IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN PRINTING
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Jefferson Mayall, of 20, Bouverie Street,
in the City of London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS
OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN PRINTING."
Sealed the 1st November 1867, and dated the 8th May 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Jefferson Mayall.
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
8th May 1867.
I, THOMAS JEFFERSON MAYALL, of 20, Bouverie Street, in the City of
London, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN PRINTING," to be as follows:-
The object of the Invention is that paper or other fabric supplied in a con-
tinuous length from a roll or other feed may be printed on both sides of it and
then pierced or cut to facilitate subsequent separation, or cut or separated
and delivered in separate sheets of the desired size.
The paper or other fabric to be printed as fed from a roll or other source of
supply passes between a pair of damping rollers formed of elastic india-rubber
or other suitable material, one or both of which rollers is kept at the desired
degree of moisture by contact with another or other rolls supplied with water;.
the paper or other fabric then passes over one printing cylinder for printing
on one surface of it, and to which it is borne by a suitable pressure roller, after
which the paper or other fabric passes over a heated cylinder by which the
printing just effected is set; thence it is again acted on by damping rollers

page_text: previous to its being printed on the other side of it by passing over another
print cylinder to which it is also borne by a pressure roller. If desired the
paper or other fabric, after the second printing or when printed on both of
its sides, may be again dried or partially driod by passing over another heated
cylinder. A transverse knife or cutter with serrated or zig-zag teeth acts at
intervals to cut the paper or other fabric in its passage transversely in order
to its separation into sheets; this cutter is carried by a frame having a
traversing motion given to it by arms or links operated by cranks or other-
wise, whilst by means of incline: courses the cutting surfaces are caused at
the desired time to descend into and traverse for a time with the paper or
other fabric when springs cause the rise of the cutter and the descent of
clearing bars to release or clear the paper from the cutters; the inclined
courses support the cutters from the paper or other fabric during the return
motion; the cutting bar may, if desired, be formed in two parts with the teeth
Interspaced. Similar cutting blades or a rotary cutter may be employed to
cut the paper or other fabric, when desired, in the direction of its length;
after leaving these cutters the paper or other fabric is conducted between
pairs of endless.tapes and. pairs of clamps or nipping surfaces, which by a
jerking action produce separation into sheets which are then delivered to
inclined tables or surfaces, and are accumulated in piles.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Jefferson Mayall in the Great Seal Patent Office.on
the 8th November 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
JEFFERSON MAYALL, of 20, Bouverie Street, in the City of London, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her. Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day. of May, in the year, of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself,. Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Thomas
Jefferson Mayall, Her special license that I, the said Thonias Jefferson Mayall,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, 'the said
Thomas Jefferson Mayall, my 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 makė,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and

page_text: Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN PRINTING," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Jefferson Mayall, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, 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 I, the said Thomas Jefferson Mayall, do hereby,
declare the nature of the said Invention, 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 :-
The object of the Invention is that paper or other fabric supplied in a
continuous length from a roll or other feed may be printed on both sides of it,
and then pierced or cut to facilitate subsequent separation, or cut or separated
and delivered in separate sheets of the desired size. The paper or other.
fabric to be printed as fed from a roll or other source of supply passes
between a pair of damping rollers formed of elastic india-rubber or other
suitable material, one or both of which rollers is kept at the desired degree of
moisture by contact with another or other rolls supplied with water. The
paper or other fabric then passes over one printing cylinder for printing on.
one surface of it and to which it is borne by a suitable pressure. roller, after
which the paper or other fabric may if desired pass over a heated, cylinder by.
which the printing just effected may be more quickly set; thence the paper
or other fabric may, if desired, be again acted on by other damping rollers
(though I have found such second damping unnecessary) previous to its being
printed on the other side of it by passing over another print cylinder to
which it is also borne by a pressure roller. If desired the paper or other
fabric after the second printing, or when printed on both of its sides, may
be again dried or partially dried by passing over another heated cylinder;
though. I have found that such second heating is not generally necessary.
A transverse knife or cutter with serrated or zig-zag teeth acts at intervals.
to cut the paper or other fabric in its passage transversly in order to its
separation into sheets. This cutter is carried by a frame having a traversing
motion given to it by arms or links operated by cranks or otherwise, whilst
by means of inclined courses the cutting surfaces are caused at the desired.
tinic to descend into and traverse for a time with the paper or other fabric;
when springs cause the rise of the cutter and the descent of clearing bars to

