IMPROVEMENTS IN OR CONNECTED WITH PRINTING MACHINES OR APPARATUS
Year: 1882

page_text: "C
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LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson of 47 Lincolns Inn Fields in
the County of Middlesex for an invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN OR
CONNECTED WITH PRINTING MACHINES OR APPARATUS A communication
to him from abroad by Edwyn Anthony of Lincolns Inn at present residing
at No 20 East 16th Street New York and Jacob Edward Harvey of Lincolns
Inn at present residing at No 11 West 11th Street New York both in the
United States of America Barristers-at-Law
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said John Henry Johnson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th June 1882.
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON of 47 Lincoln's Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex
Gentleman IMPROVEMENTS IN OR CONNECTED WITH PRINTING MACHINES OR
APPARATUS" A communication to me from abroad by Edwyn Anthony of Lincoln's
Inn at present residing at No 20 East Sixteenth Street New York and Jacob
Edward Harvey of Lincoln's Inn at present residing at No 11 West Eleventh
Street New York both in the United States of America Barristers at Law
This Invention consists of a means of printing on two or more rolls of paper
from type stereotype or a mixture of both; and also of a method of reversing the
sides of a travelling web or sheets in tapes in such a way that the beb after
passing through the apparatus hereinafter described is opposite its former position
and its plane parallel or at an angle to the plane of its former position and the
lines drawn across it perpendicular to its edges are parallel to their former
positions. Considering the first part of the said Invention I place the formes
(whether type stereotype or a mixture of both) on two cylinders C D their axes
being inclined to one another at any convenient angle. The formes for printing
one side of the web are placed on cylinder C and the formes for the other side on
cylinder D. The circumference of these cylinders is taken so that they are some
multiple of the portions thereof occupied by the formes plus suitable margins.
Price S11

page_text: The aliquot part occupied by the formes may be one-half, one-third, one fourth, or
any other; the object being to make the circumference large enough for type to
be placed on it. And the aliquot part necessary for this purpose will depend upon
the size of the particular paper to be printed. Nor is it necessary for the cylinders
to be of the same size. Thus in Figures 3, 3ª the circumference of the cylinder C
is four times and that of D twice the breadth of the formes. In Figures 1, 1ª;
2,2 4, 4; both of them are three times; and in Figures 5, 50 twice the said
breadth. Round each of the forme-bearing cylinders, impression cylinders (E, E
round C and H H round D) are placed equal in number (for each roll) to the
said multiple. When it is wished to print from as many rolls as possible; the
circumference of the impression cylinders may be one half of the breadth of
the formes as shewn in Figures 4, 4ª and 5, 5º. The web is conveyed from one
impression cylinder to the next by suitable conveying roller (or rollers) as G; its
distance of travel from one impression cylinder to the next being of course fixed so
that the same part of the web shall not be printed on twice.
After any roll has been completely printed on one side by one of the forme-
bearing cylinders it is conducted by any suitably placed rollers to a fixed triangular
plane cylinder, cone, or other surface equivalent thereto for the purpose in view,
and it is thus deflected from its course so that it may be conducted by rollers to
the other type bearing cylinder to receive an impression on its other side. Details
of the inking cutting, folding and other like mechanisins are not shown in the
drawings because they may all be constructed in any usual and suitable way.
