Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Mar., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 21st Dec., 1899-Accepted, 10th Mar., 1900
I, THOMAS COSSAR, of 6, Osborne Place, Govan, Lanarkshire, Printer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention, which relates to oscillating platen or cylinder printing machines,
has for its object to provide means for automatically and intermittently feed-
ing the paper to be printed from a web instead of as heretofore in sheets and
by hand.
The oscillating cylinder is fitted over the reciprocating type board or table
in the usual way, and under it is passed the end of a continuous web or roll
of paper which is led from the roll or beam first between a pair of feeding
rollers which pull the paper off the roll or beam at the proper speed, then around
tension rollers which prevent it being jerked or too suddenly drawn off or torn,
then horizontally between a set of grippers carried in a travelling frame herein-
after described thence over a roller situated beyond the grippers referred to
and carried in the same travelling frame in the same horizontal plane, back and
round a roller situated behind and lower than the grippers. This latter roller
is attached to a frame carried in the before mentioned travelling frame and is
moved horizontally in the first frame to effect the pulling through of the web
when the cylinder is clear of the printing forme at each end of the stroke of
the printing machine, a roller being provided at the other end of this second
frame to engage the web between the third and fourth sets of grippers. The
web is then carried back again in its original direction, between a second set
of grippers and round a roller situated in front of the second set situated imme-
diately below the first mentioned, and carried in the same travelling frame,
thence round one or more guide rollers and under the printing cylinder, the
web being thereafter carried round rollers and grippers similar in number and
arrangement to those before mentioned, and carried in the same frame, and
thence over tension and guide rollers, and forward to a folder or cutting device,
or it may be taken between a pair of feeding rollers revolving at the proper
speed and thence to a spindle on which it is wound again. This spindle is
driven by a friction clutch so as to roll up the web as it comes out between the
before mentioned pair of feeding rollers. The paper is thus doubled on itself
twice before being led under the cylinder and again doubled on itself twice
after leaving the cylinder. The feeding of the paper is effected by means of
the grippers previously referred to which engage with the proper portions of
the web at the proper times, the grippers being carried in the travelling frame
before mentioned, operated by means of racks and toothed wheels at the same
speed as the printing table. One gripper or set of grippers engages a length
of the web on one side of the cylinder and draws it forward whilst the other
gripper or set of grippers engages a length on the other side and draws it off in
the same direction. The to and fro movement of the racks and grippers in
unison with the oscillations of the cylinder is effected by imparting a rocking
motion or alternately right and left hand movement of rotation to the sprocket

page_text: or toothed wheel shaft gearing with the racks, by gearing it with the racks on
bed of the printing machine, or it may be geared to the cylinder.
The cylinder acts to press the paper on to the type or blocks and effects a
printing at each oscillation and a sufficient length of the web may be fed for-
ward at one action of the grippers to provide for one print as the cylinder oscil-
lates with the paper under it, then a length of paper sufficient for another print
is drawn off after the cylinder is clear of and before it again touches the forme
in its return oscillation; this.clength being fed through and printed on the
return stroke of cylinder; then this printed portion is drawn, through after
the cylinder is clear of and before it again touches the forme in its next oscilla-
tion and a further length is drawn off and is printed during the forward oscilla-
tion of the cylinder, the grippers being actuated 'to' effect the requisite feeding
of the paper, and the two rollers carried in the second frame which is carried by
the first or travelling frame being actuated to pull through the web when the
cylinder has cleared the printing forme. The gripping device is formed by
frames situated on either side of the printing machine transversely of the web
and tied together by rods which in conjunction with pivoted arms constitute
the grippers, which hold the web when these act to feed the necessary length
of paper, one set of. grippers being lifted off the paper whilst the other set of
grippers engage the paper. The grippers are caused to grip the paper by means
of springs. The second frame, carried in the first or travelling frame, has its
movement imparted to it by racks at each side of the travelling frame and toothed
wheels gearing with these racks and the shaft carrying these gear wheels is
actuated by a quadrant arm, a roller at the end of which travels in a race con-
sisting of inclined and horizontal portions forming forward and return passages
crossing each other centrally to give to the quadrant arm the necessary move-
ment to give the rollers their proper movement. This race is provided at various
points with spring catches which yield to allow the roller to pass in one direction
but prevent its passage in another direction, the central portion of the race
being preferably pivoted so that it can be turned so as to guide the roller on
quadrant arm in its proper direction. The guide race can be altered somewhat
in form for the purpose of shortening or lengthening the stroke of the quadrant
arm, this being effected by means of screw threaded spindles attached to the
movable portions of the. race and which may be actuated by worm wheels secured
upon nuts held in frames embracing the screw threaded spindles, these. worm
wheels being actuated by worms on a shaft which can be turned by hand in order
to alter the stroke of the quadrant arm to suit the size of sheet being printed.
The worm carrying shaft may be geared to the screw threaded spindle. actuat
ing the belt forks so that the speed of the feeding rollers is altered simul
taneously with the stroke of the quadrant arm.
-
The action of the apparatus is as follows:
The table of the machine being in its mid position and the frame also in mid
position, the table starts to move from left to right, the frame moving at the
same time from right to left. The two lower sets of the grippers being closed,
thus carry the web along as it is printed and the two top sets of grippers open, the
cam roller working in slot is moved up, thus moving through gearing and rack.
the intermediate rollers to the right, thereby pulling a new part of web from.
one of the tension rollers, the other tension roller pulling away the slack. When
the cam roller has reached its topmost point in the race, the grippers previously
open, close, and those previously closed, open, and the type having now cleared
the cylinder the cam roller begins to come down and thus pulls through the
length of web just printed, and brings down a new length to be printed on the
movement of the printing table from right to left till the frame and table, of
the machine have reached the end of the stroke and begun to reverse. The
roller still further descends along slot and pulls through the remaining length
of web, which along with the length already pulled through forms the size of
sheet to be printed. The open sets of grippers then close and the previously

page_text: closed sets of grippers open, and the cam roller.begins to ascend slot and pull
another length of web from one tension roller, the other tension roller taking
up the slack as before till the cylinder has again cleared the forme. The open
grippers then close and the closed grippers open, and the cam roller begins to
descend, causing the intermediate rollers to pull a new length of web through
below cylinder to be printed on the motion of the printing forms or table from
left to right. The catches in the race may be altered in order to cause the
quadrant arm to take a downward instead of as formerly an upward path, and
go upwards when before it went downwards, and thus alter the general or.ulti-
mate direction of feed of web.
A pair of rollers, situated. above the oscillating cylinder and normally at equal
distances from the vertical axis of the printing cylinder each carrying a portion
of the web on, the opposite side of the cylinder from the other, are carried in
a.frame provided with racks which are geared to toothed wheels capable of being
operated so as to cause the roller on one side of cylinder to shorten the path of
web on that side of cylinder while the roller on other side of cylinder lengthens
the path of the web on its side of cylinder or vice versa and thus shift the web
in one direction or the other when printing on second side of web so as to register
the second printing with the first.
11
cone
A cone pulley is provided on a shaft driven by machine and assimilar.co
pulley on a shaft geared to the two pairs of feeding rollers mentioned in third
paragraph, the large end of one cone pulley being opposite the small end of the
other. The rollers being geared to the shaft carrying the second cone pulley
so that the direction of rotation may be changed when desired according to the
general or ultimate direction of feed of web without altering the direction of
rotation of second cone pulley, and a toothed wheel is provided which may be
thrown out of gear in order to stop one pair of feeding rollers when the web is
not being rolled up again but being cut or folded, the belt which connects the
two cones being shifted along the cones in one direction or the other by forks
actuated by a screw-threaded spindle according to the rate of feed which is
required.
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,.
Of the Firm of Cruikshank & Fairweather,
Chartered Patent Agents,
Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agent for the Applicant.
Improvements in Printing Machines.
I, THOMAS COSSAR, of 6, Osborne Place, Govan, Lanarkshire, Printer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention, which relates to oscillating platen or cylinder printing machines,
i.e. machines in which the cylinder prints on the backward and forward move-
ment of the bed, has for its object to provide means for automatically and inter-
mittently feeding the paper to be printed from a web instead of as heretofore
in sheets.
The invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 representing
diagrammatically the general arrangement of the improvements as applied to

page_text: a printing machine of the kind referred to. Fig. 2 is a detail of the mechanism
hereinafter particularly described, and Fig. 3 is an elevation of the race which
controls the mechanism referred to in Fig. 2.
The oscillating cylinder A is fitted over the reciprocating type board or table B
in the usual way, and under it is passed the end of a continuous web or roll C
of paper which is led from the roll D first between a pair of feeding rollers E
which pull the paper off the roll D at the proper speed, then around a tension
roller which takes up the slack caused by the to and fro movement of the
gripper frame, then over a guide roller F and horizontally between a set of
grippers G comprising a grip bar and gripping fingers, of which latter there
may be any number strung on a rod extending between the sides of the frame G,
the grippers being carried in the travelling frame G the parts of which are
hereinafter described, thence over a roller H¹ situated beyond the grippers G
referred to and carried in the same travelling frame G in the same horizontal
plane, back and round a roller J situated behind and lower than the grippers G¹
when the travelling frame G is in the position shown at Fig. 1. This latter
roller J is attached to a frame I carried in the before mentioned travelling
frame G by mechanism hereinafter particularly described, to effect the pulling
through of the web C when the cylinder A is clear of the printing forme or
table B at each end of the stroke of the printing machine, and at other times
as hereinafter described. The web C is then carried back again in its original
direction round a roller H beneath the roller H¹, then between a second set of
grippers G2 situated immediately below the first mentioned grippers G¹, and
carried in the same travelling frame G, thence round one or more guide rollers K
and under the printing cylinder A, the web being thereafter carried round
guide rollers K¹, grippers G3, G4, and rollers H³, J, H, similar in number and
arrangement to those before mentioned, and carried in the same frame G, and
thence over a guide roller F3 and tension roller F', and between a pair of feed-
ing rollers E¹, as shown, revolving at the proper speed, being geared to the feed
rolls E and forward to a folder or cutting device, or it may be taken to a spindle D
on which it is wound again. This spindle is driven by a friction clutch so as
to roll up the web as it comes out between the before mentioned pair of feeding
rollers. The paper C is thus doubled on itself twice before being led under
the cylinder A and again doubled on itself twice after leaving the cylinder. The
feeding of the paper C is effected by the combined action of the grippers G¹, G²,
G3, G4, previously referred to and the roller J, J¹, carried in the frame I which
engage with the proper portions of the web at the proper times, the grippers
being carried in the travelling frame G before mentioned, and which is operated
by means of a rack G secured to it gearing with a toothed wheel L receiving its
motion through bevel wheels M, M, M², or by sprocket gearing, from the
oscillating cylinder A. The gripping device is formed by the frames & situated
on either side of the printing machine within the stationary frames and
guided thereon, the frames G being tied together by rods extending transversely
of the web, which in conjunction with pivoted fingers constitute the grippers,
which hold the web C when these act to feed the necessary length of paper. The
grippers are caused to grip the paper by means of springs, and are caused to
release the paper by the action of projections .r on the stationary frame x upon
arms N keyed on the gripper rods, the grippers G1, G³, being actuated by those
on one side frame and the grippers G3, G4, by those on the other side frame.
The second frame I carried in the first or travelling frame, has its movement
imparted to it, as shown particularly at Fig. 2, by racks at each side and
toothed wheels I gearing with these racks, and a toothed wheel I on the shaft I³
carrying these gear wheels I is actuated by a toothed quadrant arm I, a roller I³
at the end of which travels in a race O carried by the stationary framing x and
shown particularly at Fig. 3, and consisting of inclined and horizontal portions
forming forward and return passages crossing each other centrally to give to
the quadrant arm I the necessary movement to give the rollers J, J₁, their

page_text: proper length of stroke according to the size of sheet being printed.
