Improvements in Mechanism or Arrangements for Applying Skins or other Suitable Coverings to Inking and Distributing Rollers Used in Lithographic Printing.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Nov., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 13th June, 190-Accepted, 19th July, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mechanism or Arrangements for Applying Skins
or other Suitable Coverings to Inking and Distributing Rollers
Used in Lithographic Printing.
We, JOHN TURNER CARTWRIGHT, of the firm of Cartwright & Rattray Limited,
Caxton Printing Works, Hyde, in the County of Chester, Printer, and ROUGHSEDGE
WALLWORK, of the firm of Henry Wallwork & Co., of Union Bridge Iron Works,
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of the
said invention to be as follows:-
Inking and distributing rollers for lithographic printing are covered tightly by
skins of leather or other suitable material which are first stitched to form a
cylindrical tube and are then drawn upon the rollers which are first covered by suitable
elastic material.
This drawing on of the skins or coverings upon the rollers has been hitherto done
by hand, and our invention has reference to arrangements by which this is effected in
a more easy, perfect and expeditious manner by mechanism, namely.
To a ring or short cylinder, the internal diameter of which is a little larger than
the roller to be covered, we secure one end of a series of thin narrow strips or blades
of metal leaving a space between each blade which in their lengthway are parallel to
the axis of the ring and are all round it.
This ring with blades (hereinafter termed the blade ring) is carried by or is attached
to a slide which can move along a column or shaft, and the slide is moved to and fro
by a screw, rack and pinion, or other suitable means.
By preference a toothed rack is employed formed upon the column or shaft and this
rack gears with a pinion on a short shaft in bearings on the slide, the short shaft being
rotated by a suitable handle.
The column or shaft is secured in a suitable base plate, in which provision is made
for a hollow cylinder, the solid and shank lower end of which is secured in the said
base plate. The axis of the hollow cylinder and the axis of the column or shaft are
both held vertical and parallel to each other.
The hollow cylinder is of the size to suit the rollers to be covered and can be
changed to suit different sizes of rollers.
On the upper part of the column or shaft there is a bracket which can be adjusted
up and down and then secured.
This bracket carries a ring, the internal diameter of which is a little larger than the
diameter of the roller to be covered, the object of which is to guide the upper end of
the roller when being covered, the lower end of which is held by being inserted in the
said hollow cylinder.
At the upper part of the shaft or column, there is also, another bracket which can
be adjusted and then secured, which bracket also carries a ring which acts as a guide
for the tubular skin or cover while being drawn upon the roller.
When the roller is placed in the position to be covered it is passed through the
blade ring and through the guiding ring.
The blade ring is then moved upwards until they extend above the upper end of the
roller, then the tubular skin is passed through its supporting ring and is drawn over
the blades of the blade ring.
The blade ring is then moved downwards by the slide and the skin is thus drawn
tightly upon the roller and while the cover is held by hand, a clamp or an elastic
ring to prevent it from moving further downwards the blades are drawn down from
under and clear of the skin or cover leaving it tight upon the roller.
In some cases small clamps may be applied to secure the lower end of the

page_text: tubular skin to the blade ring, and in some cases a. rubber cord, ring, band or strap
of leather, or other material is used, round the tubular skin or covering when
upon the blades of the blade ring to stretch the skin and make it tight and a
better fit.
There is or may be a counter balance weight to sustain the weight of the said
slide, and a ratchet or other catch to prevent it from descending when not required
to move.
There may also be a similar catch for the bracket of the guide ring. In place
of the ring for the tubular skin or cover there may be a ring or other arrangement
of clips or equivalents to engage with the end of the skin or cover, this ring being
suspended by a cord passing over a pulley, a counter-weight being used to keep the
tubular skin or cover sufficiently stretched.
The apparatus may be arranged in a variety of ways without departing from our
invention, for instance, instead of the axis of the roller being vertical while the
tubular covering is applied it may be horizontal, and instead of moving the blade ring
over the roller the latter may be movel through the blade ring.
Dated this Twentieth day of November 1889.
PETER J. LIVSEY,
Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mechanism or Arrangements for Applying Skins
or other Suitable Coverings to Inking and Distributing Rollers
Used in Lithographic Printing.
We, JOHN TURNER CARTWRIGHT, of the firm of Cartwright & Rattray Limited,
Caxton Printing Works, Hyde, in the County of Chester, Printer, and ROUGHSEDGE
WALLWORK, of the firm of Henry Wallwork & Co., of Union Bridge Iron Works,
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:
Inking and distributing rollers for lithographic printing are covered tightly by
skins of leather or other suitable material which are first stitched to form a cylindrical
tube, and are then drawn upon the rollers, which are first covered by suitable elastic
material.
This drawing on of the skins or coverings upon the rollers has been hitherto done
by hand, and our invention has reference to arrangements by which this is effected in
a more easy, perfect-and-expeditious manner by-mechanism, namely.
