Improved Printing Machine.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Jan., 1890
Complete Specification Left; 20th Sept., 1890-Accepted, 8th Nov., 1890.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Printing Machine.
I, JULES MICHAUD, of 96 Rue d'Assas, Paris, in the Republic of France, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The present invention relates to a printing machine for producing two or more
impressions, either superposed or not, on each side of a sheet of paper, during a single
passage of the sheet through such machine, the machine being principally intended
for producing impressions in two or more colours on each side of the sheet.
«
The machine consists essentially of a bed which has a to and fro movement imparted
thereto, either by means of a rack and pinion (as in machines known as perfecting"
machines), or by a crank and connecting rod as in most machines for printing on one
side only of the sheet, or in any other suitable manner.
On the bed the requisite number of formes are suitably arranged, and above it rotate
two cylinders with grippers, one of such cylinders coming in contact with one part or
series of formes on the bed, and serving for the impressions on one side of the sheet to
be printed, and the other cylinder coming in contact with the other series of formes
and serving for the impressions on the other side of the sheet.
In the case of a machine for producing two impressions on each side of the sheet, the
latter is fed from a table and is seized by the grippers of one cylinder, and coming in
contact with one forme receives an impression; at the second rotation of such cylinder,
the latter not having released the sheet, such sheet receives a second impression from
another forme, and is then transmitted to the second cylinder, which by means of its
grippers carries same forward and effects the impressions on the opposite side, first by
one forme, and then by another. The sheet is then seized by the grippers of a delivery
cylinder and carried to flyers which deliver it upon a delivery table, in the case where
the machine is fitted with a mechanical delivery.
The delivery may be effected either by a cylinder with grippers or by tapes. Two
ink-ducts are placed one to the right and the other to the left of the impression
cylinders, and serve to ink the formes by the intermediary of
series of rollers upon
which the distribution is effected until the ink reaches the contact rollers which bear
directly upon the formes.
Two of the contact rollers serve to ink one set of formes and two others the other
set of formes.
It will be understood that I may apply to this machine on one or on both sides,
either flat inking, or cylindrical inking as described.
The contact rollers are raised so as not to ink those formes which pass under them
but to which they are not to supply ink.
It will be readily understood that if desired as many separate inking apparatus as
there are formes may be provided, that is to say a separate distributing arrangement
be employed for supplying ink to the contact rollers for each forme of each set.
The contact rollers serving to ink one of the formes will be raised during the passage
of the other formes beneath them.
If it is desired to print in one and the same colour on each side of the sheet, a
single inking apparatus will suffice to ink all the formes.
Further, the machine may be employed when desired in order to produce a single
impression only on each side of the sheet, or one of the formes of each set of formes
may be replaced by any suitable numbering arrangement.
It will be understood that I may apply to this machine either off-set sheets or
cleaning rollers for removing the off-set from the second cylinder as in ordinary
perfecting machines.

page_text: In the former case the off-set sheets would be fed from a table to a cylinder over
which pass tapes or cords which would convey them between the printing cylinders.
In the case where 1 employ cleaning rollers, the latter will remain raised during
the passage of the printed sheet and be lowered on to the second impression cylinder
when empty..
The machine will act' under conditions analogous to those of an ordinary perfecting
machine; the two impression cylinders are made eccentric so as to avoid battering
the formes upon which they are not required to print, or instead of being eccentric
the cylinders may be raised, and they would also have such lifting movement imparted
to them so as to hold them away from the bed when moving in a direction opposed
to the travel of the latter.
The movement of opening and closing the grippers is effected under the action of
cams mounted upon a movable piece called a cam carrier and operating like the cam
carrier of ordinary perfecting machines.
The machine may have any suitable arrangements other than those described for
actuating the bed and also the cylinders and for either flat or cylindrical inking and
for the delivery.
The machine may when desired be used as an ordinary perfecting machine, that is
to say, with two formes only, one for printing each side of the sheet, and according
to the positions of such formes on the bed they may both be inked by the same contact
rollers, or each of them by different rollers.
The machine may further be employed for printing on one side only of the sheet
either in one or in several colours.
Dated this 15th day of January 1890.
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Printing Machine.
I, JULES MICHAUD, of 96 Rue d'Assas, Paris, in the Republic of 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 present invention relates to a printing machine for producing two or more
impressions, either superposed or not, on each side or on one side only of a sheet of
paper, during a single passage of the sheet through such machine, the machine being
principally intended for producing impressions in two or more colours on each side of
the sheet.
66
"
The machine consists essentially of a bed which has a to and fro movement imparted
thereto, either by means of a rack and pinion (as in machines known as perfecting
machines), or by a crank and connecting rod, as in most machines for printing on one
side only, or in any other suitable manner.
