Improvements in Web Printing Presses.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 10th July, 1891-Accepted, 15th Aug., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Web Printing Presses.
A communication from abroad by IRVING LEE STONE, of Battle Creek, in the
State of Michigan, United States of America, Gentleman.
I WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S., M.I.M.E. of the Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors 6 Lord Street Liverpool and 6 Bank Street
Manchester both in the County of Lancaster, and 323 High Holborn in the
County of Middlesex Civil 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 :-
This invention is an improvement in web printing presses, wherein the printing
is effected on a continuous web previous to severance thereof into sheets; and it is
a combined type-bed- and cylinder-press of simple construction, capable of being
run at a high rate of speed, which can be employed with equally good effect either
as an ordinary single bed press, or as a perfecting press for books, newspapers etc.,
and wherein the register of the impressions on opposite sides of the web can be
quickly and accurately effected without any necessary alteration or adjustment of
the impression cylinders or type beds or forms.
Another object is to avoid the use of guide or supporting tapes for directing the
web through the press.
'
This invention consists essentially in 1st, Two parallel type beds arranged one
above the other whereon ordinary forms of type can be placed face uppermost and
used in printing; and two coacting revolving impression cylinders mounted in
reciprocating bearings whereby the cylinders are moved back and forth over the
beds and produce a fresh impression for each stroke either forward or backward;
2nd, In novel mechanism for conducting the web from the paper roll above the
forms on the type beds and beneath and partly around the impression cylinder or
cylinders; 3rd, For feeding the web continuously into and delivering it continuously
from the press, yet stopping that portion of the web which is being imprinted
during the time the cylinder is travelling over the form in making an impression
without stopping either the feed or delivery of the web, and for immediately feeding
it forward upon the completion of the impression sufficiently to bring a fresh
portion of the web into position for being imprinted by the return stroke of the
impression cylinder without lessening the tension of the web at any time; 4th, In
novel means for inking the forms previous to taking an impression; 5th, Means for
looping the web between the feed rolls and type bed, and beneath the type bed and
delivery rolls and for properly maintaining its tension; and also to permit different
lengths of sheets to be printed without altering the speed or stroke of the cylinders;
finally the invention consists in novel supporting and operating mechanism for the
impression cylinders and form rollers; and in certain other novel details of con-
struction and combination of parts as will be hereinafter more clearly described
and claimed.
Referring to the drawings by figures ;-
Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my improved printing press.
Figure 2 is a detail transverse sectional view through one end of the carrier and
frame.
Figure 3 is a diagramatical, longitudinal section through the press illustrating
the course of the web.
Figure 4 is a detail face view of the cam devices for operating the looping
frame.

page_text: Referring to the drawings by letters, A designates the frame of the press, B a
shaft journaled in the frame near one end and carrying on its outer ends two crank
wheels B which may be toothed as at B2 to mesh with a small pinion 6 mounted on
a stub shaft journaled in the side of the main frame and a bracket attached
thereto, and having a pulley on its extremity by which it can be driven by
belting from any suitable source of power. At the opposite end of the machine
and in the same plane as shaft B are guides or grooves A' A' formed in the sides
of the main frame in which rest guide lugs c, c, of carrier castings C, C, which
support the impression cylinders of the press hereinafter referred to..
Each carrier C has an outwardly projecting gudgeon el to which is connected one
end of a pitman E the other end of which is secured to a wrist pine of the
wheel B at the same side of the machine, so that when said wheels are rotated,
carriers C, C, are reciprocated horizontally back and forth in guides A'. The
carriers C have depending portions C in which are formed journal bearings for the
shaft of an impression cylinder H which travels over the surface of a type bed /
fixed in the frame below guides A as indicated, and on which an ordinary type
form can be placed and secured.
From each side of portion C project in opposite directions arms C³ the
extremities of which are slotted as at c, and in these slots are retained and
journaled the gudgeons g, g, of inking rollers G, G, which are thus allowed a slight
amount of vertical play for a purpose hereinafter shown. Above arms Care
formed short arms C in the extremities of which are bearings for the journals of
web guide rollers F. As shown, a second type bed is mounted in frame A
directly over bed h and above guide A' so as not to interfere with the reciprocation
of the carriers, and from the carriers rise upstanding portions having laterally
projecting arms C, C7, corresponding to the portion and its arms C³, C, and in
portion C is journaled the shaft of an impression cylinder H¹ similar to cylinder H
and travelling over bed h, and in arms C are journaled inking rollers G'G'
similar to rollers G. In arms C' are journaled web guide rollers f similar to
rollers F. The arrangement of cylinders and rollers on the upper and lower
portions of the carriers is identical.