page_text: release or clear the paper from the cutters. The inclined courses support
the cutters from the paper or other fabric during the return motion. Cutters
may be employed to cut the paper or other fabric when desired longitudinally
or in the direction of its length; after leaving these cutters the paper or other
fabric is conducted between pairs of endless tapes, and pairs of clamps or
nipping surfaces which by a jerking action produce separation into sheets
which are then delivered to inclined tables or surfaces and are accumulated in
piles. But that the Invention may be fully understood I will by the aid of
the accompanying Drawings, proceed to describe means pursued by me in
carrying the same into effect.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a longitudinal section; Figure 2, an external side view, and
Figure 3 a plan view of apparatus arranged according to my Invention;
Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and. 15, show parts separately
on a larger scale in order that their nature and operation may be better under-
stood. In each of the views the same letters indicate corresponding parts
wherever they occur.
a, a, is the main. framing of the apparatus; is the main or driving
shaft which by means of a strap or band from a steam engine or other
suitable power acting on the drum or pulley 6' fixed on that shaft b gives
motion to the various parts as hereafter described; b is a loose pulley;
c, c, c, are rolls of the paper or other fabric to be printed, these rolls are
supported by their spindles or axes c¹ in notches formed for them in the main
framing a, so that when the fabric from one roll has been used up it may at
once be drawn from another of them and the empty roll removed to be replaced
by another. The fabric from the roll c for the time to be operated upon is
conducted between the damping rollers d; d, the lower of which receives
moisture from the surface of the roller d' which revolves in the trough of water d².
The upper of the rollers d may have pressure applied to it by spring weight
or otherwise if desired. The fabric to be printed, as indicated by the
line is thence borne in contact, with the printing surface of the printing
'cylinder e by means of the pressure roller f; g represents the position
of a heating cylinder if one should be desired; is another printing cylinder
for printing the other surface of the fabric, and is a pressure roller
for bearing the fabric to be printed in contact with the cylinder h. The
fabric is thence, as indicated, drawn away by the action thereon of the
revolving nipping. rollers j, j. In the passage of the fabric to these nipping
rullers j,j, it is, first when necessary cut in the direction of its length by the

page_text: Although I have only shown one
the direction of its length other
action thereon of the revolving cutters k, k.
pair of cutters for cutting tlie fabric in
number of them may be employed to cut it lengthwise into more than two
pieces. The fabric is then acted upon at intervals transversely by means of
the cutter 1, the teeth of which are by preference (as will be more clearly seen
by the detail views.) of a zig-zag form. The cutter is supported with capa-
bility of moving vertically in a frame m, and the frame m is capable of
movement to and fro horizontally in guides a¹ provided for it on the main
framing. The to-and-fro horizontal motion of the frame m is effected by means
of connecting rods m², m³, one end of each of which embraces a neck m² standing
out from the opposite sides of the frame m, whilst the other ends of these con-
necting rods m¹ turn upon the crank pins m³ from the cranks m* affixed on:
the axis m. The cutter is borne upwards in the frame m by springs l¹, and
when the frame m is being moved forward with the fabric for the purpose of
cutting it, the ends 12 of the cutter / come under the inclined stationary pro-
jections 13, by which the cutter is borne downwards, or with a tendency to cut
through the fabric in a transverse direction, as shown by Figures 8 and 9.
The fabric at the time these transverse cuts are being effected is supported on
the tables or plates me, mo, carried by the frame m. To assist in holding the
fabric during this transverse cut and prevent its rising up with the cutter after
a transverse, cut has been effected, there are two plates and o, which are
supported with capability of sliding on studs * carried by the blade of the
cutter 1, there being slots n¹ and o¹ formed in the plates n and'o respectively for
the
passage of the studs 1. After the ends 12 of the cutter I have passed under
the stationary projections 13 the cutter 1 is raised out of the paper by means
of the springs and the tables me, and parts connected with them travel on
with the paper until the cranks have completed their stroke, it then remains
stationary for a moment until the cranks m.in revolving have drawn the
crank rods m back a distance equal to the length of the slots m³ in the
rods m', when those rods m¹ will again act on the frame m to draw it back-
wards, and in so doing cause the ends 12 of the cutters to pass over the inclined
projections or courses 1³, and after having passed to fall into the position
indicated by Figures 1, 2, and 3, where it will remain stationary. with its
frame m, until that frame is again carried forward by the connecting rods m!
for another cut. The plates or bars n and o are borne with a tendency down-
wards by means of springs p, and they are set so that the bar n may come into
operation on the fabric first, and be removed therefrom after the bar o. The
cutting, bar, may, if desired, be formed in two parts with the teeth interspaced.
The fabric under operation passes between endless tapes 7, 9, which are carried