To a ring or short cylinder, the internal diameter of which is a little larger than the
roller to be covered, we secure one end of a series of thin narrow strips or blades of
metal, leaving a space between each blade, which in their lengthway are parallel to
the axis of the ring and are all round it.
This ring with blades (hereinafter termed the blade ring) is carried by or is attached
to a slide which can move along a column or shaft, and the slide is moved to and fro
by a screw, rack and pinion, or other suitable means.
By preference a toothed rack is employed, formed upon the column or shaft, and
this rack gears with a pinion on a short shaft in bearings on the slide, the short shaft
being rotated by a suitable handle.
The column or shaft is secured in a suitable base plate, in which provision is made
for a hollow cylinder or tube, the solid and shank lower end of which is secured in
the said base plate.
The axis of the hollow cylinder or tube, and the axis of the column or shaft are
both held vertical and parallel to each other.
The hollow cylinder or tube is of the size to suit the rollers to be covered, and can
be changed to suit different sizes of rollers.
On the upper part of the column or shaft, there is a bracket which can be adjusted
up and down and then secured.

page_text: This bracket carries a ring, the internal diameter of which is a little larger than the
diameter of the roller to be covered, the object of which is to guide the upper end of
the roller when being covered, the lower end of which is held by being inserted in the
said hollow cylinder or tube.
At the upper part of the shaft or column, there is also, or may be another bracket,
which can be adjusted and then secured, which bracket also carries a ring which acts
as a guide for the tubular skin or cover while being drawn upon the roller, but we
prefer to use the first named ring for this purpose.
When the roller placed in the position to be covered it is passed through the
blade ring, and through the guiding ring.
The blade ring is then moved upwards until they, the blades, extend above the upper
end of the roller, then the tubular skin is passed through its supporting ring and is
drawn over the blades of the blade ring.
The blade ring is then moved downwards by the slide, and the skin is thus
drawn tightly upon the roller, and while the cover is held by hand, a clamp or
an elastic ring to prevent it from moving further downwards, the blades are
drawn down from under and clear of the skin or cover leaving it tight upon the
roller.
In some cases, small clamps may be applied to secure the lower end of the
tubular skin, to the blade ring, and in some cases a rubber cord, ring, band or
strap of leather, or other material is used round the tubular skin or covering when
upon the blades of the blade ring to stretch the skin and make it tight and a
better fit.
There is or may be a counter balance weight to sustain the weight of the said
slide, and a ratchet or other catch to prevent it from descending when not required
to move.
There may also be a similar catch for the bracket of the guide ring. In place of
the ring for the tubular skin or cover there may be a ring or other arrangement of
clips or equivalents to engage with the end of the skin or cover, this ring being
suspended by a cord passing over a pulley, a counter-weight being used to keep the
tubular skin or cover sufficiently stretched.
The apparatus may be arranged in a variety of ways without departing from our
invention, for instance, instead of the axis of the roller being vertical while the tubular
covering is applied, it may be horizontal, and instead of moving the blade ring over
the roller, the latter may be moved through the blade ring.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation, fig. 2 is an elevation at a right angle to that shown
by fig. 1, and fig. 3 is a plan view illustrating the mode of carrying out our
invention.
Fig. 4 is a side elevation, and fig. 5 a plan view, both on an enlarged scale of the
slide for carrying and operating the blade ring. Fig. 6 is a side elevation, and fig. 7.
a plan of the blade ring detached.
Fig. 8 is a side elevation, and fig. 9 a plan of part of a blade ring upon a more
enlarged scale, and
Fig. 10 is a side elevation and fig. 11 a plan showing the ring for guiding the roller
or skin.
u, is a base or foot plate, to which the lower end of a column b, is bolted.
This column has a toothed rack b', formed upon its face and it has guiding ribs b³,
upon two edges for the slide c, which is to carry the blade ring d, and the guiding
ring e.
The upper end of the column b, carries a grooved pulley 63, for a chain c¹, to work
over, one end of which is secured to the slide c, for carrying the blade ring d, and the
other end of the chain is attached to a counter balance weight c².
The chain c, is attached to the slide c, at such point of it, that when freely
suspended it will hang in a level or in nearly a level position, and slide freely
without having any, or but little tendency to stick upon the guiding surfaces b²,
the column.
of
In the slide c, (see figs. 4 and 5) there are bearings for a shaft c³, which has a

page_text: toothed pinion secured upon it, to gear with the teeth 61, in the rack upon the column b,
and upon one end of this shaft 3, a four armed handle c', is secured, by which the
shaft, can be rotated to move the slide c, up and down the column.
The slide c, has two hook like projections e, to slide upon the guiding ribs b², upon
the column b, and two curved jaws c, in front inside which there are two projections c³,
each of which has a groove in it.
The blade ring d, is formed by a ring d, having a flange d¹, part of which is cut
away on two opposite sides (see fig. 7) and to the upper part of the ring d, and all
round it, the lower ends of a series of long thin steel elastic blades d², or fingers,
are secured by screws in grooves in the ring d, with spaces between the blades (see
figs. 8 and 9).
The jaws e, in the slide c, form a part of the segment of a circle of the diameter
about equal to the external diameter of the flange d¹.
When the ring d, is placed within the jaws c, of the slide c, the parts of the
flange d, cut away are opposite the projections c³, within the jaws, so that the
remaining flange of the ring can be brought opposite the grooves in the projections c',
(shown in dotted line in fig. 4) when the ring is rotated to bring the flange pro-
jections d', within the groove which thus carries and holds the blade ring d, central
and attaches it to the slide c.
The guiding ring e, (see figs. 10 and 11) is arranged to slide upon the column b,
same as the blade ring slide c, and it is formed with a single tooth e¹, at its lower edge
to enter the teeth of the rack 6', upon the column.
It can be lifted at the outer edge of the ring to an inclined position, to release
this tooth e', from the tooth rack, and in that position can be moved up or down
the column, and the ring will hold in the position in which it is left, by its own
weight acting as a lever to keep its single tooth e', in the teeth of the rack upon the
column, and any downward pressure that comes upon it when in use, keeps it in the
position in which it has been left.
There is a projection a', from the base plate a, having a vertical hole in it to receive
the solid end of a tube or cylinder f, which is secured in the boss in the base plate by
a set screw f¹.
In the upper end of this tube f, a bush f², is placed with a hole in its axis to fit the
end of the axis or shaft of the roller to be operated upon.-
These bushes, can be readily changed and are made with holes of various sizes to
suit different sizes of the shafts of the rollers to be operated upon.
9, is a stand, also secured in a boss in the base plate a.
At the upper end of the stand g, there is a plate g', which is or may be made to
swivel upon the end of the stand, so as to be turned out of the way. Its object is to
form a step for the workman or boy to stand upon when drawing the skin upon the
blades and at other times.
In using the machine for drawing skins upon rollers used for lithographic printing,
the slide C₁
is moved sufficiently up the column a, the blade ring d, may then be
inserted in the holding jaws c, the roller to be covered is then passed up through the
blade ring d, and the lower end of the axis of the roller is inserted in a bush f²,
having a hole in it to suit the roller shaft.
The ring e,
placed in a suitable position above the upper end of the roller and the
tubular skin to be drawn upon the roller is passed through the guiding ring e, and is
drawn sufficiently upon the blades d, which thus pass inside the skin and between it
and the roller.
Then the handle c, is rotated and the slide c, and blade ring is drawn down
bringing with it the tubular skin over the roller, which when drawn sufficiently upon
the roller is held by a clip placed above the upper ends of the blades d², or by strong
india rubber rings passed over the tubular skin to press it against the roller, then the
descent of the slide c, is continued until the blades d², are withdrawn from under the
tubular skin, and this completes the operation, the roller being then removed, and
the ends of the tubular skin overlapping the ends of the roller, are then laced or
"secured in the ordinary manner.

page_text: The mechanism above described is also used for removing the tubular skin from a
roller. The roller is placed in the machine as above described when a tubular skin is
to be drawn upon it, but the blades d², are outside the skin, and several strong rings
of india rubber are placed over the blades d², to press them close to the surface of
the skin to be drawn from the roller, and this gives the blades d², sufficient hold upon
the skin to draw it off the roller when the slide c, and blade ring d, is moved down
the column. When the skin has been partly drawn off the roller, (if not entirely
drawn off at one operation) the india rubber rings are removed and the blade
ring d, moved further up the roller to take fresh hold, and is then drawn down
again.
The machine is used in like manner to that last described, for stretching a skin
which has become "baggy" or wrinkled, and the machine is used as if it was intended
to strip the tubular skin from the roller, but for stretching, the tubular skin is left
"laced" at its upper end so that it cannot be drawn over the end of the roller, but will
be stretched, and then the tubular skin at the lower end of the roller after this
operation may be "relaced."
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is.
1. In apparatus for placing upon or removing from, or stretching skins or other
suitable coverings upon rollers used in lithographic printing machines, the use of
a ring with elastic blades substantially as herein before described and illustrated by
the drawings.
2. The combination of the blade ring, its slide and mechanism for moving it,
substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated by the
drawings.
3. The combination of a blade ring its slide and mechanism for moving it, with
mechanism for holding the roller substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore
described and illustrated by the drawings.
4. The combination of a blade ring and its holder when stationary with mechanism
or arrangements for pushing or drawing the roller through the blade ring substan-
tially as and for the purposes herein before described.
5 The guiding ring in combination with the column, substantially as and for the
purpose hereinbefore described and illustrated by the drawings.
6. The combination and arrangement of mechanism substantially as and for the
purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated by the drawings.
Dated this Twelfth day of June 1890.
PETER J. LIVSEY,
Agent.