Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Aug., 1897-Accepted, 6th Aug., 1898
I, JOHN LIDDLE, of 154, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Scotland, Patent Agent,
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 a sheet printing press of the perfecting flatbed type.
I do not claim the general combination of reciprocating beds and reciprocating
cylinders but my invention embodies what I believe to be some broadly new and
useful features, particularly the feed mechanism, the delivery mechanism, the
mechanisms and arrangements, which enable the feed and delivery mechanisms
to be drawn back out of the way while "making ready" the forms, or padding
the cylinders; the shifting tympan mechanism, the improved cylinder-throw-off
mechanism, the improved gripper-tripping mechanism, and certain other novel
and improved constructions and combinations of parts hereinafter described and
claimed.
In order that my invention may be properly understood and readily carried
into effect I have hereunto appended seven sheets of drawings, of which,
Figure 1 is a part side elevation and part longitudinal section through centro
of press.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of press. Fig. 2 is a part sectional view of part
of the carriage showing means for raising and lowering the cylinders. Fig 2" is
a horizontal section of the same.
Figure 3 is a cross section through centre of press and centre of carriers 21.
Figure is a view showing gripper mechanism detached from press. It is
shown to operate grippers on cylinder 15. Duplicate mechanism on opposite
side of press serves to operate grippers on cylinder 16.
Figure 5 is a view showing delivery mechanism and brackets supporting same.
Figure 6 is that part of the feed mechanism that is clamped to the carriers and
shows how the incoming sheet of paper is deflected downward to the impression
cylinder grippers on cylinder 15.
Figure 7 is a longitudinal section of the printing press and shifting tympan
mechanism
Figure 8 is a part sectional plan of racks, gears and shafts for operating loop to
compensate for the moving of the type beds.
Figure 9 is a part cross section of mechanism for operating shaft, intermit-
tently, upon which the tympan is rewound.
Figure 10 is a sectional view of an alternative arrangement taken through the
paper feeding mechanism, taken at the opposite side of machine illustrated in
Fig. 2 and corresponding to Figure 7.

page_text: Figure 11 is a view of the knife.
Figure 12 is a view of the adjustable arm.
12, 10, designate a pair of reciprocating type beds rigidly connected, or one
large bed capable of holding two forms, mounted upon suitable rollers, and reci-
procated by means of pitmen 20 connected at one end to hangers 11 depending
from the bed, and at the other end to wrist pins 129 on crank wheels 2 between
the main side frames mounted on a transverse shaft 5 which is driven from main
shaft 144 by suitable gearing.
Attached to and reciprocating with the beds are ink distributing tables 13, 9,
to which ink is supplied from fountains at opposite ends of the press.
Mounted on the side frames of the press are reciprocating carriers 21, which
are reciprocated back and forth oppositely to the beds, by means of pitmen 22,
connected to crank-wheels 3, on shaft 6, also driven from shaft 144 by.
suitable
gearing as shown.
THE THROW-OFF MECHANISM.
Mounted on each carrier 21 is a short oscillatory bar 14, supported upon a
short stout shaft 70 journaled in the carrier. In the opposite ends of bar 14, are
bearings for the shafts or trunnions of the impression cylinders 15, 16, which are
alternately thrown off and on impression by oscillating the bars 14, by means of
screws 118, 118, underlying the ends of the bars and contained in vertical sockets
in the carriers 21. Screws 118 which are respectively right and left handed are
provided with adjusting nuts or threaded boxings 119 which are set into sockets
in the carriers as shown in Fig. 2ª and pinions 117, which are turned by means
of a rack bar 29, as illustrated in Figure 2". I operate it as follows:-
On
Bar 29 is provided on its lower edge with a rack which meshes with a gear 71
loosely mounted on a stub shaft 127, fixed to a sliding plate 27, which is guided
in a suitably constructed bracket on the main frame, as shown Figure 3.
the outer end of shaft 127, is another gear 24, which meshes with a lower
stationary rack 23 on the frame and an upper rack 28 rigidly fastened to the
carrier 21, as shown. By this construction the plate 27 and gear 71 are reciprocated
with the gear 24, which rolls back and forth with the carriage and therefore
gear 71 will not shift the rack 29, unless its uniform rotation with gear 24 is pre-
vented. But if the rotation of gear 71 in relation to gear 24 is retarded or accel-
erated, it will shift bar 29 forward or backward and cause it to turn screws so as
to oscillate bar 14 as is evident. The gearing 71 is thus retarded or accelerated
at the proper times by means of a rack 30, lying under gear 71, and meshing
therewith, which, at desired times, is shifted forward or back so as to change the
relative rotation of gear 71 with gear 24. Bar 36 is shifted by means of a
link 31 connected to an arm 32, on a rock shaft 73 operated by a crank arm 114
and pitmen 30 from a race cam 33 on the shaft 5 as shown in Figure 1.
The bar 14, and its operating devices are duplicated on both sides of the press,
so that both ends of the cylinders are operated uniformly. The parts are so
timed that cylinder 15 operates only on bed 12, and during the stroke of the
cylinders away from the feed; while cylinder 16 operates only on bed 10, and
when the cylinders travel towards the feed; the bars 14 being oscillated at the
proper times so as to throw the cylinders off impression accordingly.
THE CYLINDER-GRIPPER MECHANISM.
