An Improved Arrangement of Apparatus for Printing on Web or Webs of Paper, Cutting the same into Sheets, and Associating, Folding, and Delivering the Printed Sheets.
Year: 1885

page_text: a
An Improved Arrangement of Apparatus for Printing on
Web or Webs of Paper, Cutting the same into Sheets, and
Associating, Folding, and Delivering the Printed Sheets.
I WILLIAM CONQUEST of Tudor Street, in the City of London Mechanical
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention consists in a novel arrangement of apparatus to be employed for
printing on a web or webs of paper, cutting the webs of paper into sheets, and for
associating folding and delivering the printed sheets, either singly or as 4 page
sheets, or two associated or 8 page sheets, or as 12 page sheets, or 10 or 16 or more
page sheets, at will.-For example, when printed matter in a newspaper is to be
increased, an additional sheet will be printed in one machine and associated with
the body of the paper printed in another, while a third machine may be engaged
in printing a duplicate of that matter, or a supplement or advertisement sheet.
The perfecting printing apparatus consists of two impression cylinders arranged
in juxta position with their respective type cylinders, inking and distributing
rollers, and ink fountains (so that both sides of the paper are successively printed),
and a pair of cutting cylinders.
The web of paper which passes around the impression and between the cutting
cylinders will be printed on both sides and cut into sheets of say 4 pages, and
delivered into the nip of a pair of fast running endless tapes, whereby they will be
separated from the web.-The separated sheets will be either carried direct to a
longitudinal folder, and thence to a rotary folding cylinder, to be successively
folded; or by means of a movable switch, they may be alternately diverted into a
long path formed of endless tapes, and brought back to meet the leading end of
the next sheet.
The two sheets thus associated will then pass to the longitudinal and transverse
folders as before.-These longitudinal and rotary folders may be of any suitable

page_text: constructions.—The delivery may be by a rotary fly and carrying apron, to which
any form of counting apparatus may be attached if desired.-When two similar
printing and folding machines, say A and B, are to be coupled, I carry the upper
tape of the machine B on rollers past the movable switch forming the entrance
to the long path of that machine, and past the entrance to the longitudinal folder
of this machine (which entrance is controlled by a movable switch), and carry it
over rollers horizontally, a measured distance, in proportion to the length of the
sheet, to or near the entrance to the longitudinal folder of the A machine, com-
pleting the path at the A side by a stationary guide and switch, and at the B side
by a movable switch. Thus arranged, this combination of machines is capable of
being employed as two separate machines by adjusting the switch of the B machine.
They may then each dispose of a stream of single or associated sheets twice folding
and delivering the same.-]
-By operating the movable switch of the B machine, a
stream of single sheets may be alternately directed into the tapes leading to the
folding mechanism of that machine, or to the coupling path leading to the
A machine.
The sheet thus directed from the B machine, will then be carried over to the
A machine, and directed into the path leading to the longitudinal folder, and there
joining the leading end of the associated sheets of that machine, the three sheets
will be folded by the longitudinal and transverse folder and delivered as a 12 page
product. If desired, the whole product of the B printing mechanism may be
associated and conveyed by the coupling path to the A machine, and there folded,
together with the whole product of that machine. The product of the two
machines thus combined will, after passing the longitudinal and transverse holder,
be delivered as a 16 page product.
A further modification of this invention, or extension of the same principle, is to
arrange three similar printing, cutting, associating and folding machines, say A B C,
in line, at a suitable distance apart.
A horizontal coupling path is provided (by endless tapes carried by rollers)
from C to A, and from B to A, and at the junction of these two coupling paths, a
switch is mounted.-The upper tape of the A and the lower tape of the B machine
are arranged so as to provide a path from the movable switch of the A machine to
the switch of the couplers.
