Improvements in Surface Printing Presses.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Feb., 1907
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Nov., 1897-Accepted, 11th Dec., 1897
ναι οι
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Nov., 1897--Accepted, 11th Dec., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Surface Printing Presses.
I, JAMES YATE JOHNSON of 115, St. Vincent Street Glasgow, N.B. Chartered
Patent Agent, (being a communication from abroad by the Cornwall Printing
Press Company, of 87, Nassau Street, New York U.S.A.) do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The invention relates to presses adapted for surface printing and particularly for
printing by the use of aluminium plates.
The invention consists, first, in means for feeding or carrying through the press
a sheet of paper being printed upon and for delivering it when printed.
Heretofore, in presses of this character, which most closely approach the present
invention in purpose and construction, it has been usual to employ a form or plate
cylinder and an adjacent. gripper or impression cylinder, the former having means
for clamping to it a printing plate, the latter having a gripping device adapted to
seize, successively, the sheets to be printed and attach them to the impression
cylinder as it revolves in contact with the printing plate, until the paper is released
by the grippers and discharged from the machine by suitable flies. It will be seen
that with this construction the register of the paper is with the impression cylinder
rather than with the form cylinder or the plate on the latter. Any difference in
registry between the two cylinders or between the gripper of the impression
cylinder and the plate supporting part or surface of the form cylinder has its effect on
the registration of the print. Furthermore, as the impression cylinder is con-
stantly revolving with the form cylinder, it is difficult, when feeding rapidly, to
ensure the feeding of the paper into the grippers evenly and always at the same
point. And as the entire paper comes into contact with the impression cylinder it
is difficult to strip the paper or peel it from the impression cylinder, with the result
that the paper is stretched or pulled irregularly making it difficult, when the paper
is fed through the press more than once (as when printing in several colors) to
obtain the proper register. To do away with these difficulties means have been
devised to enable the gripping of the paper while the gripper is at rest, to draw it
through between the cylinders in perfect register with the sheet on the form
cylinder but without attaching it to either cylinder, to withdraw it from contact
with both cylinders immediately on its passing the printing line and to carry and
discharge it from the feeding mechanism in time for the Tatter to return to the
starting point and grip the succeeding sheet of paper before the cylinders have
revolved sufficiently to make the next impression. It is preferable to employ for
this purpose reciprocating carriers having at their forward end suitable gripping
devices adapted to receive the front edge of a sheet of paper which is to be fed
through the machine. The reciprocating means for the carriers are driven in
unison with the form cylinder and so arranged as to arrest the carriers at the
moment when receiving and gripping a sheet of paper, propel it at the same speed
as the cylinders after the paper is gripped until it has passed free of the cylinders
and then rapidly carry it away from the cylinders and discharge it, all as will be
hereinafter more fully described. Means are also employed for making positive

page_text: register between the carrier and the form cylinder at the moment of entry of the
paper sheet between the cylinders, thus ensuring perfect registration of the print.
The second part of the invention relates to means for maintaining the driving
contact of the vibrator or distributor roller gears with the intermediate gears and
of the latter with the form cylinder gear when the form rollers are raised from
contact with the form cylinder, and, further, to the specific means employed for
raising the form rollens from contact with the form cylinder. At each side of the
press, to the side frames thereof, are pivoted lifting levers extending under the
form roller shafts and adapted to be raised at their free ends by cams on rocking
levers controlled by connecting links or rods and cranks from a hand-operated
shaft. The intermediate distributing roller gears are carried by brackets mounted
so as to be capable of limited play radial to the form cylinder and the form-roller-
lifting levers, when raising the form rollers, also lift these brackets sufficiently to
maintain driving contact of the intermediate gears with the distributing roller
gears, without parting contact with the ink roller driving gear.
The third part of the invention relates to the means for transferring ink from the
inking drum or roller to the form rollers. Heretofore, it has been customary to
have the first transferring roller which is in contact with the inking
drum or roller transfer ink to a single pair of form rollers and if
two inking rollers were employed in contact with the ink drum each transferred
the ink to a separate pair of form rollers. A single inking roller is arranged in.
contact with the ink drum and the transfer rollers are arranged between it and the
form rollers pyramidally so that ink is transmitted therethrough to two separate
pairs of form rollers.
to
The fourth part of the invention relates to the fountain mechanism and speci-
fically to means for regulating the quantity of ink or color carried over by the
ductor rollers
the ink drum with each oscillation of the ductor
rollers. The ductor rollers are carried by arms which are oscillated by a
crank whose pin engages la cam on one of the press gear wheels. The fountain
roller is intermittently revolved by the engagement with a toothed wheel thereon
of a pawl carried by an adjustable arm which is reciprocated by connection with
one of the gear wheels of the press. A cam or guard is arranged to hold the nawl
from engagement with the ratchet wheel during any desired portion of the stroke
so that the amount of rotation of the fountain roller and hence the quantity of ink
er color transferred to the ductor rollers is regulated in accordance with the
requirement of the particular job being run through the press.
The fifth part of the invention relates to the water fountain apparatus and con-
sists in means for supporting the water form rollers against the form cylinder or
releasing them therefrom and means for regulating the quantity of water carried
over by the water ductor roller. The water form rollers are supported in brackets
which are carried by pivoted arms supported in the side frames of the machine.