This race O
is provided at various points with spring catches which yield to allow the
roller I to pass in one direction but prevent its passage in another direction,
the central portion 0₁ of the race being preferably pivoted so that it can be
turned to guide the roller 15 on quadrant arm in either direction, and instead of
the spring catches part of the end portions 0% of the race can be pivoted and
worked simultaneously with the central portion 01 by means of levers 08 and
connecting rods 07, the central portion O¹ being actuated from a connecting
link 0%, a slotted quadrant 010 and from a rod 0" from a cam 019 on any motion
shaft, as shown at Fig. 3, preferably a shaft having a half revolution for each
copy printed. By altering the position of the rod 0° to the other end of the
slotted quadrant 00, the general or ultimate direction of the feed of the web C
is reversed. The guide race O can be altered somewhat in form for the purpose
of shortening or lengthening the stroke of the quadrant arm I, this being
effected by means of screw threaded spindles 03 attached to the movable portions
of the race and which may be actuated by worm wheels 04, portions of the
race being secured upon nuts 08 embracing the screw threaded spindles O³ and
guided in frames 0, these worm wheels O being actuated by worms P on a
shaft P¹ which can be turned by hand in order to alter the stroke of the quad-
rant arm I' to suit the size of sheet being printed, and the worm carrying shaft
may be geared to the screw threaded spindle actuating the belt forks S so that
the speed of the feeding rollers E, which are driven from the belt cone Q, Q',
is altered simultaneously with the stroke of the quadrant arm 14. One set of
grippers engages a length of the web C on one side of the cylinder A and feeds
it forward as the cylinder revolves whilst another set of grippers simultaneously
engages a length on the other side and draws it off in the same direction. The
to and fro movement of the gripper frame G in unison with the oscillations of
the cylinder A. is effected by imparting a rocking motion or alternately right
and left hand movement of rotation to the sprocket or toothed wheel shaft gear-
ing with the racks G5 by gearing it with the racks on bed of the printing machine,
or the frame G may, as shown and described, be geared to the cylinder A..
The cylinder A acts to press the paper on to the type or blocks on the board
or table B and effects a printing at each oscillation and a sufficient length of
the web C is fed forward at one action of the grippers to provide for one print
as the cylinder A oscillates with the paper under it, then a length of paper suffi-
cient for another print is drawn off after the cylinder is clear of and before it
again touches the forme or board B in its return oscillation; this length being
fed through and printed on the return stroke of cylinder A; then this printed
portion is drawn through after the cylinder A is clear of and before it again
touches the forme B in its next oscillation and a further length is fed through
and printed during the forward oscillation of the cylinder, the grippers G¹, G³,
G3, G4, being actuated by the projections or the stationary side frames to
effect the requisite feeding of the paper, and the two rollers J, J', carried in
the second frame I which is carried by the first or travelling frame G being
actuated to pull through the web C when the cylinder A has cleared the printing
forme B.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-
The table B of the machine being in its mid position and the frame G also
in mid position, the table B starts to move from left to right, the frame G mov-
ing at the same time from right to left. The two lower sets G2, G3, of the grip-
pers being closed, thus carry the web C along as it is printed and the two top
sets G¹, G, of grippers open, the cam roller 15 working in the race is moved
down, thus moving through the gearing and rack the intermediate rollers J, J',
to the right, thereby pulling a new part of the web C from one of the tension
rollers F, the other tension roller Fi pulling away the slack. When the cam
roller I has reached its lowest point in the race O, the grippers G¹, G', previously

page_text: open, close, and those previously closed, G2, G3, open, and the type on the table B
having now cleared the cylinder A the cam roller I begins to go up and thus
pulls through part of the length of web C just printed, and brings down part
of a new length to be printed on the movement of the printing table from right
to left till the frame G and table B of the machine have reached the end of the
stroke and begun to reverse. The roller I still further ascends along the slot
in the race O and pulls through the remaining length of web, which along with
the length already pulled through forms the size of sheet to be printed. The
open sets G2, G3, of grippers then close and the previously closed sets G¹, G+,
of grippers open, and the cam roller I begins to descend the slot in the race O
and pull another length of web C from one tension roller, the other tension
roller taking up the slack as before till the cylinder A has again cleared the
forme B, the closed set G2, G3, of grippers carrying through the desired length
of web along with the cylinder while it is printing. The open grippers G¹, G4,
then close and the closed grippers G2, G3, open, and the cam roller 15 begins to
ascend, causing the intermediate rollers J, J', to pull a new length of web through
below the cylinder A to be printed on the motion of the printing forme or table B
from left to right. The catches or the pivoted portions in the race may be
altered by the mechanism already referred to in order to cause the quadrant
arm I to take a downward instead of as formerly an upward path, and go up-
wards when before it went downwards, and thus alter the general or ultimate
direction of the feed of the web C, should circumstances make such alteration
necessary. The grippers are opened and closed when the cam roller I³ is in
either of the horizontal portions of the race in order that no shifting of the web
beneath the grippers shall take place at that time.
