IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PERFORATING AND PRINTING UPON 37 PAPER communicated to him from abroad.
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 MACHINERY FOR PERFORATING AND PRINTING UPON
37
PAPER communicated to him from abroad. by Seth Wheeler of Albany,
New York, United States of America
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th May 1883.
"
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & C° Patent Agents
Southampton Buildings, London IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PERFO-
RATING AND PRINTING UPON PAPER [A communication to him from abroad by
Seth Wheeler of Albany, New York, United States of America]
"
This invention relates to improvements in machines for printing and perforating
paper as it is continuously fed into the machine from a roll and rewinding the
finished paper in rolls while in the machine. The objects of the said improvements
are first to provide a machine for preparing rolls of paper for wrapping and other
purposes, having transverse rows of perforations for facilitating the separation of
the web into sheets of uniform size and so that each separate sheet may, when
desired contain an advertisement or other imprint, Seond, to combine with a
continuous and uniform feeding movement of the paper into and out of the
machine, a device or devices intermediately between any of the different sets
of feeding rollers, while the printing mechanism and perforating mechanism or
either of them are performing their functions, and Third to afford facilities for
carefully rewinding the perforated paper into rolls without damage to its continuity;
these objects I effect by means of the mechanism hereinafter described.
The frame of the machine has at its forward end brackets provided with bearings
for receiving a spindle on which the roll of paper is wound.
Near the forward end of the machine the printing mechanism is located, but
as its construction, so far as it relates to producing the impression on the paper
forms no part of the said invention, and as any other suitable printing mechanism
ID 1071

page_text: may be substituted for it a description of it in general terms will suffice. The
type bed is adjusted to receive an intermittent reciprocal motion from a crank
shaft for which purpose the crank pins of the said shaft are arranged to engage in
the open concave seats in the lower ends of pendulous rolls while they (the crank
pins) are passing through the upper arc of, their movement and thereby the said
bed is forced upward with a positive movement to effect the impression; the bed
drops back by its own gravity upon elastic cushions, whereon it remains at rest
during the balance of the movement of the crank pin. The rolls are provided with
pendent loops which permit the crank pins, while they retain their control of the
swinging movements of the rolls to pass over the required portion of their travel
without imparting motion to the said bed, a fixed platen provided with the usual
blankets supports the paper while the impression is imprinted on it the said platen
is hinged by bolts and side bars adjustably fixed on vertical bolts and its free end
is secured by pins; by hanging the platen on hinges as described it can be readily
turned back while a form is placed upon or removed from the type bed. The
inking rollers revolve in bearings formed in a carriage arranged to slide on guides
fixed on the vertical bolts and connected by means of sliding rods to socketted
arms secured to a rock shaft; the said shaft is also provided with bell crank levers
having at the end of each arm a friction roller against which cams or wipers on
the crank shaft bear to impart a rocking motion to the said rock shaft and its
attached parts, whereby the inking rollers are: caused to pass back and forth over
the face of the type, the relative arrangement of the several parts being such that
while the type bed remains in a state of rest, the wipers first engage with the arms
at one side of 'the bell cranks and thereby rock the shaft to move the inking
rollers forward over the type; this movement brings the opposite arms of the
bell cranks in the path of the wipers and then when the. wipers engage with the
opposite arms, the shaft is rocked in a reverse direction causing the inking rollers
to move back to their initial position The inking rollers receive their supply of
ink from a roller which is rotated by a belt from a pulley on the driving shaft.
The distributing roller bears against, and is rotated by, the inking roller and is
provided with the usual appliances for producing an endwise movement during
its rotation. Another roller; is moved alternately against the distributing roller
and two fountain rollers by means of a vibrating arm connected to the said roller
by links and receiving their motion from the pendulous rods to which they are
connected by hooked rods. The fountain roller is located in "an "ink fountain of
the usual construction To arrest the motion of the roll of paper while it is
receiving the impression of the type, so as to avoid the 'blurring that would be
produced by printing the paper while in motion, an india rubber cushion is fixed
to the underside of a cross bar between the side bars and arms extended from the
type bed and provided with elastic pads which, when the type bed is forced
upward to make the impression, stick against the underside of the guide roller
thereby pressing the said, roller against the said cushion with sufficient force to
prevent any movement of the paper between them. The perforating machine is
located near the middle of the machine, between the printing mechanism and
rewinding mechanism. The shaft for the said perforating mechanism is arranged
in a transverse direction on the frame and has, secured thereto cam discs provided
with projections at proper intervals to produce the required distances between the
lines of perforations. A cross head provided with side pieces is arranged to slide
vertically in guides and is provided with friction rollers with which the projections
of the cam discs engage to impart at regular intervals, a short reciprocating motion
to the cross heads, the latter is also provided, on the upper side with a die strip
containing perforations corresponding in number, size, and location to the
perforating punches. A stationary cross head is fixed to the guide above the
cross head and is provided with a plate attached to its underside for the purpose
of carrying the perforating punches; the said punches have notched or V-shaped
cutting ends so as to produce a shearing cut at opposite sides of the hole at the
same moment whereby a strain is created upon the paper that facilitates the
(
$

page_text: production of smooth clean cut holes, which simultaneous cutting of the fibres of
the paper at opposite points continues until the final departure of the last
remaining fibre, the said punches are adjusted to correspond in position, to the
perforations in the die strip. A perforated clearing plate, through which the
several punches pass, is secured to a sliding plate adapted to receive a slight
vertical movement on a beam, for the purpose of clearing the perforated paper from
the punches. A bearing piece is secured to a cross beam and is provided on the
lower edge with an elastic cushion the said bearing piece is arranged in relation
to the cross head in such manner that the upper surface of the latter will be
brought into contact with the cushion just before the punches are brought into
action to produce the perforations, and the said parts are brought together with
sufficient pressure to prevent the movement of the paper between them. The
lower ends of the side pieces of the cross head are provided with pendent forked
yokes connected to springs for the purpose of forcing the cross head.to make a
rapid downward stroke and the tumper springs receive the impact of the cross head
as it completes its downward stroke."