Figures 1 to 6 show the type cylinder C and its appendages; and Figures 1ª
to 6 the type cylinder D and its appendages; each pair of Figures (1, 1; 2, 2ª;
&c) representing a complete machine (or rather the portions of it necessary for the
explanation of this invention). The axes of the rollers and cylinders in any figure
are all parallel to one another; and they are inclined at an angle to the axes of
those in the corresponding figure. A triangular plane is a convenient surface for
deflecting the web and its position may be fixed as follows: Let (Figures 7, 8 and 9)
A, B, C be a triangle made of wood metal or other suitable material and of
convenient thickness. The edge A C over which the web passes must be rounded,
and the surface A B C on which the web slides on entering and the corresponding
surface on which it slides on leaving the triangle may be either parallel or inclined
to one another. The angle at B is a right angle and the angle at A any convenient
angle. Taking the case of the axes of the type cylinders C and D to be at an
angle of 60° to one another and the aforesaid surfaces of the triangle to be parallel
to one another then the angle at A should be an angle of 60°. The triangle should
be fixed so that one of its sides (BC Figure 7; A B Figure 8) be parallel to the
axes of the cylinder C and that its surface B A C produced may touch the roller
(say A Figure 4) by which the web is conducted to the triangle. The side B C
(or A B as the case may be) must be placed at such a distance from the roller M
as to cause the web to issue from the triangle facing the cylinder D and a roller
such as R (Figure 4) must be fixed so that it will touch the web in the plane in
which it issues from the aforesaid triangle. Care must be taken to place the
triangle so that the web after passing over it may be travelling in such a way that
its unprinted side can be brought into contact with the type cylinder D. The
position for effecting this object will depend upon the relative directions of rotation
of the cylinders C and D. Figure 7 gives its position for the cases of Figures 2,
2ª; 4, 4ª; 5, 5ª; and 6, 6a; and Figure S its position for the cases of Figures 1, 1º;
and 3, 3. Figure 9 is intended to exhibit the two positions of the triangle; the
position A B C corresponding to Figure 7 and B E C to Figure 8. The edge A C
in Figure 8 being perpendicular to its position in Figure 7. For example in
Figure 2 the web issues at a in the direction there indicated; and if it thus runs
on to the triangle the latter should be fixed as in Figure 7 so that the web after
issuing from it shall be travelling towards Figure 2ª as indicated by the arrow at a
(Figure 2). But in Figures 1, 1ª and 3, 3ª (the relative rotations of C, D, being

page_text: the reverse of those in Figures 2, 2a) then the web running on to the triangle in
the direction indicated at a (Figure 1) it must be fixed as in Figure S so that the
web shall issue from it travelling away from Figure 1ª or Figure 3 as shown by
the arrow at a (Figures 1, 30), it must then be conducted by a roller or rollers to
the impression cylinders H and it will be found that its unprinted side will be
presented to the type cylinder D.
I do not claim the method of thus changing the path of a travelling web by
imeans of a triangle, cylinder or other surface because those devices are shown in
Roses British Specification No 12,715 year 1849 and in Sandeman's British
Specification No 3319. 1870. The course of the webs is as follows:-
The web A (Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) passes round the impression cylinders E and
conveying cylinders G coming out at a completely printed on one side. It is then
taken (either direct or after passing over one or more rollers as may be most
convenient) to the said triangle which is fixed as before stated (see Figures 7 or 8
as the case may be) so that the web will issue from it as shown by the arrow at a
(Figures 1, 2, 3ª, 4º, 5º). It then (usually after passing over one or more rollers
as may be most convenient) goes to the impression, cylinders H and conveying
cylinders L; and issues at y completely printed on both sides. Similarly the
roll B issues at b. (Figures 1, 2, 3, 4º, 5º) printed on one side; is conveyed by
rollers and triangle to b (Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,) and issues at c completely printed
on both sides.
In Figures 4, 4a, there are 3 rolls. The roll K issues at (Figure 4) is conveyed
by rollers and triangle to 7 (Figure 4) and issues at 2 completely printed. In
Figures 5, 5 there are 4 rolls. The course of K is lettered as in Figures 4, 4. The
roll S issues at 2 (Figure 5) is conducted by rollers and triangle to 7 (Figure 5) and
comes out completely printed at t.
After the rolls have been printed on both sides they may be cut, folded &c. in
any suitable way.
It will be observed that in the figures sometimes a web which was above
another web before either were deflected from their path becomes below it when
both have been deflected. Thus in Figure 1ª, the web at a is below that at b, but
in Figure 1 it is at a above the corresponding position of b. By taking the web to
suitably placed rollers before and after conducting it to the triangle there will be
no difficulty in conveying the web as above shown.
