IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING MACHINERY
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Payne, of Otley, in the County of York,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING MACHINERY."
Sealed the 14th February 1868, and dated the 7th September 1867. :
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Payne at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his. Petition, on the 7th September.
1867.
I, DAVID PAYNE, of Otley, in the County of York, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING
MACHINERY," to be as follows:-
My Invention of improvements in printing machinery relates more
particularly to machines for printing from lithographic stones, and for printing
in colours, but some parts of the Invention are applicable to other kinds of
printing machinery.
The first improvement has for its object to produce a better register than
heretofore, and this is effected by causing the impression roller to pass a short.
distance beyond the point where the nippers take hold of the sheet of paper,
and then to return back to a guage point which is raised up behind it.
The next improvement relates to the means of adjusting the table to its
proper height so as to admit of stones of different thicknesses being used in the
same machine. To this end the table is adjustable vertically by means of a
wedge-formed support, which is capable of being driven under the table by
means of adjusting screws operated by worm wheels or bevil toothed gearing.

page_text: In this way the table may be adjusted to a nicety so as to suit stones of different
thickness.
The next improvement consists in mounting the driving wheel on a fixed
shaft, through which passes excentrically a rotating shaft, which carries an
arm or lever provided with a crank pin, which works in a slot in one of the
arms of the driving wheel. To this same crank pin or to another pin on the
arm or lever is attached a connecting rod, at the other end of which is a rolling
toothed wheel, which runs to and fro in a toothed rack attached to the framing.
This rolling wheel also works in another rack above fixed on the reciprocating
table. The object of this arrangement is to give a differential motion to the
reciprocating table, so that at one part of its motion (that is, while the
impression is being taken) it may travel slowly, and on its return motion and
while receiving the ink it may travel quicker. The paper to be printed is fed
'into the machine on the upper side of the impression cylinder, and after passing
round it and receiving the impression is taken out by means of rollers or
gripers these, griping, rollers are provided with india-rubber, rings, which are
made to run on the margin of the sheet of paper that is being printed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said David Payne in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
'7th March 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DAVID
PAYNE, of Otley, in the County of York, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said David Payne, Her special licence that I, the said David Payne, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said David
Payne, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING
MACHINERY," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said David
Payne, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and

page_text: ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said David Payne, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement,
reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the letters and
figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention of "Improvements in Printing Machinery" relates more
particularly to machines for printing from lithographic stones and for printing
in colors, but some parts of the Invention are applicable to other kinds of
printing machinery.
The first improvement has for its object to produce a better register than
heretofore, and is as applicable to letter-press printing as to lithographic
printing.
The means of effecting this object is shewn in Sheet I. of the accompanying
Drawings in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a Wharfedale printing
machine with the improvement adapted thereto; Fig. 2 is an end elevation
of the same; Fig. 3 is a front view of the end of the impression roller or
cylinder.
The object of this part of the Invention is effected by causing the impression
roller to pass a short distance beyond the point where the nippers take hold of
the sheet of paper and then to return back to a gauge point which is raised
up behind it.
a, a, is the impression cylinder; b is the feeding board on which the sheets
of paper are placed in succession by the feeding boy ready to be taken hold
of by the fingers, nippers, or grippers attached to the impression cylinder as
is well known; c is a table to receive the printed sheets after they have
passed between the impression cylinder and the form of type, the lithographic
stone or other printing surface A, and have received the impression therefrom.
The inking rollers d are arranged and mounted in the usual manner under
the table c, and the reciprocating form of type or other printing surface A is
placed on a table which is mounted on guides and may be actuated by toothed
gearing in the well known manner, but in the Drawings is shewn as
actuated in a novel or improved manner as herein-after described. A wheel e
is keyed fast on the axle of the impression cylinder a, and rotates there-
with. This wheel carries on its inner side a block e¹, shewn by dots in
Fig. 1, and as the impression cylinder and the wheel e rotate in the direction

page_text: of the arrow in Fig. 1, the block e¹ will come against a spring stop
which
serves as a gauge point, and is fixed in front of the feeding table band kept
in position by a flat spring f. The block e¹ when it comes in contact with
the spring stop f depresses the same and passes it; the spring f¹ will then
bring back the stop into its original position ready to act as a stop and
gauge point. The driving wheel g of the machine drives a reciprocating
table and various working parts of the machine by a toothed wheel h and
other gearing, as indicated in the Drawing. A lever is jointed at one end
to the fixed framing, and is connected at the other and lower end to an
adjustable rod i which is jointed at its upper end to a lever k. The lever i
is provided at its lower end with a bowle which bears against the edge of a
cam 1, and as this latter rotates it (through the intervention of the rod i)
moves forward the lever k so as to bring its upper end against. the block e¹
on the wheel e, and move the latter up to the stop which is the fixed gauge
point. The impression roller is thus moved back a short distance the exact
length required. The length of the rod i may be regulated and adjusted to a
nicety by means of the adjusting screws and nuts j¹. By this means the
fingers, nippers, or grippers of the impression cylinder are made to take
hold of the sheet of paper at the precise place and moment required to
produce perfect register. In order to remove the stop lever out of the
way of the block d¹ so as to let the latter pass, the lower end or bowl of
the lever i is allowed to enter a recess made in the cam 1, and which
recess will be brought round at the precise moment for the purpose of
receiving the bowl at the end of the rod. The roller will thus be allowed
to fall back into the position shewn by red lines in the Figure, and the
impression roller may then rotate freely, and the form or printing surface A
will be carried under the inking and distributing rollers for a fresh supply of ink.
During the return of the form or printing surface the impression cylinder
and wheel e remain stationary with the exception of a slight adjusting motion,
and will continue so until ready to take in another sheet; this adjustment
is effected by the stop lever k, which will advance and push back the block e
of the wheel e up to the stop or gauge point f, and will thus adjust the
position of the impression cylinder as before so as to make perfect register.
Although the machine represented in Figures 1, 2, and 3 is shewn as intended
for printing from a form of type the improvement is equally applicable to litho
graphic printing presses.
The next improvement relates to the means of adjusting the table to its
proper height, so as to admit of lithographic stones of different thickness being
used in the same machine. To this end the table is adjustable vertically by