On one end of eacli impression cylinder is mounted a gear H* which intermeshes
with a rack H³ attached to the main frame beside the type beds respectively by
which a positive rotary motion is given to the cylinders as they are reciprocated
back and forth over the type beds. At the outer or rear end of each type bed h, h¹
is an ink drum I, I, mounted in proper bearings formed in or attached to the main
frame; and I are ink fountains of ordinary construction mounted on the end of
the main frame exterior to said rolls. I, I, are ductor rollers mounted in
swinging arms 13 fixed on shafts W and journaled in the main frame near the rear
end of each type bed; and W¹ are crank arms attached to the ends, of shafts W
and connected by a link rod W' so that the shafts W will rock synchronously.
I, designate upstanding fingers fixed on the outer end of the lower shaft W and
adapted to be contacted by studs won the lower rear arms of carriers C, and rocked
outward thereby oscillating shafts W and throwing the ductor rollers into contact
with the fountains, and as the carriers move inward the ductors drop inward by
gravity aided by springs, if desired, and deliver ink to drums I, I.
:
As it may be desirable to reciprocate the ductor rollers between the fountain and
ink drums, when the carriers are at the inner end of their stroke, I propose to use
fingers 1 pivoted to the main frame below the carriers when at the inner ond of
their stroke, and which project into the path of and are forced backward by the
studs w. The fingers are connected by link rods I with crank arms w² on shafts W
and impart an oscillatory movement to said shaft and arms I' and thus oscillate the
ductor on both the forward and return stroke of the impression cylinders or
carriers.
I designate distributing rollers coacting with and against drums I, I, to
disseminate the ink thereon i, i, are ink drums similar to drums I but mounted
in the main frame in proper bearings at the inner ends of beds.h, h³ and in same

page_text: horizontal planes as drums I. 17, 7, are ink disseminating rollers coacting with
drums I,,, are inking rollers journaled in bearings on carriers C below the
cylinders Hand H₁ respectively, and adapted to move beneath beds h, hi
respectively, as the carriers are reciprocated. These rollers contact alternately
with a distributing roller or I and transmit ink from rollers I to, so that by
this means I supply the inner inking drums with ink from the outer ink drums I,
or both drums 1, i, from one fountain. The inner drums i may be driven by
gearing from gear J on the end of a transverse shaft J' journaled in the main frame
between rollers and shaft B.
Gears J in turn are driven either by directly intermeshing with, or by trains of
gearing from, shaft B.. Above shaft and almost in the same plane as guides A¹
are arranged three calendar rolls K, K' K³, mounted in properly adjustable journal
boxes secured in slots in the sides of the main frame. On the shafts of these,
calendars are intermeshing similar pinions by which the calendars are equally and
properly speeded and motion is imparted thereto by a gear K mounted on the
shaft of one calendar and meshing with a gear J as shown.
designates the paper roll supporting shaft journaled in the end of the frame
below and exterior to shaft B. The web looping frame is formed of two
uprights L' L' which may be connected by transverse pieces and in these uprights
are journaled two compensating loop rollers 1, which stand above the calendar
rolls and between same and carriers C and are adapted to form compensating loops
in the web as and for a purpose hereinafter explained. The lower ends of
uprights L are bent outwardly at right angles above shafts J' and then down-
wardly and their lower ends are dressed to move in guides J attached to the main
frame beside shaft J', and at the bends of uprights L' are outwardly standing
lugs L on which are mounted friction rollers L which run upon the peripheries of
cam disks J³ fixed on the ends of shafts J¹ exterior to gear J, as shown, by which
the looping frame is caused to reciprocate once during each revolution of
shaft J.
