Improvements in Platen Printing Machines.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Aug., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 10th May, 1893-Accepted, 17th June. 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Platen Printing Machines.
I MAXIMILIAN THOMAS BARBER of 37 Fountain Street, Manchester in the
County of Lancaster, Printer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
My said invention relates to improvements in platen printing machines, and has
for its object means for facilitating the feed and automatic "registering" of the
paper or other material to be printed.
In a machine constructed in accordance with my said invention I employ in
combination with a fixed platen an arrangement of feeding webs, movable supports,
and sliding clamps for feeding in, registering, and withdrawing the paper or other
material.
When printing on cardboard, or the like material of sufficient weight to fall from
one part to another of an inclined table or support, I prefer to use the following
arrangement of parts.
The cardboard is laid by hand on travelling webs by which it is borne down-
wards until it rests on two or more projecting feet or stops, which are automatically
raised and lowered through the table or support. A reciprocating cross bar,
provided with clamps having means for opening and closing them, works backwards
and forwards along the platen. As the cross bar advances towards the projecting
feet the clamps open and seize the cardboard. At this moment the projecting feet
are withdrawn and cease to present an obstacle to the forward movement of the
cardboard which is then carried downwards into accurate register against another
and lower set of projecting feet. The clamps on the reciprocating cross bar leave
it against the lower projecting feet while being printed, after this operation the
lower projecting feet are withdrawn and the card falls.
When printing on paper or other similar light material which does not readily
fall by its own weight I substitute sliding clamps for the lower projecting feet.
When in one position these latter clamps hold the paper stationary in accurate
register and after the printing operation has been performed they slide downwards
or forwards withdrawing the paper from the platen and discharging it from the
machine.
Owing to the automatic feed and "registering" of the paper or cardboard the
oscillating type bed need not travel so far as in platen machines of the ordinary
construction where space must be provided to enable the "register" to be adjusted
by hand and in consequence a machine constructed in accordance with my said
invention may be driven at a greater speed than is the case with platen printing
machines as hitherto constructed.
The various motions for operating the feed and registering devices are derived
by means of links, levers and belts from the main driving shaft.
Screw or sliding adjustments are provided for setting and tuning the moving
parts in relation to each other.
Dated this 9th day of Angust. 1892
O
EDWARD TURNER WHITELOW,
70, Deansgate, Manchester, Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Platen Printing Machines.
I MAXIMILIAN THOMAS BARBER of 37 Fountain Street, Manchester in the
County of Lancaster, Printer, 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 :-
My said invention relates to improvements in platen printing machines and has
for its object means for facilitating the feed and automatic "registering" of the
paper or other material to be printed.
In order that my said invention may be more clearly understood I will describe
it with reference to the accompanying drawings in which
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation.
Fig. 3 is a plan with the type bed removed.
Figs. 14, 1, 10, and 1 illustrate the progressive actions of the different parts
which form the main features of my said invention and which I will first describe.
The object to be printed for instance a card A. is inserted at a at the upper end
of the platen B in such a manner as to rest on projecting feet or stops (Fig. 1).
On the platen is a reciprocating feeding clamp, c which is caused to open as it
reaches the upper end of the platen B. At this point the feet 6 are caused to
retire through the platen whereupon the card A falls into the open clamp, c.
(Fig. 1A).
The latter then retires and brings the card downwards so as to bear against the
lower feet, d (Fig. 1B). At the moment of passing the lower feet d the clamp c
opens and leaves the card in register. While in this position the type bed C comes
to bear on the card and the printing is effected. As the type bed rises the lower
feet & retire through the platen and allow the card to fall into the reciprocating
lower or withdrawing clamp e which at this stage is open. The instant the clamp a
begins to recede the jaws of the clamp close (see Fig. 1C) and draw the card still
further downwards and under a deflector f whereupon the clamp e opens and the
card falls through (Fig. 1). The feet and clamps are then ready to repeat the
cycle of operations.
The mechanism for operating the clamps and feet is shown in Figs. 12 and 3.
On the main driving shaft D is a toothed wheel g for imparting motion through
the toothed wheel g¹ to a secondary cam shaft h. On the main driving shaft D is
a cam at each side of the machine which through a lever i pivoted at (Fig. 2)
and a link 3 imparts a reciprocating motion to the feeding clamp c. A horn o¹
secured to the upper jaw of the clamp e causes the latter to open at the proper
point by riding over a projecting pin c.
In their normal position the lower feet d are down as shown in Fig. 1 but as the
clamp c descends a projection c* (Fig. 2) meets with a bar or plate d' fixed to the
axis about which the feet d oscillate, and thereby raises the feet d into the position
shown in Fig. 1B.
The upper feet are operated by the plunger b¹ (Fig. 1) which bears against a
cam b' on the secondary cam shaft has will be readily understood from Fig. 1'
without further description.
The lower or withdrawing clamp e receives its reciprocating motion from the
cam on the main shaft D by means of the plunger e. The upper part of
the clamp e is fixed; the moveable jaw being in this case underneath and
pivoted at e*.
The opening of the lower clamp at the moment of finally releasing the card is
effected by the horn e (secured to the moveable jaw of the clamp and oscillating
about its axis) riding over a piu fixed at a convenient point in the path of the
clamp.

page_text: The opening of the clamp e in its upper position is effected by a lug or
projection e' on the axis meeting a fixed pin e. In its normal position the clamp e
is kept closed by the action of the spiral spring on the projection of the axis.
The spring e also serves to keep the plunger e in contact with the surface of
the cam e¹.
In cases where card or other material is used of sufficient weight to fall away
from the platen when the lower feet are withdrawn the lower or withdrawing
clamps e may be dispensed with. The feet and the gripping parts of the clamps
are preferablý mounted on transverse rods on which they may be slid and secured
by set screws in order to regulate them to different sizes of paper. The stroke of
the cans and the position of the stops or other appliances for opening them must
be varied to suit the size of machine and will require the usual setting so that the
successive operations may follow each other at the proper times as will be well
understood.
The platen is provided with side gauges G which may be regulated for various
widths of card in the usual manner, and may also have the usual frisket fingers for
preventing the rise of the paper through sticking to the type. The type bed is
operated in the usual manner and forms no part of my said invention but owing to
the automatic feeding and registering of the cardboard the type bed need not travel
through so great an arc as in platen machines of the ordinary construction where
space must be provided to enable the "register to be adjusted by hand and in
consequence a machine constructed in accordance with my said invention may be
driven at a greater speed than is the case with platen printing machines as
hitherto constructed.
""
I am aware that it has been proposed to use clamps of various kinds to transfer
paper or card board from one part of a printing machine to another and I wish it
to be understood that I make no broad claim to the use of travelling clamps in and
of themselves.
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―
In a printing machine the use in combination with an inclined fixed or stationary
platen of withdrawable feet and reciprocating clamps substantially as and for the
purpose hereinbefore set forth and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 9th day of May 1893.
EDWARD TURNER WHITELOW,
70, Deansgate, Manchester, Agent for the Applicant.