IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING MACHINES OR PRESSES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake of the firm of Haseltine Lake
"
& Co, Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings London, for an invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING MACHINES OR PRESSES A communication
from abroad by John Thomas Hawkins of Taunton, Massachusetts, United
States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th May 1882.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING MACHINES OR
PRESSES [A communication from abroad by John Thomas Hawkins of Taunton,
Massachusetts, United States of America.]
"
The object of this invention is to construct a double-cylinder printing press
which shall print two sheets for each double stroke of the bed and deliver the
sheets from the two cylinders, alternately, at each end of the press, at a much
higher rate of speed, and at the same time accomplish much more accurate work,
than can be effected upon the ordinary double cylinder presses, either those having
cylinders rotating continuously in one direction, or those of the "stop cylinder
class, or any of those whose reciprocating parts are not equilibrated or counter-
balanced. By this invention, also, each sheet is delivered without the contact of
its last printed side with any part of the delivery apparatus which is not the case
with double cylinder presses heretofore in use.
In order to effect the above mentioned desirable objects, the invention consists in
certain arrangements and combinations of devices hereinafter described.
The present state of the art which this invention is designed to improve can
best be understood by a short statement of the inherent defects which are obviated
by the means employed according to the said invention.
The double-cylinder printing presses heretofore used which print but one side of
a sheet at a time from one flat form by means of two impression-cylinders fed from
two feed boards and necessitating the employment of two feeders and the fitting of

page_text: two sets of delivery apparatus, are necessarily much limited in speed and durability
by reason of the means employed to rotate the cylinders each in one direction
continuously for purposes of sheet delivery, while the bed reciprocates, and also by
reason of the use of buffers or springs to overcome the momentum of the recipro-
cating bed, the jarring effect of which momentum is transmitted through the said
buffers or springs to the entire machine causing it to shake or vibrate, as a whole,
more or less, and sometimes to too great excess for good work.
As the double cylinder, flat type-bed machine now in use, constitutes the nearest
approach to the more rapid and much more expensive methods of printing from a
continuous web of paper from cylindrical rotating stereotype forms, or from an
equally expensive and less desirable method of printing from cylindrical type
surfaces of large diameter, it is obvious that is very desirable that a machine
having the general form of a double-cylinder press should be made capable of
running easily, quietly, and with durability at the highest speed, limited only by
the capacity of the feeders to feed the sheets or enter them separately to the
sheet gripers.
In carrying the said invention into practice I provide two spur wheels secured
to two shafts carrying between then, secured to their opposite disc-faces, a crank-
pin the said spur-wheels thus forming, and acting as, double disc-cranks are
driven by a pair of pinions secured to a driving shaft journalled in the frames and
the base piece of the machine. Other shafts are similarly journalled in the said
base piece. The driving shaft carries a fly-wheel and a suitable pulley. A con-
necting rod is articulated at one end with the crank pin and at the other end with
a shaft which carries a rolling pinion; secured to the bed or roller ways is a
stationary rack, and attached to the underside of the bed is a corresponding rack
to and between which racks is geared the said rolling pinion. A series of rollers is
provided upon shafts which, as well as the shaft carrying. the rolling pinion are
journalled in a carriage or roller-frame. The said rollers run in suitable ways and
support the bed by means of corresponding ways. The object of this arrangement
is to give to the bed a rectilinear motion twice as great in length as that imparted
to the carriage or roller frame, by the crank, and thus to avoid the use of a crank
of excessive length or radius. A rack is secured to the upper side of the bed, and
gear wheels operated thereby are secured to the cylinders. A shaft, placed parallel
with the frame, is supported in suitable bearings secured thereto and is actuated by
one of the before mentioned shafts (in line with the first named shaft) by means of
bevel-gear-wheels secured thereon. Two cams work in conjunction with rollers
attached to vertical sliding bars embracing the shaft which is placed parallel with
the frame and carrying on their lower ends short racks engaging with sector gear-
wheels attached to excentric rock shafts journalled by their excentric parts in the
side-rods in whose upper ends the cylinders are journalled; the said cams and
rollers operate to raise and lower the cylinders at the proper times to make the
printing strokes and to clear the form for the retrograde stroke of the bed for each
cylinder alternately, without throwing the said cylinders and bed out of gear with
each other.
