Improvements in Printing Machines.
Year: 1895

page_text: . Date of Application, 18th Jan., 1895
Complete Specification, Left, 12th June, 1895-Accepted, 13th July, 1895
PROVISIONAL DIBUTIONTI
Improvements in Printing Machines.
I, THOMAS RUDDIMAN JOHNSTON, of Waverley, Newlands Park, Sydenham,
in the County of Kent, Printer and Publisher, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
The invention has mainly for its object improvements upon an invention for
which I obtained Letters Patent, No. 16161 of the year 1886.
In the Specification of said Patent a movement is described by which a large
cylinder carrying the zinc plate, an ink table, and a damping board, and having a
constant rotary movement at a uniform speed in one direction, gradually starts a
smaller cylinder carrying the sheet of paper, brings it to the same surface speed as
itself, keeps it at this speed while the sheet is being printed, and gradually allows
it to stop, the smaller cylinder remaining in a fixed position while the printed sheet
is removed and another sheet fed into its grippers, when the larger cylinder again
puts it in motion as described above. Means for entirely disconnecting the two
cylinders were also described so that the larger cylinder might alone revolve when
ink was being spread upon its ink table.
This present invention includes improvements in the above movements.
According to my present invention I fix a starting cam on the end of the larger
cylinder, having a portion to move forward the starting lever and another portion
to control the return motion of such lever, and I mount a double ended starting
lever on a stud or axis on one of the side frames; the smaller cylinder has on one
end, near its periphery, a starting stud provided with an antifriction wheel, and at
a short distance therefrom, a locking projection. One arm of the starting lever
has a truck to run in contact with the cam, a face to act against the antifriction
wheel of the starting stud, and a projection to act in connection with a hooked
projection on the striking-on lever; the other arm of the starting lever has a
curved slotted opening concentric with its axis and fitting the locking projection
of the smaller cylinder, and the starting lever is acted upon by a spring to force it
in the contrary direction to that given to it by the cam. In the rotation of the
larger cylinder, the starting cam on its end acts on one arm of the starting lever,
which in its turn acts against the starting stud and thereby starts the smaller
cylinder very slowly at first but gradually increases its speed until the surface
speed of the two cylinders is equal, when the driving teeth on the larger cylinder
will gear with those on the smaller cylinder and complete the revolution of the
latter. When the starting cam has effected the starting of the smaller cylinder,
the spring acting on the starting lever, gradually forces it back until the projection
thereon comes against the hooked projection on the striking-on lever, and the jaw
forming one side of the curved slotted opening in the locking arm of the starting
lever, comes into the path of the locking projection on the smaller cylinder,
but clear of the starting stud, and then, when such parts are in contact, the
locking arm is forced still further forward so that the locking projection is
grasped within the curved locking slot and the smaller cylinder is thereby
securely and firmly held whilst the paper is being fed thereto. The return
motion of the starting lever is controlled by the antifriction roller running
against a part of the starting cam before referred to. If it should be desired
that the larger cylinder should not act on the smaller, then, if the striking-cn
lever is pushed further forward, its hook shaped projection will permit the

page_text: a
starting lever through the action of the spring thereon, to move to such a
position that its antifriction wheel will not be acted on by the starting cam. It is
evident that the starting cam may, instead of being on the larger cylinder, be on
the intermediate piece or standing dever, or on the smaller cylinder, and that the
intermediate piece may be pushed in the desired direction instead of oscillating on
an axis. "The locking apparatus may also be separate from the intermediate piece,
and in two parts if desired, one part preventing the smaller cylinder from moving
in one direction, and the other preventing it moving in the other direction. Also,
to allow the driving cylinder to revolve without acting on the smaller cylinder, it
is evident that instead of altering the position of the intermediate piece, the
striking-on handle may be arranged to act on a movable cam instead of on a fixed
eam on the driving cylinder or on a movable runner on the smaller. cylinder. In
connection with the starting movement, I propose to employ on each cylinder.
path going almost entirely round it, each path being on a level with the top of the
teeth of the geared wheels, the path on the larger thus fitting into the smaller,
and one eylinder carrying a projecting tooth and the other having a corresponding
gap, thus compelling the cylinders to gear only at one place; or I form a path on
the larger cylinder devel with the tops of the driving teeth and fitting into the
amaller and also into the lower side of a large projecting tooth on it, and such
path has at one part only of its circumference a recess to receive said large tooth.
Weighting the cylinder or applying drag thereto would also prevent "racing
away," but the above movement is definite. In order to ensure the smaller
cylinder stopping at the required point, I dispense with the last tooth of the gear
wheel of the larger cylinder, which would otherwise he required to drive the
smaller cylinder home, and fill in such parts to a level with the top of the teeth
but considerably slope them away, and I so shape the last tooth of the smaller
cylinder and the parts near it that the filled-in and sloped portion of the driving
wheel shall fit the same when at rest, thus permitting the driving wheel to
gradually force the smaller cylinder to its exact position should the drag on the
latter tend to stop it before it reaches such position, and to keep it there.
My invention also relates to an improved drag or break apparatus to prevent the
smaller or impression cylinder from racing and to stop its impetus when it is coming
to rest. For this purpose I employ a break wheel fixed to one end of the
impression cylinder and around which a band break is passed. One end of this
band is adjustably fixed to a screwed rod carried by a bracket or carrier, whilst the
other end is fixed to a lever whose free end is in position to be acted upon by cam
shaped pieces fixed to or formed on the break wheel or cylinder end, and which at
certain times depress the lever and bring the break band into action. The band
can be slackened or tightened by simply turning the nuts on the screwed rod
carrying the adjustable end of the band. One of such cam shaped pieces comes
into action when the impression cylinder is stopping, to check any impetus it may
have, and the other cam shaped piece acts very lightly on the break lever and
comes into action just before the sheet of paper meets the plate carrying the
design to be printed and so pulls back the cylinder against its driving teeth. The
impression cylinder is not driven home by about one inch on its pitch line and
during this distance the drag is applied by one of such cam shaped pieces.
My invention also relates to improvements connected with the blanket tightening
apparatus. retain the benefits of the blanket tightener described in the
Specification of my said Patent, but I so mount the tightening rods that they can
both be removed entirely from the machine when the blanket is being secured to
them, thereby facilitating the accurate fixing of the blanket to the rods, and I
longitudinally divide the rods to receive the blanket between such parts and secure
the whole together by transverse screws.
My invention also relates to improved means for regulating the supply of water
for damping the plate, whereby, if desired, the damping table and feed roller may
be dispensed with, and one of the damping rollers be placed to run constantly in
contact with the water roller and otherwise, as do the dampers described in my

page_text: 1
said former Specification. For this purpose.the water roller rotates in the water
trough as before, but above the upper edge of one side of the latter, I place. a.
layer or pad of absorbent material backed by a layer of elastic material and
extending the whole length of the water roller and being in contact therewith..
This absorbent pad and its backing are carried by a cross bar provided with
adjustable arms formed in two parts fitting together with screw threads, and on the
ends of such arms I fix worm wheels which are simultaneously acted upon by
worms on a cross shaft fitted at one or both ends with a handle or: hand' wheel..
By these means the absorbent material can be brought into contact with the water
roller as lightly or as firmly as may be desired.. When using.a damping, table, the
feed roller will, as before, run for a certain time in contact with the water roller.
and then in contact with the damping table..
My invention also relates to means for temporarily raising, the inking, rollers:
when a sheet less than the full size of the plate is being printed from a design.
'occupying a corresponding amount of space, the rest of the plate being unused...
As the damping, rollers would, if not prevented, run over the entire surface of
the plate and so moisten it, and as the inking, rollers would in like manner do the
same and pick up particles of water and so become deadened or partially so and
thereby unable to freely part with their ink when next they come in contact with
the design; I use temporary roller raisers or paths consisting of pieces of the
desired size and shape which can be temporarily fixed to the cylinder, so that when
the said damping and inking rollers shall have passed fully over the design, they
shall respectively be raised by the temporary roller raisers or paths above the
plate.
"
My invention also relates to improved plate adjusters and holders to facilitate
the use of plates of various dimensions, instead of being.compelled to use plates
always of the same size: For this purpose I use at the front edge of the plate; a
gripper consisting of upper and lower gripper bars bolted together and occupying,
a recess across the cylinder. The lower bar is carried by screw threaded arms. or
bolts passing through and adjustably fixed in eye pieces, the stems of which pass
through holes in the cylinder and are fixed, but capable of rotation, in position by
pins; keys or cotters. At the opposite or back edge of the plate, I use a series of
grippers occupying longitudinal grooves in the cylinder and consisting of upper and
lower grippers or jaws, the lower of which have adjustably fixed thereto screw
bolts formed with turned down pieces or anchors which may be placed in suitable
holes or recesses in the bottoms of the longitudinal grooves according to the size of
the plate to be held. When necessary I use filling pieces between the adjustable
grippers and the ends of the longitudinal grooves_containing them, so as to afford
suitable support to the plate over such grooves. The gripping faces of the various
gripping jaws. or bars are suitably inclined and roughened to enable them to obtain
a firm hold of the plate. The longitudinal recesses to receive the filling pieces, as
also the latter, are dovetailed or otherwise correspondingly formed so as to retain
the filling pieces in place. Should the plates be all of full length bub of varying
width, the longitudinal grooves may be dispensed with and bar grippers used at
both back and front edges of the plate. To prevent any polishing action on the
plate during printing, the surface of the plate must always coincide with the pitch
line of the geared wheels of the cylinder. The machine is therefore always made
to take a plate of a certain thickness. If it is desired to use a thinner plate, then
another plate must be placed beneath it, so that both will equal in thickness the
plate for which the machine has been designed, and in this case both plates can be
fixed together in the machine in the same manner as one ordinarily can. Should.
however the machine be made to take very thick plates, such as plates etched deep
enough for letter-press or block printing or to take stereotype or electrotype plates
clamped in the usual manner to the surface of the cylinder, and it be desired after
their removal to use in the same machine a thin plate, then another plate must be
placed beneath it to bring its surface to the pitch line. As at the front edge of
the plate there is some pressure from the inkers and impression cylinder.coming

