Improvements in and connected with Printing Machinery.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 27th July, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 22nd May, 1895-Accepted, 22nd June,
1595
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Printing Machinery.
I, MURRAY HINckley Spear, of 36 Lime Street, in the City of London,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to certain improvements connected with printing machines.
In describing the various parts which form my invention 1 will take as an
illustration the case of a rotary printing machine and describe them in
connection therewith, though it will be understood that the invention is not limited
to printing machines of this class.
For certain classes of work it is desirable to pluce numbers at intervals on the
paper passing through the machine such paper being cut up into consecutively
numbered sheets on its exit from the machine.
It is customary to employ for such numbering a wheel of considerable diameter
having the numbers arranged around its periphery the wheel being arranged to
travel at the same speed as the paper but where many numbers are placed around
the wheel it is found that they come so close to each other that it is difficult to
prevent a portion of the numbers on either side of the one required from printing
therewith. To remedy this I employ a numbering wheel with a somewhat wide
face on which the numbers are placed at a suitable distance apart in two rows the
odd numbers being ou one side and the even on the other. Say for instance
1 desire to print up to 50 I employ a printing wheel arranged as above and drive
it through eccentric gears so that instead of moving on one number at a time it
rapidly makes a complete rotation after each printing and these eccentric gears
I arrange to drive gears having unequal numbers of teeth, for instance one wheel
will have 24 teeth and the other 25 so that instead of the numbering wheel upon
its rotation coming round to the same number again it stops. at the number before
or after the number it has last printed depending on the way the gears are arranged.
To take the impression from the wheel I employ fingers carried by a shaft on the
other side of the paper to the numbering wheel such fingers being pressed on to the
paper when the wheel is in its printing position by means of tappets carried by a
second shaft such shaft carrying a grooved cam which reciprocates a stud or the
like affixed, to the shaft on which are the fingers so that the latter are shifted tọ
and fro, thus being brought in turn under an odd number and an even number on
either edge of the numbering wheel. A numbering device such as is described
above may be placed at different points of the machine according to the positions
in which it is desired to number the paper...
To take up the slack of the gears and to hold the numbering wheel at the
moment of printing I employ a brake which may consist of an eccentric on one of
the shafts such eccentric having a cord or the like attached to it the other end of
said cord being carried round a wheel on the shaft which carries the numbering
wheel and being then secured to sonie fixed-point.
The eccentric will thus tighten the cord and brake the numbering shaft at
regular intervals leaving said shaft free to rotate between same.
The printing cylinder may carry a number of plates so that rapid printing may
be effected and the inking of such plates is effected preferably through a train of
inking rollers one arrangement of which may be as follows first the actual inking
roller which receives ink from,a distributing roller around the periphery of which
are arranged rolls having a reciprocating motion across the face of same. The
distributing roller receives ink from an idler roller which is moved to and fro

page_text: between the faces of the distributing roller and the roller working in the ink
fountain from which it takes up the ink. To effect the movement of the idler
roller its spindle is carried at one or both ends in a curved slot in a disc on the
spindle of the ink fountain roller such slot being on a radius struck from a
different centre, to the centre of the disc. This discris operated by a ratchet wheel
and pawl from an eccentric on a suitable shaft. The idler roller when in one
position in the slot is in contact with the inking: roller and when at the other end
of the slot is in contact with the distributing roller. The reciprocating distributing
rollers may be operated from a crank on the disc which; cockra shaft on which is a
tee.head carrying studs engaging with eccentric grooves on the spindles of the
reciprocating rollers. The idler roller, ink fountain and roller may be moved to
and from the 'distributing roller so as to regulate the amount of ink carried over:
After the printing if desired: the paper may, pass, beneath suitable, perforating
devices and from thence to a folding and cutting off, apparatus. This.consists of a
triangular frame or folding table the apex of which is situated near the upper part
of a pair of guide rollers. The paper: as it passes onto the frame. is. drawn, down,
the sides so as to fold same gradually and the two-folded, strips..so.. produced pass
between the guide rollers and between two or more pairs of adjustable.rollers or
discs mounted on shafts placed side by side.. and driven by gearing the rollers or
discs on one shaft being in contact with; those on. the other shaft so that both a
folding and a drawing action is.obtained the latter acting to pull the paper through
the apparatus. These rollers or discs.may have. their. peripheries. so shaped that
they touch: the paper only on either the extreme edges or on..the unprinted spaces
so that there is no danger: of smudging, the .freshly printed paper. The pairs of
rollers are preferably held together. by a spring, or, springs so that they may be
opened to pass the paper through. or to adjust. it, and, the, guide rollers, are also
capable of being opened in the same way, while the shafts, of the rollers, or discs
are driven in any suitable way from a moving. part: of the, printing machine in the
case of a rotary printing machine continuously but in the case of, a machine
having an intermittent. motion, only when the paper. is. moving through the
machine:
4
On the other side of the folding rollers is, a cut off, knife which may consist of
a blade arranged in the form off aspart of a spiral-such, bladei rotating continuously.
