Machine for Printing Placards, Commercial Papers, Prospectuses, and the like in One or More Colours.
Year: 1894

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Machine for Printing Placards, Commercial Papers, Prospectuses,
and the like in One or More Colours.
I, HENRI BRISSARD, of 95 Boulevard Beaumarchais, Paris, France, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
According to my invention I construct a machine for printing placards,
commercial papers, prospectuses, and the like in one or more colours as follows:-
A suitable framing carries at one end a reel of continuous paper mounted in
suitable bearings, the paper from which is led between two feed rollers which feed
it towards and underneath a knife adapted to cut off sheets of the required length;
the paper is fed forward by the said rollers along a table beyond the knife until it
comes in contact with a moveable stop immediately in front of which is a second
pair of feed rollers that are held apart for the paper to pass between them until it
comes against the stop. When the paper arrives against the stop, the first named
feed rollers are made to move apart, so that although they continue to revolve,
they no longer feed forward the paper; the knife then descends and cuts off the
length on the table while at the same time the stop is made to descend so as to
leave the sheet free to be fed forward again by the second set of rollers, which then
close down upon it and feed it to the printing cylinders.
The knife having ascended again and the first feed rollers having closed down
upon the continuous paper, this is again fed forward against the stop, which rises
again as soon as the first sheet has passed; a second sheet is now cut off and fed
forward, and so on continuously, the printed sheets being led from the cylinders by
travelling tapes to a receiving table.
For varying the length of the sheets to be cut off, the knife and first feed
rollers are carried in brackets that are adjustable on the main frame to or from the
stop, so as to vary the distance between this and the knife.
If necessary, circular cutters may be provided on the framing in front of the
first feed rollers, for dividing the continuous paper longitudinally into two or more
strips, so that the transverse cutter then separates it in the form of two or more
sheets, side by side. Endless tapes pass over guide rollers at each end of the feed
table so as to hold the sheet or sheets close down upon the latter as they are fed
forward. At the printing cylinders other endless tapes passing round guide rollers
are provided which are made to pass partly round the impression cylinder in
contact therewith so as to seize the sheet of paper as it comes from the feed table
and hold it firmly against the cylinder while it is being carried round thereby in
contact with the type cylinder. The cliché of the type cylinder is formed of a
sheet of paper on which are cemented caoutchouc letters, designs, &c., the paper
sheet being secured tightly round the cylinder by the following device. At one
point of the cylinder is formed a wide transverse groove in which are situated two
clamping devices to which, are secured the two ends of the cliché sheet. The one
clamping device is fixed in the groove but the second one is adjustable by means of
screws, so that when the end of the sheet is fixed to it, it can be inoved so as to
stretch the cliché tightly round the cylinder. When the cliché is fixed, the groove
is covered in by a covering piece flush with the cylindrical surface. The cliché
cylinder is carried in sliding bearings adjustable to and from the impression

page_text: cylinder by means of springs and cams moved by hand so as to adjust the contact
between the two, and also to remove them out of contact when the cliché is to be
renewed.
The cams are made to act on adjustable heads on rods screwed to the bearings
of the cylinder so that by adjusting the heads the action of the cams on the
cylinder can be varied for varying the pressure between the two cylinders.
The upper roller of the above described second pair of feed rollers is mounted
on horizontal arms on a shaft having a vertical arm carrying a roller that bears
against a cam fixed on the axis of the impression cylinder, this cam being suitably
formed so as to raise the upper feed roller away from the lower one during one part
of the cylinders revolution, and to bring the rollers in contact for feeding forward
the paper sheet during another part of the revolution, for the purposes above
described.
The lower feed roller receives a continuous feed motion by means of suitable
gearing, either from the impression cylinder or otherwise.
The stop for the paper sheet consists of bent rods fixed on a shaft below the
feed table, the upward bent ends of the rods being made to project up through holes
in the table and the shaft being acted upon by springs so as to tend to hold the
rods in the upward projecting position. The shaft carries an arm immediately over
the end of which is a pin projecting down from an arm on the shaft carrying the
upper feed roller, so that when this shaft is turned by the cam for lowering the
roller, the pin in descending depresses the arm of the shaft carrying the stop rods,
and thereby turns this so as to withdraw the stops from above the feed table
before the feed rollers come in contact.