page_text: ] then
against it, the under plate must be secured to withstand it. To secure the upper
plate in position I adopt the adjusters and holders herein before. described. In
order to give support to a thick under plate, I screw studs into tapped holes, or
place plain studs in plain holes, in the cylinder, which studs project above the
cylinder and pass through holes made in the under plate to receive them.
place the thin sheet plate over the under plate and secure its back and front edges
by grippers as herein before described. The under plate may be bevelled on all its
edges with advantage and it may be screwed to the cylinder if it is not frequently
removed. In the ordinary reciprocating lithographic printing press, I use a
modification of the above apparatus when it is desired to print from a zinc plate
without using the cumbrous and costly beds now in use. These beds take plates of
only one length, but the apparatus described will suit any size of plate as the
latter is simply laid on the top of a lithographic stone slightly smaller than itself
and ther adjusted to its correct position. For this purpose the screwed bolts of the
back grippers are formed to connect with the links of chains according to the size
of the plate used, the last links of said chains being held by hooks or holdfasts fixed
in any suitable parts of the machine bed; bar grippers may be also used, as already
described, at both the front and back edges of the plate, and the front grippers may
have their eye pieces fixed but the eye pieces of the back ones must be provided
with means of adjustment. The beds in use in the existing reciprocating litho-
graphic machines may be grooved and adapted to use the back pullers and adjusters
as described with respect to the rotary machine.
My invention also relates to improved sheet grippers and setters or front lay
pieces. The improved design of the grippers chiefly simplifies the making of the
parts but the combination of the grippers with the new setters or front lay pieces
permits the latter to be constantly projecting beyond the cylinder surface, excepting
The setters can also be
only when the two cylinders meet where the setters are.
adjusted so that the design can be made to fall on the sheet of paper in its proper
place should the plate not be exactly in its correct position, without the necessity
for adjusting the plate to overcome this inaccuracy. The gripper bar passes through
the ends of the impression cylinder and moves in slots therein. On this bar are
fixed several grippers which hold the sheet of paper against the blanket during the
printing. At each end of the gripper bar is fixed a bolt working through fixed eye
pieces and fitted with adjustable springs to keep the gripper bar at its lowest
position and therefore the grippers tightly pressing the sheet of paper against the
blanket during printing.
When the printed sheet has to be removed and a clean sheet introduced into the
grippers the bar carrying the latter is raised as described in my former
Specification.
The setters are fixed to a bar which in its turn is fixed to and carried by carriers
through which the gripper bar passes.
Within these carriers the gripper bar has inside it, springs which are acted upon
by rods fixed to the carriers. On the sides of the latter are tapped bosses carrying
adjusting screws which pass through slots in the gripper bar and are secured to the
setter bar with capability of rotation therein. The ends of the setter bar terminate
in pieces projecting beyond the surface of the cylinder. A sheet of paper having
been fed against the setters and the grippers having secured it, the cylinder revolves
and as the two cylinders meet, the projections on the ends of the setter bar are
pushed down by the plate cylinder and consequently carry the setter bar and setters
down with them and compress the springs acting on the setter bar but when the
end projections of the setter bar cease to be acted upon by the plate cylinder the
springs return the setter bar and setters to their normal position, suitable stops being
employed to prevent the latter projecting too far.
Should the plate not be exactly in its correct position the sheet of paper may be
accommodated to it as the setters can be pushed out or pulled in a short distance
by means of the adjusting screws. The front plate of the feeding board is cut away
at parts to allow the setters to pass as the cylinder revolves.

page_text: also propose to so modify the ink ductor so that its blade can be raised or
1wered to the greatest exactness throughout its entire length by simply turning a
handle thus giving the desired thickness of film of ink on the ductor roller. For
this purpose I employ a casting extending across the machine and fixed to the side
frames to this casting the ductor blade is fixed along its back edge only. In this
casting is a groove within which is placed a long wedge with capability of sliding
therein against a superimposed wedge fastened to the ductor blade at its front
edge.
The movable wedge has at one end a tapped eye piece through which passes a
screw on one end of which is a worm wheel which can when desired be slowly
rotated by a worm having a handle fixed on its shaft. Thus by rotating the.
handle the worm and worm wheel give slow rotation to the screw and this.
latter either slowly pushes or pulls the lower wedge thereby raising or lowering.
the ductor blade.
As shown and described in my said former Specification the surface of the
inking table is higher than that of the plate carrying the design so that the.
inking rollers can run over the inking table without touching, the plate being
afterwards lowered when it is desired to commence printing. It has however.
been found in practice that they are apt to mark the plate especially when the
machine is running at a quick speed. I therefore according to my present
improvements, arrange the surfaces of the plate and the inking table as nearly as
possible at the same distance from the centre of the cylinder and I provide
ineans whereby the inking rollers may when desired be caused to run on the
inking table only. In carrying this part of my invention into effect I provide.
two separate paths on either of which the inking roller runners can be made
to run as required by imparting a movement to the inking rollers towards or
from one or other side of the machine and I connect such paths by inclines
and form the inking roller runners with portions of their surfaces conical and other
portions cylindrical to enable them to run on either of the paths and to freely
ascend and descend the inclines.
In order to enable the runners to be readily shifted from one to the other of the
paths and to be securely held in contact with either I employ two bars to each set
of runners one of such bars acting against one side of the runners and the other
bar on the other side thereof. These bars are connected together at their ends by
rods passing freely through holes in the side frames and serve to steady the motion
of the bars. To the centre of each pair of bars is fixed a tapped block through
which passes a screw shaft which is adapted to be turned when desired by a handle
applied to one end thereof.
Thus by turning this screwed shaft in one or the other direction the runners are
caused to pass from one path to the other according as it is required for the inking.
rollers to run in contact with or free from the surface of the plate.
The surface of the plate is on the pitch line of the cylinder and the part of the
cylinder receiving it being slightly below and of the same radius as the surface of
the inking table both surfaces can be turned accurately at the same time. By this
arrangement it will be seen that the inking rollers during printing only alter their
position to the extent of the thickness of the plate thus giving at high speed great
steadiness and cleaner working.
To increase the distribution of the ink, I employ a novel construction of movable
ink table which alters its position at each revolution of the cylinder.
For this purpose I fix to the back of the ink table, guide pieces preferably of
dovetail form, which fit and slide in grooves of corresponding form made across the
cylinder. At the centre of the ink table and at each end are fixed on the underside
thereof blocks carrying swivelling followers which travel to and fro in a cross
threaded screw mounted in suitable bearings and to which rotary motion is given,
in the revolution of the cylinder, by a rubber faced bevel wheel on each end of its
shaft coming against bevelled segmental pieces fixed to the side frames.

page_text: Thus, by the revolution of the cross threaded screw, the swivelling followers and
consequently the inking table are cansed to move to and fro.
It is found that the ink distribution hitherto in use is insufficient, especially when
large masses of color are alternated with blank-spaces. To remedy this I give a
considerable lateral movement to the distributing rollers, as also to some of the
riders of the inking rollers, by the following. means. I connect the ends of the
riders or distributors by clutch arrangements to the long arms of bell crank levers..
the shorter arms of which are connected by links or rods to crank pins or to
eccentric straps mounted on suitable revolving shafts.
My invention also relates to a new method of putting either the ink ductor
roller or the water trough roller with their accompanying feed rollers in motion, as
also to a simple means of preventing the throwing of either of these rollers out of
action at the wrong time.
For this purpose I mount a toothed wheel loosely on the axis of the ink duotor
roller and another on that of the water trough roller, such toothed wheels gearing
together; on one of said toothed wheels and also loose on its shaft I fix a chain
wheel, which receives motion by chain from a similar wheel having one revolution
for each revolution of the cylinder. On each of said shafts I fix an arm, the outer
end of which is fitted with a spring pin or bolt capable of passing the one into a
hole in the chain wheel, the other into a hole in the toothed wheel receiving motion
from that connected with the chain wheel. These spring pins or bolts are
provided with milled heads and with nibs, which latter are each capable, when
required, of being raised in a vertical slot in the arm. carrying it and of being
turned partly round in a horizontal slot to keep it free from the hole in its coacting
wheel. Should the ductor rollers be in action when either of the pins or bolts is
withdrawn from its wheel, and if a feed roller were then against its table, some
damage might result by the feed roller remaining there. To prevent this I fix a
cover over the said gearing, which is so formed as to permit the nihs of the spring
bolts to pass through it and consequently the bolts to be inserted and withdrawn at
any part of their revolution, excepting when they are passing certain portions of the
cover corresponding with the times when the feed rollers are on their tables. The
edges of these portions of the cover are bevelled so that the nibs may not catch on
them should the spring bolts be moved when they are near those portions. The
cover is open at part of its upper side to allow the chain driving the chain wheel
to pass in.
The invention also relates to means whereby the driving belt is compelled to be
entirely on the driving pulley or entirely on the loose pulley and whereby the
drag is simultaneously removed from or applied to the fly wheel or break wheel.
For this purpose I fix a weighted or tumbler lever on a shaft or axis which is
connected with the belt striker by suitable means. On the axis of this weighted
or tumbler lever is fixed a treadle lever, whose two ends carrying the treadles
stand in opposite directions. The weighted lover is connected by suitable moans to
a lever fixed rigidly to the axis of a cam, which is capable of pressing, against the
back of a break block lever or of being free therefrom, according to whether the
belt is on the loose or fast pulley. Thus by depressing one or other treadle,
the strap is shifted from the fast to the loose pulley, or vice versa, and the brake
shoe is simultaneously pressed against or removed from the fly wheel or break
wheel, whilst the weighted or tumbler lever will, by being in an inclined position
to the one or other side of a vertical line, retain the belt and the break shoe securely
in the positions to which they have been moved by the treadle lever.
Dated January 18th 1895.
By HARRIS & MILLS,
23 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.

page_text: “Improvements in Printing Machines.
I. THOMAS RUDDIMAN. JOHNSTON, of Waverley, Newlands Park, Sydenham,
in the County of Kent, Printer and Publisher, 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 invention has mainly for its object improvements upon an invention for
which I obtained' Letters Patent No. 16161 of the year 1886.
In the Specification of said Patent a movement is described whereby a large
cylinder, carrying a zinc plate with the design upon it, an ink table and a damping
board, and having a constant rotary motion at a uniform speed in one direction,
gradually starts a smaller cylinder carrying the sheet of paper to be printed, brings
it to the same surface speed as itself, keeps it at this speed while the sheet is being
printed, and allows it gradually to stop, the smaller cylinder remaining in a fixed
position while the printed sheet is removed and another sheet fed into its grippers,
when the large cylinder again puts it in motion as above described.
Such class of machine was also provided with means for entirely disconnecting
the two cylinders so that the large cylinder might alone revolve when ink was
being spread upon its ink table.
My present invention relates to improvements in the above movements and to
various other parts of the machine.
My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which :-
Fig. 1 is a side view showing the general arrangement of the machine.
Fig. 2 is an elevation of parts showing the means for gradually starting and
for correctly stopping and holding the smaller or impression cylinder.
Fig. 3 is an edge view of Fig. 2.
Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively a side view and an edge view of part of the
means shown at Figs. 2 and 3.
Figs. 4 and 5 are similar elevations to Fig. 2 but represent the parts in different
positions.
Fig. 6 is an elevation of parts for applying drag to the impression cylinder.
Fig. 7 is a section drawn on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6.
Fig. 8 is an end view and Fig. 9 is a plan of the break lever separately.
The parts represented at Figs. 6 to 9 are on the opposite side of the machine to
that of the parts shown at Figs. 1 to 5.
Figs. 10 and 11 are elevations drawn at right angles to each other showing
meaus for tightening the blanket on the impression cylinder, and Fig. 12 is an end
view of such cylinder separately.
Fig. 13 is a sectional elevation showing parts for regulating the damping of the
plate.
Fig. 14 is a sectional end view, Fig. 15 is a plan and Fig. 16 is a cross section
drawn on the line 16-16 of Fig. 15, of part of one end of the plate carrying
cylinder, showing temporary means for raising the rollers according to the extent
of plate surface used for the design.
Fig. 17 is a sectional elevation and Fig. 18 is a plan of parts of the plate
carrying cylinder showing means for adjusting and holding plates at the front edge
thereof.
Fig. 17 is a section of parts on the line 17-17" of Fig. 18.
Figs. 19, 20 and 21 are respectively a sectional side view, end view and plan, of
parts of said cylinder showing means for adjusting and holding plates at the back
end thereof.
Fig. 22 is a side view and Fig. 23 is a plan of a modification in the adjuster and
holder, whereby it can be secured to any link of a chain.

