Improvements in Platen Printing Machines.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Jan., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Oct., 1894-Accepted, 10th Nov., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Platen Printing Machines.
CHARLES ARTHUR CHARLTON 37 Ebury Road Carrington Nottingham,
HENRY ERNEST NEWSTEAD 486 Woodborough Road Nottingham, ARTHUR
SHELBOURNE Wilford Grove Nottingham SYDNEY HARRY CROPPER 45 Cran-
mer Street Nottingham JAMES CALDWELL HOLE 203 South Lambeth Road
London S.E., and HENRY CHETWIN 48 Ilkeston Road Nottingham, Printer's
Engineers trading as The Cropper Machines Co. Parkinson Street Mills,
Nottingham do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-—
This invention relates to improvements in platen printing machines of the well
known "Minerva " type.
At the present time all machines of the before mentioned type with which we
are acquainted, are defective in the means employed for distributing the ink on
the inking rollers, and in inking the type, this latter defect being due in most
machines to the fact that the inking rollers during their up and down movement
across the type, meet the same type at the same place on the rollers.
Now the object of our invention is to provide platen printing machines of the
type referred to with improved means for distributing the ink, and inking the
type with greater regularity.
According to our invention the type bed of the machine is fitted with an ink
distributing roller or cylinder in addition to the usual ink distributing surface.
This cylinder is placed below the type and has a revolving or oscillating movement
imparted to it, and it may be fitted with an ink duct, and with distributing rollers
which may have a lateral movement. More than one distributing cylinder may
be used, and each cylinder may be fitted with an ink duct and distributing rollers.
In a machine fitted with our improvements, the ink rollers after passing
downwards over the type run on to the distributing cylinder by which the ink
on the ink rollers is redistributed, and if the distributing cylinder be provided
with an ink duct the ink rollers take up a fresh supply of ink which is supplied
to the type as the rollers move upwards, and the type is more regularly inked,
even, if the same parts of the ink rollers meet the same type in their upward
movement as they did during their downward movement.
Dated this 4th day of January 1804
W. H. POTTER, Wh. Sc.,
Newcastle Chambers, Nottingham, Agent for the Applicants.
Improvements in Platen Printing Machines.
CHARLES ARTHUR CHARLTON 37 Ebury Road Carrington Nottingham
HENRY ERNEST NEWSTEAD 486 Woodborough Road, Nottingham ARTHUR
SHELBOURNE Wilford Grove Nottingham SYDNEY HARRY CROPPER 45 Cran-
mer Street Nottingham JAMES CALDWELL HOLE 203 South Lambeth Road
London S.E. and HENRY CHETWIN 48 Ilkeston Road Nottingham, Printing
Engineers lately trading as The Cropper Machines Co. and now in conjunction
with others as Cropper Charlton & Co. Ltd., Parkinson Street Mills Nottingham
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be

page_text: performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
This invention, which relates to improvements in and applicable to platen
printing machines of the well known "Minerva " type, has for its object the
provision of means for ensuring a better distribution of the ink, and a greater
regularity in the inking of the type.
The type bed of the machine when our improvements are added thereto, is fitted
with an additional ink distributing surface, in the form of a roller which is rotated
from any convenient rotating part of the machine. This cylinder may be fitted
with an ink duct, and distributing rollers, and the latter may have a lateral and
rotative movement.
In order however that this invention may be understood and carried into effect,
there are attached hereto, two sheets of drawings, and the same are referred to in
the following description.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a machine showing the application of this invention.
Fig. 2 is a part front elevation of a type bed showing the method adopted for
driving the roller used as the additional ink distributing surface.
Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a plan of one end of the ink duct roller showing the ratchet wheel for
revolving the same.
Fig. 5. is an end elevation of Fig. 4.
Fig. 6. is a front elevation of the roller ink distributing surface, its distributor,
and the means for giving a lateral movement to the latter.
Figs. 7 and 8 are details of the levers used for rotating the ink duct roller.
