Improvements in Printing Machines.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application 22nd Dec., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 20th Aug., 1892-4ccepted, 15th Oct., 1392
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Printing Machines.
We WILLIAM GREGORY of 2 Fernleigh Villas Findon Road Lower Edmonton
Printer and ALFred Bradley of 172 Elms Road Clapham S.W. Printer do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
:-
This invention has for its object improvements in printing machines whereby
small machines such as the Harrild, Bremner, or Wharfedale patterns may be made
to travel at a greatly accelerated speed (say about 2500 per hour) each sheet being
automically registered into the machine with uniform side and head-lay securing
perfect register and thus rendering this class of machine superior to all existing
platen machines for register, speed, colour, work, and of perfect safety to the
operator.
The invention consists in constructing on the ordinary feed board an auxiliary
feeder consisting of two pieces hinged at the centre, similar in appearance to an
ordinary writing desk, the back portion being about 10 inches high and the front
portion descending towards the machine at a sharp angle. The back portion
remains stationary while the front portion rises and falls with the motion of the
ordinary feed board. In the angle piece or front portion of the auxiliary feed
board are two slots one on either side, at a convenient distance from and parallel
to the gripper bar.
Beneath each slot is placed a slotted slide-piece constructed to move to and fro
in slide groove fixed below the under surface of the board. In the slot of the slide
piece is placed an adjustable lay pin or stop held in position at any point of the
slot by a thumb screw. These slide pieces are alike on either side of the feed
board in order that the sheet may be registered from either side of the machine one
At each revolution of the machine,
or the other, only, being used at one time.
just as the sheet reaches the front marks, the slide piece carrying the lay stop is
drawn forward to a fixed stop beneath the board by means of a spring, the lay stop
thus pushing the sheet forward to the proper position.
As soon as the sheet is taken into the machine by the grippers the lay stop is
drawn back by the lever, or by a band passing round a pulley on one side and by
the direct action of the rod or band on the opposite side, thus leaving a clear space
for the following sheet to be dropped or stroked down the front angle board when
the pushing motion of the lay stop and slide piece is repeated.
The motion of the lever rod and band for opening or drawing back the lay stops
may be taken from any convenient portion of the machine but in preference the
main shaft or flyer arm. This motion is simply to actuate the bell-crank or pulley
motion for drawing out the ring at the side of the auxiliary feed-board attached to
the rod or band of the lay stops.
In order to prevent the sheets when dropped or stroked in from over-running
the front marks, two or more blocks are placed on the inside of two or more of the
grippers in line with the front marks. These blocks are set back from the gripper
edges just sufficient to clear that portion which forms the grip with the cylinder
elge, so that as the grippers close with the sheet these blocks rise with the grippers
into the opening of the cylinder.
The whole of the auxiliary feed board apparatus may be removed from or applied
to the ordinary feed-board by one thumbscrew and unhooking the ring at the side.
It will double up like an ordinary writing desk and is complete in itself.
No cutting or mutilation of the ordinary feed-board is requisite and the whole
apparatus can be removed or attached in a very short space of time.
If desired this auxiliary feed-board can be made to take the place of the ordinary

page_text: feedboard, when it would be permanently fixed and form an integral portion of the
printing machine.
In order to take the printed sheets at the accelerated speed and to provide for
the evenness of the pile as delivered by the ordinary flyer, we attach to the flyer-
bar a knocking up movement whereby the printed work is knocked up to an even
edge as delivered sheet by sheet. We so design this apparatus that the ordinary
take-off board is neither slotted, grooved, perforated or pierced, nor in any way
mutilated.
We fix the knocking up apparatus to the printing machine in such manner that
when it is desired to lift the take-off board so as to reach the forme, the knocking
up arrangement is folded out of the way.
We design this improvement in such manner that it will knock up any size sheet
that the machine to which it is attached is capable of printing, pushing every sheet
wrongly delivered into its proper position, traversing the take off board by
extending and contracting to suit the varying sizes of sheets printed, and so that
it performs its work at any speed at which the printing machine can be made to
travel.