page_text: Fig. 24 is a side view and Fig. 25 is a plan of another modification for the like
purpose, and
Figs. 26, 27 and 28 are respectively two elevations and a plan of a holder on
which the last link of the adjuster holding chain can be placed.
Fig. 29 is a sectional side view and Fig. 30 is a plan of parts at the front edge
of the plate, and
Figs. 31 and 32 are similar views of parts at the back edge of the plate,
showing means for enabling plates of different thicknesses to be used in the same
machine.
Fig. 33 is a sectional elevation showing the impression cylinder fitted with
improved sheet grippers and setters.
Figs. 34 and 35 are cross sections drawn respectively on the lines 34-34
and 35-35 of Fig. 33.
Fig. 35 is a vertical section on the line 35-35* of Fig. 33.
Figs. 36 and 37 are respectively a side elevation and a plan of one end of the
gripper bar and some parts connected therewith, and
Figs. 38, 39 and 40 are respectively a side view and two end views of one of the
end fittings on the gripper bar carrying the setter bar.
Fig. 41 is a sectional end view of improved means for regulating height of ink
ductor blade.
Fig. 42 is a plan of one end of Fig. 41 and
Fig. 43 is a cross section drawn on the line 43-43 of Fig. 42.
Fig. 44 is a sectional end view and Fig. 45 is a cross section drawn on the
line 45-45 of Fig. 44, of part of the plate cylinder showing means whereby 1
am enabled to use a cylinder in which the surfaces of the plate and inking
table are nearly at the same distance from the centre of the cylinder, and
whereby the inking rollers can, when desired, be caused to run on the inking table
only.
Fig. 16 is a cross section through the inking table and Fig. 47 is a similar cross
section through the damping board.
Fig. 48 is a section through part of the large cylinder showing a movable
ink table applied thereto.
Fig. 49 is a section drawn on the line 49-49 of Fig. 48.
Figs. 50 and 51 are two sections drawn at right angles to each other showing
the means for holding the inking table down to the cylinder.
Fig. 52 is a cross section showing part of the cylinder and inking table drawn
to a larger scale than Figs. 48 to 51, and
Fig. 53 is a diagram representing the periphery of the inking table operating
screw opened out Hat.
Fig. 54 is an elevation of the mechanism for moving endwise the riders of the
inking rollers.
Fig. 54 is a view of parts of the above drawn to a larger scale, and
Fig. 55 is a plan of the mechanism for moving endwise the distributing rollers
in order to obtain a more effective distribution of the ink; other views of these
parts being also shown in Fig. 1.
Fig. 56 is an elevation and Fig. 57 is a horizontal section of parts, also shown
in Fig. 1, for enabling either or both the ink ductor roller and water trough roller
with their accompanying feed rollers to be put in motion and to prevent their
being thrown out of action at the wrong time.
In all the views like parts are indicated by similar reference numerals.
1 is the framing, 2 is the large cylinder carrying the plate, the inking table and
the damping board, and 3 is the impression cylinder carrying the grippers and
setters, all of which parts will be hereinafter more particularly referred to.
According to my present invention I fix a cam 2ª on the wheel 2° fixed on the
shaft 2 of the cylinder 2; such cam 2" has a face 2 to move forward the starting
lever 4, another face 2° to control the return motion of such lever and is so shaped
at 2d as to allow the starting lever to remain inoperative when required. Th

page_text: starting lever 4 is double ended and is mounted near its centre on a stud or axis 4*
fixed to one of the side frames 1; the axis 3* of the smaller cylinder 3 has fixed
thereon a wheel 3 having near its periphery a starting stud 3* provided with an
antifriction wheel, and at a short distance therefrom a locking projection 3". One
arm of the starting lever 4 has a truck 4b to run in contact with the cam 2ª, a
face 4° to act against the antifriction wheel of the starting stud 3ª and a pro-
jection 4d to act in connection with a hooked projection 5* on the striking on
lever 5; the other arm of the starting lever 4 has a curved slotted opening 4°
concentric with its axis and fitting the locking projection 3b, and the starting
lever 4 is acted upon by a spring 6 to force it in the contrary direction to that
given it by the cam 2ª.
In the rotation of the cylinder 2 the starting cam 2" acts on the truck 4° on
one arm of the starting lever 4, in such a manner as to force the face 4 against
the stud 3 and thereby starts the smaller cylinder very slowly at first but
gradually increases its speed until the surface speed of the two cylinders becomes
equal, at which moment the driving teeth of the wheel 2 on the axis 2* of the
larger cylinder come into gear with the teeth of the wheel 3 on the axis 3* of
the smaller cylinder 3 and very nearly complete the revolution of the latter.
When the starting cam 2ª has effected the starting of the smaller cylinder 3 and
the truck 4b is beginning to run against the face 2°, the spring 6 gradually forces
the starting lever 4 back until the projection 4ª thereon comes against the hooked
projection 5 on the striking on lever. The lower arm of the starting lever 4 will
then be in the path of the locking projection 3b, and the latter, on arriving
against such arm, will first slightly push it back uncil said projection has passed the
upper face of the curved locking slot 4, when further motion of such projection
will he stopped by its coming against the outer side of the curved locking slot 4°,
in which position of the parts the starting lever 4 will be again pushed further
forward by the spring 6 so as to grip the locking projection 3b within the locking
slot 4, whereby the cylinder 3 is securely and firmly held whilst the printed sheet
is removed therefrom and a fresh sheet of paper is being fed thereto. The return
motion of the starting lever 4 is controlled by the anti-friction roller 4° running
against the part 2 of the starting cam 2. If it should be desired that the
larger cylinder 2 should revolve without rotating the impression cylinder 3, the
striking on lever 5 is pushed further forward to the position shown at Fig. 5,
when its hooked shaped projection 3ª will permit the starting lever 4, through the
action of the spring 6 thereon, to move to such a position that its anti-friction
wheel 4 will not be acted upon by the face 2b or any other part of the starting
cam, but will be placed within the face 2ª and consequently receive no motion.
The cylinder 3 can never travel too far as the locking projection 3b must come
in contact with the jaw forming the outer side of the curved slotted opening 4° of
the locking arm of the starting lever, which latter always projects in the path
of the projection 3b, except when pushed down by the action of the cam.
It is evident that the starting cam may, instead of being on a wheel fixed to
the axis of the larger cylinder, be on the starting lever 4 or on the wheel 3 of the
smaller cylinder 3 and that the intermediate piece 4 may be pushed in the desired
direction instead of oscillating on an axis. The locking apparatus may also be
separate from the intermediate piece and in two parts if desired, one part
preventing the smaller cylinder 3 from moving in one direction and the other
preventing it moving in the contrary direction.
Also, to allow the driving cylinder 2 to revolve without acting on the smaller
cylinder 3, it is evident that instead of altering the position of the intermediate
piece 4, the striking on handle 5 may be arranged to act on a movable cam
instead of on a fixed cam on the cylinder 2 or on a movable runner on the
cylinder 3.
In connection with the starting movement I form on the periphery of the wheel 2°
of the larger cylinder 2, a path 2 level with the tops of the driving teeth and
fitting into a path 3d on the wheel 3 of the smaller cylinder 3 and against the lower
R

page_text: side of a large projecting tooth 3° on said wheel 3º and such path 2' has at one part.
only of its circumference a gap or recess 28 to receive such large tooth 3, thus
compelling the driving wheels of the cylinders to come into gear with each other
exactly at the right place and at no other.
66
Weighting the cylinder 3 or applying drag thereto, would prevent racing
away" but the above movement is more definite and cannot fail.
In order to ensure the smaller cylinder 3 stopping always at the required point,
I modify the form of the last tooth of the gear wheel 2e which drives the gear
wheel 3 of the smaller cylinder 3 into the required position and slope the part 2
from the bottom of the adjacent ordinary shaped tooth to a level with the top of
the teeth 2, that is to say, to a level with the path 2' but considerably sloped away
from the bottom of the teeth to the level of such path, and I so shape the last tooth
of the wheel 3 and the path 3d connected with it that the filled in and sloped
portion 2 of the driving wheel 2 shall fit against the same, thus permitting the
driving wheel 2° to gradually force the smaller cylinder 3 to its exact position
should the drag on the latter tend to stop it before it reaches such position and
then by the path 2' fitting against the path 3, the path 2' is enabled to pass freely
the path 3d without further moving the wheel 3, but at the same time locking it
and consequently the smaller cylinder.
My invention also relates to an improved drag or break apparatus to prevent
the smaller or impression cylinder 3 from racing and to stop its impetus when it is
coming to the end of its rotation.
For this purpose 1 employ a break wheel 7 fixed to one end of the axis 3* of the
impression cylinder 3, and around which a break band 7* is passed.
One end of this band 7 is adjustably fixed to the angular end 7 of a
screwed rod 7" carried by a bracket or carrier 1ª fixed to one of the side
frames 1, whilst the other end is fixed to a lever 7 mounted on
a stud 7°
carried by the bracket 1* and whose free end is provided with a roller 7' in
position to be acted upon by cam shaped pieces 7* fixed to or formed on the break
wheel 7 or on the end of the cylinder 3 and which at certain times depress the
lever 7 and bring the break band 7 into action. The band 7ª can be slackened
or tightened by simply turning the fly nuts 7h on the screwed rod 7° carrying the
adjustable end of the band.
The impression cylinder 3 is not driven home by about an inch on its pitch line,
and during this distance the drag is applied by one of such cam shaped pieces 78 to
check any impetus it may have, and the other cam shaped piece 78 acts very
lightly on the break lever 7d and comes into action just before the sheet of paper
meets the plate carrying the design to be printed and so pulls the cylinder 3 back
against its driving teeth.
My invention also relates to improvements, shown at Figs. 10, 11, 12, connected
with the blanket tightening apparatus. I retain the benefits of the blanket
tightener described in the Specification of my said Patent, but I so mount the
tightening rods that they can both be removed entirely from the machine when the
blanket is being secured to them, thereby facilitating the accurate fixing of
the blanket to the rods.
For the purpose of carrying this part of my invention into effect one of the end
plates of the cylinder 3 is formed with two openings 3'; each has a flaring mouth
at the periphery of the cylinder and after passing a certain distance towards the
axis 3*, returns towards the periphery of the cylinder so as to form seats for the
blanket tightening rods 8 at one end, the other ends of which are placed in
cylindrical holes in the opposite end plate of the cylinder. I longitudinally divide
each of these rods to receive the blanket 8 between them and secure the two
parts 88 of the rod and the blanket 8° together by transverse screws 8°. One
end of each rod 8 has fixed thereon a ratchet wheel 80 and is formed square to
receive a key by which it can be rotated, whilst a retaining pawl 8° is mounted
on a stud 8 on the cylinder end to engage with such ratchet wheel to retain
the strain put on the blanket; a thumb piece 8* on such pawl facilitates its

