Patent GB-359098-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or connected with envelope and like printing, and/or embossing machines or attachments
IPC: B41F21/00
Filed: 1930-08-12
Abstract: 359,098. Printing and embossing envelopes. GUY, J. S., 22, Hanover Street, Islington, London. Aug. 12, 1930, No. 24115. [Classes 100 (i) and 100 (ii).] Rotary printing-machines; embossing-machines ; tripping-arrangements ; inking-apparatus ; feeding sheets; delivery apparatus.-In a machine for printing or stamping on envelopes, the envelopes 6 as received from a folding machine are fed to the printing-machine with the side to be printed uppermost, and means are provided for opening the flap and turning it backwards prior to the printing operation, and for closing it again after the printing or stamping operation. The envelopes 6 are taken from a shoot 117 of a folding machine, which preferably by a chain 116 drives the main shaft M of the printing-machine, by means of grippers 5b on oscillating arms 5 operated from a cam on the shaft M. As the envelopes are fed forwards, their flaps are engaged and turned back by means of a rubber roller 9 with teeth 9a which engage the flaps. The envelopes are advanced over a table 14, Fig. 2, by means of a feed roller 12 fitted with rubber projections 13 which engage the envelopes, and are further advanced by rollers 16 or by tapes past a feeler device 44a co-operating with a nick 45a in a guide 45. The feeler controls the operation of the printing-couple 15, 11a, and the inking- apparatus and delivery mechanism, so that if an envelope is not fed these mechanisms are tripped. The printing-cylinder 15 is mounted in a pivoted or slidable frame which can be moved aside to permit of access to the impression cylinder, and the frame 47 of the inking-apparatus can be moved about its pivot 65 for a similar purpose. The shaft 11 of the impression roller 11a is mounted in eccentric bearings 18, which are controlled by a. link 18a and a cam on a shaft C which maintains the impression roller in or out of printing-position. The shaft C is controlled by the feeler device 44a. If an envelope is not present the feeler 44a engages in the nick 45a and prevents the movement of a lever 44 in an anticlockwise direction. This lever is connected to a link 43 which normally is reciprocated by a cam on the shaft M. The movement of lever 44 is communicated to a checkpiece 42 which prevents the movement of one of two vertical rods 35, 36. These rods are connected to bell-crank levers 32, 33 fitted with pawls which engage staggered fourtoothed ratchets on a shaft E. The ratchets rotate the shaft E to the extent of an eighth of a revolution, and shafts D, C geared thereto are rotated for a quarter and half revolution respectively. A cam on the shaft C operates to trip the cylinder 11 when it is rotated for onehalf a revolution, and to restore the impression when rotated a further half revolution. A second cam on the shaft C trips the inking-rollers 59, 61, by pivoting their frame about the shaft 60 by means of lever connections 62, 63. The delivery apparatus is also tripped from a cam on the shaft D by means of a link 102 with a slot 102a which normally allows of an oscillating movement of an arm 75 fitted with a pawl 96 for rotating intermittently a wheel 86 over which passes the lower delivery band 73. When the printing-couple is tripped, the link 102 is moved to the left and prevents operation of the band 73. The inking- roller 59 is supplied by an oscillating messenger roller 53 operated from a cam on the shaft G, and a duct roller 49 which is rotated intermittently by ratchet- and-pawl mechanism operated from a crank on the impression roller shaft. The messenger roller can be held out of action by a handoperated cam 57 acting on an arm 58 fitted to the shaft 59 of the arm carrying the roller 53. After the printing operation, the envelope passes to a band 68 with which co-operates rollers 69, 70, and while on the band the envelope flap is embossed by a stationary upper die 107 and a vertically reciprocating lower die operated by a cam on the shaft G which is geared to the shaft of the impression cylinder 11. The delivery band 73 is of rubber, is formed with teeth to receive the printed envelope, and co-operates with a similar upper band 85, Fig. 6, of shorter length, but which may be as long as the lower band 73. Retaining pieces 91, 91a are provided to hold back the rubber teeth of the bands to permit of easy entry of the envelopes. The envelope passes over a pusher bar 74 to enter the lower tooth, and then the bar is oscillated to push the upper edge of the envelope between teeth on the upper band, the opened flap being turned back to some extent in this operation by means of fixed guides 72. The flap is finally closed by means of oscillating arms 77 operated from a cam on the shaft A. As the envelopes are spaced apart as carried by the bands the impressions dry before the printed envelopes are taken from the lower band in batches by the operator. The envelope may be printed by more than one couple.