Improvements in Printing Machines.
Year: 1890

page_text: Improvements in Printing Machines.
1, CALVERT BARON COTTRELL of No. 20 Elm Street, Westerly, in the County of
Washington and State of Rhode Island, United States of America, Manufacturer,
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 is more especially applicable to that class of printing machines known
as "perfecting machines." The improvement relates to an automatically shifting
tympan employed on an impression cylinder and more especially on the second
impression cylinder of a perfecting machine, the object being generally the prevention
or reduction of the tendency to what is known as set off or transfer of ink from
the tympan on to the printed sheet while the latter is receiving its second impression.
The automatically shifting tympans heretofore employed in cylinder printing
machines have been shifted a short distance during every revolution of the
impression cylinder to which they are applied, but according to the present invention
the desired effect is much better accomplished by allowing the tympan to remain
stationary relatively to its cylinder during several revolutions of the cylinder and then
shifting it at once the whole distance necessary to present an entirely fresh and clean
portion of the tympan on the exterior of the cylinder.
I will now proceed to describe my invention with reference to the accompanying
drawings in which,
Figure 1 of the drawings represents a longitudinal vertical section of an impression
cylinder and parts of the framing of a printing machine and of the devices and
appurtenances belonging thereto involved in my.
Figure 2 represents an end view of the cylinder and a vertical section of those parts
which are attached to the framing, taken in the line x, x of Figure 1, as viewed from
the right side of that Figure.
Figure 3 represents a transverse vertical section of the cylinder and its appurtenances
taken in the line y. y of Figure 1, looking from the right of that Figure, and also
showing in dotted outline certain parts, the position of which is outside of said
lines Y, Y.
Figure 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the gearing through which the
shifting of the tympan is effected by the rotary motion of the cylinder.
Figure 5 is a view corresponding with part of Figure 1 but on a larger scale.
Figures 6 and 7 are diagrams representing the principal parts of two different kinds
of perfecting presses, and illustrating the application of my invention to each.
Figure 8 represents the same end of the cylinder as is shown in figure 2 and
illustrates a modification of a portion of the tympan shifting mechanism.
Figure 9 is a sectional view at right angles to Figure 8 of some of the details of
that figure.
Similar letters and numbers of reference designate corresponding parts in all the
figures.
A, Figures 1, 2, 3, 8, designates the impression cylinder, for example the second
mpression cylinder of any perfecting machine, the shaft A¹ of said cylinder having
ts bearings in boxes A', supported in the stationary side frames B, (Figure 1) of the
machine. This cylinder is represented as having tympans c in four sections each of
which will be hereinafter referred to as a shifting tympan, each covering a portion of
he circumference of the cylinder included between two longitudinal openings corre-
ponding with the number of tympans c.
Each of these tympans c consists of a roll of paper nearly as wide as the cylinder
nd of a length many times what is required to cover one of the divisions of the
ylinder between two openings e. One end of the roll is fastened to a roller d, and
D... 117

page_text: the other end to a roller j, there being two such rollers for every tympan, the said
rollers which may be termed the tympan rollers being within the cylinder and their
journals having bearings d¹, j', provided for them in the heads of the cylinder, and
the roll of paper being capable of being unrolled from one roll and rolled on to the
other. Between the said rollers d, j, each tympan runs from the roller d over a rod a,
supported in the cylinder heads, thence through one opening of the cylinder over
the circumference of the cylinder to the next of said openings'e over a rod or roller g,
arranged in said opening thence over and between the feed rollers h, i, which have
their bearings h¹, ¹, in the cylinder heads, and thence to the roller j. The tympan
roller j, which may be called the take-up rolier, as the roll is taken up by it from the
roller for the shifting of the tympan surface outside of the cylinder, is geared at
each end with the feed roller h, by friction rollers k, l, and the said roller is furnished
inside of the cylinder, with a ratchet wheel which is engaged by a spring-actuated
pawl, attached to one of the cylinder heads for the purpose of retaining the portion
of the tympane wound upon said roller. On one end of the tympan roller d which
may be termed the delivery roller, there is within the cylinder a ratchet wheel'd²,
which at all times except during the unwinding of the roll from the said roller is
engaged by a pawl d³, which forms part of a small lever working on a fulcrum pin d',
secured in one of the cylinder heads. The ends of the-roll of paper may be fastened
to the rollers d and j, by hooks, clamps or other suitable means.
One end of the shaft of each feed roller h of the tympan projects ontwards some
distance beyond the corresponding end of the cylinder as shown in Figure 1 and also
in Figure 5, and the so projecting part has loosely fitted to it a spur gear s,
the
elongated hubs of which (see Figure 5) is fitted to turn freely in a sleeve, on the
exterior of which is a screw-thread of rapid pitch which is fitted to a corresponding
female screw-thread in a bushing p, which is secured by screws p¹, into an annular
plate A, which is secured to the cylinder concentric therewith by stud bolts a¹. The
spur gear &, has firmly secured to it one-half of a ratchet clutch t, the other half of
which is secured to the shaft of the roller h. Firmly secured upon the outer end of
the screw-threaded sleeve o is a lever n, having two armis of equal length and having
on one arm an antifriction roller m, and on the other arm an antifriction roller m'.
S designates a spur gear, shown dotted in Figure 2 and in section in Figure 1,
concentric with the cylinder but stationary at that end of the cylinder on which the
gears s are situated. This gear consists of a ring held by brackets C', which are
secured to any convenient portion of one of the side frames B, as for instance the
cylinder box. The several gears s belonging to the several tympans are always in
gear with this stationary gear C, in readiness to drive the tympan rollers, for
shifting the tympans by the revolution of said gears around the stationary gear C,
but the shifting of the tympans is only effected while the clutch t is in gear, the said
gears running loose upon the shafts of their rollers at all other times.
D and E are two spur gears concentric with the cylinder arranged close together
on the same side thereof as the spur gear C. The outer spur gear D consists simply
of a toothed ring which is held stationary by being secured to parts of the same
brackets C¹, which support the gear (). The gear E is fitted to turn loosely on the
adjacent cylinder head and its own hub E' projects through the outer gear or toothed
ring D, as shown in Figures 2 and 4. The gears D and E are approximately of the
same pitch but the gear D has one more tooth than the gear E. In the example
represented the gear D is supposed to have eighty teeth and the gear E to have.
seventy-nine. Both of these gears gear with a spur gear F, (see Figures 2 and 4)
-which-turus loosely on a stud F1, secured in the cylinder head.
U designates a bent lever which hangs on a fixed fulcrum consisting of a stud
bolt v, (see Figures 1 and 2) secured in a convenient part of the side frame B, on the
same side of the machine as that on which the levers n are situated. This lever is
shown fully in Figure 2 and in section in Figure 1. It has upon one arm an off-
set w, (see Figure 2) which constitutes a movable cam surface for acting as herein-
after described on the rollers m on the inner ends of the levers n, and the extremity u*
of the said arm is capable of engagement with either of two books, 20, 21, on the.

page_text: lower arm of an elbow lever W, hereinafter termed the trip-lever which works on
a fulcrum consisting of a stud bolt 19, secured in the side frame and the other
arm of which is furnished with an antifriction roller 10, to be operated upon by
a stud 9, which projects from the hub E¹ of the spur gear E. The outer end of
the lever U is furnished with an antifriction roller u¹ to be operated upon by a
cam H (see Figure 2) secured to the adjacent end of the cylinder. The cam
lever U has applied to it a pushing spring w, which takes its bearing against one
of the brackets C', for the purpose of pushing it outwards as far as permitted by
the hook 20 or 21, of the elbow lever W which may be at any time engaged
with the extremity of the cam lever. The trip lever W is connected with one
of the brackets by a pulling spring Y to keep it in engagement with the
extremity of the cam lever U, as shown in Figure 2. On the same side of the
machine as the levers U and W, but on the opposite side of the axis of the cylinder
there is secured to the side frame, a stationary cam N for acting as hereinafter
described on the rollers m', at the outer ends of the levers n. The purpose of
the cam lever U, the levers n the screw-threaded sleeve o, the trip lever W, the
stud 9, the gears D, E F and the cam H is the throwing of the clutches into
gear at the proper time to produce the shifting of the tympans after a certain
number of revolutions of the cylinder has been made and afterwards to throw tho
said clutches out of gear to leave the shafts of the rollers free from the gears s
as will be hereinafter described.
