Improvements in Platen Printing Machines.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Platen Printing Machines.
WALTER JAMES ELLIS of Queen's Road Southend-on-Sea in the County of
Essex, Printer and GILBERT HARWOOD HOOPER of Queen's Road Southend-on-Sea
in the County of Essex, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
To insure accurate register for printing in several colours and to enable greater
speed in laying in the sheets of paper to platen printing machines and those of the
"Cropper" class in particular.
The invention consists of a novel adjustment, applicable to existing machines, for
moving the side lay-stop on the platen of the machine. Instead of the usual fixed
side lay pin or stop, an adjustable stop is screwed on to a slide or bar this said bar
or slide having a pin working in a diagonal or curved slot of a second slide, or, in
the slot of an oscillating plate from a fixed centre. The said slide or plate being
attached to some fixed part of the machine and in such a manner that when the sheet
has been laid to or near the gauge or lay pin. The platen of the machine turning or
approaching the forme draws the slotted slide or turns the plate & thereby moves
the slide and lay pin and the lay-pin comes in contact with the paper leaving it always
in the same position on the platen.
Attached to the slotted slide is a spring which causes the slide to return when the
platen comes into position for the next sheet to be laid on.
The improved lay-pins for the bottom of the sheet consist of a piece of metal or
suitable material such as xylonite of a V shape held in position by a pin passing
through a projection on them or held by paste to the platen a piece of paper covering
the edge to prevent sheets, from catching when being laid in the V.
Dated this 12th day of September 1896.
WALTER JAMES ELLIS.
GILBERT HARWOOD HOOPER.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Platen Printing Machines.
WALTER JAMES ELLIS of Queen's Road Southend-on-Sea in the County of
Essex, Printer and GILBERT HARWOOD HOOPER of Queen's Road Southend-on-Sea
in the County of Essex, 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:-
To insure accurate register for printing in several colors and to enable greater
speed in laying in the sheets of paper to platen printing machines, and those of the
"Cropper" class in particular.
The invention consists of a novel adjustment applicable to existing machines for
moving the side lay-stop on the platen of the machine.

page_text: Instead of the usual fixed side lay pin or stop, an adjustable stop is screwed on
to a slide or bar the said bar or slide having a pin working in a diagonal or curved
slot of a second slide, or in the slot of an oscillating plate from a fixed centre the
said slide or plate being attached to some fixed part of the machine and in such a
manner that when the sheet has been laid to or near the gauge the platen of the
machine turning or approaching the form draws the slotted slide, or turns the plate
and thereby moves the slide and lay-pin, comes in contact with the sheet, leaving it
always in the same position on the platen.
This part of our invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a top view of the platen of a "Cropper" printing machine, and sufficient
to illustrate our invention.
Fig. 2. is the section of the platen illustrated in Fig. 1.
The same letters refer to the parts of both Fig. 1 & 2.
B is the platen of the printing machine upon which the paper to be printed is
placed by the operator.
The platen is mounted on the usual shaft or axle U which is secured in bearings
formed in the side frames of the machine.
The line T indicates position of the face of the type against which the paper to be
printed is pressed when being printed.
The paper A is laid on to the platen B down to the V shaped lay pin P. and placed
within half an inch of the side lay-pin C. which is held to the slide E by the screw D
the said lay-pin having an adjustable slot and the said slide E having a stud or pin F
working in the slot H of the second slide J the said second slide working in a groove
at right angles to the first and operated by a band K over the pulley L.
The band K being attached to any fixed part of the frame of the inachine.
The spring S. attached from the slide J to the fixed hook V causes the slide J to
return when the platen B opens ready for the next sheet to be laid on.
The spring S crossing the travel of the stud F serving to press the slide E to one
side of the slot in the slide H.
Fig. 2. R. R are two screws to hold the attachment to the platen of the machine.
The improved lay pins for the bottom of the sheet consist of the piece of metal P of
a V shape held in position by a pin passing through a projection on them or held by
paste to the platen, a piece of paper covering the edge to prevent sheets from catching
when being laid into the V.
The lay pin P is held to the support N by the screw O the support N is gripped
with the make-ready sheets by the usual bar M.
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 a novel means of automatically moving the side lay on the platen of printing
machines. The lay-pin being attached to a slide, the said slide being moved
to and fro by a second slide having a curved slot for the pin of the first slide to
work in.
2. In a novel means of automatically moving the side lay on the platen of printing
machines. The lay pin being attached to a slide the said slide being moved to and
fro by a second slide having a curved slot for the pin of the first slide to work in
and the second slide being caused to operate by the turning or closing up of the
platen to the type by means of a flexible band or chain connecting the said second
slide to some stationary part of the machine, substantially in the manner herein-
before described.
3. In a novel means of automatically moving the side lay on the platen of printing
machines. The lay pin being attached to a slide the said slide being moved to and
fro by a second slide having a curved slot for the pin of the first slide to work in and
the second slide heing caused to operate by the turning or closing up of the platen
to the type by means of a flexible band or chain connecting the said second slide to
some stationary part of the machine substantially in the manner hereinbefore

page_text: described in conjunction with one or more V shaped bottom lay pins secured to the
platen the edge nearest the make ready sheets being covered with the last make ready
sheet substantially in the manner hereinbefore described.
Dated this 18th day of December 1896.
WALTER JAMES ELLIS.
GILBERT HARWOOD HOOPER.