Improvements in Pantagraph Engraving Machines.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Apr., 1897-Accepted, 29th May, 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pantagraph Engraving Machines.
I WILLIAM MOULTON, trading as George Moulton of Whitley Street,
Rochdale Road, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, 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 and accompanying drawings
My said invention relates to improvements in pantagraph engraving machines,
and particularly to that class of machine known as flat table pantagraph
engraving machines used for engraving calico printing cylinders and the like as is
well understood.
Such machines are provided with a number of pivotted levers carrying diamonds
adapted to act upon the surface of the copper cylinders or the like being operated
upon.
The levers are clamped upon a travelling bar, and are so weighted and pivotted
as to be brought into action when required by means of a lift bar operated by a
treadle. It is very essential when the lift bar is operated to commence work, that
the diamonds carried by the pivotted diamond levers should simultaneously touch
the surface of the cylinder to be engraved. To effect this the front of the pivotted
lever is provided with an adjusting or regulating screw, adjusted by means of a
nut. The lower end of the regulating screw carries an antifriction bowl resting
upon the lift bar. By operating the nut the regulating screw may be raised or
lowered and thus the delicate adjustment of the diamond lever towards or from
the work is secured.
As the regulating screw is in front of the lever, it is impossible to actuate it
except by passing the hand around the side to the front of the lever, and when a
large number of levers are being used, they must of necessity be placed so close
together that when each lever has been clamped and adjusted in its proper position,
it is a matter of the utmost difficulty to obtain the final delicate adjustment
towards or from the work without disturbing the neighbouring levers.
To overcome this difficulty is the object of my invention and this I effect by
providing means whereby the diamond levers may be adjusted from the rear of the
levers without in any way disturbing the rest.
And in order that my said invention may be more fully understood I have
annexed hereto a sheet of illustrative drawings to which I will now refer.
In the said drawings
Fig. 1 illustrates a side elevation partly in section of a diamond lever provided
with my improved adjusting means.
Fig. 2 is a front view of the same.
Figs. 3 and 4 indicate modifications of the method of actuating the adjusting
means.
The diamond lever a is of the usual or ordinary construction and is clamped to
the travelling bar 6 by means of the loose plate c and thumbscrew d.
Within the extension e upon which the usual counterbalance weight f slides,
1 mount a spindle g adapted to revolve in bearings g¹ g².
A bevel wheel secured to the spindle 9 gears with a bevel wheel i formed as a
nut to revolve upon the screwed spindle j of the regulating screw or sliding
stop j¹.

page_text: A saddle k secured to the lever a by means of screws k¹ k¹ serves as a sliding
bearing for the screwed spindle j and also prevents lateral movement of the bevel
wheel i.
To prevent the regulating screw ji from being revolved within the bearing
formed in the lever it is provided with a stud / sliding within a groove m formed
in the lever. A bowl n provided at the foot of the regulating screw j¹ rests upon
the lift bar o as usual.
When the whole of the levers have been clamped to the bar b, and the diamonds
adjusted in their proper working positions in the levers a, it is, as previously
stated, essential that the diamonds should simultaneously come into action on the
starting of the machine. To effect this, before starting the machine the lift bar o
is operated to bring the diamonds p into action upon the surface of the cylinder q
indicated in dotted lines.
It can then be noted whether the diamonds pare correctly adjusted and defective
adjustment is compensated for by the adjusting or regulating screw j¹.
The value of my invention is then apparent, as by means of the spindle g
operated from the rear of the levers the final delicate adjustment of the diamonds
can be obtained without in any way interfering with the neighbouring levers.
Is thus
Should any of the diamonds p require adjustment towards or from the cylinder 7,
the bevel wheel his revolved by means of the nut r secured to the spindle
revolving the bevel wheel i and so raising or lowering the regulating screw i as
desired, and turning the lever a upon its pivot, a'. A lock nut r¹ is provided to
lock the spindle g when the desired adjustment has been attained.
It will be seen therefore by providing means for actuating the regulating
screw from the rear of the lever the final adjustment of any of the diamonds
may be easily secured without in any way disturbing the adjacent levers.
As the gist of my invention consists in the provision of means for adjusting
the regulating screw from the rear of the lever instead of from the front as
hitherto, I wish it to be distinctly understood that I do not confine myself to the
method just described, as it is possible for any experienced mechanic to multiply
the methods of carrying out my invention.
For instance, instead of bevel gearing I might use worm gearing as indicated in
plan view in Fig. 3. In this instance the spindle g is provided with a worm s
gearing with a worm wheel s¹ mounted to revolve as a nut upon the screwed
spindle j of the regulating screw j'. The overhanging bracket t secured to the
lever a serves to confine the loose worm wheels and also provides a sliding
bearing for the screwed spindle j of the regulating screw , and also for one end
of the spindle g.
In a further method shown at Fig. 4'a sliding plate t¹ provided with a slot t³ is
operated by means of a pin u mounted excentrically on the disc u' carried by the
spindle g. By revolving the spindle g in either direction the sliding plate t can
be raised or lowered as desired.
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. In pantagraph engraving machines for engraving calico printing cylinders
and the like, the provision of means actuated from the rear of the diamond levers
for adjusting such levers and consequently the diamonds, towards or from the
work substantially as described and shown.
2. As means for adjusting the diamond levers of pautagraph engraving
machines of the indicated nature the bevel gearing hi actuated by the spindle g
from the rear of the levers, and operating the regulating screw for the purpose,
in the manner, and substantially as described and illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of
the drawings.
3. The modifled methods of obtaining the adjustment of the diamond levers

page_text: substantially as described and illustrated with reference to Figs. 3 and 4 of the
drawings.
Dated this 15th day of April 1897.
For the Applicant,
E. K. DUTTON & Co.,
5 John Dalton Street, Manchester, Chartered Patent Agents.