I have hereinbefore described a ratchet wheel on each of the tympan rollers d
and a pawid for engaging the same. This pawl d³ requires to be thrown out of
gear from its respective ratchet wheel prior to the operation of shifting the tympan.
For the purpose of throwing this pawl out of gear with its ratchet, it is connected
with the outer end of its respective lever n by means which I will now describe with
reference to Figures 2 and 3.
11 is a rod connecting the outer end of the lever n with one arm 12 of a rock-
shaft 13, which is supported in the ring A, and the adjacent cylinder head, another
arm 14, of the said rock-shaft being connected by a rod 15 with the outer end of the
pawl lever. For the purpose of keeping this pawl in gear at all times but when
the pawl is intended to be thrown out of gear with its ratchet wheel there is coiled
round its respective rod 11, a spring 16 one end of which has a bearing a fixed
guide 17, secured to the ring A', the other end of which bears against a collar 18, on
the said rod. This spring 16, while strong enough to hold the pawl in gear until it
is required to be thrown out is not strong enough to overcome the friction between
the bushing p and the screw-threaded sleeve to which the said lever
n, is attached.
In order to provide for the insertion of the tympan rollers d and j into the cylinder
and their removal therefrom with the roll of paper which serves as the shifting
tympans the bearings d¹ and 11, for the said rolls are not made directly in the cylinder
heads but in cap pieces which are fitted to openings G' provided in the cylinder
heads, the said openings being large enough to permit the insertion of the said rollers
and the roll of paper through the cylinder heads. Each opening G' is represented of
a size and form to admit the roller d of one tympan and the roller ; to the next
tympan. The cap plates G are of skeleton form having openings in them large
enough to admit the arms of the attendants for the purpose of making ready the
tympans for printing.
Before describing the operation of shifting the tympan I will mention that the
blanket which is represented under the tympan in dotted lines in Figure 3 may be
attached to one end of the rod a, hereinbefore mentioned as one of the guides for the
tynipan and at the other end to a rod b, which is supported in the cylinder heads.
The operation of shifting the tympan is as follows:-
The shifting tympan having been put on each section of the cylinder as described, the
extremity u of the cam lever N is brought into the inner hook 20, of the trip lever W
in which position the movable cam u will be out of the way of the rollers m of the
levers n, the said levers being then in such position that the screw threads on their
surface hold the clutches t out of gear keeping the feed rollers h, out of gear from the

page_text: spur gears s.
