Improvement in Printing Machines.
Year: 1889

page_text: Improvement in Printing Machines.
1, HERBERT JOHN ALLISON, of 52 Chancery Lane, London, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention which has
been communicated to me from abroad by William Henry Morris, Frank Gould,
and George Winthrop Fairchild, Gentlemen, all of Oneonta, New York, and
William Henry Roberson, Gentleman, of Albany, New York, United States of
America, and in what manner the summe is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the complete machine as arranged for printing one
side of the paper.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the same on an enlarged scale.
Figure 3 is a plan view showing the relative positions of the inking-disks and
type-bed.
Figure 4 is a transverse vertical section of the machine at the line A A on Fig. 1.
Figure 5 is a similar section at the line B B on Fig. 1.
Figure 6 is a horizontal section, at the line CC on Fig. 5, showing the mechanism
for operating the cutting-knife.
Figure 7 is a vertical section through the type-bed and inking-disks, showing the
mechanism for rotating said disks.
Figure 8 is a perspective view of the type-bed removed from the machine.
Figure 9 is a similar view of the transverse-frame, showing the guide-grooves for
the type-bed and step-openings for receiving the spindles of the inking-disks.
Figure 10 is an enlarged side elevation of the rack and pinion for operating the
feed-roller.
Figure 11 is a horizontal section of the same at the line D D.
Figure 12 is an end view of the ratchet-wheel and pawl for operating the shaft
which drives the feed-rollers.
Figure 13 is a sectional view of said shaft at the line E.E on Fig. 12.
Figure 14 is a vertical section of a roll of paper as fixed in the machine, showing
the devices for holding the same and preventing it from rotating independently of
the supporting shaft.
Figure 15 is a plan view of the platen of the machine:
Figure 16 is a side elevation of part of the machine with attachment for rolling up
the printed sheet when the same is to be printed on both sides.
Figure 17 is a vertical section, at the line F F, of Fig. 16.
Figure 18 is a vertical section, at the line GG, of Fig. 2; and
Figures 19 and 20 are vertical sections, taken respectively at the lines H H
and II, of Fig. 2.
This invention relates to that class of printing-machines that are designed for
printing on paper taken from a roll, which, after being printed, may be cut into
sheets of any required size, all of said operations being performed automatically by
the machine; the especial object of the invention being to produce a printing-
machine that shall be capable of taking its impressions from ordinary type or
stereotype-plates in a very rapid manner and at the same time execute the work in a
good and legible form.
To carry out this invention a suitable frame is constructed-preferably of metal-
for carrying all the operative parts of the machine; the latter consist of a suitable
driving-shaft revolving in bearings on the opposite sides of said frame, said shaft
carrying a cam by which a vertically-reciprocating movement is given to the type-
bed, causing the type held on the latter to be brought into contact with a stationary
platen, or to impress said type on paper passing between it and said platen, at the
termination of each upward movement of said type-bed.

page_text: To effect the inking of the types before each impression, an inking-disk is placed
at each side of the machine, over which and the type-bed the inking-rollers pass,
traversing the surface of the type on each passage from one disk to the other, thereby
allowing an impression to be made after each passage of the inking-rollers in either
direction, and thereby avoiding the lost movement of drawing back the inking-rollers
incident to printing-machines having a single inking-disk. The inking-rollers are
caused to move from one inking-disk to the other by means of a pitman that is
connected to a crank fixed on a longitudinal shaft at one side of the machine; said
shaft being geared to the driving-shaft of the machine by means of bevel-gears that
are so proportioned that the inking-rollers will travel back-and-forth once for each
two complete revolutions of said driving-shaft, the machine making two impressions
to each revolution of the shaft which imparts motion to said rollers. To the oscillating-
arm which carries the inking-rollers there is connected a swinging-arm which operates
the pawls for rotating the inking-disks.
The mechanism for drawing the paper from the roll consists of a pair of inter-
mittently-rotating rollers between which the paper passes and to which motion is
imparted by a longitudinal shaft having the same rate of speed as the driving-shaft
of the machine; said longitudinal shaft being provided with an adjustable-crank
which is connected to a rack that gears into a pinion, the latter being attached to a
disk carrying a spring-pawl that is fitted to engage with a ratchet-wheel secured to
the shaft by which the foeding-rollers are rotated; the pawl and ratchet-wheel allows
the rack to make a stroke in one direction without imparting motion to the feeding-
rollers, but the return stroke of said rack imparts a feeding movement to said
rollers; said feeding movement is timed to occur when the type-bed is at the lowest
point of its movement, and the interval of rest for said feeding-rollers occurring
while said type-bed is being moved up to make an impression. The wrist pin of the
adjustable-crank, by which motion is imparted to the rack which gives motion to the
feeding-rollers, being adjustable in said crank, the stroke of said rack may be varied
to suit the required advance movement of the paper.
In printing handbills, or other matter, where it is necessary to separate the printed
matter into pieces, so that each piece will contain the matter required for a single
bill, a series of adjustable cutting-disks are provided for slitting a wide sheet into
the required widths, and a reciprocating-cutter-which is operated by a cam on the
shaft that imparts motion to the feeding-rollers-is provided for cutting said strips
into the required lengths; the movements of the reciprocating-cutter and feeding-
rollers are synchronous and thereby the divisions of the strips will correspond in
length to the distances at which the imprints are made.
The roll of paper is carried on a shaft in suitable supports at one end of the
machine, said shaft is provided with a frictional device which prevents the paper from
unrolling faster than it is drawn into the machine by the feeding-rollers, said friction
device as shown in the drawings consists of a grooved pulley and a cord which passes
around said pulley, one end of the cord being attached to the machine and the opposite
end being provided with a weight which draws said cord in frictional contact with the
groove of said pulley.
When it is desired to print the sheet on both sides, a receiving-roller-which is
driven by a belt from the driving-shaft-is substituted for the table of the machine and
as the sheet is printed on one side it is wound on said receiving-roller until the work
is completed on the first side of the sheet, the roll is then transferred to the opposite
end of the machine to pass through it a second time and receive the required imprint
on the opposite side.
This apparatus forms a complete automatic printing-machine in which the impression
is made from a plane form of ordinary type, instead of the cylindrical form commonly
required for use in rapid printing-in which the printing must be done from a stereo-
type-plate bent to the curvature of the cylinder, thereby precluding the use of ordinary
type and, consequently, a great saving in time and expense is effected by the use of
this machine.
As shown in the drawings, 1 designates the frame of the machine, which consists of

page_text: side-pieces that are held together at suitable points by cross-pieces or girts and an
inside transverse frame, 2, which guides the movable type-bed, 3, and supports the
inking disks 4; said transverse frame is secured at each end to an inclined frame, 5,
projecting from the side-pieces of the frame 1. Above the transverse frame 2, and
attached thereto by bolts, 6, provided with adjusting-nuts, there is a platen, 7, whose
lower face is covered by a layer of rubber or other yielding material which may be
secured thereto by cement, but as this yielding material will not form a proper
wearing-surface to receive the impression, it is covered with a layer of linen-cloth, 8,
or other suitable fabric, which is carried across the lower face of the platen and a short
distance the sides of the latter and is secured thereto by screws, 9, thereby affording
a ready means of removing and replacing said cloth when made necessary by wear or
other causes.
up
The type-bed 3 is provided at opposite edges with standing-ribs, 10, between which,
the form of type is locked, and at opposite ends with downwardly-projecting guides, 11,
which enter the recesses, 12, of the transverse frame 2 to form efficient guides for
said type-bed during its reciprocating movements. Secured to the lower side of the
type-bed is a hollow conical pendent, 13, which terminates at the lower end in a guide, 14
that is fitted to slide in a suitable opening in a cross-bar, 15, so as to steady the
lower end of said pendent during the movements of the type-bed. The pendent 13 is
provided with slotted openings, 16 and 17, which are formed from side-to-side and
cross each other at right angles; the slot 16 has near its upper and lower ends friction-
rollers, 18, which bear on the periphery of a cam, 19, that is secured to the driving-
shaft, 20; said cam being fitted to move freely in the slot 16 during the rotations of
the shaft 20, and the latter being free to rotate in the slot 17 without interference with
the reciprocating movements of the pendent 13 and its attached type-bed. The peri-
phery of the cam 19, as shown in Fig. 2, is concentric with the axis of the driving-
shaft for at least half of the perimeter of the latter, so that while the type-bed is borne
on the concentric portion said type-bed will remain stationery at the lowest point of
its movement long enough to allow the inking-rollers 21 to pass over the face of the
types; said inking-rollers are carried in adjustable spring-bearings, 22, which are
attached in the usual manner to the upper end of the swinging-arms, 23, whose lower
end is secured to a rock-shaft, 24, which is journaled in the cross-bars 25.