page_text: by pulleys q', q', affixed on the axes of the nipping rollers j, j, and r, r, and
between these rollers j, j, and r, r, the fabric is intermittently acted upon by
pairs of segmental surfaces s, s; one of each pair of which revolves, and the
other partially so with it, as hereafter explained, at surface speeds considerably
greater than that of the fabric z, so that when they come into contact with the
fabric to nip it between them (which they are timed to do just after the portion
of the fabric last cut by the cutter / has passed between and is somewhat
beyond the nipping rollers j,j,) then these segments act by a jerk to effect a
complete separation of the fabric transversely as at z After the portion of
fabric last cut has been so separated it is carried forwards by the nipping
rollers r,, to the delivery table v, down which it slides, and is then accu-
mulated in piles. Motions are given to the various-parts-in-the-following
manner Upon the axis b is affixed the toothed wheel 3, the teeth of which
take into the teeth of a wheel me affixed on the axis m, and the teeth of this
wheel me also take into the teeth of a wheel h¹ affixed on the axis.h of the
printing cylinder h. The teeth of the wheel h¹ take also into the teeth of a.
wheel affixed on the axis i¹ of the pressure roller i, and this wheel i² by
means of the intermediate wheels t, t, drives the toothed wheel faffixed on
the axis of the pressure roller f, whilst the teeth of the wheel f take into the
teeth of the wheel e' on the axis e² of the cylinder e to give rotary motion thereto.
e is a pulley affixed on the axis e² by means of the strap or band e' to give motion
to the pulley d on the axis of the lower damping roller d, and thereby give
motion to that roller; motion is communicated to the upper roller d by means
of toothed wheels d³, ds. Upon the shaft or axis b is also affixed the bevilled
pinion u, the teeth of which take into the teeth of the bevilled pinion u¹ affixed
on the shaft or axis u, upon which is also affixed the bevilled pinion u³, the
teeth of which take into the teeth of the bevilled pinion u on the axis us, on
which is affixed the bevilled pinion us, which takes into and drives the bevilled
pinion u affixed on the axis j¹ of the lower nipping rollers j, j. ja is a pulley
also affixed on the axis of the lower of the nipping rollers j, which by means
of a strap or band j³ communicates motion to the pulley affixed on the axis
of the lower nipping rollers r.. Upon the shaft or axis m³ is also affixed the
pulley ', which by means of a cross strap or band gives motion to the
pulley affixed on the shaft or axis carrying one of the cutters k, thereby
to give motion to those cutters k; motion being communicated to the other
cutter by means of the toothed wheel taking into a similar wheel k
affixed on the axis of that cutter. The axis s of the upper segmental
surfaces s receives motion by means of the pinion u³ affixed on it taking into
the pinion affixed on the vertical shaft 10, which, by means of the pinions

page_text: and receives motion from the shaft u². The other segmental surfaces s
only receive motion whilst in contact with the upper segments, and when those
upper surfaces pass from contact with them they are brought back to their
normal position by means of the weights; s³, s, s³, are stops which come
against the arms s carrying the weights s in order to prevent the lower seg-
ments s being borne out of position for coming in contact with the upper
segments on their next revolution. I have only shown three pairs of segments s,
their number may however be varied, and in any case I prefer to apply a
pair to each longitudinal cut. All the parts are by preference arranged to
travel at the same surface. speed, except the segmental surfaces s, which travel
faster. The inking and distributing rollers and other of the parts are not
shown, as they form no part of the Invention and may be of the ordinary kind
well understood.
Having thus described my Invention and means which I adopt in
carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that I do not confine
myself to the precise details shown and described, as these may be varied
without departing from the peculiar character of the Invention; but what I
do claim is, the arranging or combining means or apparatus employed in
printing whereby paper or other fabric supplied from a continuous roll or
other feed may, after being printed on both sides, be pierced for separation, or
cut and separated into sheets during its progressive motion in manner
substantially as explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Jefferson Mayall, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
THU. J. MAYALL. (L.S.)