Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for Varnishing or otherwise Coating Paper, Card Board, or other Material.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application. 15th Apr., 1896
Complete Specification Left. 15th Jan., 1897-Accepted, 3rd Apr., 1897
Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for Varnishing or
otherwise Coating Paper, Card Board, or other Material.
We, HERBERT WILLIAM VICTOR WILSON of Fernleigh, Church Street,
Egremont, Engineer, and WILLIAM BROWN of Beach Mount, Seabank Road,
Liscard Lithographer, both in the County of Chester, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
.
This invention relates to apparatus for varnishing or otherwise coating paper,
cardboard, or other material, and comprises certain improvements in construction
and arrangement hereinafter set forth.
In carrying the invention into effect, as applied to varnishing paper, the machine
is constructed on the stop-cylinder principle, the feed being by fingers on the
cylinder, taking the sheets from an inclined feed board, passing them between the
cylinder blanket and a varnishing roller which applies the varnish to the sheet,
after which the cylinder remains stationary, the fingers release the varnished sheet,
and, while the gearing is making its return stroke, a fresh sheet is placed in
position. The arrangement is such that the sheets are fed to the cylinder and
taken off at practically one level, the operator in working the machine standing on
the floor without being raised at a height above it as has been the common practice
bitherto. The varnishing roller aforesaid is, by preference, arranged underneath
the cylinder, and is driven by gearing so as to revolve in a trough fed with varnish
from a tank mounted on a spring so as to be adjustable vertically. The tank being
connected with the trough by a pipe, the varnish is maintained in both the trough
and the tank at a uniform level, and, as the varnish is used, the weight of the tank
decreases so that the spring will raise the tank and thus one given uniform level is
maintained. The varnishing roller is pressed towards the cylinder so as to apply
the varnish to the sheet as required, by means of a set screw and, moreover, means
are provided for regulating the amount of varnish applied to the paper, these means,
by preference, comprising a second roller or scraper separated from the varnishing
roller by means of springs, a set screw being however provided for pressing these
two rollers closer together, or allowing them to recede the one from the other.
The cylinder is provided with a blanket mounted by preference on canvas, the size
of the blanket being equal to the length of the sheet to be coated.
The inclined feed board is by preference arranged in close proximity to the
varnishing roller, the feed being thus near the varnishing roller which being
directly underneath the centre of the cylinder enables a large sheet to be varnished
with a comparatively small cylinder, it being understood that the space between
the feed and the varnishing roller which is practically lost space is reduced to a
minimum, thus for example with an eighteen inch diameter cylinder we can varnish
a forty-six inch sheet.
The fingers or grippers on the cylinder for taking the sheet from the inclined
feed board are actuated by the following arrangement:-
On a stationary disc placed in proximity to the cylinder is fixed a cam or elongated
tooth. There is a ratchet connected to the fingers, the end of which presses against
the disc and produces no motion in the grippers so long as it slides on the circular
periphery of the disc. When however, the cylinder in rotating brings the ratchet
to the elongated tooth; it mounts the said tooth and operates the fingers, raising

page_text: them and liberating the sheet, the fingers closing suddenly and gripping the next
sheet, as soon as the end of the tooth is reached, and the ratchet falls on to the
periphery of the disc again. In order to vary the opening of the fingers, the cam
or elongated tooth aforesaid is fastened to the disc by means of screws so that it
can be removed and replaced by a lenger or shorter one, as required, and thus the
moment of opening or closing the fingers can be adjusted to suit sheets of any
required length.