The cylinders are provided at opposite ends, with the usual cylinder gears 121,
meshing with racks 122, 123, fixed on the beds as shown so as to keep each
cylinder in exact unison with the bed. The teeth of the gears being sufficiently
long to prevent the cylinders getting out of track when they are thrown off im-
pression. Cylinder 15, has a set of gripping fingers 66, mounted on a shaft 125,
having a T-head 104 on one end which is adapted to be engaged by a pin 116,
on the arm 115 attached to a ring 124 fixed on the hub of a gear 100 loosely

page_text: mounted on the shaft of cylinder 15 between the end of cylinder and bar 14,
Figure 4. Gear 100 meshes with a small gear 98 loosely mounted on the inner
end of stub-shaft 70, and it in turn meshes with a small pinion 99, on a pin
fastened to the carrier, which pinion rolls over and meshes with a sliding rack 97
supported on the main frame and shifted at the proper times, so as to cause the
gearing to shift pin 116 and cause it to engage T-head 104 and open or close the
gripper fingers at the proper time. Rack 97 is shifted by means of link 103 and
crank lever 102 on a stub shaft 106, which has an arm 101 provided with friction
roller engaging a race cam 105 on the shaft 6 as more clearly shown in Figure 4.
The gripper mechanism for cylinder 16, is a duplicate of that for cylinder 15. It
should be noticed that the gripper operating mechanism for the respective cylin-
ders are at opposite sides of the press.
THE FEED MECHANISM.
As shown the press is adapted to operate on sheets cut from a web and auto-
matically fed. The web is led in from roll 38, over guide roller 39, to and under
a guide roller 41 up, over and partially around a feeding and cutting cylinder 17,
and under the male cutting cylinder 18, as seen in Figure 1, cylinder 17, being
assisted in feeding the web by means of endless tapes 112, running over suitably
disposed rollers 42, 37, 40, as shewn in Figure 10. According to the modification
illustrated in Fig. 10 the cut sheet is fed to the top of the second cylinder, thence
to the centre of the first cylinder and thence into the delivery. The cutting
cylinder 18, is driven by a gear 87 meshing with an intermediate gear 88, which
meshes into a pinion 89 on the hub of a gear 90 mounted on the side frame and
meshing with a gear 3 on the periphery of one of the crank wheels 3 Figures 2
and 7. The aforesaid cutting cylinder or shaft 18, carries an adjustable cutting
blade 207 Figures 10 and 11. This shaft or cylinder 18 is geared to make one
revolution for each revolution of the crank wheels, or reciprocation of printing
cylinders, and is driven by a train of gears from one of the gear crank wheels.
In detail it has a pinion 208 on one end which meshes with another adjustable
pinion 208 which meshes with a gear 209 on a stub shaft that extends through
the side frame and has a similar sized gear 209¹ on its inner end, which meshes
with a gear 210 Figure 10 that meshes with a pinion 89 on the stub shaft jour-
naled in the side frame and on the outer end of said shaft is a gear 41' which
meshes with the adjoining crank wheel 3 Figure 2. The size of the sheet is varied
by means of a changeable" gear such as is referred to later on. Cylinder 17,
and tape rollers 40 may be driven by suitable gearing from cylinder 18. The
cylinder 17 is peripherally grooved, and cylinder 18 is arranged so that its blade
will always register with some slot in cylinder 17, and by varying
the speed of rotation of cylinder 17, the length of the sheets fed in
and severed from the web can be varied, this mechanism being illustrated in
Figures 10, 11, and 12. The web is led in from a paper roll, not shown, to and
under a roller 40 and between it and a lower cutting cylinder 17 up over
and partly around said cylinder, between it and another roller 42, the web being
pressed to the cylinder by endless tapes 112, running over rollers 40 and a third
roller 37, which is mounted in adjustable arms 205 arranged so that it can be
adjusted to regulate the tension of the tapes. The pinion 214 Fig. 12 is mounted
on an adjustable segment 211 which is pivoted on the stub shaft carrying gears 209
and 209 so that the adjustable pinion can be moved in relation to said shaft
without disengaging it from gear 208. The segment can be locked by a bolt
passing through a slot 212 therein as shown.
<<
On the other end of shaft 18 opposite gear 208 is detachably secured a pinion,
which meshes with pinion fixed on the adjoining end of cylinder 17. The lower
cutting cylinder 17 has a number of longitudinal slots (say twenty-five) one inch
apart and its gear has two teeth for each slot (.e. fifty teeth) and the gear of
cylinder 18 has two teeth for each inch of paper to be severed. Thus, if it is
desired to cut sheets twenty-five inches long the gear of the cylinder 18 should

page_text: have fifty teeth; but if for instance it is desired to cut a twenty-four inch sheet
the gear would be removed and replaced by one having forty-eight teeth, and by
simply providing a set of interchangeable gears to be placed on the shaft 18 to
drive cylinder 17 any desired length of sheet can be cut. For every inch of paper less
than twenty-five, the change gear should have two teeth less and for every inch of
paper over 25 the change gear should have 2 teeth more. The slots in the cylinder 17
being but one inch apart, some slots therein will always register with the knife,
whether the sheet to be cut is long or short. The shaft 18 is journaled in
boxes 213 adjustable toward or from the cylinder 17 and when the gear is changed
it is necessary to adjust shaft 18 toward or from the cylinder so as to make the
substituted gear mesh with gear on cylinder 17 and pinion 214 is shifted by the
segment 211 to permit this adjustment; yet can still mesh with pinion 208.
When shaft 18 is shifted the knife 207 is adjusted so as to properly co-act with
cylinder 17.