They, with their supporting brackets are held up so that the rollers will be in
contact with the form cylinder by a lever pivoted on the side frame of the machine
and having one end bearing against a cam carried by the form. cylinder shaft and
adapted to let the water form rollers fall away from the form cylinder during a
portion of the revolution of the form cylinder but to hold the water form rollers
up against the form cylinders while the part of the cylinder bearing the printing
plate is passing in contact with the water form rollers. The part of the form
cylinder not used for the support. of the printing plate is employed as an ink or
color plate or table and by the mechanism just described the water rollers are
removed from the surface of the form cylinder when the inking table part of the
form cylinder is passing by them. The water ductor roller is supported on arms
carried by a shaft which has fixed to it a rocking lever adapted to be operated by a
connecting rod whose play or stroke is adjustable as will be hereinafter more fully
described.
The machine frame is of such form as to support the various parts of the mechan-
ism certain parts which have special functions in supporting the mechanism

page_text: will be more specifically referred to hereinafter. The form cylinder has a plate
supporting portion or table and an ink plate or table. The plate is clamped over
the supporting portions in any desired manner. One end of the printing plate is
supposed to be fastened initially by any desired means. The edge is then clamped
and at the same time tightened in place by a device consisting of a jaw hinged to
the form cylinder and adjustable by screws and having a movable jaw or bar
which may be tightened by hand screws. The edge of the jaw and the correspond-
ing surface of the bar are beveled so as to hold the edge of the plate over the
rounded angular end of the jaw. The faces of both jaws are also bevelled so that
when the jaw is forced home by the screws, the faces will be brought forcibly
together. Sufficient play is afforded by the slots in the bar surrounding the screws
to permit this movement of the bar. The impression cylinder has a curved part
or table to support the paper being printed on against the plate on the form
cylinder and a cut-away portion to allow the passage of the feed carrier as will be
hereinafter explained. The paper to be fed into the press is supported upon the
feed table. A paper carrier or frame is supported and adapted to reciprocate in
suitable slides carried by the machine frame. At its forward end the carrier
bears a gripping device consisting of a fixed jaw and a pivoted jaw arranged to
receive between them a sheet of paper which is to be carried through the press.
Upon the impression cylinder is mounted a cam-shaped projection which is adapted
to impinge at the proper moment against a roller borne by an arm of the shaft of
the movable gripping jaw and so open the jaw against the action of the spring.
The paper being fed into the jaw and the roller passing off of the cam the spring
closes the jaw and the paper will accompany the movement, of the carrier. To the
carrier is pivoted its operating lever which is pivoted to the main frame and has a
roller engaging the cam groove in the face of a gear wheel which receives Botion
from the gear on the impression cylinder shaft. The cam groove has the straight
portion in such position that when the carrier reaches a position with the gripper
in position to receive the sheet of paper, the carrier will be held in that position
momentarily until the paper can be fed to the gripper. Co-operating with the
feeding carrier is a delivery carrier. While the feeding carrier is driven at the
same speed as the periphery of the cylinders the delivery carrier is reciprocated
at a higher speed in order to quickly carry the sheet away from the printing
mechanism. The delivery carrier is mounted to slide upon guides and has
gripping jaws of any desired construction. It is operated by rack bars which
engage large toothed wheels formed in one with smaller toothed wheels which
engage stationary rack bars. The shaft of the wheels is connected by a rod with a
vibrating arm or lever pivoted to the main frame and having a roller or pin
engaging a cam groove in the face of the gear wheel opposite to the groove. It
will be seen that by this mechanism the speed of the delivery carrier is greatly
amplified over that of the feeding carrier ensuring the carrying of the sheet clear
of the machine in time to prevent. its interference with succeeding sheets.
At the rear end of its movement, the gripper, of the feeding carrier, is opened
by impingement on a stop on the machine frame and at about the same instant,
the gripper of the delivery carrier is opened by a stop on said frame so that the
sheet is automatically released by one, and gripped by the other, at substantially
the same instant. At the rear end of the movement of the delivery carrier a
spring pin carried thereby strikes a projection or stop so opening the gripping jaws
and allowing the sheet to drop into or onto a suitable receiver.
To insure perfect registration of the paper with the design on the printing plate,
without being affected by any loose motion of the driving mechanism, the cylinder
and paper carrier is caused to be automatically coupled together at the instant
when the paper enters between the printing cylinders. The form cylinder
has at a suitable point a short segmental rack (capable of slight adjustment by its
retaining slots and screws) and a corresponding straight rack is formed on or
fixed to the carrier. The relative positions of the racks are such that they come

page_text: into engagement just before the gripping jaws carrying the paper, enter between
the printing cylinders.
The impression cylinder has its shaft mounted in eccentric sleeves which have
bearing in the boxes mounted in the side frames of the machine and adjustable
by screws. The eccentric sleeves are connected by arms connected by rods with
a treadle; the impression cylinder may thus be thrown down away from the form
cylinder rendering the latter more accessible when a printing-plate is to be placed
thereon or removed.
The form cylinder has its shaft mounted in a box capable of vertical motion on
guides in the side frames of the press. Bolts pass through boxes and into the
side frames and have arranged under their heads spiral springs occupying sockets
in the boxes. This construction enables the cylinders to separate slightly when
necessary by reason of passage of unusual thickness of paper between them.
The form rollers are arranged upon the upper surface of the form cylinder.
The intermediate distributor rollers are arranged as usual, above and in contact
with them and have their gears driven from a gear on the shaft of the form
cylinder by pinions. The pinions have their bearing pins carried by posts which
are mounted on form roller brackets by pins passing through vertically extended
slots or bearings in said brackets. The vertical play of the posts is sufficient to
enable the pinions to maintain their driving connection with the distributor roller
gears without parting connection with the gear when the form rollers are lifted
from the form cylinder as is necessary when inking up.
The method of lifting the form rollers from the form cylinder is as follows:
The lifting levers are pivoted to the side frames one on each side of the press
and extending forward under the form rollers or their shafts. Under their forward
ends bear cams on rocking levers 65 which are actuated by links connected to a
bar or shaft hung by a crank from a hand-controlled shaft. It will be seen that
by oscillating the shaft the front end of the lifting lever will be raised and the
form rollers will be lifted from contact with the form cylinder while the pinions
will be lifted sufficiently to retain connection with the gear and also with the inter-
mediate distributor roller gears. The gear may thus continue to drive the form
rollers and distribute the ink or color thereon without the transfer of the ink or
color to the plate on the form cylinder.
Two of the intermediate distributor rollers receive ink or color from the pyra-
midal series of inking rollers the upper one of which alone is arranged in contact
with the ink roller or drum.
The press is provided with ink fountain, fountain roller and ink ductor rollers.
The last-named rollers are carried by the vibrating arm of a bell-crank lever whose
- other arm bears a roller engaging in a cam-groove in the face of a gear wheel which
receives motion from the form cylinder gear. The ductor rollers are thus vibrated
between the ink drum and the fountain roller. Their periods of contact with
these two parts are governed by the shape of the cam groove. The fountain roller
has an intermittent rotary motion, the extent of which while in contact with the
ductor roller or rollers regulates the amount of ink or color which is transferred
to the ductor roller or rollers. Fixed to the shaft of the fountain roll is a ratchet
wheel with which engages a ratchet or pawl carried by an arm of a shaft in line
with the shaft of the fountain roll. On the shaft is loosely mounted a lever or
crank driven through the connecting rod from the gear. A cam or guard is fixed
to the side of the ink fountain adjacent to the ratchet wheel. A plate having a
segmentally arranged series of holes with an adjusting handle is provided. By
adjusting the handle any one of the series of holes can be brought under a locking
pin carried by an arm of lever and thus the pawl can be shifted with relation to
the cam or guard so that the pawl will be held off of any desired number of the
teeth of the ratchet wheel when reciprocating and a corresponding variation of
the amount of rotation of the fountain roll will be obtained."
It will be seen that the form cylinder shaft carries on one end a cam with
which engages a roller carried by a lever loose on a shaft journaled in the side

page_text: frames of the press. The lever is sustained in proximity to the cam when not in
action by a stop and is normally connected with the shaft by means of a hand lever
keyed to said shaft and having a pivoted latch or other locking device engaging the
lever. A heel en each end of the shaft, and projecting rearward from the shaft
engages under the frame of the water form rollers and their intermediate dis-
tributor roller which is driven by pinions from the gear. The frame has arms
pivoted to the side frames of the press. This construction is such that the cams
will cause the water form rollers to alternately press against and be released from
contact with the form cylinder but by releasing the latches the whole water form
rollers and their supporting frame will be allowed to drop entirely away from the
form cylinder.
The press is provided with water fountain, water fountain roller and water ductor
roller. The last are carried by arms fixed to a shaft which has at one end an
oscillating. lever having a cam face on its under side of which engages a roller
carried by a slide which drives upon a guide bar and is driven by a connecting
rod. The rear end of the rod is pivoted to a pin carried by a sleeve or head
which slides in guides on a disc and is adjusted radially of said disc by a screw
and nut. The disc is rotated by engagement of its peripheral gear with the gear
wheel which engages a driving pinion on the water fountain roller which is driven
by a belt from a driving pulley.
In the operation of the press, the rotation of the disc will cause the roller to
reciprocate under the cam face of the lever and thus cause the oscillation of the
ductor roller. By adjusting the screw and so shifting the pin the roller may be
made to play more or less on opposite sides of the pivoted shaft of the lever and
thus cause the ductor roller to remain in contact either with the fountain roll or
the water ductor roller for a greater or less time as may be desired.
The means of vibrating the ink distributor rolls are of usual construction and
have not been described therefore and for the same reason description of the
mechanism for stopping the press has been omitted.
A
JOHNSONS
Petitioners Agents, 115 St. Vincent Str., Glasgow.
Improvements in Surface Printing Presses.
1, JAMES YATE JOHNSON, Chartered Patent. Agent, 115, St. Vincent Street,
Glasgow, N.B. (being a communication from abroad by the Cornwall Printing
Press Company, a corporation doing business in New York, New York.) do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The invention relates to presses adapted for surface printing and particularly for
printing by the use of aluminium plates.
The invention consists, first, in means for feeding or carrying through the press
a sheet of paper being printed upon and for delivering it when printed.
Heretofore, in presses of this character, which most closely approach the present
invention in purpose and construction, it has been usual to employ a form or plate
cylinder and an adjacent. gripper or impression cylinder, the former having means
for clamping to it a printing plate, the latter having a gripping device adapted to
seize, successively, the sheets to be printed and attach them to the impression
cylinder as it revolves in contact with the printing plate, until the paper is released

page_text: by the grippers and discharged from the machine by suitable flies. It will be seen
that with this construction the register of the paper is with the impression cylinder
rather than with the form cylinder or the plate on the latter. Any difference in
registry between the two cylinders or between the gripper of the impression
cylinder and the plate supporting part or surface of the form cylinder has its effect on
the registration of the print. Furthermore, as the impression cylinder is con-
stantly revolving with the form cylinder, it is difficult, when feeding rapidly, to
ensure the feeding of the paper into the grippers evenly and always at the same
point. And as the entire paper comes into contact with the impression cylinder it
is difficult to strip the paper or peel it from the impression cylinder, with the result
that the paper is stretched or pulled irregularly making it difficult, when the paper
is fed through the press more than once (as when printing in several colors) to
obtain the proper register. To do away with these difficulties means have been
devised to enable the gripping of the paper while the gripper is at rest, to draw it
through between the cylinders in perfect register with the sheet on the form.
cylinder but without attaching it to either cylinder, to withdraw it from contact
with both cylinders immediately on its passing the printing line and to carry and
discharge it from the feeding mechanism in time for the latter to return to the
starting point and grip the succeeding sheet of paper before the cylinders have
revolved sufficiently to make the next impression. It is preferable to employ for
this purpose reciprocating carriers having at their forward end suitable gripping
devices adapted to receive the front edge of a sheet of paper which is to be fed
through the machine. The reciprocating means for the carriers are driven in
unison with the form cylinder and so arranged as to arrest the carriers at the
moment when receiving and gripping a sheet of paper, propel it at the same speed
as the cylinders after the paper is gripped until it has passed free of the cylinders
and then rapidly carry it away from the cylinders and discharge it, all as will be
hereinafter more fully described. Means are also employed for making positive
register between the carrier and the form cylinder at the moment of entry of the
paper sheet between the cylinders, thus ensuring perfect registration of the print.
The second part of the invention relates to means for maintaining the driving
contact of the vibrator or distributor roller gears with the intermediate gears and
of the latter with the form cylinder gear when the form rollers are raised from
contact with the form cylinder, and, further, to the specific means employed for
raising the form rollents from contact with the form cylinder. At each side of the
press, to the side frames thereof, are pivoted lifting levers extending under the
form roller shafts and adapted to be raised at their free ends by cams on rocking
levers controlled by connecting links or rods and cranks from a hand-operated
shaft. The intermediate distributing roller gears are carried by brackets mounted
so as to be capable of limited play radial to the form cylinder and the form-roller-
lifting levers, when raising the form rollers, also lift these brackets sufficiently to
maintain driving contact of the intermediate gears with the distributing roller
gears, without parting contact with the ink roller driving gear.
The third part of the invention relates to the means for transferring ink from the
inking drum or roller to the form rollers. Heretofore, it has been customary to
have the first transferring roller which is in contact with the inking
drum or roller transfer ink to a single pair of form rollers and if
two inking rollers were employed in contact with the ink drum each transferred
the ink to a separate pair of form rollers. A single inking roller is arranged in
contact with the ink drum and the transfer rollers are arranged between it and the
form rollers pyramidally so that ink is transmitted therethrough to two separate
pairs of form rollers.
The fourth part of the invention relates to the fountain mechanism and speci-
fically to means for regulating the quantity of ink or color carried over by the
ductor rollers to the ink drum with each oscillation of the ductor
rollers. The ductor rollers are carried by arms which are oscillated by a
crank whose pin engages a cam' on one of the press gear wheels. The fountain

page_text: roller is intermittently revolved by the engagement with a toothed wheel thereon
of a pawl carried by an adjustable arm which is reciprocated by connection with
one of the gear wheels of the press. A cam or guard is arranged to hold the pawl
from engagement with the ratchet wheel during any desired portion of the stroke
so that the amount of rotation of the fountain roller and hence the quantity of ink
or color transferred to the ductor rollers is regulated in accordance with the
requirement of the particular job being run through the press.
The fifth part of the invention relates to the water fountain apparatus and con-
sists in means for supporting the water form rollers against the form cylinder or
releasing them therefrom and means for regulating the quantity of water carried
over by the water ductor roller. The water form rollers are supported in brackets
which are carried by pivoted arms supported in the side frames of the machine.
They, with their supporting brackets are held up so that the rollers will be in
contact with the form cylinder by a lever pivoted on the side frame of the machine
and having one end bearing against a cam carried by the form cylinder shaft and
adapted to let the water form rollers fall away from the form cylinder during a
portion of the revolution of the form cylinder but to hold the water form rollers
up against the form cylinders while the part of the cylinder bearing the printing
plate is passing in contact with the water form rollers. The part of the form
cylinder not used for the support of the printing plate is employed as an ink or
color plate or table and by the mechanism just described the water rollers are
removed from the surface of the form cylinder when the inking table part of the
form cylinder is passing by them. The water ductor roller is supported on arms
carried by a shaft which has fixed to it a rocking lever adapted to be operated by a
connecting rod whose play or stroke is adjustable as will be hereinafter more fully
described.
Referring to the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification :
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the feed table and
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the main portion of a printing press embodying
the invention. These two views taken together form a complete side elevation of
the press taken from the driving side.
Figure 3 is a side elevation of the main portion of the press taken from the other
or feeder side.
Figure 4 is a partly sectional elevation of the ink fountain mechanism looking
from the same direction as Figure 2.
Figure 5 is a side elevation from the same direction as Figure 2 of the form
cylinder and part of the inking mechanism.
Figure 6 is an axial sectional view of the form cylinder.
Figure 7 is a transverse sectional view thereof.
Figure 8 is a similar view of the impression cylinder.
Figure 9 is a side elevation to the same scale as Figure 4 of the water fountain
mechanism and part of the paper feeding devices with the printing rollers.
Figure 10 is a sectional clevation to a somewhat smaller scale than Figure 4
of the paper feeding mechanism.
Figure 11 is a partial sectional view thereof.
Figure 12 is a plan view of the paper feeding devices.
Figure 13 is a sectional elevation of a part of the paper delivering mechanism.
Figure 14 is a top view of the same parts.
Figure 15 is a side elevation of the inner side of one of the side frames of the
machine and attached parts.
Figure 16 is a perspective detail view of the form and intermediate roller
supports.
Figure 17 is a perspective view of one of the form roller supporting posts.
Figure 18 is a cross sectional view of the bearing box and journal of the inking
oller.
Figure 19 is a detail side elevation of part of the form and intermediate rollers
nd their supports.

page_text: Figure 21 is a side elevation of one of the intermediate roller gear posts.
Figure 22 is a detail top view partly in section of the means for adjusting the
ink or color fountain mechanism."
Figure 23 is a sectional view thereof.
Figure 24 is a detail side elevation, partly sectional of portions of the printing
cylinders and paper carrier, illustrating particularly the method of ensuring
registration of the paper carrier and form cylinder.
Figure 25 is a detail sectional view of the means of clamping the printing plate
to the form cylinder.
Figure 26 is a similar view of a part thereof to a larger scale.
Figure 27 is a side elevation of the water fountain mechanism taken from the
driving side of the press.
Figure 28 is an elevation of the rear or delivery end of the press.
I
The machine frame 1 is of such form as to support the various parts of the
mechanism, certain parts which have special functions in supporting the mechanism
will be more specifically referred to hereinafter. The form cylinder is shown
at 2. It has, as seen more clearly in Figure 7, the plate supporting portion or
table 3 and the ink plate or table 4. The plate is clamped over 'the
portion 3 in any desired manner. Preferably, however, in the manner shown in
Figures 25 and 26. Here one end of the printing plate A is supposed to be fastened
initially by any desired means at the edge broken away and not shown in these
figures. The edge here shown is then clamped and at the same time tightened in
place by the device represented consisting of a jaw a hinged at b to the form cylinder
and adjustable by screws and having a movable jaw or bar d which may be
tightened by hand screws e. The edge of jaw and corresponding surface
of bar d are beveled so as to hold the edge of the plate A over the rounded angular
end of the jaw a. The faces h of both jaws a and d are also bevelled as shown,
so that when the jaw d is forced home by the screws e, the faces f and g will be
brought forcibly together. Sufficient play is afforded by the slots in bar d sur-
rounding screws e to permit this movement of the bar d. The impression cylinder 5
has the curved part or table 6 to support the paper being printed on against the
plate on the forin cylinder and the cut-away portion 7 to allow the passage of the
feed carrier as will be hereinafter explained. The paper to be fed into the press
is supported upon the feed table 8 (Figure 1). 9 is a paper carrier or frame
supported and adapted to reciprocate in suitable slides 10 carried by the machine
frame. At its forward end the carrier bears a gripping device consisting of fixed
jaw 11 and pivoted jaw 12 arranged to receive between them
of paper which is to be carried through the press. Upon the impres-
sion cylinder 5 is mounted a cam-shaped projection 13 which is adapted
to impinge at the proper moment against al roller 14 borne by an
arm 15 of shaft 16 of the movable gripping jaw 12 and SO open the
jaw against the action of spring 17. The paper being fed into the jaw and the
roller 14 passing off of the cam 13 the spring 17 closes the jaw and the paper will
accompany the movement of the carrier 9. To the carrier 9 is pivoted its operating
lever is which is pivoted to the main frame and has a roller 19 engaging the cam
groove 20 in the face of a gear wheel 21 which receives motion from the gear 22
on the impression cylinder shaft. The cam groove 20 has the straight portion 23
(Figure 10) in such position that when the carrier 9 reaches the position shown
in Figure 10 with the gripper in position to receive the sheet of paper, the carrier
will be held in that. position momentarily until the paper can be fed to the gripper.
Co-operating with the feeding carrier 9 is a delivery carrier 24. While the
carrier 9 is driven at the same speed as the periphery of the cylinders 2, 5 the
carrier 24 is reciprocated at a higher speed in order to quickly carry the sheet
away from the printing mechanism. The carrier 24 is mounted to slide upon
guides 25 and has gripping jaws 26 of any desired construction. It is operated
by rack bars 27 which engage large toothed wheels 28 formed in one with smaller
a sheet

page_text: toothed wheels 29 which engage stationary rack bars 30. The shaft 31 of wheels 28,
29 is connected by rod 32 with the vibrating arm or lever 33 pivoted to the main
frame and having a roller or pin 34 engaging a cam groove 35 in the face of gear
wheel 21 opposite to groove 20. It will be seen that by this mechanism the speed
of carrier 24 is greatly amplified over that of carrier 9 ensuring the carrying of
the sheet clear of the machine in time to prevent its interference with succeeding
sheets.
At the rear end of its movement, the gripper 11, 12 of carrier 9 is opened by
impingement on a stop 36 on the machine frame and at about the same instant,
the gripper 26 of carrier 24 is opened by the stop 39 on said frame so that the
sheet is automatically released by one, and gripped by the other, at substantially
the same instant. At the rear end of the movement of the carrier 24 an arm 38
mounted on the shaft of the gripper carried thereby, strikes a projection or stop 39
so opening the gripping jaws 26 and allowing the sheet to drop into or onto a
suitable receiver.
To insure perfect registration of the paper with the design on the printing plate,
without being affected by any loose motion of the driving mechanism, the
cylinder and paper carrier is caused to be automatically coupled together just
before the paper enters between the printing cylinders. The means for doing
this most clearly appears in Figure 24. The form cylinder 26 has at a suitable
point a short segmental mack j (capable of slight adjustment by its retaining slots
and screws) and a corresponding straight rack is formed on or fixed to the
carrier 9. The relative positions of the racks and I are such that they come into
engagement just before the gripping jaws 11, 12 carrying the paper, enter
between the printing cylinders.
.
The impression cylinder 5 has its shaft 40 mounted in eccentric sleeves 41 which
have bearing in the boxes 42 mounted in the side frames of the machine and
adjustable by screws 43. The eccentric sleeves 41 are attached to arms 44 con-
nected by rods 45 with a treadle 46; the impression cylinder may thus be thrown
down away from the form cylinder rendering the latter more accessible when a
printing-plate is to be placed thereon or removed. The treadle 46 being depressed,
the reds 45 are drawn down, turning the arms 44 and the attached eccentric
sleeves 41. The latter having their peripheries or bearing surfaces eccentric to
the shaft 40, the latter is by rotation of the eccentrics in their bearings, carried
downwardly so as to lower the impression cylinder.
The form cylinder has its shaft 47 mounted in a box 48 capable of vertical motion
on guides 49 in the side frames of the press. Bolts 50 pass through boxes 48 and
into the side frames and have arranged under their heads spiral springs 51 occu-
pying sockets in the boxes 48. This construction enables the cylinders 2 and 5 to
separate slightly when necessary by reason of passage of unusual thickness of
paper between them.
The form rollers 52 are arranged upon the upper surface of the form cylinder.
The intermediate distributor rollers 53 are arranged as usual, above and in contact
with them and have their gears 54 driven from a gear 55 on the shaft of the form
cylinder by pinions 56. Pinions 56 have their bearing pins 57 carried by posts 58
which are mounted on form roller brackets 59 by pins 60 passing loosely through
vertically extended slots or 'bearings 61 in said brackets. The vertical play of the
posts 58 is sufficient to enable the pinions 56 to maintain their driving connection
with the distributor roller gears 54 without parting connection with the gear 55
when the form rollers are lifted from the form cylinder as is necessary when
inking up.
The method of lifting the form rollers from the form cylinder is as follows:-
62 are lifting levers pivoted at 63 to the side frames one on each side of the press
and extending forward under the form rollers or their shafts. Under their forward
ends bear cams 64 on rocking levers 65 which are actuated by links 66 connected
to a bar or shaft 67 hung by crank 68 from a hand-controlled shaft 69. It will be
seen that by oscillating the shaft 69, the front end of the lifting lever 62 will be

page_text: raised and the form rollers will be lifted from contact with the form cylinder
while the pinions 56 will be lifted sufficiently to retain connection with the gear 55
and also with the intermediate distributor roller gears 54. The gear 55 may thus
continue to drive the form rollers and distribute the ink or color thereon without
the transfer of the ink or color to the plate on the form cylinder, the form
rollers being lifted just enough to clear the form cylinder and not so far as to
disengage the gears 55 and 56. Two of the intermediate distributor rollers 53
receive ink or color from the pyramidal series of inking rollers 70 the upper one
of which alone is arranged in contact with the ink roller or drum 71.
The ink fountain is shown at 72; the fountain roller at 73 and the ink ductor
rollers at 74. The last-named rollers are carried by a vibrating arm of a bell-
crank-lever 75 whose other arm bears a roller 76 engaging in a cam-groove 77 in
the face of a gear wheel 78 which receives motion from the form cylinder gear.
The ductor rollers are thus vibrated between the ink drum 71 and the fountain
roller 73. Their periods of contact with these two parts are governed by the shape
of the cam groove 77. The fountain roller 73 has an intermittent rotary motion,
the extent of which while in contact with the ductor roller or rollers regulates the
amount of ink or color which is transferred to the ductor roller or rollers. Fixed
to the shaft of fountain roll 73 is a ratchet wheel 79 with which engages a ratchet
or pawl 80 carried by the arm 81 of a shaft 82 in line with the shaft of the fountain
roll. On the shaft 82 is loosely mounted a lever or crank 83 driven through
connecting rod 84 from gear 78. 85 is a cam or guard fixed to the side of the ink
fountain adjacent to the ratchet wheel 79. 86 is a plate fastened to shaft 82 and
having a segmentally arranged series of holes 87 and an adjusting handle 88. By
adjusting the handle 88 any one of the series of holes 87 can be brought under the
locking pin 89 carried by arm 90 of lever 83, thereby locking the arm 90 and
attached crank 83 to the shaft 82 in any one of several different angular positions,
and thus the pawl 80 can be shifted with relation to the cam or guard 85 so that the
pawl 80 will be held off with any desired number of the teeth of ratchet wheel 79
when reciprocating and a corresponding variation of the amount of rotation of the
fountain roll will be obtained.
Referring to Figures 3 and 9 it will be seen that the form cylinder shaft carries
on one end a cam 91 with which engages a roller 92 carried by a lever 93 loose
on a shaft 94 journaled in the side frames of the press. The lever 93 is sustained
in proximity to the cam 91 when not in action by a stop 95 and is normally con-
nected with the shaft 94 by means of a hand lever 96 keyed to said shaft and
having a pivoted latch or other locking device 97 engaging the lever 93. A heel
98 on each end of shaft, and projecting rearward from shaft 94, as shown in
Figure engages under the frame 99 of the water form rollers 100 and their
intermediate distributor roller 101 which is driven by pinions 102, 103 from the
gear 55. The frame 99 has arms 104 pivoted to the side frames of the press.
This construction is such that the cams 91 will cause the water form rollers to alter-
nately press against the be released from contact with the form cylinder but by
releasing the latches 97 the whole water form rollers and their supporting frame
will be allowed to drop entirely away from the form cylinder.
The water fountain is shown at 105, the water fountain roller at 106 and the
water ductor roller at 107. The last are carried by arms 108 fixed to a shaft 109
which has at one end an oscillating lever 110 having a cam face 111 on its under
side of which engages a roller 112 carried by a slide 113 which drives upon a
guide bar 114 and is driven by a connecting rod 115. The rear end of the rod 113
is pivoted to a pin 116 carried by a sleeve or head 117 which slides in guides 118
on a disc 119 and is adjusted radially of said disc by screw 120 and nut 121. The
disc 119 is rotated by engagement of its peripheral gear with the gear wheel 122
which engages a driving pinion 123 on the water fountain roller 106 which is
driven by belt 124 from a driving pulley 125.
In the operation of the press, the rotation of the disc 119 will cause the roller
112 to reciprocate under the cam face 111 of lever 110 and thus cause the oscilla-
3.1

page_text: 5
5
tion of the ductor roller 107. By adjusting the screw 120 and so shifting the
pin 116, the roller 112 may be made to play more or less on opposite sides of the
pivoted shaft 109 of lever 110 and thus cause the ductor roller to remain in con-
tact either with the fountain roll 106 or the water ductor roller 101 for a greater
or less time as may be desired.
The means of vibrating the ink distributor rolls are of usual construction and
have not been described therefore and for the same reason description of the
mechanism for stopping the press has been omitted.
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:
1: In a printing press, the combination of the printing cylinder, and feeding
mechanism independent of the cylinder adapted to grip the sheet of paper to be
printed and carry it through the press in contact with the printing cylinder, only
at the printing line, substantially as set forth.
2: In a printing press, the combination of a form cylinder, an impression
eylinder, and a reciprocating paper carrier or feeding mechanism adapted to grip
the paper and support it as it is passed through the press and hold it out of con-
tact with the cylinders except at the printing line, substantially as set forth.
3: In a printing press, in combination with a form cylinder, an impression
cylinder having a cut-away portion as shown, a reciprocating paper feeding
device adapted to project into said cut-away portion ansd grip and feed the paper
between the cylinder and support it out of contact with the cylinder except at
the line of impression, substantially as set forth.
4: In a printing press, in combination with form and impression cylinders
one of which has a cut-out portion in its periphery, a reciprocating paper carrier
adapted to reciprocate in said cut-out portion, paper gripping device thereon,
means of reciprocating said carrier, and means for opening and closing said grip-
ping device, substantially as set forth.
5: In a printing press, the combination of the form and impression cylinders,
with an intermittently reciprocated device whose path of travel lies beyond and
extends beyond said cylinders, said device being adapted, unon advancing, to
grip the paper, and, in returning, to sustain it in a horizontal plane during its
period of contact wth the cylinders, and finally to deliver the sheet, as specified.
6: In a surface printing press, in combination with printing cylinder, a
reciprocating paper carrier having paper gripping devices, and co-acting means
on one of said cylinders and on said carrier for registering positively said cylinder
and carrier when the paper enters between the cylinders, as set forth.
7: In a surface printing press, in combination with form and impression
cylinders, a reciprocating paper carrier having paper gripping devices, a cam and
connections for reciprocating said paper carrier, and toothed racks on said form
cylinder and carrier, for registering positively said cylinder and carrier when the
paper enters between the cylinders, and bringing the said carrier to the speed of
the cylinders.
8: In a surface printing press, the combination with form and impression
cylinders, of a reciprocating paper carrier having paper-gripping devices, a cam
and connections for reciprocating said carrier, and short registering racks on
said form -cylinder and carrier for registering positively said cylinder and carrier
only while the paper is entering between the cylinders, and bringing the carrier
to the speed of the cylinders.
9: Ir a printing press, in combination with form and impression cylinders,
a reciprocating paper carrier, a gripping device carried thereby and having an
operating arm, and a cam on one of the printing cylinders engaging with said
arm, to open the gripping device, substantially as set forth.
10: In a printing press, in combination with the printing cylinders, a paper
carrier, a lever connected to said carrier, a cam on one of said cylinders engaging

page_text: an
with said lever and having an eccentric portion for reciprocating the carrier and
a flat or concentric portion allowing the carrier to rest momentarily at the end of
the stroke, paper gripping devices carried by the paper carrier, and having
operating arm, and a cam on one of the printing cylinders, engaging with said
arm when the carrier is at rest as aforesaid, and operating to open the paper
gripping devices, substantially as set forth.
11: In a printing press, in combination with printing cylinders, a sheet feeding
and delivering apparatus consisting of two reciprocating carriers having grippers
operating successively on the sheet, the time of reciprocation of said carriers being
equal, a cam driving one of said carriers, from a state of rest to the speed of the
printing cylinders and means for driving the other at a higher average speed for
delivering the sheet, substantially as set forth.
12: In a printing press, in combination with the form and impression cylinders,
a reciprocating paper carrier having suitable gripping devices, a lever connected
to said carrier, and a caan on one of said cylinders engaging with said lever and
having an eccentric portion for reciprocating the carrier and a flat or concentric
portion for allowing the carrier to rest momentarily at the end of its stroke, sub-
stantially as set forth.
13: In a printing press, the combination with printing cylinders, a reciprocating
paper-receiving carrier for carrying a sheet between the cylinders, a reciprocating
delivery carrier for delivering the sheet from said paper carrier, two cams on one
of said printing cylinders, a lever engaging with one of said cams and with the
paper receiving carrier, a lever engaging with the other cam, and a motion-
amplifying device engaging with said lever and with the delivery carrier, where-
by the delivery.carrier is made to move at greater speed 'than the average speed
of the receiving carrier.
14: In a surface printing press, the combination with the form cylinder, of
a printing plate clamp consisting of a pivoted adjustable jaw having a tapering
wedge, on one of whose faces the edge of the form may be laid, a bar having a
flaring or outwardly beveled groove fitting over the aforesaid wedge and form,
and a screw for pressing said 'bar toward said wedge, substantially as set forth.
15 In a printing press, the combination with form cylinder, form rollers, and
ink rollers of a pyramidal set of inking rollers, the top one of the set being in
contact with the ink drum or roller, the succeeding ones in contact with the lower
part of said top one, and the lowermost ones in contact with separate pairs of form
rollers, substantially as shown and described.
16: In a printing press, in combination with the ink or color ductor or rollers,
the ink or color fountain, the fountain roller, pawl and ratchet wheel for turning.
said fountain roller, means for reciprocating said pawl adjustably connected to
said pawl so that the latter may be connected thereto in different angular positions,
and a fixed cam or guard engaging with the pawl and holding it from contact
with the ratchet, to an extent determined by the angular adjustment of the pawł
and arm, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
17: In a printing press, the combination of a water fountain roller, a water
ductor roller, connecting rod for oscillating the same, a driving shaft for Said
connecting rod, a screw carried by and extending radially from said shaft, and a
nut on said screw having the said connecting rod pivoted thereto, substantially
as set forth.
18: In a printing press, the combination of a fountain roll, a ductor roller,
oscillating arms supporting said ductor roller, a lever having a cam face con-
nected to said arms and a slide reciprocating in a guide and engaging with said
cam face, for oscillating said lever, substantially as set forth.
19: In a printing press, the combination of a fountain roll, a ductor roller,
supporting arms for said ductor roller, an oscillating lever connected to said sup-
porting arms and having a cam face, a reciprocating roller engaging said cam face,
a slide whereon it is mounted, connecting rod for operating said slide and means
for adjusting the stroke of said connecting rod, substantially as set forth.

page_text: 20: In a printing press, in combination with a form cylinder, waiter form
rollers, supporting frame therefor, arms connected to said frame and pivoted to
the press frame, an operating cam on the form cylinder shaft, a lever operated by
said cam, a shaft on which said lever is pivoted and a hand lever having a latch
engaging said operating lever and attached to the said shaft and heels or arms
attached to said shaft and supporting said water form roller frame, substantially
as set forth
Dated this 1st day of November
1004
TOST.
JOHNSONS,
115 St. Vincent St. Glasgow, Applicants Agents.