IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN PRINTING
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Edmund Croxson, of St. John's Lane, Clerken-
well, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN PRINTING."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Edmund Croxson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th December 1878.
CHARLES, EDMUND CROXSON, of St. John's Lane, Clerkenwell, in the County
of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN
PRINTING."
The Invention has for its object improvements in machinery or apparatus
employed in printing, and consists of a novel combination and arrangement of
parts whereby great speed is obtained, together with stability and precision of
action.
For this purpose I form or fix the platen or moveable bed on the upper end of a
vibrating lever, and at right angles thereto, or nearly so. This vibrating lever is
mounted on an axis of motion at the lower part of the machine, and receives its
motion from a cam which acts upon a truck or roller carried by such vibrating lever.
The "form" is fixed in an inverted position on the under surface of the type bed,
which latter is carried by the upper ends of rods acted upon by cams to raise and
lower them and the type bed at the required times. A frame projecting from the
platen or vibrating bed carries the inking rollers, which in their backward motion
are caused to run against the distributing roller, and this latter receives its supply
of ink from a vibrating roller in a similar manner to that now well understood.
The axes of the inking rollers carry, as is usual, at their ends trucks or rollers
which when the inking rollers are running over the type run on ways or runners
carried by the type bed.
The platen or vibrating bed is provided with "grippers" fixed to an axis of
motion, mounted in bearings at the back edge of such vibrating bed, and this axis

page_text: has fixed on one end thereof a lever which is actuated at the required times by
another lever operated by a cam to release the work, and at other times is operated
by a spring to cause the "grippers" to press upon the work and retain it in position
on the platen whilst the impression is being given, and until the platen returns to
the position where the printed work is removed therefrom.
In some cases the material to be printed is arranged to extend beyond the front
edge of the platen or vibrating bed, and in such cases the adjustment of the material
is effected by means of two adjustable gauges or registers fixed to the platen and
two other adjustable gauges or registers carried by a rocking shaft which is operated
by a cam to raise such moveable gauges or registers into position for use and to take
them out of position when the work is about to be removed from the machine, at
which time a pair of delivering grippers is caused to advance with its jaws open
until the latter arrive in position with the projecting work between them, then the
jaws are caused to close, and in the return motion they remove the work from the
platen and are again opened to enable them to deposit the work on a suitable table
or in any convenient receptacle.
Adjustable stops are employed to secure the correct adjustment of the platen
under the type bed and at the position where it receives the work to be printed.
For the impression the type bed is caused to move downwards towards the platen
with their two faces parallel to each other. By the above arrangement of parts I
am enabled to give a considerable rest to the platen or vibrating bed and thereby
obtain more time for feeding such machines than is usually given in this class of
printing machine.
The machine may be driven by a treadle or by steam power.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles Edmund Croxson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th June 1879.
CHARLES EDMUND CROXSON, of St. John's Lane, Clerkenwell,. in the County
of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN
PRINTING."
The Invention has for its object improvements in machinery or apparatus
employed in printing, and consists of a novel' combination and arrangement of
parts whereby great speed is obtained, together with stability and precision of
action.
For this purpose I form or fix the platen or moveable bed on the upper end
of a vibrating lever, and at right angles thereto, or nearly so. This vibrating lever
is mounted on an axis of motion at the lower part of the machine and receives its
motion from a cam which acts upon a truck or roller carried by such vibrating
lever.
The "form" is fixed in an inverted position on the under surface of the type bed,
which latter is carried by the upper ends of rods acted upon by cams to raise and
lower them and the type bed at the required times.
A frame projecting from the platen or vibrating bed carries the inking rollers,
which in their backward motion are caused to run against the distributing roller, and
this latter receives its supply of ink from a vibrating roller in a similar manner to
that now well understood.
The axes of the inking rollers carry, as is usual, at tlieir ends trucks or rollers,
which when the inking rollers are running over the type run on ways or runners
carried by the type bed.
The platen or vibrating bed is provided with "grippers" fixed to an axis of
motion mounted in bearings at the back edge of such vibrating bed, and this axis
has fixed on one end thereof a lever which is actuated at the required times
by another lever operated by a cam to release the work, and at other times is
operated by a spring to cause the "grippers" to press upon the work and retain it
in position on the platen whilst the impression is being given and until the platen
returns to the position where the printed work is removed therefrom.