When the levers are in this position their rollers m' are in such position
that they will not strike the stationary cam N in their rotation with the cylinder. The
press being then started the cylinder revolves in the direction of the arrow 23, shown
in Figures 2 and 3. The gear F revolving with the cylinder in gear with the
stationary gear D, and the loose gear E causes the latter to turn slowly in the
opposite direction to the cylinder at the rate of one tooth for each revolution of
the cylinder. After a certain number of revolutions have been made, the gear E is
turned until the stud 9, on its hub comes in contact with the roller 10, on the trip
lever W and moves the said lever so far that its inner or upper hook 20, slips from
under the extremity u*, of the cam lever H, and allows the said cam lever to be forced
outward by the spring into the outer or lower hook 21, as shown in Figure 2 and then
when the portion of a tympan which is exposed on the surface of the cylinder is clear
from the web of printed paper the roller m on its respective lever n comes in contact
with the movable cam u of the lever U, and the said lever n is turned in the direction
of the arrow 24 shown in the lower part of Figure 2. This movement of the lever n,
operating through the rod 11, and through the connections hereinbefore described
between the said rod 11 and the pawl d³ liberates the ratchet wheel d². At the same
time the screw-threaded sleeve o, turning with the lever n to which it is attached is
caused to be screwed inwards in its bushing p and so to push the gears and the portion
of the ratchet clutch thereto attached into gear with the other portion of the said clutch
on the friction roller k. The said gear s is always turned while the cylinder revolves
and when the ratchet clutch comes into gear, the feed roller h turns with the said gear
and the feed roller i turns with it by the friction of the tympans between them. The
take-up roller is at the same time turned by the friction between the friction
wheels k and land thus the tympan is drawn from the roll on the roller d and wound
upon the roller j. The feed rollers h and i turn sufficiently while the lever n of the
roller h, moves from under the cam u to a position near the cam N to move the
tympan in the direction of the circunference of the cylinder a distance about or
nearly equal to the distance between two openings e, e or about equal to the length of
the form in that direction and thus to present at one operation an entirely fresh and
clean portion of the tympan on the exterior of the cylinder. When the feed roller h
approaches the cam N, the roll m¹ on the lever n strikes the cam N and the lever n is
thus turned in such direction that the screw-threaded bushing o, to which it is attached
is screwed outwards in the bushing p and caused to ungear the clutch t and the
tympan then stops shifting. In the meantime the tympan on another section of the
cylinder included between two openings e, is shifting. When the several sections of
the cylinder comes in contact with the roll u¹ on the cam lever U and lifts the end u*
of the said lever into the upper or inner hook 20 of the trip lever W so that the roll m
on the lever n of the tympan will pass the said movable cam u without striking. Then
the cylinder makes a number of revolutions until the pin 9, again reaches the roller 10.
of the trip lever W when the cam lever U is again tripped and the shifting operation
is repeated. The number of revolutions thus made before the pin 9 again reaches the
roller 10 depends upon the number of teeth in the spur gears D, E. If it be desired
to shift not so often the gears D and E should have a larger number of teeth. The
frequency of the shifting may however, be increased by putting one or more additional
pins 9 in the hub E¹ of. the
gear E.
In some cases it may be desirable to provide for tripping the cam lever U by hand
to produce the shifting of the tympan at a desirable time. In such case instead of
arranging the trip lever W loosely on the fixed fulcrum 19, as shown and described.
with reference to Figure 2 1 fasten said lover-upon the inner end of a short arbor 19*.
as shown in Figures 8 and 9 which works in a fixed bearing provided in the cylinder
pocket or suitable portion of the adjacent side frame B, of the machine and on the
outer end of the said arbor which projects through the outside of the said side frame I
affix a small hand lever W₁ by which at the proper time the booked arm of the said
lever W may be operated to trip the cam lever in the same way as when automatically
tripped by the action of the stud 9, herein before described. In order to prevent the
trip lever from being moved farther than it is necessary to effect the tripping of the

page_text: cam lever, a stop is provided for the hand lever W₁. This stop x¹ is represented as
consisting of a pin secured in the outside of the side frame.
As it is necessary that the tripping should occur at the proper stage of the revolu-
tion of the cylinder as herein before described some means must be provided by which
the tripping at any other time is prevented and for this purpose I provide upon the
outside of the cylinder a flange or annular projection z (see Figure 8) which is con-
centric with the cylinder and the external circumference of which is slightly within
the radius of the outside of the cam H. This flange or projection z is in a position
for the roller u of the cam lever U to be just outside of it when the end of the said
lever is engaged by the hook 20 on the trip lever. The said flange or projection z is
not a complete circle but terminates on each side of the cam H, so as to leave two
openings H¹, H' between it and the said cam for the entrance of the roller u¹, on the
upper arm of the cam lever U.
