Improvements in Match Making and Printing Machines.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Mar., 1899-Accepted, 8th July, 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Match Making and Printing Machines.
I, GEORGE CROYDON MARKS, Consulting Engineer, of 18, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane, London, W.C. (being a communication from Frank Walton Mead,
Manufacturer, of Kingham, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, in the United States
of America), 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 :—
The following is a full and exact description of this match printing division of my
invention, reference being had to the drawings furnished herewith and to the letters
and figures of reference marked thereon.
The object of this my present invention is to produce a printing mechanism,
adapted to the above noted combination of match making and match printing
mechanism, for the purpose of producing complete manufactured matches having any
desired letters or other devices printed thereon.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a machine illustrating my improvements in printing
mechanism as applied to a match making machine.
Fig. 2 is a similar sectional elevation.
Fig. 3 is a similar elevation illustrating the common impelling or side bar 5 and
its attached mechanism, for connecting the printing mechanism to the machine for
making matches.
Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation, somewhat enlarged, illustrating the application of
printing rolls which act through the scallops in the guides that conduct the match
splints from the dividers to the main conveyor.
Fig. 5 is a general plan illustrating the application of the printing apparatus to a
match-making machine.
Fig. 6 is a front sectional elevation of the adjustable table 41 for carrying the
lower roll printing device, showing its elevating screws, shafts and cranks, to he
observed in its relative relations in Figs. 1, 2, and 9.
Fig. 7 is an end view of a type roll, inking rolls and fountain.
Fig. 8 is a plan view of a type roll, inking rolls and fountain.
Fig. 9 is an enlarged sectional elevation illustrating the relations of the main
match machine frame, the adjustable lower roll printing device and rolls, the upper
printing rolls and the impelling side bars 5, racks 39, match splint guiding
tubes 12 &c.
Fig. 10 is an enlarged detail of parts shown in Fig. 9, including the guide-tubes 12,
their supporting table 11, a scallop in the tubes at 13 and a section of the upper
printing roll 14.
Fig. 11 is a similar detail of parts shown in Fig. 9 including the guide-tubes 12
their re-inforcing plate 60 a scallop in the tubes at 13 and a section of the lower
printing roll 14.
Like letters and figures of reference refer to the same or corresponding parts
in all the drawings.
In the splint forming section of the machine (Fig. 1) is shown on the left one of a
row of stationary hoppers B, in which are piled rectangular shaped cards of wood
CD71

page_text: or other suitable material which is to be sawed or otherwise cut into match splints.
This hopper B has a movable bottom or platen B2 which is driven backward and
forward under the hopper by means of the side bars 5 connected thereto and which
side bars are operated by the eccentrics 4 on the main shaft 3 through the connecting
rods 4 (see also Fig. 2, 3, and 5). The backward movement of the hopper
platen B (i.e. away from the saws) causes the bottom-most card in each hopper to
drop between guideways on top of the supporting table underneath the hoppers, then
the forward movement of the platen B2 pushes the cards (termed herein "match-
blanks") through the guideways and on to the saws, beyond which they emerge in
the form of match splints. Thus the repeated vibratory movement of the platen B2,
actuated by the side bar 5, causes a continuous train of match-blanks to be driven on
to the saws, each blank pushing the blank or splints in front of it until the splints
are forced through the guide tubes 12 and between the printing rolls 14ª, 14b and
14, 14 from which they receive an impression on each of their four sides. This
four-sided impression is effected by a peculiar twist in the guide tubes hereinafter
more fully described.
Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 6: The main frame of a match machine is marked A¹
Within frame A¹ and fitted to be moved freely up and down therein by screws
54 and 55, is the lower roll printing device frame marked 41. This frame 41 supports
in suitable bearings the journals of the lower printing rolls 14" and 14° while upon
the main frame A¹ are in like manner supported the upper printing rolls 14 and 14b.
These printing rolls derive an intermittent movement from side bars 5 which are the
cominon moving agency for several parts in the match making machinery. Their
longitudinally reciprocating movement which is required in the match making
machinery affords, through racks 39 thereon, as illustrated in Fig. 3, the means for
communicating the simultaneous intermittent rotary movement to the printing
rolls.
For this purpose, the racks 39 referred to mesh into free playing gears 40 upon
the shafts of the printing rolls.
These free playing gears 40 carry pawls 40b which engage the ratchet wheels 40°
(shown dotted in Figs. 7 and 9) fixed upon said printing roll shafts, and as the side
bars 5 move forward and backward with a correctly limited reciprocating movement,
this same movement presents periodically and successively the single match splints
(which by this reciprocating movement are brought forward from the dividers or splint
formers) to the printing rolls at the open scallops in the tubular guides 12 already
mentioned.
The usual inking and distributing devices for properly applying the printing
ink to the printing rolls are used as indicated in 9 and other figures, and need not be
minutely described.
Observe in Fig. 9 a shaft 43" on which is mounted the inking roll 43. This shaft
is provided with pawl-carrying gears 43 (similar to gears 40) loose thereon, and
ratchet wheels 43° fixed upon said shafts into which these pawis 434 play, whereby
motion is communicated from racks 39 on the side bars 5, through said gears 43",
pawls 43, and ratchet wheels 43°, to said inking roll 43 similarly to that of printing
rolls, and from which (roll 43) motion is communicated to ink fountain roll 45 by
means of sprocket wheels 43 and chain 43'. Roll 44 carries the ink from roll 45 to
inking roll 43 over which are arranged two distributing rolls 47 while roll 48 by
contact carries the ink to the type faces on the printing rolls 14 and 14*.
The distributing rolls 47 are given a suitable endwise reciprocating motion through
the action of the cains b located upon the same shafts, one of these cams is shown
on Figs. 7 and 8. See also Fig. 9.
The inking apparatus just described applies to the upper system above the match
splint guides 12. The system is repeated substantially as shown below the
match splint guides 12, as will be readily understood by reference to the
drawings.
The lower roll printing device already alluded to, consisting of frame 41 within and
fitted to and to move up and down in, frame A¹, and to be adjusted by elevating

page_text: screws 54 and 55, constitutes a printing roll system substantially like the upper
described system, and is driven in like manner by racks 39 attached to the reciproca-
ting side bars 5 of the match making machine, all of which is shown in the drawings.
The elevating screws 54 and 55, of which there is one at each of the four corners of
the frame 41, are provided with bevel gears 58, and these are driven by like inter-
meshing gears on shafts supported on frame 41, said shafts being provided with hand
operating cranks 57. Thus by turning these cranks the lower printing rolls may be
elevated or depressed at pleasure. These rolls and their gears may thus be made
to engage or disengage with the propelling side bars through their racks 39, or
be depressed and elevated for other purposes such as accessibility, for cleaning,
changing type etc. and for adjusting the pressure of the printing rolls upon
surfaces to be printed on. The upper printing rolls are accessible and adjustable in
the ordinary manner.
The tubular match splint guides 12, have open scallops 13, 13ª, 13b and 13ª
(see Fig. 4) to receive the printing rolls and have twisted intermediate portions
at 16, and are an essential feature of the printing mechanism and are also
employed in the match making machine to conduct the separate match splints, from
the point of their being separated by the dividers from the match splint blank,
to and past the printing rolls and onward to other processes as indicated in the
drawings. The ends of match splint 13 are shown at the scallops exposed to
the action of the printing rolls.
These tubes rest on the table 11 for a firm foundation to resist the upper
printing rolls' downward pressure, and may be reinforced against the lower printing
rolls' upward pressure by any suitable bearer, as 60 Fig. 9.
The twisted portion 16 of these single tube guides 12 give the match splints a
quarter turn, after they have been printed by the first pair of upper and lower rolls,
so as to present the remaining two sides of the match splints to be printed by the
second pair of rolls.
These separate, scalloped and twisted, single tubes, or guides 12 are a great improve-
ment over any heretofore known guides used for this purpose, and their peculiar
adaptation to the purpose of this machine and to that of the combined match making,
and match printing machinery is such that their importance cannot well be over-
stated.
Having now particularly described and 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 :-
First. The combination of the match blank propelling hopper bottom, the attached
reciprocating side bars of a match making machine, the upper and lower printing
rolls of a printing mechanism, the connecting and co-operative mechanism and the
open scalloped and twisted single tube guides interpolated and co-acting, substantially
as shown and described.