In some cases the material to be printed is arranged to extend beyond the front
edge of the platen or vibrating bed, and in such cases the adjustment of the material
is effected by means of two adjustable gauges or registers fixed to the platen and
two other adjustable gauges or registers carried by a rocking shaft which is operated
by a cam to raise such moveable gauges or registers into position for use, and to take
them out of position when the work is about to be removed from the machine, at
which time a pair of delivering grippers is caused to advance with its jaws open
until the latter arrive in position with the projecting work between them, then the
jaws are caused to close, and in the return motion they remove the work from the
platen and are again opened to enable them to deposit the work on a suitable table
or in any convenient receptacle.
Adjustable stops are employed to secure the correct adjustment of the platen
under the type bed and at the position where it receives the work to be printed.
For the impression the type bed is caused to move downwards towards the platen
with their two faces parallel to each other.
By the above arrangement of parts I am enabled to give a considerable rest to the
platen or vibrating bed, and thereby obtain more time for feeding such machines
than is usually given in this class of printing machine.
The machine may be driven by a treadle or by steam power.
And in order that my said Invention may be more clearly understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed, aided by the accompanying Drawings, more fully
to describe the same

page_text: Figure 1 is a vertical section; Figure 2 is a side view; Figure 3 is the opposite
side view to that shown at Figure 2, but representing only some of the parts;
Figure 4 is a plan, and Figure 5 is a front view of printing machinery or apparatus
constructed according to my Invention.. In all the Figures like parts are marked
with similar letters of reference.
This
a is the framing; b is the driving shaft, to which motion may be given by means
of the treadle c and connecting rod or link c¹ acting upon the crank b', or by means
of a strap or band from a steam engine or other power acting upon. one or other of
the pulleys b²; & is the platen or moveable bed which is formed or fixed on the
upper end of a vibrating lever d', and at right angles thereto, or nearly so.
lever d' is mounted on an axis of motion e at the lower part of the machine and
receives its motion from a cam f which acts upon a truck or roller d² carried by such
vibrating lever d'. Adjustable stops a' are employed to secure the correct adjust-
ment of the platen under the type bed and at the position where it receives the
work to be printed.
The "form" is fixed in an inverted position on the under surface of the type bed g,
which latter is carried by the upper ends of rods h which are mounted in guides u
fixed to the framing a, and are provided at their lower ends with trucks or rollers h¹
which are acted upon by cams i to raise and lower them and consequently the type
bed at the required times.
The cams fandi are fixed on a shaft or axis j to which rotary motion is given
from the driving shaft b by means of a toothed pinion b³ fixed thereon and taking
into the toothed wheel j¹ fixed on the shaft or axis j.
A frame or arms d³ projecting from the platen or vibrating bed d carry the inking
rollers k, which in their backward motion are caused to run against the distributing
roller l, and this latter receives its supply of ink from a vibrating roller m, as herein-
after described, in a similar manner to that now well understood. The distributing
roller receives rotary motion by means of a strap or band passing around the
pulley fixed on the axis of the roller 7, and around the pulley 2 fixed on the shaft
or axis j, and it also receives a slight endway motion, as shown, and as is well under-
stood. The vibrating roller m is mounted in arms m' which are fixed to an axis of
motion m² to which is also fixed a lever m³. The end of this lever is acted upon
by one end of a lever n, the other end of which is operated by a stud or projection n¹
from one of the rods h. This vibrating roller is thus caused to take a supply of ink
from the ink roller o and to deliver it to the distributing roller 7, and the ink roller o
receives rotary motion from the shaft j by means of a strap or band passing around
a pulley j³ fixed on such shaft and around a pulley o' fixed on the axis of the ink
roller o.
The axes of the inking rollers & carry, as is usual, at their ends trucks or rollers k¹
which when the inking rollers are running over the type run on ways or runners g¹
carried by the type bed g.
The platen or vibrating bed d is provided with grippers d fixed to an axis of
motion d³ mounted in bearings at the back edge of such platen or vibrating bed d,
and this axis d5 has fixed on one end thereof a lever do which is actuated at the
required times by another lever p¹. This lever p' is fixed on one end of a shaft or
axis p, which is mounted in a bearing a³ carried by the framing a; the other end of
this shaft or axis p has fixed thereon a lever p², which by a link or connecting rod p³
is connected to one end of a lever p', the other end of which is operated by a cam q.
