Improvements in Machines for Printing in Several Colors by Once Handling of Paper or other Material, and allowing said She to one or more the Machine, and Method of Rolling the Printing Surfaces a Number of Times.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Aug., 1899-Accepted; 28th Oct., 1899 :
COMPLETE
DI MUITIVATI
Improvements in Machines for Printing in Several Colors by Once
Handling of Paper or other Material, and allowing said Sheets to
pass one or more times through the Machine, and Method of
Rolling the Printing Surfaces a Number of Times.
I, WILLIAM HENRY REYNELL TOYE, of No. 616, Sansom Street, Philadelphia,
in the County of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, United States of
America, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accom-
panying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a
part of this specification:
-
The object of my improvement is to provide a machine that will print a
number of colors automatically without releasing the material being operated
upon after it is once gripped, until the same is completely finished, in correct
register, and in may colors.
The class to which this machine belongs is known as a two-revolution or
constantly revolving impression cylinder working in combination with a series
of oscillating flat or rotary beds.
One main feature of my improvement is the arrangement of a sheet carrying
device consisting of two or more flexible bands to which a suitable number
of gripping mechanisms are attached, said flexible bands being made adjustable
between each set of grippers, so as to allow the bands to be lengthened or
shortened to take up the wear of whatever joints may be used in the construc-
tion, and also to permit of adjustment for stretch of the bands, and by that
means to do printing in several colors in correct register between one color and
another. And further, the arrangement of the grippers, attached to the flexible
bands, is made to accommodate themselves to two-revolutions, or any other
number of revolutions of the impression cylinders.
To do printing in several colors very finely by once handling the sheet
requires an arrangement of inking rolls and distributing rolls in such manner
that the printing surfaces or forms may be rolled or inked a number of times,
so that the thinnest film of intense printing ink or color may be evenly spread
upon each one of the series of printing surfaces in making up a compound
design in many colors. And this thin even spreading will more readily enable
the separate colors to lap one on the other while wet. Thus producing the
sharpness of impression by much rolling, and also at the same time by multiple
rolling the plates or forms they will more thoroughly be self-cleaned between
each following contact of printing and impression surface as they co-act alter-
nately in forming a many-colored design. And this feature is assisted by
using a sheet-carrying device arranged to operate as will be further described.
Another feature is the adaptation to this form of machine of an adjustable
flexible sheet-carrying mechanism and registering device combined. Said carrying
device being arranged as described for two important purposes: First; to enable
the material being operated upon to pass two or more times, or cycles, through
the machine while it is being printed in a number of colors, thus allowing time
for each separate color to coagulate or set. Second: to enable the printing
surfaces to be rolled a number of times.

page_text: Another novel feature of this improvement is the relation the tumbler-pins
that are operated to open and close the grippers. bear to the lifting devices that
control the contact of the printing cylinders in proper time with the different
type beds, to allow of multiple rolling.
This improvement will enable sheets to be printed at greater speed and of
larger size than would be possible when using a machine or machines con-
structed on the stop-cylinder principle, described and claimed in my British
Patent No. 15515, dated June 29th 1897. I here show two methods of operating
multicolor printing machines. One shows a flat bed and cylinder combined..
The other illustrates a rotary or curved plate printing machine, but I do not
desire to be limited to these designs in construction, as machines may be
differently made by using the essential features of my sheet-carrying improve-
ment, without departing from this invention.
The carrying-bands may be made of any flexible material suitable for this
purpose, as is well known, such as linked belting, cables, woven, fibrous or
metallic bands
Having thus set forth the special features of my improvement, I will now
illustrate and describe in detail the construction thereof by letters and Arabic
numerals, and the same letters and numerals refer to the same parts in all the
figures.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a double cylinder two-revolution four impres-
sion printing machine provided with four oscillating flat beds to hold the
printing surfaces;
Fig. 2, is a central section of Figure 1, and shows more fully the relation
the beds and cylinders bear to each other;
Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a portion of the machine showing the operation
of the tumbler-pins that open and close the grippers, and the method of adjust-
ment of the movable carrier sheaves that lengthen or shorten the carrier bands
to which the grippers are attached;
Fig. 4 is a section at the line r, x, of Figure 3;
Fig. 5, is a partial plan view of the oscillating cam that opens the grippers:
Fig. 6 is a detail view of the devices for opening the grippers when the sheet
is released and the delivery drum for flying the sheet;
Fig. 7 is a detail view of the general construction of the grippers and gripper-
bars and the flexible cables that form a continuous sheet-carrying device;
Fig. 8 is an end view of the gripping device and a modification of the con-
struction of the carrier bands;
Fig. 9 is a side elevation showing an adaptation of the arrangement of the
adjustable endless flexible sheet carriers to a series of rotary curved printing
beds suitable for multiple rolling.