and working againstaa fixed blade: the spiral arrangement of, the knife, enabling the
folded paper to be cutroff while travelling.
In the case of a machine having an intermittent,motion, a plain. knife: suitably
hung or pivoted and controlled by a spring may he employed such knife. being,
reciprocated at intervalsssorasito cut offwbenithe, paper.is stationary...
This knite may carry a spring holder to grip, the paper at the moment of .cutting
off and then release it the folded and cutoff piece being knocked away.by.a,spitable
flyer arm orrint the caseyofi:airotany, machine the foldeds slip.. mayipass, between..a
pair ofarollers situated at the rear.: of: the knife which draw it.away after. it. has
been cut, after which it may be carried to one side by a number oft loose flyer,arms
hung on a wheel which is suitably operated..
'The folding: frame may be enlarged so as to be adapted to an increased,width of
paper by means of adjustable. car pieces, which may be removed and changed, as
desired and means. may be providedi for:adjusting the frame in various directions,80
that the paper travels correctly over same.
To prevent the necessity of moving the folding and cutter off-apparatus nearer. to
and further from the printing. machine-so: as. to provide for, the cut off. coming at
the proper place the paper: before reaching the folding, apparatus, may. be carried
over an adjustable roller by which the. length, of travel of the paper may be
varied.
'Dated the 26th day of Jul-1804.

page_text: I, MURRAY HINOKLEY SPEAR, of 36 Lime Street, in the City of London,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly-described and Jascertained in rand by
the following statement :-
My invention relates to certain improvements connected with printing machines.
In describing the various parts which form my invention I will take as an
illustration the use of a rotary printing machine and describe them in connection
therewith, though. it will be understood that the invention is not limited to printing
machines of this class.
In the accompanying drawings are illustrated the various features of my invention
applied to a rotary printing machine.
Fig. 1 being a.side.elevation of a numbering mechanism.
Fig. 2 a plan of same.
Fig. 3 a sectional elevation on the line a-b Fig. 1 looking in the direction of
the arrow.
Fig. 3 is.a.plan of.a.portion of the numbering wheel to illustrate the numbering
of same.
Fig. 4 a side elevation of the.inking-mechanism.
Fig. 5 a plan of.same.
Fig. 6 a sectional elevation on the line c―d Fig. 5.
Fig. 7 a detail of a part shown in Figs. 4 and 5.
Fig. 8 a side elevation of the folding, cutting off and removing mechanism.
Fig. 9 a plan of same on line e-f Fig. 8, and
Fig. 10 an end elevation of a modified form of cutting off mechanism.
For certain classes of work.it.is desirable to place numbers at intervals on the
paper passing through the machine such paper being cut up into consecutively
numbered sheets on its exit from the machine.
It is customary to employ for such numbering wheels having numbers around
their periphery either.contained in the printing or impression cylinders or wheels
apart.or outside of same such wheels when in the printing cylinder having apart
from a revolution on their own axis a movement around another centre which is the
axis of such cylinder.
