Improvements in and relating to Means for Positioning and Feeding Paper, Cards, Envelopes, and the like, To and On the Rotating Cylinder of a Printing Press.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Feb., 1897-Accepted, 17th Apr., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Means for Positioning and Feeding
Paper, Cards, Envelopes, and the like, To and On the Rotating
Cylinder of a Printing Press.
I, CHARLES GRANT HARRIS, Inventor, residing at No. 4 Park Avenue, Niles, in
the County of Trumbull, State of Ohio, United States of America, do hereby
declare the nature of my 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-presses, and is specially designed for job-presses
employing two rotary cylinders.
The primary object of the invention is to insure the proper setting of the stock,
such as paper, cards or envelopes, on the impression cylinder while the latter is
rotating, and cause the same to accurately register or align for receiving the imprint
of the type or impression-plate. This I accomplish by giving to the stock to be
printed upon an accelerated movement as it is being fed to the press-cylinder, that is,
cause such stock to travel at a speed greater than that at which the said cylinder is
being rotated, whereby it will be fed up against the stop-pins of said cylinder in
advance of the contact of the impression-plate.
A second object is to provide for accurately positioning the paper, or the like, before
being fed to the press-cylinder. This is accomplished by feeding the paper against a
fixed stop where it is held until fed to the press-cylinder by a spring-tongue, which
prevents any retrograde movement.
In the accompanying drawing:
:-
Figure 1 is a view in side elevation, showing only a portion of a printing-press.
Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view clearly showing the improvements.
Figure 3 is a view in perspective of a modification.
Figure 4 is a view of another modification.
A designates the frame-work having opposite uprights a, between which are the
plate carrying cylinder a¹ and the impression-cylinder a². The journals of these
cylinders, or those of one of them, are yieldingly supported in said uprights.
The type- or impression-plates are secured on the cylinder a¹ by any suitable means.
Upon one of the journals of the cylinder a³ is a cam a³, while on the periphery of
said cylinder are the stop-pins a*.
B, B¹, are front and rear shafts or rolls parallel with the impression-cylinder. On
them are spools around which are passed tapes 1, which in their forward movement
contact with the surface of the cylinder a². These tapes bind and hold the stock
against the cylinder while being printed upon. The front roll B is of varying
diameter, that is, it has rings or enlargements on its periphery.
B is a shaft or roll extended beneath roll B and designed to be periodically raised
into engagement with the rings b². In practice, as the stock is fed between these two
rolls, the roll B is moved or elevated so as to grasp the stock between itself and the
rings b
In this way, as these rolls are being rotated, by any suitable means,
the stock is fed forward at a speed greater than that at which the impression-cylinder
is rotating, causing such stock to overtake and bear against the receding stop-pins of
said cylinder. The lower roll B is then lowered and the stock is held by the tapes
until discharged after printing.
The roll Bray be mounted in arms C of a rock-shaft C, an arm of which

page_text: engages cam a³, (see Figure 2) or it may be geared to roll 3 and formed with rings d,.
similar to rings, which are normally disengaged, the teeth of the intermeshing
wheels d' allowing of a limited up and down movement of roll B without disengaging
said wheels. In Figure 41 have shown the preferred form of construction, the
roll B being raised and lowered through the agency of arms d², short shafts 1,
connected arms and an arm engaging cam a³.
In the form shown in Figures 1 and 2 the shaft or roll B is rotated by direct contact,.
at one end, with cylinder a², but in form shown in Figure 4 said shaft is rotated by the
press-gearing, and being geared by wheels to shaft B² the latter is constantly
rotated even when its rings d are not in contact with the rings b².
Practice has demonstrated that my invention is the secret of sucess of a
job-printing press employing rotary cylinders, means being thereby provided for
imparting to the stock, while being fed, an accelerated movement, enabling it to
properly register or align on the impression-cylinder.
D is a guide-bar extended above roll B2 (Figures 1, 2 and 3) and carried by
arms C.
At its center is a plate-spring e, the free end of which bears against a
tongue attached to shaft C'. The inner end of this tongue overlaps the curved end
of a rigid stop-bar e located between the impression-cylinder and the feed-rolls
(see Figures 1 and 2). Additional tongues and piate-springs may be employed, the
reduced spaces of roll B serving to accommodate same when raised by the partial
rotation of shaft C₁ (see Figure 3). In practice, the stock is fed by any suitable
feeder over the guide-bar D and between the plate-spring and tongue up against
the stop-bar e, and there held as against retrograde movement until grasped by the
two feed-rolls.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A printing press, comprising a rotary cylinder provided with stops on its
periphery, and means for feeding paper on said cylinder against said stops while
the same is in motion, said paper being fed at a speed greater than that at which
the cylinder is rotated, substantially as set forth.
2. A printing press having a rotary cylinder provided with stops on its periphery,
and means, periodically operated as said stops are receding, for feeding paper up to
and against said stops at a speed greater than that at which the cylinder is rotated,
substantially as set forth.
3. A printing press baving a rotary impression-cylinder and means for positioning
or registering paper on said cylinder and causing the paper to travel at a speed greater
than that at which the cylinder is rotated, comprising two rolls, one of said rolls being
operated by the other, which latter is of varying diameter, the first mentioned roll
being designed to engage the points of greatest diameter of said latter roll, and belts
engaging said impression-cylinder and one of said rolls, substantially as set forth.
4. A printing press having a rotary impression-cylinder and means for positioning
or registering paper on said cylinder and causing the paper to travel at a speed
greater than that at which the cylinder is rotated, comprising a constantly-rotated
roll of varying diameter, and a second roll driven by said former roll when in
engagement with the points of greatest diameter of said former roll, and belts
engaging said impression cylinder and one of said rolls, substantially as set forth.
5. A printing press having a rotary impression-cylinder provided with stops on its
periphery, and mechanism for positioning or registering paper on said impression-
cylinder against said stops while said cylinder is being rotated, comprising a
constantly-rotated feed-roll, a second feed-roll designed to be periodically rotated by
contact with said former feed-roll, and means for guiding the paper or the like
between said feed-rolls, and holding the same until grasped by said feed-rolls and fed
forward thereby, to, or against said stops, the contact of said feed-rolls being
periodically effected according to the position of said impression-cylinder, substantially
as set forth.

