IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING MACHINES.
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Lloyd Wise, of Chandos Chambers, Adelphi, in
27
the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING
MACHINES.' A communication from abroad by Messieurs Pierre Alauzet and
Company of 15. Rue des Halles, Paris, France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Lloyd Wise at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th November 1878.
"
WILLIAM LLOYD WISE, of Chandos Chambers, Adelphi, in the County of
Middlesex. IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING MACHINES." A communication from
abroad by Messieurs Pierre Alauzet and Company, of 15, Rue des Halles, Paris,
France.
This Invention relates to means for adjusting the printing stones or formes,
inking the same, the separation of the inking rollers from the stone or forme
simultaneously with the stopping of the machine, and the regulation of the travel
of the said stone or forme. The table carrying the printing stone or forme is
supported at its four corners by four adjusting screws carried in four screwed bushes
or nuts, each provided with a worm wheel. Each worm wheel has in gear with it
a worm. The four worms are on two shafts geared to a third shaft suitably actuated
so that the four screwed bushes or nuts may be operated simultaneously and in
unison for raising or lowering the screws with the table carrying the stone or
forme.
The lower end of each adjusting screw is furnished with a pawl and ratchet
arrangement by which it may be separately operated for the purpose of adjusting
the level of the printing stone or forme. Planed ways and a ruler are employed in
adjusting the level of the stone or formne.
The distributing rollers which convey ink to the inking rollers are mounted above
and so as to rest upon the inking rollers; the latter have an endwise to and fro

page_text: movement over the stone or forme, but the distributing rollers have not such a
movement. The rollers are placed at a slight incline.
The inking rollers are raised from the surface of the printing stone or forme, and
lowered on to the same by means of a combination of rods and cranks actuated by
the lever for stopping-and-starting-the-machine-so-that-the-raising_or_lowering_of
the said rollers may be effected simultaneously with the stopping or starting of the
machine.
The proper travel of the rollers supporting the carriage or frame which carries
the table containing the stone or forme is ensured by means of spur teeth at the ends
-of-the rollers-or-on-the same axes engaging in a rack fixed in the line of their
Jual

page_text: wheel Larranged to be operated by an endless screw fixed on a spindle actuated by
the crank handle M.
N, N, are pawls of the ratchet apparatus fixed to each of the screws C at the
respective corners of the frame. These pawls act in both directions so that they
may-
y be used for raising or lowering the screws G-independently-of-one-another.
Whilst the screws are so operated their bushes or nuts are prevented from turning
by their wheels F being engaged with the worms or screws G.
0, 0, are levers or handles carrying the pawls.
In Figs. 3 and 4, P, P, are bearings with outer flanges which prevent end wise
--movement of the ink distributing riding rollers Q. These rollers are slightly inclined
to the direction of the rectilinear course of the stone.
-
R is one of the lower inking rollers inclined similarly to the upper rollers Qwith
which they are parallel and in contact, the rollers Q-riding on the rollers R. The
rollers R are free to move endwise, and by reason of their inclination are caused to
do so by the to and fro movements of the stone or printing surface, the direction of
movement of the rollers depending on that of the stone or printing surface. It
results that the stone (or form in the case of a typographic machine) is more pefectly
inked as it is better set up.
R', R¹, (Fig. 1) are planed ways, the tops of which are on a level with the top of
the stone or surface B.
In Fig. 5 Qis the engaging and disengaging lever of the machine oscillating
about the centre o. R¹¹ is a brake lever connected by a rod b to the lever Q and
oscillating about the centre o¹; T is a crank fixed on a shaft ; s, a rod connecting
the crank T with the lever Q'; U, U, are cranks on the shaft a near its extremities;
U', U', cranks contiguous to the last mentioned.
V, V, are bars (règles latérales) connecting the cranks U, U¹, and on which are
the axes of the inking rollers.
X are carrying rollers having for the diameter of their rolling surfaces toothed
gearing formed on them, the diameter of the rolling surfaces being equal to the
diameter of the pitch lines of the wheels.
Y are rails behind which, as also for the rail in the middle of the way, are racks
in which engage the toothed gearing of the frame rollers. The rack is made to slide
within a groove so that the play of the teeth might be taken up by an adjusting
screw.
The stone or printing surface B having been properly placed on the table A
supported at each corner by one of the screws c screwed into a moveable bush or
nut D as described, the crank M is actuated by the endless screw fixed to the spindle
of this crank and engaging with the wheel L. The shaft K is made to revolve,
transmitting motion through the pinions J, I, to the shafts H on which are fixed the
endless screws G, G, these endless screws being engaged cach with the corresponding
worm wheel F fixed on to the bottom of the screw bush or nut D. As already
explained it follows that the screws G which are prevented from turning by a stop,
are.caused to rise vertically by the rotation of the screwed bushes or nuts D, and
thus the top of the stone is brought level with the planed ways R¹ on which is
placed and caused to run a suitable ruler.
The vertical elevation being parallel, and the top of the table A being set, if the
stone or form were of equal thickness throughout it would touch the bottom of the
ruler at all points. But this will not be the case if (as often happens) the stone is
not of equal thickness throughout. It is to provide for such cases that there is
fixed to the lower part of each of the screws Ca ratchet N* actuated by a pawl with
lever or handle O which is provided, as shewn, with a tappet arranged between two
fixed stops e, it follows that the screw cannot turn when the pawl is engaged
unless the pawl is actuated, which is only done for the purpose of exact adjustment
of the stone or printing surface by successively lowering or raising those of the
angles which require it. Having thus clearly explained the improved method of
adjusting the stone or printing surface, which will be readily understood from the