The driving-shaft 20 is provided with a bevel-pinion, 26, that engages in a bevel-
wheel, 27, of twice the diameter of said pinion; said bevel-wheel is secured to a shaft, 28,
journaled in bearings which are secured to one of the side-pieces of the frame of
the machine; upon one end of said shaft is secured a crank-wheel, 29, in which a
radial slot is formed to receive a crank-pin, 30, that is adjustably secured therein;
a pitman, 31, connects said crank-pin to an arm, 32, of the rock-shaft 24 so as to
impart a rocking-motion to the latter. By this construction two complete revolutions
of the driving-shaft 20 will be required to produce a complete reciprocation of the
inking-rollers-that is, to carry them from one inking-disk to the other and back
again, thereby passing over the face of the type once for each imprint and during the
same time the type-bed 3 will make two reciprocations to effect an equal number of
impressions on the paper. A step-by-step rotatory motion is imparted to the inking-
disks 4 for the purpose of effecting a proper distribution of the ink thereon, and to
this end a pendulous-arm, 33, is pivoted to a hanger, 34, on the frame-work of the
machine, and is connected to one of the swinging-arms 23 by means of an adjustable-
pin, 35, secured in a slotted opening in one of the arms 23, and fitted to engage in a
slotted-opening in the pendulous-arm 33; the latter is connected at its upper end to
a sliding-bar, 36, which is fitted to reciprocate horizontally in guides attached to the
frame of the machine; said sliding-bar is provided at each end with a lug, 37, to which
is pivoted a spring-pawl, 38, whose outer end engages in ratchet-teeth that are formed
on the under side of each inking-disk, as shown in Fig. 7. Each inking-disk is
provided with a central pintle, 39, which forms a journal for said disk in a sleeve, 40,
formed in the transverse frame 2.
At one end of the frame 1 there is erected brackets, 41, that form journal-bearings
for a roll-shaft, 412, which carries the roll of paper, 43; said shaft is provided with a

page_text: '
pair of cones, 44, one of which is permanently fixed to the shaft, and the other is
made adjustable on said shaft by means of a set-screw, so that said cones can be
adjusted to suit the length of a roll of paper; said cones enter the central opening
in a roll of paper, and, in order to give them a sufficient hold therein, are provided
with a series of longitudinal ribs, 45, which imbed themselves into the paper and
prevent the roll from turning on the shaft 42. As a further means for holding said
roll, and retarding the paper from unwinding, a grooved-pulley, 46, is attached to the
adjustable cone, and the bight of a cord, 47, passes over said pulley; one end of said
cord is secured to the frame of the machine and the opposite end has a weight, 48,
attached to it, and thereby said cord serves as a friction-brake to prevent the paper
from unwinding from the roll faster than it is drawn therefrom by the action of the
feeding-rollers. As the paper is drawn from the roll 43 it passes between a pair of
rollers, 49, which are located between said roll and the platen of the machine, and
from thence the paper passes over supporting-rollers, 50, which are journaled to said
platen, and by which it is prevented from dropping down upon the face of the type
when the type-bed is lowered to allow the inking-rollers to pass over the type. The
paper then passes to the feeding-rollers, 51, whose upper roller-like the uppermost
one of the rollers 49-is fitted to receive the pressure of screws for forcing its face
into contact with the face of the lower roller, spiral-springs being inserted between
the journal-boxes of the upper and lower rollers to prevent said rollers from being
forced too tightly together. To produce the required intermittent motion for said
feeding-rollers, the shaft 28 is provided with a spur-wheel, 52, which meshes into
a pinion, 53, of half the diameter of said wheel; said pinion being secured to a
shaft, 54, which revolves at the same rate of speed that is given to the driving-
shaft 20; at the outer end of the shaft 54 a slotted-arm, 55, is secured thereon, and
in the slot of said arm a crank-pin, 56, is adjustably secured, so that the throw of
said crank-pin may be varied as occasion may require; said crank-pin is connected
by a pitman, 57, to a reciprocating rack, 58, which slides in a guide, 59, that is
secured to the frame of the machine; said rack engages in a spur-wheel, 60, which
is loosely mounted on a shaft, 61, which is journaled on one side of the frame of the