The cutting cylinders and feeding mechanism are carried in frames 214¹
(Fig. 10) which are adjustably mounted on the main frame so that when shorter
sheets are to be cut the feed devices are moved toward the cylinder and when
longer sheets are to be cut the feed devices are moved from the cylinders. The
frames can be adjusted by means of a screw shaft 2142. The feed table 215 is
pivoted to the frames 214' and is provided with telescoping fingers 216 on its
lower edge, which can be lengthened or shortened according to the length of
sheet being fed, and the position of frames 214. The table is elevated and
lowered at the proper time by means of an arm or lever 216¹ mounted on a
shaft 217 which is rocked by means of a crank arm 218 having a friction roller
on its end running in a cam groove 219 in the back of gear 210 or a plate
attached to said gear or its shaft, as shown.
From the cutting cylinders the sheets, or the web almost severed, is directed
between the rollers 43, 44, into the feed tapes 130, 131. The rollers 43, 44 (Fig. 1)
are journaled in brackets 75 swivelled on the main frame and provided with
guides for reciprocating bars 58, the front ends of which are provided with hook
castings 77 adapted to catch on clamp bolts 143 attached to upstanding brackets
on the carriers 21, and thus cause the bars 58, to reciprocate back and forth with
the cylinders Figures 1 and 2. On bars 58, are journaled a front roller 47 and
a rear roller 57.
Tapes 130, run from roller 43 down and forward to roller 47, back to roller 57
and then forward to roller 46, journaled on bracket 75 and then up to and around
roller 43.
The arrangement of the rollers 47, 57, on the sliding bars 58 compensate for
the travel of roller 47, with the cylinders, because roller 57, forms a loop in the
tapes which give up or take up the web as the loop formed by roller is enlarged
or diminished by its movement, consequently the line of the tapes 130 between
roller 43, 47, is maintained at a uniform tension, and driven at a uniform speed,
notwithstanding the alternate shortening and lengthening of such lines by the
movement of rollers 47.
The tapes 130 are driven by roller 43 which is driven by an intermediate
gear 132 meshing with a gear on cylinder 17. The upper set of tapes 131, run
from roller 44, parallel with tapes 130 down to and under a roller or set of tape
rollers 48, journaled in brackets mounted on the sliding bars 58, thence forward
to and over a roller 45 mounted on brackets on bars 58 and lying near roller 44,
then back to and over a roller 49, also journaled in brackets 76, attached to
brackets 75, and then forward to roller 44, again see Figure 1.
The rollers 48, 45 being movable, the loop formed by roller 45, is increased or
diminished proportionately to the diminishing or lengthening of the loop formed
by roller 48, so that the tapes 131 are kept at an uniform tension and move at
uniform speed between the rollers 44, 48, like the tapes 130 notwithstanding the
movement of the rollers 48. This peculiar system of feeding tapes provided with

page_text: compensating loops so that they can take a sheet from a stationary point and
transfer it to the moving cylinder at a moving point, is an important feature of
the invention. The tapes 131 are driven from roller 44, which is driven by gears
as is also roller 46.
Mounted on brackets attached to the front end of bars 58, are vertically dis-
posed sheet-guiding fingers 133, 78 Figure 6 the former depending beneath
roller 48 and the latter hanging beneath roller 47, so that the sheet fed down
between tapes 130, 131 is directed by said fingers down directly between the
cylinders 15, 16, in position to be nipped by the grippers 66, on cylinder 15 when
they come nearest to cylinder 16 (see Figures 1 and 6). By this method the sheet
is fed to the centre of the first cylinder, thence to the centre of the second cylin-
der and thence to the delivery. Fingers 133 are also provided with forwardly pro-
jecting guides 60 on their upper ends which extend partly over roller 47, and will
deflect the infed sheet down between the fingers Figure 6. To facilitate the down
feed of the sheet endless tapes 134 may be run over roller 48, and over tape
pulleys 135 on the fingers 153 as shown, so that the sheets will be continually
combed down toward the cylinders and kept smooth.
In practice the sheets are not wholly severed from the web and the cylinder 15,
travelling slightly faster than the web feed, breaks the sheet loose from the web
after its grippers have caught it.
THE DELIVERY MECHANISM.
64, 64, designate a pair of sliding bars which are guided in ways 145, in stan-
dards on the side frames of the press, at the rear end thereof. On the front ends
of bars 64 are castings 55 which are slotted to slip over cramp bolts 136 Figure 5,
attached to brackets 56 on the carriers 21, the heads of the bolts 136 resting in
counter-sinks 137 in the castings see detail Figure 5, so as to prevent the bars 64
slipping out of place during the operation of the press.
In castings 55 is journaled the shaft 68 of a transfer reel 19 provided with a set
of gripping fingers 69. The shaft carrying fingers 69 has a trip 138 on one end
which presses against the periphery of a cam disc 139 fixed to one bar 64 beside
the end of the reel, and so shaped that the fingers are closed at the proper time to
take a sheet from cylinder 16, and opened at the proper time to deliver such sheet
into the delivery tapes 80, 79.
Tapes 80 run over reel 19 back to and over a roller 52, journaled on castings (2
on the rear ends of bars 64, thence back over a roller 51 journaled in brackets 63
on bars 64, beside the reel and thence around the reel 19 as shown.
Tapes 79 run from a roller 50 (journaled in extensions of castings 55 and lying
close to the front side of reel 19 but above the axis thereof) back to and under a
roller 53 (journaled in the castings 62 slightly behind rollers 52) and thence back
to roller 50 as shown.
