Improved Rotary Printing Machine.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 9th May, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 29th Jan., 1895-Accepted, 2nd Mar., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Rotary Printing Machine.
I, JULES MICHAUD, of 96 Rue d'Assas, Paris, France, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In the Specifications of my Patents 16012 dated 9th October 1890 and 3464
dated 26th February 1891, I have indicated an arrangement of machine in which
sheets which are cut before printing or are fed by hand were seized by the grippers
of a blanket cylinder and printed in two colours on one side, then transmitted to
another blanket cylinder and printed in two colours on the other side.
The present application has for its object to indicate and protect the means which
I employ for obtaining any number of impressions on either side of the sheet, by
increasing the number of blanket cylinders and of the printing cylinders serving for
the impression of the same side.
The sheets arriving at 1 are seized by the grippers of an auxiliary cylinder 2 and
transmitted to the blanket cylinder 3, after being printed on the recto by contact
with the printing cylinders 4 and 5, they are transmitted to the blanket cylinder 6,
printed on the verso by contact with the printing cylinders 7 and 8, then carried
away by the cylinder 10.
This is the arrangement of machine indicated in the Specification of my Pateut
No. 16012 of 1890. It will be understood that I may make the blanket cylinders 3
and 6 of a diameter equal to or a multiple of that of the printing cylinders, and, in
the latter case, giving them several sets of grippers for utilizing the whole of their
development.
I may always employ with each of the blanket cylinders, the number of printing
cylinders which I consider advisable.
In Fig. 1 of the annexed drawings, I have shown the cylinders 3 and 6 of the
same diameter, but they may be of different diameters, they have two sets of grippers
and are each in contact with the printing cylinders.
Beneath the cylinders 3 and 6 is a cylinder 11 provided with grippers. This
cylinder is shown of equal diameter to that of the blanket cylinders and carries two
sets of grippers; it might be of half the diameter and have a single set of grippers.
The cylinder 11 remains stationary when the sheet is to receive perfecting printing,
and follows the course above indicated; it the sheet is to receive four colours on a
single side, its course is modified as follows: Arriving at 1, it is seized by cylinder 2,
then by cylinder 3, printed by cylinders 4 and 5, and is only released by the
grippers of cylinder 3 when opposite cylinder 11, which revolves in the direction
indicated by the dotted arrow. The sheet carried forward by cylinder 11 is trans-
mitted by the latter to cylinder 6 which revolves in the direction indicated by the
dotted arrow.
It receives two new impressions on the same side as the first from
the cylinders 8 and 7 and is carried away by the cylinder 12.
It will be seen that the machine which served for perfecting printing in two colours
on each side of the same sheet, now serves to print four colours on a single side of
the sheet.
To effect this result it was necessary to bring the cylinder 11 into operation and to
change the direction of rotation of cylinder 6 and of the printing cylinders acting
in conjunction therewith; it was necessary to provide cylinder 6 with two sets of
grippers 13 and 13', shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and which are placed in the
opposite direction to the former grippers. Fig. 2 is a plan view on the lines M N
rD 071

page_text: OP of Fig. 1 so as to show the arrangement of the gearing for actuating the
cylinders to obtain the two methods of operation indicated. 14 is the driving shaft,
which carries a pinion 15 gearing with the wheel 16 on cylinder 3; the wheel 16
gears with the wheel 17 on cylinder 11; the shaft of this cylinder carries a second
wheel 18 gearing with the wheel 19 of the cylinder 6. With the wheels arranged
in this manner the blanket cylinders 3 and 6 will be driven in the direction suitable
to enable these cylinders to be employed for producing the impression on the same
side of the sheet.
If, the wheels 17 and 18 being removed, a wheel 16 is placed on the shaft
of cylinder 3, the cylinder 11 will remain stationary and the cylinders 3 and 5
will revolve in the direction for printing one the recto, the other the verso of
the sheet.
The printing cylinders adapted to each of the blanket cylinders will carry wheels
gearing with that of their blanket cylinder and will consequently always revolve in
the required direction.
The auxiliary cylinder 11 might itself be a blanket cylinder in contact with as
many printing cylinders as is necessary.
1 may arrange points on the different cylinders, so that the sheets being pierced
and held by these points, they will not become displaced when the grippers of a
cylinder release the sheets to allow them to be seized by the grippers of another
cylinder.
The annexed drawing and the above description only relate to a group of three
cylinders; I may construct the machine with as many blanket cylinders serving for
the impression on one side of the sheet as will be necessary, so as to avoid the too
great superposition of the "make ready" which would result from the contact of a
single blanket cylinder with all the printing cylinders which are to print this side of
the sheet.
I may also pierce holes in the sheets, either those coming from a reel, or those
fed by hand, and impart a movement to the points 20 applied in the cylinders, so as
the sheets being gripped by the grippers of a cylinder, the extremity of the points
corresponds substantially with the holes in the sheets, for this purpose I should
make the points sufficiently conical so that the extremity of the points would be
smaller than these holes.
During the movement of the cylinders I should raise the gripper very slightly to
render the sheet free and at this moment the points would be raised so as to enter
the holes and bring the sheet to the exact position that it ought to occupy at the
time of its seizure and on its transference from one cylinder to another.
Dated this 9th day of May 1894.
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicant.
1, JULES MICHAUD, of 96 Rue d'Assas, Paris, France, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
In the Specifications of my Patents 16012 dated 9th October 1890 and 3464
dated 26th February 1891, I have indicated an arrangement of machine in which
sheets which are cut before printing or are fed by hand were seized by the grippers
of a blanket cylinder and printed in two colours on one side, then transmitted to
another blanket cylinder and printed in two colours on the other side.
The present application has for its object to indicate and protect the means which