To ensure regularity in the speed of the paper while it is passing through the
machine to the printing, perforating and rewinding mechanism, it is essential that
separate pairs of feed rollers all having the same surface speed should be provided
and that a pair of the said rollers should be arranged near each of the sets of
mechanism named to feed the paper thereto. The first pair of the said feed rollers-
is fixed in front of the printing mechanism, the second pair is placed in front of
the perforating mechanism, and the third pair is located in front of the rewinding
mechanism, each pair of the said rollers is provided with gear-wheels by means of
which synchronsus rotations of the rollers are effected. A uniformity of speed of
the several pairs of the said rollers in their relation to each other is obtained by
means of a longitudinal shaft and bevel-gear-wheels.
The main driving shaft is provided with a pinion that gears.into two wheels the
first being secured to the crank shaft and the other to another shaft to impart the
required motion to the printing mechanism and perforating mechanism. On
the other end of the latter shaft there is a changeable gear-wheel for driving the
feed rollers, the said wheel is attached to the shaft by means of a nut or other
device that will admit of a ready removal of the wheel for the purpose of substi-
tuting one of different size for changing the speed of the feed rollers in relation to
the movement of the printing mechanism and perforating mechanism. An inter-
mediate gear-wheel is arranged to rotate on a stud and engage with another wheel
and the changeable wheel on the lower feed roller of the second pair of feed rollers
to impart motion to the several feed rollers. The said stud is arranged to be
adjusted in slotted brackets so as to adapt the said intermediate gear wheel to
engage with different sized wheels when substituted for the wheel for changing
the speed of the feed rollers. To allow the several feed rollers to continue their
feeding movement when the movement of the paper is temporarily arrested by the
printing.mechanism and perforating mechanism, while the said sets of mechanism
are performing their functions, it is necessary to provide suitable means for keeping
in a slack condition but under proper tension, a sufficient length of the web to
supply the feed rollers while the movement of the paper is arrested, as above stated,
so as to prevent the rupture of the paper, which would otherwise occur, especially
after the paper has been weakened by the transverse perforations. And to this end
I employ connected compensating devices so arranged that the slack of the paper
may be increased by the feed rollers lying in front of the mechanism by which the
paper is stopped while the surplus at the rear of the same mechanism is being
taken up by the feed rollers next adjacent. The compensating device for the
printing mechanism consists of the following parts viz a roller arranged between
the first pair of feed rollers and a guide roller and another roller in front of the
second pair of feed rollers are connected by rods to the opposite end of vibrating
beams which have springs attached to their posterior ends to impart an excess of
pressure to the second. roller. The compensating device for the perforating

page_text: mechanism consists of the following parts viz'. A roller located behind the second
pair of feed, rollers is arranged to rotate in the outer ends of arms secured to a rock
shaft and another roller placed intermediately between the perforating mechanism
and the second pair of feed rollers is arranged to rotate in the outer ends of arms
secured to another rock shaft the said rock shafts are each provided with arms
connected by rods so that both of the said rock shafts will rock simultaneously to
move the said rollers in opposite directions. A spring is attached to an arm fixed
to the outer end of the second rock shaft so as to give a preponderance to the first
roller. These rollers are all arranged to bear upon the upper side of the web of
paper passing through the machine, and the arrangement of the several parts is
such, that when one of the rollers is raised by reason of the second pair of feed
rollers taking up the slack of the web behind the printing mechanism, another of
the rollers will be reciprocally depressed into the slack formed between the first
pair of feed rollers. and the printing mechanism until the type bed falls back to.
release the paper from the grasp of the cushion;.
་
To carry the paper in a proper direction through the machine a series of guide
rollers are provided. The first of these guide rollers is placed directly in front of
the printing mechanism, to co-act with the cushion to arrest the movement of the
paper, the second guide roller is placed above and in advance of one of the afore-
said rollers, the third and fourth guide rollers are respectively placed immediately
at the front and rear sides of the cross head of the perforating mechanism. For
the purpose of separating the web longitudinally to produce a series of narrow
sheets from a wide web a slitting device is attached to the machine to produce the
separations before the paper reaches the rewinding mechanism. The said slitting
mechanism consists of a shaft provided with adjustable cutting discs which enter
circumferential grooves in the upper roller of the third pair of feed rollers, so as to
produce a shearing cut through the paper; the said cutting discs are attached to
split clamping collars by means of which the said discs can be adjusted sidewise on
the shaft to produce any required.width for the sheets. Each of the journal boxes
for the shaft has a tooth head rack on the underside to engage with pinions secured
to a shaft for the purpose of adjusting the portions of the said shaft to insert the
cutting discs into the grooves of the feed roller and retract them therefrom.