By placing one forme only on each printing cylinder a two page paper may be
printed. For example in Figures 6, 6, which shew Figures 2, 2 arranged to
print a two page paper the roll B is not used. The roll A is passed under all the
6 impression cylinders E; then proceeds similarly to when printing with two rolls
from c (Figure 6) to c (Figure 6a) whence it passes round the 6 impression
cylinders H, and issues at y completely printed on both sides. The distance of
travel of the web must be arranged as follows:-If in Figures 2, 2₁ the distance of
travel from one impression cylinder to the next is made equal to the breadth of
the formes plus the length of the arc of the printing cylinder between the points
in which the said two impression cylinders touch it then the webs will be properly
printed on when the two rolls are used as in Figures 2, 2ª. To arrange for
printing as in Figures 6, 6º, all that is necessary is to make (in both Figures (
and (a) the distance of travel of the web from P to Q equal to the arc P Q plus
one half or one and a half or two and a half, or three and a half &c times the
breadth of the formes. In all cases the distance of travel of a web from the one
type cylinder to the other must be adjusted, so that the impressions on opposite
sides of the web may properly back one another.
All the foregoing is applicable to the case of cutting before printing, the sheets
after cutting of course being conveyed in tapes and the circumferences of the type
cylinders being multiples of the breadth of a sheet (i.e. of the portion occupied by
the formes plus suitable margins) plus the interval between successive sheets at the
time of printing.

page_text: When the web prints two or more pages abreast it is often convenient after it
has been printed on both sides and been longitudinally severed into one page
breadth strips to reverse the sides of one or more of the said strips sometimes at
the same time shifting them transversely and sometimes not. Figures 10 to 18
illustrate this (the second) part of the invention. Thus (Figures 10, 11 and 12) if
A is the web about to enter the apparatus and A¹ the web on leaving it, then the
edge ce is opposite to the edge d¹ fi and the edge d f opposite to c¹ e¹, any line
cd drawn perpendicularly across the web is parallel to any similarly drawn line
cd and a representing different sides of the web, a and a¹ face one another.
In Figure 10 the plane of the web on entering is parallel to the plane of the web
in leaving the apparatus; in Figures 11 and 12 the said planes are inclined to one
another. Considering the former case first; A B, C D, E F, (Figure 13) are three
cylinders whose diameters need not be equal. A B and C D are fastened together
so that their axes are perpendicular to one another, and that they have a common
tangent plane on the side of them remote from that on which the cylinder E F
lies. The said cylinder E F is fixed so as to touch the cylinder A B, and to be
parallel to the cylinder C D. The edge of the web on entering and leaving the
apparatus may make any convenient angle with the axes of the cylinders E F and
CD. As an example, take the case of the radii of the three cylinders all equal
and 45° the angle which the edge of the web' makes with the axis of E F as it
enters then the web must run over this cylinder so that its central line first touches
it in a point P (Figure 14) whose distance from the axis of A B is equal to half
the distance between the axes of the cylinders E F and CD. To conduct the web
to the cylinder E F a roller, not shown in the figure call it R must be placed (in
the case I am taking) so as to have its axis at an angle of 45° with the axis of EF
and also to have a common tangent plane with the cylinder E F, which said
tangent plane shall likewise be perpendicular to the axis of the cylinder A B.
Similarly the web after leaving the cylinder CD must be conveyed to another
roller, call it R having the same position relatively to that cylinder which the first
roller has to the cylinder E F. The course of the web can be traced by
an inspection of Figure 14 coming from the roller R it passes over the cylinder
E F, thence under and over the cylinder A B, and from there over the cylinder
CD to the roller R. The web thus issues from the apparatus parallel and
opposite to its position before entering it. If it is desired that the web should not
come out opposite to itself but should be shifted_transversely all that is necessary
is that the web should be passed over E F so that its central line may
not pass over the said point P but should first meet the cylinder E F in
• some point situated above or below it; then each edge of the web will be shifted
transversely by a space equal to twice the distance between this last mentioned
point and the said point P.
When it is desired that the web after passing through the apparatus, should
come out not parallel to itself, but as shewn in Figure 11 it is necessary to fix the
cylinders differently from the arrangement in Figure 13 more ways than one will
accomplish the object in view. A convenient arrangement is illustrated by
figure 15. Let the cylinders be arranged as in Figure 13 except that E F and CD
are not fixed perpendicular to A B but inclined at an angle thereto. Thus if H K,
LN are drawn perpendicular to A B (Figure 15) and parallel to the plane to
which the axis of the 3 cylinders (Figure 13) are parallel; and if the angle
between the planes of the web on entering E F and on leaving CD
2e and a is
the angle which the edges of the web make with the axes of E F and CD, then I
must fix E F and CD (Figure 15) so that the sine of the angle between H K and
the axis of E F and between L N and the axis of C D is equal to sine e multiplied
by cosine a. For example, if the apparatus is fixed so that the edges of the web
make an angle of 30° with E F and CD; and the angle between the plane of the
web on entering the cylinder E F and the plane of the web on leaving the
cylinder C D, is required to be 90°, then the angle between F E and H K, and

page_text: between CD, and L N must be 37° 40′ approximately. If the web is desired to
come out as in figure 12 instead of as in Figure 11 then the cylinders must be
placed exactly as just described except that E F and C D must be fixed on the
other sides of HK and L N to what they are in Figure 15.
The
When the web comes out as in Figure 11 we may by suitably fixing the three
cylinders, cause the edge of the web to enter and leave the cylinder A B at right
angles so that A B may rotate in other words may be an ordinary roller.
axes of the three cylinders cannot in this case be taken parallel to the same plane.
By adding one, two, or more cylinders like A B to the apparatus Figure 13 two,
three, or more webs can be treated by the same apparatus. For example, suppose
there are two webs such as a and b Figure 16 and it is required to reverse a and
bring it on to the one side of a third web c, and to reverse b and bring it on to
the other side of a fourth web d the planes of the webs on leaving the apparatus,
as likewise the lines_drawn perpendicularly across them to be parallel to their
previous positions. To the apparatus Figure 13 add a cylinder H K fixing it so as
to be parallel to A B; to touch F E, and to have a common tangent plane with DC
and A B. The breadths a and b pass through the reverser as shown by Figure 16,
a passing under H K, b under A B, and thence both over CD, the breadths c and d
do not pass through the reverser, nor do they touch either of the cylinders E F,
CD. The breadth c is conducted by suitable rollers (not shown in Figure 16)
under E F then over CD; while the breadth is similarly conducted under E F
and under C D. Thus the breadths b and d are brought together, and the
breadth a and c; a being on the contrary side of c to that which bis of d.
Figures 17 and 18 show the webs respectively approaching the cylinder E F and
receding from the cylinder C D.
Taking the particular case of the diameters of the four cylinders all equal and
entering the web with its edge inclined at an angle of 45° to the axis of the
cylinder E F, then the distance between the axes of the cylinders H K and AB
must be equal to any one of the equal breadths a b c and d; and if I be the point
in which the central line of the breadth b meets the cylinder E F, the distance
of from the axis of H K must be equal to half the distance between the axes of
EF and CD. Of course when the web is in sheets it must travel between tapes
in the usual way. The tapes must be passed through the apparatus in the manner
previously explained with reference to the web; and since in general they will not
come out opposite to the positions they had on entering their ends must be run
together by means of skew pullies or other suitable devices.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect I would observe in conclusion that I do not claim the placing of formes on
two cylinders at an angle to one another when the formes occupy the whole
circumference of the cylinders because that is disclosed in Roses Specification
before mentioned nor do I claim the placing impression cylinders round a forme-
bearing cylinder in the manner herein described, because that is disclosed in
Greene's British Provisional Specification No 1845-1853 and in Bond and Foster's
British Specification No 774-1871 and I have already disclaimed the devices
herein indicated for changing the path of the web or webs. Nor do I claim the
use of a fixed cylinder for deflecting the path of a travelling web, because that
device is shewn in the Specification of Rose's British Letters Patent No 12,715.
1849 and in the Specification of Sandeman's British Letters Patent No 3,319. 1870
but what I do herein claim as the Invention is as follows:-
First The combination of two printing cylinders inclined at an angle to one
another (the formes on one or both of them not occupying the whole surface) and
impression cylinders placed around the printing cylinders in the manner herein-
before explained with devices for turning the webs out of their course whereby
two or more rolls may be printed on simultaneously from type, stereotype or a
mixture of both substantially in the manner and for the purposes hereiubefore
described and illustrated.

page_text: Second-The combination of three fixed cylinders, whereby the sides of a
travelling web, or of sheets in tapes, are reversed, the web remaining opposite to
itself and either parallel or inclined at an angle to its previous position, sub-
stantially in the manner and for the purposes herein before described and illustrated
In witness whereof I the said John Henry Johnson have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal this thirteenth day of June One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.