IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO PRINTING MACHINERY
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Elijah Beech, of the City of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Machine Printer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR
APPLICABLE TO PRINTING MACHINERY."
Sealed the 29th July 1879, and dated the 20th February 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION loft by the said Elijah Beech at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th February 1879.
ELIJAH BEECH, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Machine
Printer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO PRINTING MACHINERY."
Firstly. My Invention relates to an improved combination and arrangement of
mechanism for taking the printed sheets from the impression cylinder of printing
machines.
This has generally been done by a cylinder having grippers placed above the
impression cylinder, this taking off cylinder delivering each sheet to tapes, which
convey it to a "flyer" or vibrating frame that places them in order upon the
receiving board."
"
By my improved combination and arrangement of mechanism I dispense with the
taking off" cylinder, and apply "grippers" to a frame vibrating in the same
manner and by somewhat similar means as the ordinary "flyer," so that the sheets
are taken directly from the impression cylinder and are laid in order upon the
removing board.
In applying my Invention to an existing machine I arrange bearings for a shaft
upon the ordinary "receiving board," and on this shaft secure arms which carry a
gripper shaft and grippers. The shaft on the receiving board for the frame is
vibrated by a cam or crank on a shaft driven by the machine at the same speed as
the impression cylinder, there being a connecting rod between the crank pin and
an arm on the shaft of the vibrating frame, or an arm on a stud having a toothed
segment in gear with one on the shaft for the vibrating frame.
This frame brings the grippers on the upper and feeding side of the impression
cylinder, where it stands for a moment while a tappet on the cylinder opens its
grippers to receive the edge of the sheet, and then allow them to close upon it by a
spring. Then the frame carries the sheet from the impression cylinder over the
upper edge of a board (which forms the true receiving board), placed in an inclined

page_text: position, and carried by what is the ordinary receiving board. On the upper edge
of the inclined receiving board there is a tappet 'jointed, against which an arm on
the gripper shaft will come in passing forward, but this tappet will then give way;
but it is rigid when the arm on the gripper shaft comes against it in the opposite
direction, and it acts to open the grippers, and thus causes then to leave the printed
sheet upon the inclined receiving board.
The board which answers to the ordinary receiving board can be turned back in
the ordinary manner, and with it the parts attached to it, so as to be out of the
way when required to remove the type or adjust the machine, and there is nothing
in the way on that side of the impression cylinder, where the sheets are fed to be
printed.
.
"
Secondly. My Invention relates to printing machines with a flat form of type and
a cylindrical impression surface, and relates to an improved method of distributing
the ink in such machines, and consists in arranging the ink table so that a self-
acting lateral movement can be imparted to it by a cam, crank, or excentric, or
other means, the cam, crank, or excentric being rotated intermittently by a pawl
and ratchet at cach movement of the frame carrying the type, the arm for the
ratchet pawl being acted upon by an incline bar secured to or formed upon the
frame of the machine to move it in one direction, and by a spring in the other
direction.
The ink table, according to my Invention, is or may be made in two parts, and
the same cam, crank, or excentric is arranged to actuate both at the same time and
in opposite directions.
'

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Elijah Beech in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 16th August
1879.
ELIJAH BEECH, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Machine
Printer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO PRINTING MACHINERY."
Firstly. My Invention relates to an improved combination and arrangement of
mechanism for taking the printed sheets from the impression cylinder of printing
machines. This has generally been done.by-a-cylinder -having grippers placed above
the impression cylinder, this taking off cylinder delivering each sheet to tapes,
which convey it to a "flyer" or vibrating frame that places them in order upon the
receiving board.
By my improved combination and arrangement of mechanism I dispense with the
taking off cylinder, and apply grippers to a frame vibrating in the same manner,
and by somewhat similar means as the ordinary "flyer," so that the sheets are
taken directly from the impression cylinder, and are laid in order upon a receiving
board.
In applying my Invention to an existing machine, I arrange bearings for a shaft
upon the ordinary receiving board, or on the brackets to which it is attached, and
on this shaft secure arms, which carry a gripper shaft and grippers. The shaft for
the frame on the receiving board or on its bracket is vibrated by a cam or crank
on a shaft driven by the machine at the same speed or number of revolutions as
the impression cylinder, there being a connecting rod between the crank pin and an
arm on the shaft of the vibrating frame, or an arm on a stud or shaft having a toothed
segment in gear with one on the shaft for the vibrating frame.
This frame brings the grippers on the upper and feeding side of the impression
cylinder, where it stands for a moment whilo a tappet on the cylinder opens its
grippers to receive the edge of the sheet, and then allow them to close upon it by
a spring, the grippers on the cylinder being opened by the same movement to release
the sheet.