The whole system of delivery tapes and rollers is reciprocated back and forth
with the cylinders, during the operation of the press. The reel 19 is driven by
means of a bevel gear 85 mounted on one end of its shaft and meshing with a
bevel gear 84 on a sliding shaft 91 journaled in the adjoining bracket 56 and
telescoping into a hollow shaft 92 journaled in a suitable extension of the feed
mechanism supports on the main frame, shafts 91, 92, being keyed or splined
so that shaft 91 can reciprocate in shaft 92 while being rotated thereby. Shaft 92
is driven by a bevel gear 93 meshing with another bevel gear 95 on a stub
shaft 140 on which is a pinion 108 meshing with gear 95 on the cutting cylinder 18
as shown.
By this means reel 19 and tapes 80 are driven continuously during the operation
of the
press.
The tapes 79 are driven by roller 50 which has a pinion 141 on one end meshing
with a gear 142 on reel 68 as shown.
When the pressman is "making ready" the bolts 136 are loosened, and the
bars 64, 64, with the delivery tapes and rollers, are drawn back to the position

page_text: indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1, by means of small pinions 110 on a
shaft 111 in both of the supporting standards, pinions 110 meshing with a
rack 109 on the lower edge of one of bars 64. Shaft 111 can be turned by means
of a detachable crank at will.
Also when "making ready" the feed mechanism is disengaged from the car-
riers by loosening the cramping bolts 143 Figure 6, then running the cylinders
over to the feed end of press so as to push the bars 58 as far forward as pos-
sible and then the whole feed system of tapes is tilted up into the position shown
in Figure 1 clearing the feed devices from the cylinders.
While thus freed from the feed and delivery mechanisms the cylinders can be
reciprocated at will, so as to allow their blankets to be packed readily and the
forms to be made ready. It will be readily seen, from Figure 1, that the press
possesses exceptional advantages in having the feed and delivery mechanisms so
arranged as to be out of the way when making ready, facilitating this operation
and allowing the forms or blankets to be packed readily as desired.
THE TYMPAN MECHANISM.
The shifting tympan to be used is wound upon the shaft 162, each end of said
shaft having suitable bearings in opposite ends of the impression cylinder 16.
161 represents a brake wheel secured to one end of shaft 162 and there is
pressing against it the brake shoe 163, by means of the studs 165, 167 the
lever 166 and spring 201.
The purpose of the brake mechanism is to prevent the shaft, and consequently
the tympan roll 160, from turning except when the outer end of the tympan is
drawn forward.
Roll 168 is journaled at each end in projections from brackets 56. The roll
consequently moves backward and forward with the impression cylinders 15
and 16.
Roll 169 is journaled at each end in small brackets 170, as shown in Figures 7
and 9.
Bracket 170 is bolted to the sliding bar 171. On the opposite side of the press
at the other end of roll 169 is a duplicate of the sliding bar 171.
These two bars 171, are made to travel forward and backward by means of the
gear 177, which meshes in a rack upon the back side of bar 171. Gear 177 is
secured to the vertical shaft 178 which is journaled at 179 and 180 in projections
from the frame of the machine as shown in Figures 7 and 8.
Secured to the lower end of the shaft 178 is the gear 181 meshing with the
rack 182, which is bolted to an extension 183 from the ink table 13.
The gear 177 has a pitch diameter only one-half as great as that of gear 181
and as the type beds move forward and back it is obvious that roller 169 moves
in the same direction with them, but at only one-half of their speed and distance.
Roll 172 is journaled in the stationary top frame 173.
When the impression cylinders 15 and 16 have moved to the front end of the
press they occupy the positions shown by dotted lines 15 and 16 in Figure 7,
and the roller 168 has moved to the position 168".
At this time the type beds 12 and 10 have moved to the back end of press, and
the roller 169 occupies the position in dotted lines 169".
The shifting tympan is led from the roll 160, in the impression cylinder 16,
out under the grippers 65 of said cylinder, thence up and around roller 168, then
forward and up around roller 169, thence backward and up around roller 172,
thence to the rewinding roll 175, upon the shaft 174.
This peculiar arrangement of the moving and stationary rollers and looping of
the tympan is for the purpose of compensating for the constantly changing posi-
tions of beds and impression cylinder and the rotation of the latter; for it will be
seen that when a sheet of paper is being printed between cylinder 16 and its form
the tympan cannot be shifted upon the surface of the cylinder. The tympan

page_text: rolls 160 and 175 must then remain stationary relative to the parts supporting
them.
It will be readily seen that the proper travel may be given to rollers 168 and
169 so that at all times there will be no slackness or undue tension upon the
tympan between the rolls 160 and 175.
It will be remembered that cylinder 16 comes in contact with the type while it
(the cylinder) is travelling toward the front or crank end of the press, and that
during its stroke it is lifted from the type and no impression is made.
During this return stroke of the cylinder 16, the tympan may be shifted along
the length of a sheet of paper being printed.
This shifting is accomplished by turning the roll 175 the proper amount, thus
reeling up the tympan which is thereby unrecled from the roll 160.
The brake 163 preventing the roll 160 from turning too much.
The proper turning of the roll 175 may be accomplished in the following
manner:
The roll 175 is tightly wound upon the shaft 174, so that there can be no
slipping between the two.
Loosely mounted upon shaft 174 is the gear 185, placed between the collar 191,
secured to the shaft and the sliding grooved collar 192 which is free to slide
lengthwise upon the shaft but must revolve with it, by means of a feather key.
Gear 185 is caused to turn in one direction at a uniform speed by means of the
intermediate gear 184 turning upon the stud 186. Gear 184 is driven by gear 87
already described.