The racks on the lower ends of the said sliding bars are held in gear with the
sector gear-wheels by idler rollers running upon studs in the side frames and the
sliding bars are held to the faces of the said cams by collars secured to, the said
shaft. Two other cams are secured to the said shaft and work in conjunction with
rollers secured to other sliding bars slotted to embrace the said shaft and carrying
on their upper ends short racks engaging with sector gear-wheels secured to
rock-shafts, which are journalled in the frames and to which the fly fingers are
secured; these cams and rollers operate to give the proper motion to the fly-tingers;
the said fingers carry the sheets, which are delivered tail-first to and upon, them
from each cylinder over to the respective fly-boards and there deposit them. Two
series of bridge fingers or strippers are secured to rock-shafts journalled in the
frames. The last named rock-shafts carry on their outer ends lever-arms, and, by
means of links, the free ends of the said lever arms are connected to the upper ends

page_text: of the first named sliding bars. I also provide four shafts which carry suitable
pulleys and tapes. The pulleys on two of the said shafts receive motion by means
of belts from pulleys formed on the ends of the cylinders. The last described
devices are designed to receive or stip a sheet, tail-first, from each of the cylinders,
and to deliver the said sheets upon the fly fingers. As the cylinders (each during
its retrograde rotation) deliver the sheets, each will perform its respective delivery
while raised up clear of the form, through the instrumentality of the first named
cams and their connections already described. In the raising and lowering of the
cylinders the first named sliding bars by the proper arrangement of the excentric
parts of the rock-shafts will descend as each cylinder rises, and this descent of the
said sliding bars brings the bridge fingers or strippers into such position that the
ends of each series of the said strippers nearest the cylinders will just clear
the tympan or covering of each cylinder, or the thin strip of steel, or blade herein-
after described.
Under each cylinder is the bed having bearers attached to its sides upon which
bearers the corresponding bearing surfaces of the cylinder roll, while making the
impression. The bearers are made wider than the surfaces on the cylinder in order
to overhang the grooves adjoining the surfaces of the cylinder. A thin strip or
blade of metal is provided having suitably shaped ends which are rivetted to
adjusting blocks. The said blocks are adjustably secured by the screws in the
grooves adjoining the bearing surfaces of the cylinder in any position suitable to
any required length of sheet by means of slots in the adjusting blocks and screw-
holes in the cylinder. The said grooves are bevelled on their inner edges for the
purpose of tightly stretching the blade crosswise of the cylinder by screwing down
the said screws. The blade is given such a set that, normally, its unbroken edge
will be raised from contact with the cylinder, entirely to the outer sides of the
adjusting blocks, but when the said blade, in passing through the arc or circle
during which the impression is made, comes in contact with the bearers, it is
pressed by such contact up into close contact also with the cylinder and thus is
prevented from coming in contact with the chase, furniture, or other objects
surrounding the actual form-surface.
Upon the two first named shafts are secured two discs, and similar discs are
secured to two short shafts journalled in the frames. The two pairs of discs are
connected by crank pins suitably placed in relation to the first named crank-pin
fitted in the spur-wheels. The said crank pins are connected, each at one end, to
connecting rods, and the opposite ends of the said connecting rods are united to
rolling pinions. Two racks secured to the inside of the frames are engaged by the
upper sides of the said rolling pinions. Two long heavy weights run upon grooved
rollers, each weight being provided with a rib on its lower side which runs in the
grooves of the rollers to serve as a guide for it. The said grooved rollers run upon
shafts journalled in the frames, and in the roller ways. Upon the upper sides of
the weights are secured or formed racks with which the said rolling pinions engage.