Where the numbers on the wheel are placed at a distance apart from each other
corresponding to the distance they are to be at when placed on the paper and the
wheel travels at the same rate as the paper the numbering will be satisfactory but
the size of the wheel will become too great for practical purposes. Where the
numbers-are placed close. together on a wheel and the wheel makes a complete
revolution or a little more or less than a complete revolution so as to bring the
next number.in.position.to print, it is found impossible to obtain the same surface
speed as the. speed of the paper and this difference in speed together with the
closeness of the numbers on the wheel will result in a bad impression or a partial
printing.of.the-number.. on..one or. both sides of the number to be printed. The
same difficulty arises in the case, where a number of separate unit wheels are
employed there being ther difficulty of obtaining, the proper surface speed of the
paper and where such wheels are operated. by ratchets and pawls as is customary
the possibility of failure.of these to work by reason of their.clogging. thus involving
a considerable loss by, spoiled work.. To. remedy this "I employ the mechanism
shewn in Figs. 1 to 3 in which will be seen a numbering wheel 1 with a somewhat
wide face on which the numbers are placed at a suitable distance apart-in two rows

page_text: the odd numbers being on one side and the even on the other. Say for instance
I desire to print up to 50 I employ a numbering wheel 1 arranged as above and
drive it through eccentric gears 2, 2, so that instead of moving on one number at
a time it rapidly makes a complete rotation after each printing and these eccentric
gears 2, 2, 1 arrange to drive gears 3, 4, having the same pitch but having unequal
numbers of teeth, for instance one wheel 3 will have 24 teeth and the other
wheel 4.will have 25 teeth go that instead of the numbering wheel upon its rotation
coming round to the same number again it stops at the number before of after the
number it has last printed. depending on the way the gears are arranged. To take
the impression. from the wheel on to the paper 7 I employ fingers 5 pivotally
attached to a bar 6 on the other side of the paper 7 to the numbering wheels such
fingers being pressed on to the paper when the wheel is in its printing position by
means of tappets 8 carried by a shaft 9 such shaft carrying a grooved cam 10
which reciprocates a forked arm 11 pivotally carried in a boss 11 affixed to the
bar 6 so that said bar (which is carried in bearings 12) together with the fingers 5
is shifted to and fro, the fingers thus being brought in turn over an odd number.
and an even number on either edge of the numbering wheel 1. A numbering
device such as is described above may be placed at different points of the machine
according to the positions in which it is desired to number the paper.
As shown there are two numbering wheels 1, 1, beneath the paper 7 and one
numbering wheel 1 above it the parts operating each being the same and being
numbered alike. The finger 5 however which is situated above the paper is
provided with a spring 5ª to lift it off the paper until pressure is put thereon by
the tappet 8. The numbering wheels are inked from inking pads or rollers 13
carried by loose shafts 14 which may be supported by adjusting screws 15. The
roller 13 beneath the paper is shewn in Fig. 2 as wide enough to ink the faces of
both numbering wheels 1. 1. In some cases I may dispense with the fingers and
cause the tappets or parts corresponding thereto to act directly upon the paper.
The eccentric gears 2, 2, operate the parts through the train of wheels 2º, 2º
and 2° (Fig. 3), the latter being on the shaft of the numbering wheel 1 which is
above the paper so that the gear 4 of said wheel is driven and operates in turn the
gear 3 and by means of the intermediate gear 16 the gears 3 and 4 of the other
numbering mechanism.
By employing the eccentric gears I obtain a certain margin for adjustment of
the surface speed of the printing wheels so that at the moment of printing, such
wheels will have the same speed as the speed of the paper while when not engaged
in printing the wheels are given a rapid revolution to bring the next number into
position. In the position of the eccentric gears shewn in Fig. 1 the printing
wheels are given their slowest movement for the purpose of printing and I am able
to obtain the requisite margin for adjustment of the speed of the printing wheels by
a slight movement of the eccentric wheels on their shafts to the right and left of
their direct line of contact with each other such line being shewn in Fig. 1.
By this arrangement I am able to employ printing wheels of a much larger
diameter than heretofore possible with a wheel making a complete revolution or
nearly a complete revolution at each printing and to secure such an adjustment as
will allow for wear of the parts of the machine or printing wheels, or for the
varying surface speeds of differing thicknesses of paper.
To take up the slack of the gears and to hold the numbering wheels at the
moment of printing I employ a brake which may consist of an eccentric 17 on one
of the shafts such as the shaft of the wheel 2, such eccentric having a cord 18 or
the like attached to a strap round same the cord being carried to one end of a
pivoted bar 19 from the other end of which a second cord 18 passes and is given a
turn around the shaft of one of the numbering wheels 1 or round a pulley 20 on
same and is then secured to some fixed point such as 21.
The eccentric will thus tighten the cord and brake the numbering shaft at
regular intervals leaving said shaft free to rotate between same.