machine; said spur-wheel is formed integral with or attached to a disk, 62, which
is provided with two concentric flanges, and which carries between said flanges one
or more spring-actuated pawls, 63, whose engaging ends project through openings in
the inner flange to engage in the teeth of a ratchet-wheel, 64, secured to the shaft 61;
said pawls are pivoted to the disk 62 and are at all times in engagement with the
teeth of the ratchet-wheel 64. An annular plate, 65, is attached to the open side of
the disk 62 so as to enclose the ratchet-wheel and prevent the entrance of dirt
thereto. A miter-gear, 66, is made adjustable longitudinally on the shaft 61, and is
fitted to engage in a corresponding miter-wheel, 67, which is secured to the shaft of
the lower feed-roller 51, and the two feed-rolls have the same peripheral speed
imparted to them by spur-gears, 68, as shown in Fig. 19, but it is obvious that the
distance that the paper will be fed at each partial rotation of said feed-rollers will be
dependent upon the distance travelled by the rack 58 at each of its reciprocations,
the greater distance moved by the latter producing a corresponding length of paper
fed into the machine, which length will be lessened. by shortening the stroke of said
rack. The variations of the length of the feeding movement may necessitate a
change in the position of the feed-rollers, and for such an emergency a sliding-
frame, 69, which carries said feed-rollers, is attached to the frame of the machine,
and is adjustable in the direction of the length of said frame by means of screws, 70,
which are connected by suitable gears to a cross-shaft, 71, provided with a hand-
crank, as shown in Fig. 20, by which said shaft can be rotated to move said sliding-
frame to any desired point.
In printing handbills or other small sheets it greatly facilitates their production to
use a sheet of paper of sufficient width for two or more of said bills, the type from
which they are to be printed being duplicated or triplicated on the type-bed as
occasion may require; after the printing is effected it becomes necessary to cut the
sheet of paper into as many strips as there are forms on the type-bed, and this

page_text: cutting is accomplished by rotary-cutters which are arranged between the printing
mechanism and the feed-rollers; said cutters consist of sharp knife-edged disks, 72,
which are adjustably secured to parallel shafts, 73, the sharpened edge of the cutters
on the upper shaft being arranged to produce a shearing cut with the sharpened
edge of the cutters on the lower shaft, and in order to facilitate this operation one of
said shafts preferably the uppermost is 'provided with a longitudinal groove by
which said shaft will be prevented from turning in said cutters, the cutters on this
shaft are not secured thereto but their faces are held in contact with the faces of the
cutters on the other by means of springs, 74, which are interposed between said
cutters and collars, 75, which are secured to the shaft; the cutters on the other
shaft are secured where they are required by means of set-screws, 76, so as to be
readily adjusted. Motion is given to the rotary-cutters by a pair of miter-gears, 77,
one of which is secured to the lowermost shaft 73 and the other to the shaft 61,
and the shafts 73 are connected to rotate in unison by means of a pair of spur
gears, 78, which are secured to them, and the bearings for that end of said shafts
are located beyond the side of the frame of the machine so that said cutters can
there be assembled when not required for use.
Provision is made for cutting the sheet or strips into pieces of a required length by
means of a vertically-reciprocating knife, 79, which is fitted to move in guides, 80, at
each side of the frame of the machine; a rod, 81, extends downwardly from said
knife, and is connected with a bifurcated lever, 82, which is pivoted to the frame of
the machine; said lever is provided with a pivot-bar, 83, which extends across from
one arm of the lever to the other, and upon which the rod 81 is connected so that
when the position of the sliding-frame 69 is changed the knife 79 will follow its
movements correspondingly. An inclined removable-table, 84, is attached to the end
of the machine by hooks which engage with the cross-bolts by which the two sides of
the frame of the machine are secured together; said table is provided with an
adjustable-stop which can be arranged in position to receive the separated sheets as
they fall from the knife 79, so as to collect them in suitable piles.