Then the vibrating frame carries the sheet from the impression cylinder over the
upper edge of a board (which forms the true receiving board) placed in an inclined
position, and carried by what is the ordinary receiving board, or by the shafts
having bearings in the brackets attached to the ordinary receiving board.
On the upper edge of the inclined receiving board their is a tappet jointed,
against which an arm on the gripper shaft will come in passing forward, but this
tappet will then give way; but it is rigid when the arm on the gripper shaft comes
against it in the opposite direction, and it acts to open the gripper, and thus
causes them to release and leave the printed sheet upon the inclined receiving
board.
The board which answers to the ordinary receiving board is hinged so that it can
be turned back with the ordinary receiving board in the ordinary manner, so as to
be out of the way when required to remove the type or adjust the machine, and
there is nothing in the way on that side of the impression cylinder where the sheets
are fed to be printed.
Another modification of this part of my Invention consists in jointing the shaft
and arms for the grippers on arms on a shaft in bearings near the floor, or on the
lower part of the framing of the machine, and in placing pulleys on each end of
one of the gripper shafts to run on rails secured on brackets attached on each side
of the machine at the feeding side of the impression cylinder.
The shaft at the lower part of the machine is oscillated by a crank or cam, and
takes the sheets from the impression cylinder, and drops them on a board below and
between the rails on which the grippers work.
The receiving board can be readily removed and the grippers turned back out of

page_text: the way; when required a modification of the first arrangement described is or may
bo used for lithographic printing machines.
Secondly. My Invention relates to printing machines with a flat form of type and
a cylindrical impression surface, and relates to an improved method of distributing
the ink in such machines, dispensing with the necessity for giving ond motion to
the distributing rollers, and consists in arranging the ink table so that a solfacting
lateral movement can be imparted to it by a cam, crank, or excentric being rotated
intermittently by a pawl and ratchet at each movement of the frame carrying the
typo, the arm for the ratchet pawl being acted upon by a stud or an incline bar
secured to or formed upon the frame of the machine to move it in one direction, and
by a spring in the other direction.
The ink table, according to my Invention, is or may be made in two parts, and
the same cam, crank, or excentric is arranged to actuate both at the same time and
in opposite directions.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation; Fig. 2, a front elevation; and Fig. 3, a plan illus-
trating one modification under the first head of my Invention; Fig. 4 is an end
view; Fig. 5, a plan; and Fig. 6, a sectional end view of detached parts on an
enlarged scale.
The line a represents the top framing of the machines; b, the impression cylinder ;
c, a bracket, to which the ordinary receiving board is hinged at c¹. Upon these
brackets (c) brackets (d) are secured, in which bearings are formed for two shafts
passing across the machine.
The upper shaft c has two arms e¹ secured upon it, which arms have bearings at
their ends for two shafts, one of which (f) has the grippers upon it, which are
adjustable on the shaft.
The grippers are pressed against the shaft f, which is secured in the arms (e¹)
(see Fig. 5). The sheet (a) to be taken from the impression cylinder (b) is held.
between the gripping fingers fl and the shaft (f²) by a spring f³ coiled round the
shaft f, one end of the spring being attached to one arm e¹, and the other to the
shaft f, or a collar upon it.
The gripper shaft (f) is oscillated to open the grippers to receive the edge of the.
sheet by an arm or finger f' secured upon it, which is acted upon by the bowl.on
the ordinary gripper shaft carried by the impression cylinder (b), when it comes
round the grippers on the cylinder being opened by the same action to release the
sheet, and the gripper shaft f is acted upon to open the grippers to release and
deliver the sheet by a toothed wheel or segment of a toothed wheel f³ which is
arranged to oscillate on the shaft f*, which wheel gears with a wheel fo keyed fast
to the gripper shaft f.
The wheel or segment of a wheel f³ loose on the shaft fs has a finger f" from it
which is acted upon to open the grippers when they are moving towards the im-
pression cylinder (b) by an hinged part g on a bracket gl secured to the edge of the
receiving board h. This hinged part (9) is arranged and weighted so as to give
way when the finger f' moves one way, but after the finger has passed it falls back
until a projection from its boss comes against a pin in the bracket g' ; but when the
finger moves back the hinged part (g) does not give way, consequently the
grippers (¹) are opened.
Instead of the hinged part (g) being weighted to act as above described it may
have a spring to bring it back after the finger f" has passed. If desired the finger ƒ7.
may be arranged loose on the shaft 2 so as to give way in one direction and
come against a stop in the other direction, and to be brought back to the stop
by a spring.
