Improvements in and connected with the Ink Distribution Apparatus of Printing Machines.
Year: 1899

page_text: .J.
1.
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Date of Application, 6th Apr., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 5th Jan., 1900-Accepted, 24th Feb., 1900."
Improvements in and connected with the Ink Distribution Apparatus
of Printing Machines..
"de
I, FREDERICK PAYNE, of the Firm of Payne and Sons, of Atlas Works, Otley,
in the County of York, Printers' Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
--
1.
This invention. refers to printing machines, and comprises an improved
arrangement and combination of rollers, or "nesting" of rollers, for breaking.
up and equalising, or securing equal distribution of the ink or coloring matter
previous to its deposit upon the inking slab. The object of my improvements
is to ensure a more equal and level distribution of ink or coloring matter than
has heretofore been obtained, whereby a lighter or more attenuated film is
deposited on the inking slab from which better results will follow in printing,
and less time be occupied in drying the sheets after receiving the impression;
the distributing apparatus being maintained in constant motion while, the
machine is at work so that liability of the ink to cake or dry on the surface of
the rollers is minimised.
In carrying out my invention I employ the ordinary inking roller, taking its
charge of ink from the ink fountain, and the duct roller which is intermittently
brought into contact with the inking roller for receiving a supply of ink for
delivery to the distribution apparatus. The distribution apparatus consists,
according to my invention, of two triumvirate sets or nests of rollers, each set
comprising two distributing rollers adapted to have contact with the inking
slab, and a driven rider or metal roller journalled in bearings above said
distributing rollers and having surface contact with each roller of its respective
pair of distributing rollers. Intermediate of the two driven "riders" and
having surface contact with each is a connecting roller of larger diameter which
forms the connection between the two sets of rollers or nests of rollers. The
duct roller is mounted in bearings in side levers which are actuated by the
machine to remove the said roller from contact with the inking roller and
bring it into surface contact with the "rider" of the first set or triumvirate
of rollers, on the inking slab passing clear of the distribution apparatus to
convey the ink to the inking rollers for transference to the "forme" and it is
maintained in contact with said "rider" until the inking slab returns to take a
fresh supply of ink when it is moved out of contact with the "rider" and into
contact with the ink roller again to receive another charge of ink therefrom.
said duct roller remaining in contact with the ink roller until the slab again
passes clear of the distribution apparatus. The "rider" of the first set or
triumvirate of rollers takes the ink from the duct roller (when they are in
surface contact) and transfers it to the distribution rollers in said first set and.
through the medium of the connecting roller, to the second "rider" of the
second set or nest of rollers which in turn receive the ink from said "rider."

page_text: Thus in its transference from roller to roller by peripheral contact, the ink is
thoroughly broken up and equally distributed over the surfaces of the rollers
and is transferred in this condition by the distribution rollers to the inking
slab. Instead of the distribution rollers being arranged diagonally of the
machine or inking slab as heretofore, they are placed at right angles or straight
and lineable with the other rollers and, in addition to being driven rotatively
by frictional contact with their respective "riders," they receive a reciprocatory
endwise or lateral motion by means of levers actuated by eccentrics or the like
set at different centres, so that the endwise motion of each distribution roller
is a little in advance of or behind that of the adjacent rollers and materially
assists in breaking up and distributing the ink.
The driven riders" have their motion reversed correspondingly to the direc-
tion of traverse of the ink slab so that the whole series or nests of rollers are
maintained in constant motion and the distribution rollers driven at the same
surface speed as the ink slab and in the same direction.
By the arrangement and combination of rollers as above set forth, I take a
charge of ink from the duct roller and distribute it over the several rollers
during the time the ink slab is moved forward to transfer the ink to the inking
rollers, whereby, on the return of the slab a thoroughly broken and equally
distributed charge of ink is transferred from the distribution apparatus to the
slab each time it advances under and retreats from said distribution apparatus.
The aforesaid "nesting" of the distributing rollers is employed for the finer
class of printing but, in order that the machine may be used for coarser work
not requiring such nicety of distribution I provide second oscillatory levers in
which the duct roller may be journalled and brought thereby intermittently
first into contact with the ink roller and then into contact with the ink slab
whereby the ink is transferred direct from the said ink roller to the slab. The
"riders" in this case are disconnected but the distribution rollers may remain.
In addition to the advantages above named, the herein described arrangement
and combination of ink distribution apparatus considerably reduces the waste of
ink and increases the life of the rollers.
TASKER & CROSSLEY,
Patent Agents, Halifax, Agents for Applicant.
Improvements in and connected with the Ink Distribution Apparatus
of Printing Machines.
I, FREDERICK PAYNE, of the Firm of Payne and Sons, of Atlas Works, Otley,
in the County of York, Printers' Engineers, 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 refers to printing machines and comprises an improved arrange-
ment and combination of rollers or nesting" of rollers, for breaking up and.
equalising, or securing equal distribution of, the ink or colouring matter
previous to its deposit upon the inking slab, the object of my improvements
being to ensure a more equal and level distribution of ink or colouring matter
than has heretofore been obtainable, whereby a lighter or more attenuated
film will be deposited upon the inking slab from which better results will
follow in printing, and less time be occupied in drying the sheets after receiving
the impression. The distribution apparatus is also maintained in constant

page_text: motion while the machine. is at work and therefore minimises the liability of
the ink caking or drying on the surface of the rollers.
According to my invention the improved combined distribution apparatus
consists of two triumvirate sets or nests of rollers, each set or nest comprising
two distributing rollers adapted to have contact with the inking slab, and a
driven rider or metal roller having surface contact with each roller of its
respective pair of distributing rollers.
"
Intermediate of the two driven riders" and having surface contact with each
is a connecting roller of larger diameter which forms the connection between
the two sets or nests of rollers. Ink is supplied to the rider" of the first set
or triumvirate of rollers by a duct roller which is moved up to and held in
contact with said rider as the inking slab travels close of the distribution
apparatus to the inking rollers and back again and is then moved back into
contact with the ink roller to obtain a fresh charge of ink. The ink
taken up by the rider" named while in surface contact with the duct roller
is transferred to the distribution rollers of the corresponding set and also, through
the medium of the connecting roller, to the second rider of the second set
or nest of rollers which in turn receive ink from said rider." Thus in its
transference from roller to roller by peripheral contact, the ink is thoroughly
broken up and equally distributed over the surfaces of the rollers and is trans-
ferred in this condition to the inking slab.
In the accompanying drawings:-
"
Fig. 1 is sectional elevation of my improved combined ink distribution
apparatus and parts connected therewith, as applied to a printing machine;
and
Fig. 2 is end elevation of a part of Fig. 1 shewing one of the levers and
arrangement of eccentrics for imparting a reciprocatory transverse or endwise
motion to the distributing rollers.
Referring to the drawings, letter a represents a fragment of the framework of
the machine, 6 the ink fountain supported by the brackets or pedestals a¹ secured
to the top of the framework; e the inking roller journalled in bearings in
brackets or pedestals a', and d the duct roller carried in bearings in side levers d¹
mounted and secured on cross shafts which is actuated by the machine to
intermittently bring the duct roller into contact with the inking roller c to
receive a supply of ink and then into contact with a roller of the distribution
apparatus (hereafter described) to transfer the ink thereto, the above parts
being ordinary and well known.
The distribution apparatus which forms the subject of my invention, consists
of two triumvirate sets or nests of rollers each set comprising two distributing
rollers e, e, and f, f. adapted to have contact with the inking slab and a driven
"rider" or thin metal roller and h respectively.
The distributing rollers are mounted in bearings at each side of the machine
somewhat as ordinarily, but instead of being placed diagonally across the
machine as heretofore, they are arranged at right angles and lineable or parallel
with the other rollers, said distributing rollers being driven rotatively by
frictional contact with their respective "riders" g and h, and in addition receiv-
ing a reciprocatory endwise or transverse motion by means of levers i ful-
crummed on a stud or shaft ; and reciprocated or oscillated by eccentrics k
which are secured on a driven shaft and engage the forked lower ends of the
levers i, whose upper ends enter and engage with the sides of annular grooves in
collars or bosses m secured on the ends of the distributing roller shafts.
The eccentrics k are set at different centres on shaft 7 (see Fig. 2) in order
that the endwise motion of each distribution roller shall be a little in advance
of or behind that of the adjacent roller or rollers. The "riders"
g and h are
journalled in bearings above the distributing rollers e, e, and f, f, and have
surface contact with each roller of their respective pairs of distributing rollers.
i

page_text: Motion is imparted to said "riders" by mitre or other gearing from over or
under the reciprocating table, or inking slab o.
Intermediate of the two driven riders" y, h, and resting thereon so as to
have surface contact with each, is a connecting roller n which forms the connec-
tion between and joins together the two triumvirate sets or nests of rollers e, e, g.
and f, f, h. The distribution rollers e, e, f, f, and the connecting roller n are
preferably composed of composition.
During the time the inking slabo is in contact with the distributing
rollers e, e, f, f, in its endwise traverse under said rollers in the direction of
the arrow, and then back again in the opposite direction to take a charge of
ink from the distribution apparatus, the duct roller d is held in contact with
the inking roller c as shewn in full line in Fig. 1, to receive its charge of ink,
but immediately the inking slab o passes away clear of the distribution apparatus,
the cross shaft & is turned partly round in its bearings by the usual mechanism
thereby moving the duct roller out of contact with the inking roller and into
contact with the near rider. g' as indicated in dotted lines. The duct roller
remains in contact with "rider" while the inking slab is travelling to and
under the inking rollers (which transfer the ink to the "frame") and back to
the distribution apparatus on reaching which said duct roller is moved out of
contact with "rider" g and again placed in contact with the inking roller c.
When the duct roller is in contact with the "rider" g, the latter takes up the
ink from the former and transfers it to its pair of distributing rollers e, e, and
also, through the medium of connecting roller n, to the second "rider" h,
which in turns gives ink to its pair of distributing rollers f, f. Thus in its
transference from roller to roller through both sets or
nests" of rollers by
rolling peripheral contact one with the other, the ink or colouring matter is
thoroughly broken up and equally distributed over the surfaces of the distribut-
ing rollers which transfer it in this condition to the inking slab o each time it
travels under same.
The driven 6
riders"
g, h, have their motion reversed correspondingly to
the direction of traverse of the inking slab so that all the rollers comprising
the distribution apparatus are maintained in constant motion and the dis-
tributing rollers e, e, f, f, driven at the same surface speed as the ink slab and
in the same direction.
By the arrangement and combination of the rollers as above set forth I take a
charge of ink from the duct roller and distribute it over the several rollers
during the time the ink slab is moving forward into the machine to transfer
the ink to the inking rollers and back again, whereby on the slab returning
under the distributing rollers, a thoroughly broken and equally distributed or
level charge or film of ink is transferred from the distributing rollers to the slab
as it rides under and retreats therefrom, this level and equally distibuted
charge of ink or colouring matter being of considerable importance for obtaining
the best results in the finer examples of printing, while, for set off purposes,
that is to say, in printing on both sides of the paper or sheet, the attenuated or
finely spread ink dries so quickly that the opposite side of the paper can be printed
on much sooner than is possible at present, therefore saving valuable time and
expediting the work. When the distribution apparatus is applied to "perfecting"
machines the "set off" is reduced to a minimum.
The aforesaid combined distribution apparatus also reduces the waste of ink
or colouring matter and increase the life of the rollers.
a
In order to admit of machines fitted with my improved distribution apparatus
being employed for coarser work not. requiring the same nicety of distribution
of the ink or colouring matter necessary in the finer class of work, I provide
second cross shaft p having secured thereon side levers p¹ in the ends of which
the duct roller d, reinoved from the levers ¹, can be jourṇalled and by the
oscillation of shaft 2 brought intermittently first into contact with the ink
roller c and then into contact with the ink slab o whereby the ink will be trans-

page_text: "
ferred direct from said ink roller to the slab. The "riders g, h, in this case
may, if desired, be disconnected but the distributing rollers can be left in
position.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
(1) In ink or colour distribution apparatus of printing machines the combina-
tion of triumvirate sets or
"nests
of rollers comprising in each set a pair of
distributing rollers adapted to have surface contact with the ink slab when
traversed thereunder, and a "rider" or metal roller having surface contact
with each roller of its corresponding pair of distributing rollers, and a connecting
roller intermediate of or located in the angle between the triumvirate sets or
nests "of rollers and having surface contact with the "riders" of cach set
for transferring ink or colouring matter from one rider in one set to the
rider
in the adjacent set, substantially as shewn and described and for
purposes set forth.
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(2) In printing machines the combination, with the ink roller c and an
intermittently oscillated duct roller d, of two pairs of ink distributing
rollers e, e, f, f, arranged at right angles to the direction of traverse of the ink
slab, driven riders g, h, having surface contact with each respective pair of
distributing rollers and driving same by frictional contact, a connecting roller n
having surface contact with the "riders" g, h, and rotated thereby, and the
means for imparting an endwise reciprocatory motion to the distribution rollers
preferably one in advance of the other, all arranged and operating in the manner
and for the purposes substantially as herein shewn and described.
Dated this 4th day of January 1900
TASKER & CROSSLEY,
Patent Agents, Huddersfield, Agents for Applicant.