The
As hereinbefore stated it is sometines desirable to print the sheet upon both sides ;
when this is to be done, the table 84 is removed and a frame, 85, attached to the frame
of the machine; said frame is provided with a roller, 86, upon
which the paper is
wound as it comes from the feed-rollers after receiving the first imprint.
roller 86 is rotated by a belt from a pulley on the driving-shaft of the machine; said
belt passes around a friction-pulley, 87, which is loosely attached to the roller 86
and which is held in frictional-contact with a leather-lined friction-disc, 88, by a
nut, 89, whereby the frictional contact can be regulated as occasion may require. By
this arrangement the roller 86 will be rotated to wind up the paper as fast as it is
delivered by the feed-rollers, but when the latter stops the roller 86 will also stop, the
friction-pulley slipping on the surface of the friction-disc during said stoppage. The
roll of paper after being printed on one side is transferred to the opposite end of the
machine and again passes through to receive the imprint upon the opposite side.
.
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. As an improvement in printing-machines, à horizontally-placed adjustable platen
provided with rollers for supporting, the paper and having a cloth-covered layer of
yielding material on its lower face, to support the paper while it receives the impression
from an upwardly-moving type-bed, as set forth.
2. In a printing-machine, a vertically. reciprocating type-bed provided with guides,
and a secondary transverse-frame provided with slots or recesses for receiving said
guides, in combination with a cone-shaped slotted support for said type-bed, and a
cam and shaft, arranged substantially as described and shown, to produce the recipro-
cation of said type-bed, as set forth.
3. In a printing-machine, the combination of a transverse secondary frame, and a
vertically-reciprocating type-bed supported on an inverted cone-shaped standard; said

page_text: standard being diametrically slotted below. the apex of the cone in two directions
at right angles to each other for the reception of the cam-shaft, cam, and friction-
wheels, as specified.
4. In a printing-machine, a vertically-reciprocating type-hed supported upon a
downwardly-projecting cone-shaped standard provided with friction-wheels, and having
a guide on its lower end that is fitted to slide in the frame-work of the machine, in
combination with a cam and cam-shaft revolving in the slots of said standard
and adapted to impart a vertically-reciprocating movement to said standard and
type-bed, as set forth.
5. In a printing-machine, a main-frame carrying an adjustable platen, a secondary
transverse-frame, a vertically-reciprocating type-bed and its cone-shaped slotted.
supporting-standard; said type-bed and standard being sustained in. their vertical
movements by suitable guides in said secondary and main frames, in combination with
a cam and its shaft adapted to impart a vertical-reciprocating movement to said type-
bed by contact in their revolutions with friction-wheels above and below said cam, as
specified.
a
6. In a printing-machine, the combination of the main frame of said machine,
transverse driving-shaft provided with a cam for giving motion to the type-bed, a
longitudinal shaft and bevel-gears arranged to give one revolution to said longitudinal
shaft to two revolutions of the driving-shaft, a crank-wheel provided with an adjustable
crank-pin, and a slotted swinging-arm connected to said crank-pin by a pitman, all
operating, as shown and described, for imparting motion to the inking-rollers.
7. In a printing-machine, the combination of the main frame of the machine, and
an inside transverse secondary-frame provided with inclined ends for the reception of
the inclined inking-disks and with guide-recesses to receive the guides of the vertically-
reciprocating type-bed, as set forth.
8. In an inking-apparatus for printing-machines, the combination of a swinging-
lever carrying the inking-rollers, a lever adjustably connected to said roller carrying
lever, a sliding-bar provided with spring-pawls, and inking-disks, all arranged, as shown
and described, to give a rotary motion to said inking-disks, as specified.
9. In a printing-machine, the combination of a driving-shaft placed transversely to
the main-frame of the machine, a crank-sbaft arranged at right angles to said driving-
shaft and connected therewith by gears adapted to give one revolution of the
crank-shaft to two of the driving-shaft, and a swinging-lever connected to the crank
of said shaft and carrying on its free end the inking-rollers, all arranged and operated
as set forth.
10. In a printing-machine, the combination, with the stationary rolls, of the
adjustable feed-rollers, the rack-pinion and ratchet mechanism by which an intermittent
and adjustable length of rotating movement is imparted thereto, the adjusting-screws
and their connecting shaft and gear for adjusting the position of said feed-rollers
longitudinally of the frame, as set forth.
11. In a printing-machine, the combination of a vertically-reciprocating and
longitudinally-adjustable knife, a bifurcated-lever provided with a pivot-pin to which
the rod from said reciprocating knife is connected, and a shaft provided with a cam
arranged to give a swinging movement to said lever, as specified.
Dated this 11th day of June 1889.
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicant.