Improvements in Rotary Printing Machines.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Jan., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 25th Sept., 1895-Accepted, 2nd Nov., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rotary Printing Machines.
I, JULES MICHAUD, of 96 Rue d'Assas, Paris, France, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Hitherto printing plates or blocks intended to be placed on the cylinders of a
rotary printing machine, have been so placed in one of the following methods:.
Either between a fixed circle and a movable circle or clamp; by the aid of grooves
made in the cylinders, such grooves being arranged along the generating lines of
such cylinders or in a circular direction, or again in the form of a helix. In
these grooves the clamps which serve to fix the printing plates can travel.
this arrangement printing plates of any dimension may be fixed in position, but
the cylinders have to be made of special construction.
With
A more rudimentary process for effecting the same result consists in the
employment of printing cylinders covered with wood on which the printing plates
are nailed in the position they are to occupy, this latter arrangement presents this
inconvenience that on the same machine, it is difficult to determine a priori the
exact position which the printing plate ought to occupy and that when the printing
plate is fixed its displacement is difficult and takes a long time.
A means which I employ for uniting in the same printing plate several separate
galvanos consists in soldering the different parts of which the printing plates to be
fixed on the machines are to be composed, in the same mould.
For this purpose 1 prepare a rough pattern or blank cut out to the dimension
of the different galvanos of which the printing plate is to be composed; this
pattern is made of a pliable material; the pattern is placed at the bottom of the
mould, then in each cut-away portion is placed the galvano or zinco corresponding
thereto the galvano being already backed, curved and tinned: by running the
material a printing plate is obtained bearing the galvanos with the relief which
will vary according to the thickness of the pattern or blank.
The inconvenience of this arrangement consists in the impossibility of displacing
one of the galvanos of which the printing plate is composed without displacing the
whole printing plate.
The invention forming the object of the present application for Patent enables
me to fix printing plates or blocks of the most variable dimensions, and more
especially thin zincos or galvanos which have been previously curved, on ordinary
printing cylinders, that is to say made of metal and without helicoidal or other
grooves, while at the same time retaining the power of being afterwards able to
displace each of the blocks without displacing the others.
For this purpose instead of fixing the curved printing plates or blocks which
may be of any dimensions directly upon the printing cylinders, I first fix then
upon segments of hollow cylinders which I then place on the printing cylinders
in the ordinary manner by means of the usual circles and clamps. I preferably
employ segments of hollow cylinders made of metal. If the metal employed is
lead or an alloy which melts at a low temperature, I shall obtain the segments
which I require in a casting box similar to the casting box for printing plates in
use and 1 shall obtain on the casting the necessary bevels for clamping them on the
cylinders.
The segment having been obtained I shall trace thereon the situation of each

page_text: of the blocks which I shall subsequently fix either by soldering or by means of
screws, of nails or in any other manner, and this work will be casy of execution
seeing that it will not be effected upon the machine itself.
I might also cast in the mould the segmental supports for the blocks or blanks
bearing the impression of the pages of text or engravings the place of which will
thus be indicated on the surface of the segment without it being necessary to trace
same thereon.
Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings show respectively a transverse section and side
elevation of a segment 1 carrying the blocks 2.
In the case where the segments employed are of hard metal I may construct
them as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, that is to say piercing them with holes which are
stopped with a softer material into which the screws for fixing the blocks will be
screwed; these holes may be either cylindrical or conical, being of greater diameter
at 3 than at 4 (Fig. 3), so that the stopping which is introduced cannot escape when
once the plate is mounted on the machine. These holes may further be made
square, rectangular or of any other form.
Instead of conical holes for example the metallic segment might be provided with
recesses 5 (Figs. 5 and 6) stopped with a soft substance in which the screws or
nails for attaching the blocks will become fixed.
Finally I may further fix the blocks on to their supports by sticking or soldering
same thereon.
Dated this 21st day of January 1895.
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Rotary Printing Machines.