The driving gear for imparting to the cylinder an intermittent rotary motion is
constructed as follows:-
At a convenient distance from the axis of the cylinder is a rolling pinion engaging
on one side a semi-circular toothed rack whose centre is the centre of the cylinder,
and on the other a spur wheel mounted on the axis of the cylinder and locked
thereto or released therefrom by the arrangement hereinafter described. The
rolling pinion is loosely coupled to the axis of the cylinder by a link, and it is
operated by a driving wheel and connecting rod, each complete rotation of the
driving wheel causing the rolling pinion to roll from one end of the semi-circular
rack and back again and by this means causing the spur wheel to make one or
rather nearly one complete forward rotation and then rotate back again. The
arrangement for locking the spur wheel to the cylinder consists in providing a semi-
circular groove in that face of the spur wheel which is adjacent to a disc keyed on
the cylinder shaft, this groove having a sloping bottom so as to gradually taper or
decrease in depth from one end, where it is deepest to the other end where it
merges into or disappears into the face of the spur wheel. The said disc is
provided with a spring pin engaging this semi-circular slot, the tendency of the spring
being to keep the pin in engagement with the slot. The end of the slot where it is
deepest may be formed with a slight cavity into which the spring pin falls, the
object being to give the pin a hold on the slot at the end. The connecting rod is,
by preference, coupled to the driving wheel by means of an eccentric whereby the
radius or throw and consequently the stroke of the rolling pinion may be slightly
varied. The mode of action of this part of the apparatus is as follows:-
On putting the driving shaft into motion the pinion will roll backwards and
forwards on its rack. During its forward movement the groove in the spur wheel
will be engaged by the spring pin in the disc and the cylinder will be rotated
nearly one complete revolution. During the return motion, however, of the rolling
pinion, the bottom of the groove in the spur wheel being sloped, the groove will
slide out of engagement with the pin leaving the cylinder stationary behind, while
the spur wheel is rotating back. A ratchet or catch absolutely prevents the
cylinder rotating back again, while one or both of the bearings of the cylinder are
provided with springs which act as a brake and prevent the cylinder rotating very
easily so that it remains immovable. By the foregoing, arrangement, therefore,
the cylinder receives an intermittent rotary motion, making a nearly complete
revolution at one stroke of the rolling pinion, and then remaining absolutely
stationary while the rolling pinion makes its return movement.
In order to, complete the full revolution of the cylinder, which is not quite
finished by the rolling pinion, an arrangement is provided, whereby after a sheet is
taken off, the rotation completed during the return stroke of the rolling pinion.
This arrangement comprises a reciprocating rod worked by a cam in any suitable
manner, this rod being under the control of a spring and having a tooth adapted to
come into engagement with the cylinder and rotate it the remainder of its
revolution. The result is that when the rolling pinion completes its stroke and the
cylinder is left stationary, the rod is operated by the cam, and its tooth coming in
engagement with the cylinder, rotates it into the exact position to enable the spring
pin to fall into the grcove in the spur wheel and so lock the two together ready for
the next working stroke of the cylinder for varnishing another sheet. It may
sometimes happen, however, that the operator for some special reason is not ready
to feed on a fresh sheet, and as a rotation of the cylinder without a sheet would
varnish the blanket and spoil it, it is preferable to provide a striking arrangement

page_text: for preventing the cylinder making a working stroke. This may be effected by
preventing the spring pin on the disc from falling into engagement with the slot in
the spur wheel, all that is necessary to effect this being to provide a catch, which, if
required, will push the reciprocating bar aforesaid away from the cylinder so that
its tooth cannot engage the cylinder to rotate it sufficiently for the spring pin to
engage in the slot, the result will be that the cylinder will remain stationary so
long as the reciprocating bar is thrown out of engagement with the cylinder.
The mode of action of the whole machine is as follows:-
On putting the machine into motion, the fingers take a sheet from the inclined
feed board, and pass it between the cylinder blanket and the varnishing roller
which applies the varnish to the sheet. This being effected, the fingers release the
varnished sheet from the cylinder, just short of the complete revolution, the brake
and the slight cavity of the deepest end of the groove in which the spring pin
engages, and also a stop tooth on the reciprocating bar preventing the cylinder
over-running. While the driving gear is running back (the groove with the
sloping bottom sliding out of engagement with the spring pin) the reciprocating rod
comes into engagement with the cylinder and completes its rotation, so that by the
time the varnished sheet is removed and a fresh sheet placed in position, the
cylinder is brought into position for the spring pin on the disc to fall into the groove,
and the cylinder will make another forward stroke. Should however the operator
not be quite ready with a fresh sheet, all that he has to do is to throw the tooth
on the reciprocating rod out of engagement with the cylinder, the stop tooth on the
reciprocating rod however remaining sufficiently in engagement so as to stop the
cylinder if by chance it should have a tendency to over-run. The full rotation of
the cylinder thus remains uncompleted, and the cylinder fails to couple itself to the
spur wheel, hence it remains absolutely stationary, until such time as the recipro-
cating rod is thrown into gear.
