Improvements in Printing Presses.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 8th June, 1896-Accepted, 25th July, 1896
Improvements in Printing Presses.
We, MATTHEW LEO WHITFIELD HALLENBECK, and JASPER BENJAMIN
GIBBS, both of Thornton, in the County of Limestone and State of Texas, United
States of America, Gentlemen, 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:-
This invention relates to an improvement in printing presses, and is designed for
use also as a ruling and cutting press.
The object of the present invention is to provide a simple and durable printing
press of novel construction which shall print both sides of a sheet in the progress
of the paper through the machine.
Another object is to provide the press with adjustable guards for guiding and
directing a roll of paper of any width.
A further object of the invention is to provide means for regulating the feed of
the machine for adapting it to print short or long sections or a newspaper as well
as a small tract.
A further object of the invention is to provide two oppositely-facing platens so
arranged that the weight of one will counterbalance the weight of the other and
give double printing capacity.
Another object is to provide a novel construction of inking devices for supplying
the ink in any desired quantity to the ink rollers.
A further object is to provide a series of endless markers, rulers, or cutters, and
suitable adjustable troughs for supplying the ink thereto; also, in the combination
with the ink-troughs of adjustable scrapers for removing surplus ink from the
ink-drums.
A further object of the invention is to provide a novel form of knife-bar and
kicker and operating mechanism therefor for insuring accurate cutting and delivery
of the sheets from the machine.
Another object is to provide a novel device for winding up the uncut paper upon
a suitable roller in case it is preferred not to cut the paper into separate sheets.
A further object is to provide an adjusting and regulating drying-cylinder for
properly spacing or timing the delivery of the paper to the platens and for insuring
work which is free from blurs.
Other objects and advantages of this invention will appear in the ensuing
description and claims.
To accomplish the several objects hereinabove enumerated the invention consists
in certain novel features, combinations and details of construction and arrangement
of parts, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the drawings and pointed out
in the several claims hereto annexed.
In the accompanying drawings:-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of an improved printing press constructed in
accordance with my invention, with parts broken away to better show the general
arrangement and operation.
Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section taken near the center of the press.
Figure 3 is a plan view of the press with the paper-directing flume omitted to
show the knife-bar, its operating mechanism, and the form of the main driving shaft
from which motion is imparted to the various parts of the press.
Figure 4 is a vertical transverse section on the line of Fig. 2 showing the
manner in which the knife-bar is mounted and the kicker carried thereby.

page_text: bars 28 extending across and connecting the same and the lower plate 27 is
similarly arranged upon the forward edges of said bars, thus forming a stout
olaten-frame, which is centrally pivoted on the transverse shaft 29. The piper 23
after it leaves the rollers 25 passes between a pair of rollers 30 extending across
the platen-frame just above the upper platen 26 and mounted in suitable elongated
or slotted brackets 31 secured to the rear face of said platen-frame. From said
rollers 30 the paper passes over the rear face of the platen 26 and around a
transverse roller 32 located beneath said platen and mounted in bearings at the
rear side of the platen-frame. From thence the paper travels toward the front of
the machine and passes over a drying-cylinder 33, which serves to absorb surplus
ink and insure a copy free from blurs.
The drying-cylinder 33 also serves as a regulating device for the paper in this
manner, viz. the cylinder or roller 33 is mounted at its ends in a pair of oppositely-dis-
posed eye-bolts 34 which extend forwardly through perforated lugs 35 on the vertical
posts or standards 1, being secured in place therein by means of adjusting-aats 36
and 37 arranged upon opposite sides of the posts 1. By the aid of these nuts the
cylinder or roller 33 may be adjusted toward and away fron the platen-frame, the
object of such adjustment being to regulate the length of paper between the upper
and bringing
and lower platens for the purpose of properly spacing said paper
the reverse side thereof into the desired position with relation to the lower
platen 27.
