IMPROVE- MENTS IN PRINTING MACHINERY
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Cameron Mac Donald, of Waddon, in the
County of Surrey, and Joseph Calverley, of the Albany Road,
Camberwell, in the same County, for the Invention of “IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PRINTING MACHINERY."
Sealed the 25th April 1878, and dated the 25th November 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Cameron Mac
Donald-and-Joseph-Calverley at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 25th November 1872.
-
We, JOHN CAMERON MAÖ DONALD, of Waddon, in the County of
Surrey, and JOSEPH CALVERLEY, of the Albany Road, Camberwell, in
the same County, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING MACHINERY," to be as follows :—
This Invention has for its object to improve the construction of
cylinder perfecting presses for printing on continuous webs of paper,
more especially to render them applicable for printing books and illus-
trated newspapers. Heretofore in such printing presses the two pairs of

page_text: type and impression cylinders have usually been of the same diameter,
and placed one above another with the two impression cylinders in the
centre between the two type cylinders, and the web of paper has been
led half round each impression cylinder, so that one side of the web has
first been presented to one type cylinder, and then the opposite side of
the web presented to the other type cylinder.
Our improvements have, firstly, for their object to avoid the lapping of
the web half round each impression cylinder, so as to reduce the
opportunity for causing "set-off" to a minimum; and, secondly, to
enable impression cylinders of large diameter to be employed, thus
securing more surface for the impression and a nearer approach to flat
printing. For these purposes we arrange the machines in such manner
that the web of paper shall pass in a straight line between two pairs of
impression and type cylinders, the impression cylinder of one pair being
below and the other above its type cylinder, and the impression cylinders
we make of twice the diameter of the type cylinders.
We prefer that the impression cylinder of the second type cylinder
should be uppermost, in order that it may readily be got at for renewing
blanket or other suitable covering, as this cylinder receives a set-off from
the side of the paper which has previously been printed on by the first
type cylinder. We also, by preference, continuously remove the set-off
from this cylinder by a metal cylinder running in contact with it as
described in the Specification of a former Patent granted to us. The
web of paper, after passing through the two pairs of cylinders above
mentioned, passes still in a straight line between two cutting cylinders,
such as are described in the Specification of former Patents granted to
us, to be divided into sheets, and the sheets are then taken away by
tapes to suitable delivery apparatus. This delivery apparatus may be
similar to that described in the Specifications before mentioned, or the
sheets taken by the tapes from the cutting cylinders may be auto-
matically made up into a single pile by carrying them forward from the
nipping rollers of the previous arrangement between tapes at their side
edges over the surface of a table upon which the pile of sheets is to be
formed, and then disengaging from the tapes and delivering them on to
the table by means of two sets of blades, each ranged radially around an
axis which is revolved at a suitable speed to insure that each time a
sheet has been carried over the table by the tapes two blades (one of
each set) shall come down on to the sheet near its two sides and press

page_text: the sheet downwards, thereby freeing it from the tapes and delivering it
on to the table. The blades, as they are then carried round by their.
axis, pass down at the two sides of the table and between it and the
carrying tapes. As the pile of sheets upon the table increases the table
is allowed to descend, so as always to keep the top of the pile approxi-
mately at the same level. This may be effected by carrying the table
upon a telescopic support, the inner limb of which shall be caused to
successively lift up a number of counterbalance weights as the table
descends. This arrangement of apparatus for delivering sheets into a
pile after being printed on is applicable to other constructions of
printing presses.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Cameron Mac Donald and Joseph Calverley
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th May 1878.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, John
CAMERON MAC DONALD, of Waddon, in the County of Surrey, and
JOSEPH CALVERLEY, of the Albany Road, Camberwell, in the same
County, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of November, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in
the thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors; give and grant unto us, the said John Cameron Mac Donald
and Joseph Calverley, Her special license that we, the said John
Cameron Mac Donald and Joseph Calverley, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said John Cameron
Mac Donald and Joseph Calverley, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vand, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING MACHINERY,”
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said John Cameron
Mac Donald and Joseph Calverley, our executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under our or their hands and seals, or
.