page_text: disengagement from the ratchet wheel 8 when it is required to adjust or remove
the blanket.
My invention also relates to improved means, shown at Fig. 13, for regulating
the supply of water for damping the plate whereby, if desired, the damping
table and feed roller hitherto used may be dispensed with and one of the damping
rollers be placed to run constantly in contact with the water roller and other-
wise as do the dampers described in my said former Specification. For this
purpose the water roller 9 rotates in the water trough 9 as before, but above
the upper edge of one side of the latter, I place a layer or pad 9b of absorbent
material backed by a layer 9° of elastic material and extending the whole length
of the water roller 9 and being in contact therewith.
This absorbent pad 9 and its backing are carried by a cross bar 91 secured to
the frames 1 and are provided with adjustable arms formed in two parts 9e 91 fitting
together with screw threads 98. The parts 9 are mounted in fixed bearings 9h
with capability of rotating therein but not of endway motion. On the ends of
these parts 9 I fix worm wheels 9, which are simultaneously acted upon by
worms 9 on a cross shaft 9' mounted in suitable bearings and fitted at one or both
ends with a handle 9" or hand wheel. By these means the absorbent material 9b
can be brought into contact with the water roller 9 as lightly or as firmly as may
be desired.
When using a damping table, the feed roller ordinarily used but not shown, will,
as before, run for a certain time in contact with the water roller 9 and then in
contact with the damping table.
When a sheet less than the full size is being printed, the design on the plate
occupies a corresponding amount of space, the rest of the plate being unused.
As, in such case, the damping rollers would, if not prevented, run over the entire
surface of the plate and so moisten it, and as the inking rollers would in like manner
do the same and pick up particles of water and so become deadened or partially
so and thereby unable to freely part with their ink when next they come in contact
with the design, I use, as represented at. Figs. 14, 15 and 16, temporary roller
raisers or paths consisting of pieces of metal 10 of the required size and shape,
which can be temporarily fixed to the cylinder 2 and which are formed at one end
with inclines 10 10 up which the rollers can readily run, and at the other end
with reverse formed inclines to fit against the inclines of the ordinary fixed
paths 10. These pieces 10 may be fixed to the cylinder in any convenient manner
but that shown in the drawings consists of headed studs 10 passing through and
fitting countersunk holes formed in lugs 10° on the pieces 10 and through holes 1
in the cylinder 2, in which such studs are firmly secured by keys or cotters 10%
passed through cross holes formed therein. By these means when the damping and
inking rollers shall have passed fully over the design, they shall respectively be
raised by the temporary roller raisers or paths above the plate.
My invention also relates to improved plate adjusters and holders to facilitate
the use of plates of various dimensions instead of being compelled to use plates
always of the same size.
For this purpose I use at the front edge of the plate, a gripper occupying a
recess 2' across the cylinder 2 and constructed as shown at Figs. 17 and 18, in
which 11 represents the front edge of a plate, 12 the upper part and 12ª the
lower part of a gripper bar, which hold between them the end of the plate 11 and
are caused to grip the same firmly by means of bolts 12° and nuts 12" at convenient
distances along the bars, so that a plate of any width can be securely gripped.
The upper part of the bar 12 is carried by screw threaded arms or bolts 12 passing
through eye pieces 12*, one at each end of the machine and adjustably fixed therein
by means of nuts 12'. These eye pieces 12e are each provided with a cylindrical
stem 128 passing through corresponding holes in the cylinder 2 and secured in
position therein by means of a cotter, pin or key 12. Thus after securing the
plate 11 in the jaws 12, 12" by the bolts and nuts 12° 12°, the same can be adjusted

page_text: and held firmly in position by means of the bolts 12" and nuts 12', whilst if the
grip er 12, 12 should require to be held in a slightly diagonal position, the eye
pieces 12 can accommodate themselves thereto by slightly turning in their sockets.
By unscrewing somewhat the nuts 12" the bar 12 will slightly fall and so allow
one plate to be easily removed and replaced by another.
At the opposite or back edge of the plate 11 I use a series of grippers occupying
longitudinal grooves 21 at convenient distances apart in the cylinder as represented
at Figs. 19, 20, 21. Each of these grippers consists of a lower gripper jaw 13
and an upper gripper jaw 13, which are forced towards each other by means of a
bolt 13 and nut 13 so as to grip the edge of the plate 11. The lower jaw 13
rests upon the bottom of the groove or recess 2', it is prolonged and has its end 13d
turned upwards and perforated to receive a screwed bolt 13, a nut 13 being
mounted on the latter on each side of the part 13 to facilitate adjustinent and
tightening of the plate 11. These screwed bolts 13 are each provided with a
turned down piece or anchor 13 which may be placed in one of several inclined
holes 2* formed in the botton of the longitudinal grooves or recesses 21 according
to the size of the plate to be held. It will be seen that by means of the nuts 13',
a suitable strain can be put on the plate. When the plate 11 extends partly over
the grooves or recesses 21 I, in order to prevent it from slightly sinking into such
grooves by the pressure of the roller or impression cylinder 3, employ small filling
pieces 13", preferably of type metal and of dovetail form, placed in the grooves 21
where the latter are beneath the plate so as to afford suitable support to the plate
at such part. The circumferential grooves or recesses 2 are at their back ends
made square and the full width of the pieces 13 to allow the latter freely to enter,
whilst at their other parts their sides are inclined or otherwise formed to suit the
shape of the pieces 13 and to retain the latter in position, or such pieces 13" may
be made in two parts to enable them readily to be placed in position in an entirely
dovetail shaped groove.
The gripping faces of the various gripping jaws are
suitably inclined and roughened to enable them to obtain a firm hold of the plate.
Should the plates 11 be all of full length but of varying width the circumferential
grooves may be dispensed with and bar grippers such as that shown at Figs. 17
and 18 used at both back and front edges of the plate.
21
To prevent any slip and consequent polishing action on the plate during
printing, the surface of the plate must always coincide with the pitch line of the
geared wheel of the cylinder 2.
The machine is therefore always made to take a plate of a certain thickness and
sometimes very thick plates etched deep enough for letterpress or block printing
or a stereotype or electrotype plate clamped to the surface of the cylinder in the
usual manner; if, in such cases, alter the removal of such thick plates, it is desired
to use a thinner plate, then another plate must be placed beneath it so that both
will equal in thickness the plate for which the machine has been designed and
thereby bring the thin plate to the pitch Ime of the cylinder, and in this case both
plates can be fixed together in the machine in the same manner as one ordinarily
As at the front edge of the plate there is some pressure from the inkers and
impression cylinder 3 coming against it, the under plate must be secured to
withstand it.
can.
The method in which I carry this into effect is represented at Figs. 29 to 32.
The plate adjusters and holders represented in such figures are similar in
construction to those described with reference to Figs. 17 to 21 and have similar
reference numerals and letters applied thereto. 14 are studs which may be screw
threaded and screwed into tapped holes or which may be plain cylindrical studs
accurately fitting plain cylindrical holes 15 in the cylinder 2.
When it is desired
to use thin plates the studs 14 are placed in the holes 15 but project therefrom a
short distance to receive an under plate 16 of the necessary thickness and having
holes formed therein at the required places to fit over such studs; the upper
plate 11 is then placed over the plate 16 and its front and back edges secured and

page_text: adjusted by grippers as hereinbefore described. The type metal blocks previously
referred to need not be used to fill up the grooves 2 in the cylinder as the under-
plate will prevent any sinking in of the plate 11 and one underplate to entirely
cover the plate surface may only be employed with or without grooves for the
back grippers, or several under plates of various sizes and with grooves if the
upper plate is less than full size. The under plate may be bevelled on all its
edges with advantage as shown at the front and back edges in Figs. 29 and 31 and
may be fixed by screws to the cylinder if it is not frequently removed.
In the ordinary reciprocating lithographic printing press I use a modification of
the adjusting and holding apparatus above described when it is desired to print
from a zinc plate without using the cumbrous and costly beds now in use. These
beds take plates of only one length but the apparatus described will suit any size
of plate as the latter is simply laid on the top of a lithographic stone slightly
smaller than itself and then adjusted to its correct position. For this purpose the
screwed bolts of the back grippers are formed to connect with the links of chains 17,
according to the size of the plate used; this may be effected, as shown at
Figs. 22, 23, by forming an eye 13 at the rear end of the bolt 13 and employing
a split ring or other coupling 13* to connect such eye 13' to a link of a chain 17, or,
as shown at Figs. 24, 25, such screw bolts 13 may be terminated by hooks 13'
which can be hooked into any links of the chains 17 which will leave the chains
almost tight. Hooks or holdfasts 18, see Figs. 26 to 28, are screwed in any
convenient part of the bed of the machine and secured against rotation by key
pins 18ª. When the arrangement shown in Figs. 24 and 25 is used the last
links of the chains are passed over and held by these holdfasts 18 and the
djusters and holders herein before described being fastened to the four corners of
the plate, the latter can not only be stretched perfectly tight over the stone, bat
adjusted exactly to any position desired. Bar grippers may be also used as already
described at both the front and back edges of the plate and the front grippers may
have their eye pieces 12e fixed, but the eye pieces of the back ones, if made like
the front gripper, or the screwed bolts 13º, if made like the back ones of the
rotary machine, must be fixed to chains as described or to other means of
adjustment so that any length of plate may be used.
The beds in use in the existing reciprocating lithographic machines may be
grooved and adapted to use the back pullers and adjusters as described with
respect to the rotary machine.
In some of the figures above referred to the parts are shown of form to suit
a flat surface printing machine; they will however, when applied to a rotary
printing machine, be shaped to suit.
My invention also relates to improved sheet grippers and setters or front lay
pieces in connection with the impression cylinder; this part of my invention is
illustrated at Figs. 33 to 40.
The improved design of the grippers chiefly simplifies the making of the parts,
but the combination of the grippers with the new setters or front lay pieces permits
the latter to be constantly projecting beyond the cylinder surface excepting only
when the two cylinders meet where the setters are. The setters can also be
adjusted so that the design can be made to fall on the sheet of paper in its proper
place should the plate not be exactly in its correct position without the necessity
for adjusting the plate to overcome the inaccuracy.
According to my invention the gripper bar 19 passes through the ends of the
impression cylinder 3 and moves in slots 19" formed therein. On this bar 19 are
fixed several grippers 19b, two only being shown in the drawing, which hold the
sheet of paper against the blanket during the printing.
Near each end of this
gripper bar is fixed a descending bolt 19 working through eye pieces 19d fixed
to the cylinder ends; these bolts are adjustably fitted with springs 19 which
keep the gripper bar 19 normally at its lowest position and therefore the grippers
tightly pressing the sheet of paper against the blanket during printing.
When the printed sheet has to be removed and a fresh sheet introduced into the