page_text: 6. A printing press having a rotary impression-cylinder and provided with stops on
its periphery, and mechanism for feeding the paper at a greater speed than that at
which the impression-cylinder is rotated and positioning or registering the same on
said impression-cylinder against said stops, the same comprising a constantly-operated
feed-roll having rings or enlargements, a second feed-roll, means for periodically
raising said second feed-roll into frictional contact with said rings or enlargements of
said former feed-roll, whereby the paper is fed forward at a speed greater than
that at which the cylinder is rotated when being positioned thereon, and belts
engaging said impression-cylinder and said former feed-roll, substantially as
set forth.
7. In a printing press, means for positioning the paper or the like to be printed,.
comprising a fixed stop, a movable tongue or bar adapted to co-operate therewith, a
guide-bar or plate, and a plate-spring carried by said guide-bar or plate and in contact
with said tongue with which it is designed to nove, whereby when the article to be
printed is fed between the said tongue and plate-spring and into contact with the
stop a retrograde movement is prevented, substantially as set forth.
8. In a printing press means for regulating or positioning the article to be printed
while the cylinders of the press are being rotated, consisting of the stop or stops
located on the surface of one of the cylinders of the press, and means for passing the
article to be printed up to said stops at a speed greater than the speed of rotation
of said cylinder, substantially as set forth.
9. A printing press having a rotary impression-cylinder and mechanism for
causing the paper to travel at a greater speed than that at which the cylinder is
rotated and positioning or registering paper on said cylinder while the latter is being
rotated, the said mechanism comprising a feed-roll of varying diameter operated by
said cylinder, a stop for arresting the movement of the paper, means for holding the
paper against said stop, a guide-bar or plate, a second feed-roll, and means for
periodically elevating said guide-bar and said latter roll, the latter being thrown into.
contact with the maximum circumferential portion of said former feed-roll, whereby
the paper is fed to said impression cylinder at a speed greater than the speed of
rotation of the latter, substantially as set forth.
10. In a printing press, the combination with the rotary impression-cylinder,.
of a feed-roll mounted in contact with said cylinder, spools in rear of said cylinder,
tapes or bands passing over said spools and feed-roll and over said impression-
cylinder, a second feed-roll, a guide-bar located thereover, means for holding the
paper or the like while passing over said guide-bar, and means for elevating said
second feed-roll into engagement with said former feed-roll, substantially as.
set forth.
11. A printing press having a rotary impression-cylinder and means for positioning
or registering paper on said cylinder and causing the paper to travel at a speed
greater than that at which the cylinder is rotated, comprising two rotary shafts, one of
said shafts being constantly rotated by the rotation of the other and capable of being
moved or rocked toward and away from the latter, both of said shafts being of
varying diameter, as and for the purpose set forth.
12. A printing press having a rotary impression-cylinder and means for positioning
or registering paper on said cylinder and causing the paper to travel at a speed
greater than that at which the cylinder is rotated, comprising a positively operated
shaft having a gear-wheel and rings or enlargements, a second shaft having
corresponding rings or enlargements and a gear-wheel meshing with said former
gear-wheel, and means for moving said latter shaft so as to bring its rings or
enlargements into contact with those of the first mentioned shaft, substantially as
set forth.
13. The combination with the cylinder having stops thereon, of a positively-
operated shaft having a gear-wheel and rings or enlargements, a second shaft having
corresponding rings or enlargements and a gear-wheel meshing with said former
gear-wheel, arms supporting said latter shaft, and means for operating said arms.
operated by said cylinder, substantially as set forth.

page_text: 14. The combination with the cylinder having stops thereon and a cam-disk on its
journal, of a positively-operated shaft having a gear-wheel and rings or enlargements,
a second shaft also having rings or enlargements, and a gear-wheel meshing with
said former gear-wheel, supports for said second shaft, short shafts to which said
supports are secured, arms on said shafts, a shaft to which said arms are connected,
and an arm on said latter shaft having its free end in contact with said cam-disk,
substantially as set forth.
Dated 16th day of Wahunam 1907