The said weights also have pockets for the purpose of loading them at pleasure.
I do not confine myself to the methods herein described of operating the fly
fingers or the stripper or bridge fingers, or of raising and lowering the cylinders, or
of equilibrating the momenta of the rotary and reciprocating parts of the machine,
as all such operations may be effected in many well known manners to meet the
requirements of special cases.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
10th November 1882.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING MACHINES OR
PRESSES a communication from abroad by John Thomas Hawkins, of Taunton,
Massachusetts, United States of America
This invention relates to improvements in printing machines or presses and more
particularly to that class known as "Double cylinder presses"
"
The double cylinder printing presses heretofore used, which print but one side
of a sheet at a time from one flat form by means of two impression-cylinders fed
from two feed boards, and necessitating the employment of two feeders and the
fitting of two sets of delivery apparatus, are necessarily much limited in speed and
durability, by reason of the means employed to rotate the cylinders, each in one
direction, continuously for purposes of sheet delivery, while the bed reciprocates,
and also by reason of the use of buffers or springs to overcome the momemtum of
the reciprocating bed, the jarring effect of which momentum is transmitted through
the said buffers or springs to the entire machine, causing it to shake or vibrate, as
a whole, more or less and sometimes to too great excess for good work.
As the double cylinder, flat type-bed machine now in use, constitutes the nearest
approach to the more rapid and much more expensive methods of printing upon a
continuous web of paper, by means of cylindrical rotating stereotype forms, or an
equally expensive and less desirable method of printing from cylindrical type
surfaces of large diameter, it is obvious that it is very desirable that a machine
having the general form of a double cylinder press should be made capable of
running easily, quietly and with durability at the highest speed, limited only by
the capacity of the feeders to feed the sheets or enter them separately to the sheet
gripers.
The object of the said invention is to provide a double cylinder printing machine
or press which shall print two sheets of paper or the like for each double stroke of
the bed, and deliver the sheets from the two cylinders alternately at each end of
the press at a much higher rate of speed, and at the same time accomplish much
more accurate work, than can be effected upon the ordinary double cylinder
presses, having the cylinders rotating continuously in one direction, or those of the
stop cylinder" class, or any of those whose reciprocating parts are not equilibrated
or counterbalanced. By this invention also, each sheet is delivered without its
last printed side coming into contact with any part of the delivery apparatus,
which is not the case with double cylinder presses heretofore in use.
"
In order to effect the above mentioned objects, the said invention consists in
certain arrangements and combinations of devices hereinafter described.
In the accompanying drawings:-
Figure 1 is a side-elevation of a double cylinder printing machine constructed
according to this invention.
Figures 2 and 3 are front and rear elevations respectively the crank wheel
crank discs and form rollers being omitted from Figure 2 and the weights and the
grooved rollers and their shafts from Figure 3.
Figure 4 is a plan, the form rollers feed boards and fly boards being omitted.
Figures 5 and 6 are detail views hereinafter described.
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the drawings
AA are the side frames of the press; B B the impression cylinders; C C the
feed boards; C¹¹ the fly-boards; B¹ the bed; and R the ink rollers. G G are

page_text: two spur wheels secured to the shafts G1 G2 and carrying between them, secured to
their opposite disc-faces, a crank pin c the wheels G G thus form and act as double
disc-cranks. The said wheels are driven by a pair of pinions C secured to the
driving shaft G³ journalled in the frames A and the base piece of the machine.
The shafts G G2 G3 G are similarly journalled in the said base piece. The driving
shaft G2 carries a fly wheel G and a suitable pulley. A connecting rod c¹ is
connected at one end with the crank pin c and at the other end with a shaft P¹
which carries a rolling piuion P. Secured to the bed or roller ways R² is a
stationary rack E and attached to the underside of the bed B' is a corresponding
rack E engaging with and between which racks is the said rolling pinion P. On
the shafts S Š are a number of rollers Ę the said shafts as well as the shaft P¹ are
journalled in the carriage or roller frame K. The rollers Es run in suitable ways R²
and support the bed by means of the corresponding ways R³.