With machines thus arranged and coupled, when running separately, single or
page sheets, or two associated or 8 page sheets, may, at will, be folded and
delivered from each machine.-When the three machines are running coupled with
each other, the A machine will, by operating the coupling switch, transmit single
or 4 page sheets to the C and B machines at either side, and will then (if their
switches are suitably operated) associate the two single sheets, the leading ends of
which will meet the leading ends of the single sheets of the A machine at the
entrances of their respective folding mechanism, and be delivered, folded as a
12 page product, from each machine B and C.
The machines A and B can also be coupled by suitably setting the coupling
switch, and the C machine will then run independently.
In this case, the C machine will deliver single sheets, or two associated sheets,
to its folding mechanism continuously, while the A machine will (by suitably
operating the movable switch of that machine) alternately deliver to its own
folding mechanism a single or 4 page sheet, and pass one single or 4 page sheet on
to the B machine.-The movable switch of the B machine being suitably adjusted,
two single or 4 page sheets will be associated, and passing to the folding mechanism
of that machine, meet the leading end of the single or 4 page sheet from the
A machine, which is brought by the coupling tapes. The three sheets will then be
simultaneously folded together, and delivered as a 12 page product.
To form a 10 page product, the machine A will produce half the product of the
other two, and this half product will be again divided, and half sent to B machine,
and half to C machine.

page_text: It will be understood that this system may be further extended by increasing
the number of printing cutting, associating, and folding machines coupled together
on this system.
It will be further understood, that the folded product of the several machines, or
the coupled mechanisms, may be greatly increased by splitting the web or the
sheets by means of a rotary cutting disc, which may be arranged to act either
before or after the web has been cut into sheets.
The two halves of the web or sheets may then be further associated by the
introduction of the turning bars, which are well known to persons acquainted with
this class of machinery.

page_text: Associating, Folding, and Delivering the Printed Sheets.
I WILLIAM CONQUEST, of Tudor Street, in the City of London, Mechanical
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:―
In the production of Newspapers, facilities for increasing the number of pages of
the paper, as necessity requires, and economy in the time occupied in the printing
and delivery of the same in a marketable state, are of the greatest importance.
To attain this end, various means have been tried, but these attempts have
involved the use of a new arrangement of printing machinery.
Now the object of the present invention is to render any alteration in the
existing printing machinery unnecessary, and without changing the construction
of the cutting and folding mechanism, to control the delivery of that. mechanism
in such a manner as to suit the requirements of the hour.-In the following
description, I have illustrated the application of my invention by assuming that
three perfecting machines are capable of being used simultaneously, together with
their appropriate folding apparatus, and to render the invention the more clear,
I have shewn it applied to a group of three machines set in three different
positions relatively to each other.
These machines, it will be understood, are each capable of throwing off a
perfected sheet of 8 pages, and if that is the size of the newspaper required, each
machine will (the type being arranged similarly upon each) throw off perfected
copies properly folded without the use of my invention. If, however, it is desired
to produce a 12 page paper, and that at a high rate of speed, I arrange upon the
central machine a double set of stereo-type plates, so as to print in duplicate a
4-page supplement. In this case I require to divide up the product of this
machine, and deliver it equally to the two adjacent machines. To this end
I bring my invention into use, providing, for the purpose, an arrangement of
carrying tapes and switches, which, when thrown into action, will deliver into the
folding apparatus of the two adjacent machines, the 4 page supplement received
from the middle machine. If, however, it is desired to produce a 16 page paper,
I switch out of use the carrying tapes leading to one of the side machines, and at
the same time bring into use another system of carrying tapes, which provides for
the associating of the parts of the divided sheet of the middle machine, and the
presenting of the associated parts to the adjacent acting machine, which, being
similarly provided with associating tapes commonly known as the short and long
paths, will present the two divided sheets, properly arranged, to the folding
apparatus of the outside machine, by which the paper will be properly folded.
From the foregoing remarks, it will be understood that I am enabled to produce
automatically, a result which, up to the present time, is unknown to the printing

page_text: trade, viz., the folding together of the parts constituting a 12 page paper, or
simultaneously two 12 page papers, or a 16 page paper, without any re-arrange-
ment of the mechanism, and by simply shifting the switches of the carrying tapes.
In order that the nature of my invention, and the manner of carrying the same
into effect, may be fully understood, I will now explain in detail my improved
arrangements for connecting together three web-perfecting printing machines
fitted with cutting and folding apparatus.
In the accompanying drawings, I have shown at Fig. 1, Sheet: 1, three similar
printing and folding machines, say, A, B, C, arranged in line at a suitable distance
apart, and combined so as to be capable of working either separately or coupled
together.
The perfecting printing apparatus of these machines consists of two impression
cylinders A A¹, arranged in juxta-position with their respective type cylinders B B¹,
inking and distributing rollers b b¹, and ink fountains B* (so that both sides of the
papers are successively printed), and a pair of cutting cylinders C C¹.
The webs of paper, which are drawn from the rolls A* and pass round the
impression cylinders A A¹, and between the cutting cylinders C C₁, will be printed
on both sides, and cut into sheets of say 4 pages, and delivered into the nip of a
pair of fast-running endless tapes 1. 2, whereby they will be separated from the
web. The separated sheets will then be either carried direct to a longitudinal
folder D, and thence to a rotary folding cylinder E, to be successively folded; or,
by means of the moveable switch e, the sheets may be alternately diverted into a
long path formed by the endless tapes 1 and 3, and brought back to meet the
leading end of the next following sheet.
The fast running tapes 1, 2 are carried by the rollers c to c¹0; the tapes 1 pass
from the roller c in the direction of the arrow over the rollers c¹, under roller c³,
over the rollers c³ c c and c, and return to the roller c.-The tapes 2 pass from
the roller c under the roller c8, over the roller c, around the roller co, and return
over the roller c¹0 (or its equivalent) to the roller c. The tapes 3, which, in
connection with the tapes 1, form the long path, pass around the rollers c³ and c³-
The direct or short path to the longitudinal folder D is made by the closing of the
entrance to the long path by the movable switch e, which is mounted in the space
between the rollers c¹, c³ and c, and can, at will, be moved so that its lower edge
shall, in connection with the tape 1, complete the long path, or its side shall
complete, in connection with the tape 2, the direct or short path.-When two
succeeding sheets are thus associated, they will then pass, if desired, to the
longitudinal and transverse folders D and E of either of the three machines, as
before. These longitudinal and rotary folders may be of any suitable construction.
The longitudinal folder is provided with tapes 5, which run from the horizontal
pullies d over the roller c¹6, down over the surface of the longitudinal folder D,
between the fold-laying rollers d d', under the folding rollers d* d³, and return
round the pullies de-These tapes 5 thus form, in connection with the surface of
the longitudinal folder D, a path from the rollers cle onto and down the
longitudinal folder, and into the bite of the folding rollers d d³.-From these
rollers, the folded sheets are received by the transverse folding cylinder E, and are
transversely folded by rocking folding blades between folding rollers situated
immediately below these cylinders E, which act in conjunction with a cutting
cylinder F, in a manner well understood.
The delivery from the transverse folding rollers of these machines may be by a
rotary fly and carrying apron, to which may be attached and form of counting
apparatus.
A horizontal coupling path is provided by the two sets of endless tapes 6. 6* 4. 4*
carried by rollers from the C machine to the A machine, and from the B machine
to the A machine, and at the junction of these two coupling paths, a switch e² is
mounted.
The upper tapes 6 and 6* run in the direction of the arrows horizontally from
the rollers ca and cla*, at the coupling switch e³, over the rollers c¹³ c¹²* of the

page_text: C and B machines, down to and round the rollers cl1 c11, and return by the
tension rollers clo c10* to the rollers c¹s 13-The lower tape 4* of the B machine
coupling path runs from the roller c¹ of the A machine, up to and round the
roller and horizontally outwards, making, in connection with the tape 6*, a
path to the roller c¹ of the B machine, around which it returns to the roller c
The tape 4 of the C machine coupling path starts from the roller c¹ horizontally
outwards in the direction of the arrow, forming a path in conjunction with the
tape 6 to the roller c of the C machine, around which it returns to the roller c¹,
the two paths at the B & C ends being completed by stationary guides c*.