We further arrange this knocking up device that by turning one screw, it may,
if desired, be thrown out of gear in order that the sheets may be delivered unevenly
if preferred, without in any way interfering with the working of the printing
machine.
Dated this 9th day of June 1891
WILLIAM GREGORY.
ALFRED BRADLEY.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Printing Machines.
We WILLIAM GREGORY of 2 Fernleigh Villas, Findon Road, Lower Edmonton
Printer, and ALFRED BRADLEY of 172 Elms Road, Clapham, S.W. Printers
Manager, 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 has for its object improvements in printing machines whereby
small machines, such as those of the Wharfedale or any similar patterns may
be made to travel at a greatly accelerated speed (say about 2500 per hour) each
sheet being automatically registered into the machine with uniform side and
head lay securing and thus rendering this class of machine superior to all
existing platen machines for register, speed, colour work, and of perfect safety
to the operator.
The invention consists in arranging on the ordinary feedboard an auxiliary
feeder consisting of two pieces hinged at the centre, similar in appearance to
an ordinary writing desk, the back portion being about 10 inches high and the
front portion descending towards the machine at a sharp angle. The back
portion remains stationary while the front portion rises and falls with the motion
of the ordinary feedboard. In the angle piece or front portion of the auxiliary
feed board are two slots one on either side at a convenient distance from and
parallel to the gripper bar.
Beneath each slot is placed a slotted side piece constructed to move to and fro
in slide groove fixed below the under surface of the board. In the slot of the
slide piece is placed an adjustable lay pin or stop held in position at any point
of the slot by a thumb-screw. These slide pieces are alike on either side of the
feed board in order that the sheet may be registered from either side of the
machine, one or the other only being used at one time.
At each revolution of the machine, just as the sheet reaches the front marks,
the slide piece carrying the laystop is drawn forward to a fixed stop beneath the

page_text: board by means of a spring, the lay stop thus pushing the sheet forward to the
proper position. As soon as the sheet is taken into the machine by the grippers
the lay stop is drawn back by the lever or by a band passing round a pulley on
one side and by the direct action of the rod or band on the opposite side thus
leaving a clear space for the following sheets to be dropped or stroked down the
front angle board when the pushing motion of the lay stop and slide piece is
repeated.
The motion of the lever rod and band for opening or drawing back the lay stop
may be taken from any convenient portion of the machine but in preference the
main shaft or flyer arm.
This motion is simply to actuate the bell crank or pulley motion for drawing out
the ring at the side of the auxiliary feed board attached to the rod or band of the
lay stops.
In order to prevent the sheets when dropped or stroked in, from overrunning the
front marks, two or more blocks are placed on the inside of two or more of
the grippers in line with the front marks. These blocks are set back from the
gripper edges just sufficient to clear that portion which forms the grip from the
cylinder edge so that as the grippers close with the sheet, these blocks rise with
the grippers into the opening of the cylinder.
Our invention will be understood by reference to the annexed drawings.
Figure represents side elevation of foldable feed board in an opened out
condition.
Figure 2, a plan of same.
Figure 3, an end elevation in a folded condition.
Figures 4 and 5 are detail views of the gauging appliances which are fitted under
the slope."
Figure 6, shows a modified arrangement of mechanism for actuating the gauge or
slide pieces.
Figure 7, indicates a further modification of mechanism.
Figure 8, is a part perspective elevation of an ordinary feed board provided with
an angle board in which our slide pieces are arranged. This view also shows the
blocks which prevent the sheet from being fed too far.
Figure 9, is a plan view of the " flyer" or "take off" with the appliances for
evenly knocking up the sheets after being printed.
Figure 10, side elevation showing how the knocking up mechanism can be turned
up to enable the forme's to be easily got at.