Above the looping frame and at the side thereof and adjoining carrier C is a web
guide roller M mounted in brackets attached to an upstanding portion A' of
the main frame; and vertically below roll M and below the looping rollers is
another web guide roller M' and at the outer end of the press in the same horizontal
plane as and parallel with roller M'is a guide roller in', and vertically above
roller m' is a guide roller m. Rollers M, m, are in the same plane as guide rollers f
of carriers C and rollers M' m' are in the same plane as guide rollers F of the
carriers and are preferably mounted in adjustable bearings.
Above the looping frame and journaled in part A of the main frame is a
delivery roll O and other rollers and tapes which co-act therewith to draw the web
through, and deliver it after impression from, the machine. I prefer to deliver
the web to a folding apparatus combined with the press and mounted on the fraine
above shaft B, which however I do not herein claim and will not describe.
The roll O is driven at proper speed by a train of gears o, o, from gear K¹.
P, P, designate levers connected to the ink fountain and to each other and to
Buitable mechanism by means of which they can be shifted to cut off the supply of
ink when desired, but this mechanism does not form an essential element of this
case and may be of any convenient construction.
It will be noticed that the type beds are arranged parallel, and one over and
directly opposite the other, but that the type forms or plates thereon face in the
same direction, ie, the type on one bed is opposite the back or bottom of the opposite
bed; also that one impression cylinder reciprocates between the type beds and the
other reciprocates exterior to and above the upper bed, or one cylinder lies between
the type beds, and one bed lies between the cylinders, so that I can employ
ordinary type forms with perfect safety in my press, while it is equally well adapted
for plate printing.
It will be noticed that the inking form rollers G, G' impinge against drums I, i,
respectively at the opposite limits of the stroke of the carriers and owing to their

page_text: loose mounting on the carriers they ride up and partly over and on the upper
peripheries of said inking drums. In order to raise rollers G, G¹ into proper
position for inking the type I prefer to mount small carrying wheels G³, G³, see
Figure 5, on the gudgeons of the rollers and at each end of the type bed I attach
to the frame short guides or tracks G', up which wheels G³ will run as the carriage
is reciprocated toward the type bed and thus form rollers G G will be raised
sufficiently to cause them to correctly strike and distribute the ink to the type on
the beds.
OPERATION.
The web of paper is led from the roll to the calendars and fed up between the
first and central calendar, over the latter, and down between it and the third,—
then up over the lower looping roller 1, down under roller M' and to and over
roller F on the adjoining side of carrier C, then forward beneath impression
cylinder up to and over the opposite roller F, then outward to roller m² under
which it passes and is led up over roller back to and over roller fon the upper
portion of carrier C, inward under impression cylinder H and up over the other
roller to and over roller M,-then down under the upper looping roller 1 and up
to the delivery rolls, as shown. The web thus makes a complete return bend in
the press passing under both cylinders H, H' and looping under the same, and the
upper and lower portions of the bend of the web lie respectively above the type
beds h, h'.
A roller P may be arranged at the rear end of the press, as indicated in
Figure 3, to regulate the tension of the web as desired.
The parts, for instance, are speeded about as follows:-
;
The calendar rolls should have a peripheral speed sufficient to draw from the
paper roll and pay in enough web for an impression, or one sheet for each one-half
revolution of shaft B. Shaft J' should be so speeded by the gearing that it makes
two revolutions for each revolution of shaft B, or one for each length of paper fed
in by the calendar rolls; and the delivery rolls should be so speeded that they will
draw through the press and pay out exactly the same amount of web fed in by the
calendars during a given time, so that the amount of web fed into and paid out
of the press in a given time will be identical. If the length of form to be printed
is 24 inches, and the amount of paper to be fed in for each impression is 26 inches
for each half revolution of shaft B 26 inches of web must be fed in by the calendars
and 26 inches paid out by the delivery mechanism. The type bed and type, as
before stated, are stationary, and for each revolution of shaft B the impression
cylinders H, H' are moved once forward and once backward over the type beds h, h¹
making an impression at each movement, or two impressions for each revolution of
shaft B. The portion of the web between the rollers M and M must be at a stand-
still during the taking of an impression, and to more clearly explain the operation
while taking an impression consider this portion of the web between rollers M'
and M stopped entirely, and yet shaft B moving; the carriers C are therefore
moved in one direction over the type on the bed'; this movement causes the
impression cylinders to press the lowest portion of the loop of web around the
cylinders onto the face of the type, without shifting the position of the web in
the least in reality the cylinders and web rollers moved by the carrier travel over
the web and force it into contact with the type, while at the same time the loop or
bend of the paper around or under the impression cylinders travel with the cylinder.;
the guide roller at one side of the cylinder directs the web down between the type
and cylinder, and the guide roller at the opposite side of the cylinder immediately
lifts the web from the type, so that when the cylinder has passed over the type,
the web has been imprinted and lifted clear from the type, yet its position is
unchanged, and it is then necessary to move the web forward the proper distance
before the return stroke of the carriers in order to make a new impression on a fresh
portion of the web during such return stroke.