The cutting knife consists of a serrated blade held by clamps against a bar.
The clamps have pins sliding vertically through them with slight friction and
connected at their lower ends to horizontal bars faced with caoutchouc, the weight
of which tends to draw them downward to just below the cutting edge of the
knife, on each side thereof. When the knife is lowered to cut the paper, the said
bars consequently first come in contact with the latter so as to press it down on the
table and then, as the knife bar descends, the pins are pushed upward through the
clamps so as, while resting on the paper, to allow the knife to penetrate through
the same; on the ascent of the knife the pins with their bars still rest on the
paper, so as to keep it down free of the knife, after which they rise with the
latter.
The knife bar is fixed to lever arms on a shaft carried by the before mentioned
sliding brackets, and having another arm the end of which is pivotted to an
adjustable sleeve on a rod pivotted to the one arm of a bell crank lever, the other
arm of which is acted upon by a cam on the impression cylinder. This cam is so
formed that at each revolution of the cylinder it imparts a quick up and down
movement to the bell crank lever and rod, and consequently also to the arms
carrying the knife bar, thus effecting the cutting of the paper at the required
moment.
A second cam on the impression cylinder axis imparts, by similar devices to those
actuating the knife bar, the requisite up and down movement to the upper roller
of the first pair of feed rollers, so as to cause these to feed forward the paper and
then to move apart as first above described, the lower feed roller being continuously
rotated by a belt transmission. As the time during which the feed rollers are held
apart has to vary according to the length of the paper sheet, the actuating cam
will require to be of variable form. For this purpose the cylinder shaft carries a
disc having a groove in its periphery in which the cam surface is removeably fixed,
so that when required it can be easily removed and replaced by a cam surface
with longer or shorter dwell.
For supplying the cliché with ink of one or more colours, an inking trough is
provided which has adjustable transverse partitions whereby it can be divided into
compartments of different sizes, each of which can contain ink of a different colour,
so that the feed roller can be supplied with corresponding different coloured inks

page_text: from the trough on different parts of its length, the trough being made adjustable
by screws to and from the roller for regulating the supply of ink.
The ink is taken from the feed roller at suitable intervals by a reciprocating
conveying roller actuated by a cam motion, and conveying it to distributing rollers
which supply two inking rollers of the cliché cylinder. These rollers are carried in
pivotted bearings acted upon by springs so as to adjust themselves readily to the
projecting caoutchouc letters of the cliché as these pass beneath them, while at
the same time they are kept in contact with the distributing roller.
Dated this 13th day of August 1894.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
Machine for Printing Placards, Commercial Papers, Prospectuses,
and the like in One or More Colours.
I, HENRI BRISSARD, of 95 Boulevard Beaumarchais, Paris, France, 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 :-
According to my invention I construct a machine for printing placards,
commercial papers, prospectuses, and the like in one or more colours as I will
describe with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 shews a side elevation of the machine on the driving gear side.
Fig. 2 shews the elevation of the opposite side;
Fig. 3 a longitudinal section, Fig. 4 a part front view of the knife,
Fig. 5 a vertical section of the inking rollers and printing cylinder;
Fig. 6 an end view of the spreading roller
Fig. 7 a view of the ink conveying roller and actuating mechanism,
Fig. 8 a view of the mechanisin for adjusting the printing cylinder to and from
the impression cylinder;
Fig. 9 a section through the impression and printing cylinders and guide rollers
for the tapes ;
Figs. 10 and 11 a cross section and part plan of the ink trough and roller;
Fig. 12 a section and part plan of the mechanism for stretching the sheet of paper
carrying the type round the printing cylinder.