A is the side frame, two of which are provided, one on each side of the
machine, and they are bolted together by suitable stay-rods and bolts. A¹ is
the bed plate to which the side and end frames are fastened. A³ are sub-frames
which are securely fastened to sliding and lifting-boxes to be further described,
and these sub-frames are so made as to lift with the impression cylinders and
hold the sheet carrying device without variation of adjustment relative to the
two impression cylinders, as shown.
B relates to the impression cylinders. B1 and B2 are gear wheels that operate
the impression cylinders B3 and B. The gear wheels and cylinders are keyed
or fastened to the shaft B and B which revolve in sliding-boxes B and B8.
These before mentioned sliding-boxes hold the impression cylinders while they
are printing, and also after they are lifted just out of contact with the printing
beds but not entirely out of mesh of the teeth of the intermediate driving
wheels, which is well known in the construction of constantly revolving cylin-
der printing machines. The impression cylinders 133 and B are divided into
two sections: each section being allotted to a separate color; and further, openings
are provided to allow the different sets of grippers to enter and pass out at the

page_text: proper time. In Figure 9, the cylinders B³ and B are provided with large
openings to allow the rollers sufficient space as they raise or lower to ink the
printing surfaces.
C relates to the different printing, type or plate beds. In Figure 2 C¹, C³, C¹³
and Care flat printing beds. Each pair of beds co-act with the sectional im-
pression surfaces on each of the cylinders B and B at one revolution, while
the beds are moving in one direction to print, and at the reverse motion of the
several printing beds the two impression cylinders are raised out of contact with
the printing surfaces.
In Figure 1 the machine is driven by the horizontal shaft D to which is
securely fastened at each end the mitre wheels D³, 13; these mitre wheels co-act
with corresponding mitre wheels D', D, and these mitre wheels are each pro-
vided with ordinary spur teeth at right angles to the mitre teeth, said spur
teeth imparting motion to the intermediate gear wheels D³, D³. The mitre
wheels are attached to a suitable shaft and on them are fastened the sprocket
wheels which drive the chain gears 19, D8 (see Fig. 2). The intermediate
wheels D³, D³, operate the gear wheels B and B which are attached to the
shafts B and B to which also are firmly secured the impression cylinders 133
and B. The horizontal shaft D is further provided with a mitre wheel Do, said
mitre wheel co-acting with a corresponding one D which assists the propelling
mechanism to move the printing beds back and forth, which I here merely show
in a convenient form, as any bed movement may be used, as is well known.
In Figure 9 the beds C5, C6, C7 and C8 are located on cylinders C and C¹º;
these cylinders are constantly revolving while the mechanism is in operation.
Cu are shafts which hold and assist in rotating the cylinders 09 and 10. Motion
is imparted to the bed cylinders, which in this modification are supplied with
suitable gear wheels (not shown), and the entire machine is driven by the hori
zontal shaft D, said shaft being actuated by a band turning the driving
pulley D', D2 being a loose pulley. The shaft I) has fastened at its each end
mitre wheels D³, 13; these mitre wheels engage with corresponding, mitre
wheels 1, D made to revolve in the frame A; these mitre wheels are provided
with ordinary spur teeth at right angles to the mitre teeth. The spur teeth
on the mitre wheels 1 turn the cylinders C and C¹º.
E1, E2, 13, E in Figure 1 are sets of composition inking rolls; their object
is to cover the printing surfaces with different colored printing ink. At proper
times they must be lifted out of contact with the printing surfaces other than
the one designed to be used with each particular color. Their construction, and
devices for lifting are well known, and I do not limit this improvement to any
particular form of rolling and distribution, and any number or any arrangement
for inking may be used without departing from the main features of this inven-
tion. In Figure 9 E5, E6, E7, Es are also shown groups of inking rolls. They
must be raised and lowered also at proper times to ink the various printing
surfaces, the construction of such devices being well known.
The
Frelates to the lifting devices that raise and lower the impression cylinders.