page_text: Drawing, I proceed to explain the improved way of inking the said stone or printing
surface.
As it is
The inking rollers R rest freely on the stone or printing surface occupying an
inclined position as already explained, so that when the stone or printing surface
travels to and fro the rollers are moved transversely from one side to the other at
each stroke, this movement being permitted, although limited by the amount of
prolongation of the axes of these rollers beyond their bearings, these axes sliding
freely in lateral notch recesses. The distributing rollers arranged above the inking
rollers having the same inclination and riding freely thereon, are, contrary to the
usual method, prevented from moving in a transverse direction, the extremities of
their axes being held in and between the two bearings P, it follows from this
arrangement that the stone is more uniformly and more perfectly inked.
important for the preservation of the stones or printing surfaces that the rollers
should become detached or removed at the same time that the movement of the
stone or printing surface ceases, provision is made as described for raising and
lowering the rollers by the same movement (11, 1',) which serves for engaging and
disengaging the machine, to which movement it is also desirable to apply a break z
against the fly wheel for the purpose of stopping more quickly and for greater
efficaciousness. This part of the Invention has already been described, and is
clearly indicated in Fig. 5, where the axes of the rollers which ink the stone, and of
those above, are raised by a single movement of the lever Q¹ from left to right. At
the same time the disengagement and stopping takes place.
To insure accuracy in
the travel of the carriage with the stone or printing surface by preventing sliding
of the carriage rollers in the vicinity of the dead points, the said rollers are
provided with the teeth of the same diameter at the pitch line as the circle of contact,
and which engage in fixed racks as already described, so as to insure to the stone
throughout its movement accuracy of travel corresponding to the development of
the said gear.
Having described the nature of the said Invention as communicated to me as afore-
said, and having explained the manner of carrying it into in practical effect, I hereby
declare that what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the
Invention secured to me under the Letters Patent hereinbefore in part recited is,-
1. The method, substantially as described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2 of the
accompanying Drawings, of adjusting the stone or printing surface.
2. The improved inking roller arrangement, substantially as described with
reference to Figs. 3 and 4 of the accompanying Drawings.
3. The method, substantially as described, of raising or lowering the inking
rollers or moving them from or towards the stone or printing surface simultaneously
with the stopping or starting of the machine.
4. The improved method, substantially as described, of ensuring accuracy in the
travel of the stone or printing surface.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Lloyd Wise, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Second day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy nine.
W. LLOYD WISE. (L.S.)