page_text: means of a wedge-formed support, which is capable of being moved round
under the table by means of an adjusting screw or screws operated by worm
wheels, bevil toothed gearing, or otherwise. In this way the height of
the table may be adjusted to a nicety, so as to suit stones of sufficient
thicknesses.
Figures 4 and 5, Sheet II., represent one arrangement of parts for effecting
the object of this improvement. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of an
adjustable printing table and frame; Fig. 5 is a plan view of the lower part of
the frame, the upper part of the table or that portion on which the litho-
graphic stone is placed being removed so as to shew the wedge-formed supports,
on which the upper part of the table rests. My improved adjustable table con-
sists of three principal parts, namely, the box or quadrangular frame m, m,
which when in its place in the machine rests on a series of antifriction rollers,
shewn in Fig. 10, Sheet I., and hereafter more particularly referred to. nis
a ring which is capable of being turned round horizontally, and is provided
on its upper edge with a series of wedges n', n', n¹, on which rest a series of
wedges o', o, o', of corresponding shape, and formed on the under side of the
upper table o, on which the lithographic stone is placed, as indicated by the
red lines in Fig. 4. On a lug or projecting piece n of the lower half of the
adjustable table is mounted on a pin joint a screw nut p, through which
passes the tangent screw p¹. The pin or pivot of the screw nut p enters an
oblong slot in the lug n², as shewn by dots in Fig. 5, and passes into a long
slot made in the cross bar of the box m. On the end of the tangent screw p¹
is fixed a bevil pinion p², into which gears a similar wheel p³ on the end of
the short shaft p¹. It will now be understood that if the short shaft p* is
turned on its axis it will by means of the bevil gearing p, p, and the tangent
screw p move round the lower part n of the adjustable table, and in so doing
will drive the wedges n', n', under the corresponding wedges o¹, o¹, of the
upper part of the table, and by so doing will force this upper part with the
lithographic stone on it to rise vertically in the quadrangular frame m to the
proper height. By turning the screw p¹ in the opposite direction the upper
table o with the lithographic stone on it will be made to descend. It will be
evident that this adjustment of the height of the stone may then be regulated
to a nicety.
Figures 6, 7, 8, and 9
represent a modification of the arrangement
shewn in Figures 4 and 5. In this instance instead of having a series of
detached wedges, as at n¹ and o¹, in Fig. 4, the lower or rotating half n of the
table is made with three or four square screw threads n' which take into a
corresponding screw cut in the boss o' of the upper part o of the table, as

page_text: shewn in Fig. 6, which is a vertical section of the adjustable table, shewing
the lithographic stone in place thereon. On the under side of the periphery
of the rotating part n of the table there is a circular bevil toothed rack q, as
shewn in Fig. 7, which is a plan view of the rotating part n of the table.
Fig. 8 is a view of the under side of the upper half o of the table, and
Fig. 9 is a plan view of the box or frame m with the moving parts n and o
removed. Into the circular rack q, Figures 6 and 7, gears a bevil pinion 7,
and by causing this to rotate the part n of the table is moved round hori-
zontally, and by so doing will cause the part o to move up or down in a vertical
direction, and by this means will adjust the position of the stone with accuracy,
as in the former instance.
The next improvement relates to a novel arrangement of gearing for
actuating the reciprocating table, and is shewn in Sheets I. and II., in which
Fig. 10 is a longitudinal section of the machine, shewing the working gear;
Fig. 11 is an end elevation of the same. The improvement consists in
mounting the driving wheel h on a fixed shaft, stud, or boss, through which
passes excentrically a rotating shaft. r, which carries an arm or lever r³,
provided with a crank pin 2 which works in a slot 2 in one of the arms of
the driving wheel h; to this same crank pin 72, or to another pin on the arm or
lever his attached a connecting rod s, the other end of which is jointedl
excentrically at t¹ to a rolling toothed wheel t which runs to and fro in a
toothed rack u attached to the framing; this rolling wheel t also works in
another rack above fixed on the under side of the reciprocating table A,
which is supported on antifriction rollers, as shewn in Fig. 10.
The object
of this arrangement is to give a differential motion to the reciprocating
table A, so that at one part of its motion (that is, while the impression is
being taken) it may travel slowly, and on its return motion (and while
receiving the ink) it may travel quicker; this differential motion is caused by
the crank pin 2 being made to move along the slot h² nearer to or further
from the axis of the driving wheel h. It will also be seen that when the
excentric joint pin t¹ is below the axis of the rolling toothed wheel r the latter
will drive the reciprocating table quicker than when the pin t¹ is above the
axis or centre of the wheel t.
Fig. 12 is an end view, and Fig. 13 a side view of a modification of the
arrangement just described, the only difference being that instead of the arm
or lever h¹ being mounted excentrically on the boss of the driving wheel h it
is mounted on a separate shaft which is placed excentrically or below the level
of the axis or shaft of the wheel h.
Fig. 14 is an end view, and Fig. 15 a side view of another modification in

