Improvement in Guard to Prevent Accidents on Platen Printing Machines.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Oct., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Oct., 1895-Accepted, 15th Feb., 18c6
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in Guard to Prevent Accidents on Platen Printing
Machines.
SIDNEY BULFORD, Poplars Johnston Street Birchfield Birmingham, carrying
on business as General Printer at 14 Hylton Street Birmingham do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to prevent the fearful accidents at present arising
through workmen getting fingers smashed between the platen of printing machines
and the form from which they are printing. My guard is fixed on the friction bars
or sides of the machine and the uprights for holding the guard may be made
telescopic so as to vary the height. The top part or guard proper may be made of
wire net work or other suitable material and may also be telescopic so as to extend
or contract to suit various sized machines now in use as otherwise when the guard
is made for a particular sized machine the telescopic arrangement of the top may
not be necessary.
Dated this 6th day of November 1895.
GEORGE BARKER,
77 Colmore Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in Guard to Prevent Accidents on Platen Printing
Machines.
I, SIDNEY BULFORD, of The Poplars, Johnston Street, Birchfields in the
County of Warwick, Printer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention has for its object a new or improved guard for printing machines.
but is specially adapted to "platen "machines and is for the purpose of preventing:
accidents to the attendant operating the machine.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood and more easily carried
into practical effort I have appended hereunto a double sized sheet of drawings
showing my guard mounted upon a machine as well as some of the details thereof
which will be sufficient to enable others to apply it to the various sizes of machines
and varying conditions met with in practice.
Figure 1 is a general view of my guard A applied to the arms E of a platen
printing machine.
Figure 2 is an end elevation looking at the right hand end of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a part sectional elevation of the adjustable upright B.
Figure 4 shows a modification of the guard A showing the supporting or
frame portion of the guard adjustable as to length so as to suit various sized
machines.
Figure 5 shows my device as applied to an "Arab" platen printing machine,
Y being the front or printing platen, and Y' the back platen upon which the type
ID 837

page_text: is set.
The guard A is fixed on the arms E which are connected with Y¹ and
move with the latter.
The actual guard A so far as its surface is concerned may be composed of wire
mesh, metal sheets, or any other suitable material such for instance as celluloid &c.
and it is mounted upon a frame composed of longitudinal bars or tubes a² a or
a third bar a may be used or even a greater number and these are framed into
ends a¹ a'. In some cases I make the guard a set length as seen at Figure 1 and in
other cases the bars a² a³ or a* may be telescoped as shown by Figure 4 so that the
In the
guard may be shortened or lengthened to suit various sized machines.
latter case however the covering medium whether wire, sheets, or other material
is in two main portions so that one length will slide under the other when
contracted. This guard A is pivotted at each end upon pivots 6767 of the uprights
or ends B.
These ends are composed of the jaws or clips B and B' with their
thumb screws 2 for the purpose of fastening the guard to the friction arms E of
the platen printing machine of which there are one on either side of the platens,
the arms moving in vertical planes. The guard is so fixed on the arms E that the
platens just work under the part A of the guard (Figure 5) and is so adjusted that
in case the operator of the machine happens to leave his hands inside the printing
platen Y (after having placed the blank sheet thereon) he is warned of the danger
by his hands coming in contact with the guard which gives way to his touch by
virtue of the springs S. The upper portion of the ends B slide into sockets & and
may be set to any height by the thumb screws 6 or their equivalents. Then +
turns into an arm 6e and carries the pivot upon which the guard A is hung so as
give it liberty to turn thereupon but its normal position is to rest upon the projec-
tions 68 where it is beld by the springs S. The pivots 67 enter the holes a or the
pivots may be fast to the ends a' if desired or removable screw pins may form
the pivots as shown. The socket is clearly shown in section by Figure 3. When
a guard is specially made for a certain machine both the ends and top may be
anade without an adjusting arrangement or the top may be adjustable without the
ends being so, or the top may be in one piece with the ends adjustable.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1st. The new or improved guard for printing machines substantially as herein
set forth and as shown upon the drawings by Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4.
2nd. Making the guards of platen printing machines with the adjustable
ends B as seen at Figures 1, 2, and 3 and the top not adjustable substantially as
set forth.
3rd. Making the guards or top part A of platen printing machines telescopic as
shown by Figure 4. and substantially as herein set forth.
Dated this 22nd day of October 1895.
GEORGE
BARKER,
77, Colmore Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.