Improvements in Printing Machines.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 10th July, 1895-Accepted. 10th Aug., 1895
[Communicated from abroad by FRANCIS MEISEL, of 86 Stoughton Street,
Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.]
Improvements in Printing Machines.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, 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 :-
This invention has for its object to improve and simplify the construction of that
class of printing machines which are adapted to print one or more characters upon
a continuous strip of paper, and to repeat the characters two or more times if
desired, and the invention consists in the combination, with a rotating wheel or
disk, of a series of intermittingly rotating printing-wheels mounted upon brackets
made adjustable around the periphery of said rotary disk, whereby they can be set
at uniform or varying distances apart in order to vary the spaces or distances
between the characters printed by said printing-wheels; it being often desirable
to print two similar characters at a given distance apart and then print the next
character at a greater or less distance from the last one, instead of printing them
all at a uniform distance from each other; and the invention also consists in
certain novel mechanism for intermittingly rotating the printing-wheels on their
axes and holding the same firmly in position while printing, as hereinafter set forth
and specifically claimed.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a portion of a printing-machine constructed
in accordance with my invention.
Figure 2 is a front elevation of the parts shown in Figure 1.
In the said drawings, A represents the impression cylinder of a printing-
machine, the shaft of which runs in suitable bearings in the framework not shown,
and carries at one end a gear, B, which meshes with and drives a large gear, C,
secured to a shaft, D, parallel with the impression cylinder; and also having its
bearings in the framework of the machine. To the rotating-shaft, D, is secured
a wheel or disk, G, around the periphery of which is adjustably secured a series of
arms or brackets, H, of the form shown in Figure 1. Each of these brackets is.
provided with a curved foot, b, adapted to rest on the periphery of the disk, G,
to which it is secured by a bolt, c, passing therethrough, the head 5 of said bolt
fitting within a curved T-shaped groove, d, formed in the disk, G, near its.
periphery and concentric therewith; said bolt which is provided outside the foot, b,
with the clamping nut, e, being thus capable of being moved around the circum-
ference of the wheel, G, to vary the position of the bracket, H, as may be desired,
after which the latter is clamped in place by means of the nut e.
Each of the brackets, H, is provided at its outer end with an aperture, f, for the
reception of a stud or short spindle, g, upon which is mounted to rotate thereon, a
printing or type-wheel, K, having around its periphery a series of projections, h,
the faces of which are provided with the types or characters which it is desired to.
print on the paper passing over the impression cylinder A. Each of the printing-
wheels, K, is provided on one side with a star-wheel, L, secured thereto and
rotating therewith on the stud, g, the number of teeth on the said star-wheel
corresponding to the number of printing surfaces or types on the printing-wheel K..

page_text: .
Instead of securing the star-wheel directly to the printing-wheel and arranging
them to turn upon a stud, g, as shown, both of these wheels may be immovably
secured at any desired distance apart to a shaft arranged to rotate in a suitable
bearing in the wheel G.
M is a stationary tappet-arm, the point or lower end, 10, of which projects into
the path of the star-wheels, L, as shown in Figure 1, whereby as each wheel, L,
is carried past the end of the tappet-arm, M, by the revolution of the disk, G, one
of its teeth will be brought into contact with the end, 10, of said tappet-arm and
be thereby turned a distance of one tooth or one tenth of a revolution, there being
in this case ten printing surfaces or types on the periphery of the printing-wheel, K,
and a similar number of teeth on the star-wheel, and in this manner the several
printing-wheels are rotated in succession' one tooth at a time to bring the proper
characters on their peripheries into the desired positions to print on the paper with
which they are brought into contact by the rotation of the main disky or carrying-
wheel, G.
The tappet-arm, M, is adjustably secured by screws, m; to an arm, n, firmly
secured to a shaft, P, extending between the sides of the framework.parallel with
the shaft, D.
+
Each of the brackets; H; is provided at its outer end with a lateral or angular
projection, g, to which is secured by a screw, r, and pin 15 a. spring, retaining
pawl, s, which bears with a yielding pressure on the star-wheel, L, entering the
notches between its teeth and serving to lock the printing-wheel, K, at the side of
the same firmly in position after being turned by, contact with the tappet-arm,.
while it will, nevertheless, permit the star-wheel to be turned when again brought
into contact with said tappet-arm:
Ris an inking roller which is mounted on a. shaft, and so arranged that the
printing-wheels will pass into contact therewith to receive a supply of ink as they
are successively carried around with the wheel G..
By thus mounting the printing-wheels upon brackets made adjustable around the
periphery of the rotating disk, G; it will be obvious that the distance between the
said printing wheels may be quickly and easily, 'varied in any manner desired,
thereby enabling me in an exceedingly simple and convenient manner to print, for
instance, two similar characters at a given distance apart, and then print the next
character at a different distance from the last one, printed, or to otherwise vary the
spaces or distances between the characters printed as may be found desirable for
any special work; furthermore by intérmittingly rotating the printing-wheels in
the manner described, 'they are rendered positive in their operation, while the
construction of the machine is greatly simplified as no intermediate gears or other
complicated mechanisin ate employed to produce the intermittent movements of
the printing wheels.
By preference the brackets, H; are secured to the disk, Ġ, by means of bolts
having their heads' placed within T-shaped grooves near the periphery of said disk
'as shown, but other methods of securing the brackets to the periphery of the disk
in such manner as to permit of their being adjusted at varying distances apart, may
be employed if desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :—
1. In a printing machine, the combination with a rotating wheel or disk, of a
series of intermittingly rotating printing-wheels mounted upon brackets or supports
adjustably secured to said rotating wheel around its periphery, whereby the
distance or spaces between the characters printed by said printing-wheels may be
varied as desired, and means for intermittingly rotating the printing-wheels to
bring the types or characters thereon into their printing positions, substantially as
set forth.
2. In a printing machine, the combination, with a rotating wheel or disk, of a

page_text: series of printing-wheels mounted thereon, each printing-wheel having around its
periphery a series of types or characters, a star-wheel connected with each of said
printing-wheels and rotating therewith, a single stationary tappet-arm arranged to
engage the teeth of the several star-wheels and turn the same as each wheel passes
said tappet-arın, and retaining pawls adapted to enter the notches between the
teeth of the star-wheels to hold the printing-wheels in position to print, substan-
tially as described.
3. In a printing-machine, the combination, with the rotating wheel or disk, G,
of a series of printing-wheels, K, mounted upon brackets, H, having studs or
spindles, g, projecting therefrom, each printing-wheel having around its periphery
a series of types or characters and being provided with a star-wheel, L, connected
therewith, the stationary tappet-arm, M, adapted to engage the teeth of the several
star-wheels and turn the same as each wheel passes said tappet-arm, and the
retaining pawls, s, adapted to enter the notches between the teeth of said star-
wheels to hold the printing-wheels in their printing positions, substantially as
described.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.