The gear 185 at all times turns loosely upon the shaft 191 unless the friction
between the hubs of gear 185 and collars 191 and 192 causes the shaft to turn
with it.
By moving the friction collar or clutch 192 toward or away from the gear 185
the shaft can be made to revolve, with gear 185, or stand still as desired.
It is usually desirable when using a shifting tympan to let one part of the
tympan take the offset from a certain number of sheets, then to draw the tympan
forward until a fresh surface of paper is placed upon the surface of the impres-
sion cylinder.
This I accomplish as follows:-
Upon the hub of gear 185 is secured a pinion 187 which meshes with gear 188,
turning upon a stud 189 in the top frame. The relative sizes of this pinion and
gear may be such as to secure the desired number of impressions upon the same
portion of the shifting tympan Figure 9.
Upon the side of the gear 188 is a cam 200 (Figs 7 and 9) which at every revo-
lution engages the cam roller 199 upon the stud 198 in the end of the cam
lever 197.
!
This lever is carried by the rock-shaft 195, journaled in brackets 196 which are
secured to top frame 173.
1
Secured to this rock-shaft is another lever 194 having its opposite end forked
and carrying pins 193 which engage with the grooved friction collar 192.
Every time the cam 200 passes the roller 199 the levers are caused to move
in a direction which brings the collar 192 in contact with the hub gear 185,
causing the shaft 191 and roll 175 to turn while such contact endures."
Various modifications of this mechanism will readily suggest themselves to
anyone skilled in the art, and I do not limit my claims to the exact forms here
shown, which may be greatly varied within the scope of my invention.
OPERATION.
After making ready, the feed mechanism is attached to the carriers and the
delivery mechanism also, as described. The press is then started up and the
sheets are fed down to the cylinder 15, by tapes 130, 131, and fingers 133, 78,
as described. When the cylinders are at the crank end of the press they are
both thrown off" being raised clear of the type, but as they start toward the

page_text: delivery end of the press, the fingers on cylinder 15 nip the sheet hanging in
fingers 133, 78 and as cylinder 15 moves peripherally faster than the tapes, the
sheet is broken from the web, and at the same time bars 14, are oscillated so as
to lower cylinder 15 on impression and it prints the sheet upon the forms of type
on bed 12, and is thrown off impression again before reaching the forms on bed 10,
over which it passes.
When the cylinders reach the delivery end of their stroke, the grippers on the
cylinder 16, nip the sheet while those on 15, release it, and as the cylinders start
back, cylinder 16 is thrown on impression and perfects the sheet on the forms on
bed 10, and is then thrown off before reaching bed 12, over which it also passes.
When the cylinders have completed about three fourths of their return stroke,
the grippers on cylinder 16 release the sheet but simultaneously the grippers on
reel 19 take it, and the perfected sheet is carried up and delivered to tapes 80, 79,
which carry it back over the table 54, and deliver it thereon upon the next return
movement of the cylinders.
It will be observed that the cylinders 15 takes and transfers the sheets at sub-
stantially the opposite ends of its stroke and while the cylinders are in dead
centres I am enabled to effect this by the improved gripper mechanism described,
and by the improved feeding devices.
It should always be observed that in this case the cylinders oscillate, and I do
not attempt to rotate them continuously or only in one direction, thus doing away
with the need of jumping racks.
The improved gripper actuating mechanism enables me to operate the grippers
with certainty at any point or time desired, and the improved throw off
mechanism enables me to oscillate bars 14 with certainty at any point or time
desired.
By moving the beds oppositely to the cylinders the linear movement of the
cylinders is shortened but the movable beds are not essentials to the present
invention.
OPERATION OF SHIFTING TYMPAN.
When the cylinders are at the backward end of their stroke as shewn by the full
lines in Figure 7, the tympan is stretched from the roll 160, direct to the gripper
edge of the cylinder, then direct to roll 168.
At this time a sheet of paper 202 which has been printed upon its outer surface
on cylinder 15, is being transferred to cylinder 16 and is caught by grippers 65.
As the cylinders start on their forward stroke the cylinder 16 revolves and
draws the sheet of paper 202 off the cylinder 15 at the same time this revolving
of the cylinder 16, takes up the slack of tympan being paid in because of the
rollers 168 and 169, moving toward each other.
As the tympan 176 and sheet of paper 202 are both drawn around the cylinder
the already printed surface of the paper comes in contact with said tympan with
the result of transferring part of the ink to the tympan.
When at about three fourths of its travel the sheet of paper is transferred from
the cylinder to the delivery roll 19, as has been described.
Cylinder 16 completes its travel, at which time the tympan has been entirely
wound around it. This is made clearer by means of dotted lines at c, d, e, f, g, h,
and roller 168".
Here a new sheet of paper 203 is taken by cylinder 15 and the cycle repeated.
As the cylinder 16 proceeds on its return stroke the tympan is unwound from
it, the slack being taken up by the rollers 168 and 169 moving away from each
other.
All parts are so timed that the freshly printed words and illustrations of a
sheet of paper always register with the off-set made upon the tympan by pre-
viously printed sheets.
When the accumulation of ink upon the tympan has become too great, the
tympan is shifted forward every 4th, 10th or any desired number of sheets by

page_text: means of the friction clutch 192 operated by cam 200 which is made to make
one revolution in every four, ten or any other desired number of sheets.
The shifting of the tympan being accomplished when the cylinder 16, is lifted
from the type.
It is obvious that, as the clutch 192 engages for a definite period every time the
cam 200 comes into contact with cam roller 199, the amount of tympan that is
wound upon the shaft 174 will be greater or less depending whether the roll 175
is large or small. This will not, however, prevent the tympan being drawn for-
ward so that an entirely clean surface presents itself to the printed sheets.