The object of this arrangement is to give to the bed a rectilinear motion twice
as great in length as that imparted to the carriage or roller frame K by the crank G
and thus to avoid the use of a crank of excessive length or radius. R is a rack
secured to the upper side of the bed B¹ and R5 R5 are gear-wheels operated thereby
and secured to the cylinders B. The shaft D placed parallel with the frame A is
supported in suitable bearings secured thereto, and is actuated through the shaft G³
by means of the bevel gear wheels D1 D2 secured thereon. The two cams D³ D³
by means of rollers D which are attached to the vertical sliding bars D embracing
the shaft D and carrying on their lower ends short racks D6 engage with sector
gear wheels D' attached to eccentric rock shafts Ds journalled by their eccentric
parts in the cylinder side-rods D° in whose upper ends the cylinders are journalled
operate to raise and lower the cylinders B at the proper times to make the printing
strokes and to clear the form for the retrograde stroke of the bed B' for each
cylinder alternately without throwing the said cylinders and bed out of gear with
each other.
The racks D on the lower ends of the sliding bars Do are held in gear with the
sector gear-wheels D7 by the rollers D10 running upon studs in the side frames A
and the said sliding bars D5 are held to the faces of the cams D3 by the collars DI
secured to the shaft D. The two cams F are secured to the shaft D and by means
of the rollers F' secured to the sliding bars F2 slotted to embrace the said shaft,
and carrying on their upper ends short racks F3 engaging with sector gear-
wheels F secured to the rock shafts F5 which are journalled in the frames A and
to which the fly fingers ƒ are secured operate to give the proper motion to the fly
fingers the said fingers carry the sheets which are delivered tail-first to them
from each cylinder, over to their respective fly-boards C' and there deposit them.
Two series of bridge fingers or strippers f' are secured to the rock shafts f 2
journalled in the frames A. The said rock-shafts f² carry on their outer ends
lever-arms f³ and, by means of links f4 the free ends of the said lever-arms f³
are connected to the upper ends of the sliding bars D. Two shafts j, j, and
parallel and similar shafts j' j' respectively carry the pulleys ja j³ ³ and tapes b'.
The pulleys on the shafts j¹ receive motion from pulleys upon the ends of the
cylinders B by means of the belts b. The said tapes serve to receive or strip a
sheet, tail-first, from each of the cylinders B and to deliver the said sheets upon
the fly-fingers f. As each of the cylinders B during its retrograde rotation
delivers the sheets, it will perform its respective delivery while raised up clear of
the form, through the instrumentality of the cams D³ and their connections
already described. In the raising and lowering of the cylinders B the sliding
bars D by the proper arrangement of the occentric parts of the rock shafts D³
will descend as each cylinder rises, and this descent of the said sliding bars
brings the bridge fingers or strippers f' into such position, that the ends of each
series of the said strippers nearest the cylinders B will just clear the tympan or
covering of each cylinder, or the thin strip of steel, or blade o as is shown at
the right hand cylinder B Figure 1. The fingers or strippers f' enter under the
tail m Figure 6 of each sheet, held away from each cylinder by its sheet supporting

page_text: blade o and thus the said fingers strip the sheets from the cylinder as they rotate
backwards. The tapes b' then convey the sheets to the fly fingers f during the
latter part of the retrograde rotation of each cylinder. As the cylinders are
depressed for each respective forward or printing rotation, the sliding bars D5 are
elevated by the same means by which they were depressed, as already described,
and thus the said bars raise the points of the strippers or bridge fingers fl away
from each cylinder alternately, in order to allow the sheets to pass the said
fingers without obstruction during said rotation, as is shown at the left hand
cylinder B Figure 1.