The web is meanwhile being continuously fed into the press by, the calendars

page_text: even during the taking of an impression, hence arises the use and necessity for the
looping rollers; the cams J³ are so constructed and mounted on shaft J that at
the proper time during the movement of the carrier the looping frame begins to
rise, and the extent of stroke of such frame is calculated to be one-quarter the
length of the sheet of paper paid in by the calendars, this being as supposed
26 inches; the stroke of the looping frame would be about six and one-half inches
in length, and as the frame makes a return stroke for each one-half revolution of
shaft B, or each movement of the carriers either forward or backward over the
type beds, the length of paper in the compensating loop formed by said frame
would be 13 inches. Now saying that the looping frame is lowered and the carrier
at the inner end of its stroke, the parts are so timed that the instant the impression
cylinder reaches the type, the looping frame begins to rise with such speed that all
the web fed in by the calendars while the impression cylinder is on the type is
taken up in forming the lower loop over roller I, so that no web is fed forward
past roller M', and at the same time the upper loop formed by roller l' is paid out
with equal speed so that (the upper and lower loops containing an equal quantity
of extra web) while the lower loop is taking up 13 inches of web fed in by the
calendar rolls, the upper loop is paying off 13 inches of web to the delivery
mechanism, and no web is drawn over roller M during the passage of the impression
cylinders over the type on the beds. The moment the carrier passes the end of
the bed and while it is momentarily stopped or almost stopped, as the wrist pins
and pitmen are passing the dead-centers, the looping frame drops, and the lower
loop gives off 13 inches of web while the calendars pay in 13 inches making
26 inches of web which will pass over roller M¹; while simultaneously the upper
roller forms a loop requiring 13 inches of web, and at the same time an additional
13 inches of web is drawn out by the delivery mechanism while the cylinder is off
the type; it will thus be seen that at one time while the main loop of the web is
stationary, one looping roller takes up 13 inches of web paid in, and the other
looping roller gives ont 13 inches of web previously looped on it, and that wheu
the cylinders reach the end of their stroke and are temporarily quiescent so to
speak, 26 inches of the web is drawn over the type beds between the rollers M'
and M. In other words the simultaneous taking up and giving out of the web by
the looping rollers before and after it passes the type beds enables the web to be
fed in and kept at an even tension and delivered continuously, and yet a portion
of it be stopped during the taking of an impression thereon. In other words the
first 13 inches of web fed in by the calendars is taken up in forming the lower
loop, and then is permitted to slip off during the feeding in of the 13 additional
inches of web, and 13 plus 13 equals 26 the length of sheet and at the same time
while the 13 inches of web first paid in is being collected by the lower loop, the
upper roller is paying out to the delivery mechanism the 13 inches previously
collected by it and when the 26 inches of web are permitted to pass from the
calendars and lower loop, the delivery mechanism pays out 13 inches of web and
the formation of the upper loop takes up another 13 inches; thus preventing any
accumulation of web between the upper and lower loops and preserving an equal
tension on the web though necessarily moving it twice as rapidly between the
upper and lower loops when it is moving at all, because the 26 inches of web
between the loops must pass a given point in the same time that 13 inches of web
is paid in or out of the press by continuous feed and delivery.
It will be seen that the type forms are inked previous to each impression and
that the paper is drawn from the type immediately after impression, and that when
used as a perfecting press the unprinted surface of the paper is presented to the
guide rollers m, mf, between the taking of the first and final impressions and as
there is no combing or drawing of the web while impressions are being taken, the
resultant work will be clean and clear cut.
As the same amount of paper is moved forward from the lower to and over the
upper type bed at each reciprocation of the impression cylinders all that is
necessary to make a perfect register is to adjust the position of the rollers m, or m¹

page_text: quiring boy adjustment of the paper feeding or delivery rolls, or the
impression cylinders.
The amount or length of paper fed into the press could be varied by making the
driving gears for the shafts and calendar rolls, and the actuating cams for the
looping frame, in interchangeable sets calculated for different lengths of sheets in
accordance with the principles before mentioned relating to the relative movement
of the parts.
The ink drums may be driven by belting or gearing from either of the shafts B
or J' and I also propose to drive the guide rollers, especially M m by belting or
otherwise at such speed that their peripheries will travel equally with the feed and
delivery of the web, or slightly faster so as to comb or coax the web from the lower
press to the
upper.
I do not wish to limit myself to the exact construction and arrangement of parts
herein shown and described, as various mechanical changes may be made without
departing from the essential feature of my invention.
:
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed; I declare that what I
claim is;
1. In a perfecting printing press, parallel opposite type beds facing in the same
direction; an impression cylinder for cach bed; mechanism for simultaneously
reciprocating said cylinders; a paper feed mechanism and a paper delivery
mechanism, all constructed and arranged to operate substantially as shown and
described.
2. In a perfecting printing press,, parallel opposite type beds facing in the same
direction, an impression cylinder and inking devices for each bed; mechanism for
simultaneously reciprocating said cylinders over the beds; a continuous paper web
feed mechanism, a continuous delivery mechanism, and mechanism for looping the
web between the first bed and feed, and between the second bed and delivery,
substantially as specified:
3. In a printing press, the combination of a type bed, an impression cylinder
mounted in movable carriers and adapted to be reciprocated over the type beds,
and guide rollers for directing a web of paper between the cylinder and bed; with
mechanism whereby the web is alteruntely looped before and after it passes
between the impression cylinder and bed, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
4. In a printing press the combination of the type beds, the impression cylinders,
the inking mechanism, the paper feeding and delivery mechanism, and the paper
looping mechanism, all constructed and arranged to operate substantially as shown
and described.
5. In a printing press the combination of parallel type beds, two impression
cylinders one of which moves between the beds; mechanism for simultaneously
reciprocating said cylinders; inking mechanism for the type on the beds; a
continuous web feed and delivery and looping mechanism whereby a portion of the
web while being imprinted, is stopped, substantially as shown and described.
6. The combination of the type bed, the carriers, the crank wheels, the shaft
and pitman for reciprocating said carriers, and the impression cylinders journaled
in and movable with said carriers; with the looping frame L having looping
rollers I, I, the shaft carrying cams for operating said frame, and the paper guide
rollers, substantially as set forth.
7. The combination of the type beds, the carriers, the pitman, crank wheel and
shaft for reciprocating the same, the impression cylinders, form rollers and paper
guide rollers carried by said carriers and movable therewith, the paper looping
frame carrying looping rollers, the shaft and cams for operating said frame, and the
paper web guide rollers substantially as described.
8. The combination of a' type bed, an impression' cylinder adapted to be recipro-
cated' thereover, and mechanism substantially as described' whereby the web is

page_text: continuously fed into and from the press, with mechanism substantially as described
whereby the web is positively looped between the feeding devices and cylinder
during the taking of an impression, and positively looped between the cylinder and
delivery mechanism after an impression, the looping devices being connected and
synchronous in operation; so that one loop is formed while the other is being paid
out during the taking of an impression, substantially as specified.
9. The combination of the type bed, ink drums it each end thereof, a revolvable.
impression cylinder, form inking rollers at each side thereof, and mechanism
substantially as described whereby the cylinder and form rolls are simultaneously
reciprocated over the type bed, and the type inked at each movement of the
cylinder; with a pair of connected looping rollers over one of which the paper web
is looped previous to passing under the cylinder and over the other of which the
web is looped after passing from the cylinder whereby the feed and delivery of web
is rendered continuous and one loop formed simultaneously with the paying out of
the other, substantially as described.
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11
1001
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.