A suitable framing A carries at one end a reel of continuous paper A' mounted
in suitable bearings a', the paper from which is led between two feed rollers C
and C which feed it towards and underneath a knife D adapted to cut off sheets of
the required length; the paper is fed forward by the roller G along a table beyond
the knife until it comes in contact with a moveable stop H immediately in front of
which is a second pair of feed rollers J K that are held apart for the paper to pass
between them until it comes against the stop. When the paper arrives against the
stop, the first named feed rollers C C' are made to move apart, so that although C¹
continues to revolve, it no longer feeds forward the paper; the knife D then
descends and cuts off the length on the table while at the same time the stop H is
made to descend (as at Fig. 3) so as to leave the sheet free to be fed forward again
by the second set of rollers J K which then close down upon it and feed it to the
printing cylinders M. N.
The knife D having ascended again and the first feed rollers C having closed
down upon the continuous paper, this is again fed forward by the rotation of the
roller Cagainst the stop H which rises again as soon as the first sheet bas passed,
as does also the roller J; a second sheet is now cut off and fed forward, and so on

page_text: e printed sheets being fe from the cylinders M N by travelling
tapes L to a receiving table L'Fig. 2.
For varying the length of the sheets to be cut off, the knife D and first feed
rollers C are carried in brackets E that are adjustable on the standards E' of the
main frame A to or from the stop H, so as to vary the distance between this and
the knife.
If necessary, circular cutters F may be provided side by side at variable distances
apart on the framing in front of the feed rollers C C' for dividing the continuous
paper longitudinally into two or more strips, so that the transverse cutter D then
separates it in the form of two or more sheets, side by side. Endless tapes G¹ pass
over the rollers G and 1 at each end of the feed table so as to hold the sheet or
sheets close down upon the latter as they are fed forward. At the impression
cylinder M other endless tapes passing round guide rollers 1, 2, 3, 4 Figs. 3 and 9
are provided which are made to pass partly round the impression cylinder in
contact therewith so as to seize the sheet of paper as it comes from the feed table
and hold it firmly against the cylinder M while it is being carried round thereby in
contact with the type cylinder N. The cliché of the type cylinder is formed of a
sheet of paper on which are cemented caoutchouc letters, designs &c., the paper
sheet being secured tightly round the cylinder by the following device. At one
point of the cylinder N is formed a wide transverse groove n in which are situated
two clamping devices, Fig. 12, to which are secured the two ends of the cliché
sheet. The one clamping device consists of a bar n¹ which fixed in the groove
and a grooved bar n which serves to clamp the paper against n' the second
clamping device n' n is adjustable by means of screws n', so that when the end of
the sheet is fixed to it, it can be moved by the screws so as to stretch the cliché
tightly round the cylinder. When the cliché is fixed, the groove is covered in by
a covering piece flush with the cylindrical surface. The cliché cylinder N is
carried in sliding bearings in guides O and is adjustable to and from the impression
cylinder by means of springs R and cams S moved by hand, so as to adjust the
contact between the two, and also to remove them out of contact when the cliché is
to be renewed.
The cams S are made to act on adjustable heads Q on rods P screwed to the
bearings of the cylinder so that by adjusting the heads the action of the cams on
the cylinder can be varied for varying the pressure between the two cylinders; a
second rod P fixed to the other side of the bearing serves to carry the spring R.
By screwing the head Q more or less on the rod P the pressure of the cylinder N
against M can be regulated.
The upper roller J of the above described second pair of feed rollers is mounted
on horizontal arms on a shaft having a vertical arm carrying a roller p Fig. 3
that bears against a cam a fixed on the axis m of the impression cylinder M this
cam being suitably formed so as to raise the upper feed roller J away from the
lower one K during one part of the cylinders revolution, and to bring the rollers in
contact for feeding forward the paper sheet during another part of the revolution,
for the purposes above described.
The lower feed roller K on shaft O receives a continuous feed motion by means
of suitable gearing, either from the impression cylinder as shewn or otherwise, so
that when the rollers J are lowered onto K so as to nip the paper sheet between
them after it has been brought against the stop H, the sheet will be fed on to
cylinder.M.
The stop H for the paper sheet consists of bent rods fixed on a shaft L below the
feed table, the upward bent ends of the rods being made to project up through holes in
the table as shewn at Fig. 3 and the shaft L being acted upon by springs & connected
to a tail L' so as to tend to hold the rods H in the upward projecting position.