A hand lever attached to the last named shaft affords the means for turning the
said shaft for effecting the movements just described and a slotted quadrant to
which the said hand lever may be clamped by a binding screw retains the parts in
any required position. The aforesaid shaft is revolved by means of a belt running
from a pulley on another shaft to a pulley on the first shaft. By supporting the
web by means of the feed roller while the operation of slitting is effected the
severed edges will be sustained without strain, thereby avoiding the danger (of
rupturing the web through the transverse lines of perforations) incident to the use
of two co-acting cutting discs whereby the adjacent separated edges are deflected
in reverse directions to produce a rupturing strain on the paper. The rewinding
mechanism is composed of the following parts, viz; a removable shaft arranged to
rotate in the upper ends of vibrating arms secured to a rock shaft. A weighted
lever secured to the said rock shaft keeps the first shaft and its contained paper
pressed against the upper feed roller of the third pair. The required rotating
motion is imparted to the first shaft by means of a belt which runs from a pulley
on the driving shaft to a pulley on the counter shaft, a pulley on the opposite end
of the latter shaft is connected by a belt to a pulley fixed to a sleeve that runs
loosely on the outer end of the said rock shaft, a grooved pulley (also fixed to the
.said sleeve) carries a band for driving a grooved pulley arranged to slip on another
sleeve of a gear-wheel the said pulley and gear-wheel have faces held together in
frictional contact (by means of another pulley the pressure of which is regulated
by an adjusting nut) with just sufficient tenacity to drive the rewinding mechanism
without exposing the perforated paper to sufficient strain to rupture it.
When the machine is to be used for the purpose of perforating only a gear-wheel is
slipped "out of gear" with a pinion and to facilitate this operation the said gear-

page_text: wheel should be secured to the shaft by a set-screw and by this means the printing
mechanism is disconnected from the driving shaft, and thereby rendered inoperative,
while the feeding, perforating, slitting and rewinding mechanism are left in con-
dition to perform their functions. When by reason of the completion of any
required number of sheets or from any other cause it becomes necessary to remove
an unexhausted roll of paper from the machine, the web should be separated in
front of the printing mechanism and a sleeve (by means of which the two parts of
a shaft are coupled together) slipped back to disconnect the forward part of the
shaft and render the first pair of feed rollers inoperative. When this is accom-
plished the machine may again be set in motion to complete the piece of paper
that has been separated from the roll. To adapt. the machine for producing only
longitudinal lines of printing on the web, I employ in combination with the
described perforating mechanism, a simple device in which wheels or discs are
fixed on a shaft and adjusted sidewise on the said shaft, each of the said wheels
has on its periphery a band of india-rubber, having in either raised or sunken
characters the matter to be imprinted on the paper. The said shaft is rotated,
either by the frictional contact of the wheels with a feeding roller, or by means of
a positive driving motion whereby the peripheral speeds of the wheels and the
feeding roller are maintained in unison.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th November 1883.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PERFO-
RATING AND PRINTING UPON PAPER "A communication to me from abroad by
Seth Wheeler, of Albany, New York, United States of America.
This invention relates to improvements in machines for printing and perforating
paper as it is continuously fed into the machine from a roll, and rewinding the
finished paper into rolls while in the machine..
The objects of the said improvements are as follow that is to say :-
First, to provide a machine for preparing rolls of paper for wrapping and other
purposes, having transverse rows of perforations, for facilitating the separation of
the web into sheets of uniform size, so that each separate sheet may, when desired,
contain an advertisement or other imprint.
Second-To combine with a continuous and uniform feeding movement of the
paper into and out of the machine, a device or devices between any of the different
sets of feeding rollers, for holding the paper while the sets of printing and perforating
mechanism, or either of them, are performing their functions.
Third To afford facilities for carefully rewinding the perforated paper into rolls
without damage to its continuity.
These objects I effect by means of the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying
drawings in which―
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine.
Figure 2 a plan view
Figure 3 a longitudinal section
Figure 4 a section drawn to an enlarged scale shewing the details of the
perforating mechanism.
Figure 5 a view of one of the perforating punches detached and drawn to an
enlarged scale and
Figure 6 a view also drawn to an enlarged scale illustrating the construction of
the friction driver for the rewinding mechanism shown in the drawing.
Figure 7 is a view of a device for enabling the machine to produce only
longitudinal lines of printing.
Figure 8 is a front elevation partly in vertical section of a modified form of
machine for perforating paper.
Figure 9 is a plan of the same
Figure 10 is an elevation of the right hand end
Figure 11 is an elevation of the left hand end and
Figure 12 is a central transverse section of the said machine.
Figure 13 shews, in plan and end elevation one of the improved punches
A indicates the frame of the machine having at its forward end brackets a
provided with bearings for receiving a spindle 6 on which the roll of paper B is
wound.
Near the forward end of the machine the printing mechanism is located, but as
its construction, so far as it relates to producing the impression on the paper is
concerned, forms no part of this invention, and, as any other suitable printing
mechanism may be substituted for it, a description in general terms will suffice.
C indicates the type-bed adjusted to receive an intermittent reciprocal motion
from the crank shaft D, for which purpose the crank pins d of the said shaft are

page_text: arranged to engage in the open concave seats in the lower ends of the pendulous
rods E while the said crank pins are passing through the upper arc of their
movement, and thereby the bed C is forced upward with a positive movement
to effect the impression; the bed drops back by gravity upon the elastic
cushion c, whereon it remains at rest during the remainder of the movement of the
crank pin d.
The rods E are provided with the pendent loops e, which permit the crank pins,
while they retain their control of the swinging movements of the rods, to pass
over the required portion of their travel without imparting motion to the bed Ĉ.
A fixed platen F, provided with the usual blankets, supports the paper while
the impression is imprinted on it; the said platen is hinged by the bolts f and side
bars F adjustably fixed on the vertical bolts G, and its free end is secured by the
pins f; by hanging the platen on hinges as described it can be readily turned back
while a form is placed upon or removed from the type bed C.
The inking rollers h revolve in bearings formed in the carriage H³, arranged to
slide on guides H³ fixed on the boits G and connected by means of the sliding
rods h² to the socketted arms H³ secured to the rock shaft H; the said shaft is
also provided with bell crank levers H having at the end of each arm a friction
roller against which wipers or cams D' on the crank shaft D bear to impart a
rocking motion to the shaft H and its attached parts, whereby the inking rollers
are caused to pass back and forth over the face of the type, the relative arrangement
of the several parts being such that, while the type bed C remains in a state of
rest, the wipers D' first engage with the arms at one side of the bell cranks Hand
thereby rock the shaft H to move the inking rollers forward over the type. This
movement brings the opposite arms of the bell cranks in the path of the wipers
and then when the wipers engage with the opposite arms, the shaft H is rocked
in a reverse direction, causing the inking rollers to move back to their initial
position.
The inking rollers h receive their supply of ink from the roller h¹ which is
rotated by a chain h³ from a pulley on the. driving shaft M. The distributing
roller h bears against and is rotated by the roller h' and is provided with the
usual appliances for producing an end wise movement during its rotation. The
roller his moved alternately against the distributing roller h and the fountain
roller h by means of a vibrating arm h³ connected to the said roller by the links h¹
and deriving their motion from the pendulous rods E to which they are connected
by the hooked rods h. The fountain roller he is. located in the ink fountain 10 of
ordinary construction.
To arrest the motion of the roll of paper while it is receiving the impression of
the type, so as to avoid the blurring that would be produced by printing the paper
while in motion, an India-rubber cushion f' is fixed to the uuderside of the cross
bar F (between the side bars F¹) and the arms c¹ are extended from the type
bed C and provided with elastic pads c², which, when the type. bed is forced
upward to make the impression, strike against the underside of the guide roller Q,
thereby pressing the said roller against the cushion f2 with sufficient force to
prevent any movement of the paper between them.
i
The perforating mechanism is located near the middle of the machine between
the printing and rewinding mechanism. The shaft I for the said perforating.
mechanism is arranged in a transverse direction on the frame A, and has secured
thereto the cam discs I' provided with projections spaced at proper intervals to
produce the required distances between the lines of perforations. A cross head J
provided with side pieces j is arranged to slide vertically in the guides A¹, and is
provided with rollers j', with which the projections i of the cam discs engage to
impart at regular intervals a short reciprocating motion to the cross head J, the
latter is also provided on the upper side with a die plate 2, as shewn in Figure 4,
containing perforations corresponding in number, size, and location to the per-
forating punches. A stationary cross head K is fixed to the guide A' above the
cross head J, and is provided with a plate k attached to its under-side, for the purpose!

page_text: of carrying the perforating punches k¹. The said punches have notched or V-shaped
cutting ends, as shewn in Figure 5, so as to produce a shearing cut at opposite
sides of the hole at the same moment, whereby a strain is created upon the paper
that facilitates the production of smooth clean cut: holes, which simultaneous
cutting of the fibres of the paper at opposite points continues until the final
separation of the last remaining fibre; the said punches are adjusted to correspond}
in position, to the perforations in the die plate
A perforated clearing plate k³, through which the several punches pass, is secured
to the sliding plate ka, adapted to receive the slight vertical movement of the cross
head J to which it is attached for the purpose of clearing the perforated paper
from the punches. A bearing piece is secured to the cross-beam and is provided
on the lower edge with an elastic cushion ; the said bearing piece is arranged in
relation to the cross head J in such manner that the upper surface of the latter
will be brought into contact with the cushion ko just before the punches k¹ are
brought into action to produce the perforations, and said parts are brought together
with sufficient pressure to prevent movement of the paper between them. The
lower ends of the side pieces ; of the cross head J are provided with pendent
forked yokes j³ connected to springs j for the purpose of forcing the cross head to
make a rapid downward stroke, and the bumper springs j³ receive the impact of
the cross head as it completes its downward stroke.
.
The operation of the perforating mechanism is as follows that is to say:-By
the rotation of the shaft I the projections i on the cam disc I are successively
brought to act upon the friction rollers j³, to force the cross head J upward, by
this movement of the cross head the paper is first clamped between the cross head
and cushion k and is then, while resting on the die plate j³, pressed upward by
the movement of the cross head, against the perforating punches ¹ which pass
through it, then, as the cross head J recedes, the clearing plate forces the paper
from the punches before it is released from the hold of the elastic cushion and cross
head and in this manner the danger of tearing the paper is avoided.
To ensure regularity in the speed of the paper while it is passing through the
machine to the printing, perforating and rewinding mechanism, it is essential that
separate pairs of feed rollers all having the same surface speed should be provided,
and that a pair of the said rollers should be arranged near each of the said
mechanisms named, to feed the paper thereto. The first pair of feed rollers L is
fixed in front of the printing mechanism, the second pair L¹ is placed in front of
the perforating mechanism and the third pair L³ is located in front of the rewinding
mechanism, each pair of the said rollers is provided with gear wheels 1, by means
of which synchronous rotations of the rollers are maintained. A uniformity of
speed of the several pairs of said rollers in their relation to each other is obtained
by means of the longitudinal shaft l' and the bevel gear wheels 12.
The main driving shaft M is provided with a pinion m that gears into the
wheels D and I', the first being secured to the shaft D and the other to the shaft I
to impart the required motions to the printing and perforating mechanisms. On
the other end of the shaft I there is a changeable gear wheel 13 for driving the
feed rollers, the said wheel is attached to the shaft by means of a nut or other
device that will admit of a ready removal of the wheel for the purpose of
substituting one of different size, for changing the speed of the feed rollers in
relation to the movement of the printing and perforating mechanisms.
intermediate gear wheel N is arranged to rotate on a stud n and engage with the
wheel I and the changeable wheel on the lower feed roller of the pair L¹ to
impart motion to the several feed rollers. The stud n is arranged to be adjusted
in slotted brackets, shewn in dotted lines in Figure 1, so as to adapt the wheel N
to engage with different sized wheels when substituted for the wheel Is for changing
the speed of the feed rollers.
An
To allow the several feed rollers to continue their feeding movement when the
movement of the paper is temporarily arrested by the printing. and perforating
mechanisms, while the said mechanisms are performing their functions, it is

page_text: necessary to provide suitable means for keeping in reserve, but under proper
tension, a sufficient length of the web to supply the feed rollers while the movement
of the paper is arrested as above recited, so as to prevent the rupture of the paper
which would otherwise occur, especially after the paper has been weakened by the
transverse perforations. And to this end I employ connected compensating devices
80 arranged that the reserve paper may be increased by the act of feed rollers
lying in front of the mechanism by which the paper is stopped, and decreased at
the rear of the same mechanism, being taken up by the feed rollers next adjacent.
The compensating device for the printing mechanism is arranged as follows:-
that is to say-the roller O arranged between the feed rollers L and guide roller Q,
and the roller O' in front of the feed rollers L are connected by the rods o to the
opposite ends of the vibrating beams 02 which are pivotted at o¹ and have the
springs o attached to their posterior ends to impart an excess of pressure to
the roller O¹
:-
The compensating device for the perforating mechanism is arranged as follows,
that is to say-the roller P, located behind the feed rollers L' is arranged to
rotate in the outer ends of the arms p secured to the rock shaft p¹ and the roller P!
placed immediately between the perforating mechanism and the feed rollers L² is
arranged to rotate in the outer ends of the arms p² secured to the rock shaft p³;
the rock shafts p¹ and p³ are each provided with arms p¹ that are connected by
the rods p³, so that both of the said rock shafts will rock simultaneously to move
the rollers P and P' in opposite directions. A spring p is attached to an arm,
fixed to the outer end of the shaft p³ so as to give a preponderance to the roller P;
By reference to Figure 3 it will be seen that the rollers O, O P, are all arranged
to bear upon the upper side of the web of paper passing through the machine, and
the arrangement of the several parts is such that when the roller O' is raised by
reason of the feed rollers L' taking up the reserve of web behind the printing
mechanism, the roller O will he reciprocally depressed into the reserve forined
between the feed rollers L and the printing mechanism, until the type bed C falls
back to release the paper from the grasp of the cushion f%. When this is
accomplished the springs o2 immediately pull down the roller O₁ and thereby
transfer the reserve from behind the feed rollers L to a position directly in front of
the feed rollers L', and the rollers P and P' are arranged to operate in the manner
just described while performing a like function in respect to the perforating
mechanism and feed rollers Land L².
To carry the paper in a proper direction through the machine, a series of guide
rollers are required. The first roller Q is placed directly in front of the printing
mechanism to coact with the cushion f2 to arrest the movement of the paper; the
second Qis placed above and in advance of the roller O¹, the third Q² and
fourth are respectively placed immediately at the front and rear sides of the
cross head J of the perforating mechanism. For the purpose of separating the web
longitudinally to produce a series of narrow sheets from a wide web, a slitting
device is attached to the machine to produce the separations before the paper
reaches the rewinding mechanism.
