IMPROVE- MENTS IN PRINTING PRESSES AND FOLDING APPARATUS IN CONNECTION THEREWITH.
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Cameron MacDonald, of Waddon, in the
County of Surrey, and Joseph Calverley, of the Albany Road,
Camberwell, in the same County, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PRINTING PRESSES AND FOLDING APPARATUS IN CONNECTION
THEREWITH.
"
Sealed the 23rd April 1875, and dated the 19th February 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Cameron Mac
Donald and Joseph Calverley at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 19th February 1875.
We, JOHN CAMERON MACDONALD, of Waddon, in the County of
Surrey, and JOSEPH CALVERLEY, of the Albany Road, Camberwell, in
the same County, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING PRESSES AND FOLDING APPARATUS IN CONNECTION
THEREWITH," to be as follows:-
The improvements relate to that class of printing presses in which
the paper is drawn continuously through the machine from a roll, and
consist in improved means of damping the surfaces of the paper as it
passes from the roll into the machine, and of cutting up the roll after it

page_text: has been printed, and of folding up the cut sheets. To effect the
damping of the surfaces of the paper we employ two damping rollers
placed horizontally one above the other at a short distance apart, and con-
structed in a somewhat similar manner to the damping roller described in
the Specification of a former Patent granted to us, No. 1644, in the year
1871, for damping the upper surface of the paper. The paper we cause
to lap almost entirely around each of these rollers and lead it on to and

page_text: cutter bar lies between two steel bars fixed in a groove in the roller, and
the cutting blade passes out through a narrow slit left between the outer
ends of these bars, which thus serve to support the knife, and also on
their exterior serve as gripping surfaces to hold the paper on either side
of the knife at the time of cutting.
To effect good cutting it is also necessary that the groove or slit in
the opposite roller into which the knife is to be protruded should be as
narrow as possible so as to allow of the paper being gripped closely on
either side of it at the time of cutting. To effect this we form the slit
between two bars which are secured in a longitudinal groove in the
roller, one of these bars is adjustable to allow of its being set nearer to or
further from the other bar, and the inner sides of the bars are also made
to incline slightly to allow the knife to slide upon one of them. By
forming the slit or opening in this manner it may be made much narrower
than when saw cut slits are used.
The sheets as they are cut are carried away by the delivery apparatus
and delivered alternately to two folding machines, by which they are
folded as many times as is required.
In the machine known as the Walter press, and which is constructed
in the manner described in the Specification of previous Patents granted
to us, the cut papers have heretofore been carried forward by tapes to a
swinging frame which delivers them alternately on to two sets of nearly
vertical tapes, from which they are detached by vibrating swords which
work between the tapes. We now remove these two sets of nearly
vertical tapes and the vibrating swords, and cause the papers to be
delivered alternately by the swinging frame of tapes to the tapes of two
folding machines.
The construction of the folding machines we employ is similar to that
of folding machines now well known, in which each successive fold is
made in the paper by means of pairs of rollers, past which the paper is
carried by travelling tapes and by blades, which when the centre of
the paper has arrived opposite to where the rollers meet together strike
against the paper and deliver it to the nip of the rollers so that the
rollers seize the paper along its centre, and after having doubled it over
deliver it to other tapes to carry past other rollers to be again folded
in a similar manner, and so on for as many folds as are required.

page_text: The folding machine which is next to the cutting cylinders we arrange
in such manner that the sheets delivered to it are carried down vertically,
or nearly so, and are by a blade delivered to the nip of two horizontal
folding rollers placed one above the other, whilst the sheets delivered to
the other folding machine are by its tapes first carried into a horizontal
position, and are then by a blade brought down on to it at its centre
delivered to the nip of two rollers placed side by side horizontally. Thus
the first fold made in all the papers will be the same, that is, the same
side of the sheet will always be outwards.
With the folding machines, as now constructed, it would not be
possible to work them at sufficient speed to allow of the printing press
being worked at its ordinary rate of speed. To remedy this and to allow
of the folding machines being worked at far greater speed than hereto-
fore practicable, in place of employing springs in combination with cams
for giving a to-and-fro motion to the blades above mentioned we give a
positive motion to them by means of double cams, so that both their
forward and backward movement is controlled by cams, and their action
is thus rendered certain.
We also arrange each of the folding machines in such manner that
they may, if desired, be quickly thrown out of gear with the gearing of
the printing press, and so that they may then be moved away to allow
of the sheets being delivered from the press in an unfolded state.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Cameron MacDonald and Joseph Calverley
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th August 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
CAMERON MACDONALD, of Waddon, in the County of Surrey, and
JOSEPH CALVERLEY, of the Albany Road, Camberwell, in the same
County, send greeting.
2
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her 3
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-

page_text: cessors, give and grant unto us, the said John Cameron MacDonald
and Joseph Calverley, Her special license that we, the said John
Cameron MacDonald and Joseph Calverley, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said John Cameron
MacDonald and Joseph Calverley, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING PRESSES AND
FOLDING APPARATUS IN CONNECTION THEREWITH," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said John Cameron MacDonald and Joseph Calverley,
our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our
or their hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us or
them, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Cameron MacDonald on
behalf of myself and the said Joseph Calverley, 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 thereof, that is to say :-
The improvements relate to that class of printing presses in which the
paper is drawn continuously through the machine from a roll, and consist
in improved means of damping the surfaces of the paper as it passes
from the roll into the machine, and of cutting up the roll after it has
been printed, and of folding up the cut sheets. To effect the damping
of the surfaces of the paper we employ two damping rollers placed
horizontally one above the other at a short distance apart, and con-
structed in a somewhat similar manner to the damping roller described
in the Specification of a former Patent granted to us, No. 1644, in the
year 1871, for damping the upper surface of the paper. The paper we
cause to lap almost entirely around each of these rollers and lead it on
to and off them over metal rollers in the manner shown at Figure 1 of
the Drawings hereunto annexed. In this Figure a, a, are the damping
rollers; b, b', are metal rollers which conduct the paper on to and off

page_text: the damping rollers. The direction in which the paper is led over the
rollers is shown by the dotted line x. It will be seen that the paper is
caused to lap around a large portion of the circumference of both
damping rollers so as to remain a sufficient length of time in contact
with each of them, one surface of the paper being brought against one
damping roller, and the other surface of the paper against the other
damping roller. The pair of metal rollers 6' are driven and serve to
draw the paper forwards.
Each damping roller is supported upon hollow spindles, as described
in the Specification above mentioned, and through these hollow spindles
a perforated pipe c is introduced, as shown in the sectional view of one
of these rollers at Figure 2; nuts d are screwed on to the ends of this
pipe to bear against washers e and press them closely against the exterior
of the bearings f which carry the spindles and so form a water-tight
joint. The central perforated pipe c is closed at one end, and at the
other communicates with a water or it might be a steam supply pipe g,
the amount of water or steam admitted to the roller through the per-
forated pipe being regulated by taps h, as shown. The arrangement
shown in the Drawing is intended to be used with steam, the tap h¹ and
discharge pipe h³ leading therefrom is to allow of any water which may
condense in the pipes being blown off. Each of the damping rollers is
formed with a perforated metal cylinder k at the centre; around this is
sponge or other absorbent material surrounded by another metal
cylinder with perforations arranged in spiral lines around it. Around
the exterior of this cylinder are three or four thicknesses of blanket m,
sewn together longitudinally of the roller and also bent downward and
sewn together over the ends. Into the ends of the perforated cylinder &
are screwed the ends n, and into each of these is screwed a hollow
spindle o upon which the rollers are to be supported and through which
they are supplied with water or steam, as above described.
As the paper is drawn through the machine the damping rollers are
driven round by it and give off their moisture by centrifugal action, and
by this means the paper may be evenly damped on both sides to any
extent desired.

page_text: rollers.
Second. The combination of the damping rollers with a steam or
water supply pipe, substantially in the manner described, whereby any
desired amount of steam or water may be supplied continuously to the
interior of the rollers.
In order to effect the cutting up of the paper into sheets after it has
been thus damped and has been printed on both sides we pass it as
heretofore between a pair of cutting cylinders, one of which carries a
knife and the other has a groove or slit formed in it for the knife to
enter, but in place of the knife being fixed to its cylinder as was here-
tofore for the most part usual we give to it by means of fixed cams both
an outward motion at the time of cutting, and also an inward motion
when it has made its cut. By employing cams in this manner, both to
protrude the knife and also to withdraw it, the cutting is effected with
greater regularity than when a fixed knife is used, or when the knife is
moved by springs in combination with a cam.
An end view of a pair of cutting cylinders together with fixed cams
for actuating the cutting knife in the manner above described is shown
at Figure 3; a transverse section of the cutting cylinders is shown
at Figure 4; and a side view of one end of one of the cylinders is shown
at Figure 5. In these Figures p is a bar carrying the cutting knife.
This bar lies in a radial groove formed in one of the cylinders, and is
free to have a slight movement given to it to and from the axis of the
cylinder. The knife bar p at each of its ends carries a roller p¹. These
rollers bear upon the surface of cams u. The cams u cause the knife to
be protruded a short distance from the groove in the cylinder which
carries it just as it comes opposite to the slit in the other cylinder.
Each end of the knife bar p also passes through a plate or frame r.
These frames extend to the opposite side of the axis of the cylinder and
carry rollers 8, which bear upon the surface of cams v.
These cams
serve to limit the outward movement of the knife, and also to draw it
back quickly after the cut has been made. The cams u, v, are carried
by a hollow bearing t, through which the spindle of the cylinder passes,
and this bearing is fixed by screw bolts to the side framing of the
machine, a portion of which is shown at 10. The spindle is also
supported in other bearings upon the side frames, and is driven by
gearing as heretofore.

