IMPROVEMENTS IN PLATE PRINTING PRESSES AND WIPING APPLIANCES THEREFOR
Year: 1885

page_text: therefor.
I, PHILIP MIDDLETON JUSTICE of 55 and 56 Chancery Lane in the County of
Middlesex Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents do hereby declare the nature
of the said invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN PLATE PRINTING PRESSES AND WIPING
APPLIANCES THEREFOR, a communication to me from abroad by Elizabeth R.
Milligan gentlewoman Administratrix of Estate of James Milligan deceased of
Brooklyn Kings County, New York United States of America, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:—
This Invention relates to that class of printing machines in which the impressions
are taken from engraved plates, and the invention consists in means hereinafter_
fully described whereby a perfect wiping of the ink from the plate is automatically
effected and whereby in machines for plate printing, the polishing is facilitated,
and the machine rendered more efficient in its general operation. To clearly
explain the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form
part of this specification and in which
Fig. 1. is a plan of a wiper illustrating my invention.
Fig. 2. a section on the line 1. 2 of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3. a plan view of a machine with my improvements.
Fig. 4. a detached section illustrating the mode of supplying the polishing
material to the attendant.
Figs. 5. to 8 are views illustrating modifications in the wiper.
The mechanical wiper as hereinafter described will operate with same effect as
results from the manual operations of a skilled workman, producing in many
respects better results and with much greater facility. The wiper consists
substantially of a block or plate A. covered at its underside with a printing
blanket a. of flannel, felt, or its equivalent over which extends a wiping cloth b.
which is moved across the block in the same direction as the plate travels beneath
the block. The engraved plate C, after being wiped mechanically or by hand, is
carried under the wiper, and as the plate travels forward such a motion is imparted
to the wiper that it will cross in various directions the lines in the plate, thus
assimilating the motion used in hand wiping, where the operator carries the cloth
in circles as he also moves it over the face of the plate.

page_text: The motion of the wiper is not limited to any special direction except that it
must be such that different points of the wiping surface shall travel back and forth
and across the plate, so as to cross the engraved lines in different directions, thereby
preventing the "wiping out" of the ink "filled in" the lines; while at the same
time clearing the polished portions of the plate of its ink. It is found by
experiment that the best motion is that obtained by connecting the wiper to the
eccentric wrist pins of two revolving horizontal discs as shown in Figs. 1. 3 and 6
where the frame I, of the wiper A has at each end a projecting arm d. perforated
to receive the wrist pin e, of a horizontal disc B, or an eccentric disc B as in
Fig. 6, the discs being driven at the same rate of speed in the same direction and
carrying the wiper in a circular path while the plate C, passes beneath, thus
approximating very closely the motion used in hand-wiping. To prevent the
wiping cloth from "inking up" and thereby losing its efficiency I use a long cloth
which is fed at such a speed over the face of the block, when the latter is not in
contact with the face of the plate that the wiping surface is constantly renewed.
Various modes of effecting this may be adopted that which I have found most
effective consists in winding the cloth in a roll on the shaft D mounted in bearings
at one side of the frame of the wiper, and passing the cloth from this roll across the
face of the block to a shaft F. mounted in bearings at the opposite side of the frame
and rotated intermittently by a pawl and ratchet, or other device, at such speed a
will change the wiping surface as fast as may be desired. It is most important in
wiping an inked engraved plate to vary the action of the wiping cloth as well as
change its surface, so as to remove first the main body of ink, which may be done
with a portion of cloth which is fresh or uncoated with ink, and then the remaining
portion which can only be done with a portion of the cloth which is already
somewhat inked, as the final wiping of a plate with a fresh uninked cloth would
result in wiping out the lines. No attempt has heretofore been made to vary the
action of mechanical wipers to secure this result, which is attained by the above
described means, partly by feeding the cloth across a broad block as aforesaid,
causing the plate to travel beneath the wiper, and entering from the side from
which the clean cloth is drawn, and partly by so constructing the block that the
pressure of the wiping face upon the cloth will increase as the plate is wiped.
Thus the plate passes first beneath the cleanest portion of the cloth, and then below
that which has been inked by the removal of ink from the preceding plate, the
cloth being fed in such manner as will prevent any part from becoming surcharged
with ink, yet cause the first portion of the wiping to be performed by a fresh inked
part of the cloth and the final wiping to be performed with an inked cloth. At the
same time the light pressure at first applied is effective in removing the body of
ink, while the subsequent heavier pressure with the "full" portion of cloth wipes
the plate "down close" with the same effect as in hand printing.
A succession of wipers may be used to give such different pressures, the cloth in
each, so fed to secure the desired result, but the most effective work is performed
by subdividing the block A. into any desired number of sections 1. 2. 3. each
of which is faced with printing blanket and capable of vertical adjustment
independently of the others, great advantage also results from applying a spring
pressure to the block so that it can yield slightly where, and when necessary.
The sections 1. 2. 3 constituting the block A. are all carried in the frame I.
From the back of each section, screw rods f, extend through yokes or cross bars g,
between which and nuts m¹ on the rods intervene springs m. Nuts n turning on
the rods and bearing on the yokes g, limit the downward movement of the rods and
serve to adjust each independently of the others to any desired angle, and at any
required.height, and the spring pressure is varied by adjusting the nuts m'. After
the plate has been wiped it must be polished. When this is done by hand, the
operator must from time to time coat his hand with whiting or other polishing
powder. To enable him to do this with rapidity and accuracy, the whiting is
carried to a position convenient to the operator, for instance by a band or wheel

