Patent GB-1152761-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to an Automated Duplicating Machine
IPC: B41L39/00
Filed: 1966-06-22
Abstract: 1,152,761. Rotary duplicating machines. A.B. DICK CO. 22 June, 1966 [7 July, 1965], No. 27880/66. Heading B6C. A duplicating machine has a plate cylinder for receiving a master and an impression cylinder, duplicating means for operation during a duplicating cycle of the machine to reproduce an image from the master upon individual copy sheets passing through the machine, postduplicating means for operation after the duplicating cycle to prepare the machine during a post-duplicating cycle for a subsequent duplicating operation, and a programming unit comprising a single sheet counter for controlling both the duplicating and post-duplicating cycles of the machine. As shown in Fig. 1, a master cylinder 14, an offset or blanket cylinder 16 and an impression cylinder 18 are mounted for rotation between side-plates 12, 12a. The blanket cylinder 16 is mounted for rotational and reciprocatory movement and is adapted to be selectively engaged by the master cylinder 14. Copy sheets are fed from a tray 20 by the combination sheet feeding device and paper feed table of U.S.A. Specification 2,942,877. The sheet feeding device is actuated by means of a control handle 22 and operates to remove single copy sheets from the tray 20 and subsequently feed such sheets between the cylinders 16, 18 for imaging. The lithographic master sheet is initially positioned upon a tray 26 from whence it is subsequently removed and secured to the cylinder 14 by clamping means thereon. Upon the completion of a predetermined duplicating cycle, the master is automatically removed from the cylinder 14 and ejected into a tray 28. Before the machine begins a duplicating cycle it must be subjected to a pro-duplicating phase during which the non-printing surfaces of the master are coated by means of an etch roller 30. This roller 30 is movably mounted upon a pre-duplicating control unit 32, which is secured between the plates 12, 12a. The control unit 32 includes a control handle 34 which may be manually operated to move the roller 30 into contact with the cylinder 14. Both ink and repellent etching solution are supplied to the cylinder 14 by a system 36 such as the automated system of U.S.A. Specification 2,929,316. The inking system includes an ink fountain roller 38 which transfers ink to a messenger roller 40 which oscillates to transmit ink to a distributing roller 42 which, in turn, transfers ink to a second distributer roller 44. Ink from the roller 44 is transferred to the surface of an axially reciprocable roller 46 which evenly spreads the ink on to a roller 48 contacting a further axially reciprocable roller 50. Roller 50 is in contact with automated forme rollers 52, 54. The forme roller 54 contacts an axially reciprocable distributer roller 56 and both these rollers form part of the system which supplies etching solution to the cylinder 14. The etching solution is fed to the roller 56 from a fountain by means of a fountain roller 58 and a messenger roller 60. The latter roller may be moved into or out of variable timed contact with the roller 56 by means of an operating handle 62 and may be completely disengaged from contact with both the roller 56 and the roller 58 by a handle 64. During the duplicating cycle a mechanical counter assembly 66 operates as a sheet counter and is mechanically actuated to provide a count with relation to the leading edge of each copy sheet which is fed into the machine from the tray 20. During the post-duplicating phase the same counter assembly operates as a cycle counter to count the cycles of rotation of the impression cylinder 18. Thus the control which the assembly 66 exercises over the programming system of the machine relates to the leading edge of the copy sheets from the tray 20 during the duplicating cycle and, upon completion of this cycle, such control is subsequently related to the cyclic rotation of the impression cylinder 18. The counter is prevented from registering a sheet count when no copy sheet is fed to the machine by a mechanical locking arrangement. Sheet sensing fingers 156 detect the presence of the leading edge of a copy sheet and cause, through mechanical linkage, the upward swing of the impression cylinder 18 into contact with the blanket cylinder 16 with simultaneous registering of the sheet on the counter assembly 66. If no copy sheet is present the impression cylinder is not swung upwardly neither is the sheet counted. When the predetermined number of copy sheets have been fed through the machine the paper feed mechanism will be deactivated by the programming unit. During the postduplicating cycle the blanket cylinder is washed ready for the next duplicating cycle and the master sheet is ejected from the master cylinder. Finally, a master brake unit is actuated to stop the master cylinder in a predetermined position ready for reloading with the next master. A jogging receiving tray 24 is used with the machine in order that copy sheets fed into the tray from one duplicating run are angularly offset from those sheets fed from preceding and succeeding runs. The machine is designed to accommodate random runs and runs in which, in the same duplicating cycle, a fixed number of copy sheets is fed from the table 20 as well as a random number of copy sheets. The machine may be manually operated if necessary.