page_text: 1. employ for obtaining any number of impressions on either side of the sheet, by
increasing the number of blanket cylinders and of the printing cylinders serving for
the impression of the same side.
The sheets arriving at 1 are seized by the grippers of an auxiliary cylinder 2 and
transmitted to the blanket cylinder 3; after being printed on the recto by contact
with the printing cylinders 4 and 5, they are transmitted to the blanket cylinder 6,
printed on the verso by contact with the printing cylinders 7 and 8, then carried
away by the cylinder 10.
This is the arrangement of machine indicated in the Specification of my Patent
No. 16012 of 1890. It will be understood that I may make the blanket cylinders 3
and 6 of a diameter equal to or a multiple of that of the printing cylinders, and, in
the latter case, giving them several sets of grippers for utilizing the whole of their
development.
I may always employ with each of the blanket cylinders, the number of printing
cylinders which I consider advisable.
In Fig. 1 of the drawings filed with the Provisional Specification, I have shown
the cylinders 3 and 6 of the same diameter, but they may be of different diameters;.
they have two sets of grippers and are each in contact with the printing cylinders.
Beneath the cylinders 3 and 6 is a cylinder 11 provided with grippers. This
cylinder is shown of equal diameter to that of the blanket cylinders and carries two
sets of grippers; it might be of half the diameter and have a single set of grippers.
The cylinder 11 remains stationary when the sheet is to receive perfecting printing,
and follows the course above indicated; if the sheet is to receive four colours ou a
single side its course is modified as follows: Arriving at 1 it is seized by cylinder 2,
then by cylinder 3, printed by cylinders 4 and 5, and is only released by the
grippers of cylinder 3 when opposite cylinder 11, which revolves in the direction
indicated by the dotted arrow. The sheet carried forward by cylinder 11 is
transmitted by the latter to cylinder 6 which revolves in the direction indicated
by the dotted arrow. It receives two new impressions on the same side as the first
from the cylinders 8 and 7 and is carried away by the cylinder 12.
It will be seen that the machine which served for perfecting printing in two
colours on each side of the same sheet, now serves to print four colours on a single
side of the sheet.
To effect this result it was necessary to bring the cylinder 11 into operation and
to change the direction of rotation of cylinder 6 and of the printing cylinders
acting in conjunction therewith; it was necessary to provide cylinder 6 with two sets
of grippers 13 and 131, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and which are placed in the
opposite direction to the former grippers. Fig. 2 is a plan view on the lines M N
OP of Fig. 1 so as to show the arrangement of the gearing for actuating the
cylinders to obtain the two methods of operation indicated. 14 is the driving shaft,
which carries a pinion 15 gearing with the wheel 16 on cylinder 3; the wheel 16
gears with the wheel 17 on cylinder 11; the shaft of this cylinder carries a second
wheel 18 gearing with the wheel 19 of the cylinder 6. With the wheels arranged
in this manner the blanket cylinders 3 and 6 will be driven in the direction suitable
to enable those cylinders to be employed for producing the impression on the same
side of the sheet.
If, the wheels 17 and 18 being removed, a wheel 16 is placed on the shaft
of cylinder 3, the cylinder 11 will remain stationary and the cylinders 3 and 5
will revolve in the direction for printing one the recto, the other the verso of
the sheet.
The printing cylinders adapted to each of the blanket cylinders will carry wheels
gearing with that of their blanket cylinder and will consequently always revolve in
the required direction.
The auxiliary cylinder 11 might itself be a blanket cylinder in contact with as
many printing cylinders as is necessary.
I may arrange points on the different cylinders, so that the sheets being pierced
and held by these points, they will not become displaced when the grippers of a

page_text: cylinder release the sheets to allow them to be seized by the grippers of another
cylinder.
The drawing filed with the Provisional Specification and the above description
only relate to a group of three cylinders; I may construct the machine with as
many blanket cylinders serving for the impression on one side of the sheet as will
be necessary, so as to avoid the too great superposition of the "make ready" which
would result from the contact of a single blanket cylinder with all the printing
cylinders which are to print the side of the sheet.
I may also pierce holes in the sheets, either those coming from a reel, or those
fed by hand, and impart a movement to the points 20 applied in the cylinders, so
as the sheets being gripped by the grippers of a cylinder, the extremity of the
points corresponds substantially with the holes in the sheets; for this purpose I
should make the points sufficiently conical so that the extremity of the points would
be smaller than these holes.
During the movement of the cylinders I should raise the gripper very slightly to
render the sheet free and at this moment the points would be raised so as to enter
the holes and bring the sheet to the exact position that it ought to occupy at the
time of its seizure, and on its transference from one cylinder to another.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
In a rotary printing machine, either continuous web or hand fed,-
1. The employment of any number of blanket cylinders provided with grippers
and transmitting the sheets from one to the other, in combination with printing
cylinders.
2. The arrangement of blanket cylinders and means for actuating same indicated,
in combination with other blanket cylinders (or only auxiliary and not serving for
the impression) so as to be able to change the direction of rotation of one or several
blanket cylinders, and employ them for the impression of either the recto or verso
of the sheets.
3. The arrangement indicated of points which are movable during the movement
of the cylinders, and which during this same movement bring the sheets exactly to
the position they ought to occupy for obtaining a correct register.
4. The combination of movable points in revolving cylinders with the different
printing cylinders of a continuous web or hand fed rotary printing machine.
Dated this 29th day of January 1895.
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicant.