IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING MACHINES OR PRESSES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake of the firm of Haseltine, Lake
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING MACHINES OR PRESSES " communicated to him
from abroad by Thomas Shepard Nowell, of Boston, Massachusetts, United
States of America, Manufacturer,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th December 1883.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings London, "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING MACHINES OR
PRESSES [a communication to him from abroad by Thomas Shepard Nowell,
of Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America, Manufacturer.]
"
This invention relates to printing presses of the class in which the platen is
moved to and from the bed about an axis located below the said platen; and to
that division of the said class in which both the platen and the bed are vibrated;
and it consists in certain improvements in the construction and arrangement of
the devices for operating the platen and bed; in the construction, arrangement and
mode of operating the grippers for holding the sheet to be printed in place upon
the platen; and in other details hereinafter described.
According to the said invention the frame of the machine is cast in one piece,
and provided with bearings to receive the shafts and with ears to which is secured
the feed-table,
The type-bed is provided with a downwardly projecting arm through the lower
end of which passes a shaft hereinafter termed the first shaft held in a fixed
position in its bearings in the frame, and about the axis of which the said type-
bed may be vibrated
The type-bed has cast upon its rear side a deep longitudinal rib terminating at
its rear in a long sleeve-like hub, through which extends a second shaft To each
end of the said shaft is firmly secured one end of a draw bar, the opposite end of

page_text: which is fitted to a crank pin set in the crank, or in a gear wheel, the said crank
and gear wheel being firmly secured upon opposite ends of a third shaft. The
type bed is further strengthened by two longitudinal and transverse ribs and is
provided with means for securing thereto the chase
The ink distributing disc is mounted in an oblique position in a bearing in a
stand bolted to the upper side of a longitudinal rib of the type bed, the said disc
being provided with the usual ratchet teeth upon its backside, with which teeth a
pawl pivoted to a lever acts to impart thereto an intermittent movement about its
axis when a bent arm of the said lever is depressed.
The said lever is mounted loosely upon the spindle of the said ink-distributing
disc about which spindle it is moved in one direction by the contraction of a spring
connected at one end to the short arm of the said lever and at the other end to a
pin set in the said stand The said lever is moved in the opposite direction by the
contact therewith of a plate-like tie of the ink-roller-carrying frame mounted upon,
and arranged to be vibrated about, the second shaft as the type bed is vibrated by
means of a link pivoted at one end to the frame of the machine and at the other
end to the roller-carrying frame
The platen is of ordinary construction and adjustably secured to the yoke in
a well known manner.
The yoke has cast thereon two arms upon which it is mounted and adapted to
be vibrated about the first shaft by cams upon the third shaft acting upon rollers
mounted in forked bearings in ears cast upon the back of the yoke. The said cams
are so constructed and arranged as to apply power directly behind the platen to
move it towards the bed and give the impression with a short stand-still and a
much longer stand-still or dwell when the platen is farthest from the bed, for the
purpose of facilitating the feeding of the sheet.
Motion is imparted to the third shaft and through it to the platen and bed by
means of a treadle, connecting rod, a crank, a fourth shaft, and a pinion which latter
engages with the gear-wheel on the third shaft.
The gripper fingers are adjustably secured to the gripper frame which is cast in
one piece and bas its two arms forked or slotted to embrace the first shaft to which
it is secured by pins.
The gripper-frame is held in its normal position or intermediate between the
platen and bed by means of a spring and a pivoted stop or by two opposing springs
in which latter case the gripper frame is provided with an arm
The fourth shaft has secured upon its left hand end a fly-wheel. The platen
yoke, bed and gripper frame are all mounted upon the first shaft, and vibrate about
a common axis, which reduces the cost of construction very materially
The gripper frame and the forked or slotted bearings are cast in one piece and
the grippers are arranged in a position intermediate between the platen and bed
and adapted to be moved towards the bed by the contact there with of the platen
during its upward movement, and to be brought down upon the tympan sheet for
the purpose of adjusting the gripper fingers to the size of the sheet to be printed.
This may be accomplished by simply turning a pivoted stop, when the gripper
fingers will fall of their own weight upon the face of the platen or upon the tympan
sheet.
When the grippers have been properly adjusted the gripper frame is raised to its
normal position and the pivoted stop is turned back, where it is held till forcibly
turned by a pin. The gripper frame is sometimes maintained in its normal
position by the opposing tensions of the said springs, and when it is desired to
adjust the gripper fingers to the size of the sheet they are forcibly brought down
upon the sheet by the operator, one of the springs being extended and the spring
contracted by the operation, When the pressure is removed the grippers
immediately assume their normal position again with the springs, at even tension,
where they remain until struck by the platen in its upward movement, when the
gripper fingers will move towards the bed, with the platen pressing hard upon the

page_text: sheet while the impression is being given, by virtue of the tension of one of the
springs which expands to permit the movement of the grippers toward the bed as
described.
As the platen recedes from the bed the grippers still pressing hard upon the sheet
move with it until they have reached their normal position, when the motion of
the grippers ceases, and the platen moves away from them. By this arrangement of
the grippers no mechanism is required for operating them independently of the
platen except a spring or springs which adds very much to the simplicity of the
machine
By the means employed for operating the platen and bed a very powerful press
having the advantage of a long dwell of the platen for feeding the sheet is obtained
with a comparatively light frame

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Robert Lake in the Patent Office on the 17th June 1884.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co. Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING MACHINES OR
PRESSES A communication to me from abroad by Thomas Shepard Nowell, of
Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
"
This invention relates to Printing Presses of the class in which the platen is
moved to and from the bed about an axis located below the said platen, and to that
division of the said class in which both the platen and the bed are vibrated, and it
consists in certain improvements in the construction and arrangement of the devices
for operating the platen and bed; in the construction, arrangement and mode of
operating the grippers for holding the sheet to be printed in place upon the platen ;
and in other details hereinafter described
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a press constructed according to this invention
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same
Figure 3 is a vertical section on the line x, x. Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a side elevation of the gripper frame, and
Figure 5 is an end elevation of the same, illustrating a modification in the
devices for maintaining it in its normal position
A indicates the frame of the machine cast in one piece, and provided with
bearings to receive the shafts B C and D, and with ears to which is secured the
feed-table E.
F indicates the type-bed provided with the downwardly projecting arm F¹,
through the lower end of which passes the shaft B held in a fixed position
in its bearings in the frame A, and about the axis of which the said bed may be
vibrated.
The bed F has cast upon its rear side, the deep longitudinal rib F2 terminating
at its rear in the long sleeve-like hub F³ through which extends the shaft G. To
each end of the said shaft is firmly secured one end of a draw-bar H, the opposite
end of which is fitted to the crank-pin a set in the crank I or in the gear-wheel I',
the said crank and gear-wheel being firmly secured upon opposite ends of the
shaft C as shown in Figure 1. The bed F is further strengthened by the two
longitudinal ribs b and b' and the transverse ribs c c¹ and c², and is provided with
means for securing thereto the chase d.
J indicates the ink-distributing disc mounted in an oblique position in a bearing
in the stand J, bolted to the upper side of the rib b of the bed F, the said disc
being provided with the usual ratchet teeth upon its back side, with which the
pawl e pivotted to the lever facts to impart thereto an intermittent movement
about its axis in the direction indicated by the arrow, when the bent arm fl of
said lever fis depressed.
The lever f mounted loosely upon the spindle of the disc J about which it
is moved in one direction by the contraction of the spring g connected at one end
to the short arm of the said lever fand at the other end to a pin set in the stand J¹,
as shown in Figure 2. The lever f is moved in the opposite direction by the
contact therewith of the plate-like tie K¹ of the ink-roller carrying frame K
mounted upon, and arranged to be vibrated about, the shaft G as the bed F
is vibrated by means of the link L pivoted at one end to the frame A of the
machine and at the other end to the roller frame K, as shown in Figure 2
M indicates the platen of ordinary construction and adjustably secured to the
yoke M¹ in a well known manner

