Improvements in Letterpress Printing Machines.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Letterpress Printing Machines.
MARK SMITH, Printers' Engineer, Manchester Guardian General Printing
Works, Blackfriars Street, Manchester, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to combine two separate printing machines
together, by a shaft, so that they can be used in unison as a perfecting machine,
or when the shaft is disconnected, each machine can be worked independent of
the other, so that they will be useful for offices that cannot keep perfecting
machines constantly going, and enable them to have two independent machines
suited for all classes of work.
I arrange, when the two machines of the Wharfedale stop cylinder type are
connected together for a perfecting machine, that the first machine delivers its
once printed sheet by the usual taking-off cylinder, on to another cylinder, and
then runs between tapes to the printing cylinder of the second machine.
The second machine delivers its sheet after printing, by the taking-off cylinder
in the usual way.
A similar arrangement is applicable to the combination of two revolution
presses, but instead of delivering the sheet from first to second machine by two
cylinders. I use one taking-off cylinder only from first machine, and deliver
between tapes into the printing cylinder of the second machine, after which it is
delivered in the usual way.
I arrange in both classes of machine, that the cylinder and tapes that lead the
sheet from the first to second machine, are moved out of the way for making
ready or when used as independent machines.
I feed the machine by separate sheets, or cut from the reel into any desired
lengths.
I, MARK SMITH, of the
Manchester Guardian
machines.
Blackfriars Street, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Printers' Engineer,
General Printing Works,
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 object of my present invention is to enable tice andinasse

page_text: printing machines, either of the Wharfdale stop cylinder or of the two revolu-
tion types, to be used together as a perfecting machine, without any structural
alteration or modification in either machine. Such an arrangement is very
desirable and useful in the smaller printing offices where there is insufficient
work for a perfecting machine of the usual construction.
According to these improvements, I arrange the two single cylinder machines
in line, with their feeding ends contiguous, leaving sufficient room between them
to allow either or both of the machines to be worked separately in the usual
manner. In the case of machines of the Wharfedale stop cylinder type, I con-
nect the two machines by a suitable transmitter of motion, as for example by a
mitre gearing and a shaft, or by chain wheels and a pitch chain, so that, when
so connected, both machines may be driven synchronously. Above the taking-
off cylinder of the first machine, I mount an auxiliary cylinder, to which the
taking-off cylinder delivers the once printed sheets. The auxiliary cylinder
delivers these sheets to endless tapes which convey them to the printing cylinder
of the second machine, on which they are perfected and from which they are
taken off by the ordinary means.
The auxiliary cylinder and the endless tape rollers with their accessories, are
carried by a bracket or framing on one of the machines and may be lifted by any
suitable means, so as to be out of the way when the machines have to be made
ready or be used separately. If the motion transmitter between the two machines
is materially above the floor level, it is, at the same time and for the same pur-
pose, wholly or partly removed.
In the case of the two revolution type of machines, I omit the auxiliary taking-
off cylinder and deliver the sheets printed on the first machine directly to the
endless tapes which convey it to the feeding point of the second machine.
The first machine may be fed with separate sheets or the sheets which supply
it may be cut from a reel and supplied by known devices as at present prac-
tised.
The accompanying drawings illustrate my improvements, and will be herein-
after referred to.
Figure 1 shews a side elevation and Figure 2, a plan.
In the arrangement illustrated, the machines are of the stop cylinder type,
and the transmission device consists of two pairs of mitre wheels W W, and a
shaft S.
This shaft is made up of three lengths connected by the couplings CC, so that
the middle length S₁ may be readily removed and replaced for the purpose herein-
before described. On each frame-side F, of the first machine, there is fixed a
bracket B, having a vertical slot or guide as shewn by Figure 1, in which there
are arranged the bearings for the auxiliary cylinder A, immediately above the
existing taking-off cylinder T. Each of the auxiliary cylinder bearings is in-
tegral or moves with a vertical plate or frame D, and these two plates carry the
spindle of the endless tape roller R, and the rod on which the two parallel arms P,
are pivotted, one on each side of the machine. A cord c, is attached to each
plate or frame D, and passes over a grooved pulley 7, on the other side of which
the cord is attached to a weight w. By this means, the auxiliary cylinder and
its accessories may easily be lifted into the positions indicated by the broken
lines.
Similar brackets D₁ may be erected on the side frames F¹ of the second machine,
and each may be provided with an arm D³, forming simple derricks by means of
which and suitable hooks or equivalent supports thereon, the endless tapes with
their accessories may be held out of the way, as indicated by the broken lines,
when the machines are being made ready or used separately. The endless tapes
and their accessories being of comparatively light weight, may be lifted by hand,
and as soon as they are so lifted, the counterweight w, lifts the auxiliary cylinder.
The ends of the arms P carry, near to the feeding point on the second machine,
the two endless tape rollers. The endless tape 7, passes round the rollers Rr.

page_text: The endless tape 2, passes round the auxiliary cylinder A and the roller r¹, both
of the tapes travelling in the direction indicated by the arrows. When the two
revolution type of machine is employed, and consequently the auxiliary cylinder
is not used, the tapes 2 will be passed round the taking-off cylinder T. "The tapes
travel close together from the first machine to the second, carrying the once
printed papers between them.
It is necessary to provide that the two printings shall be in register on the
perfected sheet. This is accomplished by lengthening or shortening the effective
lengths of the endless tapes 1, 2. For this purpose there may be used two or
more pairs of twin rollers between which the contiguous parts of the tapes
are caused to run. These rollers are carried in light brackets on the arms P, on
which they can be held by bolts in a more or less vertical position. The adjust-
ment for register is effected by altering the positions of the twin rollers so that
their lines of centres approach more nearly to a horizontal or to a vertical position.
As already herein before described, if machines of the two revolution type be
used, the arrangement may be the same in all respects save that the auxiliary
cylinder A, is dispensed with and that the once printed sheets are delivered
directly to the endless tapes by the taking-off cylinder T. around which the
tapes 2 pass. In other words, the arrangement is exactly as if the cylinder T
were removed and its place taken by the cylinder A, which would then be the
taking-off cylinder.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. The arrangement of two single cylinder printing machines in line with
each other, in combination with a motion transmitter ensuring synchronous
motion in the two machines, and removable appliances for transferring the once
printed sheets from the leading machine to the feeding point of the following
machine, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described and as
illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
2. A perfecting printing machine constituted by two separate single cylinder
machines geared together and provided with appliances for transferring the once
printed sheets from the first machine to the second, the gearing and the trans-
ferring appliances being so arranged that they may be displaced so far as may
be necessary to enable the machines to be used separately and independently,
substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated by the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 3rd day of November A D 1800
W. E. HEYS & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.