By employing a printing wheel of larger diameter I may even dispense with the

page_text: arrangement whereby the numbers are placed in two lines as shewn in Fig. 3ª and.
place all the numbers in a single line, for which purpose I increase the eccentricity
of the gears 2. 2 and do not require the arrangement shewn for shifting the bar 6.
This is a case in which the tappets or the like may act directly upon the paper.
Suppose in such a case the printing were to be from 1 to 50 the numbering
wheels 3. 4 would have respectively. 49 and 50 teeth each and if the numbering
were to be from 1 to 100 the number of teeth would be 99 and 100 respectively.
The printing cylinder 22 Figs. 1, 4, 5, 6, may carry a number of plates so that
rapid printing may be effected and the inking of such plates is effected through
a train of inking rollers an arrangement of which is illustrated in Figs. 4 to 7. In
these figures there are two inking rollers 23 Fig. 6 which receive ink from a dis-
tributing roller 24 around the periphery of which are arranged rolls 25, 25 having
a reciprocating motion across the face of same. The distributing roller 24 receives
ink from an idler roller 26 which is moved to and fro between the faces of the
distributing roller and a roller 27 working in the ink fountain 28. To effect the
movement of the idler roller 26 its spindle is carried at one end in a curved or
eccentric slot 29 in a disc 30 loosely mounted on the spindle 31 of the ink fountain
roller 27 such slot being on a radius struck from a different centre to the centre of
the disc. The other end of the spindle of the roller 26 is carried in a similar slot
in a segmental plate 30 similarly loosely mounted on the spindle 31 the plate 30*
and disc 30 being connected by rods 32. The disc is operated by a link 33 from
an eccentric 34 on a shaft 35 the link being attached to a strap piece 36 carrying
friction rollers 37 against which the eccentric works so that an up and down motion
is given to the link 33. The disc also carries (loosely hung on the same stud as
the link 33 is attached to) a weighted pawl 38 which engages with a ratchet
wheel 39 and so slowly rotates the ink fountain roller 27. The idler roller 26
when in one position in the slot 29 is in contact with the roller 27 and when at the
other end of the slot as shewn in dotted lines Fig. 6 is in contact with the dis-
tributing roller 24. The reciprocating distributing rollers 25, 25 are operated
from a crank 40 carried by the disc which rocks a shaft 41 on which is a tee
head 42 carrying studs 43 engaging with grooves on the spindles of the reciprocating
rollers 25 so that said rollers which are carried loosely in bearings are slid to and
fro. To prevent the roller 27 from rotating the pawl 38 may be put out of gear
by means of a hook 44 engaging with a pin 45 on the weighted portion 38" of the
pawl 38. The idler roller, ink fountain, and roller may be moved to and from
the distributing roller so as to regulate the amount of ink carried over.
After the printing if desired the paper 7 may pass beneath suitable perforating
wheels 46 shown at the left hand end of Figs. 8 and 9 and from thence to a folding
and cutting off apparatus. This consists of a sloping triangular frame or folding
table 47 Figs. 8 and 9 the apex of which is situated near the upper part of a pair
of vertical guide rollers 48. The paper 7 as it passes onto the frame is drawn down
the sides as will be seen by the dotted lines so as to fold same gradually and the
folded strip so produced passes between the guide rollers 48 and between a pair of
adjustable vertical rollers 49 or in place thereof it may be a roller 49 and discs 50
mounted on a shaft 51 one of the rollers (or as shown the shaft 51) being driven by
spur gearing 52 from a shaft 53, the discs on the shaft 51 being in contact with the
roller 49 (or similar discs on another shaft) so that both a folding and a drawing
action is obtained on the paper between them the latter acting to pull the paper
through the apparatus. To keep the rollers or discs in contact with each other or
rather with the paper between them one of them is carried between arms 54 pivoted
to the framework and drawn forward by means of a spring 55. The frame is
deeply slotted where the roller passes through so that the rollers may be opened
widely to pass the paper through and the guide rollers 48 may also be opened in
the same way or they may be lifted from their seats. These rollers or discs may
have their peripheries so shaped that they touch the paper only on either the
extreme edges or on the unprinted spaces so that there is no danger of smudging
the freshly printed paper and where discs are employed they are preferably

page_text: adjustable vertically on the shafts for 'the same purpose-as well as to take diffèrent
widths of paper.
Beyond the folding rollers are métal strips 59, which act as guides to introduce
the paper to the knife or knives such strips "Being: secured to the distance
pieces '60, 60.