The type bed a with its ink distributing plate 6 and ink duct is of the usual
construction, and it is pivoted at d to the machine standards e.
The various parts
of the machine are driven from the crank shaft, and the inking rollers
carried by the side arms g¹.
g are
According to this invention the type bed a is fitted with an additional ink
distributing surface, in the form of a roller / which is placed below the "forme,"
and is driven from a pulley d¹ on the crank shaft by belts k, k¹, and k², the belt k
giving motion to a double pulley on the axle d which drives a double pulley 1,
and this latter the roller h. The pulley is carried by an axle which is attached
to the type bed casting, and the arrangement shown is adopted in order that the
inking rollers g¹ may pass over the roller without coming into contact with the
driving belts, but it will be understood that with a specially designed type bed
the pulley might be dispensed with. The roller is geared to move at such a
speed that the inking rollers g will make at least one complete revolution while in
contact with the same.
The ink duct m for supplying the roller with ink is suitably attached to the
type bed and is fitted with the usual means for regulating the supply of ink.
For
actuating the ink duct roller m¹ it is fitted with a ratchet wheel m² and a pawl m³,
this latter being carried by a lever m³ which is connected by links n and n' to the
side arms from which the required motion is obtained. The lever m³ is slotted
to allow the position of the axle m being altered for varying and regulating the
amount of motion given to the roller m', and the boss of the axle is cut away as
shown at me. Within the recess thus formed is a pin m³ carried by the boss of the
link n, and at the arranged time comes into contact with the sides of the recess m
and drives the lever m³. From the different positions of the side arms as shown in
Figs. 1 and 3 it will be seen that the motion given by the side arms to the link n¹
is greatly in excess of the motion required by the roller m', and that by using an
arrangement of levers and links as herein set forth, the greater part of the motion
given to the link n' is expended in turning the link n on the axle mo, and that it is
only when the pin m' strikes the sides of the recess me that the link n and lever m³
moved together for actuating the cylinder.
The roller surface is provided with a distributing roller h¹ which is rotated by
the roller k, and is moved laterally by means of a cam groove h² formed in the boso

page_text: of the same, and arranged to act in conjunction with a fixed piece h³.
The cam
groove may be in the form of a double screw thread of opposite lenses, and the
piece may be fitted to move on the axle carrying it.
For conveying the ink from the ink duct roller m¹ to the roller h a moving doctor
roller o is used, this roller is carried by side levers o' which are mounted on a
shaft of having bearings in the type bed casting and oscillated by means of a
lever o³ which is struck by an incline on the side arms g.
In an ordinary machine the inking rollers g as they pass down the type meet the
same at particular places, and as they ascend meet the same type at the same
places on the rollers with a result that the greater part of the ink on the rollers is
carried to and fro over the type. Now with our improvements the ink rollers g
when they reach their lowest position pass on to a revolving roller h which is kept
supplied with ink, and which not only supplies more ink to the rollers but by
rotating the same make it very inprobable that the same part of the ink rollers
will meet the same type when they ascend, as they did in their descent, thereby
ensuring the "forme being properly inked by the down and up passage of the
rollers over the same.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare, that we
claim is :-
1. In platen printing machines of the kind herein referred to, the provision of a
rotating ink distributing roller placed below the forme substantially as shown and
described.
2. An ink distributing roller placed below the forme on platen printing machines
and driven by an arrangement of pulleys and belts substantially as herein shown
and described.
3. A rotating inking surface placed below the forme on platen printing machines,
in combination with a laterally moving distributor substantially as herein shown
and described.
4. The arrangement of levers for giving motion to the ink duct roller in
combination with a doctor roller and the means for carrying and moving the
same for the purpose specified substantially as shown and described.
Dated this 29th day of September 1894.
W. H. POTTER, M.I.M.E.,
Patent Agent,
Nottingham, Agent for the Applicants.
W. H. POTTER, M.I.M.E.,
Patent Agent,
Nottingham, Agent for the Applicants.