The upper tape 2 of the A, and the lower tape 4* of the B machine, are arranged
so as to provide a path from the movable switch e¹ of the A machine, to the switch e²
of the couplers.
With machines thus arranged, and run separately, single or 4 page sheets, or two
associated or 8 page sheets, may, at will, be folded and delivered from each machine.
When the three machines are running coupled with each other, the A machine will,
by operating the coupling switch e, transmit single or 4 page sheets alternately to
the C and B machines at either side, which will then (if their switches e are
suitably operated) associate the two single sheets of the A machine, at the
entrances e¹ of their respective folding mechanisms, with the sheets associated by
the machines B and C, by the alternate use of the long and short path. These
sheets will then be delivered folded as a 12 page product from each of the
machines B and C.
The machines A and B can also be coupled by suitably setting the coupling
switch e, and the C machine will then run independently.
In this case, the C machine will deliver single sheets, or two associated sheets, to
its folding mechanism continuously, while the A machine will (by suitably
operating the movable switch e¹ of that machine) alternately deliver to its own
folding mechanism a single or 4-page sheet, and pass one single or 4-page sheet on
to the B machine. The movable switch e of the B machine being suitably
operated, two single or 4-page sheets will be associated, and passing to the folding
mechanism of that machine, meet the leading end of the single or 4-page sheet
from the A machine, which is brought by the coupling tapes 4* 6*.-The three
sheets will then be simultaneously folded together, and delivered as a 12-page
product.
In the above description, the transverse folding cylinder E is supposed to be
used for giving a packing fold only to the product, but it may obviously be
counted in as producing, when desired, in certain classes of book-work, a
practicable fold.
To form a 10 page product in this combination of machines, the machine A may
be arranged to produce half the product of the other two, by supplying that
machine with a web of paper of half the width, and this half product will be sent
alternately to the B and to the C machine.-A. 6 page product can be produced in
a similar manner, the half product being sent continuously to the same inachine.
To ensure the synchronous action of the machines, they are coupled positively by
bevil or other spur gear. The driving power is transmitted from a central main
shaft G to each machine by separate belts. The coupling shaft G¹ is formed in
three sections, joined up by coupling discs G2, which can be uncoupled when it is
desired to employ one or more of the machines separately. By this means the
register of the sheets transmitted from the centre or A machine to the B or C
machines, with the sheets printed in those machines, will be maintained, a fine
adjustment of the register being provided for by mounting one of the rollers of
the coupling path so as to be capable of adjustment in the manner well known.
It may sometimes be more convenient to arrange the three machines upon two
floors of a printing office. In this case, I place the A machine, which is the feeder,
on the upper floor, and the B and C machine on the lower floor. The coupling
path is formed as shewn in the diagram view, Fig. 2, Sheet II, of three similar
machines thus arranged, similar letters and Figures being placed on like parts.

page_text: This arrangement will therefore not require a separate description, but it will be
clearly seen that the product of the A machine, whether single 4 page, or
associated or 8 page sheets, can be caused to descend the coupling path from the
A machine to the coupling switch e, and by its operation be distributed to either
the B or C machine in the manner before described.
In this arrangement the three machines may be driven from one main shaft, as
before.. The coupling of the machines by spur gear may be conveniently attained
by the employment of a horizontal coupling shaft furnished with bevil gear for
the two machines on the ground floor, and by a vertical coupling shaft for the
machine on the upper floor.
Fig. 3, Sheet III, shews in plan view three similar machines arranged side by
side, whereby great economy of space will be obtained.