F1, Figures 1 and 9, is a horizontal shaft which is rotated primarily by printing
cylinder Co (see Figure 9), to be further described. F2 is a perpendicular
shaft, which is held in position by being bolted to the side frame A.
shaft F is provided with a mitre wheel F3 which meshes into a corresponding
wheel F, which is fastened securely to shaft F2, and on the end of this shaft Fa
at the top is a mitre wheel F; this mitre wheel engages with another wheel
set at right angles, which angle wheel is a part of larger spur gear wheel 18
that in turn engages with the small pinion F that is also a part of, or fastened
to the shaft that operates intermediate wheel 15 in Figure 1, and the shaft C'"
in Figure 9. On the shaft F1 are also fastened two slotted rotary cams which
operate the lifting-rods F", F", attached to the sliding boxes B7, B8 by moving
the levers that operate eccentric shafts shown at F. These levers as they
move back and forth sufficiently lift the impression cylinders out of printing

page_text: contact but do not lift far enough to disengage the teeth entirely of the wheels
that drive the impression cylinders. F8 is of a size that it will turn once at
every two revolutions of printing cylinders B3 and B. This arrangement allows.
the printing surfaces to be rolled twice in the modified arrangement of con-
struction shown in Figure 9. By making the wheels F8 of larger diameter, it
will be noted that the impression cylinders may be lifted at every two or more
rotations of the printing cylinders to give multiple rolling as often as may be
desired. In Figure 1, by altering the wheel Fs to a larger diameter it can be
made to result in rolling the printing beds four or more times, and any number
of revolutions before printing may be employed, without departing from this
feature of my improvement.
:
G relates to one feature of my improvement, the arrangement of a number
of gripper mechanisms which are attached to and are a part of an adjustable,
flexible sheet-carrying and registering device, together with the sheaves that
propel and support the whole sheet-carrying parts and sub-frame to hold the
parts. Said carrying device being especially applicable to two revolution or
constantly moving cylinders, either adapted to flat-bed or rotary multicolor
printing machines. G¹ is a flexible metallic cable, which is wound with a suit-
able thick wire; the object of the outside winding is to protect the inner cable
or strands of wire from becoming worn and this form is shown as an improvement
on my British Patent No. 3587, dated February 19th 1895. I have shown these
cables with two modifications in Figure 7 and Figure 8. But I do not claim
such construction absolutely necessary, as any form of band, such as linked'
belting, or chain, or metallic bands, or other equivalents may be used to carry
the various gripping mechanisms, and in such a manner that they may be
adjusted to overcome any discrepancy in register or assist in keeping said grippers
at proper distances apart so as to make correct registration of the different or
separate colors that are to be printed. The many letters and numerals G³, which
are fully shown in Figure 2, and only partially complete in the rest of the
figures, represent the gripping mechanisms; these gripping mechanisms are shown
in a broken plan in Figure 7, they are of the well known tumbler variety,
though any form of gripper construction may be used with or without springs.
Each gripper mechanism is constructed to represent an internal king-tooth, and:
G³ is a
they are each the drivers of the adjustable endless flexible bands G¹.
plan view of the tumbling-box in Figure 7, and in Figure 8 it is shown in
an end view. G₁ in Figure 7 shows several strands of straight wire, or other
material wound around by suitable binding wire or its equivalent. The bands G¹
are readily adjustable as to tension and wear, as before described in my previous
patents, No. 3587, of 1895, and No. 15515, of 1897, and any other means of
takeup may be used without invalidating my new improvement. G4, G5, G6, G7,
and G9, in Figure 1 are gear wheels fastened to suitable shafts, which also hold
and support sheave wheels G4, G5, G6, G77, as shown in Figure 2. By refer-
ring to Figure 3 it will be seen that the shaft of sheave wheel G" is provided
with adjustable arms G12, one on each side of the machine, which is slotted and
capable of being adjusted to frame A2 by the set screw G¹5. G13 are adjustable
arms holding the shaft of sheave wheel G, and gear wheel G³, two of which
are used, one on each side of the machine. The object of these movable arms
is to enable the carrying-sheaves G to be more readily adjustable to suit the
correct length of the endless carriers, or to take up wear and tear. The arms G¹³,
one of which is required on each side of the machine, is fastened to the frame A²
by check nuts and is made adjustable so as to work without strain on the
driving gear G, shown in Figure 1, and thus permit the raising and lowering
of the sheave wheels G55. The sheave wheels are provided with openings in
which the gripper mechanisms lodge, the said openings also assist in propelling
the adjustable endless flexible sheet carriers. The sheave wheels G G55,
G66, G77 are one-half of the diameter of the impression cylinders, and the openings
in these correspond with the distance between each set of grippers.

page_text: The letters and numerals H represent the mechanism to open and close the
different sets of grippers in proper time. In Figure 3, H is a small shaft pro-
vided with a knee lever H³ (see Figure 5); this lever is rocked by the cam H.
