Improvements in the Inking Apparatus of Printing Machines.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 14th July, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 10th Dec., 1892-Accepted, 4th Feb., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Inking Apparatus of Printing Machines.
We, JOHN ANDREW, Printer, and ROWLAND HILL BLADES, Stationer and
Printer, both of 44 Leonard Street, Finsbury, in the County of Middlesex, do
hereby declare the nature of the said invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the inking apparatus employed in that class of printing
machine in which the type forme and the inking table are caused to reciprocate
beneath a set of inking rollers.
In certain printing machines of this class, as in what is known as the "Wharf-
dalc
one cylinder machine for example, the traverse of the inking table is not
sufficient to secure a proper supply of ink being transferred from the said table to
the entire circumference of the inking roller which is nearest to the cylinder, the
supply of ink to that roller taking place over a portion of its circumference only,
and as that roller is the last to leave the "forme" it often happens that the latter
is left with a deficient supply of ink corresponding to the deficient supply on the
roller, the consequence is that the printing is not uniform, and it is sometimes found
advantageous, on this account, to remove the inking roller nearest to the cylinder
altogether and to work with only three inking rollers instead of four, thus sacrificing
one fourth of the means which ought to be available for the production of a fine
uniform impression.
"
The object of the present invention is to provide means whereby the above-
mentioned defect can be obviated, and the inking roller next the cylinder supplied
with ink round its entire circumference without increasing the traverse of the
forme
and inking table; and for this purpose we employ the following arrange-
inents of machinery-Instead of securing the inking roller forks stationary to the
side frames of the machine as heretofore practised, we adapt them to slide parallel
to one another in suitable guide ways secured to the said side frames or otherwise.
These forks, with the inking rollers placed in them in the usual way, are moved to
and fro in such manner that as the inking table approaches the cylinder of the
machine, the said forks and inking rollers are moved in the opposite direction to
such an extent that all the inking rollers, including the one nearest the cylinder,
are caused to make a complete revolution at least in contact with the inking table,
so as to take a full supply of ink over their entire circumferences. When the forks
and rollers have reached the end of their movement away from the cylinder, they
are moved back again towards the latter in readiness for the next traverse of the
forme and the inking table.
The above described movements of the forks and rollers may be effected by any
suitable arrangement of mechanism according to the construction of the machine;
for example, in a "Wharfdale " one cylinder machine the movement away from
the cylinder may be effected by a cam on one of the rotating shafts of the machine
operating a rocking shaft by means of a sliding rod or otherwise; arms on the said
rocking shaft act upon levers turning on fulera at the side of the machine and
acting upon the sliding forks; the movement towards the cylinder may also be
effected by the cam or, if preferred, by a spring or weight.
Dated this 14th day of July 1892.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Inking Apparatus of Printing Machines.
We, JOHN ANDREW, Printer, and ROWLAND HILL BLADES, Stationer and
Printer, both of 44 Leonard Street, Finsbury, in the County of Middlesex, do
hereby declare the nature of the said 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 the inking apparatus employed in that class of printing
machine in which the type "forme" and the inking table are caused to reciprocate
beneath a set of inking rollers.
In certain printing machines of this class, as in what is known as the "Wharf-
dale" one cylinder machine for example, the traverse of the inking table is not
sufficient to secure a proper supply of ink being transferred from the said table to
the entire circumference of the inking roller which is nearest to the cylinder; the
supply of ink to that roller taking place over a portion of its circumference only,
and as that roller is the last to leave the "forme" it often happens that the latter
is left with a deficient supply of ink, corresponding to the deficient supply on the
last roller. The consequence of this is that the printing is not uniform, and it is
sometimes found advantageous, on this account, to remove the inking roller nearest
to. the cylinder altogether and to work with only three inking rollers instead of
four, thus sacrificing one fourth of the means which ought to be available for the
production of a fine uniform impression.
:,
The object of the present invention is to provide means whereby the above-
mentioned defect can be obviated, and the inking roller next the cylinder supplied
with ink round its entire circumference without increasing the traverse of the
"forme and inking table; and for this purpose we employ the arrangements of
machinery shown in the annexed two sheets of drawings in which Figure 1 is the
side elevation of so much of a printing machine having our invention applied
thereto as is necessary to enable the said invention to be understood. Figure 2 is
a plan of same, and Figure 3 a partial sectional elevation taken on line X X of
Figure 1.
A are the side frames of the machine and B the printing cylinder. C is the
type "forme," lithographic stone, or other part or surface from which the prints
or impressions are to be made, and D is the inking table both of which are mounted
on the table E which is reciprocated below the printing cylinder B and inking
rollers in the usual way.
Instead of securing the inking roller forks F stationary to the side frames A of
the machine, as heretofore practised, we adapt them to slide parallel to one another
in.suitable guide ways G secured to the said side frames. These forks F with the
inking rollers H placed in them in the usual way are moved to and fro, in the
direction of the plain arrows, in such manner that as the inking table D approaches
the cylinder B the said forks F and the inking rollers H are moved in the
opposite direction to such an extent that all the inking rollers H, including the
one nearest the cylinder, are caused to make a complete revolution at least in
contact with the inking table D, so as to take a full supply of ink over their entire
circumferences: By this arrangement also the inking roller furthest removed from
the printing cylinder is made to pass over the whole surface of the inking table
when (as in the case of the machine illustrated in the drawings) the traverse of the
latter is not sufficient by itself to cause the said ink roller to pass over the whole
of its length.