A spring p acts to force the grippers d down on to the platen d to hold the work
and retain it in position whilst the impression is being given and until the platen
returns to the position where the printed work is removed, whilst the cam q raises
such grippers to release the work and enable it to be removed by a pair of delivering
grippers r, r, as hereinafter described,

page_text: In the arrangement represented in the Drawings the material to be printed is
arranged to extend beyond the front edge of the platen or vibrating bed, and in such
case the adjustinent of the material is effected by means of two adjustable gauges or
registers d fixed to the platen, and two other adjustable gauges or registers s' fixed
to a rocking shafts which is operated by a cams in the following manner-The
shaft s is mounted in bearings formed in brackets a fixed to the framing. On one
end of such shaft or axis s is fixed a lever s³ which by a link or connecting
rod s is connected to one end of a lever 85, the other end of which is operated
by the cam s², a spring s.being employed to keep the lever s up to its cam.
By these means the moveable gauges or registers s¹ are raised into position to
adjust the material to be printed, and are lowered to take them out of position when
the work is about to be removed from the machine.
The delivering grippers r,, are provided at their ends with flexible pads, and
are carried by a shaft or axis r3 which is mounted in bearings formed in the
bracket as carried by the framing and receives partial rotary motion at the required
times in the following manner-At the lower end of the shaft or axis is fixed a
lever, which by a link or connecting rod is connected to a slide 2. This slide is
mounted in guides a and is acted upon by a camt to move it in one direction, whilst
a spring fixed to a stud or projection from the shaft or.axis 3 effects the motion
of such parts in the opposite direction.
The lower gripper is fixed rigidly to the axis 3, whilst the upper one is pin
jointed to such axis at 8 and is provided with a tail piece which at the
proper time is acted upon by a spring 10 to cause such gripper to close
upon the lower gripper r. In the position shown in the Drawings the upper
gripper is raised by one arm of a bell crank tumbler 11 which is pinjointed
at to the lower gripper arm r, but in the motion of the grippers towards
the printed work to remove it, and when the projecting end of the work between
the grippers the weighted end of the bell crank tumbler " is caused to run on the
incline a', thereby turning such tumbler on its axis and permitting the spring 710 to
close the gripper 1 on to the gripper and so to seize the work, then in the return
motion of the grippers to remove the work from the platen the tail piece r³ is caused
to strike against an adjustable stop 13 to raise the gripper and thereby release
the printed work, which then falls into a suitable receptacle. In this position the
weighted end of the tumbler 1 causes the other end to come into the position shown
in the Drawings to keep the gripper ¹ raised until in its return motion such tumbler
is again acted upon by the incline.a?
A rack u formed on the outer end of a treadle lever u is, when it is required to
throw off the impression, caused to act upon a toothed pinion e¹ fixed on the shaft
or axis e, which latter is mounted eccentrically in its bearings. A spring, not
shown, returns the treadle lever u to the position shown in the Drawings. I would
here remark that I do not claim these arrangements for "throwing off the impres-
sion," as such is very similar to that now in use in other printing machines.
I would also remark that instead of causing the material to be printed to over-
hang the platen, as hereinbefore described and as shown in the Drawings, such
material may rest entirely on the platen, in which case the adjustable gauges or
registers & and the delivery apparatus herein described are dispensed with, and any
suitable gauges and delivery apparatus may be employed in lieu thereof, or the
printed work may be removed by hand.
By the arrangement of parts, herein shown and described, I am enabled to give
a considerable rest to the platen or vibrating bed, and thereby to obtain more
time for feeding such machines than is usually given in this class of printing
machine.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention and the mode in which I
carry the same into effect, I would have it understood that what I claim is,-
First. The peculiar combination and arrangement of parts of machinery or
apparatus employed in printing, substantially as herein shown and described, and

page_text: Second. The peculiar arrangement and mode of operation of the delivery appa-
ratus, substantially as herein shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Edmund Croxson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.
CHARLES EDMUND CROXSON. . (L.S.)