Improvements in Printing: Machines.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Apr., 1894-Accepted, 17th May, 1895
[Communicated from abroad by THE DUPLEX PRINTING PRESS Co., of Bottle
Creek, Michigan, United States of America.]
Improvements in Printing: Machines.
I, IRVING LEE STONE, of No. 52 Montagu Mansions, Great Russell. Street, in
the. County of Middlesex, 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 relates to machines for perfecting or printing, on both sides sheets
of paper, which may be separately fed by hand, or which may be automatically cut
and fed from a continuous web..
I shall describe the construction. and operation of a machine according to this
invention referring to the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 represents. a. side elevation of the complete machine.
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal.central vertical section thereof.
Fig. 3 represents a side elevation.opposite. to. that of Fig. 1 of the right hand end
of the machine, that side of the carriage being removed and the frame partially
broken away.
Fig. 4 is an end view of the two impression cylinders.
Fig. 5 is a half transverse section partly in elevation.
Fig. 6 is a plan, Fig. 7.an elevation and Fig. 8 a sectional plan of the mechanism
for raising and lowering the cylinders.
Figs. 9, 10, and 11 represent details of the cutting. and feeding mechanism when a
continuous web is used."
Figs. 12, 13, 14 and 15 shew different positions of the cylinder and tables.
A. A are two forme beds rigidly united with two ink tables J J to form one bed
mounted on rollers a on which they are longitudinally reciprocated by connecting
rods having their one end connected to crank pins &¹ on crank wheels b fixed on
a shaft. B. The other end of the connecting rods are jointed to arms a projecting
down from the bed A'. The wheels are driven by pinions c on a transverse
shaft C which is driven by speed reducing gear from a short shaft.C driven by belt
and pulleys from a suitable motor.
On the inner face of each side frame is fitted a bar D which can be moved up and
down vertically but cannot be moved longitudinally. The upper parts of the bars D
have faces D projecting into grooves d³, in the sides of racks d d' which move
vertically with the bars, but are also, moved longitudinally by means of retaining
plates A, fastened to the ends of the beds A A. so that they reciprocate with but
are not fixed to the beds. The bars. D. are jointed to the upper arms of toggles D'
the lower members of which are jointed to the side frames. The several toggles, on
each side of:the machine, are also connected to.a rod .D',.by which they are.moved
simultaneously, so as to raise, or lower: the bars: D and the racks d. The. lower
members of the toggles nearest shaft C are fixed.on rocking.shafts having crank
arms e connected by a link e' to one end of an oscillating lever.e the other end of
which carries a friction roller e running in. a cam groove E in a disc E' fixed on a
shaft E journalled in the main frame above the shaft C. These cam grooves are

page_text: arranged to rock the levers e simultaneously in opposite directions, when the beds
reach their extreme limits of travel and are reversing their motion; the rack on the
one side of the beds, being elevated as the other is despressed.
Two cylinders F F are journalled side by side in the extremities of short
rocking beams 99 centrally pivotted upon uprights rising from reciprocating
carriers G one at each side of the press, guided in ways G on the side frames.
Below the ends of each beam g are elevating screws g' working in nuts g* in the
carriers G and operated so that one is raised when the other is lowered rocking the
beam so that one of the cylinders carried thereby is raised and the other
simultaneously lowered.
The screws g¹ g³ have respectively right and left hand threads on the upper parts ;
their heads g bear against the beam g or are jointed to it and their lower parts are
cylindrical and act as guides. Small pinions h keyed on the screws just below the
screw threads, project through side slots in the carrier G and are engaged by rack
teeth on a reciprocating bar H which is guided in staples G³. The bar H is
reciprocated by means of a cam groove I' in the inner face of a wheel I mounted
on a stud 1* on the side of the carrier G. The bar H has a slot through which
passes the stud 12 as shown, and carries a friction roller H³ running in the cam
groove 1. The wheel I is rotated by a pinion i mounted on a stud (which may
also form the fulcrum of the beam 9) which receives its motion from a pinion ³ on
the shaft of the front cylinder. The mechanism for oscillating the beams
duplicated one set being on each side of the press.
is
The carriers G are reciprocated simultaneously with the beds, but always in the
opposite direction by means of connecting rods G³ linking them to crank pins on
wheels E on the shaft E which are driven by pinions C' on the shaft C.
The cam gear I is so formed and timed, that it begins to move the bar H as the
carriers G start on the forward stroke, and continues to move it during the time
that the crank wheels E' make one quarter of a revolution or during the first half
of the forward stroke of the carriers. The cam then holds the bar H stationary
during the last half of the forward stroke while the crank wheels turn another
quarter. On the return stroke of the carriers G the rack bar H is moved
backward, during the first half of the stroke or third quarter turn of the wheels E
and then is held stationary during the last half of the stroke, that is to say, until
the wheels E³ have finished the last quarter turn, completing one revolution.
As at
each movement of the rack bar H one cylinder is positively raised and the other
positively lowered, therefore during the first half of the forward stroke the front
cylinder F is lowered to be "thrown on impression" and the rear cylinder F¹ is
raised to be thrown "off impression," and during the first half of the return
stroke, the rear cylinder F' is thrown on "and the front cylinder F is "thrown
off."
61
The cylinders are provided with grippers F, which are opened by means of crank
arms F³ fixed on their spindles and provided with friction rollers F which come in
contact alternately with stationary friction rollers or cam surfaces F³ F° secured at
proper points on the carriers G. The grippers are closed by springs acting on
arins F. The cams F for cylinder F, open the grippers when the cylinder has
made three fourths of a revolution during the forward stroke, the grippers being
then nearest cylinder F' (see Fig. 13) and when the cylinder is at the end of its
inward stroke the grippers are operated by cam F being then uppermost at
the point nearest the feed board see Fig. 14. The grippers of cylinder F1 are
opened by cams F' when the cylinder is near the forward end of the stroke, and its
fingers at a point nearest the cylinder F, see Fig. 13, in position to grip the edge of
the sheet on cylinder F, as it is released by the grippers of F. The grippers of FI
are also opened by cams F' when the cylinder is at the end of its back stroke, the
fingers being then uppermost see Fig. 14.
Each cylinder makes one complete rotation for each stroke, or two complete
rotations for each reciprocation. The grippers of cylinders F, receive a sheet from
the feed board, while the cylinder is in a "thrown off" or raised position, and when

page_text: "
cylinder F has been lowered and made three fourths of a revolution the grippers
again release the sheet, which is at the same moment seized by the grippers of
cylinder F¹, which is then in its "raised " or "thrown off" position. If the
grippers of cylinder F1 (after they seize the sheet, and the cylinder rotates one
fourth revolution) were to be freed by the cam F the sheet would pass out of the
press printed on only one side, but owing to the fact that cylinder F¹ when F
passes F is elevated or "thrown off" its grippers are not released and consequently
the sheet is carried on around the cylinder Fi until it is "thrown on
see Fig. 15
and afterwards its arm F is tripped by the cam F releasing the sheet see Fig. 14,
which is run off the cylinder by guide fingers and tapes aided by the rotary motion
of the cylinder as will presently be described. Each sheet is thus carried one and
a quarter revolution by the cylinder F. The cylinders F F are geared together
by wheels f, at one end only, also the cylinder F has a wheel gearing with rack d,
and cylinder F has a wheel f' gearing with rack d'. A rack is lowered during
the forward stroke of the cylinders, the cylinder F' is free to rotate contrary to its
travel, and is driven by cylinder F. When the cylinders reach the limit of the
forward stroke, rack d is lowered and rack d' is raised leaving the cylinder F free
to rotate contrary to its travel, during the back stroke of the cylinders, while
cylinder F is positively rotated, and drives cylinder F. As each cylinder is
positively operated during its printing stroke, by gearing with a rack, there is no
liability to blur impressions by relative slip of cylinder and forme.
The cylinders are provided with usual bearers F running on bed bearers A*
fixed to the bed. On each end of each bed bearer is a large register tooth A³,
which keeps the cylinders moving while the racks are being moved into and out of
gear, as, at or near the end of travel of the cylinders there is a moment when
neither of the bed racks is fully in gear with the cylinder wheels. The register
tooth A at the end of the press toward which the cylinders are travelling at that
moment meets a shoulder F in the cylinder bearer (formed by cutting away a
portion of the bearer as indicated in Fig. 14) and ensures the continued rotation of
the cylinders, preventing back leash until the racks are properly shifted. The cut
away portion of the cylinder provides for clearance of the register tooth until it is
in operative position, and this clearance is further facilitated by the fact that each
cylinder after covering its forme and reaching the end of its travel begins to rise
from the bearer line. The cylinder bearers are cut away however, at a point where
no ill results can follow, as the cylinder is not then in contact with the forme.
J, J, are ink distributing tables, attached to each end of the bed frame, and moving
At each
therewith, J' is an intermediate ink distributing surface between the beds.
end of the press is a fountain K, having its roller operated by ratchet and a pawl,
carried by a vibrating arm K' connected by a link K2 to one of a pair of levers K³,
which carry an oscillating ductor roller K making contact alternately with the
fountain roller and with a drum K. Above this drum is a second oscillating ductor
roller K mounted in the ends of levers K, which are connected to levers K³ by
links K', and are also provided with friction rollers KB arranged to bear on cams.j
on the sides of the table J. Thus as the beds approach the ends of their stroke,
the cams J raise the rollers K³ and levers K thereby lifting the ductor K³, away
from the drum K' and allowing it to rotate partly over the table as the table moves
under it; the ductor K is also raised so as to carry a fresh supply of ink
to drum K, and the fountain roller is rotated. As the table moves back, the
ductors KK" drop upon the drum K and fountain roll respectively. The
drum K next the shalt E is rotated by means of gearing k from a wheel E on
the shaft E, and the farther drum K is rotated by means of bevel gear k' from
a shaft extending along the press below the beds, and driven by bevel gear ³
from a bevel wheel E' on shaft E.
The ink deposited upon. tables J is distributed thereon by the diagonal
distributors j, j, straight distributors j', and is supplied to the formes by forme
rollers, mounted upon the carriers at the outer sides of the cylinders. A
distributor roll j₁ can be mounted above and between the forme rollers, and these

page_text: may all be driven by suitably arranged gearing, not forming part of this invention
from small racks secured to the beds or in other suitable manner.
The forthe rollers ink the formes during both movements of the cylinders, in
advance of the printing.
At the end of press above the driving shafts, is arranged the feed and delivery
mechanism, mounted in an upward extension of the main frame.
The web is led in from a paper roll, not shewn, over a roller A' to and under a
lower roller L' and between it and a cutting cylinder L, up over and partly
around L, between it and an upper roller L, the web being pressed to the cylinder
by endless tapes L2 running over the rollers L' and a third roller L³ which is
mounted in arms L adjustable to regulate the tension of the tapes. Above the
cutting cylinder L is the shaft M carrying an adjustable cutting blade M¹.
This shaft M is geared to make one revolution for each revolution of the crank
wheels, or reciprocation of the printing cylinders, and is driven by a train of gears
from one of the crank wheels E3; a pinion m on its end, gears with an adjustable
pinion m', gearing with m², on a shaft having a similar wheel m³ gearing with m⭑
which gears with a pinion m³ on a shaft carrying a wheel me which gears with the
wheel E. The pinion m³ is mounted on an adjustable segment m', which is pivotted
on the stud carrying m², m³, so that m¹ can be moved without disengaging it from
wheel m and is locked in position by a bolt m³ passing through a slot m³.
On the other end of shaft M, opposite the wheel m, is detachably secured a
pinion 7, gearing with a pinion fixed on the end of the cylinder L which has
a number of longitudinal slots (say twenty-five) one inch apart, and the pinions
have 50 teeth two for each slot, or for each inch of paper to be severed. By
providing a set of interchangeable wheels, to drive the cylinder L any desired
length of sheet can be cut. As the slots in the cylinder L are one inch apart, some
slot therein always registers with the knife, whether the sheet to be cut is long or
short.
The shaft M is journalled in boxes M' adjustable toward or from the cylinder L,
and when the gear 7 is changed, it is necessary to adjust shaft M toward or from L
so as to make the substituted power 1 gear with . The pinion m² is shifted by the
segment m to permit this adjustment still gearing with pinions m m³. When
the shaft M is shifted the knife M' is adjusted so as to act properly with the
cylinder L.
The feeding mechanism is carried in frames M which are adjustably mounted on
the main frame so that when short sheets are cut the feed mechanism is moved
towards the cylinders, and when long sheets are cut it is moved from the cylinders.
The frames are adjusted by means of screw shafts M operated by bevel gear M
from a transverse shaft Ms at the end of the press. The adjustable pinion m' allows
for the feed mechanism being moved down or up as the pinion m is moved nearer to
or further from the pinion m³.
The feed table N is pivotted to the frames M³, and is provided with telescoping
fingers N1 on its lower edge, which can be lengthened or shortened, according to
the length of sheet being fed, and the position of the frames M. The table is
elevated and lowered at the proper times by means of an armi n, mounted on a
shaft n', which is rocked by means of a crank arm n having a friction roller on its
end running in a cam groove n³ in the back of the wheel m
the
The delivery mechanism consists of two pairs of upper and lower tape rollers Oo
jourualled in suitable bearings on and near opposite ends of a sheet carriage P,
front end of which is detachably connected to the carriers, near the top of the rear
cylinder, as shown at P, and the rear end is provided with rollers P running upon
ways P³ attached to the side frames of the press above the main driving shafts an
below the feed mechanism. Friction rollers p are arranged between these ways
and the side frames and support the side pieces p' of carriage P when it is
disengaged from the carriers and moved back out of the way, as for instance when
the pressman is placing formes on the rear bed. Endless tapes O' o' run over these
rollers, their meeting sides being about in line with the top of the cylinder as shown..

page_text: The upper inner roller Olies close to the roller F, and the inuer lower roller o
lies close to the periphery of the cylinder F, when the carriage P is fastened to
the carriers, and to bridge the space between the top of the cylinder and the top
of the roller o a director or stripper is employed. When the sheet is released by.
the grippers of the cylinder F the edge of the sheet passes over 9 and between
the tapes Oo by which it is carried out and supported on the carriage P,
during the forward travel of the cylinders, the rotation of cylinder F¹ assisting in
the delivery of the sheet. Then as the cylinder carriage moves back, the
tapes Oo are stopped, and when the cylinders have reached the end of their back
stroke the sheet carriage is just above the delivery table R. As the cylinders
again move forward, the tapes O o are again travelled and the sheet carried
thereby is dropped upon the table R, the carriage virtually slipping from beneath
the sheet, and at the same time the perfected sheet brought back on cylinder F' is
given up to these tapes, so as one sheet is dropped on the table R another is drawn
into the carriage P. The tapes are travelled at the proper times by means of a
pinion mounted loosely on the shaft of the outer roller o and gearing with an
inverted rack S fastened to the side frame of the press. The pinions, operates the
roller when the carriage is moved forward, by means of any suitable clutch such
as a ratchet and pawl which clutch is automatically disengaged when the carriage
travels backward.
s
When, instead of drawing paper from a continuous web and cutting it, sheets
already cut are to be fed by hand, the cutting and feeding mechanism is removed
and the sheets are fed in the usual way from the feed table N.
From the above description of the press it will be seen that it presents the
following characteristic features of construction and operation.
The two forme beds with their inking tables reciprocate horizontally, and the
two impression cylinders, while they continuously rotate, also reciprocate horizontally
in a direction always opposite to that of the formes, consequently the stroke is only
half of that which would be required if the formes alone, or the cylinders alone
reciprocated. Each cylinder, while printing, is down on the forme and engaged
with a rack of the table by which it is driven, driving the other cylinder which is
then up from the forme and not printing. The sheet seized by grippers of the
front cylinders is carried round under it between it and the first forme by which
one side is printed and as it is released from these grippers it is seized by those of
the second cylinder carried round between it and the second forme by which its
other side is printed and then it is finally discharged perfected. The two cylinders
being mounted on the arms of a rocking beam are raised and lowered alternately
the racks also which cause them to revolve are alternately raised and lowered, these
movements being timed to suit the reciprocation of the formes and cylinders. The
inking and distributing rollers are so arranged that each forme is fully and
uniformly inked before each impression taken from it.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I would have it understood
that I make no general claim to a printing machine having two formes horizontally
reciprocating and two cylinders oppositely reciprocating while they revolve, but
what I claim is :-
1. A perfecting printing machine arranged and operating substantially as
described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
2. In combination with the cylinders of the machine above referred to, the
rocking beams in which their axes are journalled, the reciprocating carriages on
which the beans are mounted and the mechanism for reciprocating the carriages
and rocking the beams, substantially as described.
3. In combination with the gear wheels on the cylinders and the reciprocating
table, the two racks and vertically sliding bars and the mechanism for alternately
raising and lowering them, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
4. In combination with the reciprocating table the inking apparatus, consisting

page_text: of the ink fountains, the duplicate oscillating ductor rollers, the ink drums and the
distributing and inking rollers, substantially as described.
5. In combination with the cylinders and their grippers the paper cutting and
feeding and the sheet delivering mechanism, substantially as described.
Dated this 17th day of April 1894.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.