IMPROVED MECHANISM FOR PREPARING CONTINUOUS WEBS OF PAPER FOR PRINTING
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents, 66,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the Invention
of IMPROVED MECHANISM FOR PREPARING CONTINUOUS WEBS OF PAPER FOR
PRINTING." A communication from abroad by Richard March Hoe, of the
City and State of New York, in the United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th June 1876.
WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVED MECHANISM FOR PREPARING
CONTINUOUS WEBS OF PAPER FOR PRINTING."
Hitherto great difficulty has been experienced in damping continuous webs of
paper and re-realing them with an equal tension throughout without puckers or
creases, while the trimming of the edges of such webs has been a separate and dis-
tinct operation.
Now the object of the present Invention of improvements in preparing con-
tinuous webs of paper for printing is to pare the edges of the continuous web of
paper, to damp it uniformly, and to re-real it (with an equal and regulated tension)
at one operation.
By these improvements great economy of time in the preparatory processes of
preparing paper for printing is obtained, while all danger of puckering or creasing
of the web during the re-realing is avoided. To obtain this end the reel of paper
to be prepared for printing is supported by its journals in the bearings of fixed
standards, which may be fitted with a break if desired. From this reel the web is
led over a roller provided with grooves in which revolve circular disc-cutting
knives, which are arranged the requisite distance apart so as to pare the edges of the
web of paper as it passes over the grooved roller. From this cutting apparatus the
paper is led over the upper surface of a metal roller revolving in a trough of water,
and so mounted that the velocity of its revolution may be increased and diminished
in order to regulate the amount of water served to the under surface of the web as
it is drawn over the metal roller. Or the web of trimmed paper may be led over
guide rollers and presented to one side of the metal roller. From this damping
apparatus the web is led over a guide or supporting roller whose horizontal position
is adjustable so as to regulate the run of the paper.
[Price 8d.1

page_text: In order to remove any longitudinal creases or to prevent their formation a
double-coned roller may be employed so as to stretch the paper passing over it
transversely. The unwetted surface of the paper may be then carried partly round
the periphery of a tension roller of large diameter and the core of the reel on which
the paper is to be re-wound. But it is preferred to lead the wetted web of paper over
the top surface of the tension roller and thence to the core or bobbin. This core or
bobbin rests upon the upper surface of the large or tension roller (so as to be driven
therefrom by friction of contact); it is carried by a balanced lever or frame by
which its contact pressure on the tension roller may be automatically regulated as
the operation proceeds. Or the core may be mounted in bearings fitted to slide up
the inclined face of a standard forming a portion of the frame of the machine.
These sliding bearings are provided with racks which gear with toothed pinions
carried on a transverse shaft provided with a winch handle. This shaft is fitted with
a paule and ratchet to enable the wetted reel to be at once raised by means of the
handle and retained above the surface of the tension roller should the web break or
when the operation is completed.
In order to obtain an equable adhesion of the water to the roller its periphery or
surface is coated with copper, or the surface of the rollers may be formed of copper,
zinc, or stone.
In place of giving the water direct to the web from this fountain roller I take
the water therefrom by means of a smaller " taking-off" roller formed of metal
coated with india-rubber or other suitable substance and driven by friction of
contact with a roller, on which it is caused to distribute the water it has taken up
from the "fountain roller." A continuous sideway vibrating motion is given to this
roller so that it may more evenly distribute the water on the surface of the wetting
roller. The web of paper after the edges have been trimmed, as above described, is
led up to the core which is mounted on a sliding bearing and is wound thereon,
the outer surface of the re-reeled web resting against the surface of the roller on
which water has been distributed, thus the tendency of the water upon the dis-
tributing roller to run in waves is counteracted and the paper is caused to receive
the equal film after it has been wrapped with tension around the core as the re-
reeling proceeds. In some cases I may so mount the core in its sliding or balanced
bearings so as to be capable of an endway adjustment to ensure the proper run of
the paper as it is being re-reeled.
Motion is communicated to the paper from the tension or water-distributing
rollers, which may be driven in any convenient manner.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th
December 1876.
WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVED MECHANISM FOR PREPARING
CONTINUOUS WEBS OF PAPER FOR PRINTING." A communication from abroad by
Richard March Hoe, of the City and State of New York, in the United States of
America.
Hitherto great difficulty has been experienced in damping continuous webs of
paper and re-reeling them with an equal tension throughout without puckers or
creases. The trimming of the edges of such webs has been a separate and distinct
operation.
Now the object of the present Invention of improvements in preparing continuous
webs of paper for printing is to pare the edges of the continuous web of paper, to
damp it uniformly, and to re-reel it (with an equal and regulated tension) at one
operation.
2

page_text: By these improvements great economy of time in the preparatory processes of
preparing paper for printing is obtained, while all danger of puckering or creasing
of the web during the re-reeling is avoided.
In the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1, Sheet I., is a side elevation, and Fig. 2,
Sheet II., is a plan view of an arrangement of parts which has been found very con-
venient for effecting the object of the Invention.
The reel of paper a to be operated upon is supported by its journals in the
bearings of fixed standards b, b, which may be fitted with a break c if desired.
From this recl the web is led round a roller d provided with grooves in which
revolve circular disc-cutting knives e, which are mounted at the end of rocking
treadle levers e¹, and are arranged the requisite distance apart so as to pare the edges
of the web of paper as it passes round the grooved roller d. From this cutting appa-
ratus the paper is led round guide rollers f and g, and in contact with the surface
of a metal roller / revolving in a trough of water h¹. The roller h is so mounted
that the velocity of its revolution may be increased and diminished in order to
regulate the amount of water supplied to the surface of the web as it is drawn past
the metal roller h. It will be seen that the upper guide roller g is mounted in
bearings at the upper end of rocking arms i which are capable of turning on the ful-
crum pins so that the position of the arms i and the guide roller g may be adjusted
with accuracy by means of the regulating screw j, and when so adjusted may be
firmly secured in the desired position by the screw and nut k. By this means the
contact pressure of the web of paper against the wetting cylinder h is capable of
being regulated to a nicety. From the guide roller g the wetted web of paper
passes to the large tension drum l, with the top side of which the unwetted surface
of the web of paper comes in contact. The end of the web is secured in any con-
venient manner to the core or bottom m mounted on a slide m³, which is capable of
being moved up the inclined guide n forming part of the framing of the machine.
The slide m¹ carries toothed racks m² (one on each side of the machine), in the
teeth of which gear pinions o on the transverse shaft o¹, at one end of which is a
winch handle o³ for working the pinions o, and a ratchet wheel of and click or
pawle for holding the rack m² in its elevated position when it is desired to lift and
retain the core m and the roll of paper thereon out of contact with the tension
drum l. It will be evident that as by the rotation of the core m the roll of paper
increases in diameter the slide m' will rise up the guide n until (when full) the
roll of paper will assume the position shown by dots in the Figure. The mechanism
is actuated by imparting rotary motion to the axle of the large tension drum 1,
which is driven by a band from any prime mover passing over a pulley mounted on
the shaft. On the opposite end of this shaft is one of a pair of cone pullies p, which
by means of a cross belt drives a similar cone pulley p¹ on a stud axle on which is
keyed a small pinion which gears into a toothed wheel on the axle of the water
roller h. As the cross belt may be shifted from one pulley to another of larger or
sinaller size it will be evident that the water roller h may be driven at varying
speeds as may be found most convenient. When all the wetted web has been
reeled on to the core m the roll must be removed from the machine, to facilitate
which operation there are a pair of arms q, q, having forked ends and mounted on
an axle q¹ in bearings in the frame of the machine. On the axle q' is a worm
wheel q into which gears a worm r, which is actuated by means of a handle 7.1
through the intervention of the wheel and pinion 7. When it is required to
remove the wetted roll of paper the forked arms q are brought forward into the
position shewn by dots so as to embrace the ends of the core m, which is secured
in the forks by cross pins or cottars, then upon turning the winch handle n¹ in the
opposite direction] the wetted roll will be drawn back and lowered into any position
convenient for removal.
Fig. 3, Sheet III., is a side elevation of a modification of the machine just described.
In this instance the web of paper from the reel a after passing between the grooved
roller d and the circular-cutting knives e is carried up and passed over two guide
rollers f, g, and over the top of the water-supply roller . The top or unwetted

page_text: surfaces of the web passes down and round the large tension roller l, and its end is
secured as in the former instance to the core on which it is to be rewound. This
core is carried in the forked ends of a pair of levers y, which if desired may be
balanced, and as the roll of paper increases in diameter on the core the levers q rise
towards a vertical position, as shown in the Drawing, and when the roll is completely
wound on to the core it may be drawn back and lowered into a convenient position
for removal as in the former instance.
In order to remove any longitudinal creases in the web of paper, or to prevent
their formation, a double-coned roller in place of the roller g¹ may be employed so
as to stretch the paper transversely while passing over it. The unwetted surface of
the paper may be then carried partly round the periphery of the tension roller of
large diameter 1, and conducted to the core of the reel on which the paper is to be
rewound. It will be seen that the core or bobbin m rests upon the upper surface of
the large or tension roller (so as to be driven therefrom by friction of contact).
In order to obtain an equable adhesion of the water to the roller the periphery
or surface of the roller is coated with copper, or the surface of the roller may be
formed of copper, zinc, or stone.
In place of supplying the water direct to the web from this "fountain" roller I
sometimes take the water therefrom by means of a smaller "taking-off" roller
formed of metal coated with india-rubber or other suitable substance and driven by
friction of contact with a large roller, on which it is caused to distribute the water
it has taken up from the "fountain roller."
This arrangement is shown in Fig. 4, Sheet III., in which the web is wetted
while it is being rewound on to the core m instead of before it reaches the core
as in the former instances. u is the roll of dry paper which after passing between
the grooved roller d and cutting dies e for the purpose of trimming the edges is
carried up and attached to the core m on which it is wound. The core is mounted
in a slide m¹ in the manner already described in reference to Figures 1 and 2 and
rests against the large tension roller to which the water is supplied from the
fountain roller / by means of a taking-up roller g. A continuous sideway vibrating
motion is given to this roller so that it may more evenly distribute the water on
the surface of the large wetting roller l.
It will be seen that the outer surface of the re-reeled web rests against the
surface of the wetting roller on which water has been distributed by the taking-
off roller g, as already explained. By this means the tendency of the water upon
the large distributing roller to run in waves is counteracted, and the paper is caused
to receive the equal film after it has been wrapped with tension around the core m as
the re-reeling proceeds. In some cases I may so mount the core in its sliding or
balanced bearings as to be capable of an endway adjustment to ensure the proper
run of the paper as it is being re-reeled. Motion is communicated to the paper
from the tension or water-distributing roller l, which may be driven in any con-
venient manner, the rest of the working parts being actuated by suitable gearing,
as is clearly shewn in the figure.
Having now described the Invention of " Improved Mechanism for Preparing
Continuous Webs of Paper for Printing" as communicated to me by my foreign
correspondent, and having explained the manner of carrying the same into effect,
I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid-
The general arrangement and combination of parts shewn and described in
reference to Figures 1 and 2 whereby the continuous web of paper after being pared
at the edges is brought in contact with the water-supply roller, and is conducted
from thence to a large tension roller which prevents the formation of creases and
reels the wetted paper in a uniform manner on a suitable core mounted in slides.
which are capable of rising on inclined guides as the diameter of the reel increases.
I also claim the modification shewn in Figure 3 in which the core to receive
the wetted paper is mounted in the forked ends of rocking levers q, q.
I further claim the use of the forked levers 4, Figures 1 and 2, and the gearing
for actuating the same, or any equivalent devices for receiving the core m with

page_text: the re-reeled paper thereon, so that it may be lifted away from the other working
parts and lowered into a position convenient for removal as herein set forth.
I also claim the arrangement and construction of parts shewn and described in
reference to Fig. 4, or any mere modification thereof, whereby water may be
supplied to the continuous web as it is being reeled on to the core.
I further claim in reference to this modification the combination with the fountain
or water roller h, and distributing or water-carrying roller 1, the taking-off roller y,
to which a reciprocating endway motion is imparted, as and for the purpose herein
set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Eleventh day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
W. E. NEWTON. (LS)