Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd May, 1887.
Specification Accepted, 24th June, 1887.
I, JULES MICHAUD, of 96 rue d'Assas, Paris, in the Republic of 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:
at will.
My invention relates to rotary printing machines which will permit of the printing,
superposing, and folding of publications from two rolls of paper, or the printing and
folding, without superposing, from one or two rolls of
paper,
The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which
Sheet 1 shows two views of the machine, Fig. 1 being a section on line 3, 4, and
Fig. 2 a section on line 1, 2.
There are two series of cylinders, one on each side of the machine, and for each
series an endless roll or web of paper is provided.
The paper from the roll or reel V₁ passes between the cylinders A' and B¹, A¹ being
clothed with a suitable fabric or blanket, and B¹ carrying the printing forme, which
may be of metal type, electros, stereos, or zincos. The paper then passes between a
second pair of cylinders C and D, C¹ being clothed with a suitable fabric or blanket,
and D carrying the forme for printing the back or opposite side.
In the same way the paper from the roll or reel V2 is printed on its opposite sides
between cylinders A and B for one side, and between C and D2 for the back or
opposite side, A2 and C² being clothed with a suitable fabric or blanket, and B2 and D²
carrying the formes.
The paper from reel V₁ when printed, passes over rollers e and f, and descends
between the cutting and folding cylinders G¹, H¹.
The paper from reel V2 when printed, passes over rollers i, j, f, and descends
between the same cutting and folding cylinders G¹, H¹, (as shown in dotted lines).
The webs from the two reels are thus superposed, their travel being such that the
texts and the margins of the sheets coincide. The roller ; being adjustable, allows of
the travel of the paper from reel V2 being lengthened or shortened, so that the
superposition may be effected with great exactitude.

page_text: The webs are then cut together and receive a first fold, and are carried by the
cutter and folder G¹ into a set of tapes, which conducts them above the rollers R for
the second fold.
Fig. 3, sheet 3, shows the special construction of the cutting and folding cylinders.
Cylinder H carries the cutting knife a. Cylinder G carries the counterpart or
"maiden "b, in conjunction with which the cutting knife works, and which may be
of india rubber or of india rubber and leather. f is a bar terminating in trunnions,
and supported by pieces fixed to cylinder G; this bar carries a number of steel blades,
which when at rest lie against the cylinder, and which after the cut assume the
position shown in the drawing, the bar having been turned by the action of a cam on
a roller mounted on a crank arm with which it is provided at one extremity.
The cylinder H carries a bar c on which is fixed a steel blade; the cylinder G
carries a bar d on which is also fixed a steel blade. The bars c and d are supported
by pieces fixed to the cylinders, and in which they can turn, and are actuated by
cams coming in contact with rollers mounted on crank arms fitted to the extremities
of the bars.
In the cylinder G grooves are formed to receive threads or cords which pass round
roller g.
The paper which descends between the two cylinders G and H is cut by the knife,
certain parts, corresponding to the threads passing round cylinder G, still connecting
the descending sheet to the preceding one. At this moment, under the action of
the cam, the bar is moved to the position shown in the drawing, and thus
entirely separates the 'two sheets, and forces the forward end of the descending sheet
over the plate M, which prevents it falling in the tapes. When the blades mounted
on bars c and d come in contact, the blade c, which projects from cylinder H, forces
the sheet of paper between the blade d and the edge of the recess in cylinder G; the
blade d by the action of the cam on its bar is caused to bear against the edge of the
recess in cylinder G, against which it nips the paper, and the continued rotation
of the cylinders carries the sheet forward folded by the cylinder G, the part which
had descended over the plate M being drawn back and placing itself against the other
part. The sheet being subsequently released by the blade d, is detached from
cylinder G by the threads, and passes between tapes K and L which carry it to the
rollers for the second fold.
The drawing shows a machine arranged for making two folds only, but it can if
required be arranged to make three, four, or a greater number.
The ink supplied by the ink ducts L' and M, L and M², is transferred by rollers
to the cylinders N¹ and Q1, N2 and Q, on which it is distributed by other rollers, the
rollers W then laying it very evenly on the printing cylinders.
Fig. 2, sheet 1, is a section of the machine on line 1, 2. This Fig. shows that the
machine is double, that is to say that a circular cutter 9 divides the sheets in two, one
set of sheets receiving the second fold by the blade T forcing them between the
rollers R', and the other set receiving the second fold by the blade T forcing them
between rollers R².
The blades T are of steel, and are supported by pivotted levers; they are actuated
by circular eccentrics or by cams, and force the folded sheet between the rollers placed
beneath them.
After the second, fold the sheets are delivered on to a table by a flyer or oscillating
plate U, as shown in the drawing, unless it is required to give them more folds.
The delivery of the sheets is shown more clearly on sheet 3, Figs. 1 and 2. The
sheets carried to roller A are released by a portion of the tapes which conveyed them
there, and which pass around the rollers B and C. The end tapes indicated by dotted
lines in Fig. 1, after proceeding with the sheets to the table, pass over pulleys E
and F, and return to their starting point; these tapes are shown in dotted lines in
Fig. 1, and in Fig. 2 (which is a plan on line G, H,) by the lines I, J, K, L. When
the sheet comes in contact with the table, the flyer or oscillating plate, actuated by an
eccentric, bears against such sheet, and causes it to leave the tapes and to enter the