page_text: which comes in contact during its movement with a body of whiting, is coated
thereby, and carries the same to the desired point.
The above described improvements may be embodied in machines of various
forms or may be used as auxilliary to hand printing. They can be used most
effectively in connection with the machine illustrated in plan in Fig. 3 of the
accompanying drawing.
In the said machine a travelling chain or band f¹, carries four beds along a course
in a rectangular frame c, the plates C being fixed to said beds. In this machine is
embodied the above described wiping device, the inking appliances being arranged
at one side of the frame, the wiper A. at another, and the impression devices t. at
another, the operator standing in a position to polish the plate after it leaves the
wiper, and a travelling band T coated with whiting, passing over a roller U, in
proximity to the operator's position The band T also passes over a drive roller V
moved from any operating portion of the machine and situated in a box W, con-
taining a supply of powder with which the band becomes covered. But a buffer
wheel revolving with its lower portion in a box containing the whiting or any
other mode of conveying the latter to the desired position may be used, as a
tube for dropping it regularly upon the plate or table Z. It will be apparent that
as the plates are wiped by the means described while in motion, there is no actual
necessity of arresting the movements of the beds, a continuous motion as a sub-
stitute for the automatically intermittent motion may therefore be used, the
polishing being effected, at least with small plates, while the latter are travelling
from the wiper to the impression roller and the sheets to be printed being applied
before a plate reaches said roller and removed after it passes the same. It will be
obvious that the plates may be stationary and the reciprocating wiper may travel
above the same.
In the wiper above described, each block carries a separate pad.
In Figs. 5 to 8 is illustrated a wiper in which a single pad extends beneath a
number of adjustable blocks. The single pad a. consists of a strip of felt, or other
suitable yielding material and appliances are used whereby said pad may be so
adjusted as to secure an increased pressure upon the plate as it travels beneath and
in contact with the wiping cloth. In Fig. 5 the pad a. is shown as consisting of
felt or other suitable material over which may extend the leather facing e. traversed
by the cloth, and behind this pad are arranged a number of strips or blocks C, each
of which is vertically adjustable by means of bolts f. extending from the blocks
through holes in a bridge g, and provided with heads which limit the vertical
movements. It is very desirable that the pad have a spring backing, so that it can
yield slightly under pressure, for which reason rubber or other springs are inter-
posed between the pad and its bearings.
Thus coiled springs n. are shown resting upon the blocks C, and set screws h
passing through a bridge K, by which screws, the pressure of the springs may be
varied so as to cause the forward edge of the pad to press more lightly upon the
plate than the back edge. A like result may be secured by using a single backing
block C as shown in Fig. 7 and either adjusting the same to an angle to depress
the rear edge, or by keeping it level and facing it with strips m of felt set to
secure increased thickness at the rear with a corresponding gradual increase of
pressure. In this structure springs n. may be interposed between the block and an
adjustable plate H, the backing being limited in its vertical movements by headed
screw bolts f, as shown. A greater variety of adjustments may be secured by
using a backing consisting of numerous blocks, each having a spring backing as
shown in Fig. 8. Whichever may be the construction adopted, the pad a. is in
one piece, and springs are applied, and the backing is made or set so as to secure
a gradually increasing strong pressure upon the plate, but without the presentation
of any abrupt edges the pad interposing such a mass of elastic material between
the edges of the backing blocks or strips and the plate, as serves to reduce their
sharpness and secure a practically inclined plane at the under face of the pad

page_text: without ridges. It will be apparent that other adjusting devices than screw
bolts may be employed for adjusting the backing.
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
by my foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is
1st A device for wiping engraved plates in which are combined first, a flat wiping
block, second means for carrying a cloth across the face of the block in the direction
in which the plate travels third, appliances constructed to impart to the wiper a
reciprocating motion, substantially as set forth.
2nd The combination of the flat wiper block, its cloth, devices for carrying the
cloth across the face of the block, and appliances whereby the plate is carried
beneath the wiper in the same direction as the cloth travels, substantially as set
forth.
3rd The combination in a wiping apparatus for engraved plates of a wiper con-
sisting of two or more flat wiping sections positively adjusted to different heights,
a wiper cloth passing beneath said sections, and means for carrying flat plates first
beneath the highest, and then beneath the lower sections, as set forth.
4th The combination in a wiper block, of two or more sections devices for
adjusting the same to different heights and limiting their downward movements,
and springs pressing said sections downward upon their bearings, substantially as
set forth.
5th The combination of a frame and a wiper block in sections having spring
bearings, and adjusting devices whereby said sections may be separately adjusted
to yield independently of each other, substantially as set forth.
6th The combination in a mechanical wiper for engraved plates, of two or
more sections a cloth crossing the face of all of said' sections, and springs and
adjusting devices whereby said sections may be set to bear upon the plate with
different pressures substantially as set forth.
7th The combination with two or more pads, of a single wiper cloth, and means
for automatically reciprocating the same, as set forth.
8th The combination with two or more independently adjustable wiper pads, of a
single wiper cloth substantially as described.
9th A wiper for plate printing presses consisting of a single pad, springs, and a
backing, set to secure a gradually increasing spring pressure towards the back of
the pad, and a cloth traversing the face of the pad substantially as set forth.
10th The combination of a single wiping pad, a backing constructed to secure
increased pressure as the plate passes beneath the pad, adjustable spring bearings
for the backing and appliances for reciprocating the pad in respect to the plate,
substantially as described.
11th The combination in a mechanical wiper, of a single pad, a backing con-
sisting of a series of pieces and means for adjusting said pieces to different heights,
substantially as set forth.
12th The combination of the single pad, the backing, adjustable devices for
limiting the vertical movements of the latter, and springs interposed between the
backing and its bearings, substantially as described.
13th The frame carrying a backing consisting of a series of independent pieces,
and a single pad extending below the same, in combination with devices for
adjusting the pieces independently, and with spring bearings and devices for
varying the pressure of the springs, substantially as set forth.