Improvements in Printing Machines.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improvements in Printing Machines.
I, JULES MICHAUD, of 96 rue d'Assas, Paris France, Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The machine constituting the object of the present application for Patent enables
the production in a single operation of polychromatic impressions no matter what
the nature of these impressions may be; that is to say whether they be typographic,
Lithographic, phototypic or otherwise.
In Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings I have shown a general view of the
arrangement of machine I have designed in the case where it is necessary to print
in 4 colours in a single operation. By multiplying the number of printing
cylinders, inking mechanisms, and formes or matter to be printed I may increase
to any desired extent the number of colours printed in a single operation.
The machine consists essentially of a bed on which are placed the 4 formes Ì,
2, 3, and 4; the bed has a to and fro movement which may be imparted thereto
in any suitable manner; in the drawing I have shown a crank disc 7 which by
the intermediary of a connecting rod 8 moves a wheel 9 along a rack 11 fixed
to the base frame or foundation of the machine, such wheel 9 gearing on the
other hand with a rack 12 fixed to the bed carrying the four formes and imparting
movement thereto.
The whole of this mechanism, which is that most generally employed in machines
for printing on one side only is only shown as an example, but for imparting
the movement to the bed I may employ any other known mechanism, say by
means of a hypocycloidal movement or by a rack and a pinion connected to the
driving shaft by a universal joint, or in any other manner.
In the arrangement shown in Fig. 1 the bed carries a rack gearing with the
wheels of the two impression cylinders 5 and 6 which partake of its movement
and make two revolutions for one of its travels and rests stationary during the
other travel. I produce this stationary effect by the means employed in machines
for printing on one side only.
°
I may also impart a continuous rotary movement to the cylinders 5 and 6 in the
same direction and cause them to rise during the travel of the bed directed inversely
to their direction of rotation..
I may also further cause the two cylinders to turn first one way and then the
other, raising them on the return travel of the bed.
Between the cylinders 5 and 6 is a third cylinder 13 which like the two others
is provided with grippers and with points or pins. The cylinder 13 makes an
exact number of revolutions for each two revolutions of the cylinders 5 and 6;
it might be of same diameter as the two impression cylinders.
To each forme an inking arrangement corresponds, the essential features of
which I have shown in the drawing, while reserving to myself the right to increase
the number of rollers of which the arrangement is composed.

page_text: The inking mechanism 14 serves for the forme 2, 15 for the forme 4, 16 for
the forme 1 and 17 for the forme 3.
At 21, 41, 1, and 31 the four formes are shown in their position at the other end
of the travel of the bed which carries them.
18 is the feed table and 19 the delivery table.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-
The sheet fed from table 18 is seized by the grippers of the cylinder 5, and receives
a first impression from the forme 1, a second impression from the forme 2, then
it is seized by the grippers of cylinder 13, and the cylinders stop; the bed arrives
at its dead point at the moment when the head of this sheet arrives at the tangential
point of the two cylinders 13 and 16. The part of the cylinder 5 which corresponds
with the formes 3 and 4 is eccentric as is also that of the cylinder 6 corresponding
with the formes 1 and 2.
The cylinder 6 is arrested with its grippers raised as shown in the drawing.
Shortly after the stoppage of the cylinders the grippers of cylinder 13 are raised
in their turn and the grippers of the cylinder 6 being lowered seize the sheet, so
that in the following movement the sheet carried forward by the grippers of
cylinder 6 receives two new impressions, one by contact with the forme 3, the
other by contact with the forme 4, and that at the next stoppage of the cylinders,
at the moment when the grippers of the cylinder 6 are just opened, this sheet is
delivered having received four consecutive impressions.
I may effect the transmission of the sheets from cylinder 13 to cylinder 6 at
any other time than at the moment of stoppage of the cylinders, such trans-
mission being capable of being effected during the rotation of the cylinders, as
is already the case between the cylinders 5 and 13.
During the second period referred to a second sheet has received the two im-
pressions on the cylinder 5 and is about to be transferred in its turn to cylinder G.
