IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING MACHINERY
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Albert Sauvée, of 22, Parliament Street, Westminster,
in the County of Middlesex, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PRINTING MACHINERY."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Albert Sauvée at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd November 1880.
ALBERT SAUVÉE, of 22, Parliament Street, Westminster, in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING MACHINERY."
My Invention refers to improvements in printing machinery, and more particu-
larly to those machines known as rotary web printing machines.
It consists in an arrangement for cutting the reels or webs of paper into various
sizes of sheets before printing. For this purpose the reel or web is drawn between
two rollers, whose speed is regulated according to the size of sheets required to be
printed. From these two rollers the reel or web is carried by a series of tapes to
a pair of cutting cylinders which make one revolution for each revolution of the
printing cylinders. The circumferences of the cutting cylinders correspond exactly
to the length of the sheet to be printed; thus for each size of sheet a separate pair
of cylinders is employed for cutting. From the cutting cylinders the reel or web
cut into sheets, but not completely separated, passes into a second series of tapes,
This second
which travels at the same speed as the first series above mentioned.
series of tapes leads the forward end of the reel or web into a third series of tapes,
which carries the sheets round the printing cylinders. The third series of tapes
travels always at the same speed, i.e., the speed of the printing machine itself,
therefore when the one dimension of the sheet to be printed is smaller than the
circumference of the printing cylinders as soon as the forward end of the sheet
reaches the third series of tapes it is dragged forward at a higher speed than it is
fed by the second series of tapes. There are several disadvantages to this, one of
the principal of which is, as there are sometimes only two or three tapes in the
third series to catch the forward end of the sheet the tension is not sufficient, and
there is a variation in the margins which are often even on the skew. Another

page_text: important disadvantage is that when the speed of the sheet is suddenly changed by
passing from one set of tapes to another, the tail end of the sheet which is still
dragging in the slowest or second series of tapes has a tendency to gather or pucker
in the centre and to crease in the printing.
To remedy these defects, that is to say, to prevent the creasing and puckering of
the sheet, and to have it fed aquare into the third series of tapes, I have devised a
series of pairs of feeding "shapes" or excentrics whose outer circumferences travel
at the same speed as the printing cylinders, and which as soon as the forward end
of the sheet touches the third series of tapes sieze between them a portion of the
tail end of the sheet, and thereby keep it tight from gathering, and at the same
time feed or push it square into the third series of tapes. The number of pairs of
shapes or excentrics may be varied as required, according to the quality of the
paper. The two axes or shafts on which the shapes or excentrics are mounted are
carried in a bracket which can slide backward and forward so as to regulate the
action of the shapes or excentrics according to the sizo of the sheets.
A special
arrangement provides for the partial release of the sheet from the second series of
tapes as soon as the forward end enters the third series. The brass bushes of the
two rollers of the second series which feed the sheet into the third series are made
to move apart about of an inch as soon as the forward end of the sheet enters
the third series, so that the drag of the second series of tapes is reduced to a
minimum. The whole arrangement is so combined that the change from one size
of sheet to another is made with the greatest ease, the change consisting in a special
pair of cutting cylinders for each size, and also a pair of wheels which regulate
the speed of the drawing rollers so as to run at the same speed as the circumference
of the cutting cylinders.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Albert Sauvée in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th
April 1881.
ALBERT SAUVÉE, of 22, Parliament Street, Westminster, in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING MACHINERY."
My Invention refers to improvements in printing machinery, and more par-
ticularly to those machines known as rotary web printing machines.
It consists in an arrangement for cutting the reels or webs of paper into various
sizes of sheets before printing. For this purpose the reel or web is drawn between
two rollers, whose speed is regulated according to the size of sheets required to be
printed. From these two rollers the reel or web is carried by a series of tapes to
a pair of cutting cylinders which make one revolution for each revolution of the
printing cylinders. The circumferences of the cutting cylinders correspond exactly
to the length of the sheet to be printed; thus for each size of sheet a separate pair
of cylinders is employed for cutting. From the cutting cylinders the reel or web