The shaft L carries an arm & immediately over the end of which is a pin j
projecting down from an arm 2 on the shaft carrying the upper feed roller J, so
that when this shaft is turned by the cam g for lowering the roller, the pin jin
descending depresses the arm k of the shaft L carrying the stop rods H and thereby

page_text: turns this so as to withdraw the stops from above the feed table before the feed
rollers come in contact, while on the rising of J, the springs & cause the stops H to
rise again.
The cutting knife D consists, as shewn at Figs. 2, 3 and 4 of a serrated blade 5
held between clamps 6, 6. The clamps have pins 7 sliding vertically through them
with slight friction and connected at their lower ends to horizontal bars 8 and 8'
faced with caoutchouc, the weight of which tends to draw them downward to just
below the cutting edge of the blade 5, on each side thereof. When the knife Ď is
lowered to cut the paper, the said bars 8, 8' consequently first come in contact with
the latter so as to press it down on the table B and then, as the knife bar continues
to descend, the pins are pushed upward through the clamps 6 so as, while resting
on the paper, to allow the knife to penetrate through the same and into a slit 9 in
the table B; on the ascent of the knife, the pins with their bars still rest on
the paper, so as to keep it down free of the knife, after which they rise with the
latter.
The knife bar D is fixed to lever arms 10 on a shaft 11 carried by the before
mentioned sliding brackets E and having another arm 12 the end of which is
pivotted to an adjustable sleeve 13 on a rod 14 the adjustable head 15 of which is
pivotted to the one arm 16 of a bell crank lever, the other arm 17 of which carries
a rolier 18 acted upon by a cam 19 on the shaft m of the impression cylinder.
This cam is so formed that at each revolution of the cylinder it imparts a quick up
and down movement to the bell crank lever and rod, and consequently also to the
arms carrying the knife bar, thus effecting the cutting of the paper at the required
moment. A spring 20 acts on the bell crank lever so as to tend to hold the knife
in the raised position.
While the knife descends for cutting the paper, it is necessary, as above stated,
that the feed rollers C should be raised so as to stop the feed.
For this purpose the axis of roller C is actuated in a similar manner to the
knife D. It is carried by arms 24 on an axis 25, other arms 26 on which are
connected to an axis 27 connected by a link 21 to an elbow lever 22, 22' mounted
on the fixed axis 23 and pivotted by its arm 22 to the sleeve 28 adjustably mounted
on rod 29, so that if the rod and sleeve are made to move to the right, the
lever 22, 221 is moved so as to raise lever 26, thereby turning axis 25 and arms 24
so as to raise roller C.
The rod 29 carrying the sleeve 28 is actuated as follows.
It carries an
adjustable head 30 pivotted to an elbow lever 31 having a roller 32 bearing against
a cam 33 on the axis m of cylinder M, so that the cam acting on the bell crank
lever causes this to move the rod and sleeve to the right; when this action of the
cam ceases, the weight of the parts brings them back into their original position.
C is a weight partly balancing the said parts.
The mechanism for inking the cliché is similar to that used for ordinary printing
machines. It consists of two inking rollers 34, and ink conveyer 35, a spreader 36,
a roller 37 constituting the inking table, and the roller 38 of the inking trough.
The inking trough consists of a frame 39, Figs. 10 and 11, on which can slide an ink
reservoir 40 which can be adjusted towards or from the inking roller 38 by means
of screws 41 for regulating the supply of ink. When it is desired to print in
several colours, instead of having to pass the sheet several times through the
machines, as is ordinarily done in printing, I have provided separators 42 which are
fixed upon the trough 40 by means of screws 43.
These separators are fixed in suitable positions for supplying the inking roller 38
with the necessary widths of ink for printing one or more lines of the desired colour,
those parts of the roller that are not required for printing being left without ink
supply in the corresponding compartments of the trough 40.