Figs. and 5, Sheet IV, shew this arrangement in sectional elevation, Fig. 4
being an elevation of the central or A machine, and Fig. 5 an elevation of the
B machine. In order to couple and work these machines together, I provide them
with turning bars or rollers.-The three machines A. B. C are constructed and;
arranged in their several operative parts like those before described, but the
coupling path between the A machine and the two side machines B and C is
formed by the tapes 4 and 6 and 4* and 6*.—The tapes 6 pass from the pullies c¹³
over the roller c, under the roller c¹³, over the roller c¹3*, onto and over the
turning bars A B₁, returning to the pullies 15 by and around the pullies c¹8 of the
B machine.--The under tape 4 passes from the pullies c* to the roller cls*, over
the turning bars A¹ B¹, and returns, by the roller c¹ and the pullies clo** of the
B machine to the pullies c¹* of the A machine, thus completing a path from the
coupling switch e³ to the B machine, as will be clearly seen on reference to the plan
and sectional views Figs. 3. 4 and 5. The coupling path to the C machine from
the A machine is arranged at a lower level, as will be seen in the sectional view
Fig. 4, and.is similarly taped. In order to simplify the drawing, the coupling path
to the B machine only is shewn in the plan view Fig. 3.
It will thus be seen that the A machine may be employed as a feeder for the
B and C machines, supplying each alternately with single 4 page sheets, increasing
the product delivered by those machines to 12 pages. Or the A machine may be
made to associate two 4-page sheets, and deliver them together to the B or C machine,
and thus those machines may with the associated sheets of the B and C machines,
bring up the total product delivered to 16 pages, with a packing fold, or, as before
described, each machine may separately fold and deliver its own product.
In this arrangement, the machines may be driven by separate belts from the
shafting of the printing office, and the coupling together of the machines effected
by a shaft which extends to the two outside machines, and is separately geared by
spur gear with the impression cylinders of the machines.
The product of two machines may be worked together in a similar manner,
where less capability is required, and in this case there will be greater simplicity
of mechanism in the folding arrangements.
When two similar printing and folding machines, say A and B, as shewn in
Fig. 6, (Sheet 5), are to be coupled, I carry the upper tape 2 of the machine A from
the roller c under the roller c, past the movable switch e (forming the entrance to
the long path of that machine), over the roller c, under the roller c³, and past the.
entrance to the longitudinal folder of this machine (which entrance is also controlled.
by a movable switch e¹), and carry it over the rollers c¹ and c, horizontally to
and over the roller cls, down to and around the roller c, and return it over the
rollers c¹ to the roller c-Endless tapes 4 pass from the roller c¹l over the rollers cl
and c¹³, and return over tension rollers co to the roller c".-The path thus formed
will be a measured distance in proportion to the length of the sheet to be operated
upon. The movable switch e² will complete the path between the rollers and c¹l
on the A, or entrance side of this coupling path.-Stationary guides c* span the
space between the rollers cand c, and in connection with the tape 2, form the
path between the rollers c¹³ and c¹-The stationary guide or switch el will guide

page_text: the sheets into the bite of the rollers c¹ and c, which lead to the longitudinal
folding apparatus D of the B machine, and complete the path, joining the two
machines A and B, on the B, or delivery side.
This arrangement of tapes, rollers, and switches for combining the operation of
two similar folding machines, renders the machines capable of being employed as
two separate machines, or as a combined machine. By adjusting the switch e¹ of
the A machine, each machine will be capable of disposing of a stream of single or
associated sheets, twice folding and delivering the same; and by operating this
movable switch, a stream of single sheets may be alternately directed into the
pathway formed by tapes 5 leading to the folding mechanism of that machine, or
to the coupling path formed by the tapes 2, 4 leading to the B folding machine.
The sheet thus directed from the A folding machine will then be carried over to
the B machine, and directed into the path leading to the longitudinal folder D,
and there joining the leading end of the associated sheets of that machine, the three
sheets will be folded by the longitudinal and transverse folders D E, and delivered
as a 12 page product.
If desired, the whole product of the A printing mechanism may be associated
and conveyed by the coupling path to the B machine, and there folded, together
with the whole product of that machine.
In this case, the long path formed by the tapes 1 and 3 and the switch e, will
be brought into use to associate succeeding sheets; thus the leading end of the
sheet will be directed by the movable switch e over the roller c¹ into the long path,
and before the leading end of that sheet has arrived at the roller c', the position of
the switch will be changed, opening a direct path between the rollers c¹ and c', so
that the leading end of the succeeding sheet shall meet the leading end of the first
sheet at the roller c', and thus be associated.
The associated products of the two machines thus combined will, after passing
the longitudinal and transverse folders D E, be delivered as a 16 page product.
This simple arrangement of two machines can be conveniently driven and coupled
together by a similar arrangement of driving belts and coupling shafts to that
described with reference to Fig. 1.
In Fig. 7, Sheet 6, I have shewn in diagram an arrangement of two similar
machines A and B capable of working together or separately. In cases where the
height of the available space for the machines is limited, or when it is desired to
have a clear space overhead, this manner of coupling the machines is available.-
In this case, the coupling path from one machine to the other is carried through a .
well or tunnel underneath the floor of the printing office. The coupling path in
this machine is made by the tapes 1 and 6, the tape being carried from the
roller c of the A machine, up to and round the roller c, down to the roller c³, and
down to a guide roller c¹0 below the floor, round the roller c¹%, up to and returning
round the roller c¹s of the B machine.-The path is made complete by the tapes, 2,
3 and 4, up to the A folding machine, and by the tape 6 to the longitudinal folder D
of the B machine, the tapes 1, 2 and 3 completing the path of the B folding
machine. By suitably operating the switches e el, the A machine may be employed
in delivering a 4-page sheet to the A folder, and a 4-page sheet to the coupling
path 1, 6, which, joining the leading end of the associated sheets of the B machine
at the rollers c³ c, will together be conveyed to the B folding apparatus, and be
delivered from that machine as a 12-page product with a packing fold. Or both
machines may be employed separately for delivery either of a 4 or an 8-page
product. When a 16-page product is desired, the taping of the A machine may be
arranged as shewn at Fig. 8, so that that machine will be enabled to transmit
associated sheets by the coupling path to the B machine.
Fig. 9 shews a variation in the manner of introducing to the B machine the
folded sheets arriving by the coupling path, so as not to interfere with the arrange-
ment of the long path of the B machine.-A suitable arrangement of belts and
shafts for driving and coupling these machines is shown in dotted lines in the
Figure.

page_text: To ensure a synchronous action of the machines, they are coupled positively by
bevil gear, although the driving power may be conveyed from a main shaft G by
belts to each machine. This arrangement of gearing up the combined machines is
shewn in Fig. 7, but it will be understood, as already stated, that the other
combined machines are to be similarly coupled positively, and driven from a main
shaft.
It will be understood that this system may be further extended by increasing the
number of printing, cutting, associating, and folding machines coupled together on
this system.
It will be further understood that the folded product of the several machines, or
the coupled mechanisms, may be greatly increased by using a double width web,
splitting the same by means of a rotary cutting disc, which may be arranged to act
either before or after the web has been cut into sheets, and associating the half webs
or the sheets before the folding operations commence, by means of turning bars,
which are well known to persons acquainted with this class of machinery.
It will also be evident that the printed products of the two or more printing
machines may be associated in the manner above described, and delivered open or
unfolded, if so desired, the folding being afterwards effected by the retailer.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated
to me from abroad, I declare that what I claim is :-
1st. The combination of two ог more printing, or printing and folding
mechanisms, substantially in the manner and for the purposes set forth.
2nd. The production of 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, or 16 paged printed, or printed and
folded products, by the employment of two or more printing, or printing and
folding mechanisms combined, substantially as herein shown and described.
Dated thin 19th dose of 1000
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.