Means of Mounting a Stereotype Printing Plate for Use along with Cutting or Creasing Rules.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A. Means of Mounting a Stereotype Printing Plate for Use along with
Cutting or Creasing Rules.
I, WILLIAM CULLEN HORNE, of No. 5, Torrens Street, City Road, London, E.C.,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-
The difficulty in using cutting or creasing rules, and a stereotype plate for
printing, combined in one forme, for the production of printed matter which has
also, and at the same operation, to be punched out or creased (such work being
largely required in the manufacture of folding & other cardboard boxes-photo-
graphic mounts, Christmas & such like ornamental cards) is the necessity for the
cutting or creasing rules to stand higher in level than the face of the printing
surface, in order to cut through or nearly through the paper or card, while the
printing surface merely touches with sufficient pressure to print. In this case the
inking rollers would pass over, & ink the cutting or creasing rules-while not
coming in contact with the printing surface with sufficient pressure to transfer
the ink to it-besides destroying the ink rollers by the sharp edge of the cutting
rule.
My invention relates to a method of mounting the stereotype printing plate on
a compressible foundation, & consists of a metal block of about one inch square &
half an inch in thickness, with a hole one eighth of an inch in diameter drilled
through it, either one at each of the four corners, or one at each of the two opposite
corners or sides, and one larger hole, say about half an inch diameter drilled in
the centre of the block, but not quite entirely through. On to this block so pre-
pared is placed a metal plate of about one eighth of an inch in thickness &
superficial demensions similar to the block, such plate being fitted with fixed
pins or rods to fit into the smaller holes in the block, to act as guides or supports
to keep the plate in a parallel position with respect to the block, and in the
larger hole or recess I place a strong wire spiral spring, or a pad of indiarubber
of such a length as to cause the upper plate to stand up, away from & above the
level of the block, one or several of these complete compressible blocks being
arranged according to the size of the stereotype plate, & locked up (together
with the cutting or creasing rules), in the usual manner of locking up printing
types or blocks.
The stereotype plate is laid on the top of them & attached
in the usual way & is thus elevated above the level of the cutting rules, & receives
the ink from the rollers without the cutting rules being also inked. The pressure
of the printing machine or press is sufficient to compress the springs or indiarubber
pads, & allow the cutting or creasing rules to be brought in contact with the paper
or card to be operated on, with the necessary force to perform the work desired.
Dated this Sixth day of August 1898

page_text: A Means of Mounting a Stereotype Printing Plate for Use along with
Cutting or Creasing Rules.
I, WILLIAM CULLEN HORNE, of No. 5, Torrens Street, City Road, London, E.C,
Engineer, 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 invention relates to an apparatus by the use of which stereotype or other
printing plates may be mounted and fixed in a forme" along with cutting or
scoring rules in such a manner that they may all be used together and at the same
time. The difficulty to be overcome, briefly stated, is to ensure the sufficient inking
of the printing plate by the ink rollers without the said ink rollers coming into
contact with the sharp edges of the cutting or scoring rules, the result of such
contact would be that the cutting and scoring rules would receive ink & print an
inked line on the work in hand which would be objectionable-besides, the sharp
edges of the cutting & scoring rules would cut up the inking rollers & render
them useless after a very few impressions. My object has been to devise a method
of so mounting the stereotype plate that it shall be exposed to the action of the
ink rollers while the cutting and scoring rules are not so exposed.
Referring to the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that my apparatus
consists of a metal block Fig. 1 a" of about eleven sixteenths of an inch in
thickness, & of such superficial dimensions as are suitable for the work in hand or
to accomodate the stereotype plate to be used. This block being made perfectly
square is drilled with holes as shewn in Fig. 4, the four smaller ones being drilled
quite through the block and countersunk or recessed on the underside to receive the
heads of the screws & Fig. 3, which slide freely in the holes. The large hole, Fig. 4,
is drilled nearly to the bottom but not quite through and forms a chamber to
receive a spiral spring. The top end of the screws & Fig. 3, are securely screwed
into an upper plate of metal of about an eighth of an inch in thickness and of
similar superficial dimensions to that of the block a. The spiral spring before
mentioned, pressing against the underside of the plate b, keeps it
apart from the block a, to the extent of about a sixteenth of an inch. This
distance apart can be regulated by either altering the length of the screws, or by
altering the depth of the countersunk recesses d in the block a. When the stereo-
type plate c is attached to the plate 6 either by screws or by clips at the edge as
shewn at e Fig. 5, the total height to the face of the printing surface is about a
sixteenth of an inch higher than the height of the cutting or scoring rules con-
sequently the inking rollers in passing over the "forme" will sufficiently ink the
stereotype printing surface without touching the edges of the cutting or scoring
rules, but when pressure is applied by the printing press or machine, the spiral
spring is overcome and the apparatus closes as shewn in Fig. 2, the total height
then being slightly under the height of the cutting or scoring rules, the edges of
which being forced against the paper or card to be acted on, perform the desired
work of cutting or scoring at the same time as the printing surface c is brought
into contact with the paper or card. When the pressure is removed, the spiral
spring raises the plate into its original position above the level of the cutting
or scoring rules as before described, ready for a repetition of the operation. The
screws ensure the plate rising to the correct height and also ensure a perfectly
parallel movement of the plate b.

page_text: Having now particularly described & 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 an apparatus for printing, cutting and scoring or creasing at one opera-
tion a compressible block on which to mount the stereotype or other printing
plate to be used, substantially as described.
(2) In an apparatus for printing cutting and scoring or creasing at one opera-
tion a compressible block on which to mount the stereotype or other printing
plate to be used, having adjusting screws to regulate the height when open or free
from pressure.
(3) A mounting block for stereotype or other printing plates, having adjusting
screws & springs to regulate the same to different heights as required.
WILLIAM CULLEN HORNE.