There are obvious ways also of making the periphery of the roll 175 move a dis-
tance proportionate to the length of time the clutch 192 is engaged and such
means may be used.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. The combination of the reciprocating carriers and the cylinder journaled
thereon;
with an extensible and contractible feed mechanism adapted to feed
sheets to the cylinder for the purpose and substantially as described and illus-
trated on the accompanying sheets of drawings.
2. In the printing press the combination of a reciprocating impression cylin-
der; with a sheet feeding mechanism adapted to move with the cylinder and
deliver sheets thereto during the travel thereof, substantially as and for the pur-
pose set forth and illustrated on the accompanying sheets of drawings.
3. The combination in a printing press of a reciprocating impression cylinder,
a stationary sheet supply and a feed mechanism movable with the cylinder and
adapted to take sheets from the stationary table and deliver them to the cylinder
as it travels, substantially as described and illustrated on the accompanying sheets
of drawings.
4. The combination with a pair of reciprocating impression cylinders, or
mechanism moving with the cylinders for feeding a sheet of paper to one of the
cylinders during the travel thereof, substantially as and for the purpose described,
and illustrated on the accompanying sheets of drawings.
5. The combination with a pair of reciprocating gripper cylinders, and a
stationary feeding mechanism of a secondary feed mechanism moving with the
cylinders and adapted to transfer sheets from the stationary feed to the moving
cylinders, substantially as and for the purpose set forth and illustrated on the
accompanying sheets of drawings.
6. The combination in a printing press of a pair of reciprocating carriers and
impression cylinders mounted thereon and a stationary sheet supply; with a
feed mechanism adapted to take sheets from the stationary supply and deliver
them to the cylinders while moving, substantially as and for the purpose described,
and illustrated on the accompanying sheets of drawings.
7. In a printing press the combination of a pair of reciprocating impression
cylinders, and a pair of oppositely reciprocating type beds, with a feed mechanism
moving with the cylinders, and adapted to take sheets automatically severed, from
the web, or otherwise delivered thereto, and deliver them to one of the impres-
sion cylinders as it travels substantially as described and illustrated on the accom-
panying sheets of drawings.
8. The combination of the reciprocating carriers and the cylinder journaled
thereon with an extensible and contractible feed mechanismi adapted to feed
sheets to the cylinder, said mechanism being so connected to the carriers that it
can be detached therefrom and swung up out of the way when making ready
the press, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth, and illustrated on
the accompanying sheets of drawings.
9. In a printing press the combination of a reciprocating type bed, or pair of
reciprocating type beds, and a pair of oppositely reciprocating impression cylinders
B

page_text: so arranged that sheets printed on one side upon one of the cylinders may be
directly transferred to the other cylinder and printed on the other side, with a
feeding mechanism reciprocating with the cylinders and adapted to take sheets
automatically severed from the web or otherwise delivered thereto, and deliver
them to one of the impression cylinders as it travels, substantially as described
and illustrated on the accompanying sheets of drawings.
10. In a printing press the combination of a reciprocating type bed with a pair
of oppositely reciprocating oscillating gripper impression cylinders, so arranged
and actuated by suitable mechanism that sheets printed on one side upon one
cylinder may be directly transferred to the other cylinder and printed on the other
side, substantially as described and illustrated on the accompanying sheets of
drawings.
11. The combination of a reciprocating cylinder, and a stationary mechanism for
feeding a web and severing into sheets; with an extensible and contractible feed
meclianism substantially as described, adapted to take the sheets from the cutting
mechanism and deliver them to the cylinder while it travels, for the purpose and
substantially as described and illustrated on the accompanying sheets of drawings.
12. The combination of a pair of reciprocating carriers a cylinder journaled
thereon, and guide fingers and tape guide rollers mounted on the carriers and
moving with the cylinders; with a stationary sheet feeding mechanism mounted
on the main frame, tape guide rollers beside said sheet feeding mechanism; and
a system of endless tapes for carrying sheets from the stationary tape guide rollers
to the guide rollers on the carriers and mechanism for looping the tapes in proper
manner to compensate for the movement of the carriers, all substantially as and
for the purpose set forth and illustrated on the accompanying sheets of drawings.
13. The combination of a reciprocating impression cylinder; a set of tape
rollers and guides moving with the cylinder, adapted to deliver sheets thereto and
a set of tape rollers mounted on the frame, with endless tapes for carrying sheets
from the stationary to the movable rollers and means for looping said tapes so as
to compensate for the movement of the movable rollers, for the purpose and sub-
stantially as described and illustrated on the accompanying sheets of drawings.
14. In a feed mechanism for printing presses, the combination of a reciprocating
impression cylinder, guide fingers and tape rollers moving with the cylinder, tape
rollers mounted on a stationary support adapted to receive sheets of paper; end-
less tapes for carrying sheets from the stationary to the movable tape-rollers;
and rollers movable with the cylinder, and forming loops in the endless tapes com-
pensating for the travel of the cylinder, all substantially as and for the purpose
described and illustrated on the accompanying sheets of drawings.
15. The combination in a printing press of a pair of reciprocating carriers and
impression cylinders mounted thereon and a stationary sheet supply; with a feed
mechanism adapted to take sheets from the stationary supply and deliver them to
the cylinders, while moving; said feed mechanism being so connected to the
carriers that it can be detached therefrom and swung out of the way when
making ready, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth and illustrated
on the accompanying sheets of drawings.
