CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PUNCHING PATTERNS OR DEVICES UPON METALLIC PRINTING ROLLERS OR CYLINDERS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Mac Donald, of Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, Engineer, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PUNCHING PATTERNS OR DEVICES UPON METALLIC
PRINTING ROLLERS OR CYLINDERS."
Sealed the 13th December 1859, and dated the 14th June 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander MacDonald at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th June 1859.
I, ALEXANDER MACDONALD, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PUNCHING PATTERNS OR DEVICES
UPON METALLIC PRINTING ROLLERS OR CYLINDERS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a particular description of machine which is
employed for punching patterns upon metallic rollers or cylinders, and is
therein effected by causing a hammer to strike the pattern punch, and thereby
impress or stamp the cylinder with the said pattern. This has hitherto been
accomplished by hand, and my improvement consists in the novel adaptation
and application of a self-acting motion for causing the hammer to be lifted, &
the punch to be struck in such machines with regularity of time and intensity
of depth or pressure.
The apparatus consists simply in an arrangement of compound levers,
coupling rods, and ratchet wheels, which are in connection with a pattern disc
or cylinder, and "pitcher" lever, such arrangement receiving motion from 3

page_text: crank driven by an ordinary rotating driving wheel and shaft
By this appli-
cation the machine will require no individual attendant, and a greater number
of patterns may be punched, and with more precision than hitherto.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander McDonald in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 13th December 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
MCDONALD, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Alexander McDonald, Her special license that 1, the said Alexander
McDonald, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Alexander McDonald, 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 night make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PUNCHING PATTERNS OR DEVICES
UPON METALLIC PRINTING ROLLERS OR CYLINDERS," upon the condition, amongst
others, that I, the said Alexander McDonald, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, 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 I, the said Alexander McDonald, 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 and accompanying Drawings (that is to say):-
This Invention relates to a particular description of machine which is
employed for punching patterns upon metallic rollers or cylinders, and is
therein effected by causing a hammer to strike the pattern punch, and thereby
impress or stamp the cylinder with the said pattern. This has hitherto been
accomplished by hand, and my improvement consists in the novel adaptation

page_text: and application of a self-acting motion for causing the hammer to be lifted and
the punch to be struck in such machines with regularity of time and intensity
of depth or pressure.
The apparatus consists simply in an arrangement of compound levers,
coupling rods, and ratchet wheels, which are in connection with a pattern disc
or wheel and "pitcher," such arrangement receiving motion from a crank
driven by an ordinary rotating driving wheel and shaft. By this application
the machine will require no individual attendant, and a greater number of
patterns may be punched with more precision than hitherto.
In order that my Invention may be more clearly understood, I have hereunto
attached two Sheets of Drawings, having similar letters of reference marked
upon corresponding parts of the apparatus in all the Figures, made to a scale
of about two inches to the foot.
Sheet 1, Fig. 1, is a general front elevation of the machine, shewing the
arrangement of levers in connection with the pitcher lever, and pattern whee
at one end, and at the other the peculiar arrangement of working self-acting,
by means of the ratchet wheel and levers in connection; Fig. 2 is a sectional
end view through the line A, B; this view illustrating more particularly the
mode of coupling the levers to the hammer, and the arrangement of such
levers in connection with the driving apparatus.
Sheet 2, Fig. 1, is an end view of the machine with the pitcher lever, with
connecting rods and levers in connection for working into the pattern wheel;
Fig. 2 is a view of the opposite end of the machine, shewing the mode of
driving, and also the arrangement of levers in connection with the ratchet
wheel for working self-acting without the aid of the pitcher and pattern
wheel. a is the framing or bed of the machine, upon which slides the
carriage B, such carriage having attached the arrangement of mechanism in
connection with the punch c; d is the metallic roller or cylinder upon which
the devices or patterns åre punched, the punch c being made to act upon such
cylindrical roller by means of the drop hammer e, this hammer being regularly
lifted by the levers f, f', in connection with the longitudinal shaft g, such shaft
giving motion to the levers f,f, by means of the driving wheels a and levers h;
the punch c is retained in position by the lever bracket attached to the adjust-
able framing t; fixed to this bracket is a spring u, protruding outwards and
connected to a finger w, on the lever f', by means of the bolt x, such connec-
tion allowing the punch to be slightly raised from the metallic cylinder, during
the revolution of such cylinder; i is the pitcher lever or bar supplied with a
small pin or stud k, for the purpose of fitting into the recesses or perforations
in the pattern wheel 1, the pitcher lever being worked by the levers and con-

page_text: necting rods marked m in connection with the longitudinal shaft g, and is for
the purpose of forming any irregular or peculiar pattern upon the metallic
cylindrical roller d, the action of such pitcher lever i being as follows:-(First,
having thrown the self-acting ratchet motion out of gear,) the pitcher i is
brought forward by the levers m into contact with the periphery of the pattern
wheel, the hammer e having been lifted ready for releasing from the coupling
catches n, such release taking place upon the pin or stud k, attached to the
pitcher lever, entering one of the recesses or perforations in the pattern wheel,
such entering of the stud giving a slight lift or rise to the hammer e, causing
it immediately to become released by means of the coupling catches n entering
the cross head o, an inclined slot or recess in such cross head effecting the
release by uncoupling the said catches from the hammer, thereby allowing it
to drop or descend upon the head of the punch, causing such punch to impress
the pattern desired upon the metallic roller. It will be readily seen, that by
the pattern wheel (which is secured on the shaft or mandril h', for working
the metallic roller) being caused to revolve, the operator can insert the pitcher
stud k into any one recess at will, making the impressions upon the metallic
roller according to the pattern desired, whether regular or irregular.
In reference to the self-acting apparatus for working regular patterns,
whether stepped or otherwise, the ratchet wheel p' is caused to revolve by the
action of the double lever r, the lever r being connected to the catch or pall
for propelling ratchet by the connecting rod v, the ratchet p giving a regular
intermittent motion to the metallic roller.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, together with the
method of carrying the same into practical effect, I wish it to be distinctly
understood that I claim, in conclusion, the novel and peculiar adaptation and
application of the arrangement of compound levers herein described for working
the hammer for striking the punch, either independently by self-acting means,
or as described in connection with the pitcher lever; also the peculiar arrange-
ment of such levers in connection with machines for punching devices or
patterns upon metallic rollers.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander McDonald, have. hereunto set
my hand and seal, this 12th day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
ALEXANDER MCDONALD. (L.S.)