Improvements in Printing Machines.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Nov., 1896-Accepted, 9th Jan., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Printing Machines.
We, THOMAS ARTHUR MIDDLETON, of Loman Street, Southwark, and
RICHARD EDWARD PAINE, of 24 Tasman Road, Clapham, both in the County
of Surrey, Engineers, 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 :-
This invention relates to machines for printing newspaper contents bills and has
for its object an improved construction of machine whereby contents bills containing
different matter can be printed simultaneously and laid on the receiving table in
Beparate piles without being mixed.
The chief feature of our improved machine is a type or forme cylinder adapted
to receive two or more formes arranged side by side for simultaneously printing
two or more contents bills. The cylinder is of such a diameter that the type
extends around a portion only of its circumference and the said cylinder is arranged
to work in conjunction with two or more impression cylinders in such a manner
that during each complete revolution of the type cylinder as many contents bills
are printed by each formo as there are impression cylinders. The paper is fed
into the machine in oue continuous sheet having a width equal to the length of
the type cylinder, and after leaving the oylinder the said sheet is cut longitudinally
and transversely by suitably arranged knives or cutters to separate the bills
which are then laid upon the receiving table in the usual or in any convenient
manner.
In the accompanying drawing we have shown in side elevation more or less
diagrammatically. a contents bill printing machine constructed according to our
invention, having two impression cylinders.
A is the frame of the machine; B is the type or forme cylinder; C, C are the
impression cylinders; D is an adjustable guide drum arranged between the
impression cylinders; E is tho paper roll; F is the cutting diso for cutting
the paper longitudinally; and G, G are the cutting drums for cutting the paper
transversely. The course of the paper through the machine from the roll E to
the delivering mechanistn is indicated by a dot and dash line H, and is as follows,
that is to say, the paper passes between the first impression cylinder and the type
cylinder, then around the guide drum D, then between the second impression
cylinder and the type cylinder, then between the cutting disc F and one of the
cutting drums G which may have a circumferential groove in it to facilitate the
cutting, then between the cutting drums G, G, and lastly between the delivery
tapes to the flyer which lays the separated sheets on the receiving table.
For printing two different contenta bills at the same time the cylinder B is made
long enough to take two formes side by side. Moreover the said cylinder is made
of such diameter that the type for printing one bill extends around a portion only
of its circumference. In the machine shown, the type extends about halfway
round the cylinder and there are two impression cylinders over which the paper
pusses in turn as above described so that two impressions are obtained from each
forme during each revolution of the oylinder. The guide drum D is so adjusted
that the distance travelled by the paper in passing from one impression cylinder to
the other is equal to the length of two contents bills, and it follows therefore that
the impressious obtained do not overlap.

page_text: One great advantage obtained by our improved machine is that two compositors
can set up type at the same time on the cylinder, one being at work on one forme
and the other on the other forme, without interfering the one with the other, so
that any changes required in the contents bills for the different editions of the
newspaper can be made very expeditiously.
After leaving the second impression cylinder the paper sheet passes as before
stated over a cutting disc F which cuts it longitudinally and then between the
cutting cylinders G, G which cut the sheet transversely and thus form the separate
contents bills. The said bills are then laid upon a table by any suitable mechanism.
For example in the drawing we have shown delivery mechanisin consisting of
endless tupes J, J' which carry the sheets up to aud around a drum K. The guide
roller of the tapes J is carried by arms pivoted at j' and adapted to be swung
outward by suitable mechanism at regular intervals. When the roller is in the
position shown, the sheets are compelled to pass downward until seized by other
tapes M which guide them around a lower drum L whence they pass up again to
the drum K and so on. Endless tapes are provided around the drums K, L. After
a convenient number of bills have been collected in this manner, the arms are
swung outwardly and the tapes Q, which are elastic, are carried out with the arms
by an inside roller so that the sheets are then guided outside the tapes M and
pass down between the skeleton guide N and the flyer O. The lattor then pushes
the sheets through the skeleton guide and delivers them on to the table P. It will
be seen that the sheets printed by one forme are kept quite distinct and separate
from those printed by the other forme and hence there is no confusion arising by
reason of different bills being simultaneously printed in one machine and the
different contents bills can be removed as required from the table.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. In a printing machine for simultaneously printing newspaper contents bills
with different matter a type cylinder constructed to receive two or more formes
arranged side by side and extending only partially around the cylinder, two or
more impression cylinders working in conjunction with the type cylinder, and
knives or cutters for cutting the printed sheet longitudinally and transversely,
substantially as described.
2. A contents bill printing machine constructed substantially as described with
reference to the accompanying drawing and operating as, and for the purposes,
specified.
Dated this 18th day of November 1896.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.