Machine for Printing Articles of any Shape.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Apr., 1895-Accepted, 22nd June, 1895
Machine for Printing Articles of any Shape.
HEINRICH RUDOLF, 98, Alt-Moabit, Berlin, N.W. 21, 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 present invention relates to a machine for printing articles of any desired
shape from glass, china, crockery, paper, wood, sheet-metal, and the like.
The method upon which this machine is based, viz. the taking off from the block
of a negative of the picture by means of a soft roller and then transferring a
positive thereof on the article to be printed by means of pressure or rolling off-
is doubtless already well known, but the apparatus hitherto used is very
complicated and the manner in which they are handled is both troublesome and
tedious. These new machines, on the contrary, are conspicuous not only for their
simplicity but also for their highly practical method of construction. The drawing
gives three different views of the new machine, namely:
Figure 1 a lateral view.
Figure 2 a back view.
Figure 3 a superficial view.
Figures 4 and 5 shew the colour-rollers on an enlarged scale.
The axle w, placed in the standards L of the machine bears on its free ends two
pairs of levers F F' and G G of which the latter sit firmly on the axle, whereas
the other pair of levers F F¹, joined together like a frame by the diagonal
stays nn, is arranged on the axle so as to rotate loosely (Figs. 1 & 2). The
lever pair G G', which carries the colour rollers CC, is turned by the hand
lever K in such a way that the rollers are tinted by rolling over the colour
plate B; they then pass over the table A which bears the block upon which they
press the colour taken up from the colour-plate or slab.
The trunnions gl of the cylindrical iron core g-upon which the roller, of
annular profile, of gelatine or other suitable material is either cast or stretched
lie in slits or grooves ec, placed at the upper and broader end of the lever G G¹
and are firmly joined to the rods g² each of which is provided with a spring g³ is
fastened at one end to the guide-piece 9. The tendency of this spring is to press
the rollers CC upon their respective beds thus causing them to lie closer upon the
colour slab or block as the case may he.
Between the levers F and F is the fork-shaped frame H carrying the pressing
roller D and the guide-rollers E E¹; this frame is hung so as to rotate or revolve,
on the tail screws ff the heads of which are shaped so as to form handles Upon
the fore-end of this frame H is also hung the roller D between the points of the
centre screws rr, whereas the rubber faced rollers E E' for guiding the article to
be printed, are arranged adjustably upon the rod e.
The frame H can be raised or lowered by the aid of the excentric J; generally,
however, the lateral arms of the frame lie against the level part i of the excentric.
After being rolled over the object to be printed the roller D is automatically held
fast by means of a brake-pin d which, actuated by a spring, bites into a suitable
slot in the frame of the roller d'; this causes the printing roller, after each
pull of the picture from the block, always to take up the same position before
turning in order that the picture may always come exactly upon the same place
as the last.

page_text: The pins SS serve to hamper the movement of the lever pair G G¹; whilst
the lever-pair FF when at rest lie against the pin, as regards the exterior
position to the right upon the table A, with the diagonal stay against the frame-
arm M.
The process of the printing is as follows: After the colour-rollers cc' have
been well saturated with colour, by rolling them repeatedly backwards and
forwards over the colour-slab B, they are passed over the block whereby the latter
is made ready for printing, (Fig. 2). Hereupon the lever-pair F F with the now
stopped colour roller is passed over the table into the extreme position to the
right so that the diagonal stay n lies against the check arm M (Fig. 3); of course
while this is being done the roller must not touch the table as it has not to take off
the picture from the block tills its return. The frame D.must therefore previously
be raised by means of the excentric J and, not until the lever-pair has attained
the position described, is the frame lowered and the roller thus brought into
contact with the table. The brake-pin d is then withdrawn from the slot d¹ in the
frame of the roller and the lever-pair turned left into the position shewn in Fig. 1—
whereby the roller, passing over the block, takes off the picture from it.
The article to be printed is now placed between the roller-pair E E' and the
roller D, and made to rotate with the hand.
The rollers can be made to approach or recede from one another in ratio to the
size of the picture; they can be turned loosely on their axis e in such a way that
they can adapt the speed at which they revolve to the shapes of the rotating
article.
PATENT CLAIMS.
1. Machine for printing articles of any shape by means of a soft transfer roller,
characterized by the fact that the lever-pair.(G G) bearing the colour-rollers (cc¹)
as well as the lever-pair (F F¹) bearing the frame of the printing roller (D) is
arranged upon a mutual axis (c) in such a way that without the intermediation of
special mechanism in one continuous process the block is first coloured by the
lever-pair (G-G¹) and the picture then taken off from it by turning the lever-
pair (FF).
2. An arrangement in connection with the machine specified sub Claim 1 for
raising and lowering the frame (H) which carries the colour roller (D) and
consists of a rotating excentric (J) against the levelled part of which (i) the
lateral arms of the frame lie when in its highest position.
3. The application to the machine specified sub Claim 1 of a pin (d) actuated by
a spring and biting laterally into a slot (d) in order to stop the colour-roller whilst
turning the lever-pair (FF) to the right.
4. The application to the machine specified sub Claim 1 of rubber-faced laterally
adjustable rollers, rotating independently of each other, to the axle (e) in the
frame (H), the said rollers being adjustable as to their distances in accordance
with the sizes of the picture.and each of which adapts its rotation-speed to.the
forms of the rotating article.
Landanud Anni 1905