The operation of tripping the cam lever by hand to produce the shifting of the
tympan is as follows;
The operator moves the hand lever W₁, in a direction and the proper distance to
throw out the hook 20, of the trip lever from the end of the cam lever, that is to say,
until it comes in contact with the stop . The cam u cannot, however, then move
outwards to its operative position until the space H', between the cam H and the
flange or projection z, arrives opposite the roller u¹, on the cam lever. The cam lever U
will then be permitted to move a little way in the direction to throw the cam u
outwards but the said lever will be thrown back by the cam H. The hand lever W'
must still be held against the stop pin xl, and when the space H', reaches the roller u³,
the said roller will pass through the said opening H', and within the inner circum-
ference of the flange z, during the continued rotation of which the said lever is held
with the cam u in the position for operating upon the levers n of the feed-rollers until
the several tympans have been shifted as herein before described when the cam H
comes into operation on the said roller u', and brings the cam lever back to the
position to be engaged by the hook 20, of the trip lever W, the operation of the
shifting being then completed. As soon as the operator sees the cam u thrown into
its operative position, he can release the hand lever W', which will be thrown back by
its spring Y after all the tympans have been shifted and the cam lever has been
returned by the cam H to the position to be engaged by the hook 20, of the trip
lever.
The herein before described means of providing for the tympan shifting mechanism
by hand may be used in the same machine with the automatic mechanism herein
first described for operating the trip lever W, or it may be used without the said
automatic mechanism.
:
As the roll of paper on the take-up roller j, increases in circumference, the move-
ment imparted to the said roller j, from the feed roller h, for the taking up of the
tympan as it is shifted by the said roller h, must be diminished, otherwise there
would be risk of tearing the tympan. It is to obviate this difficulty and to cause
the take-up roller to take up the tympan just as fast as is necessary that I employ
the friction gears k and 1, between the said rollers and j to drive the latter. These
friction gears are so proportioned that they will drive the take-up roller fast enough
when the said rollers is empty and as the quantity of paper rolled upon it increases a
slip occurs between the friction gears, but the take-up roller is always driven fast
enough to wind the tympan up tight.
The foregoing description of the construction and operation of my invention will,
I believe, be sufficient to enable those skilled in the art to apply it in any printing
machine to which its application may be desirable, but I have thought it proper here
to introduce the diagrams Figures 6 and 7.
Figure 6 shows two impression cylinders and two form cylinders, J being the
first form cylinder, K being the first impression cylinder, L being the second form
cylinder and A the second impression cylinder to which my invention is applied.
The roll of paper represented by dotted lines passes first against a guid roller M,
thence between the cylinders J and K and afterwards between the cylinders L and A.

page_text: 2. Figure 7. represents the application of my invention to a machine such as is
the subject-matter of United States Letters Patent of G. F. Taylor No. 336,673
.dated February 23rd, 1886. In this machine two impression cylinders are used in
combination with a reciprocating bed and single form, the impression being produced
from the same form on both sides of a sheet, first by one impression cylinder and
afterwards by the other, the paper being reversed between the two impression
cylinders. In this Figure O.is the first impression cylinder, P what is called the
carrying cylinder, Q what is called the reversing cylinder and A the second impression
cylinder to which my invention is applied.
2
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.
...First. The combination with the impression cylinder of a printing machine, of a
tympan which remains stationary during several revolutions of the cylinder, and
atomatic shifting mechanism for shifting the said tympan during a single revolution
far enough to present a new.portion of the tympan to the impression surface of the
cylinder which it covers; substantially as herein set forth.
Second. The combination with the impression cylinder of a printing machine, of a
shifting tympan which remains stationary during several successive revolutions of the
cylinder, and intermittently operating feed mechanism deriving motion from the
cylinder through one revolution thereof whereby the tympan is shifted far enough to
present a new portion of the tympan to the impression surface of the cylinder which
it covers, substantially as herein set forth.
Third. The combination with the impression cylinder of a printing machine, of two
tympam rollers within the said cylinder, a shifting tympan attached at its ends to
said tympan rollers, a feed roller within the cylinder interposed between the two
tympan rollers, and friction gears between the said feed roller and one of the said
tympan rollers whereby the latter is driven by said feed roller at the requisite velocity
to take up, the tympan as it is shifted by the said feed roller, substantially as herein
described.
