Patent GB-358225-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to stencil printing apparatus
IPC: B41L47/46
Filed: 1930-09-06
Abstract: 358,225. Printing-machines. ELLIOTT ADDRESSING MACHINE CO., 143, Albany Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A. Sept. 6, 1930, No. 26694. Convention date, April 19, 1930. [Classes 100 (i) and 100 (ii).] Stencil-printing apparatus; addressing-machines. - In stencil-printing apparatus of the kind in which printing is effected by means of co-operating segmental rollers and in which the stencils are fed along a guideway consisting of horizontal grooved guides, the guides are arranged with their grooves slightly above the face of the lower segment so that the stencils are bent down below the plane of the guideway into the printing plane whereby inking- segments of different widths may be employed with one impression segment, and the guides are relatively adjustable to suit stencils of various widths. The apparatus may be employed for series-printing from ordinary narrow address-stencils or, alternatively, for printing text by means of a single wide stencil. As shown, an inked segment 3, Fig. 4, or a narrower and shorter segment 3a, Fig. 9, and a coacting impression segment 5 are so arranged that their line of contact is below the plane of a stencil guideway consisting of grooved members 9, 99, Figs. 1 and 4, relatively adjustable to accommodate either a message stencil 7 placed by hand in the guideway and retracted after each impression or address-stencils 7a fed automatically from a magazine 50. At one end, the members 9, 99 are provided with clips 93, slidable on a transverse bracket 92, and, at the other end, bars 94, 95 fixed to the members are slidably mounted in a housing 96 and are secured in either position of adjustment by a key spring-pressed into grooves in the bars and released by raising a knob 106. The segment 3 is removably secured on its shaft 2 by a spring- pressed pin on the shaft engaging a hole in a sleeve fixed to the segment in conjunction with a spring- pressed pin on the sleeve engaging a groove in the shaft. The message stencil 7 is fed forward by the segments 3, 5, and, in advancing, tensions a spring 10 connected to the base 101 and to a block, which is slidably mounted on a rod 13 and engages a lug 15, Fig. 12, on the stencil; when the stencil is released by the segments, the spring retracts it to normal position in which a rubber buffer 16 on the stencil engages a stop. The magazine 50 comprises a rear plate 100, the base 98 of which is carried by the bar 94, and front plates 102 integral with a base 101 fixed to the bar 95. The address-stencils 7a are fed by a claw 43 on a pusher 41, shown in plan in Fig. 9, arranged under the guide 99 and provided with clips 42 engaging an edge of the guide and with a pin 116 extending through a slot 117 in the guide ; the pusher 41 is reciprocated by a rod 39 connected to a crank pin 49 on the segment 3a and detachably hooked over a pin 40 on the pusher. The used stencils are discharged into a receiver 28, Fig. 1, fixed in position by a removable pin 33 passed through a bracket 34 on the machine frame and through either of two lugs 29 on the receiver. The printed cards &c. are delivered from printing position by rotary wheels 36, Fig. 1, into a receiver 27 detachably secured in position by a thumb-screw 75 ; a spring strip 121 under each guide holds the printed cards down on to the wheels 33. Stencils.-The message stencil 7, Fig. 12, is provided with a border 7x of paper or thin cardboard held between a thin flexible frame Sa, preferably of steel, and a similar frame 8b, preferably of brass, the frames being held together by bending projecting parts 8c of the frame 8b over the edges of the frame 8a. A flap integral with the frame 7x is folded under the stencil while being cut and is afterwards torn off. Supports for sheet feeds; sheet-registering devices; sheet separators ; sheet carriers and forwarders ; sheet guides.-Postcards &c. 21 are placed in a magazine 24, Fig. 4, comprising relatively adjustable side-plates 109 provided with overlapping slotted feet 110 fixed in position by a clamping-screw 112, a combined bottom and front plate consisting of a U-shaped wire 53, the ends of which pass through holes in the machine frame 51 to provide adjustment, and a front plate 122 carrying a gate for holding back all but the lowest card. A stepped part 53a of the wire 53 supports the edge of the pile, and a weight 139, slidably mounted on the plate 122 and adapted to be retained in raised position out of use by a spring 138, increases frictional engagement of the cards with a feed drum 23. The gate comprises a number of spring fingers 124 vertically slidable on the plate 122 and connected to a plate 123 fixed to a rod 126 adjusted vertically to vary the gate opening by turning a nut 127. A roller 132 carried by the gate structure and movable therewith presses the cards towards the drum 23. The cards pass to printing position along guides 22 carried by the magazine side-plates 109 so as to be adjustable therewith, and, to prevent the cards being shot too far along, a pivoted drag plate 133 is provided, the pressure of the plate on the cards being varied by adjusting a weight 32 along an inclined rod 30 the lower end of which is bent at right-angles and fits in a socket on the plate 133. The drum 23 is driven from the segment 5. Inking-apparatus.-Ink is applied to the segment 3 or 3a by a roller 4, Figs. 1 and 4, supplied from an ink containing roller 82 through a transfer roller 88 spring-pressed against the roller 4, which is mounted on an eccentric shaft 80a adapted to be turned by a crank 80 to trip the roller from the segment 3. The roller 82 is mounted in eccentric bearings connected by a bridge 85 and normally held by a weight 87 in the position in which the roller is raised off the roller 88. By turning a handle 86, the roller 82 may be lowered on to the roller 88 so that, the roller 4 being simultaneously tripped, the latter may be inked up. The roller 88 is reciprocated endwise as it rotates by means of a double cam on its shaft engaged by a crescent-shaped swivel pin 91. The segments 3, 3a have narrow uninked rims, which are separated by grooves from the portions supplied with ink, and engage the inner edges of the stencil frames.