Improvements in or connected with Printing Machinery.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Oct., 1890-Accepted, 3rd Jan., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Printing Machinery.
I, GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN, of the firm of G. F. Redfern & Co., the General
Patent Office, No. 4, South Street, Finsbury, in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication from abroad
by Ernst Koepsel and Ernst Wentscher, both of 5, Friesenstrasse, Berlin, in the
Empire of Germany,) 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 mechanism for laying on the sheets of paper to be printed
in printing machinery.
The operation of laying on the sheets may be divided into three stages, namely:
1. Pulling off the separate sheets from the whole heap or ream:
2. Transporting them to the grippers of the printing cylinder:
--
3. The laying on of each separate sheet to front marks and side lay so as to give
them such a situation that, when they are grasped by the grippers and carried over
the printing-cylinder, both side-lay and front-lay shall be perfectly true, and preserve
the same lay in each different sheet. On printing the reverse side, it is most
important that the lines on opposite sides shall register exactly and this is effected by
the so-called pointing.
As far as concerns the third stage mechanical devices are already in use which effect
the laying on of the sheets automatically. Mechanical devices also exist for effecting
or carrying out the second portion of the operation and are employed in most printing
presses, at least for taking off, even if they are not used for laying on. These devices
are, however, of no use for laying on unless the first stage of the process can also be
carried out automatically. There is also not much advantage to be obtained from the
automatic execution of stage No. 3, since for carrying out Nos. 1 and 2 experienced
workmen, who are not always easily obtainable, and consequently demand high wages,
are required.
From these observations it becomes apparent that the problem of antomatically
laying on the sheets is solved in all its essential points when stage 1.-the pulling off
of the various sheets from the ream can be effected automatically.
The present invention has for object to effect this which has not hitherto been
satisfactorily accomplished.
Apparatuses as hitherto constructed do not act in a reliable manner, and do not
ensure a single sheet being pulled off from the ream at each operation.
The objections above described are not only avoided by the construction of the
layer on, as hereinafter described but the three stages of the process first herein
referred to are, by means thereof, executed surely and accurately, the result being that
the front marks and side lay are rendered superfluous.
In the accompanying drawing:
Figure 1 is an elevation; and,
Figures 3 and 4 are elevations partly in section illustrating three different positions
of a layer on for printing machinery constructed according to this invention:
Figure 2 is a plan of the layer on.
The ream of paper is placed upon a plate resting upon the bank which is, as
usual, inclined towards the printing cylinder. This plate is movable and is constantly
pressed upwards with a controllable pressure. The sheets are confined in front by
means of a board or stop b provided with a bevelled edge b', which projects over the
uppermost sheet of the ream and keeps it tightly pressed down.
Rails which may be adjusted as desired serve to confine the sheets both behind and
at the sides, thereby enabling sheets of any size to be piled upon the plate and kept in
proper position. At the back end of the table or bank B are moveably attached the

page_text: bearings D of the pulley E of the endless band e. An arm d extending from the
bearing D, carries a platen d' and a small roller bearing upon the cam F which
rotates in the standard f and which makes one complete revolution while the carriage
runs once in and out. The cam F is rotated by the pulley f' mounted upon its axis
or spindle. Above the printing-cylinder A is a pulley E' working in the fixed
bearing D¹. The endless band e of the pulley E passes over it so as to rotate the two
pulleys simultaneously.
The pulley E' is rotated by the printing-cylinder A by means of suitable gearing,
in such a manner that it revolves and stops simultaneously with the printing-cylinder.
The movement of the endless band e is also intermittent. In order that the band may
be set in motion without risk of its slipping, it is perforated and the pulleys E, E' are
provided with projecting pius which engage in the holes of the endless band and impart
motion to it, whatever may be its tension.
The endless band is also provided with suckers or carriers G, G1, G2, G³ formed of
suitable adhesive substance such as printers' roller composition which are arranged at
such a distance from one another that every sheet when pulled off by a sucker is
brought under the grippers of the printing-cylinder by means of the endless band.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-
The printing-cylinder A and pulleys E, E being at rest and the cam F, one part of
which is concentric with its axis and the other part eccentric thereto being in such a
position that the small roller is situated near the eccentric portion, as shewn in
Figure 1, the sucker G will be located above the pile of paper C and near to its edge.
The bearing D being supported by the arm d is then at right angles to the bank B
and the endless chain is stretched in such a manner that the suckers G, G1, G2, G³ can
just pass without coming into contact with the printing-cylinder.
The printing-cylinder remains at rest and the sucker G therefore retains the
position shewn in Figure 1 while the cam F rotates; the small roller d² will
consequently come upon the eccentric or flattened portions of the cam F, it being
drawn down by the weight of the platen d¹ which is attached to the arm d, while at
the same time the bearing D of the pulley E will be drawn forwards. By this
means the endless band e becomes slackened and the platen d' simultaneously presses
against the part to which the sucker G is attached, causing it to press upon the top-
most sheet of the pile and to remain at rest for a moment, after which it rises and the
bearing D, owing to the rotation of the pulley E is brought into its former position
thereby again tightening the endless band e. The sucker G in rising carries the
foremost portion of the topmost sheet of the pile with it. This gradual raising of the
sheet in front of the projection b¹ ensures the removal or pulling off of only a single
sheet, for if the sucker G in rising were to take more than one sheet with it, the
second sheet would be held back by the projection 61 and only the first sheet would
follow the movement of the sucker G.
The front edge of the topmost sheet being now above the projection 61, the rotation
of the printing-cylinder A and pulleys E, E¹ commences. The endless band e then
transports the sheet attached to the sucker G (Figure 4) to the printing-cylinder A,
and as it is held tight by the sucker G it is unable to alter its position in the slightest
degree.
Owing to this arrangement the side lay is rendered unnecessary because the sheet
cannot be moved either to the right or left during its passage as it is held tight by the
sucker; the front lay is also unnecessary as the periodical forward movement of the
band is always exactly the same. Having arrived at the printing-cylinder the front
edge of the sheet passes under the opened grippers, and the separation of the sucker
from the sheet takes place at the commencement of the next revolution of the
printing-cylinder, the sheet winding round it while the endless hand with the sucker
passes round the pulley E¹.
By this time the next sucker G¹ has stopped over the ream C (Figure 1), and is
pressed onto the top sheet of the pile by the platen d', and the sheet is transported to
the printing-cylinder A which receives it by means of its grippers from the sucker
automatically and so on.

page_text: By means of this novel layer-on not only is a single sheet taken from the ream at
a time but the sheet is carried in exactly the same position, and laid on the printing-
cylinder, so that no other mechanical devices are required.
It will be obvious that the number of suckers attached to the different endless
bands depends on the size of the paper and can be increased, if required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In mechanism for laying sheets upon the cylinder of a printing machine, the
arrangement of suckers or carriers upon an intermittently actuated endless band for
removing single sheets from a pile and transporting them to the grippers of the
printing-cylinder, substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. The improved laying-on mechanism for use in connection with printing
machinery, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawing.
Dated the 4th day of October 1800
'
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.