16. The combination of a reciprocating cylinder, a reel travelling with the
cylinder, having grippers adapted to take the sheet from said cylinder and
the systems of endless tapes moving with the reel and cylinder for delivering the
printed sheets, substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated on
the accompanying sheets of drawings.
17. In a printing press the combination of type beds, a pair of cylinders, screws
and rack bars for raising and lowering said cylinders, a pinion engaging the rack
bar, a sliding rack engaging the pinion and means for shifting said rack, for the
purpose and substantially as described and illustrated on the accompanying sheets
of drawings.
18. The combination of an impression cylinder, a screw for throwing said evlin-
der on or off impression, and a sliding bar having a rack engaging a pinion on the

page_text: screw; with a movable rack-bar a pinion meshing with said rack bar and with a
rack on the lower edge of said sliding bar, and mechanism for shifting the lower
rackbar for the purpose and substantially as described and illustrated on the accom-
panying sheets of drawings.
19. The combination of a reciprocating cylinder carrier, and a cylinder mounted.
thereon, a screw for raising and lowering the cylinder having a pinion; and a
sliding rack bar engaging said pinion; with an adjustable rack supported on the
frame of the machine, a pinion meshing with said adjustable rack and with teeth
on said rack bar, and means for lineally moving said pinion, and means for shift-
ing the adjustable rack so as to compel the pinion to shift the rack bar, for the
purpose and substantially as described and illustrated on the accompanying sheets
of drawings.
20th. In a printing press the combination of type beds; a pair of reciprocating
carriers; a pair of cylinders mounted on said carriers; with a fixed and sliding
rack bar mounted on the carrier; and means operated by the movable rack, for
alternately throwing said cylinder on and off impression; a fixed and movable
rack on the frame; a pair of pinions interposed between said pair of racks; and
means for shifting the lower movable rack bar so as to cause the pinion meshing
therewith and with the upper movable rack bar, to shift the latter, for the purpose
and substantially as described and illustrated on the accompanying sheets of
drawings.
carriers,
a
screws
21. In a printing press the combination of a pair of reciprocating
pair of
oscillating cylinders mounted thereon;
for raising and lowering said cylinder, provided with pinions;
a sliding rack bar meshing with said pinions and having a rack on its
lower edge; a fixed rack also mounted on the carrier beside the movable rack; a
fixed and a movable rack lying below the carrier racks; a pinion meshing with
both said fixed racks and a loose pinion meshing with both said movable racks;
and means for shifting the lower bar, all substantially as and for the purpose set
forth and illustrated on the accompanying sheets of drawings.
22. The combination of a reciprocating carrier, a cylinder mounted thereon, a
rotatable screw for raising and lowering said cylinder, a sliding rack-bar for rotat-
ing said screw, and a fixed rack-bar beside the sliding rack-bar, all mounted on
the carrier; with a stationary rack-bar and an adjustable rack-bar mounted on
the frame; a pair of pinions mounted loosely on a stub shaft and respectively
meshing with the fixed and stationary rack-bars, and the sliding and adjustable
rack-bars, and means for shifting said adjustable rack-bar, all substantially as and
for the purpose set forth and illustrated on the accompanying sheets of drawings.
23. In a printing press the combination of type-beds, a pair of oscillating bars,
a pair of cylinders mounted on opposite ends of said bars, screws and rack-bar,
for oscillating said bars, a pinion engaging the rack bar, a sliding rack engaging
the pinion, and means for shifting said rack, for the purpose and substantially as
described, and illustrated on the accompanying sheets of drawings.
24. In a printing press the combination of type beds; a pair of oscillating bars
mounted on reciprocating carriers; a pair of cylinders mounted on opposite ends
of said bars; with a fixed and a sliding rack bar mounted on the carrier; and
means operated by the movable rack, for oscillating said bars; a fixed and movable
rack on the frame; a pair of pinions interposed between said pairs of racks; and
means for shifting the lower movable rack bar so as to cause the pinion meshing
therewith and with the upper movable rack bar to shift the latter, for the purpose
and substantially as described, and illustrated on the accompanying sheets of
drawings.
25. In a printing press the combination of a pair of reciprocating carriers, oscil-
lating cylinder supporting bars mounted thereon; screws for oscillating said bar;
provided with pinions; a sliding rack-bar meshing with said pinions and having
a rack on its lower edge; a fixed rack also mounted on the carrier beside the
movable rack lying below the carrier racks; a pinion meshing with both said

page_text: fixed racks and a loose pinion meshing with said movable racks, and means for
shifting the lower movable bar, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth,
and illustrated on the accompanying sheets of drawings
26. The combination of a pair of type beds, a pair of reciprocating carriers, an
oscillating bar on each carrier and a pair of cylinders journaled in said oscillating
bars, screws for oscillating said bars; pinions on the screws and a rack bar on each
carrier engaging the screw pinions and having a rack on its lower edge also; and
a fixed rack on each carrier beside the movable rack; with a fixed and a movable
rack mounted on the frame below the carrier; a sliding plate mounted in guides
and provided with a stub shaft overlying the lower racks; and a
pair of pinions on said stub shaft respectively meshing with the
upper and lower fixed racks, and the upper and lower movable racks,
and means for shifting said lower movable racks, all substantially as and for the
purpose set forth and illustrated on the accompanying sheets of drawings.
27th. The combination of a reciprocating cylinder, its gripper shaft a pinion
loosely mounted on the cylinder shaft having an arm adapted to trip the gripper
shaft, an adjustable rack mounted on the frame, and mechanism for shifting said
rack and gearing between said rack and pinion, said gearing reciprocating with
the cylinder, substantially as and for the purpose set forth and illustrated on the
accompanying sheets of drawings.
