Patent GB-972893-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to printing machines
IPC: B41K3/04
Filed: 1963-01-09
Abstract: 972,893. Typewriters &c. REYNOLDS PRINTASIGN CO. Jan. 9, 1963 [Aug. 15, 1962], No. 1056/63. Heading B6F. Apparatus for printing signs and show cards comprises platform 16, Fig. 2, upon which the card is placed, a type-carriage 30 which is movable to position a required type-member 98 beneath a manuallyoperated plunger 108, and mechanism which upon operation of the plunger 108 automatically letter-spaces the platform 16 by proportional amounts according to the width of the character chosen. Type-carriages; indexsetting arrangements,-The type members 98, arranged in rows extending front to back of the machine, and carried by stems 97 spring- urged upwardly, are mounted in a carriage 30 capable of movement transversely of the machine on a second carriage 33 which is itself movable back to front of the machine. The carriage mountings comprise rollers and channel members such as 52, 53, 25, 26, which permit removal of the carriages. Spacer plates 110, one aligned with each row of type are detachably fixed in the carriage 30, and have notches 111 in their upper edges, one notch for each type member, which control letter-spacing as described below. The carriage 30 includes top and bottom plates 93, 92, the bottom plate having holes to guide the stems 97 and the top plate having two holes corresponding to each type member. One of these permits the plunger 108 to engage the type stem 97 situated below it, and the other allows a pin 116, which moves downwardly with the plunger, to enter the corresponding notch 111. The upper plate 93 is suitably marked to enable the operator to position the carriage with the required type face in alignment with the plunger. Impression mechanism.-The plunger 118 is moved downwardly, to effect printing of a type face 98 situated beneath it, by means of a spring- raised hand-lever 70, Fig. 14, fixed to a shaft 140 operating through a toggle-lever linkage 170, 168, 164, 162, 150. The downward movement of the linkage lever 150 and therefore of the hand lever 70, is limited by a stop-pin 240, Fig. 6, eccentrically mounted in a bush 237 rotatable by a knurled head 238 to adjust the pin and therefore the stroke of the hand-lever. For very large type-faces requiring an abnormal stroke of the lever to effect satisfactory printing, the pin 240 can be rotated in the bush 237 by flicking over a crank 242 attached thereto so as to position a flat 252 beneath the lever, thus allowing, a longer stroke of the hand lever 70. Paper carriage.-The platform 16 has a resilient covering, 17 upon which the card is placed, the card being clipped to the platform. The platform is slidable in a back-to-front direction relative to a graduated bar 75, Fig. 14, to which it is secured in adjusted position by a pivoted locking member 77, one arm 79 of which serves, with the graduations 80, to indicate the platform position. The bar 75 is fixed to a carriage 82 movable transversely of the machine for letter spacing and guided by rollers 266, 267, 266<SP>1</SP>, 267<SP>1</SP> of which the rollers 266, 266<SP>1</SP> are spring-mounted to prevent binding. Letter-spacing mechanism.-A rod 86 attached to the carriage 82 passes into a clutch-box 85 as described in Specification 972,894 and whereby letter-spacing movements are imparted to the rod by a clutch alternately gripping and releasing the rod, and operated by a linkage actuated by an hydraulic cylinder 180. The cylinder 180 is connected by a pipeline 181 to another hydraulic cylinder 182, the piston rod 183 of which is connected to a block 210 carrying the pin 116 and also to a linkage 186, 188, 193 yieldably connected to the shaft 140 operated by the hand lever 70. When the lever 70 is depressed to effect printing of a type face, the pin 116 moves downwardly with the impression plunger 108 until it engages the bottom of the notch 111 associated with that type-face, the yielding connection permitting the lever 70 and plunger 108 to continue their movement. During the downward movement of the pin 116, the piston rod 183 moves downwardly a corresponding distance, so that when the leter 70 is released the piston of cylinder 182 moves upwardly a distance corresponding to the depth of the notch and discharges a corresponding volume of liquid into the cylinder 180, thus effecting a spacing movement of red 86 determined by the depth of the notch 111. The rod 116 is adjustable in the block 210 to effect an overall adjustment of the letter spacing and the spacers 110 can be replaced by others to vary the spacing. Inking apparatus.-A pair of inking rollers 102, 103, Fig. 2, apply ink to the type faces as the carriage 30 is moved transversely.