I, 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:-
Hitherto printing plates or blocks intended to be placed on the cylinders of a
rotary printing machine, have been so placed in one of the following methods:
Either between a fixed circle and a movable circle or clamp: by the aid of
grooves made in the cylinders, such grooves being arranged along the generating
lines of such cylinders or in a circular direction, or again in the form of a helix.
In these grooves the clamps which serve to fix the printing plates can travel. With
this arrangement printing plates of any dimension may be fixed in position, but
the cylinders have to be made of special construction.
A more rudimentary process for effecting the same result consists in the employ-
ment of printing cylinders covered with wood on which the printing plates are
nailed in the position they are to occupy; this latter arrangement presents this
inconvenience that on the same machine, it is difficult to determine a priori the
exact position which the printing plate ought to occupy and that when the printing
plate is fixed its displacement is difficult and takes a long time.
A means which I employ for uniting in the same printing plate several separate
galvanos consists in soldering the different parts of which the printing plates to be
fixed on the machines are to be composed, in the same mould.
For this purpose I prepare a rough pattern or blank cut out to the dimension
of the different galvanos of which the printing plate is to be composed, this
pattern is made of a pliable material; the pattern is placed at the bottom of the
mould, then in each cut-away portion is placed the galvano or zinco corresponding
thereto the galvano being already backed, curved and tinned; by running the

page_text: material a printing plate is obtained bearing the galvanos with the relief which
will vary according to the thickness of the pattern or blank.
The inconvenience of this arrangement consists in the impossibility of displacing
one of the galvanos of which the printing plate is composed without displacing the
whole printing plate.
The invention forming the object of the present application for Patent enables
me to fix printing plates or blocks of the most variable dimensions, and more
especially thin zincos or galvanos which have been previously curved, on ordinary
printing cylinders, that is to say made of metal and without helicoidal or other
grooves, while at the same retaining the power of being afterwards able to
displace each of the blocks without displacing the others.
For this purpose instead of fixing the curved printing plates or blocks which
may be of any dimensions directly upon the printing cylinders, I first fix them
upon segments of hollow cylinders which I then place on the printing cylinders in
the ordinary manner by means of the usual circles and clamps. I preferably
If the metal employed is
employ segments of hollow cylinders made of metal.
lead or an alloy which melts at a low temperature, 1 shall obtain the segments
which I require in a casting box similar to the casting box for printing plates in
use and I shall obtain on the casting the necessary bevels for clamping them on the
cylinders.
The segment having been obtained I shall trace thereon the situation of each
of the blocks which I shall subsequently fix either by soldering or by means of
screws, of nails or in any other manner, and this work will be easy of execution
seeing that it will not be effected upon the machine itself.
I might also cast in the mould the segmental supports for the blocks or blanks
bearing the impression of the pages of text or engravings the place of which will
thus be indicated on the surface of the segment without its being necessary to
trace same thereon.
Referring to the drawings filed with the Provisional Specification:-
-
Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings show respectively a transverse section and side
elevation of a segment 1 carrying the blocks 2.
In the case where the segments employed are of hard metal 1 may construct
them as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, that is to say piercing them with holes which are
stopped with a softer material into which the screws for fixing the blocks will be
screwed; these holes may be either cylindrical or conical, being of greater
diameter at 3 than at 4 (Fig. 3), so that the stopping which is introduced cannot
These holes may further
escape when once the plate is mounted on the machine.
be made square, rectangular or of any other form.
Instead of conical holes for example the metallic segment might be provided
with recesses 5 (Figs. 5 and 6) stopped with a soft substance in which the screws
or nails for attaching the blocks will become fixed.
Finally I may further fix the blocks on to their supports by sticking or soldering
same thereon.
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 :-
The combination with the printing cylinders of rotary printing machines of
segments of hollow cylinders carrying the printing blocks which are to be used
for printing in the machine, the said segments being fixed on the printing
cylinders.
1903
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicant.