Improvements in Rotary Printing Machines.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Feb., 1893-Accepted, 13th May, 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rotary Printing Machines.
A communication by PAUL AUGUSTE-GODCHAUX, of 10, Rue de la Douans,
Paris, in the Republic of France, Printer.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Man-
chester, both in the County of Lancaster, and 323 High Holborn, in the County of
Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The use of rotary printing machines for printing in several colours on a
continuous strip of paper has not hitherto been carried into practice because of the
considerable difficulties which arise from the adjustment and the registering of the
sheets, these difficulties being hitherto considered insurmountable.
This invention has for its object means for obtaining a perfect register with
rotary machines even when printing in various colours, which kind of printing is
most difficult on rotary machines.
This invention is applicable to any make of rotary machine, and therefore it must
be understood that the designs of machines shown upon the accompanying three
sheets of drawings are only shown as examples, they allow the principle of the
invention to be thoroughly understood, but it must be understood that it is not
intended to limit the invention to these types of machines.
In order to attain the object in view, the printing rollers and the pressing rollers
are driven by gear wheels having exactly the same number of teeth. All the
pressing rollers or all the printing rollers are connected with one another or with a
driving shaft, directly or indirectly, by equal wheels having the same number of
teeth. Further, the regularity of the register is also ensured by the use of rollers
which constantly press the paper against the pressing cylinder so that it may be
said that, in reality, the paper is always pressed against the pressing cylinders in
such a way as to form, so to speak, one piece with it.
The result of this is that it is always drawn forward regularly and continuously.
Instead of placing these rollers on the pressure cylinders, they may be arranged
either in front or behind, as will be shown further on.
Figure 1 shows this system of driving by gearing having the same number of
teeth, applied to a rotary machine composed of five groups of printing rollers and
of pressing cylinders I¹ P¹ I'p* I* P' 1' P¹ I' p³, each of which has its separate
inking arrangement.
On the axis of each pressing roller (P¹ P', etcetera) there is keyed a geared
wheel, which has exactly the same diameter as the roller (so that, on the drawing,
the circumferential line which represents the pressing cylinder indicates at the same
time the mean circumference of this wheel) and which gears with another wheel of
the same diameter keyed on the axis of the corresponding printing roller. On the
axis of each of the pressing cylinders, a gear wheel E E E E E' is mounted,
and these wheels transmit to the pressing cylinders the motion which they receive
either directly from a driving wheel M or indirectly by intermediate gearing A
and B.
All these gear wheels M AB E' E' E' E' E' have precisely the same number
of teeth, so that, when one of them makes a revolution, the others also make a
revolution, and consequently the points of contact 1 2 3 4 5 6 7, which are shown
on the accompanying drawings, are reproduced simultaneously at each revolution
and the same teeth are always in contact one with another.

page_text: f
Consequently, it will be easily understood that the various pressing cylinders:
which are driven by these gear wheels make, in the same period of time, precisely
the same number of revolutions, and consequently any given point in the printing
roller will always fit on the same place at each revolution, or, in other terms, the
same generatrices of the printing cylinder and the pressing cylinder are always in
contact one with another. The register is thus perfectly ensured.
The essential advantage of this system of operating by means of wheels having
the same number of teeth, is that any defects which there may be in the mechanism
will not in any way affect the printing as is the case when gearings are employed
where the same teeth do not always come in contact with one another. In fact, in
this arrangement all the revolutions in the one printing machine are identical with
one another, and as the revolutions of all the printing cylinders are exactly similar,
the result is that the printing of the first cylinder is exactly covered by that of the
succeeding cylinders, a result which has not hitherto been obtained by any known
arrangement, since hitherto even the revolution of the same cylinder is not always
identical except when the same wheels are in contact, which is seldom the case,
whilst in this arrangement such is the case at each revolution.
The driving wheel M is operated from the main shaft of the workroom by means
of the gear wheel N.
The wheel M may be set in motion in any other suitable manner, for instance,
by keying, on the shaft of M, a pulley driven directly from the main shaft of the
works.
In the arrangement shown in Figure 1, the paper wound on the spool Z is printed
on one side by the printing roller I', and, on the other side, by the printing
rollers III, so that the reverse side may be printed on in one colour and the
other side in four colours.
Figures 2, 3 and 4 represent a sketch of the gearing employed when it is desired
to print five colours on the same side of the sheet in the one machine, or even two
colours on one side and three on the other...
The arrangement shown in Figure 2 has intermediate gearing in order to reverse
the movement of the pressing cylinder P¹, so that the five printing rollers print the
paper all on the same side. The various pressing cylinders are operated in the
manner hereinbefore described, with the exception of the cylinder P', which
receives its motion through the intermediate wheel C, the latter being actuated by
the wheel M. This gear wheel C has also the same number of teeth as the gear
wheel M and all the other wheels.
The driving gear wheels are formed of larger diameter (as large as possible) than
those of the printing cylinder, so that, if a little difference is produced, it will be
considerably diminished on the printing cylinders. In certain cases, it may be
impossible to use, for the driving gear, wheels of the same diameter as shown in
Figures 1 and 2; in such a case it is easy to overcome the difficulty by using
wheels of different diameters, but always observing the principle that the driving
wheels must each have precisely the same number of teeth.
Figure 3 shows an arrangement whereby the sheet of paper can be printed with
five colours on the same side (as is shown in Figure 2) but, in this case, driving
wheels of different diameters are employed. The driving wheel M sets the pressing
cylinders P and in motion by means of the intermediate wheel B and the gear
wheels, E and E, having all the same number of teeth and the same diameter.
The pressing cylinders P2 and p³ are operated by the gear wheels E' and E', driven
by the intermediate wheel A, which receives its motion from the wheel M; all
these wheels have the same diameter and the same number of teeth.
a,
In order to set the pressing cylinder P¹ in motion, a gear wheel m is fixed on the
shaft of the wheel M, engaging with an intermediate gear wheel
which imparts
motion to a wheel e¹ keyed on the axis of the pressing cylinder P'.
The wheels ma e¹ have exactly the same number of teeth. Consequently, the
wheel m will accomplish its revolution in the same period of time as the wheel M,

page_text: seeing that they are keyed on the same axis, the gear wheels a e¹ will then make
one revolution when m has made one. From this, it is easily seen that the pressing
cylinder P will make a revolution precisely in the same time as the pressing
cylinders P and p³.
Figure 4 shows an arrangement of the machine for printing two colours on one
side and three on the other. In this arrangement, the parts are set in motion by
means of two series of gearings; first, the large wheels M B E E A E³, all of.
which have the same number of teeth: secondly, by the little wheels m a e¹ 6 e³, all
of which have also the same number.of teeth.
By merely looking at the drawing, it is easily seen that the various pressing
cylinders will make precisely the same number of revolutions in the same period of
time, seeing they are operated by gearing which all make one revolution in the
same time.
This system of driving is applicable not only to the printing machine itself, but
also to the cutter, as shown in Figure 3.
A gear wheel D of the same diameter and having precisely the same number of
teeth as the driving wheel, from which it receives its motion, operates bevel
wheels F G.
The wheels FG are of the same diameter and have precisely the same number
of teeth. The wheel G transmits motion to the bevel gearing H I by means of the
shaft J. The wheels H and I are also of the same diameter and have the same
number of teeth. On the axis of the wheel I, a wheel K is keyed, which imparts
motion to an intermediate wheel L operating the gear wheel O, on the axis of
which one of the cylinders of the cutter is mounted. The gear wheels K L O are
of the same diameter and have the same number of teeth.
It is understood that the cutter will make precisely one revolution when each of
the printing rollers makes one also, seeing that all the intermediate or driving gear
wheels have the same number of teeth.
The wheel D may be set in motion by any suitable one of the gear wheels of +
machine.
As has been explained herein before, it is not indispensable that all the driving
wheels should have the same diameter; such is only preferable for those which are
in direct communication, thus, the wheels KLO may be of different diameter to
the gear wheels of the machine properly so called.
We have just seen that the motion may be derived by means of bevel gearing.
This arrangement may be applied not only for operating the cutter, but also for
operating the various pressing cylinders in cases where it would be more convenient
than the use of circular gear wheels. Consequently, the arrangement which
consists in connecting the pressing cylinders or the printing rollers by means of
bevel pinions is also reserved.
The arrangements shown on the accompanying drawings are only given as
specimens, for, in practice, they may be varied to an infinite extent according to
circumstances and the result desired. Thus, this system of operating may be
applied to any rotary machines, whatever may be the number of groups of pressing
and printing rollers, whether two, three, four, five, etcetera. By simple changes of
gearing, it is possible, with the same machine, to print each side of the sheet with
any desired number of colours.
What it is wished to patent, however, is the mode of operating the pressure
cylinders which consists in using gear wheels having precisely the same number of
teeth. When wheels are employed of the same diameter (such as are shown
on Figures 1 and 2) they are actuated by the intermediation of a driving wheel M.
If driving wheels of different diameters are employed (as shown on Figures 3 and 4)
two operating wheels M and m, keyed on the same axis, are made use of, so that the
wheels operated by M have the same number of teeth as M, and those operated
by m have the same number of teeth as m.
Instead of driving the gear wheels mounted on the pressure cylinders

page_text: by means of a wheel taking its motion from the axis of M, gear wheels taking their
movement from the axis of the pressure rollers or from that of an intermediate gear
wheel may also be used. For instance, in order to actuate the pressing cylinder P2,
there might be keyed on the axis of the pressing cylinder P (Figure 4) (on the
opposite extremity to the wheel e¹) a gear wheel which will directly or indirectly
operate a gear wheel having the same number of teeth and fixed on the shaft of the
pressing cylinder P².
A third series of gear wheels may also be employed by keying on the axis of M
another wheel having the same number of teeth as them.
In the preceding, it has been supposed that the movement was imparted to the
pressing cylinders and that these latter transmitted it to the printing cylinders, the
reverse arrangement may equally well be employed, that is to say, the movement
may be transmitted to the printing cylinders, and these will actuate their respective
pressing cylinders.
Besides the particular method of operating the printing and the pressing
cylinders by means of gear wheels with precisely the same number of teeth, the
machine shown on Figure 1 is further characterised by the special arrangement of
the frame and the grouping of the printing and pressing cylinders, the exclusive
right to which it is desired to claim."
When the size of the paper is changed and the diameter of the pressure cylinder
is modified, it may be noted that the axis of the pressing cylinder does not change
its position, but merely its diameter is increased, and, consequently, it is only the
axis of the printing cylinder which need be displaced. By making use of the
special arrangement shown in Figure 1, these changes are very easily performed,
because each group of printing and pressing cylinders forms, so to speak, a little
separate machine, and the place which the axis of the printing cylinder must occupy
for each of the diameters of the pressing cylinders employed can be marked on the
frame.
In Figures 5 and 6, another arrangement is shown for ensuring the regular and
continuous winding off of the paper and to obtain as perfect a register as in the case
of the flat machines, actually employed for printing in colours.
P is the pressing cylinder of a rotary printing machine of any suitable system,
Figure 5 I is the printing cylinder; the sheet to be printed is represented by the
line QRST (the extremity Q is supposed to have just passed under the preceding
printing cylinder, and the end T is going to pass under the following printing
cylinder).
The arrangement designed is composed of three rollers; oue of them, U, has an
upward movement and serves to advance or retard the paper; it may also,
according to circumstances, be inclined to the right or to the left, so as to cause
the paper to pass to the right or to the left; two other rollers, VV, press on
the pressing cylinder. These rollers are of some suitable elastic material, such
as rubber or the like; their surface is smooth, or it may even have depressions
or elevations, so that the white parts of the paper fit these elevations, and the
printed parts fit the depressions. These rollers serve to maintain the paper con-
stantly pressed on the cylinder in such a way that it forms absolutely one piece
with it, and it is regularly and continuously drawn along; by means of a system of
screws, these rollers are regulated in such a way as to press the paper more or less
on the cylinder. The rollers V V may also be smooth, in that case they become
covered at the end of a certain time with spots, etcetera, which may be removed by
means of a substance capable of dissolving ink, such as paraffin, for instance.
A still more perfect register may be obtained by means of the arrangement
which is shown in Figure 6. In this figure, there is shown a suitable arrangement
of a rotary machine with four groups of printing and pressing cylinders, but this
invention is applicable to any number of printing and pressing cylinders whether.
more or less than four.
Instead of simply placing the pressure rollers V, for pressing the sheet of paper,

page_text: on the pressure cylinder, before it passes under the printing cylinder, pressure
rollers V are also arranged which press on the sheet of paper after its passage
under the printing cylinder, in this way the paper which is to be printed cannot
slip, and its movement is absolutely regular and identical with that of the printing
cylinders.
Instead of placing the pressure rollers against the pressure cylinder itself, they
may be placed a little in front of or behind it, but, in this case, the sheet of paper
passes between pressure rollers combined in couples; these pressing rollers are then
given the same speed as the pressure cylinders. The number of pressure cylinders
may vary according to circumstances.
In Figure 6, the printing rollers are indicated by the letters ' [* I* I*, and the
pressure cylinders by the letters P¹ P' P³ P'.
The paper, which is to be printed, is wound on a reel Z, and is pressed against
the pressing cylinder P' by two rollers V V placed in front of the printing
cylinder 1', and by the two rollers X X touching the sheet after it has passed
under the printing cylinder.
In front of the pressing cylinder P2, there are placed two groups of rollers V1 VI,
which have an identical speed with that of the printing roller, and between which
the sheet of paper passes, being thus held quite firm.
The sheet of paper is then held on the pressing cylinder 1" by means of two
rollers XX touching the sheet after it has passed the printing roller. The paper
is held against the pressing cylinder P by means of two rollers V V placed in
front of the printing cylinder. After having passed under the printing cylinder I³,
the sheet of paper passes between several groups X'X' of rollers which have the
same rotary speed as the printing cylinder I', and which are intended to give the
sheet an even movement. Their function is identical with that of the other
rollers XX. The arrangement for the pressing cylinder P is the same as that
employed for the cylinder P¹.
The rollers V V X X' are provided with rings or washers so as only to press on
the unprinted parts of the paper, or they may be recessed.
With the arrangement herein before described, the paper clings absolutely closely
to the pressure cylinder, and the difference of pressure which exists, owing to the
blank spaces in the blocks, is largely compensated for by the series of rollers.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The means of ensuring, in printing with rotary machines, a perfect register, by
driving the printing and pressing cylinders of such machines by means of
gear
wheels having precisely the same number of teeth, substantially as hereinbefore
described. In this system of operating, all the pressing or all the printing rollers.
are connected with one another or with a driving shaft, directly or indirectly, by
equal wheels having the same number of teeth.
2. The application, to rotary printing machines of all kinds, of a method of
adjusting and registering, consisting essentially of three rollers; one (U) having a
movement upwards and capable of being inclined to the left and right, the two.
others (VV) bearing on the pressing cylinder in front of the printing cylinder.
3. A printing machine composed of five groups of printing cylinders and of
pressing rollers, each supplied with its own inking mechanism, arranged as shown
on the drawing, and operated by means of gearing having the same number of
teeth, as specified in the following claim.
4. The application, to all kinds of rotary printing machines, of a method of
adjusting and registering, consisting essentially of a series of rollers V V, placed
in front of the printing cylinder, and of a second series of rollers X, placed behind
the printing cylinder; the rollers V being arranged to bear against the pressing
cylinder or even to stand at a certain distance in front of the printing cylinder as

page_text: shown at V1; in the same way the rollers X may bear on the pressing cylinder or
even be placed at a certain distance behind as shown at X'.
Dated this 17th day of February 1893.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.