page_text: grippers, the gripper bar 19 is raised, as described in my former Specification, in
the following manner.
A lever 19' fixed at one end of the small cylinder on an extension of the
shaft 19" is, through the antifriction roller 19, acted upon by a cam (not shown)
fixed to the plate cylinder 2 or forming a peripheral extension thereof and compels
the levers 19', which are also fixed on the shaft 19% and whose ends pass beneath
the gripper bar 19, to raise the latter and thereby to open the grippers as shown
at Fig. 35. The nuts on the bolts 19° enable the pressure of the springs 19 to be
adjusted as may be desired.
The setters 20 are fixed to a bar 20" which in its turn is adjustably fixed to and
carried by carriers 20°, see Figs. 38 to 40, through which the gripper bar 19
passes. Within these carriers 20' the gripper bar 19 has inside it springs 20
which are acted upon by rods 20" fixed to the carriers 20%. On one of the sides of
the latter are tapped bosses 20° carrying adjusting screws 20' which pass through
slots 19 in the gripper bar 19 and are secured to the setter bar 20ª, as shown
more clearly at Fig. 354 with capability of rotation therein. The ends of the
setter bar 204 terminate in pieces 20% projecting beyond the surface of the
cylinder 3. A sheet of paper having been fed against the setters 20 and
the grippers 19 having secured it, the cylinder 3 revolves and as the two cylinders
meet the projections 20% on the ends of the setter bar 20" are pushed down by
the plate cylinder 2 and consequently carry the setter bar 20" and setters 20 down
with them and compress the springs 20° acting on the setter bar 20%, but when the
end projections 20% of the setter bar cease to be arted upon by the plate cylinder 2,
the springs 20 return the setter bar and setters to their normal position shown at
Fig. 34 suitable stops 20 on the carriers 20" coming against the stop studs 20',
act to prevent the setters projecting too far.
Should the plate not be exactly in its correct position the sheet of paper may be
accommodated to it as the setters 20 can be pushed out or pulled in a short
distance by means of the adjusting screws 20' acting on the setter bar 20%. The
front plate of the feeding board is cut away at parts to allow the setters to pass as
the cylinder 3 revolves.
I also propose to modify the ink ductor so that its blade can be raised or lowered
to the greatest exactness throughout its entire length by simply turning a handle,
thus giving the desired thickness of ink on the ductor roller. This part of my
invention is illustrated at Figs. 41 to 43, and in carrying the same into effect
I employ a casting 21 extending across the machine and fixed to the side frames 1-1.
To this casting 21 the ductor blade 22 is fixed along its back edge 22" only; in the
casting 21 is a groove 21ª within which is placed a long wedge 23 with capability
of sliding endwise therein against a superimposed wedge 22° fastened to the ductor
blade 2 at its front edge. The movable wedge 23 has at one end a tapped eye
piece 23 through which passes a screw 24 which is mounted in a bearing carried
by the bracket 21° with capability of revolving, but not of endway motion, therein;
on one end of the screw 24 is fixed a worm wheel 24" which can, when desired, be
slowly rotated by a worm 25 having a handle 25° fixed on its shaft 25%, which
latter is mounted in a bearing carried by the bracket 21%. Thus, by rotating the
handle 25, the worm 25 and worm wheel 24" give slow rotation to the screw 24
and the latter either slowly pushes or pulls the lower wedge 23, thereby raising or
lowering the ductor blade 22 evenly towards or from the ductor roller 26 thereby
permitting the latter, which revolves in the direction of the arrow, to remove from
the trough 27 any desired thickness of film of ink.
As shown and described in my said former Specification, the surface of the inking
table is higher than that of the plate carrying the design, so that the inking rollers
can run over the inking table and spread the ink upon it without touching the
plate, being afterwards lowered when it is desired to commence printing. It has
however been found in practice that they are apt to mark the plate by leaving a
small quantity of ink adhering to it, especially when the machine is running at a
Яuick speed.

page_text: I therefore, according to my present invention, arrange the surfaces of the plate
and the inking table as nearly as possible at the same distance from the centre of
the cylinder, and I provide means whereby the inking rollers may when desired be
caused to run on the inking table only.
In carrying this part of my invention into effect I adopt the arrangement
represented at Figs. 44 to 47, in which I provide two separate paths 28, 29, on
either of which the inking roller runners 30* can be made to run as required by
imparting a movement to said inking roller runners towards or from one or other
side of the machine, and I connect such paths 28, 29 by inclines 28" and form the
inking roller runners 30" with portions of their surfaces conical and other portions
cylindrical to enable them to run on either of the paths 28, 29 and to freely ascend
and descend the inclines 28ª. In order to enable the runners 30° to be readily
shifted from one to the other of the paths 28, 29, and to be securely held in contact
with either, I employ two bars 31, 31 to each set of runners, one of such bars
acting against one side of the runners and the other bar on the other side thereof.
These bars 31, 31, are connected together at their ends by rods 31° passing freely
through guide holes in the side frames 1. 1 and serving to steady the motion of the
said bars. To the centre of each pair of bars 31 is fixed a tapped block 31,
through which passes a screw shaft 32 which is adapted to be turned when desired
by a handle applied to the squared end thereof. By turning this screwed shaft 32
in one or the other direction the runners 30 are caused to pass from one path to
the other according as it is required for the inking rollers 30 to run in contact
with or free from the surface of the plate; the broken line 33 represents the pitch
line of the cylinder 2. When the runners 30" are on or over the paths 28, the
rollers 30 will come on the plate as shown at Fig. 45, the paths 28 being made of
a slightly smaller radius than the surface of the plate so as to ensure all the rollers
meeting the plate 11 should they vary somewhat in diameter. As the c) linder
continues its revolution the runners 30 will run over other portions of the paths 28
shown in Fig. 46 thereby causing the inking rollers 30 to meet the ink table 34
and receive a fresh supply of ink therefrom; the runners 30* afterwards run on
other parts of the paths 28 shown in Fig. 47 thereby causing the inking rollers 30
to pass clear of the damping table 35. To allow the inking rollers 30 to spread
the ink on the inking table 34 without touching the plate 11, the runners 30" are
all moved along their shafts from the paths 28 to the paths 29 by turning the
screw shaft 32 in the required direction, which will, by the means hereinbefore
described, cause the runners 30" to rise up the inclines 28" to the paths 29. When
it is desired to allow the inking rollers 30 to travel on the plate 11, the movement
of the screwed shaft 32 is reversed, when the runners 30° will be caused to descend
the inclines 28 and to run again on or over the paths 28 as shown at Fig. 45.
When the inking rollers 30 are off the plate 11 they will still run on the inking
table 34, see Fig. 46, and they continue to clear the damping table 35, see Fig. 47:
Figs. 45, 46, 47 also show how the damper rollers, by their runners travelling on
the paths 36, run on the damping board 35 and the plate 11 but always clear
the inking table 34, and how the distributors, by their runners travelling on the
paths 37, act only on the inking table 34.
The surface of the plate 11 is on the pitch line 33 of the cylinder 2 and the part
of the cylinder receiving it being slightly below and of the same radius as the
surface of the inking table 34, both surfaces can be turned accurately at the same
time. The part of the cylinder taking the damping material which is of a thick
and soft nature, does not require to be turned.
The sloping paths 28* and the paths 28 and 29 are formed to run gradually into
each other so that the inking roller runners 30ª, aided by their bevelled edges will
rise and fall smoothly should they be moved when in contact with any portion of
the cylinder. By the arrangement herein before described it will be seen that the
inking rollers, during printing, only alter their position to the extent of the
thickness of the plate 11, thus giving at high speed great steadiness and cleaner
working.

page_text: To increase the distribution of the ink I employ a novel construction or movan
ink table, which alters its position at each revolution of the cylinder. This part
of my invention is illustrated at Figs. 48 to 53 and consists of the following
arrangement.
I construct the ink table 34 in the form of a segment of a hollow cylinder and
fix to the back thereof guide pieces 34ª preferably of dovetail form, which fit
At the
and slide in grooves 2' of corresponding form made across the cylinder 2.
centre of the ink table 34, and at or near each end are fixed on the underside
thereof, blocks 34° carrying swivelling followers 34° and moving in slotted holes 2
in the surface of the cylinder 2. The swivelling followers 34 travel to and fro in
cross threaded screws 38 the shaft 38 of which is mounted in suitable bearings
formed in brackets 38 screwed to the cylinder 2. The shaft 38 has cn one or
both ends thereof a rubber faced bevelled wheel 38, which, in the revolution of
the cylinder 2, comes against bevelled segmental pieces 38" fixed to the side
frames 1. Thus, as the cylinder 2 revolves, and preferably when the inking
table 34 is not below either the inking or distributing rollers, the bevelled wheel or
wheels 38, by coming in contact with the bevelled segmental pieces 384, cause the
shaft 38 and consequently the screws 38 to revolve, thereby moving the swivelling
followers 34 with their blocks 34 along the slots 2 and consequently the ink
table 34 a certain distance in first one and then in the other direction and the ink
table will therefore constantly present a different surface to the inking rollers.
varying the length of the pieces 38" or the dimensions of the bevelled wheels 38,
or the diameter of the screws 38, or pitch of its cross grooves, the motion of the
iuk table can be varied.
By
It is found that the ink distribution hitherto in use is insufficient, especially when
large masses of color are alternated with blank spaces. To remedy this I give a
considerable lateral movement to the distributing rollers, as also to some of the
riders of the inking rollers, by the following means represented at Figs. 1, 54
and 55.
39 are some of the riders of the inking rollers 30, to which riders a lateral to
and fro motion is given in the following manner. On the axis 2* of the cylinder 2
is fixed a skew or spiral gear wheel 40, which gives motion to a similar wheel 42
fixed to the shaft 43 supported in bearings formed in an L shaped bracket 44 fixed
to one of the side frames 1, so that when the shaft 2* rotates, the shaft 42, which
is at right angles thereto, is also rotated.
Fixed to the shaft 43 are eccentrics 45 whose motion is transmitted by straps and
connecting rods or links 45° to the short arms of bell crank levers 46 mounted on
The upper
the axis 44 carried by the upper parts of the shaped bracket 44.
ends of the bell crank levers 46 have fixed therein spherical headed studs 46ª, on
which are mounted swivelling clutch pieces 47 shown at Fig. 54 on a larger scale,
which fit between collars 39 fixed on the ends of the shafts of the riders 39. By
these means when the bell crank levers are oscillated the riders 39 are moved
alternately to and fro on their inking rollers 30. The swivelling clutch pieces 47
are retained by the collars 39 in a vertical plane, consequently the riders 39 can,
when desired, be removed from the machine and they are always free to rise and
fall with the inking rollers, which latter, to increase the distribution, are prevented
from moving in a lateral direction, the eccentrics being so arranged that alternate
A crank
riders move in opposite directions. 48 are the distributing rollers.
pin 41 is fixed at each end of the axle 2* and motion is communicated from such
crank pins to the rollers 48 in the following manner.
Connecting rods 49 mounted at one end on the crank pins 41, are pinjointed at
their other ends to swivelling pieces 49 mounted in the short arms of bell crank
levers 50, which latter are mounted on pin joints at the ends of brackets 51 fixed to
the main frame 1. The long arms of these bell crank levers 30 carry studs 52
projecting on both sides thereof and fitting between collars 48 fixed on the shafts
of the distributing rollers 48. The crank pius 41 are so placed in relation to each
other that the lateral movements of the distributing rollers 48 are in opposite

page_text: directions, that is to say, when the first is moving towards the right, the second is
moving towards the left, and so on with the others.
My invention also relates to a new method of putting either the ink ductor
roller or the water trough roller, with their accompanying feed rollers, in motion,
as also to a simple means of preventing the throwing of either of these rollers
out of action at the wrong time.
This part of my invention is represented at Figs. 1, 56 and 57. In carrying this
part of my invention into effect I'mount a toothed wheel 53ª loosely on the axis 53
of the ink ductor roller and another 54 also loosely on the axis of the water trough
roller shaft 54, such toothed wheels being of equal size and gearing together; on
the toothed wheel 54", and also loose on its shaft 54, I fix a chain wheel 55, which
receives motion by a chain 56 from a similar wheel 57 fixed on the axis 2* of the
cylinder 2, or which may be on any other shaft having one revolution for each
revolution of the cylinder 2. On each of said shafts 53, 54, I fix an arm 58 or 59,
the outer end of which is fitted with a spring pin or bolt 58" or 59, the latter of
which is capable of passing into a hole in the chain wheel 55 and the former into a
hole in the toothed wheel 53". These spring pins or bolts are provided with milled
heads 58, 59, and with nibs 58° 59°, which latter are each capable, when required,
of being raised in a vertical slot 58d or 59d formed in the end of the arm carrying
it and of being turned partly round in a short horizontal slot such as 58, 59, and
then of dropping into a recess such as 58, 59, where it is retained by the spring
acting on the pin or bolt 58" or 59 to retain the said pins or bolts free from the
holes in the wheels 53", 55.
In the event of the ductor rollers being in action when either of the pins or
bolts 58 59 is withdrawn from its wheel, and of a feed roller being at the same
time against its table, some damage might result by the feed roller remaining there.
To prevent this I fix a cover 60 over the said gearing, which cover has an aperture
over each wheel 53, 55 so formed as to permit the nibs 58° 59° to pass through
them and consequently the bolts to be inserted into their coacting wheels and
withdrawn therefrom at any part of their revolution, excepting when they are
passing certain portions 60% of the cover corresponding with the times when the
feed rollers are on their tables. The edges of these portions of the cover 60 are
bevelled so that the nibs 58° 59° may not catch on them should the spring bolts be
moved when near those portions. The cover 60 is open at part of its upper side to
allow the chain 56 to pass in. As the wheels 54 and 53ª are constantly revolving,
either or both can instantly be put in or out of connection with its ductor roller by
inserting or withdrawing the bolts 58° and 59*.
The invention also relates to means whereby the driving belt is compelled to
be entirely on the driving pulley or entirely on the loose pulley, and whereby the
drag is simultaneously removed from or applied to the fly wheel or break wheel.
This part of my invention is represented at Fig. 1, in which 61 is the driving
pulley and 62 the fly or break wheel. In carrying this part of my invention into
effect I fix a weighted or tumbler lever 63 on a shaft or axis 64, which is connected
with the belt striker by any suitable means. On the shaft or axis 64 is fixed a
rocking treadle lever 65, whose two ends carrying the treadles 66 stand in opposite
directions. The weighted lever 63 is connected by a link 67 to a lever 68 fixed
rigidly to the axis 69 of a cam 70 which is capable of pressing against the back
of a break block lever 71, thus forcing the break block against the fly wheel 62
or allowing it to fall free therefrom, according to whether the belt is on the
loose or fast pulley. Thus, by depressing one or other treadle 66, the lever 65,
by means of the connecting rod 72, will operate the belt striker and thereby shift
the driving strap from the fast to the loose pulley or vice versa and the break shoe
will be pressed, immediately after or immediately before, against or removed from
the fly or break wheel 62, whilst the weighted or tumbler lever 63 will compel the
belt and the break shoe to fully act and, by being normally in an inclined position
to the one or other side of a vertical line. will retain the belt and the break
shoe securely in the positions to which they have been moved.

page_text: 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. In a rotary printing machine, the peculiar combination and arrangement of
means for gradually and periodically starting the sheet carrying cylinder from
its position of rest by another having a constant rotary motion in one direction
and bringing it to the same surface speed as the latter thereby enabling the teeth
on each of their respective wheels to safely gear with each other, substantially
as herein shown and described.
2. In a rotary printing machine, a cam shaped piece in connection with the
driving cylinder, acting on an intermediate piece, which latter acts to gradually
start the sheet carrying cylinder and bring it to the same surface speed as the
driving cylinder, such cam shaped piece allowing the intermediate piece to
gradually resume its normal position, substantially as herein shown and described.
3. In means for gradually starting the sheet carrying cylinder of a rotary
printing machine and bringing it to the same surface speed as the driving cylinder,
the employment of an intermediate piece which not only conveys motion to such
sheet carrying cylinder but locks it when at rest in a fixed position without
contact with the driving cylinder, thus obviating the communication thereto of
vibration from the latter and the consequent interference with the accurate laying
of the sheet of paper into the grippers of the sheet carrying cylinder, substantially
as herein shown and described.
4. In rotary printing machines, the combination with the means for gradually
starting the sheet carrying cylinder, of a striking on handle which, by controlling
the intermediate piece, permits the cam shaped piece to act upon it or not as
desired, substantially as herein shown and described.
5. In rotary printing machines, the combination and arrangement of parts
whereby the driving wheel of the sheet carrying cylinder is caused to gear only
gradually with the wheel of the driving cylinder and only at one place, and
whereby the sheet carrying cylinder is brought gradually and exactly to its
position of rest and retained in such position until the starting movement again
acts, substantially as herein shown and described and for the purpose stated.
6. In printing machines, the peculiar combination and arrangement of parts for
applying drag to the sheet carrying cylinder substantially as herein shown and
described and for the purpose stated.
7. In rotary printing machines, the combination with the sheet carrying
cylinder, of a drag apparatus acting in conjunction with parts for gradually
disconnecting the two cylinders, substantially as herein shown and described.
8. In printing machines, the improved blanket holding and tightening apparatus
constructed substantially as herein shown and described and for the purpose
stated.
9. In blanket holding and tightening apparatus for rotary printing machines, the
use of a pair of detachable split rods to which the ends of the blanket are secured,
in combination with gaps or grooves in the cylinder ends to receive the ends of the
rods, substantially as herein shown and described.
10. In rotary zincographic printing machines, the improved means for regu
lating the supply of water for damping the plate, substantially as herein shown
and described.
11. In means for regulating the supply of water for damping the plate in rotary
zincographic printing machines, the combination with the water roller, of a pad
capable of being pressed more or less firmly against the water roller, substantially
as herein shown and described.
'
12. In means for regulating the supply of water for damping the plate in rotary
zincographic printing machines, the combination with a water roller and a pad
pressed adjustably against the same, of a damping roller running in contact with
the water roller and acting directly on the plate without the intervention of a
damping table, substantially as herein shown and described.

page_text: 13. In rotary printing machines of the character herein referred to, the fixing
of temporary roller raisers to cause the inking and damping rollers to run over
only so much of the plate as carries the design, substantially as herein shown and
described and for the purpose stated.
14. In printing machines in which zinc plates are used, the peculiar construction
and arrangement of plate adjusters and holders substantially as herein shown and
described.
15. In rotary printing machines, the means by which a flat plate only slightly
and temporarily bent can be accurately secured in the required position by
adjusters and holders, substantially as herein shown and described.
16. In rotary printing machines, the combination with the gripper bars at the
front edge of the plate, of swivelling eye pieces secured to the cylinder and to
which the bars are adjustably connected, substantially as herein shown and
described and for the purpose stated.
17. In means for adjusting and holding the plate in plate printing machines,
the combination of the front adjusting and holding gripping bars secured to the
cylinder or bed of the machine, back adjusters and holders located in grooves in
the cylinder or bed of the machine, and means for adjustably securing said back
adjusters and holders in position to suit different lengths of plates, substantially as
herein shown and described.
18. In means for adjusting and holding the plate in plate printing machines, the
combination with the back adjusters and holders and grooves in which the latter
are located, of picces to fill such parts of said grooves as are covered with the
plate, substantially as herein shown and described.
19. In means for adjusting and holding a plate in a printing machine, the
combination with the back adjusters and holders, of retaining bolts having inclined
turned down parts or anchors and inclined holes in the cylinder or bed to receive
and hold such latter parts, substantially as herein shown and c'escribed.
20. In lithographic printing machines, the means for fixing a plate over a stone
substantially as herein shown and described.
21. In lithographic printing machines, the employment in combination with the
plate adjusters and holders, of chains secured to the bed of the machine, substantially
as herein shown and described.
22. In printing machines, the improved sheet grippers and setters substantially
as herein shown and described.
23. In sheet grippers and setters for printing machines, a combination_and
arrangement of parts whereby the setters or front lay pieces are caused to
remain at rest until the sheet is secured by the grippers, substantially as herein
shown and described.
24. In setters for printing machines, a combination and arrangement of parts
whereby the setters can be lowered by their carrying bar coming into contact with
the plate cylinder, substantially as herein shown and described.
25. In printing machines, the employment of means whereby the setters can be
adjusted to suit slight variations in position of the plate, substantially as herein
shown and described and for the purpose stated.
26. In printing machines, the improved ink ductor substantially as herein shown
and described.
27. In an ink ductor for printing machines, the combination of ductor blade,
wedges for acting on such ductor blade, and a handle and gearing for adjusting the
said blade, substantially as herein shown and described.
28. In a rotary printing machine, the combination of a cylinder having the
surface of the inking table and of the plate at equal distance or thereabout from
its centre, two paths for the inking rollers, and means for shifting the inking
roller runners from one of such paths to the other, substantially as herein shown
and described and for the purpose stated.
29. In a rotary printing machine, the combination of a cylinder having the
surface of the inking table and of the plate at equal distance or thereabouts from

page_text: its centre, two paths for the inking roller runners, inclines connecting said paths,
loose runners on the inking rollers, a conical surface to such runners, a frame
provided with bars to act on each side of said runners, and means for shifting said
frame and runners sideways according as the inking rollers are required to travel
over one or the other path, substantially as herein shown and described.
30. In a rotary printing machine, the movable ink table caused automatically to
change its position by a lateral movement at each revolution of the cylinder,
substantially as herein shown and described.
31. In a rotary printing machine, the combination of movable ink table mounted
on the cylinder and guided to move transversely thereon, swivelling follower or
followers connected with such movable ink table, cross threaded screw or screws
acting to move the said follower or followers and consequently the ink table
to and fro, friction wheel fixed on one or both ends of the shaft, and a friction
surface fixed to the inner face of one or both side frames to act in connection with
such friction wheel or wheels, substantially as herein shown and described and for
the purpose stated.
32. In rotary printing machines, the peculiar arrangement and combination of
parts for giving a considerable lateral movement to the distributing rollers and
to some of the riders of the inking rollers, substantially as herein shown and
described.
33. In rotary printing machines, the combination of inking roller riders having
long shafts guided in slots in the side frames, a pair of collars fixed on one end of
the shaft of each of such riders, a swivelling clutch piece fitting between each pair
of said collars, bell crank levers having such clutch pieces swivelled in the ends of
the long arms thereof, eccentrics connected to the short arms of such bell crank
levers, and means for giving rotary motion to said eccentrics, substantially as
herein shown and described and for the purpose stated.
34. In means for giving lateral movement to riders of inking rollers, the
combination of a pair of collars on one end of the shaft of each of such riders and
a swivelling piece fitting between said collars and mounted in the end of the
operating lever, substantially as herein shown and described and for the purpose
stated.
35. In means for giving considerable lateral movement to the distributing rollers
of rotary printing machines, the peculiar combination and arrangement of parts
substantially as herein shown and described.
36. In means for giving lateral movement to the distributing rollers of rotary
printing machines, the combination of a pair of collars on each end of the
distributing roller shafts, clutch pins acting between said collars, bell crank levers
on each side of the machine carrying at the ends of their long arms the said clutch
pins, and connecting rods operated by crank pins and connected to the short arms
of the bell crank levers, substantially as herein shown and described.
37. In rotary printing machines, the method of and apparatus for putting either
the ink ductor roller or the water trough roller, or both, with their accompanying
feed rollers, in and out of motion, and for preventing the throwing of either of
these rollers out of action at the wrong time, substantially as herein shown and
described.
38. In printing machines, the combination and arrangement of parts whereby
the driving belt is compelled to be entirely on the driving pulley or entirely on
the loose pulley, and whereby the drag is simultaneously removed from or
applied to the fly wheel or break wheel, substantially as herein shown and
described.
39. In rotary printing machines in which plates of different thicknesses are used,
the combination with a thin printing plate, of an under plate to bring the surface
of the printing or upper plate to the pitch line of the cylinder, substantially as
herein shown and described.
40. In rotary printing machines in which plates of different thicknesses are used,
the combination with a thin printing plate, of an under plate to bring the surface

page_text: of the printing or upper plate to the pitch line of the cylinder, and of means to
prevent any movement of the under plate, substantially as herein shown and
described and for the purpose stated.
Dated this 7th day of June 1895.
HARRIS & MILLS,
23 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Jan., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 27th June, 1895-Accepted, 27th July, 1895
TRUVIDIONAL STEUTETOATIA
Improvements in Means to Facilitate the Feeding of Sheets of Paper
from a Pile to Printing and other Machines.
I, THOMAS RUDDIMAN JOHNSTON, of Waverley, Newlands Park, Sydenham,
in the County of Kent, Printer and Publisher, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
In existing printing machines sheets of paper are placed, during printing, in a
heap upon the back or upper feeding board and are each removed consecutively
and fed into the grippers of the impression cylinder.
According to my present invention I provide means whereby the heap of paper
may be placed in a box quite close to the grippers and the front edge of the
uppermost sheet be brought up mechanically to a level with the surface of the
feeding board, the feeder having thus only to move it a few inches.
For this purpose I fix the bottom of the paper box to a shaft midway thereof
and I communicate a slow rotary motion to such shaft to cause the front edge of
the bottom to rise in proportion as the sheets of paper are removed therefrom so
that the top sheet of the pile in the box shall, in the ordinary working of the
machine, be always maintained on a level with the front portion of the feeding
board. I also provide means whereby the paper box bottom can have its front
edge lowered to its lowest position by hand to receive a fresh charge of paper.
This invention is applicable to lithographic and to letterpress printing machines
whether overfed or underfed, and to other machines in which sheets of paper are
fed from a pile.
Dated this 18th day of January 1895.
HARRIS & MILLS.
23 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.
Improvements in Means to Facilitate the Feeding of Sheets of Paper
from a Pile to Printing and other Machines.
I, THOMAS RUDDIMAN JOHNSTON, of Waverley, Newlands Park, Sydenham,
in the County of Kent, Printer and Publisher, 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 :-
In existing printing machines sheets of paper are placed, during printing, in a
heap upon the back or upper feeding board and are each removed consecutively
and fed into the grippers of the impression cylinder.
According to my present invention I provide means whereby the heap of paper
may be placed in a box quite close to the grippers and the front edge of the
uppermost sheet be brought up mechanically to a level with the surface of the
feeding board, the feeder having thus only to move it a few inches.
For this purpose I fix the bottom of the paper box to a shaft midway thereof
and I communicate a slow rotary motion to such shaft to cause the front edge of

page_text: the bottom to rise in proportion as the sheets of paper are removed therefrom, so
that the top sheet of the pile in the box shall, in the ordinary working of the
machine, be maintained on a level or thereabouts with the front portion of the
feeding board.
I also provide means whereby the paper box bottom can have its front edge
adjusted by hand if it should rise too quickly, or be lowered to its lowest position
by hand to receive a fresh charge of paper.
This invention is applicable to lithographic and to letter-press printing machines
whether overfed or underfed, and to other machines in which sheets of paper are
fed from a pile, and in order that my invention may be clearly understood and
readily carried into effect I will proceed to describe the same in connection with
the accompanying drawings, in which :-
Fig. 1 is a side view of parts of a rotary zincographic printing machine, showing
applied thereto one method of carrying my present invention into effect.
Fig. 2 is a side view and Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation showing the feed box
arrangements drawn to a larger scale, and Fig. 3 shows parts represented at
Fig. 3 drawn to a still larger scale.
Another method of applying my invention to an overfed printing machine is
illustrated at Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7, in which Fig. 4 is a sectional side view of parts
showing the printing cylinder, the paper feed box, and its operating mechanism,
Fig. 5 a rear view of the paper box and its operating mechanism, Fig. 6 an elevation
of parts at the lower part of the machine, and Fig. 7 a sectional view showing the
bottom of the box and means for holding it in position while the operating
mechanism is being adjusted.
A method of applying my invention to an underfed printing machine is illustrated
at Figs. 8 and 9, which are respectively a side view and a transverse sectional view
showing the feed box and its operating mechanism.
In all the figures like parts are indicated by similar letters of reference.
I will first describe the arrangement represented at Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 34.
a is the framing of the machine, b is a cylinder carrying the plate, inking table
and damping table, and c is the impression cylinder.
The cylinders bc are driven in any suitable manner so that at each revolution
of the cylinder b, the cylinder e shall also make one revolution, but shall also
remain at rest for a time to enable the printed sheet to be removed therefrom and
another sheet to be laid into its grippers.
dis the feeding board, which, according to my invention, is only a few inches
wide, d is the feeding box front, which is fixed to the feeding board d, and e is
the bottom and sides of the feeding box, which is fixed at or near its centre to a
shaft e mounted in bearings carried by brackets a fixed to the side framing a.
A number of sheets of paper are placed on the bottom e of the box with one
edge against the fixed front d* of the box and another against one side of the
latter, and the paper box bottom e is slowly moved in the following manner to
cause the front edge of the uppermost sheet to be brought up mechanically to a
level with the surface of the feeding board d.
The gearing for this purpose is arranged to suit the thickest paper ordinarily
used when thinner paper is used it will therefore rise somewhat faster than
necessary under these circumstances the motion of the box bottom will be
occasionally stopped until the paper is again at the required level.
A pulley rotating freely on the shaft e¹, is rotated from a pulley on the
shaft of the impression cylinder c by a band ', so that each revolution of the
impression cylinder imparts motion to said pulley . This pulley has fixed
thereto a box or casing f, in which is fixed a shaft 3 carrying a pair of toothed
wheels ff, which are connected together and revolve freely on said shaft. The
wheel gears with a wheel e² fixed on the shaft e¹, and the wheel gears with
a wheel e mounted loosely on said shaft. The wheel has a different number
of teeth to that of the wheel f³, or the wheel e² a different number to e³. These
four wheels form an epicyclic train, which is so designed that the movement

page_text: given to the pulley f is, in its transmission to the shaft e¹, greatly reduced when
the boss of the wheel e is pulled hard against the end of the bearing a² in the
manner hereinafter described, as the force required to move the wheel e³ around
the shaft e will then be greater than that required to move said shaft with the
box bottom fixed thereto and the paper lying on it. The result is that the front
edge of the box bottom will rise very slowly when printing is taking place and
will bring the front edge of the uppermost sheet of paper, when the thickest
ordinary paper is used, to a level or thereabouts with the surface of the feeding
board d.
On the outer end of the bearing a² is fixed a nut g within which works a
hollow screw h, on the outer end of which is keyed a crank handle ¹ by which
it can be rotated. The inner end of the screw h has a collar or enlargement h²
which fits the bore of the bearing a², and between such collar or enlargement h³
and the adjacent end of the hollow shaft e¹, is placed a split spring i, which forces
the said shaft e' in a direction away from the enlarged end 2 of the screw / for
the purpose hereinafter described. Through the hollow screw his passed the
draft rod j, which, whilst capable of rotating within the said screw, is controlled
to move endwise therewith. On the inner end of this draft rod is a head j¹
fitting the bore of the hollow shaft e', and fixed into the head are two studs 2,
which pass through slots et in the shaft e¹ and are located within an annular
groove formed within the boss of the wheel e³. Thus, by turning the handle h¹ so
as to cause it to move in a direction outward from its nut g, the outer end or
face of the hub of the wheel e³ is pulled against the inner end or face of the
bearing a by the draft rod j and studs 2. As the bearing a² is a stationary piece,
the force thus applied prevents the rotation of the wheel e³, and thereby causes
movement to be conveyed, through the epicyclic train of wheels, to the shaft e'.
If the wheel e is released from pressure against the bearing a² by the rotation
of the handle h in the contrary direction to that aforesaid, and the shaft e¹ moved
endwise until it is locked by pressure of the collar e against the bearing a³ by a
further movement of the handle in the same direction, the rotation of the
impression cylinder e will cause the wheel 3 to rotate freely on the shaft e¹ as the
force required to do this will be less than that required to move the shaft e', and
therefore no movement will be conveyed to the bottom e of the box. The feeding
box can thus be put into or out of action at the will of the operator.
The split spring i, when not overcome by the screw h, presses the collar e
sufficiently firmly against the bearing a³ to prevent the box bottom e from dropping
when the wheel e³ is released from pressure against the bearing a², and allows the
box, when it is about to be refilled or after refilling, to be adjusted by hand to
any required position. When this is done the wheel e is then moved by means
of the handle either into or out of position for giving motion to the box
bottom.
The front edge of the box bottom and the fixed front d* of the box are cut
out at intervals so as to allow the projecting parts of the box bottom to pass
through and move within the spaces in the fixed front d*, thereby affording a
proper support to the paper close to the front d* of the box at all positions of
the box bottom.
When thinner paper is being used than that for which the feed gear has been
devised, the motion of the feed box is occasionally stopped, or, being driven by
friction, the box is occasionally held down by hand for a short time, to prevent it
and therefore the paper from rising too high.
I will now describe the arrangement shown at Figs. 4 to 7.
In this case instead of employing special brackets a¹ to carry the box bottom
and some of the operating mechanism, I employ the extensions a¹ of the frame
hitherto used for carrying the ordinary feeding boards.
The bottom e of the feeding box is fixed to the shaft e¹ and this latter has a
movement of rotation imparted to it when required in the following manner.
On the shaft e¹ are loosely mounted the connected chain wheels e e'; the chain