In order that the opening and closing movements of the grippers may take place
at the requisite moment it suffices to effect same by the action of cams which
themselves have such a movement that they only act upon the grippers when the
determined number of revolutions of the cylinder has occurred. Arrangements
of this nature are well known and need not be described.
In order to ensure the exact transfer of the sheets from one cylinder to another,
without any slipping of the sheets on the cylinders occuring at the moment when
the grippers are opened, I have devised the following arrangements;-
Each of the cylinders 5, 13, 16 is provided with points or pins which are placed
under the grippers so as to perforate the paper when the latter is well applied
upon the cylinder by its grippers; like the grippers of the different cylinders the
points or pins alternate, that is to say that the pins 21 are not opposite the pins 20
nor those 22; these pins have a movement which causes them to project from the
cylinder and perforate the paper or to disappear within the cylinder.
I may also employ fixed pins or points for ensuring the transfer of the sheets
from one cylinder to another.
The sheet fed is seized by the grippers of the first cylinder; during the rotation
of the latter the pins 20 project and perforate the sheet.
At the moment when the cylinder 5 is about to release the sheet to the cylinder 13
the pins 21 appear in their turn so that they penetrate through the paper and
are thus engaged therewith at the same time as the pins 20; the grippers of the
cylinder 5 rise, those of cylinder 13 are lowered and the pins 21 recede at this
moment only.
The sheet carried forward by the cylinder 13 arrives at the tangential point of
this cylinder with the cylinder 6; immediately after the stoppage of the cylinders
the pins 22 in their turn penetrate the sheet before the grippers of the cylinder 13
are raised, then the grippers of the cylinder 13 rise, those of the cylinder 6 are
lowered and the pins 21 recede before the cylinders move again.
I may cause the system of pins to operate in a different manner to that above
described.

page_text: The sheets may be perforated with holes in advance, such holes corresponding
exactly with the diameter of the pins the ends of which are then pointed so as
to more readily engage the sheet.
The employment of pins of large diameter serving to rectify the position of
a sheet fed to the machine by entering holes previously made in such sheet is
already known, the new use I make of same consisting in employing them as
means for the exact transmission of a sheet from one cylinder to another, in the
machine above described.
The sheets fed from table 18 are therefore perforated with holes corresponding
with the pins 20, 21, and 22. The seizing of the sheets is effected under the same
conditions usual with these kind of pins; at the moment when the grippers of
the cylinder 5 are lowered, the pins 20 project and exactly determine the position
of the sheet on the cylinder 5 before the grippers hold same, then the pins 20
recede.
When the cylinder 5 has made its two revolutions, the sheet is transmitted in
the ordinary manner to the cylinder '13; during the travel of the latter, its
grippers are raised slightly and the pins 21 in their turn penetrating holes corre-
sponding with them if there is need rectify the position of the sheet. The grippers
close again and the pins 21 recede.
The cylinders stop, the grippers of cylinder are raised, the grippers of
cylinder 13 are raised in their turn, and the pins 22 penetrating the holes in the
sheet corresponding therewith rectify its position if necessary; the grippers of
cylinder 6 close again upon the adjusted sheet and the latter receives two new
impressions the register of which with the two first impressions is thus ensured.
If the transmission of the sheets from cylinder 13 to cylinder 6 is to take place
during the travel, the grippers of cylinder 6 will open slightly during the travel
and the pins will rectify the position of the sheets in the same way as at the
moment of rest.
It being understood that each cylinder makes two revolutions and thus
gives two impressions to the sheet, it will be seen that by feeding a
sheet to each cylinder and suppressing the transfer of the sheet from one to the
other, I may with this same machine print two sheets at the same time and each
of them in two colours.
In Fig. 2 I have shown an arrangement of cylinders, feeding and delivery
tables for a machine more particularly intended for printing either in four colours
on a single sheet or in two colours on two different sheets.