page_text: under the hand and seal of one of us or them, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said John Cameron Mac Donald
and Joseph Calverley, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof,
that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object to improve the construction of
cylinder perfecting presses for printing on continuous webs of paper,
more especially to render them applicable for printing books and
illustrated newspapers. Heretofore in such printing presses the two
pairs of type and impression cylinders have usually been of the same
diameter, and placed one above another with the two impression
cylinders in the centre between the two type cylinders, and the web of
paper has been led half round each impression cylinder, so that one
side of the web has first been presented to one type cylinder, and
then the opposite side of the web presented to the other type:
cylinder.
Our improvements have, firstly, for their object to avoid this lapping
of the web half round each impression cylinder, so as to reduce the
opportunity for causing "set-off" to a minimum; and, secondly, to
enable impression cylinders of large diameter to be employed, thus
securing more surface for the impression, and a nearer approach to flat
printing. For these purposes we arrange the machines in such manner
that the web of paper shall pass in a straight line between two pairs of
impression and type cylinders, the impression cylinder of one pair being
below and the other above its type cylinder, and the impression cylinders
we make of twice the diameter of the type cylinders.
We prefer that the impression cylinder of the second type cylinder
should be uppermost, in order that it may readily be got at for renewing
blanket or other suitable covering, as this cylinder receives a set-off from
the side of the paper which has previously been printed on by the first 3
type cylinder. We also by preference continuously remove the set-off
from this cylinder by a metal cylinder running in contact with it, as

page_text: described in the Specification of a former Patent granted to us. The
web of paper after passing through the two pairs of cylinders above
mentioned passes still in a straight line between two cutting cylinders,
such as are described in the Specifications of former Patents granted to
us to be divided into sheets, and the sheets are then taken away by
tapes to suitable-delivery apparatus. This delivery apparatus may be
similar to that described in the Specifications before mentioned, or the
sheets taken by the tapes from the cutting cylinders may be auto-
matically made up into a single pile by carrying them forward from the
nipping rollers of the previous arrangement between tapes at their side
edges over the surface of a table upon which the pile of sheets is to be
formed, and then disengaging from the tapes, and delivering them on to
the table by means of two sets of blades, each ranged radially around an
axis which is revolved at a suitable speed to ensure that each time a
sheet has been carried over the table by the tapes two blades (one of
each set) shall come down on to the sheet near its two sides and press
the sheet downwards, thereby freeing it from the tapes and delivering it
on to the table. The blades, as they are then carried round by their
axis, pass down at the two sides of the table, and between it and the
carrying tapes. As the pile of sheets upon the table increases the table
is allowed to descend, so as always to keep the top of the pile approxi-
mately at the same level. This may be effected by carrying the table
upon a telescopic support, the inner limb of which shall be caused to
successively lift up a number of counterbalance weights as the table
descends. This arrangement of apparatus for delivering sheets into a
pile after being printed on is applicable to other constructions of printing
presses.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, we will proceed
to describe more fully the manner of performing the same.
At Figure
1 of the Drawings hereunto annexed we have shown a side elevation
of a printing machine constructed as above described. In this Figure
A is the type cylinder for printing upon the upper. surface of the web
of paper, and A¹ the impression cylinder below it; A³ is the train of
inking rollers for supplying ink to the cylinder A; B is the type
cylinder for printing upon the under surface of the paper; B¹, the
impression cylinder above it; and B³, the train of inking rollers for
supplying ink to the cylinder B; 0, 0, are the cutting cylinders for
dividing the web into sheets; this cutting apparatus is also similar