On the other side of the guides is the cut off knife which consists of a blade 56
arranged in the form of a part of a spiral and in a slanting position such blade
rotating continuously by means of the spur gear 57: and working against a fixed-
blade or strip 58. arranged in a slanting position and having a backing strip_58ª
the spiral arrangement of the knife enabling. the folded paper to be cut off while
travelling:
After the paper 'has passed bettxeen "the 'knives' but before it.is severed by same
it passes between a pair of rollers (or, a roller "49* and discs -50° on a shaft 51*)
situated at the rear of the Knife which 'draw it away after it has been cut. The
roller 49 is carried by a single pivoted arm.54ª and moves in a slot '61 in the frame
below, a light spring "62 attached to the arm 54" serving to draw the rollér 49ª
towards the discs 50. The shaft 51 is driven by: gearing 52.
The folded and cut off sheets upon emerging from the last rolls are knocked away
by means of loose 'flyer arms' 63 hung on horizontal rods from a plate disc or arins 64
driven by spur gearing 65 from a shaft 66 driven 'by gears 67 from the shaft 53
such arms knocking the sheets into a receptacle '68.
The folding frame or table '47 may be enlarged so as to be adapted to different
widths of 'paper by means of adjustable ear pieces 70 which inay be removed and
changed as desired and means may be provided for adjusting the table in various
directions so that the paper travels correctly over same. One means of adjustably
holding the table may consist of the screws or bolts 69 which are screwed into or
bolted on 'the stipporting frame '69.
In the case of a machine having, an intermittent motion a plain knife 71.
Fig. 10 hung or pivoted to links 72, 72. and working against an edge 73" may be.
employed such ksife being reciprocated at intervals in some suitable way such as-
by a'cord so as to cut off when the paper is stationary. As shown in Fig. 10 two
knives are employed to cut off two webs of paper, and it will be seen that said
knives are withdrawn from the cutting edges by springs 74. Arms 76 are employed
to knock away the cut off sheets, and guide arms '77 to keep the knives close to the
cutting edges.
In such a machine to prevent the necessity of moving the folding and cutter.off
apparatus nearer to and further from the printing machine so as to provide for the
cut off coming at the proper place the paper before reaching the folding apparatus
may be carried over or under an adjustable roller by which the length of travel of
the paper may be varied.
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 a printing machine the arrangement of numbering wheel or wheels, devices
for taking an impression therefrom and means for operating the parts substantially
as and for the purpose described.
2. In a printing machine a numbering wheel or wheels, gears of the same..pitch
but having an unequal number of teeth for driving, same and means 'for:operating
the gears substantially as and for the purpose described.
3. In a printing machine a numbering wheel or wheels driving mechanism
consisting of eccentric gears and gears of the same pitch but having an unequal
number of teeth, and mechanism for taking an impression from the wheel or wheels
substantially as and for the purpose described.
4. The employment with the mechanism set forth in the preceding claims.of a
brake to take up the slack of the gears- and hold the numbering wheels at the.
moment of printing, substantially as described.

page_text: 5. In a printing machine an ink fountain an ink roller, an idler roller, and a
distributing roller, and means for moving the idler roller eccentrically between the
ink roller and the distributing roller substantially as described.
6. The employment with the mechanism set forth in the preceding claim of
reciprocating rollers working on the distributing roller, and means for operating
same substantially as described.
7. In a printing machine a paper folding table constructed and arranged
substantially as described.
8. In a printing machine a spiral knife arranged in a slanting position and
operating upon a suitable fixed blade or part for the purpose of cutting a travelling
web of paper substantially as described.
9. In a printing machine and in combination an adjustable paper folding table,
rollers or the like for drawing the paper over said table, a spiral cutting off knife
arranged in a slanting position and means for supporting and drawing off the cut off
sheets substantially as described.
10. The combination with a cutting off mechanism of the rotating flyer arms
constructed and arranged substantially as described.
11. The combination with a folding table as described in Claim 7 of a cutting
off apparatus consisting of a reciprocating knife pivoted to links means for operating
same in one direction and a spring for withdrawing it in the other direction
substantially as described.
12. The constructions and arrangements of mechanism constituting the improve-
ments in and connected with printing machinery substantially as described and
illustrated in the drawings.
Dated this 11th day of May 1895.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agent,
For the Applicant.