page_text: The yoke M¹ has cast thereon two arms M2 by means of which it is mounted
upon, and adapted to be vibrated about, the shaft B, by the action of the
cams N, N, mounted upon the shaft C, upon the trucks N¹ mounted in forked
bearings in ears h cast upon the back of the yoke, as shown in Figures 2 and 3.
The cams N N are so constructed and arranged as to apply power directly behind
the platen to move it towards the bed and give the impression with a short stand-
still while the impression is being given and a much longer stand-still or dwell
when the platen is farthest from the bed, for the purpose of facilitating the feeding
of the sheet. Motion is imparted to the shaft C and through it to the platen and
bed by means of the treadle O, connecting rod 0¹, crank O, shaft D, and the
pinion P, which latter engages with the gear-wheel I¹ on the shaft C.
The gripper fingers i, i, are adjustably secured to the gripper frame Q which is
cast in one piece and has its two arms j, j, forked or slotted to embrace the
shaft B, to which it is secured by the pins k as shown in Figures 2 and 5.
The gripper frame Q is held in its normal position or intermediate between the
platen and bed by means of a spring 7 and pivotted stop m as shown in Figure 2
or by two opposing springs and as shown in Figure 5 in which latter case the
gripper frame Q is provided with an arm n as shown
The shaft D has secured upon its left hand end the fly wheel R as shown
The platen yoke, bed, and gripper frame are all mounted upon the same shaft B,
and vibrate about a common axis which reduces the cost of construction very
materially and hence is considered an important feature of my invention
The construction of the gripper frame and the forked or slotted bearings in one
piece constitutes another important feature, as is also the arrangement of the
grippers in a position intermediate between the platen and bed, the said grippers
being adapted to be moved towards the bed by the contact there with of the platen
during its upward movement, and to be brought down upon the tympan sheet for
the purpose of adjustment to the size of the sheet to be printed. This is done in
the case of the arrangement shown in Figure 2 by simply turning the pivotted
stop m, into the position indicated by dotted lines, when the gripper fingers
will fall of their own weight upon the face of the platen or upon the tympan
sheet.
When the grippers have been properly adjusted the gripper frame is raised to
its normal position and the stop m is turned back to the position shown in full
lines in Figure 2 where it is held, till forcibly turned by the pin o
In the case of the arrangement of the gripper frame shown in Figure 5 it is
maintained in its normal position by the opposing tensions of the springs and l
and when it is desired to adjust the gripper fingers to the size of the sheet they
are forcibly brought down upon the sheet by the operator, the spring being
extended and the spring being contracted by the operation. When the pressure is
removed the grippers immediately assume their normal position again, with the
springs and of even tension, where they remain until struck by the platen in
its upward movement, when the gripper fingers will move towards the bed with
the platen pressing hard upon the sheet while the impression is being given by
virtue of the tension of the spring which expands to permit the movement of
the grippers toward the bed as described.
As the platen recedes from the bed the grippers still pressing hard upon the sheet
move with it until they have reached their normal position, when the motion of
the grippers ceases and the platen moves away from them to the position shown
in Figures 2 and 3.
It will be seen that by this arrangement of the grippers no mechanism is
required for operating them independently of the platen, except a spring or
springs, which adds very much to the simplicity of the machine.
Another important feature of my invention is the means employed for operating
the platen and bed, by which means a very powerful press having the advantage
of a long dwell of the platen for feeding the sheet is obtained with a comparatively
light frame.

page_text: I am fully aware that cams have been used for imparting motion to the platen
by acting upon the end of a pivotted lever or levers, but this arrangement was
found to be objectionable on account of the spring of the lever or levers and
the consequent great weight of metal that it was found necessary to use in said
levers.
I am also aware that cams have been used to vibrate the bed in combination
with a platen by means of a crank, but this arrangement was found to be
unsatisfactory for the reason that the sheet had to be removed from the platen and
a fresh one fed thereto while the platen was in motion, as it could have no real
dwell when driven by a crank
Having thus fully described the said invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim
First The combination, in a printing press, of a type bed and a platen, both
mounted upon, and adapted to be vibrated about, the same shaft mounted in fixed
bearings, a cam arranged to act upon, and impart an intermittent motion to, the
said platen, a pair of cranks mounted upon, and operated by the shaft of the said
cam, and a pair of draw-bars connecting the said cranks and the type-bed,
substantially as, and for the purposes, described.
Second The combination in a printing press, of a type-bed and a platen-yoke,
both mounted upon, and adapted to be vibrated about, the same shaft mounted in
fixed bearings, and mechanism substantially as set forth for imparting a vibratory
motion to both platen and bed, substantially as described.
Third In a printing-press, a platen yoke, a type bed, and a gripper frame, all
mounted upon, and adapted to be vibrated about, the same shaft mounted in fixed
bearings, in combination with mechanism, substantially as set forth, for imparting
to the said platen and bed a vibratory motion and from each other, substantially
as described.
Fourth The combination of the gripper frame Q, the spring 7, and the pivotted
stop m adapted to limit the movement of the said gripper frame toward the
platen and to be moved out of the way to permit the gripper fingers to be
brought down upon the platen, substantially as, and for the purposes, described.
In witness whereof I the said William Robert Lake have hereunto set my hand
and seal this fourteenth day of June in the year of Our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and eighty four
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