page_text: receiving box or tray. The block N placed in the box or tray serves to support the
packet of sheets received, and it recedes as the packet increases.
When the flyer or oscillating plate recedes, the last sheet received, which has a
tendency to move back again, is arrested by angle pieces or squares O and P fixed at
each side of the box or tray, and which prevent it bearing against the tapes. The
curved part Q of the receiving table also serves to retain the packet of sheets, and
prevent it moving back again.
The machine illustrated in sheets and 2 delivers two copies of a publication at the
same time, the two copies each containing two sheets superposed and folded. If the
machine is not required to effect such a large out put, reels of half the width may be
employed, the printing and cutting cylinders being half the length, and for each
revolution of the machine only one copy, consisting of two sheets superposed and
folded, will be delivered.
In the case where the sheets coming from the reels V and V' are not required to
be superposed, the sheets from reel V₁ are cut and folded by the cylinders G₁ and H',
and directed by cylinder G¹ over rollers R; those coming from reel V2 are caused to
pass over roller
descend between cylinders G³ and H³, which cut and fold them,
and cylinder G then directs them over the rollers R. The blades T1, T2, give the
second fold to the sheets coming from reel V₁, and force them between the rollers R¹
and R2, and the blades T3, T4, give the second fold to the sheets coming from reel V³,
and force them between the rollers R¹ and R*.
Y is the driving shaft of the machine, and carries pulleys, and two gear
wheels a, a¹; the wheel a gears with wheel 6 which actuates all the machine on the
side of the reel V₁, and wheel a¹ gears with wheel 6' which actuates all the machine
on the side of the reel V2.
The wheels a and a¹ have hubs or bosses keyed to the shafts, and such hubs or
bosses can be inade independent of their toothed rims by means of a coupling device.
Consequently by this arrangement in order to stop the action of the entire machine
all that is requisite is to shift the driving strap from the fast to the loose pulley. To
stop one of the two parts or halves of the machine (either that corresponding with
reel V, or that corresponding with reel V2), whilst the other part shall continue
in operation, it suffices to shift the coupling device either of the wheel a or of the
wheel a; the driving shaft Y will continue to revolve, but the hub or boss of the
wheel which is uncoupled will revolve in its toothed rim, without carrying the latter
with it, and consequently without driving the part of the machine which it governs.
It will thus be seen that this machine will
1. Print sheets coming from two reels of paper, superpose, fold and deliver them.
2. Print sheets coming from two reels of paper, and fold and deliver same
separately.
3. Print from one reel of paper only by causing one side of the machine only to be
operated. When the two parts of the machine are in operation, either part or half can
be arrested without stopping the other part or half.
In the case where it is desired, either to only make make use of one reel of paper,
or to always superpose the sheets coming from the two reels, it will then only be
necessary to have one pair of cutting and folding cylinders G, H, instead of two; the
sheets coming from reels V₁ and V will be superposed and pass thus between G
and H, which will then cut and fold them as herein before described. The rollers R
will be only half as long, and there will only be one point of delivery.
In Fig. 4, sheet 3, I have illustrated a new arrangement of the counterpart or
maiden in conjunction with which the cutting knife works.
In this arrangement the leather A which is brought to bear upon the cylinder
carrying the knife, instead of being fixed on wood, as is often the case, is fixed above
a strip of india rubber B, which gives a certain amount of elasticity to the pressure on
the knife cylinder, and thus facilitates the cutting.
The india rubber and the leather are mounted on the cylinder as indicated in the
drawing, and a bar C keeps the whole in position. 1 may use a counterpart of all

page_text: eather, but the strip of india rubber placed beneath the leather will produce better
results.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The combination of parts constituting a machine whereby sheets from two
different reels of paper can be printed and superposed, substantially as described and
shown.
2. The combination with the printing cylinders of two cutting and folding
cylinders, between which the two continuous bands or webs of printed and superposed
paper are cut and folded.
3. The combination with the printing cylinders of four cutting and folding
cylinders, two of which serve to cut and fold the sheets coming from one reel of
paper, and the two others to cut and fold the sheets coming from the other recl of
paper, each of these two pairs of cylinders being independently capable of serving to
cut and fold the sheets coming from the two reels of paper and which have been
previously superposed:
4. The arrangement of cutters and folders making the fold as described without any
creasing, and of blades which ensure the separation of the sheets, and their direction
into the proper position for folding.
5. The arrangement whereby with only one driving belt or strap, either the whole
of the machine can be actuated, or either half of same be disconnected so as to remain
stationary, without interfering with the operation of the other half.
6. The arrangement for delivering the sheets of paper substantially as described
and shown.
7. The construction as described of the counterpart or maiden, in conjunction with
which the cutting knife operates, either wholly of leather, or of india rubber covered
with leather.