Among the advantages claimed for this invention besides those already set forth,
may be mentioned the fact, that the driving gear is practically noiseless, considerable
time is allowed for the feed during the return of the driving gear, there is no jar or
shock and hence no danger of breaking the teeth, and the use of the connecting rod
gives a gradual starting and stopping of the cylinder, instead of the sudden start
and stop so objected to in some other machines.
We have described the invention more especially as applied to varnishing machines,
but it must be distinctly understood that it is not confined to varnishing paper only,
as it may be applied for coating paper and other substances as set forth in the title.
This application of the invention however will be obvious without further
description.
J
1000
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.
Of 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for Varnishing or
otherwise Coating Paper, Card Board, or other Material.
We HERBERT WILLIAM VICTOR WILSON, of Fernleigh, Church Street,
Egremont, Engineer and WILLIAM BROWN of Beach Mount, Seabank Road,
Liscard, Lithographer both in the County of Chester, 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 relates to apparatus for varnishing or otherwise coating paper,

page_text: cardboard, or other material, and comprises certain improvements in construction
and arrangement hereinafter set forth.
In carrying the invention into effect, as applied to varnishing paper, the
machine is constructed on the stop-cylinder principle, the feed being by fingers
on the cylinder, taking the sheets from an inclined feed board, passing them
between the cylinder blanket and a varnishing roller which applies the varnish
to the sheet, after which the cylinder remains stationary, the fingers release the
varnished sheet, and, while the gearing is making its return stroke, a fresh sheet
is placed in position. The arrangement is such that the sheets are fed to the
cylinder and taken off at practically one level, the operator in working the
machine standing on the floor without being raised at a height above it as has
been the common practice hitherto.
Referring to the accompanying drawings:-
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of such apparatus;
Figure 2 an end elevation:
Figure 3 an enlarged front elevation of a portion of the apparatus ;
Figure 4 a back elevation thereof, and
Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8 detail views.
In these A is the cylinder a the fingers thereon and B the varnishing roller
which is by preference, arranged underneath the cylinder, and is driven by gearing
so as to revolve in a trough B¹ fed with varnish from a tank C mounted on a
spring c so as to be adjustable vertically. The tank being connected with the
trough by a flexible pipe D, the varnish is maintained in both the trough and
the tank at a uniform level, and, as the varnish is used, the weight of the tank
decreases so that the spring will raise the tank and thus one given uniform level
is maintained. The varnishing roller B is pressed towards the cylinder A so as
to apply the varnish to the sheet as required by means of a set screw 6 and,
moreover, means are provided for regulating the amount of varnish applied to
the paper, these means, by preference, comprising a second roller or scraper E
separated from the varnishing roller by means of springs e, Figure 8, a set screw e¹
being however provided for pressing these two rollers closer together, or allowing
them to recede the one from the other. Both the rollers B and E are mounted
on an arm pivoted at E'. The cylinder A is provided with a blanket A' mounted
by preference on canvas, the size of the blanket being equal to the length of
the sheet to be coated shown best in Figure 3.
The inclined feed board F is by preference arranged in close proximity to the
varnishing roller B, the feed being thus near the varnishing roller which being
directly underneath the centre of the cylinder enables a large sheet to be
varnished with a comparatively small cylinder, it being understood that the space
between the feed and the varnishing roller which is practically lost space is reduced
to a minimum, thus for example with an eighteen inch diameter cylinder we can
varnish a forty-six inch sheet.