page_text: In the machine known as the Walter press, and which is constructed
in the manner described in the Specification of previous Patents granted
to us, the cut papers have heretofore been carried forward by tapes to a
swinging frame, which delivers them alternately on to two sets of nearly
vertical tapes, from which they are detached by vibrating swords which
work between the tapes. We now remove these two sets of nearly
vertical tapes and the vibrating swords and cause the papers to be
delivered alternately by the swinging frame of tapes to the tapes of two
folding machines.
The construction of the folding machines we employ is similar to that
of folding machines now well known, in which each successive fold is
made in the paper by means of pairs of rollers, past which the paper is
carried by travelling tapes and by blades, which when the centre of the
paper has arrived opposite to where the rollers meet together strike
against the paper and deliver it to the nip of the rollers, so that the
rollers seize the paper along its centre, and after having doubled it
over deliver it to other tapes to carry past other rollers to be again
folded in a similar manner, and so on for as many folds as are
required.
The folding machine which is next to the cutting cylinders we
arrange in such manner that the sheets delivered to it are carried down
vertically or nearly so, and are by a blade delivered to the nip of two
horizontal folding rollers placed one above the other, whilst the sheets
delivered to the other folding machine are by its tapes first carried into
a horizontal position, and are then by a blade brought down on to it at its
centre delivered to the nip of two rollers placed side by side horizontally.
Thus the first fold made in all the papers will be the same, that is, the
same side of the sheet will always be outwards.
With the folding machines as now constructed it would not be
possible to work them at sufficient speed to allow of the printing press
being worked at its ordinary rate of speed. To remedy this and to allow
of the folding machines being worked at far greater speed than hereto-
fore practicable, in place of employing springs in combination with cams
for giving a to-and-fro motion to the blades above mentioned, we give a
positive motion to them by means of double cams, so that both their
forward and backward movement is controlled by cams, and their action
is thus rendered certain.

page_text: We also arrange each of the folding machines in such manner that
they may if desired be quickly thrown out of gear with the gearing of
the printing press, and so that they may then be moved away to allow
of the Sheets being delivered from the press in an unfolded state.
Figure 6, Sheets 2 and 3, shews a side elevation of the end portion of
a Walter press with two folding machines combined with it as above
described. This Figure is divided by a join line y, z, one of the folding
machines being shewn on one Sheet, and the other on the other Sheet.
Figure 7 shews a plan view of the end folding machine, and Figure 8
an end elevation of the inside folding machine.
A is the swinging frame of tapes which delivers the printed sheets
alternately to the first set of tapes B of the two folding machines. The
tapes B of the inside folding machine conduct the sheets delivered to
them downwards past a pair of rollers C placed horizontally, and one
above the other. When the centre of the printed sheet arrives opposite
the line where the rollers meet one another, a blade D is caused to strike
the centre of the sheet and deliver it to the nip of the rollers; the sheet
is thereby folded once and delivered to other tapes which again carry it
in front of another pair of rollers, where the same operation is repeated,
and so on for the required number of folds as is well understood; The
first set of tapes B of the outer folding machine conduct the printed
sheet horizontally past a pair of rollers C placed horizontally side by
side, and when the centre of the sheet comes above the line at which
the rollers meet together, a blade D is caused to strike downwards on to
the centre of the sheet and deliver the sheet to the nip of the rollers,
and as the rollers carry away the sheet and make one fold in it they
deliver it to tapes which in a similar manner conduct it in front of
another pair of rollers, to which it is delivered by another blade to make
a second fold in the sheet and so on for the several folds required.
The arrangement of the several pairs of rollers and the manner in
which they are driven is indicated in the Drawings, so that it is
unnecessary to give any further description of them. D*, D*, are the
shafts which carry the cams for giving motion to the several blades D,
which deliver the sheet to the folding rollers. Each blade D is carried
by a lever arm D³, on the axis of which is an arm to which is jointed a
link E, which at its opposite end is acted on by double cams on one or
other of the cam axis in the manner shown at Figures 9 and 10, Sheet 1.

page_text: In these Figures D* is one of the cam shafts; F, F¹, are double cams
fixed thereon, and acting against projections on a plate G jointed to the
end of the link E, as shewn. One cam F serves to give the forward
motion to the blade, and the other F" to control its motion and to draw
it back after it has delivered the sheet to one or other of the pairs of
folding rollers. G₁ is a cover plate serving to keep the plate G in
position for the cams to act upon it.
We claim as respects this part of our Invention,―
First. Combining machinery for printing from a continuous roll, and
for cutting up the printed web into sheets with two folding machines in
such manner that the printed sheets are delivered by a swinging frame
of tapes alternately to the tapes of the two folding machines, such
folding machines being arranged to fold the printed sheets with the
same side outwards, substantially as herein-before described.
Second. The employment of double cams for controlling the movement
of the moving blades of folding machines, substantially as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Cameron MacDonald, have
hereunto set my hand and seal this N