Under the cylinder B is the bed B¹ as shown in Figure 5 having the bearers ✗
attached to its sides upon which bearers the corresponding bearing surfaces B2 of the
cylinder roll, while making the impression. The bearers X are made wider than
the surfaces B2 on the cylinder, in order to over hang the grooves adjoining the
surfaces B2 of the cylinder. The thin strip or blade of metal o has L-shaped ends
which are rivetted to the adjusting blocks o¹. The said blocks are provided with
slots and are adjustably secured by the screws 02 in the grooves adjoining the
bearing surfaces B2 of the cylinder, in any position suitable to any required length
of sheet. The grooves o are bevelled on their inner edges as shewn, for the
purpose of tightly stretching the blade o across the cylinder by tightening the
screws o². The blade o is set at such an angle that normally its unbroken edge
will be raised from contact with the cylinder, as shown in Figure 6 throughout its
whole length, but when the said blade, in passing through the arc or circle during
which the impression is made, comes in contact with the bearers X it is pressed by
such contact into close contact also with the cylinder and thus is prevented from
coming in contact with the chase, furniture, or other objects surrounding the
actual form-surface. After passing the bearers ✗ the blade o again assumes its
normal position clear of the cylinder's surface.
The blade o is made adjustable upon the cylinder by means of the blocks o¹ as
just described, in order that the tail m of each sheet shall always lie upon the
blade, and be by it sufficiently elevated from the cylinder's surface to ensure its
entrance upon the points of the bridge or stripper fingers f¹ when the cylinder
commences to retrograde as before described.
Upon the shafts G' G2 are secured two discs G7 G7 and similar discs G8 Gs are
secured to two short shafts G5 G6 journalled in the frames A. The two pairs of
dises G7 G³ are connected by crank pins c² set in opposition to the crank pin c in
the wheels G. The crank pins c² are connected to the connecting rods c³ and the
opposite ends of the said connecting rods are united to the rolling pinions P². Two
racks E7 secured to the inside of the frames A are engaged by the upper sides of
the said rolling pinions P². The two long heavy weights E³ run upon grooved
rollers E each weight being provided with a rib on its lower side, which runs in
the grooves of the rollers E to serve as a guide. The grooved rollers E run upon
shafts & journalled in the frames A and in the roller ways R. Upon the upper
sides of the weights E³ are secured or formed racks E5 with which the under side
of the said rolling pinions P2 engage. The weights E3 have pockets Es for the
purpose of loading them at pleasure. The object of this last described arrangement
of reciprocating counterweights is to equilibrate the momentum of both the
reciprocating and main rotating parts of the press, by causing the said weights of
equal momentum to move in directions opposite to the reciprocating strokes of
the bed B. Thus the rotary efforts or momentum of the cylinders B are
transmitted to the bed B¹ and the total momentum of these parts in each direction
is equilibrated by the loaded reciprocating weights Es. The crank pins c and c²
and the connecting rods c¹ and c³ are also so proportioned to the work required of
them, that the crank pins c² and the connecting rods c³ shall together equal in weight
the crank pin c and the connecting rod c² and thus the said parts, being placed
exactly in opposition, exactly equilibrate each other, for, their momentum must
always be equal at all speeds of the press.

page_text: The feed guides and all mechanism for opening and closing the cylinder gripers
and for operating the inking apparatus, may be of any desired form or character.
The operation of this machine is as follows:-
The sheets being fed from the feed-boards C by two feeders to the usual guides,
are seized by the cylinder gripers K¹ (when at about the highest point in their
described circle and when practically at rest) and for either cylinder B a sheet is
printed while the cylinder rotates with its top side moving towards the opposite
cylinder. As each cylinder is driven directly by the bed B¹ the bed prints a paper
at each single stroke as is the case with the ordinary double cylinder press now in
use. At the beginning of the direct or printing stroke of the bed for either
cylinder, the cylinder then to make the impression, is, through its cam D³ and its
connections already described, lowered into contact with the form, and the opposite
cylinder through its cam D³ and connections, is raised to clear the form. Simul-
taneously also with this respective raising and lowering of the cylinders, the points
of the bridge fingers or strippers f' through their connections to the sliding bars D³
already described, will be raised away from the cylinder about to print to allow
the gripers and the head of the sheet to pass unobstructed through the revolution;
and for the non-printing cylinder, or the one about to deliver the sheet already
printed, the points of the fingers or strippers will be lowered to such a position
as to just clear the thin steel strip or blade o as its cylinder begins to retrograde.
