Improvements in Printing Machines.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Mar., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Dec., 1894-Accepted, 5th Jan., 1895
Improvements in Printing Machines.
We, GEORGE WATSON, ARTHUR EDMESTON WATSON and ALEXANDER
MCLAREN all of 24 Castle Street, Finsbury in the City of London do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-
This invention relates to printing machines adapted for printing a succession of
leaves all having the same printed matter upon them and for numbering the sheets
with successive numbers.
The object of the invention is to enable this to be done in continuous web printing
machines.
Printing of this kind has to be done for making up account books, cheque books
and for other like purposes.
In such books each printed sheet has commonly on one side of it a counterfoil
slip with a line of perforations between the two and the counterfoils are bound in to
the cover.
On the opposite side of each printed sheet is also in some cases a blank
sheet which is to be folded in behind such printed sheet-these have all to have the
same number printed on them-usually such printed sheets are bound up in books
each containing say 50 or 100 sheets-the sheets have therefore to be numbered
consecutively from one to 50 or one to 100 and then the next 50 or 100 have to be
similarly numbered and so on.
In continuous web printing machines the web of paper passes between a pair or
pairs of cylinders-one cylinder in each pair being a printing cylinder and the
other what is called an impression cylinder for holding the paper against the
printing cylinder.
The surface speed of the revolving printing surface must therefore be the same
as that of the travelling web of paper.
To effect the continuous numbering of consecutive sheets in such machines I carry
the numbering type upon spring blades secured to an endless band and projecting
out from it on one side.
Around the printing cylinder which has upon it printing or impression plates I
form a shallow groove-the endless band passes around the cylinder in this groove
and pins or teeth projecting from the bottom of the groove are arranged to pass
through holes formed through the band and ensure that as the cylinder revolves
the endless band shall revolve with it.
As the band lies in the groove around the cylinder the numbering type on the
spring blades do not come into contact with the paper that is being printed unless
they are thrust outwards away from the cylinder just as they come opposite to the
paper.
Usually the printing, cylinder has upon it two exactly corresponding sheets of
printing surface so that two sheets are printed at each revolution. To number
these consecutively from one to fifty and then recommeuce and similarly number the
next fifty and so on the endless band may carry 50 spring blades each with a
separate number upon it. If the spring blades were numbered in succession from 1
to 50 all the way around the band, the band would have to be of very inconvenient
length as the strips would have to be far apart from one another two only having
to be brought into action for each revolution of the printing cylinder. To avoid
this and to admit of a comparatively short band being used with the spring strips

page_text: set in close proximity to one another I make the band of such a length that it shall
make say 11 revolutions whilst the cylinder makes 25 revolutions to print the
50 sheets and I set the strips at such a distance apart that every 11th strip comes
successively into position to print on the web of paper. In this way at the end of
11 revolutions all the strips will have impressed their numbers on to the travelling
web of paper in proper order and will then recommence to number the next
50 sheets and so on.
Preferably I use two exactly similar bands joined end to end to form one endless
band. In this case the double band would only make 5 revolutions for every
25 revolutions of the cylinder. A band for numbering a hundred sheets would be
of the same length as the double band for numbering 50 sheets and would make
11 revolutions whilst the 100 sheets were being printed.
For pressing the spring blades outwards at the proper time to cause the type
upon them to bear against the paper that is being printed I use two small teeth or
projections standing out from the groove in the cylinder on two opposite sides of
the axis.
When as the cylinder revolves one or other projection comes round towards the
paper that is being printed it bears against the back of one of the spring blades
and presses it outwards so that just at this time the printing surface of the number
on this blade will as it comes against the paper be travelling at the same surface
speed as the paper.
If the counterfoil slip and blank sheet have to be numbered, separate numbering
bands would be used for doing so.
The printing numbers on the endless band are kept inked in any ordinary way.
Dated this 1st day of March 1894.
GEORGE WATSON.
A. E. WATSON.
ALEXR. MCLAREN.
Improvements in Printing Machines.
We, GEORGE WATSON, ARTHUR EDMESTON WATSON, and ALEXANDER
MCLAREN, all of 24 Castle Street, Finsbury in the City of London, 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:-
This invention relates to printing machines adapted for printing a succession of
leaves all having the same printed matter upon them and for numbering the sheets
with successive numbers.
The object of the invention is to enable this to be done in continuous web printing
machines.
Printing of this kind has to be done for making up account books, check books
and for other like purposes.
In such books each printed sheet has commonly on one side of it a counterfoil
slip with a line of perforations between the two and the counterfoils are bound in
to the cover. On the opposite side of each printed sheet is also in some cases a
blank sheet which is to be folded in behind such printed sheet-these have all to
have the same number printed on them, usually such printed sheets are bound up in
books each containing say 50 or 100 sheets-the sheets have therefore to be
numbered consecutively from one to 50 or one to 100 and then the next 50 or 100
have to be similarly numbered and so on.
In continuous web printing machines the web of paper passes between a pair or
airs of cylinders-one cylinder in each pair being a printing cylinder and the

page_text: other what is called an impression cylinder for holding the paper against the
printing cylinder.
The surface speed of the revolving printing surface must therefore be the same
as that of the travelling web of paper.
To effect the continuous numbering of consecutive sheets in such machines we
carry the numbering type upon spring blades secured to an endless band and
projecting out from it on one side.
Around the printing cylinder which has upon it printing or impression plates we
form a shallow groove-the endless band passes around the cylinder in this groove
and pins or teeth projecting from the bottom of the groove are arranged to pass
through holes formed through the band and ensure that as the cylinder revolves
the endless band shall revolve with it.
As the band lies in the groove around the cylinder the numbering type on the
spring blades do not come into contact with the paper that is being printed unless
they are thrust outwards away from the cylinder just as they come opposite to the
paper.
Usually the printing cylinder has upon it two exactly corresponding sheets of
printing surface so that two sheets are printed at each revolution. To number
these consecutively from one to fifty and then recommence and similarly number
the next fifty and so on the endless band may carry 50 spring blades each with a
separate number upon it. If the spring blades were numbered in succession from 1
to 50 all the way around the band, the band would have to be of very inconvenient
length as the strips would have to be far apart from one another two only having to
be brought into action for each revolution of the printing cylinder. To avoid this
and to admit of a comparatively short band being used with the spring strips set in
close proximity to one another we make the band of such a length that it shall
make say 11 revolutions whilst the cylinder makes 25 revolutions to print the
50 sheets and we set the strips at such a distance apart that every 11th strip comes
successively into position to print on the web of paper. In this way at the end of
11 revolutions all the strips will have impressed their numbers on to the travelling
web of paper in proper order and will then recommence to number the next
50 sheets and so on.
Preferably we use two exactly similar bands joined end to end to form one
endless band. In this case the double band would only make 5 revolutions for
every 25 revolutions of the cylinder. A band for numbering a hundred sheets
would be of the same length as the double band for numbering 50 sheets and would
make 11 revolutions whilst the 100 sheets were being printed.
For pressing the spring blades outwards at the proper time to cause the type
upon them to bear against the paper that is being printed we use two small teeth
or projections standing out from the groove in the cylinder on two opposite sides
of the axis.
When as the cylinder revolves one or other projection comes round towards the
paper that is being printed it bears against the back of one of the spring blades
and presses it outwards so that just at this time the printing surface of the number
on this blade will as it comes against the paper be travelling at the same surface
speed as the paper.
If the counterfoil slip and blank sheet have to be numbered, separate numbering
bands would be used for doing so.
The printing numbers on the endless band are kept inked in any ordinary way.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a printing cylinder and part of a numbering band
passing around it as above described.
Figure 2 is a face view of part of the band.
Figure 3 is a cross section of part of the printing cylinder and band passing
around it.
Figure 4 is a front view of an impression cylinder and numbering band capable
of being set to print upon any part of the width of the paper passing over or around
the impression cylinder.

page_text: In the drawings A is an endless band it may be of leather or other suitable
material or formed as a chain. B a cylinder around which the band passes-it may
be part of a printing cylinder which carries printing or impression plates or as
shewn in Figure 3 it may be a wheel on a separate axis revolved at the same speed
as the printing cylinders of the machine. In this case the numbering band can be
set to print the numbers upon any part of the width of the paper that is being
printed. A are holes formed through the band for pins B' projecting from the
cylinder B to gear into. C are spring blades secured at one end to one edge of
the band and at their other end projecting beyond the hand and carrying numbering
printing blocks C. D are projections on the cylinder or wheel B which press
outwards the numbering blocks C' as above described. E is an impression
cylinder.
The numbering blocks on the spring blades are numbered in the manner above
described.
One block prints the number one, the next block eleven away from it prints
two, the next eleven away from two prints three and so on all around the endless
band.
If the band carries 50 equidistant blades numbered in this way and two numbers
are printed for every revolution of the cylinder the band will for each revolution
of the cylinder make 3 of a revolution that is it will make 11 revolutions whilst
the cylinder makes 25 revolutions-consequently at the end of 25 revolutions of the
cylinder each one of the 50 blades carried by the band will have been acted upon
and the band and cylinder will be in the same positions relatively to one another
as at the start and be ready to print and number another 50 sheets and so on
continuously.
.
As before stated I prefer that the endless band should be made up of two bands
each formed in the manner above described and joined together end to end. In
this way
the band will be of the same length as a band for numbering 100 sheets so
that without any alteration in the machine one band may be substituted for the
other according as either 50 or 100 sheets have to be printed.
In place of the endless series of numbering blocks being mounted as above
described on an endless band they might be mounted on the periphery of a
revolving wheel, we however prefer to use an endless band as above described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is:
1. Apparatus for numbering sheets as they are printed in a printing machine
having numbering type ranged in a revolving endless series not in consecutive
order but ranged substantially as described in such manner that after the series
has made several complete revolutions each one of the numbering type in the
series has been brought once into action in its proper order and the endless
series is again in proper position to recommence to number another series of
sheets.
2. The construction of numbering mechanism for printing machines substantially
in the manner herein before described.
Dated this 1st day of December 1894.
GEORGE WATSON.
A. E. WATSON.
A. McLAREN.