For printing in four colours the sheets fed from the table 20 are printed by the
cylinder 21 in two colours, transmitted by the cylinder 22 to the cylinder 24 which
prints them in two other colours and are deposited upon the delivery table 27.
For printing two sheets in two colours the sheets fed at 20, printed upon the
cylinder 21 and seized by the cylinder 22 are transmitted to the cylinder 23 and
delivered upon table 25. The sheets fed at 26 and printed by the cylinder 24
are delivered upon table 27.
Each of the impression cylinders might make three revolutions for each travel
of the bed, come in contact with three formes and thus print three colours in
succession, which would make 6 colours on the same sheet or three colours on two
separate sheets.
I might have three or more impression cylinders with a transfer cylinder,
between each of them and the preceding cylinder.
I might further have only a single impression cylinder for producing four colours
such cylinder having two distinct printing parts and the transfer cylinder serving
to pass the sheet from one to the other.
This arrangement I have illustrated in Fig. 3.
The sheets fed from table 32 are seized by the grippers 33 of cylinder 34 and
during its two revolutions printed on the formes 28 and 29.
Before the end of the second revolution, the sheet is seized by the grippers 36
of cylinder 35 then caught again by the grippers 37 of the cylinder 34 so that .

page_text: during the next active or printing travel it receives two new impressions from
the formes 30 and 31, and then is carried forward by the grippers of cylinder 38
and delivered upon table 39.
I may also employ this same arrangement for printing two sheets each in two
colours; for this the action of the transfer cylinder will be abolished and the
two sheets will be fed to the cylinder on each of its revolutions, one of
the sheets during the rest, the other during the travel of the cylinder.
It will be readily understood that I may apply mechanical delivery apparatus to
the different arrangement of machines above described.
It will also be further understood that the cylinders 34 and 35 are provided with 1
sets of pins for ensuring the register of the colours and operate in the manner
above described.
I may also employ the transfer cylinder in combination with a blanket cylinder
of multiple diameter, for carrying the sheet from one printing part to the other
printing part of this blanket cylinder when it forms part of a rotary printing
machine, the system of pins previously described being capable of application to
this arrangement.
In Fig. 4 I show this arrangement applied to a machine for printing in two
colours on the same side of a sheet and in which two printing cylinders correspond
with two different printing surfaces, but this is only a special case, and I may apply
the transfer cylinder to all combinations of printing cylinders which it is possible
to make; thus two printing cylinders may correspond with a single printing part,
the number of colours and also the number of blanket cylinders may be augmented
the diameter of the printing cylinders may be fractional of that of the blanket
cylinders, etc., etc.
In Fig. 4 the sheet fed by hand or cut mechanically arrives at 40, is seized by
the grippers 42 of cylinder 41, and printed by contact with the cliche 43 mounted
on cylinder 44; it is then taken by the grippers 45 of cylinder 46, and transmitted
to the grippers 47 of cylinder 41, so that at the second revolution of the latter
the sheet is printed in a second colour by contact with the cliche 48 mounted on
cylinder 49.
The sheet again seized by the grippers 45 is afterwards taken by the grippers 50
of cylinder 51 and transported to the other parts of the machine.
It will be seen that for effecting the object described the cylinders 44 and 49
must be provided with cliches only at one part of their circumference, that corre-
sponding to the printing part of the cylinder 41 with which they act.
I apply to these cylinders the pins for ensuring or rectifying the position of
the sheet.
I may, apply the systems of pins described to what are called "perfecting
machines" in which the transfer of sheets from one cylinder to another takes
place under the same conditions as in the machine above described.
Fig. 5 shows an arrangement of machine for four colours which I may also employ.
.The cylinders 52 and 53 are each provided with two sets of grippers and make
one revolution for each travel of the bed; they remain stationary during the
return travel of the bed.
The sheet fed from the table 54 is seized by the grippers 55 of cylinder 52,
printed by contact with the forme 56, then is seized by the grippers 57 of
cylinder 58.
The cylinders then stop and the bed effects its return movement.
4
4
During the next printing travel, the sheet is transmitted by the grippers 57 5
to the grippers 59 of cylinder 52, receives a second impression by contact with the
forme 60, and is then seized by the grippers 61 of cylinder 62.
During the third printing travel of the bed the cylinder 62 makes a complete
revolution without releasing the sheet, and then abandons it to the grippers 63
of cylinder 53.
During the fourth travel, the sheet receives a third impression by contact with
the forme 64 and is then seized by the grippers 65 of cylinder 66¹..
ย

page_text: During the period of rest following the fourth travel, the sheet is released by the
grippers 65 and seized by the grippers 66 of the cylinder 53.
Finally, during the fifth travel of the bed the sheet receives a fourth impression
by contact with the forme 67.
When the cylinders arrive at the period of rest the printed sheet is removed
by the delivery mechanism and deposited upon the table 68.
The four formes are respectively inked by the inking mechanisms 69, 70,
71, 72, which, if they are of different colours, will give four impressions in different
colours.
After each revolution of the cylinders a sheet is fed from the table 54, and on the
start will be seized by the grippers 55 of cylinder 52, so that there are always
five sheets in the machine, each sheet after a revolution of the cylinders taking the
place of that which precedes it.
For ensuring all the transfers of the sheet from one cylinder to another, each
set of grippers is provided with pins which perforate the sheets and hold them
while the grippers are open, or they may project after each transmission so that
they may penetrate into holes previously made in the sheets, at the same time
as the grippers are slightly raised.
I may also in a machine printing two, three or four colours, employ a special
cylinder for the impression in each colour, the travel of the bed which corresponds
to a revolution of this cylinder being effected so that opposite each of the cylinders
employed in the machine there passes an inked forme.
The sheets are transmitted from one printing cylinder to another by auxiliary
cylinders provided with grippers and pins the operation of which is the same
as in the arrangements previously described.
This arangement is shown in Fig. 6.
Although I have only shown two printing cylinders in this Fig., any number
may be employed.
The sheets fed from table 73 are seized by the grippers of cylinder 74, printed
by forme 79, and then taken by the grippers of cylinder 75, transmitted to 76,
then to 77 and 78 on which they receive a second impression by contact with
forme 80.
They are delivered printed in two colours on to table 83.
Forme 79 is inked by the rollers 81 and forme 80 by the rollers 82.
Correctness of transmission from one cylinder to another is ensured by pins with
which each cylinder is provided.
I might also effect the transmission from the first to the second printing cylinder
by a single cylinder, but the employment of three cylinders which permits of
the travel of the bed without presenting it on the second cylinder is preferable.
Dated this 26th day of January 1897.
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicant.
5
I, JULES MICHAUD, of 96 rue d'Assas, Paris France, Engineer, 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; -
The machine constituting the object of the present application for Patent enables

page_text: the production in a single operation of polychromatic impressions no matter what
the nature of these impressions may be; that is to say whether they be typographic,
lithographic, phototypic or other impressions.
In Fig. 1 of the drawings filed with the Provisional Specification I have shown
a general view of the arrangement of machine I have designed in the case where it
is necessary to print in four colours in a single operation. By multiplying the
number of printing cylinders, inking mechanisms, and formes or matter to be
printed I may increase to any desired extent the number of colours printed in
a single operation.
The machine consists essentially of a bed on which are placed the 4 formes 1,
2, 3, and 4; the bed has a to and fro movement which may be imparted thereto
in any suitable manner; in the drawing I have shown a crank disc 7 which by
the intermediary of a connecting rod 8 moves a wheel 9 along a rack 11 fixed
to the base frame or foundation of the machine, such wheel 9 gearing on the
other hand with a rack 12 fixed to the bed carrying the four formes and imparting
movement thereto.
The whole of this mechanism, which is that most generally employed in machines
for printing on one side only is only shown as an example, but for imparting
the movement to the bed may employ any other known mechanism, say by
means of a hypocycloidal movement or by a rack and a pinion connected to the
driving shaft by a universal joint, or in any other manner.
In the arrangement shown in Fig. 1 the bed carries a rack gearing with the
wheels of the two impression cylinders 5 and 6 which partake of its movement
and make two revolutions for one of its travels and rests stationary during the
other travel. I produce this stationary effect by the means employed in machines
for printing on one side only.
I may also impart a continuous rotary movement to the cylinders 5 and 6 in the
same direction and cause them to rise during the travel of the bed directed inversely
to their direction of rotation.
I may also further cause the two cylinders to turn first one way and then the
other, raising them on the return travel of the bed.
Between the cylinders 5 and 6 is a third cylinder 13 which like the two others
is provided with grippers and with points or pins. The cylinder 13 makes an
exact number of revolutions for each two revolutions of the cylinders 5 and 6;
it might be of the same diameter as the two impression cylinders.
To each forme an inking arrangement corresponds, the essential features of
which I have shown in the drawing, while reserving to myself the right to increase
the number of rollers of which the arrangement is composed.
The inking mechanism 14 serves for the forme 2, 15 for the forme 4, 16 for
the forme 1 and 17 for the forme 3.
At 21, 41, 1, and 31 the four formes are shown in their position at the other end
of the travel of the bed which carries them.
18 is the feed table and 19 the delivery table.
The operation of the machine is as follows;
1
The sheet fed from table 18 is seized by the grippers of the cylinder 5, and receives
a first impression from the forme 1, a second impression from the forme 2, then
it is seized by the grippers of cylinder 13, and the cylinders stop; the bed arrives
at its dead point at the moment when the head of this sheet arrives at the tangential
point of the two cylinders 13 and 6. The part of the cylinder 5 which corresponds
with the formes 3 and 4 is eccentric as is also that of the cylinder 6 corresponding
with the formes 1 and 2.
The cylinder 6 is arrested with its grippers raised as shown in the drawing.
Shortly after the stoppage of the cylinders the grippers of cylinder 13 are raised
in their turn and the grippers of the cylinder 6 being lowered seize the sheet, so
that in the 'following movement the sheet carried forward by the grippers of
cylinder 6 receives two new, impressions, one by contact with the forme 3, the
other by contact with the forme 4, and that at the next stoppage of the cylinders,

page_text: at the moment when the grippers of the cylinder 6 are just opened, this sheet is
delivered having received four consecutive impressions.
I may effect the transmission of the sheets from cylinder 13 to cylinder 6 at
any other time than at the moment of stoppage of the cylinders, such trans-
mission being capable of being effected during the rotation of the cylinders, as
is already the case between the cylinders 5 and 13.
During the second period referred to a second sheet has received the two im-
pressions on the cylinder 5 and is about to be transferred in its turn to cylinder 6.
In order that the opening and closing movements of the grippers may take place
at the requisite moment it suffices to effect same by the action of cams which
themselves have such a movement that they only act upon the grippers when the
determined number of revolutions of the cylinder has occurred. Arrangements
of this nature are well known and need not be described.
In order to ensure the exact transfer of the sheets from one cylinder to another,
without any slipping of the sheets on the cylinders occuring at the moment when
the grippers are opened, I have devised the following arrangements:
Each of the cylinders 5, 13, 6 is provided with points or pins which are placed
under the grippers so as to perforate the paper when the latter is well applied
upon the cylinder by its grippers; like the grippers of the different cylinders the
points or pins alternate, that is to say that the pins 21 are not opposite the pins 20
nor those 22; these pins have a movement which causes them to project from the
cylinder and perforate the paper or to disappear within the cylinder.
I may also employ fixed pins or points for ensuring the transfer of the sheets
from one cylinder to another.
The sheet fed is seized by the grippers of the first cylinder; during the rotation
of the latter the pins 20 project and perforate the sheet.
At the moment when the cylinder 5 is about to release the sheet to the cylinder 13
the pins 21 appear in their turn so that they penetrate through the paper and
are thus engaged therewith at the same time as the pins 20; the grippers of the
cylinder 5 rise, those of cylinder 13 are lowered and the pins 20 recede at this
moment only.
The sheet carried forward by the cylinder 13 arrives at the tangential point of
this cylinder with the cylinder 6; immediately after the stoppage of the cylinders
the pins 22 in their turn penetrate the sheet before the grippers of the cylinder 13
are raised, then the grippers of the cylinder 13 rise, those of the cylinder 6 are
lowered and the pins 21 recede before the cylinders move again.
I may cause the system of pins to operate in a different manner to that above
described.
The sheets may be perforated with holes in advance, such holes corresponding
exactly with the diameter of the pins the ends of which are then pointed so as
to more readily engage the sheet.
The employment of pins of large diameter serving to rectify the position of
a sheet fed to the machine by entering holes previously made in such sheet is
already known, the new use make of same consisting in employing them as
means for the exact transmission of a sheet from one cylinder to another, in the
machine above described.
The sheets fed from table 18 are therefore perforated with holes corresponding
with the pins 20, 21, and 22. The seizing of the sheets is effected under the same
conditions usual with these kind of pins: at the moment when the grippers of
the cylinder 5 are lowered, the pins 20 project and exactly determine the position
of the sheet on the cylinder 5 before the grippers hold same, then the pins 20
recede.
When the cylinder 5 has made its two revolutions, the sheet is transmitted in
the ordinary manner to the cylinder 13; during the travel of the latter, its
grippers are raised slightly and the pins 21 in their turn penetrating holes corre-
sponding with them if there is need rectify the position of the sheet. The grippers
close again and the pins 21 recede.

page_text: The cylinders stop, the grippers of cylinder 6 are raised, the grippers of
cylinder 13 are raised in their turn, and the pins 22 penetrating the holes in the
sheet corresponding therewith rectify its position if necessary; the grippers of
cylinder 6 close again upon the adjusted sheet and the latter receives two new
impressions the register of which with the two first impressions is thus ensured.
If the transmission of the sheets from cylinder 13 to cylinder 6 is to take place
during the travel, the grippers of cylinder 6 will open slightly during the travel
and the pins will rectify the position of the sheets in the same way as at the
moment of rest.
It being understood that each cylinder makes two revolutions and thus
gives two impressions to the sheet, it will be seen that by feeding a
sheet to each cylinder and suppressing the transfer of the sheet from one to the
other, I may with this same machine print two sheets at the same time and each
of them in two colours.
.
In Fig. 2 I have shown an arrangement of cylinders, feeding and delivery
tables for a machine more particularly intended for printing either in four colours
on a single sheet or in two colours on two different sheets.
For printing in four colours the sheets fed from the table 20 are printed by the
cylinder 21 in two colours, transmitted by the cylinder 22 to the cylinder 24 which
prints them in two other colours and are deposited upon the delivery table 27.
For printing two sheets in two colours the sheets fed at 20, printed upon the
cylinder 21 and seized by the cylinder 22 are transmitted to the cylinder 23 and
delivered upon table 25. The sheets fed at 26 and printed by the cylinder 24
are delivered upon table 27.
Each of the impression cylinders might make three revolutions for each travel
of the bed, come in contact with three formes and thus print three colours in
succession, which would make six colours on the same sheet or three colours on two
separate sheets.
I might have three or more impression cylinders with a transfer cylinder
between each of them and the preceding cylinder.
I might further have only a single impression cylinder for producing four colours
such cylinder having two distinct printing parts and the transfer cylinder serving
to pass the sheet from one to the other.
This arrangement I have illustrated in Fig. 3.
The sheets fed from table 32 are seized by the grippers 33 of cylinder 34 and
during its two revolutions printed on the formes 28 and 29.
Before the end of the second revolution, the sheet is seized by the grippers bu
of cylinder 35 then caught again by the grippers 37 of the cylinder 34 so that
during the next active or printing travel it receives two new impressions from
the formes 30 and 31, and then is carried forward by the grippers of cylinder 38
and delivered upon table 39.