On the bed the requisite number of formes are suitably arranged, and above it
rotate two cylinders with grippers, one of such cylinders coming in contact with one
part or series of "formes on the bed and serving for the impressions on one side of
the sheet to be printed, and the other cylinder coming in contact with the other series
of formes, and serving for the impressions on the other side of the sheet.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings is a vertical section of a machine for producing
two impressions on each side of the sheet.
Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 are similar views showing various modifications in the
arrangement of the formes upon the travelling bed, and in the method of using same
in conjunction with the impression cylinders.
Referring to Fig. 1 the sheet is fed from table 1 to the grippers of cylinder 2, which
carry it forward so that it comes in contact with forme 3 and receives an impression;
at the second rotation of the cylinder 2 (the grippers of which have not then released
the sheet), such sheet receives a second impression from the forme 4, and is then

page_text: transmitted to the cylinder 5, which by means of its grippers carries same forward
and effects the impressions on the opposite side, first by forme 6 and then by forme 7.
The sheet is then seized by the grippers of cylinder 8, and carried forward to the
flyers 9 which deliver it to the table 10, in the case where the machine is fitted with a
mechanical delivery. The delivery may be effected by a cylinder with grippers or by
tapes.
Two ink ducts are placed one to the right and the other to the left of the impression
cylinders, and serve to ink the formes by the intermediary of a series of rollers upon
which the distribution is effected until the ink reaches the contact rollers 11 and 12 on
one hand, and 13 and 14 on the other hand, which bear directly upon the formes.
The rollers 11 and 12 serve to ink the formes 4 and 6, and the rollers 13 and 14 serve
to ink the formes 3 and 7. It will be understood that I may apply to this machine on
one or on both sides either flat inking, or cylindrical inking as described and shown
in the drawing.
The contact roller 11 is raised so as not to ink the part of forme 7 which passes
under it, and the contact roller 14 is similarly raised to avoid contact with forme 4.
I may provide the machine with as many inking apparatus as there are formes, that
is to say (as shown in the drawing) a distributing arrangement will supply ink to the
contact rollers 16 and 17, and another to the rollers 18 and 19.
In this arrangement the rollers 16 and 17 will ink the forme 6, the rollers 11 and 12
the forme 4, the rollers 13 and 14 the forme 7, and the rollers 18 and 19 the forme 3.
The rollers serving to ink one of the formes will be raised during the passage of the
other formes beneath them.
If it is desired to print in one and the same colour on each side of the sheet, a single
inking apparatus will suffice to ink all the formes.
Further, the machine may be employed, when desired, in order to produce a single
impression only on each side of the sheet, or one of the formes of each set of formes may
be replaced by any suitable numbering arrangement.
It will be understood that I may apply to this machine either off-set sheets or
cleaning rollers for removing the off-set from the second cylinder, as in ordinary
perfecting machines.
The table 20 would in the former case serve for feeding the off-set sheets to the
cylinder 21, whence cords or tapes would conduct them between the printing cylinders.
In the case where I employ cleaning rollers 23 and 24, they will remain raised
during the passage of the printed sheet, and be lowered on to the cylinder 5 when empty.
The machine shown in Figure 1 will act under conditions analogous to those of an
ordinary perfecting machine; the cylinders 2 and 5 are made eccentric so as to avoid
battering the formes upon which they are not required to print, or instead of being
eccentric the cylinders may be raised, and they would also have such lifting movement
imparted to them so as to hold them away from the bed when moving in a direction
opposed to the travel of the latter.
The movement of opening and closing the grippers is effected under the action of
cams mounted upon a movable piece called a cam carrier, and operating like the cam
carrier of ordinary perfecting machines.
The arrangement shown for actuating the ink distribution apparatus, is only shown
as a suitable arrangement for such purpose.
The machine shown in Fig. 1 and hereinbefore described is only shown as an
example, and it will be understood that I may employ any other suitable arrangements
than those described or shown for actuating the bed and also the cylinders, and for
either flat or cylindrical inking, and for the delivery.
The machine may when desired be used as an ordinary perfecting machine, that is
to say, with two formes only, one for printing each side of the sheet, and according to
the positions of such formes on the bed they may both be inked by the same contact
rollers, or each by different rollers.
The machine may further be employed for printing on one side only of the sheet
either in one or in several colours, in which case the sheets will be fed separately to

page_text: ·
each of the impression cylinders, to one cylinder during the forward travel and to the
other during the backward travel of the machine, such cylinders being caused to make
as many revolutions as is necessary to produce the required number of impressions on
the one side of the sheet, and to avoid contact with the formes (if any) in conjunction
with which either cylinder is not required to act, each sheet being delivered separately.
by each of the cylinders when it has received the requisite impression or impressions,
instead of being transmitted from one cylinder to the other.
Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, of the drawings show modified forms of the machine above
described, the upper part of the machine only being shown, as the remainder is similar
to that described in connection with Fig. 1.
In Fig. 2 the bed carrying the formes 3, 7, 4, 6, is shown at the end of its travel
to the right of the machine, and is about to return in the direction of the arrow to the
corresponding position on the left of the machine.