page_text: wheel receives motion from a similar chain wheel ¹ fixed on the shaft k, Fig. 6,
by means of a chain l, and the wheel e' conveys motion through the chain m to the
wheel n' fixed on the shaft n. Mounted loosely on the shaft k is a lever k², one
end of which carries a treadle 3, whilst the other end is acted upon by a spring k*,
which returns the treadle to its highest position. Mounted on the lever k² is a
pawl, which, when the treadle is depressed, acts on a tooth of the ratchet
wheel fixed on the shaft k and moves this ratchet wheel through an arc of a
circle, thereby giving a similar motion to the shaft k and chain wheel k¹ and,
through the chains and chain wheels before described, giving a like motion to the
wheel and shaft n. Fixed on the other end of the shaft n is a bevelled toothed
wheel, which gears with and revolves the bevelled toothed wheel of fixed on the
screwed shaft o, which latter passes through and raises and lowers a nut o². This
nut o2 carries an arm or projection o³ which can be placed in one or other of the
teeth of an arm 8 pin-jointed to the underside of the paper box bottom. The
nut o2 is controlled to rise and fall correctly by its square back fitting against
the bracket a fixed to the cross bar a carried by the angular brackets a*. In the
lower end of the screw spindle o is fixed a crank handle o' by which it can be
rotated by hand when required. When printing is about to commence the arm e
is disconnected from the arm o Paper is then placed in the box with the
front edge against the fixed front * and one side against one side of the box,
which causes the box bottom to assume the position shown in dotted lines in
Figs. 4 and 7; the upper end of the box bottom is then pulled down until the
front edge of the uppermost sheet comes to a level with the upper edge of the
feeding board d, when the arm o³ is inserted in the nearest recess or tooth of
the arm e, any required adjustment to the arm o³ being given by revolving the
handle o and so moving the screw o through the nut o carrying the arm o³.
During this adjustment, and whenever the handle of is used, the pawl is thrown
out of gear with the ratchet wheel 6, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 6, so
that the latter can revolve freely; the upper end of the pawl is so weighted
as to retain it in either position, according as it is required to give motion to
the ratchet wheel or to be free therefrom. After adjustment the pawl k is again
placed in gear with the ratchet wheel ko, and when a few sheets of paper have been
fed to the printing cylinder and it is desired to bring the uppermost of the
remaining sheets to a level with the upper edge of the feed board'd, the attendant
usually called the "feeder," presses down the treadle ³ and thereby causes the
pawl to partially rotate the ratchet wheel ko, which, by means of the connections
herein before described, will cause the arm o³, by acting on the arm e³, slightly to
pull down the upper end of the box bottom, thereby raising the front end thereof.
When the nut o2 with its arm o³ has worked down to the bottom of the screw o, it
can be run up again by revolving the handle o, the bottom of the box being in
the meantime retained in any position by an arm e, fixed to the underside of the
box bottom, being caught by a stud or bolt p¹ placed in one or other of the holes
in the quadrant carried by the cross bar a. The treadle 3 is preferably on the
near side of the machine, so that the "feeder" may easily put his foot on it, but
the shaft k extends across the machine, so that the chain gearing may be on the
other side and so out of the way. The ratchet wheel k may have several rows of
teeth and the pawl be made to correspond, so that, if desired, by only moving
the treadle a short distance, a very slight movement will be imparted to the
feed box bottom and consequently to the paper.
The various arrangements of parts hereinbefore described refer to overfed
printing machines, that is to say, to printing machines in which the sheets of paper
are taken and fed face upwards to the grippers placed at the upper portion of the
impression cylinder, but the arrangement shown at Figs. 8 and 9, which I am now
about to describe, shows how such a feeding box may also be applied to the
underfed letter-press printing machine in which the paper is fed face downwards
to the underside of the impression cylinder.
In these gures a is one of the side frames, e the impression cylinder and a the

page_text: front lay of an ordinary "Wharfedale" printing machine. The dotted lines d'
indicate the position of the front portion of the hitherto existing feeding board and
d the rear portion thereof. I entirely remove the front portion d' excepting the
part d with its brass plate d³. The part d is joined to and supported by two bars d',
which oscillate on pivots d mounted in the side frames a coincident with those
formerly used for the front board, but all the parts are made stronger. To the
feeding board d is fixed the piece d* which forms the front of the paper box, as in
the former arrangements.
The bottom e of the box is fixed to the hollow shaft et extending across the
machine and supported by brackets e secured to the bars d'. This shaft e' carries
at one end a worm wheel e¹¹ driven by a worm k', which is slowly rotated by a
pawl ³ acting on a ratchet wheel & fixed to the same shaft carrying the worm k.
The pawl is carried by the bracket a' fixed to the side frame a of the machine;
the pawl and ratchet wheel k are made in steps so that the latter can, if
desired, be moved an exceedingly small distance. It is also possible to adjust
the position of the pawl by means of the screw so that, when acting, it
may only be for a short time in contact with the ratchet wheel. The bottom e
of the box carries the box sides, and on its underside is fixed the cross bar elz,
the ends of whin, by resting on the side frames a, prevent the bottom of the
box falling lever than is desired at the front; a cross bar e3 is also fixed at
the back er of the bottom e to prevent the latter falling too low at its rear
end. Th .tchet wheel k, endless worm or screw 7, and their common shaft,
are car' y the bracket e secured to one of the side bars. The shaft e¹ has
fixed/ thereon a collar e15, the worm wheel e" is mounted loosely on said
sha 14 the latter, at the end carrying the said worm wheel, is screw threaded
at has the handle et screwed thereon, so that by screwing the latter in one
direction the worm wheel e¹ can be jammed tightly on the shaft e¹ between the
collar e¹s and the screw threaded boss or nut of the handle e¹ and thereby enabled
to rotate said shaft, whilst by screwing the handle el in the contrary direction, the
said worm wheel is set loose on its shaft and therefore cannot impart motion
thereto. To start feeding the handle e¹s is rotated to loosen the worm wheel e" and
the front end of the box bottom is brought to its lowest position as shown in
Fig. 8. Paper is then laid in the box against the fixed front d* and against one
side of the box, and if the latter is not filled so that the front edge of the upper-
most sheet lies level with the feed board d, the back end of the box bottom is
pushed down until it is so, and the handle ele is then rotated so as to fix the worm
wheel on its shaft. When the uppermost sheet of paper has been fed to the front
lay, the feeding board d, pivotting on its axis d³, rises, the front lay falls,
and the grippers take the sheet in the usual manner; the cylinder immediately
afterwards revolves and prints it. With the rising of the feed board d, the feed
box and all the parts acting to give motion to it also rise, excepting the pawl k³
and its parts which are carried by the side frame a; thus, as the pawl k³ is
stationary, it will, on the rising of the ratchet wheel and other parts, give slight
rotation to such ratchet wheel k and worm k', and the latter will give a very
slight rotation to the worm wheel e" and therefore to the shaft e¹ to which the
paper box e is fixed, thereby bringing the next sheet to a level with the surface of
the feed board d.
By adjusting the pawl by the screw ks, the rise of the front edge of the box
bottom can be made equal to most thicknesses of paper, but should it rise too
quickly the pawl can be thrown out of action by moving its upper part, which acts
as a balance weight, over against a stop pin, not shown in the drawings. The
pawl can thus be put in or out of action instantaneously.
If smaller sheets than the largest which the box is capable of receiving are being
printed, a removable side can be placed in the box, against which such smaller
sheets are laid, but the side lay as at present used would continue to effect the
accurate adjustment.
By throwing the pawl k* out of action and removing the pivots d³, the whole

page_text: apparatus can be afterwards removed with the paper box when it is desirable to
reach the printing matter.
With the feed apparatus just described the back portion of the ordinary board
may be retained or not or its position altered as desired.
The front edge of the box bottom and the fixed front of the box are cut away
at intervals and parts of each pass through spaces in the other to afford
support to the paper close to the front, as in the arrangements hereinbefore
described.
The pawl and ratchet wheel kª can be driven, if desired, direct from the
printing cylinder or other suitable part of the machine, and the paper box can be
placed at a greater angle or made shallower should the grippers be further beneath
the impression cylinder as in some machines.
It will be evident that other means than those above described may be adopted
for raising the front edge of the feed box bottom.
I would here remark that my improvements are applicable to printing machines
in which the impression cylinder is variously operated and also to other machines
in which sheets of paper are fed from a pile.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what
I claim is :-
CLAIMS.
2. In means for facilitating the feeding of sheets of paper from a pile to printing
and other machines, the combination of a narrow feeding board and an oscillating
feeding box close to such feeding board, substantially as herein shown and described
and for the purpose stated.
2. In means for facilitating the feeding of sheets of paper from a pile to printing
and other machines, the combination of a narrow feeding board, a feeding box
bottom close up to such narrow feeding board, a cross shaft fixed centrally to the
Lottom of the feeding box bottom, means for gradually rotating said cross shaft so
as to gradually raise the front edge of the box bottom and thereby bring the front
edge of the uppermost sheet of the pile on a level or thereabouts with the feeding
board, and means for quickly returning the front edge of the box bottom to its
lowest position for recharging the box, substantially as herein shown and
described.
3. In means for facilitating the feeding of sheets of paper from a pile to printing
and other machines, an oscillating feed box bottom and means for gradually
raising the front edge of such bottom, substantially as herein shown and
described.
4. In means for facilitating the feeding of sheets of paper from a pile to printing
and other machines, an oscillating feed box bottom formed at its front edge with a
number of teeth or projections and a fixed front to such feed box having corre-
sponding teeth or projections fitting between those of the feed box bottom, so that
as the feed box bottom rises at its front edge the paper at its front edge shall be
fully supported during the entire motion of the feed box bottom.
5. In means for facilitating the feeding of sheets of paper from a pile to printing
and other machines, an oscillating feed box bottom connected with its driving
gear by friction, substantially as herein shown and described and for the purpose
stated.
HARRIS & MILLS,
23 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.