The said slitting mechanism consists of a revolving shaft R provided with
adjustable cutting discs r which enter circumferential grooves in the upper roller
of the feed rollers L³ so as to produce a shearing cut through the paper. The
cutting discs are attached to split clamping collars by means of which the said
discs can be adjusted sidewise on the shaft R to produce any required width of the
sheets. Each of the journal boxes for the shaft R has a tooth head rack on the
underside to engage with pinions secured to the shaft for the purpose of
adjusting the position of the said shaft to insert the cutting discs into the grooves
of the feed roller and retract them therefrom. A hand lever 75 attached to the
shaft * affords the means for turning the said shaft for effecting the movements
just described, and a slotted quadrant 6 to which the said band lever may be
clumped by a binding screw, retains the parts in any required position. The
shaft R is revolved by means of a belt r7 running from a pulley 8 on the shaft T

page_text: to a pulley on the shaft R. By supporting the web by means of the feed roller
while the operation of slitting is effected, the several edges will be sustained
without strain thereby avoiding the danger of rupturing the web through the
transverse lines of perforations, incident to the use of 'two co-acting cutting discs
whereby the adjacent separated edges are deflected in reverse directions to produce
a rupturing strain on the paper.
85
The rewinding mechanism comprises the following parts and is arranged as
follows, that is to say :-a removable shaft S is arranged to rotate in the upper
ends of the vibrating arms S₁ secured to the rock shaft T. A weighted lever 8
secured to the shaft T keeps the shaft S and its contained paper pressed against
the upper feed roller of the pair L. The required rotating motion is imparted to
the shaft S by means of a belt U which runs from a pulley U¹ on the driving
shaft M to a pulley t on the counter shaft T¹, a pulley t' on the opposite end of the
latter shaft is connected by the belt to a pulley 81 fixed to the sleeve 83 which
runs loosely on the outer end of the rock shaft T, a grooved pulley 83 (also fixed to
the sleeve 82) carries a band 8 for driving the grooved pulley 86 arranged to slip
on the sleeve 86 of the gear 87. The pulley 85 and gear wheel 87 have faces held
together in contact (by means of a spring 88 the pressure of which is regulated by
the adjustable nut 8) with just sufficient friction to drive the rewinding
mechanism without exposing the perforated paper to sufficient strain to rupture it.
The gear wheel 87 revolves on a stud 810 fixed in the upper end of one of the
arms S¹ and engages with a pinion 811 attached to the shaft S for the purpose of
rotating the latter. When the shaft S has received its required quantity of
paper, the arms S' should be swung back, as indicated by the dotted lines in
Figure 1, and the shaft S with its contained rolls of paper removed from the
machine; the paper may then be slipped off over the end of the latter which can
be then restored to its place in the machine to receive a fresh supply of finished
paper. By means of the frictional pulley 85 and its connected parts, the rewinding
mechanism is made to drive with a positive motion to ensure the proper winding
of the paper when the rolls are first commenced and before they become large
enough to be driven by .the frictional contact between the rolls of paper and
the feed roller, when the finished rolls become so large that their peripheral
speed will not permit the shaft S to revolve as quickly as required by the rotations
of the pulley & the latter will slip on the gear wheel 8' and compensate for the
difference.
The course of the web of paper through the machine is indicated in Figure 3 by
a line composed of alternate dashes and dots; the web starting from the roll B
leads back to the feed rollers L passing under the lower, between the uppermost
and lower, and then back over the upper roller, from the latter it passes beneath
the compensating roller O, over the guide roller Q and over the platen F, thence
over the guide roller Q¹ and under the compensating roller 01 to the second pair of
'feed rollers L', through which it passes, over the upper, between the upper and
lower, and then backward under the lower roller, from thence it passes under the
compensating roller P and over the guide rollers Q2 and Q³ passing through the
perforating mechanism and then under the compensating roller P¹, it passes to
the third pair of feed rollers L²; in passing through the latter it goes under the
lower, between the lower and the upper, and back over the upper roller, from
which it passes to the shaft S of the rewinding mechanism. When the machine
is to be used for the purpose of perforating alone, the gear wheel D' is slipped
"out of gear" with the pinion m and to facilitate this operation the said gear
wheel should be secured to the shaft D by a set screw, by this means the printing
mechanism is disconnected from the driving.shaft M and thereby rendered inopera-
tive while the feeding, perforating, slitting and rewinding mechanisms are left in
condition to perform their functions.
When, by reason of the completion of any required number of sheets, or from
any other cause, it becomes necessary to remove an unexhausted roll B of paper
from the machine, the web should be separated in front of the printing mechanism,

page_text: and the sleeve (by means of which the two parts of the shaft are coupled
together) slipped back to. disconnect the forward part of the shaft and render
the first pair of feed rollers L inoperative. When this is accomplished the machine
may again be set in motion to complete the piece of paper that has been separated
from the roll. To adapt the machine for producing only longitudinal lines of
printing on the web, I employ in combination with the described perforating
mechanism, the device shewn in Figure 7 in which L indicates one of the feed
rollers hereinbefore described and V wheels or discs fixed on the shaft v and
adjustable sidewise on the said shaft. Each of the said wheels has on its periphery.
a band of India rubber having in either raised or sunken characters the text to be
imprinted on the paper. The shaft vis rotated either by the frictional contact of
the wheels V with a feeding roller, or by means of a positive driving motion
whereby the peripheral speeds of the wheels V and the feeding roller are maintained
in unison.
In Figures 8 to 12 I have shewn a modified form of machine for perforating
paper in the manner above described.
This form of machine has the advantages that greater strength is obtained and
a positive and quick action of the perforating mechanism in both directions is
ensured.
In the form of machine herein before described the downstroke is effected by.
gravity and by a spring and is not always to be depended upon. Also the die
strip is arranged to be moved up and down with the paper but in the machine
shewn in Figures 8 to 12 the punches are caused to reciprocate and the dies are
stationary. For this purpose I arrange the punches k¹ in a cross head A* which
is carried by the shaft B* and which is arranged to slide up and down in V-shaped
guides C. The shaft B* is provided with a series of cams B¹* B** for raising and
depressing the cross head A* when the shaft B* is rotated. The said shaft also
has cams BS* which serve to hold the cross head up while it is not required to be
depressed. The said cams act upon friction rollers A₁* carried by the shafts A**
which are fitted in lugs in the interior of the cross head. Guide pieces A³* are
fixed to the top of the cross-head and have bosses which fit into recesses D* in
the frame of the machine and rest upon india-rubber or other buffers or springs E*
therein. The said guide-pieces are made with recesses in which are arranged the
india-rubber or other buffers or springs E¹*. The compression of these buffers or
springs is regulated by means of the bolts F* and nuts F1*.
A rod or bar G* provided with a strip G₁* of india-rubber or other suitable
material is fixed to the front of the cross-head A* by means of tubular rods G**
within which are fitted springs. When the cross head is depressed, the rod or
bar G* descends therewith and presses upon the paper so as to arrest the movement
thereof while it is being perforated, the said springs permitting the said rod or bar
to remain stationary while the latter operation is taking place.
The die strip is carried by a cross-bar H* which is arranged between
guides H✶ so that it can be adjusted vertically by means of the excentrics I¹*
fixed to the shaft or rod I*. These excentrics fit into circular apertures in the
ends of the cross-bar H* and can be secured in any desired position by the
nuts I**
The compensating device is more simple and more easily adjustable than that
herein before described. Two rollers J* J¹* are carried in bearings in the rods
K* K* which are coupled to the ends of the levers or beams L*. These levers or
beams are pivotted to brackets L¹* fixed to the frame of the machine.. The axles
of the rollers J* J₁* extend through the said rods into vertical slots M* in the said
frame. A stop or projection L2* is provided on the bracket L* and the lever or
beam L is normally held against the stop by a spring L³*. This mechanism
operates as follows, that is to say-While the paper is held by the rod or bar G*
the rewinding of the paper causes the roller J* to rise and extend the spring L³*
and at the same time causes the roller J¹* to descend and unwind reserve of the
paper unwound from the roller carrying the same. When the pressure on the

page_text: paper is removed, the spring L³* causes the roller J* to descend and the roller J¹* to
rise thereby feeding the paper forward between the dies and the punches.
The springs for overcoming the momentum of the cross-head may be of india-
rubber, steel or other suitable material. The top springs or those for overcoming
the momentum of the upward movement are regulated as to their resistance by the
nuts and collars above them. The lower springs for checking the downward
movement may be adjusted by thin washers of any suitable material; besides over
coming or counter balancing the momentum, the force which is thus stored in these
springs when compressed is again imparted to the cross head at the moment when
the motion of the same is reversed thereby materially diminishing the jar or shock
and vibration that would otherwise occur.
The first pair of feed rollers carries a shaft N* on which are fixed the wheels N¹*
which are covered with leather and are intended to prevent the slipping of the
web of paper, the effect of which would be to gradually decrease the reserve web
and ultimately break the sheet. This slipping may also be prevented by careful
adjustment of the feed roller but this is sometimes difficult owing to inequalities
in the thickness of the web, and adjustment is frequently necessary if many kinds
of paper are to be operated upon. By the use of the said shaft and wheels, if the
first pair of rolls are separated sufficiently to receive the heaviest paper, they
require no further adjustment. The shaft N✶ is carried in spring bearings O*
which afford means fer regulating the pressure of the wheels upon the web by
means of the set screws 0 1*. This pressure should be only sufficient to keep the
web in contact with the feed roll. It is not absolutely essential that the said
wheels should be covered with leather nor is their number important, but I find.
the arrangement shewn quite satisfactory.
I modify the slitting device, for dividing the paper longitudinally as follows,
that is to say-In the machine hereinbefore described the cutters are driven by a
belt. In the machine shewn in Figures 8 to 12 they are driven by contact with
the web as it passes over the last pair of feed rolls.
The cutter is arranged upon a shaft * which is carried in a bearing at the end
of an arm *. This arm is fixed to the piece 71 which is secured in any desired
position on the shaft R by the screws *. By these means the said cutter can be
readily adjusted so that it will enter one of the slits in the feed roll L2 and the
part will bear upon the paper. The friction between this part and the paper
passing around the feed roll will cause the rotation of the cutter.