This inclined feed table F is pivoted at fand is caused to rise and fall on such
pivot by a cam F1, Figure 7, on the shaft F2 and rods I so that it falls with the
sheet to be varnished onto a fixed flanged piece i which extends a bit beyond the
end of the paper, consequently the sheet of paper when placed on the table comes
against the angle piece, and on the table F rising the sheet projecting à little over
the edge of the table is caught between the fingers a and the cylinder at a¹ and is
carried round therewith.
The fingers a or grippers on the cylinder for taking the sheet from the inclined
feed board are actuated by the following arrangement:-
On the stationary disc G, Figure 3, placed in proximity to the cylinder A is
fixed a cam or elongated tooth G¹. There is a ratchet pawl a' connected to the
fingers, the end of which presses against the disc G and produces no motion in the
grippers so long as it slides on the circular periphery of the disc. When, however,
the cylinder in rotating brings the ratchet to the elongated tooth G', it mounts the
said tooth and operates the fingers, raising them and liberating the sheet H, the

page_text: fingers closing suddenly and gripping the next sheet, as soon as the end of
the tooth is reached, and the ratchet falls on to the periphery of the disc again.
In order to vary the opening of the fingers, the cam or elongated tooth aforesaid is
fastened to the disc by means of screws so that it can be removed and replaced by
a longer or shorter one, as required, and thus the moment of opening or closing the
fingers can be adjusted to suit sheets of any required length.
The driving gear for imparting to the cylinder an intermittent rotary motion is
constructed as follows, reference being had more particularly to Figures 4, 5
and 6-
At a convenient distance from the axis of the cylinder A is a rolling pinion J
engaging on one side a semi-circular toothed rack K whose centre is the centre of
the cylinder, and on the other a spur wheel L mounted on the axis of the cylinder
and locked thereto or released therefrom by the arrangement hereinafter described.
The rolling pinion J is loosely coupled to the axis of the cylinder by a link M, and
it is operated by a driving wheel N and connecting rod O, each complete rotation
of the driving wheel causing the rolling pinion J to roll from one end of the semi-
circular rack K and back again and by this means causing the spur wheel L to
make one or rather nearly one complete forward rotation and then rotate back
again. The arrangement for locking the spur wheel to the cylinder consists in
providing a semi-circular groove / in that face of the spur wheel which is adjacent
to a disc P keyed on the cylinder shaft, this groove having a sloping bottom so as
to gradually taper or decrease in depth from one end L' where it is deepest to the
other end where it merges into or disappears from the face of the spur wheel.
The said disc is provided with a spring pin Pengaging this semi-circular slot, the
tendency of the spring being to keep the pin in engagement with the slot. The
end of the slot L' where it is deepest may be formed with a slight cavity into
which the spring pin falls, the object being to give the pin a hold on the slot at the
end. The connecting rod O is, by preference, coupled to the driving wheel N by
means of an eccentric n whereby the radius or throw and consequently the stroke
of the rolling pinion may be slightly varied. The mode of action of this part of
the apparatus is as follows:-
Ou putting the driving shaft into motion, the pinion J will roll backwards and
forwards on its rack K. During its forward movement the groove in the spur
wheel L will be engaged by the spring pin P' in the disc P and the cylinder. will
be rotated nearly one complete revolution. During the return motion, however, of
the rolling pinion J, the bottom of the groove / in the spur wheel being sloped, the
groove will slide out of engagement with the pin P' leaving the cylinder stationary
behind, while the spur wheel is rotating back. A ratchet or catch Q on the
cylinder engages a pawl R which is pivoted to the framework and absolutely
prevents the cylinder rotating back again, while one or both of the bearings of the
cylinder are provided with springs S which act as a brake and prevent the cylinder
rotating very easily so that it remains immovable. By the foregoing arrangement,
therefore, the cylinder receives an intermittent rotary motion, making a nearly
complete revolution at one stroke of the rolling pinion J, and then remaining
absolutely stationary while the rolling pinion makes its return movement.
a cam t in
In order to complete the full revolution of the cylinder, which is not quite
finished by the rolling pinion, an arrangement is provided, whereby after a sheet is
taken off, the rotation is completed during the return stroke of the rolling pinion.
