Improvements in Apparatus for Removing the Printed Sheets from Printing Presses.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Nov., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 13th Aug., 1890-Accepted, 20th Sept., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Removing the Printed Sheets
from Printing Presses.
A communication to me from abroad by HEINRICH KEMPE and H. WEHMANN, both of
Bremen, in the Empire of Germany.
I, EDMUND EDWARDS, of the firm of Edwards and Co., Patent Agents and
Engineers, of 35, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :--
This invention has for its object the automatic removal of printed sheets from
the type beds or formes of printing presses. By its use only one attendant is
required, who can use both hands for placing in position the cards or sheets to be
printed, instead of using one hand for laying down the sheet and the other for
removing it when printed, as has heretofore ordinarily been the case. The improved
apparatus also facilitates the work of printing, gauges or guides not being necessary
for adjusting the position of the sheets which is effected by means of adjustable
longitudinal and front bars. The improved apparatus can be applied without
difficulty to any printing press actually in use, only small additions and alterations
being required.
The improved apparatus consists of a transverse moveable bar provided with
adjustable guides and fingers against which the sheets to be printed are placed,
and which move the sheets forward and deliver them automatically after they
have been printed, by a forward movement of the bar. The extent of such travel
forward is regulated so that cards or stiff sheets are only pushed forward until
they slide out over the front edge of the type bed, whilst thinner sheets are drawn
forward to the extreme end of the bed. The transverse moveable bar is also
provided with arms which act as side guides against a contral or lateral guide bars.
The movement of the bar in the direction of the length of the bed of the press,
and the consequent removal of the printed sheets is effected by means of an
articulated frame in the following manner.
This frame consists of four bars pivotted together so as to form a parallelogram,
the joint pin at one corner being fixed to a transverse plate which is attached to
the bed of the press, and the joint at the opposite corner being pivotted to the
moveable transverse bar. The ends of the bars beyond the fixed pin described
cross each other and are continued for a short distance and are then pivotted to
short links the outer ends of which are connected to a moveable slide working in
guides and connected by a short chain to a hook. When the platen of the press is
moved to its proper position for printing, the hook passes over (without catching)
a fixed bolt or stud, which is of such a shape that upon the return movement it
catches the hook and holds the latter back thus closing together the jointed
parallelogram and driving forward the moveable transverse bar connected to the
latter.
One or more chains are connected to the hook and to an adjustable fastening
fixed upon the frame which carries the apparatus, in such a position that when the
moveable bar has been driven sufficiently far forward the chains become tightened
and withdraw the hook from the stud so that further movement of the jointed arms
and transverse bar ceases, and the latter is drawn quickly back into its original
position by means of springs connected to the pivotted bars.
The extent of movement of the transverse har is regulated by adjusting the
length of the chains, by means of a sliding adjustable plate to which their outer
end is fastened.
The whole apparatus is firmly fixed upon the platen of the press, by means of

page_text: suitable straps or clamps upon the plate which carri's it, and by slotted angle irons
which allow the whole apparatus to be adjusted in the proper position. In order to
keep the transverse bar sufficiently above the type, it is provided at its ends with
flat springs and sliding pieces operated by cams or projections so that it is raised
whilst the impression is being taken.
In a modified form of the jointed parallelogram described, the moveable transverse
bar is kept in its proper position as it moves forward by means of bars jointed together
at one end and having rollers at their other ends which press against the moveable
bar, the jointed bars being also pivotted near the middle of their length to the outer
arms of the parallelogram so that as the latter opens and shuts, the rollers are kept
constantly pressed against the moveable bar.
The necessary gauges or guides and holders are adjusted to the proper position by
screws in a longitudinal slot in the transverse moveable bar, or by equivalent suitable
means.
Dated this 12th day of N 1800
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Removing the Printed Sheets
from Printing Presses.
A communication to me from abroad by HEINRICH KEMPE and H. WEHMANN, both of
Bremen, in the Empire of Germany.
I, EDMUND EDWARDS, of the firm of Edwards and Co., Patent Agents and Engineers,
of 35, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex 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 and
accompanying drawings that is to say :-
The apparatus shown in the accompanying drawings has for its object the automatic
removal of the printed sheets from the type beds of printing presses. In printing
presses provided with the improved apparatus which forms the subject of the invention
only one attendant is necessary, who lays down simultaneously with both hands the
sheets or cards requiring to be printed, such work being heretofore carried out by placing
down with one luind the sheet requiring to be printed and removing the printed sheet
with the other hand. Only one sheet at a time conld therefore be printed.
In the accompanying drawings which are in illustration of the invention, Figure 1
shews a modification which is applicable when two sheets of similar or different size
are to be printed whilst the modification shewn in Figure 2 is likewise applicable in
the same way but with this difference that when used sheets of more varied sizes can
be printed at the same time, and that a sheet covering nearly the whole of the bed
can be likewise printed.
This apparatus facilitates also the work of the machine, as laying gauges or guides
are not necessary and the fitting of the locking chases or frames does not consume so
much time and require so much material, the type or matter assuming its proper
position for printing with greater ease by the use of the longitudinal and central bars
and by that of rules introduced in front. A great advantage of this automatic
apparatus is that the same can be applied to any printing press actually in use
rendering only small additions necessary which are not worthy of being taken into
consideration in comparison with the many advantages thereby obtained.
The improved apparatus is constructed in the following manner. A bar B which
is provided with adjustable fingers, guides, or gauges b serving to guide the proper
laying on of the sheets requiring to be printed, moves the latter forward as soon as
they are printed by means of these fingers b, and issue from the position shewn in
dotted lines in order to occupy that shewn in full lines. The extent of the course of
this bar B is regulated in such a manner that stiff sheets are only pushed forward
until they slide out upon the edge of the type bed, while thin sheets such as those

page_text: made of tissue paper are carried forward as far as the end of the said bed. The bar B
is further provided with perpendicular bent bars B¹ which act as side guides or
gauges in the method of construction shewn in Figure 1, whilst in the other form of
construction (Figure 2) adjustable bars B¹ are provided and both their longitudinal
sides are made use of.
The motion of the bar in the direction of the arrow II and hence the delivery of
the sheet is accomplished by means of an articulated frame D, E, G. The pin Fis
fixed to the plate A carried by the bed T, and this pin oscillates the double lever D to
which are connected, towards the bar B, the links E E. The shorter arms of the
lever D are connected with the sliding piece 1 by means of the links G and the
connection with the hook K. is established by a metal band I passing under a roller V.
When the platen is moved upwards (in the direction of the arrow 1) to take its proper
printing position the hook K passes over the bolt R upon the paper holder S but in
the return motion of the bed T (in the direction shewn by the arrow II) the stud R
holds the hook K and draws it in the direction of the arrow, the articulated frame G DE
being stretched or opened and the bar B pushed forward. When this movement has
continued as far as desired, the chains L L' come into operation and draw the hook K
away from the bolt or stud R whereupon the springs P which are attached to the
longer arms of the two levers D bring back the articulated frame and with it the bar B
into the proper position to operate upon the next sheet to be printed. The length of
time during which the bolt or stud K holds the hook K depends upon the length of the
chains L L, and in order to alter these according to requirements, the plate M is
provided with a slot so as to be moveable and fixed in its required position by the
screw M¹
The whole apparatus is firmly fixed upon the platen by means of straps A¹ formed
in one piece with the plate A the slotted angle plates A³, and slotted locking
plates C.
The slots formed in the angle irons A³ and in the plates permit the whole
apparatus to be adjusted exactly according to the size of the type chases. In order
to move the bar B away from the latter with facility, there are provided at the
ends of the bar the flat springs h having the sliding pieces h¹.
The bar B is raised by these springs as soon as it passes below the projecting pieces
upon the plate A, which pieces secure the latter plate so long as the impression is
being made.
In the modification shewn in Figure 2 instead of the central guide C, two lateral
guides N N are connected to the plate A. The straight course of the bar B is guided
by the lateral guides N N, and by means of a parallelogram the links of which W are
prolonged beyond the axes of rotation E as far as the bar B by means of the
rollers H. The gauges or guides b as well as the lateral angular bars B, are replaced
here by equivalent pieces d or B' which are fixed by screws in the longitudinal slot of
the ruler or bar B.
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 :-
An automatic apparatus for removing printed sheets from printing presses, con-
sisting of the moveable bar B, the articulated frame E D G, the hook K engaging
with the stud or bolt R upon the paper holder S, so that the articulated frame is
1
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