Improvements relating to. Printing Presses.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd July, 1896--Accepted, 15th Aug., 1896
[Communicated from abroad by STURGES WHITLOCK, of Shelton, County of
Fairfield, State of Connecticut, United States of America, Manufacturer.]
Improvements relating to. Printing Presses.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 :-
My invention relates to an improvement in bed-movements of the crank-type for
printing presses of that class which have their impression cylinders driven at a
uniform rate of speed, the object being to produce a simple, compact and effective
device, constructed with particular reference to fewness of parts, cheapness, ease
of attention and repair, and efficiency.
With these ends in view, my invention consists in the combination, in a
printing press of an impression cylinder, means for revolving the same at a uniform
rate of speed, a reciprocating type-bed, and driving connections for the said bed,
including a crank, and also including means for modifying the motion of the crank
to conform the central portion of the motion of the hed to the motion of the
cylinder, and to impart to it a differentiated movement near the ends of its throw.
My invention further consists in a bed movement having certain details of construction
and combinations of parts as will be hereinafter described and pointed out in the
claims.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1, represents a view in side elevation of one form which a printing press
containing my improved bed movement may assume.
Figure 2, a plan view thereof partly broken away.
Figure 3, a diagram showing the relative movement of the cylinder and bed.
Figure 4, a view in side elevation of one of the modified forms which my improved
bed-movement may take.
Figure 5, a plan view thereof.
In carrying out my invention as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, I furnish the main
driving-shaft A of the press with a small pinion B, located at its inner end, and
meshing into a gear C, mounted upon a shaft D, carrying an irregular elliptic
gear E, which in turn meshes into another elliptic gear E', mounted upon a shaft F,
the opposite end of which is furnished with a crank G, to which is attached the
bed-pitman H, the outer end of which is forked for the reception of the multiplying
gear 1 located below and meshing into a rack J, secured to the under face of the
reciprocating type-bed J₁, and also meshes into a stationary rack J2, located
opposite the rack J aforesaid, and secured to the frame K of the press. The main
shaft A before mentioned, is furnished with. a balance-wheel L, with driving-
pulleys M and M', and with a small gear-wheel N, which meshes into a large
gear-wheel N', mounted upon one end of the shaft O of the impression cylinder,
whereby the same is driven at a uniform rate of speed.
It will be seen from the foregoing that in the construction shown by the said
figures of the drawings, the power for driving the type-bed and printing cylinder
is taken from the same shaft.
"

page_text: For reducing the momentum of the type-bed at the ends of its stroke, I by
preference locate cylinders P and P₁ in line with each other, but at opposite ends
of the machine-frame K, the said cylinders respectively receiving pistons and Q
located at the ends of a piston rod Q2, which is mounted in a hanger Q3 depending
from the type-bed. When the piston Q enters the cylinder P, the air therein is
compressed, with the effect of cushioning the action of the type-bed at one end of
its stroke, while when the piston Q₁ enters the cylinder P¹ the air therein is
compressed, and the momentum of the type-bed reduced at the other end of its
stroke. But it is not imperative that these cylinders and pistons should be
employed, although my device is peculiarly well adapted for their use.
By varying the forms of the elliptic gears, exactly the right relation of
reciprocation in the type-bed to the revolution in the impression cylinder is secured,
whereby the bed and cylinder are caused to have the same speed when the printing
is being done.
For illustration of the movement of the type-bed and cylinder, I have introduced
a diagram, which appears as Fig. 3 of the drawings. In this diagram the line R
represents the path of the type-bed, and the line R' represents diagrammatically
the path of the impression cylinder. By means of correctly made elliptical gears,
I. an enabled to move the type-bed between the points a and a' on the diagram,
the said points covering the central portion of the throw of the bed, at exactly the
same rate of speed as the impression cylinder moves in its revolution.
But from
the point a to the point a 2 at one end of the stroke of the type-bed, and from the
point al to the point a 3 at the other end of the stroke of the bed, the said points
covering the ends of the throw of the bed, the same has an unequal or differentiated
or what is equivalent to a crank motion. Thus, the bed moves gradually slower from
the point a to the point a 2 and from the point al to the point a 2, and gradually
faster from the point a 2 to the point a, and also gradually faster from the point a 3
to the point a¹. These differentiated movements constitute the reversing of the
bed at each end of its stroke. The movement of the bed between the points a
and a 2 in either direction, and the points a' and a 3 in either direction, is slower
than the movement of the bed between the points a and a' in either direction, so
that I am enabled to operate the bed at a high speed. I am also able to confine
the crank or end movements of the bed into a play under which an air spring or
cushion will operate to the best advantage.
It is apparent that in carrying out my invention, the particular means shown
and described for moving the type-bed at a uniform rate in the central portion of
its throw and at a differentiated rate at the ends of its throw, may be varied..
One of the modified forms of my improved bed movement is shown in Figs. 4
and 5 of the drawings, in which the main shaft S is furnished with driving
pulleys S' S¹, a gear S 2, which communicates motion, to the impression cylinder S 3,
and a gear S4 meshing into a larger gear S 5 mounted upon a horizontal shaft S 6,
journalled at its outer end in the machine-frame S 7, and supported at its inner end
in a depending bearing S 8. The inner end of the shaft S6 is provided with a
crank T, having a pitinan T connected to its outer end, the opposite end of the
said pitman being forked to embrace a multiplying gear T2, which has the form of
an annulus, in the central portion T3 of which is located a closely fitting disk U,
also embraced by the forked end of the pitman, which is eccentrically connected
with it by means of a pin U. The said disk U is provided with a rearwardly
projecting arm V, furnished at its outer end with an anti-friction. roll V, entering
and travelling back and forth in a doubly curved cam-path V2 formed in an
upright frame or plate V 3, rigidly secured to the machine frame $ 7. The
particular curvature of the path V 2 will be determined by the size of the impression
cylinder S 3, and will modify the normal action of the crank T and pitman T', so
that the multiplying gear T 2 will move the type-bed W at a uniform rate in the
central portion of its throw, and at a differentiated rate at the ends of its throw in
substantially the manner illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 3 of the drawings