This arrangement comprises a reciprocating rod T Figure 3, worked by
any suitable manner, this rod being under the control of a spring U and having a
tooth t adapted to come into engagement with a projection 2 on the cylinder and
rotate it the remainder of its revolution. The result is that when the rolling
pinion J completes its stroke and the cylinder is left stationary, the rod T is
operated by the cam, and its tooth t' coming in engagement with the cylinder
rotates it into the exact position, see Figure 3, to enable the spring piu P¹
Figure 6 to fall inte the groove in the spur wheel and so lock the two together
ready for the next working stroke of the cylinder for varnishing another sheet.

page_text: It may sometimes happen, however, that the operator for some special reason is
not ready to feed on a fresh sheet, and as a rotation of the cylinder without a
sheet would varnish the blanket A¹ and spoil it, it is preferable to provide a
striking arrangement for preventing the cylinder making a working stroke. This
may be effected by preventing the spring pin P1 on the disc P from falling into
engagement with the slot in the spur wheel, all that is necessary to effect this
being to provide a catch V, Figure 3, which, if required, will by turning it on
its pivot push the reciprocating bar aforesaid away from the cylinder so that its
tooth cannot engage the cylinder to rotate it sufficiently for the spring pin P!
to engage in the slot in the spur wheel L, the result will be that the cylinder
will remain stationary so long as the reciprocating bar T is thrown out of
engagement with the cylinder.
The mode of action of the whole machine is as follows:-
On putting the machine into motion, the fingers a take a sheet H from the
inclined feed board F, and pass it between the cylinder blanket A' and the
varnishing roller B which applies the varnish to the sheet. This being effected,
the fingers release the varnished sheet from the cylinder, just short of the complete
revolution, the brake that is the springs on the bearings and the slight cavity of
the deepest end of the groove / in which the spring pin P¹ engages, and also a
stop tooth T on the reciprocating bar T preventing the cylinder over-running.
While the driving gear is running back (the groove with the sloping bottom
sliding out of engagement with the spring pin "P) the reciprocating rod T comes
into engagement with the cylinder and completes its rotation, so that by the time
the varnished sheet is removed and a fresh sheet placed in position, the cylinder is
brought into position for the spring pin on the disc P to fall into the groove l,
and the cylinder will make another forward stroke. Should however the operator
not be quite ready with a fresh sheet, all that he has to do is to throw the tooth t
on the reciprocating rod T out of engagement with the cylinder, the stop tooth T¹
on the reciprocating rod however remaining sufficiently in engagement so as to
stop the cylinder if by chance it should have a tendency to over-run. The full
rotation of the cylinder thus remains uncompleted, and the cylinder fails to couple
itself to the spur wheel, hence it remains absolutely stationary, until such time as
the reciprocating rod is thrown into gear.
Among the advantages claimed for this invention besides those already set forth,
may be mentioned the fact, that the driving gear is practically noiseless, con-
siderable time is allowed for the feed during the return of the driving gear, there
is no jar or shock and hence no danger of breaking the teeth, and the use of the
connecting rod gives a gradual starting and stopping of the cylinder, instead of
the sudden start and stop so objected to in some other machines.
We have described the invention more especially as applied to varnishing
machines, but it must be distinctly understood that it is not confined to varnishing
paper only, as it may be applied for coating paper and other substances as set
forth in the title. This application of the invention however will be obvious
without further description."
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In apparatus for varnishing or otherwise coating paper or other material.
the rollers B and E working in a trough for supplying the coating of varnish
mucilage, etcetera to the paper or other material, said rollers or trough being s
located directly underneath the cylinder and in proximity to the inclined feed
board, that the space between the feed and the varnishing roller is reduced to a
minimum, whereby a large sheet can be varnished with a comparatively small
cylinder, substantially as described.