After leaving the drying and regulating cylinder 33 the paper passes over a
roller 38 mounted in the forward ends of links 38", hinged to the shaft 29 and
provided with adjustable guards in the form of disks or collars 39 having set
screws for retaining them in the desired position upon said roller 38. The paper
then passes downward over a roller 40 mounted in bearings on the forward sule of
the platen-frame and located just above the lower platen 27 after which the paper
extends across the face of the lower platen and then over a roller 41 located
beneath said platen in bearings attached to the lower corner of the platen-frame at
its front edge. After leaving the platen-frame the paper passes beneath a
transverse shaft 42 upon which the operating treadle frame is mounted, said shaft
being mounted in bearings secured to the lower horizontal frame-bars 5 and
provided with laterally-adjustable guard disks or collars 43 held in place by set-
screws. From thence the paper passes beneath the lower cylinder 44 extending
transversely across between the lower horizontal bars 5 of the frame and mounted
on a vertically-movable shaft 45 working in vertically-elongated slots or bearings 46
in the lower ends of the short vertical posts 6. The paper then extends rearwardly
and passes over a regulating roller 47 located at the rear of the machine, the
shaft 48 of said roller being mounted at its ends in a pair of oppositely-disposed
screw-eyes 49 extending through perforated ears or lugs 50 extending from the
inner adjacent faces of the rear posts or standards 2. The screw eyes 49 are
threaded and adapted to receive nuts 51 and 52 upon either side of the supporting
lugs by means of which the regulating roller 47 may be adjusted toward and
away from the center of the machine for the purpose of regulating the length of
the paper between said roller and the knife. The roller 47 is also provided with
laterally-adjustable guard disks or collars 53 held in place by means of set-screws.
It may be here stated that the guard disks or collars 53, 43, 39, and 22 are provided
and made laterally-adjustable upon their several shafts by means of set-screws for
the purpose of properly guiding and directing paper of any width in its passage
over and around the several rollers referred to, thus keeping said paper in line and
presenting it properly to the type-form and also to the cutters, markers, rulers,
and knife hereinafter described.
The paper 23 after leaving the regulating roll 47 passes between the lower
Babbitt cylinder 44 and the main driving paper feed cylinder 54, the latter being
mounted upon a transverse shaft 55 journaled at its ends in the short upright
posts 6 of the main frame and adapted to move and adjust itself vertically in
elongated slots or bearings 56 by means of which close contact and frictional

page_text: and bolt 84 passing through a slot in the wall of the ink-eup by means of which
said scraper 82 may be adjusted to any desired position for removing the surplus
ink from the ink-drum 81. The upper and lower chase-beds are similarly con-
structed and adjustably supported and are each provide with the ink-cup,
ink-drums and adjustable scrapers just described. Suitable hook or lips 85 at the
lower end of each chase-bed receive the chase, and the upper end of the chase is
held in place by means of a spring-actuated clip 86, the shank 87 of which passes
through a vertical perforation in a rearwardly-extending lug 88 at the upper end
of the chase-rod, beneath which a spiral spring 89 is disposed around the shank of
said clip, and a nut 90 threaded thereon serves to regulate the tension of the spring
and the force with which the clip grasps the upper end of the chase.
The ink-roller carriages 91 consist of two similar oppositety-disposed bars
located upon opposite sides of the supporting frame outside thereof, being keyed
to a common transverse shaft 92 mounted in bearings in the upper end of the
machine-frame. The oppositely disposed bars 91 are provided upon one side cach
with a lag 93, from which a pivoted arm or link 94 extends to and is pivoted upon
the outer face of the platen frame. The opposite side of each bar 91 is provided
with a pair of perforated lugs 95 in which is mounted a sliding rod 96 provided at-
one end beyond the end of the bar 91 with a socket plate for the reception of one
end of the inking-rollers. The other end of the sliding rod 96 is screw-threaded
to receive a nut 97 between which and the lug 95 at the outer swinging end of the
bar 91 is located a spiral spring 98 disposed around the rod 96 and adapted by its
tension to assist in holding the inking rollers to their work. When necessary, the
tension of the spring 98 may be regulated by the nut 97.
By the construction just described it will be seen that as the platens 26 and 27
are moved toward their respective chase-beds for making an impression the links 94
will operate upon the ink-roller carriages in such manner as to cause the ink-rollers
to pass up out of the way and over the ink-drums 81, where they will obtain a
fresh supply of ink to be applied to the type-form on the next downward-
movement.
The shafts 92 are each provided with a crank-arm 99 from which a pawl 100
extends to and engages a ratchet-disk 101 upon the end of the ink-drum shaft. It
will he apparent that as the ink-roller carriages are moved upward the shafts 92
will be rocked, thereby operating, through the crank-arm 99, to withdraw the
pawl 100 past the teeth of the ratchet-disk 101. In order to prevent the ink-drum
from turning backward, a second pawl 102 is secured around the shaft 92 and
engages the ratchet-disk 101 beneath the pawl. As the ink-roller carriages
descend the pawl 100 engages the ratchet disk and revulves the ink-drun. The
arrangement is the same with both of the ink-drums.
The feeding-cylinder 54 is driven from the platen frame by means of am
interposed pawl 103 secured at one end around a transverse bar 104 extending
across the lower end of the platen frame, the opposite end of the pawl engaging
the ratchet disk 105 at one end of and keyed to the shaft of said feed-roller 54:
As the platen frame vibrates the pawl 103 is thrust rearwardly and caused to
operate upon the ratchet disk 105 for driving the feed roller. Another pawl.106
pivotally mounted in the upper end of a vertically-adjustable threaded post 107
prevents retrograde movement of the ratchet-disk. The post 107 passes through
a perforated ear or lug 108 on the supporting frame and is adjusted up and down
by means of a nut 109. By means of the construction just described the feeding-
cylinder 54 may he revolved any desired distance according to the size of the
page or sheet which is being printed.
When the lower pawl is adjusted downward, the pawl 103 will engage a greater
number of teeth on the ratchet disk 105 and revalve the feeding-cylinder a
considerable distance, but when the pawl 106 is elevated it will cover a portion of
the teeth of the ratchet-disk, and the pawl 103 will slide during a portion of its
stroke upon the top of the lower pawl 106 and will revolve the feeding-cylinder a
comparatively short distance. By this means the distance circumferentially which

page_text: circular cutters or disks 134 may be varied as desired, and they may also be
provided with sharp or blunt peripheral edges for either cutting the paper 23 into
narrow strips or ruling the same. When used as rulers, an ink-cup 135 is mounted
on the shaft 130 underlying said disks, from which they receive their supply
of ink and rule the paper. A similar series of disks or circular cutters 136 is
mounted on a transverse shaft 137 just in rear of the regulating-roller 47, around
which the paper passes, said shaft 137 being mounted at either end in an oppositely-
disposed pair of eyebolts 138 passing horizontally through perforated ears or
lngs 139, extending inwardly from the inner adjacent faces of the rear end posts 2.
The eyebolts 138 are provided upon either side of the lugs 139 with nuts 140, by
means of which the shaft 137 and its disks or cutters 136 may be moved into the
desired engagement with the roller 47 and the paper traveling around the same.
An ink-cup 141, constructed and arranged similarly to the ink-cup 135, is mounted
on said shaft 137 to be used for ruling purposes when desired. Any desired
number of disks or cutters may be arranged on the shaft 137, and they may be so
arranged as to register or alternate with the series 134 whereby any number of
lines or cuts or indentations may be provided in or on the paper as it passes through
the press from end to end.
The feeding-cylinder 54 and the lower Babbitt cylinder 44 are provided on their
adjacent ends with spur gear-wheels 142 and 143, by means of which motion is
communicated from one to the other and an even feed of the paper effected.
In Figure 8 I have shown how my improved indicator is arranged and operated.
One end of the shaft 55 of the feed-roller is extended slightly beyond the short
vertical frame-post 6 sufficiently to receive a collar 144, provided with a radial
projection in the form of a tooth 145. The collar 144 is fast upon the shaft 55,
and in each revolution of the feed-cylinder 54 the tooth 145 operates upon a
toothed gear 146, moving the latter the distance of one tooth. The gear 146 is
provided with a pin 147, arranged in such relation to a second gear 148 that each
revolution of the gear 146 turns the gear 148 the distance of one tooth. By
numbering the teeth of the gears 146 and 148 the number of impressions made by
the press may be visibly indicated in a manuer that will be readily understood.
The operation of the press will be understood from the foregoing description.
By the construction described a complete and efficient press is produced, which
is simple in construction, which may be used as a ruling, cutting, or printing press, and
which is adapted to print a large or small form and upon one or both sides of the paper.
Parts of the machine not hereinabove particularly described may be constructed
and arranged in any usual or preferred manner.
It will be apparent that various changes in the form, proportion and the minor
details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or
sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In a printing-press, an oppositely-disposed pair of horizontally-extending
arms formed integrally with the frame of the machine and provided with vertical
perforations, in combination with a pair of vertically adjustable yokes, a roll-
supporting shaft journaled in said yokes, and means for adjusting both of said
yokes vertically and one of said yokes horizontally for the purpose and substantially
as described.
2. In a printing-press, an oppositely-disposed pair of slotted yokes mounted
in perforated extensions of the machine-frame-a transverse shaft mounted therein
and adapted to receive and support an unprinted roll of paper, in combination with
adjusting-nuts engaging the threaded shanks of said yokes above and below said
frame extensions for adjusting both of said yokes vertically and one yoke hori-
zontally, and means for regulating the position of the roll of unprinted paper
longitudinally of its shaft, substantially as described.

page_text: chase-bed for engaging the lower edge of the chase, a vertically-movable clip or
hook at the upper end of the chase-bed for engaging and holding the top of the
chase, and the spiral spring and nut on the shank of said clip or hook for regulating
the tension thereof, substantially as described.
11. In a printing-press the combination with the stationary frame, of an
adjustable chase-bed, the oppositely-disposed side bars thereof provided with
curved extensions at their upper portion, an ink-cup aljustable with the bed anl
extending across between and secured at its opposite en ls to said curvel extensions,
a revoluble ink-drum located partially within said ink-cup, and an adjustable
scraper for removing the surplus ink from said ink-drum, substantially as
specified.
12. In a printing press, the combination with the stationary frame, and with a
chase-bed adjustably supported thereon, of an ink cup or well located above said
chase-bed and secured thereto, a positively driven ink-drum also mounted on
said chase-bed and revolving within the ink-cup, a ratchet disk mounted on one
end of said ink-drum, an actuating pawl engaging said ratchet-disk at one end and
pivotally connected at its other end to and carried by a crank-arm on the shaft of
the ink-roller carriage, and a supplemental pawl engaging said ratchet-disk for
preventing retrograde movement of the ink-drum, substantially as described.
13. In a printing press, the combination with the stationary frame, of a platen
pivotally mounted on a transverse axis, a pair of feeding-cylinders having their
axes in parallelism to the platen-axis and adapted to engage the paper between
their contiguous faces, the spur-gears mounted on the adjacent ends of the shafts
of said cylinders for communicating motion from one to the other, a ratchet-wheel
mounted on the shaft of one of said cylinders, a vibrating pawl pivotally connected
directly with said platen-frame and resting in operative engagement with said
ratchet wheel, and means for regulating the operative throw of said pawl,
substantially as described.
14. In a printing press, the combination with the stationary frame, of a pair of
feeding cylinders mounted therein and adapted to receive the paper between them
and feed the same through the machine, the intermeshing gears on the adjacent
ends of said cylinder, the ratchet-wheel mounted on the end of one of said
cylinders, the ratchet-wheel mounted on the end of one of said cylinders, the
platen-frame, the gravity-pawl carried thereby and engaging said ratchet-wheel, a
supplemental pawl also engaging said ratchet wheel and located beneath the pawl
carried by the platen-frame, and means connected with the stationary frame for
adjusting the position of the supplemental pawl for the purpose of regulating the
stroke of the upper pawl and thereby the distance circumferentially which the
feeding-cylinder operated upon thereby travels, substantially as described.
15. The combination with the stationary frame of a printing press, and with
the paper-feeding mechanism, and the platen, of a winding-up roller journaled in
the frame and having a ratchet wheel fast at one end, a detent for preventing
backward movement of the roller, a reciprocating arm or bar pivotally connected
with and actuated by the platen-frame, and resting in direct operative engagement
with the shaft of the winding-up roller, and a tension-spring for holding said arm
or bar against the shaft of said roller, substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
16. In a printing press, the combination with the stationary frame, and with one
of the feeding-cylinders, of a series of circular cutters, markers, or rulers mounted
on a shaft arranged in parallel relation to the feeding-cylinder, the adjustable
threaded eyebolts for supporting said shaft at its ends, an ink-cup mounted upon
said shaft for supplying ink to said circular markers or rulers, and the adjusting-
nuts on either side of the supporting-lugs through which said eyebolts pass for
adjusting the eyebolts and the shaft carried thereby, and thereby forcing said
circular cutters, markers, or rulers with any desired pressure against the paper
traveling around the feeding-cylinder, substantially as specified.
17. In a printing press, the stationary frame and the main driving shaft mounte