page_text: cut into sheets, but not completely separated, passes into a second series of tapes
which travels at the same speed as the first series above mentioned. This second
series of tapes leads the forward end of the reel or web into a third series of tapes
which carries the sheets round the printing cylinders. The third series of tapes
travels always at the same speed, i.e., the speed of the printing machine itself,
therefore when the one dimension of the sheet to be printed is smaller than the
circumference of the printing cylinders, as soon as the forward end of the sheet
reaches the third series of tapes it is dragged forward at a higher speed than it is
fed by the second series of tapes. There are several disadvantages to this, one of
the principal of which is, as there are sometimes only two or three tapes in the
third series to catch the forward end of the sheet the tension is not sufficient, and
there is a variation in the margins which are often oven on the skew. Another
important disadvantage is that when the speed of the sheet is suddenly changed
by passing from one set of tapes to another, the tail end of the sheet which is still
dragging in the slowest or second series of tapes has a tendency to gather or pucker
in the centre and to crease in the printing.
"1
To remedy these defects, that is to say, to prevent the creasing and puckering
of the sheet, and to have it fed square into the third series of tapes I have devised
a series of pairs of feeding "shapes" or eccentrics whose outer circumferences
travel at the same speed as the printing cylinders, and which as soon as the forward
end of the sheet is conveyed by the third series of tapes to the first printing
cylinder, seize between them a portion of the tail end of the sheet, and thereby
keep it tight from gathering, and at the same time feed or push it squarely forward
at the same speed as the printing cylinders. The number of pairs of shapes or
eccentrics may be varied as required, according to the quality of the paper, and
they may be adjusted along their shafts so as to grip the paper at any desired
points. The two axes or shafts on which the shapes or eccentrics are mounted
are carried in a bracket which can slide backward and forward so as to regulate
the action of the shapes or eccentrics according to the size of the sheets. A special
arrangement provides for the partial release of the sheet from the second series of
The brass
tapes as soon as the forward end reaches the first printing cylinder.
bushes of the two rollers of the second series which feed the sheet into the third
series are made to move apart as soon as the forward end of the sheet reaches the
first printing cylinder, a sufficient distanco to reduce the drag of the second serios
of tapes to a minimum, and when the sheet has nearly passed through these two
rollers gradually resume their former position. The whole arrangement is so com-
bined that the change from one size of sheet to another is made with the greatest
ease, the change consisting in a special pair of cutting cylinders for each size, and
also a pair of wheels which regulate the speed of the drawing rollers so as to run
at the same speed as the circumference of the cutting cylinders.
But in order that my Invention may be more clearly understood I will proceed
to explain the same by the aid of the accompanying Sheets of Drawings, in which
Fig. 1 is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 an end elevation of the apparatus comprising
my Invention, and which is shown as adapted to the Marinoni web press, but the
same may be applied to all kinds of web presses. The web of paper upon leaving
the reel is drawn between the rollers A and B, whose speed is regulated according
to the size of sheets required to be printed. From these two rollers the web is
carried by the series of tapes C and D to the pair of cutting cylinders E and F,
which make one revolution for each revolution of the printing cylinders. From
the cutting cylinders E and F the web cut into sheets, but not completely separated,
passes into a second series of tapes G and H, which travels at the same speed as
the series C and D. This second series of tapes leads the forward end of the
web into a third series of tapes, which carries the sheet round the printing
cylinders I.
"
To prevent the creasing and puckering of the sheet, and to have it fed square
into the third series of tapes the "shapes or eccentrics J are employed, whose
outer circumferences travel at the same speed as the printing cylinders, and which

page_text: as soon as the forward end of the sheet is conveyed by the third series of tapes to
the first printing cylinder, seize between them a portion of the tail of the sheet,
and thereby keep it tight from gathering, and at the same time feed or push it
squarely forward at the same speed as the printing cylinders. The two axes or
shafts K and L on which the shapes or eccentrics J are mounted are carried in the
bracket M, which can slide backward and forward so as to regulate the action of
the shapes or eccentrics according to the size of the sheet.
The brass bushes of the two rollers N of the second series of tapes which feed
the sheet into the third series are made to move apart as soon as the forward end
of the sheet reaches the first printing cylinder, a sufficient distance to reduce the
drag of the second series of tapes to a minimum, and when the sheet has nearly
passed through these two rollers N gradually resume their former position.
Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the action of the shapes or eccentrics J which grip
the rear end of the sheet so as to feed it square, and without creasing into the third
series of tapes which convey it to the printing cylinders. This mode of effecting
the desired object is preferable, but in place of these shapes or eccentrics a series
of tapes travelling at the same speed as the printing cylinders may be employed,
which will work between the second series of tapes, and will be made to grip for
a short period the rear end of the sheet in the same manner as the shapes or
eccentrics J, or any other suitable arrangement of mechanism may be employed for
effecting this object.
In order to change the pair of cutting cylinders E and F, the arm O carrying
rollers round which the first series of tapes pass is turned down on the pivot joint P,
thus allowing the cutting cylinders to be removed and replaced. Both cylinders
are made adjustable.
The arrangement for changing from one size of sheet to another consists in
employing different sized cutting cylinders E and F for each size of sheet, and also
a pair of change wheels Q which regulate the speed of the drawing rollers A and B
so as to run at the same speed as the circumference of the cutting cylinders E
and F.
Fig. 4 represents an end elevation of the cutting cylinder carrying the knife R.
By employing the "backing "S the knife and its fitting may be made to project a
certain distance from the cylinder, whereby the circumference of the cylinder is
increased, so that the length of the sheet may also be increased by about one or
two inches without changing the core itself of the cutting cylinders, thereby
obviating the necessity of removing the whole of the cutting cylinders to suit a
slight increase in the length of the sheet. The part of the other cutting cylinder
into which the knife enters will have to receive a backing of the same thickness
as that placed behind the knife.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of carrying
the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that I claim the arrangement of
apparatus adapted to web presses so as to enable different sized sheets to be printed
on the same press, substantially as herein described and shown in the Drawings,
and also the arrangement of apparatus for preventing the creasing and puckering
of the sheet whilst passing from the cutting cylinders to the printing cylinders,
substantially as herein described and shown in the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Albert Sauvée, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this 30th day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty-one.