A pair of rollers Y situated above the oscillating cylinder A, each carrying
a portion of the web C on the opposite side of the cylinder A from the other,
are carried in a frame capable of being operated so as to cause the roller on "one
side of cylinder A to shorten the path of web on that side of cylinder while the
roller on other side of cylinder lengthens the path of the web on its side of
cylinder A or vice versa and thus shift the web in one direction or the other
when printing on second side of web so as to register the second printing with
the first.
A cone pulley Q is provided on a shaft driven by the machine and a similar
cone pulley Q¹ on a shaft geared to the two pairs of feeding rollers E as previously
mentioned, the large end of one cone pulley being opposite the small end of
the other. The rollers E being geared to the shaft carrying the second cone
pulley by a shaft U and bevels U1, U2, U³, the latter wheels U³, U³, being 80
placed in relation to the wheels on the roller E that by operating a clutch between
these the direction of rotation of the rollers E may be changed when desired
according to the general or ultimate direction of feed of web without altering
the direction of rotation of second cone pulley. The belt R which connects
the two cones is shifted along the cones Q, Q', in one direction or the other by
forks S actuated by a screw-threaded spindle T according to the rate of feed which
iş. required.
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 improved apparatus for use in oscillating platen or cylinder print-
ing machines for feeding the paper to be printed from the web, the parts of
which apparatus are constructed, combined and arranged to operate, substan-
tially as described.
2. In combination with an oscillating platen or cylinder printing machine
of means for automatically and intermittently feeding the paper to be printed
from the web, consisting of a sliding frame, a rack on said frame geared to a'

page_text: driven toothed wheel, spring grippers for engaging the paper, and a second inde-
pendently movable frame carried on the first mentioned frame, substantially as
described.
3. In oscillating platen or cylinder printing machines for printing from the
web, the combination of a sliding frame carrying spring grippers, means for
actuating the grippers consisting of projections on the stationary frame, and
rollers carried by arms keyed on the gripper rods, and traversed over these pro-
jections, substantially as described.
4. In oscillating platen or cylinder printing machines for printing from the
web, the combination with a sliding frame of a second frame carried by said
sliding frame, gear wheels centred on the sliding frame engaging racks on the
second frame, a quadrant arm for actuating said gear wheels, and a race which
controls the movement of said quadrant arm, substantially as described.
5. In oscillating platen or cylinder printing machines for printing from the
web, a race for controlling the movement of a quadrant arm, said race being
jointed and adjustable by the action of screwed spindles upon nuts on the race,
to lengthen or shorten the path of a quadrant arm controlled by the race, sub-
stantially as described.
6. In oscillating platen or cylinder printing machines for printing from the
web, the means for altering the direction of movement of the quadrant arm and
ultimate direction of the feed consisting of levers connected to the pivoted por-
tions of the race, rods connecting these levers together, a rod connecting one
of the pivoted portions to a slotted quadrant and a second rod connected to said
quadrant and carrying a roller operated by a cam, substantially as described.
7. In oscillating platen or cylinder printing machines for printing from the
web, means for registering the second printing with the first, consisting of a
frame carrying guide rollers, said frame being moved to cause the roller on
one side of the cylinder to shorten and the other roller to lengthen the path of
the web, substantially as described.
Dated this 20th day of Dasamban 1900
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
Of the Firm of Cruikshank & Fairweather,
Chartered Patent Agents,
62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agent for the Applicant.