At the completion of the printing stroke of either cylinder, such cylinder will have
made a sufficiently greater rotation than one complete revolution to bring the
tail m of the sheet above the points of the bridge or stripper fingers f' which at
that time have just been lowered into position, as above explained, to enter under
the tail of the sheet resting upon the sheet supporting blade o. During the
retrograde or non-printing rotation of either cylinder (the cylinder gripers K'
being made to open at any part of the retrograde rotation) the sheet is stripped
from such cylinder by the fingers or strippers f' and conveyed by the tapes b₁ to
and upon the fly fingers which at this time by means of the cams F and their
connections already described, oscillate over to the fly board C¹ and deposit the
sheet thereon. The form is inked by one set of rollers R shown only in Figure 1
the ink fountain and other mechanism for operating the inking apparatus being
omitted for reasons already given.
I do not confine myself to the methods herein described of operating the fly
fingers for the stripper or bridge fingers f¹ or of raising and lowering the
cylinders B or of equilibrating the momentum of the rotary and reciprocating
parts of the machine, as all such operations may be effected in any well known
manner to meet the requirements of special cases.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign Correspondent and the manner of performing the same I wish it understood
that I claim :-
First In a double cylinder printing press constructed to print one side of a
sheet for each single stroke of a reciprocating type bed, two impression cylinders
geared continuously to and alternately rotated in the same direction by the said
bed, in combination with means substantially as described for delivering the sheet
from each cylinder, whereby each sheet is delivered from its respective cylinder
tail-first as the cylinder retrogrades and without contact of its last printed side
with any part of the delivery mechanism, substantially as, and for the purposes,
set forth.
Second: In a printing press provided with a reciprocating type bed, the com-
bination, with the said bed, of a reciprocating counterbalance or counter-weight
and means substantially as described for causing the said counterbalance to move
in opposition to the said bed and parts attached thereto, the said counter-balance
being thus caused to equilibrate the momentum of the type bed and other
reciprocating parts of the machine, all substantially as set forth."
Third: In a printing press provided with a reciprocating type bed, the combi-
nation, with the said bed, of a reciprocating counter-balance provided with a

page_text: means
pocket or pockets for holding an additional weight or weights, and
substantially as described for causing the said counterbalance to move in opposition
to the said bed, whereby the momentum of the bed is equilibrated and the inertia
and momentum of the counterbalance varied at will, substantially, as and for the
purposes set forth.
Fourth In a double cylinder printing press constructed to print one side of a
sheet for each single stroke of a reciprocating type bed, two impression cylinders
geared to and alternately rotated in the same direction by the said bed, and a
reciprocating counter-balance, in combination with pinions rolling between fixed
racks and racks upon the bed and counterbalance and connected to opposite cranks
for actuating the said pinions, bed and counterbalance, whereby a higher speed of
press is obtained than in presses otherwise constructed, all substantially as, and for
the purposes, set forth.
Fifth In a printing press, an impression cylinder provided with a flexible or
yielding sheet-supporting blade and bearing surfaces as described, in combination
with a type bed, provided with a pair of bearers corresponding to, but withan
the said bearing surfaces on the cylinder and engaging with the said sheet-
supporting blade at the moment the cylinder makes the impression at that point,
thereby bringing the blade in close contact with the cylinder so that the said
blade is caused to support the tail of the sheet and to keep it raised from the
surface of the cylinder for the purpose of delivery except at the point of contact
indicated, when the blade is pressed close to the cylinder clear of the type surface
and chase or furniture of the bed, substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof I the said William Robert Lake have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Tenth day of November in the year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.