The transferring roller 35 Fig. 7 has an up and down motion imparted to it
whereby at each revolution of the cylinder M it transfers ink from 38 to 37. For
this purpose a cam 44 Fig. 7 fixed on the axis of the cylinder N raises a roller 45
carried by a vertically sliding rod 46, the upper end of which bears upon the end of

page_text: a lever 47 carrying the roller 35, which is thus first raised to take up ink from 38
and then allowed to drop on to 37. The spreading roller 36, Fig. 6, receives a
longitudinal to and fro motion on the roller 37 by means of a grooved cam 48 fixed
on the axis of 37. From the roller 37 the ink is transferred to the cliché
cylinder N by means of the inking rollers 34, the axes of which are mounted in
pivotted bearings 49 Fig. 1 connected together by springs 50 which keep the rollers
in close contact.
The motion is imparted to the machine by the driving shaft 51 which carries a
toothed wheel 52 that transmits motion, firstly to a wheel 53 on the axis m of
cylinder M thus imparting motion to the cams actuating the knife D, the rollers C,
the stop H, and the rollers J as above described. Secondly 52 imparts motion to
the roller K through wheel 54.
The wheel 53 gears with an intermediate wheel 55 which imparts motion firstly
to the roller 37 forming the inking table, through wheels 56 and 57 Figs. 1 and 3;
secondly to the tapes passing over rollers 1, 2, 3, 4, 55 being fixed on the same axis
as the roller 2 Fig. 3; thirdly to the tapes G¹ passing over roller 1, which is
rotated by the tapes passing round 1, 2, 3, 4; fourthly to the tapes L through the
wheels 58, 59, 60; 58 being fixed on the axis of roller 4.
The printing cylinder N carries a toothed wheel 61 which gears with the wheel 53
of cylinder M when these cylinders are in contact.
The motion of the roller C¹ and of the guide roller W over which the paper
passes from the reel is effected by a belt passing round pulley 62 on the axis o of
the roller K, and round pulley W¹ on the axis of W, whence it passes to pulley 63
of roller C' and over stretching rollers 64, Figs. 1 and 3.
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 machine for printing placards, bills, commercial papers prospectuses, and
the like, the use of mechanism acting on the continuous paper sheet as it passes
from the reel A', consisting of the combination of the revolving stationary
rollers C, the vertically moveable rollers C, the moveable knife D and the
moveable stop H, the rollers C C¹ being made to advance the paper sheet beneath
the knife D while this is raised until the end of the sheet butts against the stop H
which controls the position of the sheet, after which the rollers CC' are separated
so as to cease feeding the paper, while the knife D descends to cut the same,
substantially as described.
2. In the feeding and cutting mechanism referred to in the first claim, mounting
the rollers C C¹ and knife D upon a moveable support, so that by adjusting this
nearer to or farther from the stop H the length of the sheets cut off can be varied,
substantially as described.
3. In a machine for printing placards, bills, commercial papers, prospectuses and
the like, the use of mechanism for feeding the paper sheets cut by the knife D,
consisting in the combination of the stop H and the rollers J and K, the latter
being so arranged as to be in contact when the stop H is lowered for allowing the
sheet to be fed forward thereby, while they are separated from each other when
the stop is raised for receiving and adjusting the sheet of paper fed forward by the
rollers C C, substantially as described.
4. In a machine for printing placards, bills, commercial papers prospectuses and
the like, the use of a printing cylinder N carried in moveable bearings and having
a cliché mounted thereon composed of a sheet of strong paper on which are
cemented caoutchouc type for the impression, the said paper sheet being stretched
round the cylinder N by means of adjusting bars n" n to which are attached the
ends of the paper sheet, and which, being situated in a recess in the cylinder, can be
moved towards or away from each other, substantially as described.
5. In a machine for printing placards, bills, commercial papers, prospectuses and
the like, the use of inking apparatus consisting of an ink trough 40 in which are

page_text: nxed moveable partitions for dividing the trough into compartments of varying
size for containing differently coloured inks, these being simultaneously applied to
the printing rollers, by suitable conveying, distributing, and inking rollers,
substantially as described.
Dated this 2nd day of Me 1905
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.