The receiving board (h) is secured to hinges h¹ which are jointed and turn on
the shaft e, and projections h³ from the hinges rest against the shaft i, so that this
board can be turned over out of the way when desired: 3 is a vertical part
adjustable on the receiving board according to the length of the sheets.
The lower shaft i is geared at each side with the upper shaft e, there-being a
wheel on the shaft i gearing- with a pinion on the shaft-e:

page_text: Gearing at one side would do, but a weaker shaft may be used and torsion is
avoided by gearing at both sides or ends of the shafts.
On the shaft i there is an arm i¹ with an adjustable slot in it which is jointed
with a rod which connects it with a crank pin in a plate or any convenient
shaft of the printing machine geared to make one revolution for each revolution of
the impression cylinder b. A cam may be used if desired in place of the crank (1³).
There is a balance lever i to partly counter balance the weight of the arms e²
and gripper mechanism.
The grippers are shown in Fig. 7 in the position in which they are supposed to
be open and receiving the edge of the sheet from the impression cylinder (b) (as
the tappet on the gripper shaft of the impression cylinder acts upon the arms from
the gripper shaft), and as the impression-cylinder-moves-forward the grippers are
-released and close upon the sheet, while the grippers on the cylinder are opened:
by the same movement, and then the arms el begin to oscillate, and the grippers
carry the printed side of the sheet past the edge to the receiving board (h), describing
the arc shown by dotted line in Fig. 6; then the grippers oscillate back, still
holding the sheet, and they carry it back until its back side is nearly parallel
with the receiving board (h) when the hinged part g acts upon the finger f" to open
the grippers and release the sheet, leaving it with its last printed side upwards.
upon the inclined board .
The vertical part h³ prevents the sheets from sliding too far down the inclined
receiving board.
Fig. 7 is a side elevation illustrating a modification; b is the impression cylinder ;
i is a shaft in bearings near the lower part of the machine.
On this shaft (i) there are two arms i¹, one at each side of the machine, and the.
upper ends of these arms carry a shaft or rod e to which rods (e¹) are connected,
these rods having the grippers at their other ends which are arranged similar to.
those herein before described in reference to Fig. 1 to 6.
The gripper rod f³ has upon it pulleys f*, one at each end, which run upon rails j
or on the edge of brackets j¹ secured to the framing, one at each side; these brackets
also serve to carry the receiving board h which is readily lifted away when.
required.
On the rail ; at one side is an adjustable bracket
finger f' to open the grippers and release the sheet.
which will act upon the.
The arms are oscillated by a crank is or cam and connecting rod 1. The rods
or arms (e') may be straight, and pass outside the ends of the impression cylinder b,
or they may be curved in the bow form if desired to pass over it.
The receiving board h with this arrangement can be readily removed and the.
gripper can be lifted and turned back through an arc shown by the dotted line in
Fig. 7 out of the way when required.
Fig. 8 is a sectional elevation; and Fig. 9, a plan illustrating a modification of
the arrangement hereinbefore described, and shown by Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive, as
applied to lithographic printing machines.
b is the ordinary impression cylinder; w, the inclined board or table for.feeding
the sheets to.be printed..
The impression cylinder (b) is shown in the illustration in the position in which.
it is stopped after each impression, at which time the sheets are feed and taken away
when both feeding and taking.away are done by hand..
e is a shaft in suitable bearings at the lower part of the framing of the machine,.
the upper part of the framing being shown by the line a in Fig. 8.
At each side and outside the framing thero is a lever or arm e¹ secured on the
shaft e, and the upper end of the two levers (e¹) have a shaft ex secured in them.
(which may be hollow, to give lightness and strength), and on this shaft (ex) two
arms are secured to carry the taking away gripping apparatus, which is the
same or similiar to that hereinbefore described, and illustrated by Figs. 1 to 6,
except that the gripping shaft f is nearest and the shaft. f is furthest from tho.
shaft

page_text: The shaft (e) for the arms e¹ is made to oscillate by a crank and connecting rod
(not shown), which is jointed with an arm (not shown) on the shaft e.
The crank
is rotated from any convenient shaft in the machine, and is geared to make one
continuous revolution for each revolution of the impression cylinder (b).
As the sheet which has been printed is to be taken away by this apparatus before
the next sheet to be printed can be fed, the oscillation of the arms e' is extensive,
so that it may be actuated by a crank to quickly remove the printed sheets, to give
as much time as possible for feeding the next sheet.
.