The machine shown in Fig. 2 although having only four formes may serve to print
in three colours on each side of the sheet, providing that the formes corresponding
with two of such colours are common to the two sides of such sheet.
7 and 4 are the formes which are common to both sides of the sheet. Cylinder 2
makes three revolutions with each sheet before releasing same, the sheet fed thereto
receiving impressions first from forme 3 inked by rollers 18, 19; then from forme 7
inked by rollers 13 and 14; and lastly from forme 4 inked by rollers 11 and 12.
Cylinder 2 is then raised and forme 6 passes beneath same without producing an
impression. The sheet is transmitted to cylinder 5 and when the bed travels back
the opposite side of the sheet receives impressions first from forme 6 inked by
rollers 16, 17; then from forme 4 inked by rollers 11*, 12*, and lastly from forme 7
inked by rollers 13*, 14*. Cylinder 5 is then raised to allow forme 3 to pass
beneath it without producing an impression.
I may also by varying the raising of the cylinders, and the inking, employ the
machine so as to print on each side of the sheets as many colours as there are formes
on the bed or a less number.
I may also print four sheets in one single colour on one side only on each of the
cylinders, or eight sheets for a complete to and fro travel of the bed.
Fig. 3 shows another arrangement of formes to print two colours on each side, the
two formes 4, 7, acting in conjunction with cylinder 2 being in the middle of the bed,
and the two formes 3 and 6 acting in conjunction with cylinder 5 being at the ends of
the bed. The same remarks made with regard to Fig. 2 as to varying the employment
of the machine, apply same to Fig 3.
In Fig. 4 two formes 3 and 4 only are placed on the bed, each forme carrying the
matter for both sides of the sheets, forme 3 for one colour and forme 4 for the other.
The cylinder 2 having taken the sheet prints it first on forme 3, and on its second
rotation on forme 4; it then transmits it to cylinder 5, which on the return travel of
the bed prints it on the same formes. Two similar copies printed in two colours are
thus obtained, and the sheets fed to the machine must therefore be double the length
of the copies it is desired to obtain.
If on the contrary it is desired to produce sheets printed in two colours on one side
only, sheets of the size of the copies is desired to obtain will be used, and the
machine suitably arranged for such purpose.
In Fig. 5 there are only three formes on the bed, forme 3 belonging to
cylinder 2, forme 7 to cylinder 5, while forme 4 is common to both cylinders.
With this arrangement (as in the arrangement previously described) I employ
either four inkers; three inkers if forine 4 is to receive the same colour as one of the
two formes 3, 7; or two inkers if all three formes are to receive the same colour.
Fig. 6 shows another arrangement of the machine specially intended to print in
two colours on one side of a sheet and in one colour only on the other side.
The sheet fed to cylinder 2 is printed on the forme 3, the eccentric part of the
cylinder then comes over forme 4; the sheet is then printed on forme 7 and trans-
mitted to cylinder 5.

page_text: Upon the return movement of the bed the eccentric part of cylinder 5 comes over
the forme 7, then the sheet is printed on the opposite side on forme 4 and afterwards
released by the cylinder.
It will be readily understood that the number of impressions on each side may
be varied and will depend upon the number of formes placed upon the bed.
Further, the method of actuating the bed and also the cylinders may be varied,
any suitable arrangements being used for these purposes, and a pause or dwell may
be given to the cylinders to facilitate feeding or permit of what is known as “pointing”
or feeding on points.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination of two impression cylinders with grippers and of a bed carrying
two series of formes, the formes of each series alternating, and those of one set
serving to produce impressions on one side of a sheet of paper, while such sheet is
on one cylinder, while the formes of the other set produce the impressions on the
opposite side of the sheet when same has been transferred to the other cylinder, the
alternate formes constituting one set being caused to pass under the cylinder in con-
junction with which they are not required to act without coming in contact therewith,
all substantially as described and shown in Figs. 1 and 6 of the drawings.
2. The combination of two impression cylinders with grippers and of a bed carrying
a series of formes, some of which act in conjunction with one cylinder and some in
conjunction with the other cylinder, and one or more or all of which formes acts or
act in conjunction with both cylinders, so as to produce one or more impressions either
superposed or not on one or on both sides of the sheets, which may be either fed to
one of such cylinders and after receiving the impression or impressions on one side be
transmitted to the other cylinder to receive the impression or impressions on the
opposite side, or which sheets may be fed separately to each cylinder and separately
delivered therefrom after receiving the desired impression or impressions, all sub-
stantially as described in the Specification and shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 5 of the
drawings.
3. The combination of two impression cylinders with grippers and of a bed carrying
two sets of formes, the formes to act in conjunction with one cylinder being arranged
in the middle of the bed, and those which act in conjunction with the other cylinder
being arranged at the two ends of the bed, substantially as described and shown in
Fig. 3 of the drawings.
Dated this 18th day of September 1890.