A, A', represents the auxiliary feed board composed of two parts hinged at B
for folding as at Figure 2, the part A being at a downward angle looking towards
the cylinder C to enable the sheets to be printed to be rapidly fed to the grippers D
of any machine of the Wharfedale or any similar type on the feed board E of which
our auxiliary feed board can be fitted and secured by the pinch or thumb-
screws F. F. G. G. are guides in the races of which a couple of slotted
plates H. H. have play in reverse directions by a cord I to which they are attached
by the eyes J. J. from the flyer shaft and in the other by a spring K which in
this case is intended to be an india rubber band sprung over projecting pins for
convenience, but such springs may be of steel as at Figures 6 and 7 said figures
showing modified arrangements of appliances by which the lay pin or stop H³ or it
may be a slide piece L or slide pieces L, L, can be opened.
According to Figure 6 a bell crank M is attached to the pull lever I but it may
be a cord as at Figures 1. 2. 3. 4. and 5 and operated from the main shaft of the
flyer from the opposite end of the machine. This bell crank M by a rod N is
connected to a double cam lug P which when acted upon as shown by the dotted
lines forces the two slide pieces L. L, apart, the same result occurs by an action
on the two cam lugs P. P. Figure 7 which are pivotted on the same pin Q through
the intermediation of a second bell crank R and short rods S, S.
T. T. are stop blocks on the grippers D to prevent a fed sheet from being over
run when stroked in these stop blocks are in line with the front marks U. U.

page_text: the side.
The whole of the auxiliary feed board apparatus may be removed from or
applied to the ordinary feed board by one thumbscrew and unhooking the ring at
It will double up like an ordinary writing desk and is complete in itself.
No cutting or mutilation of the ordinary feed board is requisite and the whole
apparatus can be removed or attached in a very short space of time.
If desired this auxiliary feed board can be made to take the place of the
ordinary feed-board when it would be permanently fixed to form an integral
portion of the printing machine.
In order to take the printed sheets at the accelerated speed and to provide
for the evenness of the pile as delivered by the ordinary flyer V we attach to.
the flyer bar W a knocker X by the movement of which the printed work is
knocked up to an even edge as delivered sheet by sheet. We so design this
apparatus that the ordinary take off board is neither slotted grooved perforated
or pierced nor in any way mutilated.
The knocker up X works in a slot Y of the auxiliary take off board Z and
receives its motion by a lever a pivotted at the free end having an angled slot
for a pin on a supplementary shaft c to move in at each oscillation of the shaft c
which is also provided with other knocking up blades d, d, in order that each
sheet as laid by the flyer V becomes simultaneously knocked up from one side
and one end. The oscillatory shaft c is governed by a bar e from the flyer
shaft W and the angle at which the side knocking blades d, d, can be set is
determined by the bolt and nut f.
We fix the knocking up apparatus to the printing machine in such a manner
that when it is desired to lift the take off board so as to reach the forme the
knocking up arrangement is folded out of the way on the pivots g & W.
We design this improvement in such manner that it will knock up any size sheet
that the machine to which it is attached is capable of printing, pushing every sheet
wrongly delivered into its proper position, traversing the take off board by
extending and contracting to suit the varying sizes of sheets printed and so that it
performs its work at any speed with which the printing machine could be made to
travel.
We further arrange this knocking up device that by turning one screw it may if
desired be thrown out of gear in order that the sheets may be delivered unevenly
if preferred without in any way interfering with the working of the printing
machine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we claim is
1. Providing a printing machine of the Wharfedale or any similar type with an
auxiliary feed board, in or to which laying on gauging appliances are fitted and
operated for each sheet supplied thereto as described and substantially as shown by
the annexed drawings.
2. The employment of adjustable "lay on" appliances to printing machines of
the types above mentioned such appliances having motion to and from each other
(or one of them only) from the flyer shaft for working coincidently therewith as
and for the purposes set forth.
3. Providing the flyer shaft of the Wharfedale and such like patterns of printing
machines with knocking up appliances workable therefrom said appliances being so
arranged that they can be turned up clear of the machine for the purposes
described, the arrangement being substantially that shown in the annexed
drawings.
001
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said W. Gregory and A. Bradley.