Fourth. The combination with the impression cylinder of a printing machine, of
two tympan rollers within said cylinder of which one is a delivery roller and the other
a take-up roller, a shifting tympan attached at its ends to said rollers, a feed roller
for the tympan between said take-up and delivery rollers, a clutch on, the shaft of said
feed roller for driving the same, a ratchet wheel on said delivery roller, a pawl
engaging with said ratchet wheel and a connection substantially as herein described
between said clutch and said pawl whereby when the said clutch is thrown into gear
..with the said feed roller the said pawl is thrown out of gear with the said ratchet
wheel on the delivery roller, all substantially as herein described.
.
Fifth. The combination with the impression cylinder of a printing machine, of
two tympan rollers within the said cylinder, a shifting tympan attached to said rollers,
a feed roller between said tympan rollers, a clutch on the shaft of said feed roller
for driving the same, a lever on said clutch, and two cams and fixed supports for the
same outside of the cylinder in contact with which cams the said lever is brought by
the rotation of the said cylinder for the purpose of throwing the said clutch into and
out of gear with the shaft of said feed roller, substantially as and for the purpose
herein set forth.
Sixth. The combination with the impression cylinder of a printing machine, of a
shifting tympan applied to said cylinder, a feed roller the shaft of which works in
_bearings in the heads of said cylinder for shifting said tympans, a driving clutch one
member of which is fast on said shaft, a screw-threaded sleeve surrounding said shaft
and carrying the other member of said clutch, a screw-threaded bushing and a
bearing therefor carried by the cylinder, a lever attached to said screw-threaded
sleeve, and cams outside of said cylinder, the said cams being arranged within the
range of the revolution of said sleeve and lever with the cylinder, for the purpose of
producing the screwing of the said sleeve inward and outward from the bushing: to

page_text: produce the engagement and disengagement of the clutch, substantially as herein
described.
Seventh. The combination with the impression cylinder of a printing machine and
a shifting tympan thereon, of a feed roller within the said cylinder for shifting said
tympan, a clutch on the shaft of said feel roller for driving the same, a lever
connected with said clutch, a fixed cam support outside of said cylinder and a cam
attached to said support movable into and out of the range of the revolution of
said lever with the cylinder for the purpose of producing the operation of the clutch
at desired intervals of time, substantially as herein described.
Eighth. The combination with the impression cylinder of a printing machine and
a shifting tympan thereon, a feed roller in said cylinder for shifting said tympan,
and a driving clutch on the shaft of said roller, and a gear on the driving member of
said clutch and a stationary gear concentric with the cylinder with which the first
mentioned gear engages for shifting the tympan when said clutch is in gear,
substantially as herein described.
Ninth. The combination with the impression cylinder of a printing machine and
a tympan thereon, a feed roller in said cylinder for shifting said tympan, a driving
clutch on the shaft of said roller and a lever attached to said clutch for throwing it
into and out of gear, of the cam lever U and the trip lever W both having fixed
fulcrum supports, and the springs w, Y, applied to said levers, substantially as herein
described.
Tenth. The combination with the impression cylinder of a printing machine and a
shifting tympan thereon, à feed roller in said cylinder for shifting said tympan, a
driving clutch on the shaft of said roller and a lever attached to the said clutch for
throwing it into and out of gear, of the cam lever U, and the trip lever W, both
having fixed fulcrums, the springs w, Y, applied to said levers, the fixed gears D, and
loose gear E, both concentric with the cylinder, the gear F gearing with both of said
gears D, E, and the stud 9, on the said loose gear E, all substantially as and for the
purpose herein set forth.
Eleventh. The combination with the impression cylinder of and a shifting tympan
thereon, of the delivery roller d the take-up roller j, and the feed roller h, having
bearings in the ends of the said cylinder, the clutch t, on the shaft of said roller h,
and the lever n, attached to one member of said clutch for operating the same, the
ratchet wheel on said delivery roller, the pawl d for engaging the said ratchet
wheel, the rods 11, 15, and rock-shaft 12, 14 connecting said lever n, and pawl and
the spring 16, applied to said rod, all substantially as and for the purpose herein.
set forth.
Dated thin 9th 1 CA1 1900
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.