Second. The combination of the match blank hopper bottom 6, and attached
reciprocating side bar 5, its connecting rod 4" and driving shaft 3, the co-operating
mechanism actuating the printing rolls, viz., racks 39, gears 40, ratchets 40°, and
pawls 40b, the upper and lower printing rolls, the open scalloped, twisted single tube
guides, substantially as shown and described.
Third. In a printing mechanism applied to and co-operating with a match-making
mechanism, the combination of the match-blank receiving hopper B, the platen B²
with its operating mechanism comprising the driving shaft 3, the eccentric 4, con-
necting rods 4" and side bars 5; the four sided single-tube, match-splint guides,
scalloped to admit the printing rolls; and said rolls, they being journaled and
adjusted to operate through said scallops upon match-splints within; substantially
as shown and described.
Fourth. In a printing mechanisin applied to and co-operating with a match-making
mechanism, the combination of the hopper B, the platen B with its operating
mechanism as described; and the four-sided, single-tube match-splint guides having

page_text: upper and lower scallops to admit two or more pairs of upper and lower printing
rolls, said single tube guides also having twisted sections located between the pairs
of upper and lower scallops substantially as and for the purpose described.
Fifth. The combination of the intermittently rotating printing rolls or cylinders,
the single tube guides scalloped for the inter-action of said rolls upon match splints
and twisted between the scallops, and the splint supplying and propelling mechanism,
substantially as described and shown.
Sixth. In a match printing mechanism the combination of, a match making
frame A', bearing upper sets of printing rolls to print upper surfaces, a vertically
movable and adjustable sub-frame 41 bearing lower printing rolls to print under
surfaces, and a group of interposed match-splints single tube guides, open scalloped
for the inter-action of said rolls and twisted between the scallops, substantially as aud
for the purpose set forth.
Seventh. The independent, open-scalloped and twisted single tube match-splint
guides, re-inforced or buttressed by table 11 and bearing 60, in combination with the
inter-acting printing rolls, substantially as shown and described.
Eighth. The combination of a supporting frame A¹, carrying printing rolls, a match
blank propelling mechanisin and an adjustable, vertically upwardly and downwardly
moving frame 41 within the supporting frame A¹ also carrying printing rolls to
print under surfaces, the intermediate match-blank carrying single tubes and
co-operative intermittent and simultaneously moving match-splint propelling
mechanisin connectable and detachable as respects upper and lower printing rolls
by means of the sub-frame 41, substantially as shown and described.
Ninth. In combination with a match printing mechanism, the reciprocating side
bars 5, having the toothed racks 39, and the other parts named below;-the
secondary sub-frame 41 fitted to move up and down within the main frame A¹ and
hearing the lower printing rolls 14 and 14%, which have segmental gears 40 toothed
upwardly to mesh into said racks 39, elevating screws 54 and 55, gears 58 and
cranks 57, whereby said racks and lower gears 40 are made to engage and disengage
by the reverse movement of the cranks 57, and whereby the upper and lower printing
rolls are brought into simultaneous operation at pleasure, substantially as shown and
described.
Tenth. In a natch forming and printing machine the adjustable printing device
located within the main frame A¹, comprising in combination a platform 41 having
four elevating screws 54 and 55 at the four corners geared to hand operating cranks 57,
printing rolls 14 and 14° provided with shafts and bearings, free segmental gears 40
on said shafts carrying pawls 40b which play into ratchet wheels 40 attached to said
printing rolls, reciprocating racks 39 above, into which, when the table is elevated to
the required point to produce printing contact of said rolls with surfaces to be
printed, said gears engage and by the reverse movement disengage, substantially as
shown and described.
Eleventh. In combination with the main frame and a pair or several pairs of
printing rolls, each pair printing upwardly and downwardly, the lower adjustable
carrying-table 41, its printing rolls 14 and 14%, and automatically engaging
segmental gears 40, pawls 40b, ratchets 40 and a reciprocating rack 39, substantially
as shown and described.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, and 25, Cross Street, Manchester,
Agents.