page_text: which the joint pin of the lever or arm
when
and the connecting rods instead
of being made to move up or down a slot h³, as in Figures 10 and 13, is con-
nected by a link y, Fig. 15, with one of the arms of the driving wheel. The
red circles in Figures 10, 13, and 15 represent the maximum and minimum
circles of rotation of the pin r, thereby indicating the amount of differential
motion which can be obtained for the purpose of driving the table at different
speeds at different parts of its course. The paper to be printed is fed into the
machine on the upper side of the impression cylinder, and after passing round
it and receiving the impression is taken out by means of rollers or grippers.
These gripping rollers are provided with india-rubber rings, which are made
to run on the margin of the sheet of paper that is being printed, and will
carry it out of the machine, but as the impression cylinder travels at varying
speed at different parts of its rotation it is necessary that the taking-off or
gripping rollers should also rotate at corresponding speeds, anmoreover
should continue to rotate in the direction for taking off the sheet,
the impression cylinder is rotating in the opposite direction. This is effected
by means of the arrangement and construction of parts shewn in Sheet III.,
in which Fig. 16 represents in elevation those parts connected with the taking-
off apparatus. a is the impression cylinder, which is provided with fingers a¹
for taking hold of the sheets as they are fed in from the table ; c, c¹, are the
gripping rollers, the upper one of which is provided with a ring or rings of
india-rubber, which may be shifted to any part of the roller, so as to run on
the margin of the paper and nip it between the two gripping rollers, which
when they take the paper from the impression cylinder deposit it on the
table d. Motion is communicated from a band wheel on the axle of the
impression cylinder to another band wheel e on the shaft e', on which is keyed
a toothed wheel e which gears into and drives another toothed wheel ƒ which
Tuns loosely on the countershaft ; a V-pulley is mounted and also runs
loosely on the same shaft f', and is driven at a uniform speed by a band from
any convenient part of the machine. Between the toothed wheel f¹ and
pulley g is keyed or otherwise firmly secured a ratchet wheel h, as seen best
in the side view, Fig. 17, and also in the end view, Fig. 18. On the inner side
of the toothed wheel f, and also of the pulley g, there are clicks or pawls f
and g, which take into the, teeth of the ratchet wheel h, so that one or other
of these clicks will drive round the ratchet wheel, and with it the shaft f' on
which it is keyed. A toothed wheel i is keyed on to the shaft f, and gears
into a similar wheel on the shaft of the lower gripping roller, as indicated
by the red lines in Fig. 16. It will now be understood that as the impression
oller a rotates in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 16 it will through its band

page_text: pulley drive the band wheel e on the shaft e¹, and through the intervention of
the toothed wheel 'e will drive the toothed wheel f; the pawl on the side of
this latter will take into and drive round the ratchet h which is keyed on the
shaft f, and thus through the toothed wheels i, and i', will actuate the gripping
rollers c until the speed of the wheel f slackens and falls below that of the
V pulley g, which is driven from another source. When the speed of the
wheel slackens the pawl on the side of the V pulley g will drive round the
ratchet and shaft f', and continue the rotation of the wheels i, i¹, and
the gripping roller c; the impression cylinder will then be left free to stop
and turn back as will be required to take a fresh sheet while the printed sheet
is being carried steadily forward and delivered on to the board d.
Having now described my Invention of improvements in printing machinery,
and having explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I claim as
the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid,-
First. The mode herein set forth of bringing the impression cylinder with
precision up to a gauge point for the purpose of obtaining accurate register.
Second. I claim the mode herein set forth of accurately adjusting to its proper
height the table on which the printing surface is fixed, so as to regulate the
height according to the thickness of the lithographic stones used.
Third. I claim the arrangement and construction of parts herein shewn and
described for communicating a differential reciprocating motion to the travelling
table on which the form, block, or printing surface is placed.
Lastly. I claim the arrangement and construction of parts herein set forth
for carrying out the printed sheet from the machine.
In witness whereof, I, the said David Payne, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, the Sixth day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-eight.
DAVID PAYNE. (L.S.)