Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Mar., 1887
Specification Accepted, 7th Apr., 1887
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex 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 cylinder printing machines, for printing in one or more
colours and it comprises the improvements hereinafter described.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is an end elevation of a cylinder printing machine adapted to print in onc
colour upon both sides of a continuous web of paper.
Figure 2 is a view of a machine, similar to that shown in Figure 1, but having each
type cylinder arranged to print simultaneously on two webs of paper.
Figure 3 represents the machine arranged for printing in colours.
In the machine shewn in Figure 1, A A represent the type cylinders, and B B' the
impression cylinders. P is the roll of paper which is to be printed upon.
After the paper leaves the roll it passes between the cylinders A and B where it
is printed on one side. It then descends and follows the course a, b, b, and then
passes between the type cylinder A' and the impression cylinder B, where it is
printed on the second side. As the paper leaves the second pair of cylinders it is
conducted to rollers Z by which it is cut into pieces of the desired lengih. The pieces
severed from the web may be collected by any desirable mechanism adapted to the
requirements and to the rapidity of the impressions.
Ai the lower part of the frame, between the rollers and the paper, printed on
one side only, passes through a hot chamber to be well dried.
If, in lieu of printing the two sides of the sheet, only one side is to be printed, the
paper, instead of being caused to follow the course a, b, a, is conducted directly to
the cutting device as it passes out of contact with the cylinders A and B.
The type-cylinder A is provided with ordinary inking apparatus, composed of an
ink trough C, distributing and scraping rollers D, E, F, G, H an ink table I and two
inking rollers J, K. Similar inking apparatus is applied to the type cylinder A'.

page_text: The distance between the type cylinder A and the impression cylinder B can be
regulated by means of the screw L. The pressure between these two cylinders can
likewise be increased or diminished by placing more or less weight at the extremity of
the lever M.
The impression cylinder B may be composed of cast iron and made hollow, or it
may be formed of wood; and it is surrounded by india-rubber, gutta-percha, cloth, or
any other suitable material.
The rollers and serve to direct the course of the paper, and they can be displaced
as indicated in the drawing.
With the machine described, I can make the type cylinder of any required diameter
for the purpose of varying the length of paper printed at each rotation of the said
cylinder according to requirements. The diameter of the impression cylinder can be
correspondingly varied.
In order to augment or diminish the diameter of the type-cylinder I make the
same in two parts one within the other. The interior part is of invariable size, while
the outer part or casing is made more or less thick according to the diameter required
for the type cylinder.
Instead of using two part rollers, the outer part or casing of which is of variable
thickness, I sometimes make the rollers themselves of variable diameters. In this
case, however, it is necessary to have a roller for each size of sheet to be printed and
the cost is considerably augmented whilst by employing an internal roller of
invariable size I can fix any of the different casings which I employ, according to the
size of the sheets to be printed.
:
In order to enable the inking rollers J, K to be used with type and impression
cylinders of different diameters 1 mount the said rollers on a special support,
represented in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings. This support permits the
axes of the said rollers to be displaced in vertical and horizontal directions, so that
the rollers always remain in contact with the ink table and with the type cylinder,
whatever may be the diameter of the latter.
On reference to the drawings it will be observed that the two ends of my machine
are almost symmetrical. The parts indicated by the same letters are of the same
nature and have the same object.
By dividing the machine into two parts a single machine can be made, with which
one side only of the paper can be printed.
Instead of placing the ink trough above the printing roller, as shown, I can place it
on one side and increase the number of distributing and scraping rollers, to enable a
perfect inking to be obtained for the clearest impressions.
The machine shown in Figure 2 is of substantially the same construction as the
machine shown in Figure 1 except that it is somewhat modified, to enable each roller
to print two sheets simultaneously. The modifications are as follows, that is to say:
Above the type cylinders A, A', are located additional impression cylinders B
respectively similar to the lower impression cylinders B and B and an inking
apparatus having rollers J, K, similar to those hereinhefore described is arranged on
each side of each printing roller A, A'.
With this arrangement. I can print simultaneously on two sheets of paper, one in
contact with the type cylinder A and the impression cylinder B, and the other in
contact with the type cylinder A and the impression cylinder B. The paper to be
printed is wound upon two bobbins PP¹.
The paper rolled upon the bobbin P is printed on one side in its passage between
the type cylinder A and the impression cylinder B, thence it descends and follows the
paih a, b, and is printed on the other side between the type cylinder A' and the
impression cylinder B, and when it passes to the cutting rollers Z. The severed
pieces are carried by strings or tapes along the course a"b", c" and pass finally to a
perforator or to a sheet collector of any kind adapted to the requirements and to the
rapidity of the impressor.
The paper wound upon the second reel Pl passes in the direction indicated in
Figure 2 and is printed on one side between the type cylinder A and the impression

page_text: cylinder Bit follows the course a', and passes between the type cylinder A'
and the impression cylinder B', whereby it is printed on its other side thence paper
passes to the cutter, the severed pieces being carried by strings or tapes in the
direction to a collector or a perforator as set forth above.
From the preceding explanations it will be seen that I can simultaneously print the
same text upon two different sheets of paper.
In their passage the sheets of paper pass through chambers heated by gas, or by any
other suitable means in order to dry them.
To adapt the machine for printing in several clours I place two three or more type
cylinders around the impression cylinder. I preserver however, the principles of the
machine hereinbefore described.
As shown in Figure 3 three type cylinders AA, A2, and A' A', A', are arranged
around the impression cylinders BB respectively. Each type cylinder is provided
with an inking apparatus similar to that which I have described for the preceding
machine.
The type cylinders A, A A, must have exactly the same diameter as the impression
cylinder so that theoretically, I can place six type cylinders around the impression
cylinder, but this number is necessarily reduced owing to the difficulties presented in
practice.
The paper passing from the reel P is first printed in one colour (for example black)
upon the type cylinder A¹ then in another (for example red) when passing the
cylinder A and in a third (for example blue) when passing the cylinder A. The
paper (which is as yet printed on one side only) then follows the path abb, a
and is printed upon the second part of the machine and the other side of the sheet as
described.
Between the rollers the paper passes through a hot chamber.
The number of the colours printed by the machine can be increased by dividing the
ink trough into two three or more parts (equal or unequal) in the direction of its
axis. Supposing the ink trough of the roller A is divided for two colours, the inking
table must also be divided into two parts, so that the type cylinder will be inked with
iwo inks of different colours.
The machine which have described enables me to print in several colours
simultaneously.
Instead of making the machine in two symmetrical parts as represented, I can
construct a machine composed of say the left hand part only, so that the paper is
printed on one side only. This arrangement for printing on one side only is
suceptible of many applications in practice such as for printing postage stamps, labels
and the like, which have to be gummed on one side. For certain important work it
may also often be very advantageous to print only on one side.
I have not represented in the drawings the means for actuating the cylinders and
rollers as these can be set in motion either by toothed wheels, by pulleys, by pulleys
and toothed wheels combined, or by any other desirable means.
What is required is
that the motion shall be perfectly regular and that all the type cylinders shall have
precisely the same velocity.
For printing in several colours the impression cylinder can have a diameter which
is equal io or a multiple of that of the type cylinders. Thus by making the impression
cylinder double or treble the diameter of the type cylinders I can place around it a
greater number of type cylinders than otherwise. The operation will be similar to
that already set forth, it being sufficient to modify the actuating gearing to obtain the
regular motion.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent. I declare that what I claim is:
First. The improved printing machine constructed substantially as described with
reference to Figure 1, and adapted to print upon a continuous web of paper and to
receive pe cylinders of different diameters for the purpose specified, the type

page_text: cylinder being either formed in one piece and designed to be entirely removed when
it is desired to vary the length of paper printed at each revolution, or composed of
two parts, the interior part of which is designed to carry an exterior shell or casing of
varying thickness as set forth.
Second. The printing machine constructed substantially as described with reference
to Figure 2 and designed by means of a single type cylinder and two impression
cylinders to print the same text simultaneously upon iwo different sheets of paper.
Third. The improved machine constructed substantially as described with reference
to Figure for printing in one or more colours, the diameter of the impression
cylinder being equal to or a multiple of the diameter of the type cylinders.
Dail this 7th day of March 1887
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.