page_text: already described. The multiplying gear, I may add, meshes into a rack W' fixed
to the lower face of the type-bed, and also into a rack W 2 located opposite the
rack W' and fixed to the frame S 7 of the machine.
Still other ways may be resorted to for modifying the action of the crank so as
to make the movement of the type-bed in the central portion of its throw uniform
with the movement of the impression cylinder.
I have spoken of modifying the action of the crank which transmits the motion
imparted to it without further modification other than change of direction to the
type-bed. In using the language "modifying the action of the crank" therefore,
I mean to convey the idea that the crank does not have the action which cranks
ordinarily have, but a modified or unusual action. The modification of the action
of the crank I secure by the elliptic gear mechanism, or the doubly curved cam
path mechanism herein described, those mechanisms operating to modify the rotary
motion transmitted to them from the rotary driving-shaft, and to transmit that modified
motion without intrinsic variation through the medium of the crank-shaft, to the
type-bed. Of course, the modified rotary motion produced by the elliptic gears, is
transformed into reciprocating motion by the crank, which merely changes the
direction of motion without further modifying it. So too the doubly curved cam
path modifies the rotary motion of the driving shaft and the crank transforms the
motion thus modified into reciprocating motion, but that is only a change of
direction, and involves no further modification of the motion. It will be under-
stood, therefore, that the crank-shaft does not further modify the motion, but only
changes its direction, and transmits it without further modification to the type-bed.
I would therefore have it understood that I do not limit myself to the construction
shown and described, but hold myself at liberty to make such changes as fairly
fall within the spirit and scope
of my
invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In a printing-press the combination with an impression cylinder, means for
revolving the same at a uniform rate of speed, a reciprocating type-bed, and
driving connections for the said bed including a crank, and also including means
for modifying the motion of the crank to conform the central portion of the motion
of the bed to 'the motion of the cylinder, and to impart to it a differentiated
movement near the ends of its throw, substantially as described.
2. In.a bed-movement for printing-presses, the combination with the bed thereof,
of power connections for reciprocating the said bed to move the same at a uniform
rate in the central portion of its throw, and at a differentiated rate at the ends of its
throw, including a crank and two elliptic gears, substantially as described.
3. In a bed-movement for printing-presses, the combination with the bed thereof,
of means for reciprocating the said bed, including two elliptic gears, a crank, a
pitman, a multiplying gear attached to the outer end of the pitman, a rack connected
with the bed and taken into by the said multiplying gear, and a fixed rack also
taken into thereby, substantially as set forth.
4. In a printing-press, the combination with the main shaft thereof, of an
impression cylinder, driving connections between the said shaft and cylinder, a
reciprocating type-bed and driving connections between the said main shaft and
bed, including a crank, and also including devices for modifying the action of the
crank to move the bed in the central portion of its throw at a rate uniform with
the movement of the impression cylinder, and at a differentiated rate at the ends of
its throw, substantially as described.
5. In a printing-press, the combination with the main shaft thereof, of au
impression cylinder, driving connections between the said shalt and cylinder, a
reciprocating type-bed and driving connections between the said main shaft and bed,
including two elliptic gears constructed and arranged to impart movement uniform

page_text: with the movement of the cylinder to the bed, throughout the middle portion of its
stroke, and differentiated movement at the ends of its stroke, substantially as
-described.
Dated this 2nd day of July 1896.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.