IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF CYLINDER PRINTING MACHINES
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Walter Davis, of Kennington Lane,
Kennington, in the County of Surrey, Engineer, and Joseph Pardoe,
of Whitefriars, in the City of London, Machine Printer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF CYLINDER PRINTING
MACHINES"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Walter Davis
and Joseph Pardoe at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 2nd November 1872.
We, BENJAMIN WALTER DAVIS, of Kennington Lane, Kennington, in
the County of Surrey, Engineer, and JOSEPH PARDOE, of Whitefriars,
in the City of London, Machine Printer, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF CYLINDER
PRINTING MACHINES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the construction and
arrangements of the working parts of that class of cylinder printing
machines known as "perfecting jobbing machines" whereby such

page_text: machines are rendered more compact, more certain and efficient in their
action, and capable of being driven at a greater speed, thereby doing
more work in a given time, and the working parts are made more easily
accessible than heretofore.
According to our Invention we arrange the working parts in duplicate
(that is to say, with two "form" cylinders, two impression cylinders,
and two sets of feeding and inking rollers, and apparatus connected
therewith) in a semicircle, or in a curved direction upon correspondingly
curved or semicircular side standards, space being left below the
printing cylinders, in which space we arrange the "flyers" and the
receiving tables on which the printed sheets are laid as they issue from
between the printing cylinders, thereby considerably economizing
space.
The sheets to be printed are fed into the machine from two or more
platforms or tables situate near the top of the machine, such sheets
being carried into the feeding rollers, and from them to the printing
cylinders by suitably arranged tapes provided for that purpose.
"
The "form" cylinders are geared direct with the impression cylinders
in lieu of employing. intermediate gearing as is now usually the case,
thereby ensuring greater certainty of action, whilst at the same time
greater economy in the construction is effected. The "
which
'flyers
remove the printed sheets from the delivery tapes (which receive them
as they issue from between the "form" and impression cylinders) are so
arranged as to lay such sheets alternately to the right and left hand on
to the delivery table, thus presenting alternately the opposite surface of a
the sheets uppermost, by which means the machinist in attendance may
see that the work is progressing satisfactorily. The flyers are actuated
by means of cams which are carried on to the outer end of the shafts or
spindles of the feeding rollers, which cams in their rotation act upon the
upper ends of two vertical bars or rods, so as to depress and elevate them.
These bars or rods are each connected at their lower ends to one of the
arms of a bell crank situate in the lower part of the side standards, the
other arms of such bell cranks being connected by rods to projecting
arms keyed on to the rocking shafts which carry the flyers, whereby such
flyers are made to rise and fall. These cams are so timed as to act on 3
the flyers at the proper time to take the sheets as they issue from the
printing cylinders, and lay them alternately to the right and left on to
the delivery table, as before described.

page_text: Provision is made for printing sheets of different sizes, and for this
purpose the "form" cylinders are each provided with two adjustable
rings or "form" holders, which are undercut or bevelled on their under
face to fit corresponding bevels formed on the edges of the forms, and
are capable of being slid along the cylinder and fixed in position to suit
the size of "form" to be printed from by set screws or otherwise.
A bar of metal similarly undercut is also fixed upon the cylinder in a
line parallel with the axis thereof, against which bar one edge of the
"form" is placed and held firmly thereto by adjustable dogs or pieces of
metal which bear against the opposite edge thereof, and hold it firmly in
position.
In order to regulate the action of the flyers to suit the different sized
sheets to be printed, the cams which operate them are capable of being
adjusted on the axle which carries them so as to act at the proper time.
The drop rollers which first take hold of the sheets to present them to
the feeding rollers are also made adjustable in the arms which carry
them, such adjustment being effected by means of set screws provided
for the purpose.
The sheets are presented first to one set of printing rollers which print
them on one side, and from these rollers they are received on to tapes
which conduct them to the second set of printing rollers to be printed
on the reverse side, and from these last-mentioned rollers they are carried
by suitably arranged tapes to the flyers, which lay them on the delivery
table in the manner herein-before described. The printed sheets may
then be removed from the table as desired by hand without stopping the
machine, the conducting tapes being so arranged as not to interfere with
their removal.
0
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Benjamin Walter Davis and Joseph Pardoe in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th April 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, BEN-
JAMIN WALTER DAVIS, of Kennington Lane, Kennington, in the County
of Surrey, Engineer, and JOSEPH PARDOE, of Whitefriars, in the City of
London, Machine Printer, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said Benjamin Walter Davis and Joseph Pardoe,
Her special licence that we, the said Benjamin Walter Davis and Joseph
Pardoe, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
we, the said Benjamin Walter Davis and Joseph. Pardoe, our 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
THE CONSTRUCTION OF CYLINDER PRINTING MACHINES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said Benjamin Walter Davis and Joseph
Pardoe, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under our, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and 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 we, the said Benjamin Walter Davis and Joseph
Pardoe, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement (that is
to say):
Our said Invention relates to certain improvements in the construction
and arrangements of the working parts of that class of cylinder printing
machines known as "perfecting machines," whereby such machines
are rendered more compact, more certain and efficient in their action,
and capable of being driven at a greater speed, thereby doing more work
in a given time, and the working parts are made more accessible than
heretofore.
According to our Invention we arrange the working parts in duplicate,
that is to say, two "forme" cylinders, two impression cylinders, and two
sets of feeding and inking rollers, and apparatus connected therewith in
a semicircle or in a curved direction upon correspondingly curved or

page_text: semicircular side standards, a space being left below the printing
cylinders, in which space we arrange the "flyers" and the receiving
tables, upon which the printed sheets are laid as they issue from the
printing cylinders, thereby considerably economising space. The sheets.
to be printed are fed into the machine from two or more platforms or
tables situate near the top of the machine, such sheets being carried to
the feeding rollers, and from them to the printing cylinders, by suitably
arranged tapes provided for that purpose.
"
The "forme" cylinders are geared direct with the impression cylinders
in lieu of employing intermediate gearing as is now usually the case,
thereby ensuring greater certainty of action, whilst at the same time
greater economy in the construction is effected. The "flyers receive
the printed sheets from the delivery rollers and lay them alternately to
the right and left hand on to the two receiving tables, thereby presenting
to view impressions from both of the "formes," so that the machinist in
attendance may see that the work is progressing satisfactorily. The
flyers are actuated by means of cams, which in their rotation act upon
the upper ends of two vertical rods so as to elevate the same. These
rods are connected at their lower ends to projecting arms keyed on the
rocking shafts which carry the flyers, whereby the said flyers are made
to rise to a vertical position in readiness to receive the printed sheets as
they issue from between the delivery rollers, and to fall again by means
of springs so as to lay such sheets upon the receiving table. These
cams are carried on the same stud centres which carry the feed actuating
cams, and are rotated by means of gearing from the axles of the feeding
rollers. They are so timed as to act on the flyers at the proper time to.
take the sheets as they issue from the delivering rollers, and are capable
of being adjusted to suit different sized sheets, the adjustment for the feed
serving at the same time to adjust the action of the flyers for the delivery
of the work.
The forme cylinders are each provided with two adjustable rings or
"forme" holders which are capable of being slid along the said cylinder
and fixed in any suitable position thereon to suit various sizes of formes
to be printed from. These adjustable rings are undercut or bevelled on
their under faces to fit corresponding bevels formed on the edges of the
formes.
A bar of metal similarly undercut is also fixed upon the cylinder in a
11
T

page_text: formes is placed and held firmly thereto by adjustable dogs or bars of
metal which bear against the opposite edges of the formes and hold
them firmly in position.
The sheets to be printed are presented first to one set of printing
cylinders, which print them on one side, and from these cylinders they a
are conducted by means of suitable tapes to the second set of printing
cylinders to be printed on the reverse side. From these last-mentioned
cylinders the printed sheets are carried by suitably arranged tapes to the
flyers, which lay them on the receiving tables in the manner herein-before
described. The printed sheets may be removed from the receiving tables 1
without stopping the machine, the conducting tapes being so arranged
as not to interfere with their removal.
And in order that our said Invention may be more clearly understood
we shall now proceed to further describe the same by referring to the
accompanying Sheets of Drawings, of which Fig. I, Sheet I, represents 1
a side elevation of our improved perfecting printing machine, and
Figs. 2 and 3, Sheet 2, are details of the forme cylinder showing the
mode of fixing the forme thereon.
The two cast-iron side standards A, A, are of a semicircular or other
suitable curved or arched form, and carry the whole of the working 2
parts of the machine, the receiving tables B and flyers C being placed
within the space D immediately below the printing cylinders, thereby
greatly economising space. E, E, are the "forme" cylinders provided
at their ends opposite to those shown in our Drawings with spur wheels
which gear into corresponding wheels keyed on the axles of the im- 2
pression cylinders F, F, the intermediate gearing usually employed being
dispensed with, thereby ensuring greater certainty in their action. The
inking drums G, G, are supplied with ink from the ink troughs H, H,.
by the ductor rollers I, I, carried on the arms J, J, and made to rise and
fall by the cams K, K, keyed on the axles L, L, which cams receive a
their rotary motion from the axles of the inking drums G by the spur
gearing M, M. The ink is conveyed to the forme cylinders from the
drums G by the distributing rollers N, N.
In order to more equally distribute the ink over the surface of the
drums F a lateral reciprocating motion is imparted thereto by means of a
the levers O, O, centred at P, P, to the fixed brackets Q, Q. These
levers are actuated from the axle of the forme cylinders by the

page_text: worms R, R, and worm wheels S, S, to each of which latter one end of
each of the levers O is connected by the eccentric pins T, T.
It will be seen on referring to the Drawings that as the forme cylinders
rotate a rotary motion will be imparted to the worm wheels S, S, and
consequently cause the levers O, O, to oscillate on their centres, and
thereby impart a reciprocating motion to the inking cylinders, to the
axles of which the opposite ends U, U, of the levers O, O, are connected.
The sheets to be printed are fed from the two feeding tables V, V, on to
the feeding rollers W, W, and are there nipped between the said rollers
and the drop rollers X, X. The sheets are then carried forward by the
tapes Y, Y, to the first pair of forme and impression cylinders, which
print them on one side thereof, after which they are conducted by the
said tapes to the other pair of printing cylinders and printed on their
reverse sides, after which they pass to the delivery rollers Z, Z, and
as they issue therefrom they are caught by one or other of the two
flyers C and laid on to one or other of the two receiving tables B. As
the printed sheets accumulate on the tables B they may be removed
therefrom without stopping the machine. The drop rollers X are brought
into action so as to nip the sheets at the proper time by the cams a, a,
carried on the stud centres b, b, which studs also carry the cams c, c,
which actuate the flyers. Motion is imparted to these cams from the
axles of the feeding rollers by the spur gearing d, d.
In order to regulate the action of the drop rollers and the flyers to
suit sheets of different sizes the cams a, a, are capable of being adjusted
on the stud centres which carry them, and fixed in any position required
by set screws e, e. The cams c elevate the flyers C to a vertical position
as shown on the left hand side of Fig. 1 by acting upon the friction
rollers ff, carried on the upper end of the connecting rods g, g, the
lower ends of which rods are connected to arms h, h, keyed on the
rocking shaft i, i, which carry the flyers. So soon as the concentric
position of the cams c, c, have passed the roller f, f, the flyers will be
brought into a horizontal or nearly horizontal position, as shown on
the right hand side of Fig. I. by the springs k, k, and carry with them
the printed sheets and lay them on the receiving tables.
Although we have described and shown in our Drawing only two
feeding tables four or more may be employed by arranging them upon.
suitable frames for carrying them above those shewn, suitable guiding

page_text: tapes being also provided for conducting the sheets from such tables
to the feeding rollers.
the forme cylinders, and
I is a wrought iron ring
Fig. 2, Sheet 2, is an end elevation of one of
Fig. 3 is a longitudinal elevation of the same.
fixed at about the centre of the body of the cylinder E, and having
undercut or bevelled edges M, M, formed thereon, against which one
side of the "forme" is placed, such forme having a corresponding bevel
on its edges to fit the bevel in the sides of the ring. The formes are
held firmly against the ring 7 by the adjustable rings n, n, also undercut
at o, o, on one edge thereof to fit the bevel on the edges of the formes.
These adjustable rings n are forced against the opposite edge of the formes
by the screws p, p, which work in the sliding blocks q, q. These blocks
bear against the outer edges of the adjustable rings o, and force them
forward towards the fixed ring 7. Against the outer edge of the forme
to be secured to the cylinder r, r, are bars of metal fixed in a longi-
tudinal position on the cylinder. These bars are also undercut on both
their edges, against which one of the edges of the formes at right angles
to those already mentioned is placed and held firmly thereto by the
adjustable bars or dogs S, S, which bars bear against the opposite edges
of the said formes, and are fixed in position by the set screws t, t. It
will thus be seen that the cylinders are capable of carrying formes of
various sizes, such formes being held firmly in position by the undercut
rings and plates above described:
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, we would observe in conclusion, that what we consider
to be novel, and therefore claim as our Invention is,―
1st. Arranging the printing cylinders, the inking drums, and parts
connected therewith of "perfecting" printing machines in a semicircular
or other curved or arched direction upon correspondingly curved or
arched standards or supports, and delivering the printed sheets within
the arch thus formed as and for the purpose herein-before described and
illustrated by our Drawings.
2ndly. Gearing the forme cylinders of perfecting printing machines
directly with the impression cylinders as herein-before described.
3rdly. The combination of the drop rollers X, cams a and c, connecting
rods g, and flyers C, arranged and operating substantially in the manner
herein-before described and illustrated by our Drawings:

page_text: 4thly. Delivering the printed sheets on to receiving tables alternately
to the right hand and to the left, whereby impressions of both of the
formes are presented uppermost, as herein-before described.
5thly. The application and use of undercut or bevelled rings and
metal plates for securing the formes on the forme cylinders as herein-
before described and illustrated by our Drawings.
6thly. The application and use of adjustable rings and plates for
securing to the forme cylinders of printing machines formes of various
sizes, as herein-before described and illustrated by our Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said Benjamin Walter Davis and Joseph
Pardoe, have hereunto set our hands and seals, the Twenty-second
day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-threc.
B. W. DAVIS.
(L.S.)
JOSEPH PARDOE. (L.s.)