IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR PRINTING, STAMPING, OR EMBOSSING
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Hely, of Dublin, Ireland, Envelope Manufacturer,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR PRINTING, STAMPING,
OR EMBOSSING."
Sealed the 23rd March 1877, and dated the 11th October 1876
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Hely at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th October 1876.
EDWARD HELY, of Dublin, Ireland, Envelope Manufacturer.
MACHINES FOR PRINTING, STAMPING, OR EMBOSSING."
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
My Invention relates more particularly to improvements in that description of
machines for printing, stamping, or embossing, in respect of which Letters Patent
were granted to me the 27th October, 1874, No. 3707, and it has for its object
obtaining, more especially when the machines are worked by steam or other power,
a more uniform impression throughout the entire series of sheets, the sheets
being supplied in a pile and removed one by one as they are printed, stamped, or
embossed.
In order to effect this object, I mount the printing, stamping, or embossing
cylinder with its appurtenances in a sliding frame having a vertical reciprocating
motion, as described in the Specification to my said former Letters Patent, but
which motion according to my present Invention is obtained, controlled, and
regulated in the following manner:-The sliding frame is surmounted with a
cylinder within which is fitted a piston having a pendent rod, the lower extremity
of which is attached by means of a pin working in vertical slots in the sliding frame
to the actuating lever which may be operated either by hand or power. This lever
has an unvarying stroke, and when operated in one direction it moves the piston,
thus producing a partial vacuum in the cylinder with which the sliding frame is
surmounted, whereby such vacuum cylinder is impelled downwards and caused to
follow the piston by the action of the air upon its cover until the die or form carried
by the printing, stamping, or embossing cylinder comes in contact with the paper.
The slots in the sliding frames are made of about equal length to the stroke of the
piston, whence it follows that while the stroke of the piston and lever is a constant,
the stroke of the vacuum cylinder, and consequently that of the printing, stamping,
or embossing cylinder, is varied automatically as the height of the pile is reduced,
the slots admitting of its adjusting itself to the variable descent required. In the
Pesics G37

page_text: up stroke the piston is raised by operating the lever until the former comes in
contact with the under side of the cover of the vacuum cylinder (any air which
may have entered being expelled through a suitable valve) when the vacuum
cylinder with the sliding frame carrying the printing, stamping, or embossing
cylinder and its appurtenances is also elevated and the former operation is then
repeated, and so on in succession.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Edward Hely in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 5th April 1877.
EDWARD HELY, of Dublin, Ireland, Envelope Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINES FOR PRINTING, STAMPING, OR EMBOSSING."
My said Invention relates more particularly to improvements in that description
of machines for printing, stamping, or embossing, in respect of which Letters Patent
were granted to me the 27th October, 1874, No. 3707, and it has for its object
obtaining, more especially when the machines are worked by steam or other power,
other than treadle, a more uniform impression throughout the entire series of sheets,
the same being supplied in a pile and removed one by one as they are printed,
stamped, or embossed.
In order to effect this object I impart the vertical reciprocating motion to the
sliding frame carrying the printing, stamping, or embossing cylinder with its
appurtenances, as described in the Specification to my said former Letters Patent, in
such a manner that the descent of such printing, stamping, or embossing cylinder
shall be automatically regulated according to the height of the pile of sheets or
material to be operated upon.
And, in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to
the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents a front elevation of so much
of a machine for printing, stamping, or embossing as is sufficient to illustrate my
Invention; and Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same, partly in section.
A is the sliding frame carrying the printing, stamping, or embossing cylinder
with its appurtenances, not shewn in my Drawings, and surmounted with a cylinder B,
within which latter is fitted a piston C having a pendent rod D, the lower extremity
of which is attached by means of a pin E working in vertical slots E¹ in the sliding
frame A to the double lever F carried by means of links G in the main framing H
of the machine. This lever is actuated with an unvarying reciprocating stroke
through the intervention of the connecting rod I from a revolving disc or crank (not
shewn in my Drawings) operated either by hand or power, whereby a vertical
reciprocating motion is imparted to the piston C. When the lever F is moving in
the direction indicated by the arrows, the piston C is moved downwards, and
immediately after it commences its descent a partial vacuum is produced in the
cylinder B between the top of the piston and the under side of the cover K, whereby
such cylinder (and with it the sliding frame carrying the printing, stamping, or
embossing cylinder and its appurtenances) is impelled downwards and caused to
follow the piston by the action of the air upon its cover K until the die or form
carried by the printing, stamping, or embossing cylinder comes in contact with the
topmost sheet of the pile of paper to be printed. The sliding frame with the parts
attached thereto then becames stationary while the piston C continues its downward
stroke until the full stroke of the disc or crank actuating the double lever F has
been completed. It will thus be seen that while the stroke of the piston C and
lever F is a constant, the stroke of the vacuum cylinder B, and consequently that of
the printing, stamping, or embossing cylinder is varied automatically as the height

page_text: of the pile is reduced, the slots E¹ being made of sufficient length to admit of its
adjusting itself to the variable descent required. In the up stroke of the piston C
the sliding frame A is lifted from the paper when the piston C comes in contact
with the under side of the cover K of the vacuum cylinder B (any air which may
have entered being expelled through a valve L). The sheet of printed paper is then
removed and the former operation is repeated on the next lower sheet, and so on in
succession until the pile of paper is exhausted..
For light impressious, the valve L is adjusted to lift off its seat at the moment
when the inking rollers cease to act, thus destroying the vacuum. The printed
impression is then produced by the weight of the sliding frame A and the parts
attached thereto. For this purpose the valve L carries a cross bar M having
screwed thereto the upper extremities of rods N, N, by adjusting the position of
which rods they may be caused to depend to the required distance in order for their
lower extremities to come in contact with the upper part O of the main frame H at
the requisite moment during the descent of the cylinder B, and thereby effect the
opening of the valve L. When the full power is required the valve is turned round
so as to bring the rods N, N, out of the range of the frame during the descent of the
cylinder.
A counterweight K¹ is provided on the lever F for the purpose of balancing the
sliding frame A with the printing, stamping, or embossing cylinder and its
appurtenances.
By means of my Invention an equal impression is produced upon the top and
bottom sheets of the pile of paper to be printed, irrespective of the height of the
pile.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before
in part recited Letters Patent is, imparting the vertical reciprocating motion to the
printing, stamping, or embossing cylinder in such a manner as to admit of its
descent being automatically regulated according to the height of the pile of sheets
or material to be operated upon, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Hely, have to this my Specification
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of March, One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-seven.
EDWARD HELY. (L.S.)