But if a cam is used in place of the crank shaped to give quick movement to the
arms (e¹) when going from the impression cylinder (b), the range of motion need not
be so great as when a crank motion is used.
.
The movement of the levers e' is timed so that the grippers carried by them arrive
at the impression cylinder (b) a little before it stops.
In this position a tappet or bowl (not shown) on the impression cylinder acts
upon an arm f* on the gripper shaft (f), and opens then sufficiently to receive the
edge of the sheet, and when it is about entering or has partly entered the taking
away grippers, the grippers 7 on the impression cylinder are opened to release the
sheet and leave it in the taking away grippers, the impression cylinder moving
sufficiently after this has taken place before stopping to take its grippers (7) clear
of the edge of the sheet, at which movement, or a little before, the taking away
grippers close by this advance of the impression cylinder, as the tappot or bowl
then releases the arms f*.
•
By the time the taking away grippers have closed on the sheet they begin to
move away from the impression cylinder (b), and drag the sheet over it and over
the table or receiving board / until near the end of their outward stroko. A pin i
on an arm secured upon one end of the gripper shaft (f) comes upon an incline g
on a bracket secured so as to be adjustable on the receiving board (h), which
incline opens the grippers, and this allows the sheet to fall upon the receiving
board.
The receiving board is hinged on a shaft h³ carried by brackets h² secured to the
side frames of the machine, and the end of the board (h) nearest the impression
cylinder (b) rests on brackets h³ from any convenient part of the framing. Thus
arranged this board (h) can be turned back out of the way, and when the arms e¹
are also oscillated back, everything is clear and out of the way.
The taking away grippers are adjustable on the gripper shaft (f), and they pass 3
between the grippers (7) on the shaft in the impression cylinder. The edges upon
which the grippers pinch may be chamfered away between the grippers l, so that the
taking away grippers may get clear under the edge of the sheet.
The gripping surfaces against which the grippers (l) on the impression cylinder
pinch the sheet are or may be made separate and adjustable, and to project in front
of the gripping edge of the impression cylinder to which they are attached, so as to
leave gaps or recesses between, to give space for the taking away grippers to take
the sheet without the risk of coming in contact with the edge of the impression
cylinder.
Fig. 10 is a plan view illustrating the mode of carrying out the second part of 4
my Invention.
a is the table for the type; b represents the form of type; and c are the inking
slabs, supposed in this case to be in two halves moveable upon and across the
table.
Each half of the inking slab (c) is supposed to have two pins in its underside to 6
fit in slots in the table below, and each slab has a pin in its underside that enters a
fork in a three armed lever, shown in dotted line, placed on a fulcrum pin below the
slabs..
The fork of ono arm of the three armed lever fits a crank pin fixed in a ratchet.
wheel on a stud attached to the table (b), on which stud there is centred a two
armed lever, upon one arm of which a ratchet pawl is jointed, that is, pressed against

page_text: the teeth of the ratchet wheel by a spring; the other arm of the lever is connected
with a spring which pulls it against a stud in the table.
The end of this arm of the lever dis bent so that when the table arrives near one
end of its reciprocation the incline comes against a pin or stud in the frame, which
gives movement to the arm d, and causes the ratchet wheel to be propelled. The
back movement of the lever d and pawl is caused by the spring before named. The
slabs c may be all in one piece, and may, if desired, be moved sideways to and fro
by any other suitable mechanism.
I have now particularly described the nature of my Invention, and the mode in
which the same may be carried into effect, and claim as my Invention,―
Firstly. The combination and arrangement of mechanism for taking sheets from
the impression cylinders of printing machines, when such mechanism is arranged
and mounted so that it can be turned out of the way, substantially as herein before
described, and illustrated by Figs. 1-to-6 -inclusive of the Drawings.
Secondly. The combination and arrangement of mechanism in which the gripping
mechanism is made to work to and fro on guide rails, and so as to be readily turned
out of the way, substantially as hereinbefore described, and illustrated by Figs. 7 of
the Drawings.
Thirdly. The combination and arrangement of mechanism as applied to litho-
graphic printing machines, where the taking away grippers are arranged on
oscillating arms having the axis near the lower part of the machine, and the
receiving board is hinged to turn out of the way, substantially as hereinbefore
described, and illustrated by Figs. 8 and 9 of the Drawings.
Fourthly. The combination with reciprocating type tables of inking slabs having
lateral movement to distribute the ink, substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated by Fig. 10 of the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Elijah Beech, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fifteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord One thou-
sand eight hundred and seventy nine.
RADAS
ELIJAH DEECH.
BEECH. (L.S.)