bar 24 may be actuated by means of the handle to discharge the tabbed plate. A mask exposes the portions of the forme 37<1> and address plate to be printed and prevents contact of the impression roller with the ink ribbon at the end of its stroke. The mask is retained in position by a spring clip, which is carried by a plate 112, Fig. 13, pivoted to the machine frame at 113 and has projections engaging holes in the mask. Specification 344,460 is referred to. Ink-ribbon mechanism.-An ink-ribbon 92, Figs. 11 and 13, is carried by spindles 91 mounted in a frame 90 fitting around the forme 37<1>. Each spindle fits in recesses in a pair of discs one of which is movable axially against spring action to allow the spindle to be removed, the other being in driving connection with the spindle. Similar discs are at diagonally opposite corners so that, by turning the frame end for end, the ribbon feed may be reversed. A ratchet 97 is provided on each drive disc, and the ratchet in action is intermittently rotated by a pawl 109 pivoted to a slidable bar 103 provided with a depending projection 105 engaged by a lug 106 on the impression carriage 3. A spring 108 keeps the pawl up to the ratchet and returns the bar to normal position. The projections passing through the holes in the mask referred to above also pass through holes 118 in either end of the frame 90, thereby retaining the frame in position. This mechanism forms the subject-matter of Specification 344,434. Sheet separators, guides, carriers, and registering- devices; pile tables.-A pile table is provided comprising a frame 122, Fig. 13, having slotted arms 123 detachably engaging rods 124, 125 on the carriage 3, the frame being adjustable laterally by rotating the rod 125, which is screw-threaded to engage a nut carried by the frame. Side guides 131 are mounted on the frame 122, one of these being provided with a projection 132 engaging guides 134 whereby the lateral position of the guide may be adjusted to accommodate sheets of different widths, a nut 136 securing the guide in position. A support 138 for the end of the pile of sheets is slidably mounted on a rod 137 detachably mounted on the frame 122 so as to be adjustable to suit different lengths of sheets. The top sheet is removed by hand from under a baffle-plate spring-pressed against the pile, and is guided by the baffle-plate into a throat 141 and so between an impression roller 147 and a coacting feed roller 156, Fig. 17, and up to front stops 231. The roller 156 is mounted in a yoke 157 pivoted to the housing 5, a spring 166 being attached to the yoke to press the roller 156 up to the roller 147, and the pressure being varied by means of a pair of blocks 162 slidably mounted on adjustable rods 164 and having large slots to receive the shaft of the roller 147. The roller 156 is rotated by rack-and-pinion gearing as the carriage reciprocates. An arm 174 fixed to the yoke 157 engages a stop at the end of the forward stroke, and the feed roller is thereby shifted to inoperative position. An arm pivoted on the yoke 157 is then pulled over by a spring so that a notch in its upper end engages a projection on the housing 5 and the feed roller is held in the retracted position during the return stroke : during the forward stroke, the arm engages a spring 181, Fig. 15, on the machine frame to release the arm and allow the feed roller to re-engage the impression roller, the sheet being incidentally pushed off the stops 231 by members extending forwardly from the blocks 162. The spring 181 is adjustable along the frame to vary the time of commencement of the feed. A flexible metal strip 240, Fig. 17, guides the sheet through printing position and directs it on to delivery tapes. Impression adjustments; tripping-arrangements.- The impression roller 147, Fig. 17, is mounted in bearings 145, and springs are arranged under the heads of screws fixed to the bearings whereby cams 153 mounted on the roller shaft are pressed up to stationary rollers 155 arranged in slots in screws 154 adapted to be raised and lowered to vary the impression pressure by turning nuts 153 engaging threaded holes in the housing 5, the outside and inside threads being of different pitch to provide a fine adjustment. An arm 168 fixed to one of the cams 153 carries a pin 169 engaging a stop at the end of the forward stroke to raise the impression roller clear of the forme for the return stroke, and engaging a shoulder 170<1> on a trip lever 170 at the end of the rearward stroke to lower the roller into printing position. A trip finger 185 is adapted when moved vertically to rock a bell crank connected to a plate 182 provided with inclined slots engaging fixed studs on a stationary support, and the endwise movement thus imparted to the plate projects it across the feed slot 141. At the end of the rearward stroke of the carriage, the finger 185 engages the lever 170 and, if a sheet is present, the resistance is sufficient to prevent movement of the finger so that the lever is depressed against