2. The arrangement for feeding the varnish or other material to the varnishing

page_text: trough and maintaining it at one given uniform level therein, substantially as.
described.
3. In apparatus for varnishing or otherwise coating paper or other material,..
the fingers or grippers on the cylinder for taking the sheet from the feed-board,.
in combination with the stationary disc G, elougated tooth or cam G' mounted.
adjustably thereon, ratchet pawl A connected with the fingers and pressing against..
the periphery of the disc, and so arranged that no motion of the grippers is
produced, so long as the said pawl slides on the circular periphery of the disc,
but when the cylinder in rotating brings the pawl to the elongated tooth, it
mounts it and operates the fingers, liberating the sheet, and gripping the next so
soon as the end of the tooth is reached substantially as described.
4. In apparatus for varnishing or otherwise coating paper or other material,
the rollers and trough for applying varnish, etc., to the paper or other material in
combination with the inclined feed-table situated in proximity to the said rollers,
and at such a height that the operator in working the machine, can stand on the
floor without being raised at a height above it, as has been the practice hitherto.
substantially as described.
5. In apparatus for varnishing or otherwise coating paper or other material, the
combination of the cylinder, the inclined feed-table, the mechanism for raising-
and lowering the same at a given moment, the device for applying the varnish or
other material located under the cylinder and in proximity to the table aforesaid
and the grippers or fingers for taking the sheets from the inclined feed board and
passing them between the cylinder blanket and the varnishing device, substantially
as described.
6. In apparatus for varnishing or otherwise coating paper or other material:
baving a cylinder, a spur wheel mounted on the axis of the cylinder, a stationary
semicircular toothed rack whose centre is the axis of the cylinder, a rolling.
pinion interposed between and gearing into the rack and spur wheel, said pinion
being loosely coupled to the axis of the cylinder by a link, and reciprocated by a.
driving wheel and connecting rod, in combination with means for automatically
locking the spur wheel to the cylinder during the forward rolling movement of the
pinion, and releasing it therefrom during the return movement, whereby so long
as the pinion in reciprocating works in the spur wheel and rack, the cylinder will
receive an intermittent rotary motion, making a complete or nearly a complete-
revolution at one stroke of the pinion, and then remaining stationary while the
rolling pinion makes its return movement substantially as described.
7. In an apparatus for varnishing or coating paper and other material, the..
combination with the matter set forth in Claim 6 of a ratchet or catch on the
cylinder, and a pawl or its equivalent so pivoted or arranged upon the framework
or other fixed object, as to lock the cylinder stationary, or prevent it rotating.
back again when the spur wheel and pinion are rotated back, substantially as
described.
8. The combination with the cylinder and oscillatory spur wheel for intermittently
rotating the same, of a projection fixed upon the cylinder, a reciprocating rod
worked by a cam or its equivalent in any suitable manner, having a tooth adapted
to come into engagement with the projection on the cylinder, the rod being so.
operated by the cam that its tooth coming into engagement with the cylinder
rotates it into the exact position to enable the cylinder and spur wheel to be locked
together ready for the next working stroke of the cylinder substantially as.
described.
9. In combination with the matter set forth in Claim 8, a spring adapted to
press the tooth on the rod into engagement with the projection on the cylinder-
and an adjustable catch or equivalent device adapted when required to apply the
force in opposition to the spring aforesaid and push the reciprocating bar away
from the cylinder, so that its tooth cannot engage the cylinder to rotate it
sufficiently for the locking device to lock the cylinder and spur-wheel together,.

page_text: whereby the cylinder will remain stationary so long as the reciprocating bar is
forced out of engagement with the cylinder substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
10. The general combined arrangement and construction of parts formning our
improved apparatus for varnishing or otherwise coating paper, cardboard or other
materials substantially as described.
Dated this 15th day of Tanwar 1907
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, and London, Patent Agents.