Improved Rotary Multi-colour Printing Machine.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Nov., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 7th Aug., 1896-Accepted, 12th Sept., 1896.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Rotary Multi-colour Printing Machine.
We, WILLIAM READER and THOMAS BERTRAM READER trading as William
Reader and Son at Brownhill Road, Catford in the County of Kent, Mechanical and
Electrical Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Our invention relates to an improved rotary colour printing machine capable of
printing any desired number of colours at one operation, whereby the necessity. for
providing arrangements for intermediate feed and delivery during the operation is
obviated, and other advantages are obtained by improvements embracing the
following novel features :-
Uniformity in size of driving wheels: particular devices for adjustment of
inkers, means for adjustment of wavers: the special mode of construction of the
plate cylinders: devices for preventing side-play of plate cylinders and impression
cylinders: and arrangements for cleaning the registering cylinders by which the
paper is carried from one impression cylinder to the next.
In constructing our improved machine we preferably arrange the plate cylinders
around a horizontal axle imparting motion to them by means of a spur wheel
keyed thereon which drives the plate cylinders by means of spur-wheels of equal
size with the driving wheel and carried upon the several axles of said cylinders.
By this arrangement greater regularity uniformity and accuracy of registration are
ensured.
Motion is imparted to the main driving wheel by a suitable shaft and pinion
driven by a pulley or by other available power.
An impression cylinder is arranged on the same radius as each plate cylinder,
around the centre horizontal axis, and between every two impression cylinders we
arrange a registering cylinder of a convenient size and similarly situated with
respect to the central axis, and geared to run at the same circumferential speed as
the plates on the plate cylinders which serve the double purpose of inking table
and table on which the plates are secured. Each plate cylinder is provided with
an independent ink-duct, and vibrating roller for transmitting the ink to the ink-
table, the vibrating roller being operated by a cam on the axle of the plate
cylinder. The plate cylinder is also furnished with any desirable number of
composition rollers for inking the block or form fixed thereon, and for distributing
the ink on the ink-tables.
In order to allow of adjusting the pressure of the composition rollers or inkers
they are provided upon the ends of their axles with adjustable cones capable of
movement along their own axles and riding on suitable cams attached to the axles
of the plate cylinders whereby the composition rollers are caused to rise or fall
according as greater or less pressure is desired, a suitable locking device being
provided to secure the cone in position when adjusted; or in lieu of the above we
may arrange for the bearings of the inking rollers to be lifted by suitable cams.
We
Another improvement consists in novel mechanism for the adjustment of wavers.
These are caused to oscillate by means of a lever working in a grooved cam.
propose to make the fulcrums of the levers which transmit the action of the cams
to the wavers adjustable by which means we can regulate the distance of the travel
of the wavers.

page_text: In constructing the plate cylinders for the double purpose of inking tables and
tables for carrying the forms or blocks, we propose to make them in two equal
sections or halves subsequently fitted and secured together.
We effect this by first casting two distinct cylinders boring the ends to fit the
spiders and cutting them in halves longitudinally. These are then bolted on to the
spiders which have been previously keyed on to the axles and turned, thus forming
cylinders which are then the required diameter; one of these cylinders is grooved
circumferentially and longitudinally and the other left plain. We then separate
them and take one half of the grooved cylinder and a half of the plain cylinder
and bolt them together on to the spiders thus forming the complete plate cylinder,
one half of which is plain and the other half grooved. The two remaining halves
are similarly joined to form a second cylinder and so on.
We provide against the liability to lateral movement or side play of the plate
cylinders and impression cylinders by furnishing their axles with lock-nuts on either
side, and similar devices may be arranged on the axles of any other rollers or
cylinders where desired.
In order to avoid the set-off of the ink we arrange for the faces of the registering
cylinders to be cleaned by means of blankets or any other suitable inaterial applied
thereto and held against the face of the cylinders at a suitable tension by means of
fixed or movable slotted bars or rods for gripping and tightening the blanket or
other suitable material, arranged at any convenient positions relatively to the
several cylinders.
The paper or other material to be printed upon is carried between the plate
cylinders and impression cylinders and under the respective registering cylinders
by means of endless bands or tapes passing over suitable rollers with means for
adjusting the tension thereof.
We may also employ any suitable gripping devices and mechanism for feeding
and carrying the paper into and through the machine.
By the above described method of arranging the cylinders and gearing wheels
we ensure the tapes or bands travelling at the same rate of speed as the cylinders.
In operation the paper to receive the colours being supplied from the feed table
is carried therefrom, by means of the tapes or bands between the several plate and
impression cylinders in succession, each plate cylinder imparting its own colour or
series of colours by means of the plates secured thereon, to the paper as it passes,
until it arrives at the delivery end, at which point the paper is released automatically
and delivered on to the delivery table. The diameters and relative positions of the
impression cylinders and registering cylinders are such that each sheet of paper in
travelling through the machine is at all times held by tapes firmly against either
one or more of the said cylinders, thus giving a proper grip on the paper as it
travels.
Dated this Eighth day of November 1895.
We, WILLIAM READER and THOMAS BERTRAM READER, trading as William
Reader and Son, at Brownhill Road, Catford, in the County of Kent, Mechanical
and Electrical Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and
in what manner, the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and 5
ascertained in and by the following statement :—
Our invention relates to an improved rotary colour printing machine capable of

page_text: "which serve the double purpose of inking 'table and table on which the plates are
secured. Each plate cylinder is provided with an independent ink-duct I, driven
by ratchet or other suitable gear, and vibrating roller K for transmitting ink to
the ink table, the vibrating roller being operated by a cam L arranged for that
purpose or the axle of each plate cylinder. The plate cylinders A are also
severally furnished with any desirable number of composition rollers M-provided
if desired with riders M'-for inking the blocks or forms fixed upon them, and
wavers P for distributing the ink on the ink tables.
In order to allow of adjusting the pressure of the composition rollers or inkers M,
they are provided upon the ends of their axles with adjustable cones N capable of
movement along their own axles, and riding on suitable cams O, attached to the
axles of the plate cylinders, whereby the composition rollers M are caused to rise
'or 'fall 'to'a greater or less extent according as greater or less pressure is desired,-
a suitable locking device being provided to secure the cone N in position when
adjusted; or in lieu of the above we may 'arrange for the bearings of the inking
rollers M to be lifted by suitable canis.
Another improvement consists in novel mechanism for the adjustment of the
travel of the wavers P. These are caused to oscillate by means of a lever Q
working in a grooved cam 'R. As shewn on Fig. 5, this lever Q is 'provided with
a movable fulcrum connecting it pivotally with a fixed rod T secured upon a
convenient part of the framework, and consisting of a block S capable of being
adjusted upon the lever Q at any intermediate position on its length, a pivot U
connecting the block S with a second block S similarly arranged on the fixed
rod T, and set-screws for securing the movable blocks in position when adjusted.
By altering the position of the fulcrum, the distance of travel of the wavers P is
regulated.
In constructing the plate cylinders A for the double purpose of inking 'tables
and tables on which the forms or blocks are carried, we make them in two equal
sections or halves subsequently fitted and secured together.
We effect this by first casting two distinct cylinders, boring their ends 'to fit 'the
These
spiders and cutting them in halves longitudinally, see Figs. 3 and 4.
are then bolted on to the spiders which have been previously keyed on to the axles
and turned on their outer periphery,-after which the cylinders are turned to the
required diameter; one of these cylinders is grooved circumferentially and longi-
tudinally, and the other left plain. We then separate them and bolt one half of
the grooved cylinder and a half of the plain cylinder together on to the 'spiders,
thus forming the complete plate cylinder A, Fig. 4, one 'half a of which is plain,
and the other half 6 grooved, as shewn. The two remaining halves are similarly
joined together to form a second plate cylinder, aud the same method of con-
struction is followed throughout in the case of all the 'other plate cylinders
required for the particular machine.
We provide against the possibility of lateral movement or side-play of the plate
cylinders, A, and impression cylinders 'G, by furnishing their axles with lock-nuts c
on 'either 'side, and similar devices may be arranged on the axles of any other
rollers or cylinders where desired.
In order to avoid the "set-off" of the ink, we arrange for 'the faces of the
registering cylinders H 'to be' cleaned by means of blankets V or any other suitable
material applied thereto, and held against the face of the cylinderssee Fig. 1-at
the necessary tension by means of fixed or movable slotted bare or rods W,-see
Fig. 6-for the purpose of gripping and tightening the blanket V or other
material, arranged at any convenient positions relatively 'to the several cylinders H,
and we may provide the movable tension bars or rods W with a pawl and ratchet
device X, or equivalent arrangement for adjusting 'the'same.
The paper or other material to be printed upon is carried between the plate
cylinders A and impression cylinders G, and under the respective registering
cylinders H by means of endless bands or tapes passing over Buitable rollers with
means for adjusting the tension thereof. We may also employ any suitable

page_text: gripping devices and mechanism for feeding and carrying the paper into and
through the machine.
By the above described method of arranging the cylinders and gearing wheels,
we ensure the tapes or bands travelling at the same rate of speed as the cylinders.
In operation, the paper to receive the colours being supplied from the
feed-table is carried therefrom by means of the tapes and bands between the
several plate and impression cylinders, A and G, in succession, each plate cylinder
imparting a particular colour or series of colours, by means of the plates secured
thereon, to the paper as it passes until it arrives at the last cylinder H 3, where it is
released and delivered from the machine to the table.
The diameters and relative positions of the impression cylinders G and
registering cylinders H are such that each sheet of paper in travelling through
the machine is at all times held by tapes firmly against one or other of the said
cylinders, thus giving a proper grip on the paper as it travels:
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In a rotary color-printing machine, the combination of a central driving-
wheel C directly gearing with wheels D of same diameter secured upon axles of
printing cylinders A, substantially as described with reference to Figures 1 and 2
of accompanying drawings and for the purposes specified.
2. In a rotary color-printing machine, the combination with plate cylinders A,
of impression cylinders G and registering cylinders H, arranged around a common
axis therewith, each registering cylinder H having a diameter equal to the radius
of the plate cylinder A plus the thickness of the plates or types thereon, and being
geared to run at the same circumferential speed as the plates on the plate
cylinder A, as described.
3. In rotary color printing machine, the combination of wavers P, lever Q,
adjustable blocks S, S', and grooved cam R, with fixed rod T, and pivot U, con-
necting said adjustable blocks S, S₁, for the purpose of operating and regulating
the extent of travel of the wavers P, over the surface of plate cylinder A as
described, with reference to Fig. 5 of accompanying drawings.
4. In a rotary color-printing machine, the combination of cams O secured on the
axles of plate cylinders A, with adjustable cones N movably mounted upon the
axles of composition rollers M, for the purpose of regulating the pressure of
the latter, as described.
5. In the construction of plate cylinders for a rotary printing machine, the
uniting together and securing upoff suitable spiders or arms, of two half sections of
separate entire cylinders, one a, plain, and the other b, grooved, the united sections
being turned to the required diameter for the purpose of producing a complete
plate cylinder, as described with reference to Figures 3 and 4 of accompanying
drawings.
6. In a rotary color-printing machine, the arrangement in combination with
registering cylinders H of slotted tension bars W and ratchet X, or equivalent
adjustment devices, for the purpose of securing and regulating the tension of
blankets V, or other cleaners, for the purpose and as described with reference to
Figure 6.
7. Rotary color-printing machines constructed, combined and arranged sub-
stantially as described herein, and as illustrated upon the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 7th day of August 1896.