page_text: to that described in the Specifications of former Patents granted to us,
so that it is unnecessary to give here any further description of it;
the type cylinders A and B are also constructed as described in such
former Patents, each to receive two semi-cylindrical stereotype plates
to form the printing surface. The mandril carrying the roll of paper
to be printed on is mounted in bearings at D, it is then led, as shewn,
around the rollers of the damping apparatus, which serve to moisten
the paper and also to put tension upon it as it is passing through.
the machine; the roller E, which is supplied with a film of water from
the trough E¹, serves to moisten the under surface of the paper; the
roller F may also be a damping roller, constructed as described in
a former Patent granted to us, and be used to moisten the upper surface
of the paper. The paper thus moistened passes between the first pair
of printing and impression cylinders and is printed upon its upper
surface, and then passes in a straight line between the second pair
of printing and impression cylinders and is printed upon its under
surface, it then passes still in a straight line between the cutting
cylinders by which it is divided into sheets and the sheets are conducted
away by tapes G to the delivery apparatus to be made up into a pile or
piles.
This delivery apparatus may, as before stated, be constructed as
described in our former Patents, or it may be constructed in the manner
shewn at Figures 2 and 3, Sheet 2 of the Drawings annexed, which we
will now proceed to describe.
The tapes G are driven at a somewhat greater surface speed than the
cutting cylinders, and as each sheet is carried forward by them and
comes up to the nipping rollers I it is caused to travel forward at the
same speed as the tapes, and is thereby moved forward away from the
end of the web, and completely severed from it. The sheet, as it passes
beyond the rollers I, is supported at its side odges by tapes, as shewn,
and is carried forward by them over the táble K; as it comes over the
table it is disengaged from the tapes by two blades L, L, which then
descend on to the sheet between the tapes and the sides of the table, and
carry the sheet downwards, and deliver it on to the table K or on to the
pile of sheets already accumulated upon it. The blades L, L, are ranged
radially around the axis M, which has upon it a worm wheel N, into which
gears a worm on the axis O. This axis has motion transmitted to it through
an inclined shaft P and bevelled gear from a toothed wheel on the axis of

page_text: the lower cutting cylinder, as shown on Sheet 1. The gearing for trans-
mitting motion to this cutting cylinder and to the other parts of the
machine from the driving shaft H is also clearly shewn on this Sheet of
the Drawings.
As the pile of sheets upon the table K increases, the table is allowed
to descend, so as always to keep the top of the table approximately at
the same level. This may either be effected automatically, as before
explained, or in any other convenient manner.
We would state that although in the above description of our
improved printing machines we have spoken of the impression cylinders
as being twice the diameter of the type cylinders, and although we
prefer to so make them, we do not confine ourselves to making them of
this size, for even if the impression cylinders were as small as the type
cylinders, yet many of the advantages arising from our improved
arrangement of the printing machine would still be retained. It is also
not essential that the web of paper should pass in a straight line from
the pairs of printing cylinders and between the cutting cylinders, but
might, if desired, be caused to lap partly around one of the cutting
cylinders before being nipped between them.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, we would have it understood that we claim as
our improvements in printing machinery,-
1. The construction of printing machinery for printing from stereotype
surfaces on to a continuous web of paper, so that the web shall first pass
in a straight line between two pairs of cylinders supported in fixed
bearings, the upper cylinder of the first pair and the lower cylinder of
the second pair being adapted to carry the stereotype printing surfaces
upon their circumference, and shall then pass between a third pair of
cylinders, which are cutting cylinders, to divide the web into sheets,
substantially as herein described.
.
2. The construction of printing machinery so that the paper is led in
a straight line between two pairs of printing and impression cylinders,
the impression cylinders being of large diameter relatively to the printing
cylinders, substantially as herein described.
8. The combined arrangement of printing machinery, substantially as
herein described, and shewn on Sheet 1 of the Drawings annexed.

page_text: 4. The combined arrangement of machinery, substantially as herein
described, for delivering sheets into a pile as they come from a printing
press.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Cameron Mac Donald and
Joseph Calverley, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this 5
23rd day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-three.
JOHN C. MAC DONALD. (L.S.)
JOSEPH CALVERLEY.
(L.S.)