If desired a ring
or band of leather, india rubber or other suitable material may be placed upon the
part * for the purpose of increasing the said friction.
The web stop mechanism above described with reference to Figure 12 is
advantageous because the bar that arrests the movement of the paper is held by
yielding bearings which reduce the wear upon the india-rubber and permit the use,
if desired, of a non-elastic material instead thereof.
If desired the arrangement of this modified form of machine may be reversed,
that is to say, the shaft B* may be placed below and the dies be moved, while the
punches are stationary.
I do not broadly claim punches provided with V-shaped depressions in their
lower ends for producing simultaneous cuts at opposite sides of a hole, as I am
aware that such punches have heretofore been used for punching plates of metal
and other non-elastic substances, but when so used the purpose was to produce a
gradual and successive separation of the fibres of the metal, so as to lessen the
power required for performing the work, but the action of such a punch when
used for perforating paper is essentially different from its action on non-elastic
material for the reason that when used on paper it will, at the beginning of its
action, produce a strain on the paper, whereby the said paper is stretched tightly
across the hole in the die and thereby the portion of paper which is to be removed
is maintained in a condition to ensure complete separation from the web, by the
cutting action of the punch. It is evident that the same effect will be produced

page_text: by a punch having a double V-face and I find the same desirable when the paper
to be perforated is very thin.
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, with reciprocating printing mechanism, substantially as
described, and feed rollers arranged to continuously feed a web of paper to and
from the said printing mechanism, of 'the device substantially as described with
reference to Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings for arresting the movement of the
paper while the printing mechanism is operating to produce the impression on the
paper, as, and for the purpose, specified.
Second-The combination, with reciprocating printing mechanism and mechanism
for continuously feeding a web of paper thereto, 'all substantially as described, of a
device for arresting the movement of the paper while receiving the imprint and a
compensating device, substantially as described, adapted to increase the reserve of
paper at one point while it is reciprocally given out at another point, as, and for
the purpose, herein specified.
Third-The combination of the mechanism, substantially as described, for
arresting the movement of a web of paper fed by a continuously acting feed motion,
with a compensating device composed of the rollers P P¹ connected and arranged
as described so as to take up the reserve of paper gathered at one part of the
machine while it reciprocally gives out the reserve collected at an opposite part, so
that the rewinding of the paper may progress continuously.
Fourth In a reciprocating perforating machine, the combination, with the
perforating punches k¹, of the cross-head J and cushion k arranged to operate as,
and for the purpose, herein specified.
Fifth The process, substantially as described, of perforating paper by means of
the perforating punches k¹ constructed with V-shaped depressions in their lower
ends so as to produce a shearing cut at opposite sides of the proposed holes at the
same moment, whereby a strain is created upon the paper, which simultaneous
cutting of the fibre of the paper at opposite points continues until the final
separation of the last remaining fibre.
Sixth-The combination, with the paper-winding mechanism, of a roller provided
with circumferential grooves as herein described, and one or several rotating
cutting discs having their cutting edges inserted in the said grooves and coacting
therewith to produce the longitudinal separation of the web, the said roller being
adapted to uphold the several edges of the paper and arranged so as to be in
contact with, and drive, the paper re-winding mechanism, as, and for the purpose,
specified.
Seventh-The mechanism essentially as described for rewinding the finished
paper into rolls, and adapted to operate by means of the frictional contact of the
rolls of paper with a feeding roller, in combination with an auxiliary frictional
driving motion for winding the said rolls; constructed and arranged to operate
substantially as specified.
Eighth The driving shaft provided with projecting cam surfaces for producing
a positive and rapid movement of the perforating mechanism substantially as
described with reference to Figures 8 to 12 of the drawings.
'
Ninth The combination, with perforating mechanism substantially as described,
and feed-rolls arranged to continuously feed a web of paper to and from the said
perforating mechanism, of the device substantially as described with reference to
Figures 8 to 12 of the drawings, for arresting the movement of the paper while the
perforating mechanism is operating, as, and for the purpose, set forth.
Tenth The combination, with perforating mechanism substantially as described,
and feeding mechanism for continuously feeding a web of paper to the said
mechanism, of a device for arresting the movement of the paper while being
perforated and a compensating device adapted to increase the reserve of the web at

page_text: one point while it is reciprocally given out at another point, substantially as
described with reference to Figures 8 to 12 of the drawings.
Eleventh The combination, with the perforating mechanism substantially as
described, of the buffers or springs for counterbalancing the momentum of the
reciprocating cross-head, substantially as set-forth.
Twelfth In combination with the feed rolls of a perforating machine, the shaft
and wheels or equivalent device for preserving proper contact of the web of paper
with the feed rolls, substantially as described for the purpose specified.
Thirteenth In a perforating machine, the elastic bearings supporting the bar
which arrests the movement of the web of paper when the perforating mechanism
is in operation, substantially as described with reference to Figures 8 to 12 of the
drawings.
Fourteenth-The means for adjusting the height of the dies relatively to the
punches, substantially as described with reference to Figures 8 to 12 of the
drawings.
In witness whereof I the said William Robert Lake have hereunto set my hand
and seal this Sixteenth day of November in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty three.
W. ROB. LAKE (L.S.)