When the forks F and rollers H have reached the end of their movement away
from the cylinder B they are moved back again towards the latter and then remain

page_text: stationary while more or less of the "forme," lithographic stone, or other printing.
surface is passing under the inking rollers.
The above described movements of the forks and rollers may be effected by any
suitable arrangement of mechanism according to the construction of the machine,.
for example, in a Wharfdale" one cylinder machine, such as that illustrated in
the drawings, the movements may be effected as follows:-I is a cam mounted on
and revolving with the main crank shaft J of the machine which may be driven in
the usual well known way by a belt and gearing, not shown in the drawings. Kis
a rocking arm mounted and secured on a short shaft Koscillating in bearings in
the framework of the machine. K² is an arm which carries a counterbalance.
weight which constantly tends to press the upper end of the arm K towards the
cam I. L is another rocking arm mounted and secured on a shaft L' which extends
across from side to side of the machine and oscillates in suitable bearings in the
framework thereof. M is a connecting rod, pin-jointed at M' to the upper end of
the arm K, and at M² to the arm L. One end of the connecting rod M carries a
friction roller M³ upon which the cam I acts as it revolves. N is a rod, pin-.
jointed at N to the upper end of the arm L, and sliding at its other end in a hole
in the bracket P secured to the frame of the machine: N is a helical spring
surrounding the rod N and bearing at one end against the bracket P. and at.
the other against the collar N³, which can be adjusted and secured by the set
screw N in any required position on the rod N, so as to vary the resistance of
the spring N2 as may be required. Q are arms fixed one at each end of the rocking.
shaft L. Rare levers pivotted one at each side of the machine on fulcrum pins R
secured to the side frames A. A slot R2 at the lower end of the lever R takes on.
to a pin Q fixed at the upper end of the arm Q. A slot R³ at the upper end of
the lever R takes on to a pin F¹ secured to a piece F2 bolted to the roller fork F.
It will now be understood that as the cam I rotates in the direction of the
feathered arrow it acts upon the friction roller M³ and presses the connecting
rod M from left to right in Figure 1 against the action of the weight K³ and
spring N. This moves the arm L so as to cause the shaft L' to oscillate and the
arms Q are thereby moved so as to act by their pins Q on the levers R moving
the lower ends thereof to the right in Figure 1 and the upper ends to the left, and
with them the forks F and rollers H bringing the latter well on to the inking
table D as the latter is moved from left to right as shown in Figures 1 and 2
whereby the entire circumferences of the rollers H are supplied with ink from the
table D. As the cam I continues its revolution the weight K³ and spring N
co-operate to return the connecting rod M towards the left, and the arms L and Q
move the upper ends of the levers R to the right returning the roller forks F and
rollers H towards the cylinder B as the inking table and forme " are moved in
the opposite direction." When the forme is passed under the rollers H. it
receives an even supply of ink from them because they have received a similar
even supply from the inking table since they have all been enabled by their move-
ment away from the cylinder B to make a complete revolution, or more, on the
inking table as above described.
The smaller part of the cam I from 1 to 12 is made concentric with the centre
of the shaft J so that while the said cam is turning against the friction roller M³
from 1 to the roller forks remain stationary in their normal position close to the
printing cylinder B while more or less of the type forme," lithographic stone, or
other printing surface, is passing from right to left in the Figures 1 and 2 under
the inking rollers; then when the inking table returns from left to right the roller
forks and rollers are moved by the cam from right to left over the inking table as
before described.
If preferred the cam I may be constructed as a grooved or box cam with the
friction roller M³ taking into the groove in a manner well understood by persons.
conversant with machinery, and in that case, the cam effects the movement of the
levers R, the roller forks F, and the rollers H in both directions without the
intervention of a counterbalance weight or spring.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is: :-
First. In printing machines in which the inking table reciprocates beneath a set
of inking rollers, causing the inking rollers to roll on the inking table in opposite
directions to the motions of the said table substantially as hereinbefore described,
and illustrated in the drawings, and for the purpose specified.
Second. In printing machines in which the inking table reciprocates beneath a
set of inking rollers, causing the inking rollers to roll on the inking table in opposite
directions to the motions of the said table and to remain stationary while more or
less of the type "forme," lithographic stone, or other printing surface is passing
under such rollers, substantially as hereinbefore described, and illustrated in the
drawings and for the purpose specified.
Third. In printing machines in which the inking table reciprocates beneath a set
of inking rollers, causing the inking roller forks to reciprocate parallel to one
another in guide ways so as to move the inking rollers over the inking table,
substantially as hereinbefore described, and illustrated in the drawings and for the
purpose specified.
Fourth. In a printing machine in which the inking rollers are caused to
reciprocate over the inking table, the mechanism for reciprocating the inking
roller forks which consists of a cam, a' connecting rod, oscillating arins, a rocking
shaft and levers, combined and operating substantially as hereinbefore described
and illustrated in the drawings.
2
J. ANDREW,
R. H. BLADES,
Per W. H. Beck,
115, Cannon Street, London, E.C., Agent.