On the end of shaft H¹ is cut a series of gear teeth H; these gear teeth mesh
into a movable tumbling-pin H¼ provided with circumferential gear teeth, as
the shaft H' is rocked the pin H" is either withdrawn or pushed in as may be
desired. The object to be accomplished is to allow a certain number of gripper
mechanisms to pass without opening them, and also to be in time for the proper
opening of the set of grippers to take on a new sheet, or when they arrive at
the stage of delivering the sheet completely printed in many colors. He is a
vertical shaft provided with gear teeth at H and H. This vertical shaft is
rocked by mechanism similar to that shown in Figure 5; their purpose is to
open the grippers at H12, so that the sheet may be taken by the delivery drum I
and thence to the fly-finger I2 and deposited upon the delivery board 13. H15 is
a gear wheel attached by a stud to the frame A2, and it is operated by a small
gear H16 fastened to the shaft B and propels gear wheel H15 at one revolution
to every two revolutions of cylinder B³. H" is a gear wheel which corresponds
with wheel H, and said gear wheel H" meshes into a small wheel H18 which
is fastened to the shaft of cylinder B, and it drives the larger wheel in the
relation of one revolution to two of the cylinder B, and this accomplishes the
opening of the grippers in proper time.
Kis the feed board. K₁ the delivery drum. K² the fly-fingers for delivering
the sheet when printed upon the delivery board K³. The arrangement for
flying or delivering the sheet is only partially shown and any form of delivering
device may be used without departing from the main features of my improve-
ment.
Having described the construction of my improvement I will now point out
the way to operate.
!
The machine having been supplied with two blank sheets to every other pair
of grippers, except the first one to be operated, is then started in motion, and
a sheet of paper or other material is taken from the feed board K and placed to
the guide H, a set of grippers then seize it and take it at one-half of the
revolution of the cylinder 133 to the first openings G2 (Figure 2); at the other
one-half revolution of 133 it is brought in position to contact with type-bed C³.
Meanwhile the cylinders B and B had been raised to let the type-bed pass
under both cylinders at its reverse motion. The sheet that has been first taken
by the machine together with the blank sheet supplied to it before starting
are each printed upon at the second revolution of the said cylinders B and B
and is advanced to G2b. The cylinders B³ and B are now raised together with
the sub-frame A2 that holds and supports the carrying sheaves of the flexible
carrier for the return motion of the bed, and while still revolving permits two
sets of grippers to pass partly around each cylinder without being operated or
carrying its sheets at the third revolution, and the two sheets that have been first
printed advance to G. At the fourth revolution of cylinders B3 and 13 the
sheet first taken now is printed upon in its second color at one-half revolution
of cylinder B, and the blank sheet following at the other half revolution is
taken off the carrier by the delivery drum K to the fly-fingers K². The set of
grippers that followed the first printed sheet. and were last are now ready for
the next sheet and become the first in consecutive or alternate rotation through
the machine. Meanwhile the sheet that has been printed upon in two colors
has reached G2d. At the fifth revolution of cylinder 13 the already printed
sheet is brought to the second opening of cylinder 133 being followed by another
blank sheet which is taken on and the set of grippers holding the first printed
sheet now becomes the last set. Each two following sets of grippers which
alternately become pairs through the operation of an odd number of grippers,
being the sheet already printed in two impressions at the first revolution of
the carrier to a like position to receive its final two impressions at the second

page_text: passage of the sheet carrier through the machine. At every two revolutions of
the impression cylinders 133 and B a new sheet is taken on and a finished
sheet in four impressions is delivered to the fly fingers K² by the delivery drum K¹,
or any other device that may be desired and is well known. The treatment
of each two separate and following sheets is the same as before described. Two
sets of grippers in turn become carriers, and the two sets in the series following
running without any sheets; these empty pairs in turn becoming operative by
alternating with the odd set of grippers to enable the machine to be used as a
two-revolution machine, thus producing double rolling.
The same system allows of a four-revolution machine to permit quadruple
rolling of the forms, it being understood that in that case four sets of grippers
become alternately empty and two sets of grippers carrying sheets alternately
become operative by the introduction of the odd set of grippers that must be
opened and closed to receive the sheet, and the set of grippers that open to
deliver the sheet at any even number of revolutions of the impression cylinders,
as the tumbling-pins are set.
The impression cylinders may be divided into any number of sections, and
a corresponding number of printing beds be provided; or one printing surface
may be used on each impression cylinder with one bed to correspond without
departing from the main features of my improvement.