28. The combination of a reciprocating impression cylinder, the gripper shaft
thereon, having a T-head; a rotatable arm carrying a pin adapted to engage said
T-head and mounted on a pinion loosely journaled on the shaft of the cylinder;
with a slidable rack-bar mounted on the main frame and means for shifting said
bar, a gear mounted on the cylinder carrier meshing with said rack-bar, and an
intermediate also mounted on the carrier meshing with both said gear and pinion,
all substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated on the accom-
panying sheets of drawings.
29. The combination with the reciprocating cylinder the sheet guide fingers
travelling therewith, and the tape roller 47, 57 also moving the cylinder; the
stationary tape rollers 43, 46, and the endless carrier tapes 130, running over
rollers 43, 47, 57, 46, all for the purpose and substantially as described and illus-
trated on the accompanying sheets of drawings.
30. The combination with the reciprocating cylinder the sheet guide fingers
travelling therewith, and the tape rollers 47, 57, also moving with the cylinder:
the stationary tape roller 43, 46, and the endless carrier tapes 130, running over
rollers 43, 47, 57, 46; with the tape rollers 48, 45, also moving with the cylinder,
the stationary rollers 44, 49 and the endless tapes 131 running over rollers 44, 48,
45, 49, all substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated on the
àccompanying sheets of drawings.
31. The combination with the cylinder and its reciprocating carriers the sliding
bars detachably connected to the carrier, and the castings supporting said bars
pivoted on the main frame, with the tape rollers 47, 57, 48, 45, mounted on said
bars; and the tape rollers 43, 46, 44, 49, mounted on said castings, the endless
tapes 130 running over rollers 43, 47, 57, 46, and the endless tapes 131 running over
rollers 44, 48, 45, 49, all substantially as and for the purpose described and illus-
trated on the accompanying sheets of drawings.
32. The combination of a pair of type beds a pair of gripper impression cylin-
ders arranged side by side, and respectively operating on the beds; with mechan-
ism for delivering a sheet to the gripper of the first impression cylinder:
mechanism for causing the grippers of the first cylinder to release
the sheet when it has made one revolution mechanism for causing
the grippers of the second cylinder to catch the sheet as it 18
released from the first cylinder, and to release it after it is perfected; and
means for throwing the cylinders off and on impression alternately, so that they
print only on the proper beds and on alternate strokes, all substantially as and
for the purpose set forth, and illustrated on the accompanying sheets of drawings.

page_text: 33. The combination of a pair of type beds, a pair of reciprocating impression
cylinders, arranged side by side, and mechanism for throwing the cylinders on and
off impression, so that they print on alternate strokes; with mechanism for feed-
ing a sheet of paper to the first cylinder at a point between the cylinders, during
the back stroke thereof, mechanism for shifting the grippers on the cylinders when
they are at the end of their back stroke, so that the first cylinder releases the sheet
while the second cylinder catches it, and mechanism for taking the sheet from the
second cylinder, all substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated
on the accompanying sheets of drawings.
34. The combination of the reciprocating carriers, the cylinder journaled
thereon; the bars detachably fastened to the carriers, the reel mounted on said
carriers provided with grippers adapted to strip a sheet from said cylinder; and
the system of tapes carried by said bars for delivering the printed sheets from the
reel, all substantially as and for the purpose described, and illustrated on the
accompanying sheets of drawings.
35. The combination of the cylinder, the reel mounted above the same provided
with gripper fingers adapted to strip the sheets from the cylinder; and the
upper and lower set of endless. tapes for delivering the sheets from the reel; the
lower tapes running around the reel, substantially as and for the purpose set
forth and illustrated on the accompanying sheets of drawings.
36. The combination of the reciprocating carriers, the cylinder journaled therein,
the reel moving with the carriers and provided with grippers adapted to take the
sheets from the cylinder; with the telescopic shaft, one section thereof being jour-
naled in bearings on the carriers and driving the reel by beveled gearing, and the
other section thereof being journaled in a stationary bearing and driven by gear-
ing, substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated on the accom-
panying sheets of drawings.
37. In a printing press the combination of a pair of beds, a pair of reciprocating
carriers, and a pair of cylinders respectively co-operating with the beds, with a
sheet feeding mechanism moving with the carriers adapted to supply sheets to the
cylinders while they are travelling and a delivery mechanism also moving with
the carriers and adapted to remove the sheets while the cylinders travel, said
movable feed and delivery mechanism being respectively detachable from the car-
riers at will, so that they can be moved back out of the way when making ready,
all substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated on the accom-
panying sheets of drawings.
38. In a printing press having an oscillating impression cylinder, the combina-
tion of a tympan reel within the cylinder and a corresponding tympan reel
without the cylinder with intervening mechanism whereby a tympan sheet may
be unwound from one of the reels and simultaneously wound upon the other reel,
during the operation of the press in the intervals between impressions and means
for maintaining a uniform tension of the sheet, substantially as described and
illustrated on the accompanying sheets of drawings.
39. In a printing press the combination of an oscillating impression cylinder
containing a tympan reel with a tympan reel outside the cylinder and mechanism
whereby a sheet may be shifted from one reel to the other over the impression sur-
face of the cylinder at different intervals substantially as described and illustrated
on the accompanying sheets of drawings.
BOTTOMLEY & LIDDLE,
154, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicant's Patent Agents.