I may also employ this same arrangement for printing two sheets each in two
colours; for this the action of the transfer cylinder will be abolished and the
two sheets will be fed to the cylinder on each of its revolutions, one of
the sheets during the rest, the other during the travel of the cylinder.
It will be readily understood that I may apply mechanical delivery apparatus to
the different arrangements of machines above described.
It will also be further understood that the cylinders 34 and 35 are provided with
sets of pins for ensuring the register of the colours and operate in the manner
above described.
I may also employ the transfer cylinder in combination with a blanket cylinder
of multiple diameter, for carrying the sheet from one printing part to the other
printing part of this blanket cylinder when it forms part of a rotary printing
machine, the system of pins previously described being capable of application to
this arrangement.
In Fig. 4 I show this arrangement applied to a machine for printing in two
colours on the same side of a sheet and in which two printing cylinders correspond

page_text: with two different printing surfaces, but this is only a special case, and I may apply
the transfer cylinder to all combinations of-printing cylinders which it is possible
to make; thus two printing cylinders may correspond with a single printing part,
the number of colours and also the number of blanket cylinders may be augmented
the diameter of the printing cylinders may be fractional of that of the blanket
cylinders, etc., etc.
In Fig. 4 the sheet fed by hand or cut mechanically arrives at 40, is seized by
the grippers 42 of cylinder 41, and printed by contact with the cliche 43 mounted
on cylinder 44; it is then taken by the grippers 45 of cylinder 46, and transmitted
to the grippers 47 of cylinder 41, so that at the second revolution of the latter
the sheet is printed in a second colour by contact with the cliche 48 mounted on
cylinder 49.
The sheet again seized by the grippers 45 is afterwards taken by the grippers 50
of cylinder 51 and transported to the other parts of the machine.
It will be seen that for effecting the object described the cylinders 44 and 49
must be provided with cliches only at one part of their circumference, that corre-
sponding to the printing part of the cylinder 41 with which they act.
I apply to these cylinders the pins for ensuring or rectifying the position of
the sheet.
I may apply the systems of pins described to what are called "perfecting
machines" in which the transfer of sheets from one cylinder to another takes
place under the same conditions as in the machine above described.
Fig. 5 shows an arrangement of machine for four colours which I may also employ.
The cylinders 52 and 53 are each provided with two sets of grippers and make
one revolution for each travel of the bed; they remain stationary during the
return travel of the bed.
The sheet fed from the table 54 is seized by the grippers 55 of cylinder 52,
printed by contact with the forme 56, then is seized by the grippers 57 of
cylinder 58.
The cylinders then stop and the bed effects its return movement.
During the next printing travel, the sheet is transmitted by the grippers 57
to the grippers 59 of cylinder 52, receives a second impression by contact with the
forme 60, and is then seized by the grippers 61 of cylinder 62.
During the third printing travel of the bed the cylinder 62 makes a complete
revolution without releasing the sheet, and then abandons it to the grippers 63
of cylinder 53.
During the fourth travel, the sheet receives a third impression by contact with
the forme 64 and is then seized by the grippers 65 of cylinder 66.
During the period of rest following the fourth travel, the sheet is released by the
grippers 65 and seized by the grippers 66 of the cylinder 53.
Finally, during the fifth travel of the bed the sheet receives a fourth impression
by contact with the forme 67.
When the cylinders arrive at the period of rest the printed sheet is removed
by the delivery mechanism and deposited upon the table 68.
The four formes are respectively inked by the inking mechanismís 69, 70,
71, 72, which, if they are of different colours, will give four impressions in different
colours.
After each revolution of the cylinders a sheet is fed from the table 54, and on the
start will be seized by the grippers 55 of cylinder 52, so that there are always
five sheets in the machine, each sheet after a revolution of the cylinders taking the
place of that which precedes it.
For ensuring all the transfers of the sheet from one cylinder to another, each
set of grippers is provided with pins which perforate the sheets and hold them
while the grippers are open, or they may project after each transmission so that
they may penetrate into holes previously made in the sheets, at the same time
as the grippers are slightly raised.
I may also in a machine printing two, three or four colours, employ a special

page_text: cylinder for the impression in each colour, the travel of the bed which corresponds
to a revolution of this cylinder being effected so that opposite each of the cylinders
employed in the machine there passes an inked forme.
The sheets are transmitted from one printing cylinder to another by auxiliary
cylinders provided with grippers and pins the operation of which is the same
as in the arrangements previously described.
This arrangement is shown in Fig. 6..
Although I have only shown two printing cylinders in this Fig., any number
may be employed.
The sheets fed from the table 73 are seized by the grippers of cylinder 74, printed
by forme 79, and then taken by the grippers of cylinder 75, transmitted to 76,
then to 77 and 78 on which they receive a second impression by contact with
forme 80.
They are delivered printed in two colours on to table 83.
Forme 79 is inked by the rollers 81 and forme 80 by the rollers 82.
Correctness of transmission from one cylinder to another is ensured by pins with
which each cylinder is provided.
I might also effect the transmission from the first to the second printing cylinder
by a single cylinder, but the employment of three cylinders which permits of
the travel of the forme without presenting it on the second cylinder is preferable.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. The combination of printing cylinders connected together by transfer
cylinders with alternating formes on the bed of a printing machine so that one part
of these formes serves for the impression of the sheet during the time that it
remains secured to one of the impression cylinders, the other formes passing
opposite the non-printing part of this cylinder, substantially as specified.
2. The combination of each one of the cylinders employed with tables or feeding
apparatus and delivery apparatus so that in the same machine each of the cylinders
can print a fed sheet without it passing from one cylinder to another, the same
number of impressions being thus obtained, but upon different sheets, substantially
as specified.
3. The combination of formes inked with different colours with a single im-
pression cylinder having different printing parts which the sheet is caused to
successively occupy by means of a transfer cylinder so that such sheet successively
receives the impressions from the different formes, substantially as specified.
4. The combination of the transfer cylinder with the different printing parts
of a blanket cylinder which are successively occupied by the same sheet in a
rotary printing machine, substantially as specified.
5. The combination with the different types of flat machines for printing on
one side in several colours and of rotary machines described, of a transfer cylinder,
and of points or pins corresponding to each set of grippers, and operating so that
when the sheets are released by the grippers they are held by the points or pins,
substantially as specified.
6. The combination with the different types of machines described of impression
and transfer cylinders with movable points or pins corresponding with holes per-
forated in the sheet and serving to if necessary correct any variations which may
be produced in the transfer of the sheets from one cylinder to another so as to
ensure to all the sheets a well determined position on each of the printing cylinders
substantially as specified.
7. The combination of two sets of grippers and of a single impression cylinder,
so as to enable a machine for printing in 4 colours on a single sheet to also be used
for producing on two different sheets different impressions in two colours, sub-
stantially as specified.
8. The combination with the gripper cylinders of what are called perfecting

page_text: machines for printing in one or several colours of the system of points or pins
described for ensuring the transfer of the sheets from one cylinder to another,
substantially as specified.
9. The combination of two printing cylinders with a bed carrying formes inked
with different colours and with transfer cylinders arranged so that the same sheet
occupies different positions on a first cylinder and is there printed in different
colours, and which transmitted to the other cylinders in succession is caused to
occupy different positions on each which enables it to receive other impressions
on the same side as the others, substantially as specified.
10. The combination of printing cylinders each having a forme corresponding
with it, with transfer cylinders transmitting the sheets from one to the ther of
the printing cylinders, substantially as specified.
'
11. The combination with the arrangements of cylinders above indicated of
points or pins ensuring the exact transfer of the sheets from one cylinder to another
substantially as specified.
1000
ALLISON
BROS.,
Agents for the Applicant.