If it is desired to use the carrier for one passage through the machine, said
carrier must be made long enough to permit the sheet to reach a determined
point, and printing couples with only one section to each cylinder must be
used.
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. In a multicolor printing machine, a constantly moving endless adjustable
flexible sheet carrier provided with a suitable number of gripper mechanisms
to carry the material being printed through the machine in two cycles or
passages around the impression cylinders without releasing the sheet until it
is printed in a number of colors.
2. In a multicolor printing machine, the combination of two or more impres-
sion cylinders working in harmony with the same number of oscillating flat
printing beds, and an endless adjustable flexible sheet carrier, said carrier being
provided with a series of gripper mechanisms, and said grippers being arranged
to co-act in pairs, with an odd set of grippers added to allow the twin set of
grippers to become alternately operative and inoperative, as and for the purpose
herein before described.
:
3. In a multicolor printing machine, two or more rotary impression cylin-
ders divided into sections, in combination with two or more rotary printing
or type-beds also divided into a corresponding number of beds to co-act with
the impression cylinders, so arranged as to print upon a sheet in a number of
color, and an endless, adjustable flexible sheet-carrier provided with a number
of gripping devices provided to hold the sheet securely while being printed
upon, said grippers being attached to the sheet-carrier in such a manner as to
allow two sheets to be printed at one revolution of each printing couple in two
or more impressions, and subsequently without releasing said sheet to print upon
it two or more impressions at the second passage of the carrier through the
machine, substantially as described.
!
4. A sheet carrier device composed of a number of pieces of metallic cables
wrapped with an outer covering of wire attached or jointed to a suitable number
of gripping mechanisms, take-up devices to properly tension the different sec-
tions of wrapped cables, the whole constituting an adjustable sheet carrying
and registering mechanism, substantially as and for the purpose described.
5. In combination with a sheet taking, carrying and delivering device con-

page_text: sisting of an endless cable made in sections and having suitable gripping
mechanisms located at predetermined points thereon, automatically controlled
pins for releasing the hold of the grippers upon the paper, and means for effecting
the movements of said pins so as to permit the sheets of paper to pass twice
through the machine and be alternately delivered to the take-off mechanism, as
specified.
6. In combination with an endless carrier consisting of sectional cables and
grippers carried thereby, a tumbling-box carried upon the spindle of each gripper
a series of pins adapted to so operate said tumbling-boxes as to open the grippers,
automatic mechanism so timed as to carry the pins into the path of travel of the
tumbling-boxes so as to cause them to open to receive the sheets from the feed
board, and to permit said sheets to make two cycles through the machine and
to deliver them by a retrograde system which will maintain the grippers in
active pairs and change these pairs one step at each cycle, as and for the purpose
set forth.
7. In combination with endless cables composed of sections, a series of grippers
carried by said cables, a tumbling-box secured to the spindle of each gripper,
a pin adapted to be projected within the path of movement of the tumbling-
box or be withdrawn therefrom, mechanism for effecting these movements of
the pin, and mechanism working in unison with the first named mechanism
for bringing the printing surfaces into or carrying them out of activity, whereby
a sheet of paper once fed to the machine will be carried two or more times
through the same and alternately printed upon in various colors whereby suffi-
cient time is given after each impression of the coagulation of the ink, substan-
tially as shown and described.
8. In combination with a series of flat printing surfaces of a multicolor
printing machine, an endless carrier consisting of sectional cables, the ends of
each section being adjustably secured to a gripper in such manner that the
position of the gripper may be changed within certain limits, and any slack
of the cable taken up so as to produce perfect registration of the various impres-
sions, as specified.
9. In combination with a multicolor printing machine and the curved print-
ing surfaces thereof, an endless carrier composed of sectional cables, a series
of grippers, means for adjustably attaching the ends of the sections of the
cables to the grippers whereby said grippers may be adjusted and a proper
tension of the cable maintained for producing perfect registration of the various
impressions, as specified.
10. In a multicolor printing machine, a series of impression surfaces, a movable
frame mounted upon the stationary frame of the machine, an endless adjustable
flexible sheet-carrier mounted upon suitable rolls, and guide-wheels journaled
in said movable frame, and means for raising and lowering said frame for pro-
ducing an alternate printing upon the sheets so as to permit them to pass two
or more times through the machine to give a double or quadruple rolling of
the ink rolls, as and for the purpose set forth.
11. In combination with an endless carrier of the character described for use
in a multicolor printing machine, adjustable sheaves so arranged as to determine
the tension of the carrier, as specified.
Dated
101 1. of tumun 1900
J. P. BAYLY.
18, Fulham Place, London, W., Agent for Applicant.