IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PRINTING UPON WOODEN PACKING CASES OR FOR SIMILAR PURPOSES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PRINTING UPON WOODEN PACKING
CASES OR FOR SIMILAR PURPOSES." A communication from abroad by
Frederick Myers, of the City and State of New York, United States of
America
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st September 1880.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PRINTING
UPON WOODEN PACKING CASES OR FOR SIMILAR PURPOSES." [A communication
from abroad by Frederick Myers, of the City and State of New York, United
States of America.]
This Invention relates to improvements in machines chiefly designed for printing
on blanks to form the sides, ends, tops, or bottoms of wooden packing boxes, or for
printing on the completed boxes.
Several modifications in the construction of the said machines may be made
within the scope of the said Invention, and these machines may be used for any
similar purposes.
In one form of my machine single blanks only can be placed on the machine and
printed. In another forin of construction the blanks can be placed on the machine
in a pile, and will be pushed one at a time from the underside of the pile between
the cylinders, and there printed. In another form of construction the completed
box can be printed.
In carrying the said Invention into practice I construct the machine preferably
as follows, that is to say :-I provide an adjustable feed or pusher which is
reciprocated on a table by suitable gearing and connections, and forces the blanks
or boxes between a type cylinder and an impression cylinder, revolved by gearing
from the main shaft and in front of the table. The type is inked by inking rollers,
and an ink table operated by gearing and connections from the main shaft.
The machine comprises a supporting frame, a table, standards, a gate, a feed or
carrier, pusher or follower, rails on guides, back stop or stops, hopper, impression

page_text: cylinder, type cylinder, inking rollers, and devices, and operating mechanism. All
or any of these parts and especially the feed carrier, pusher or follower, the
standards, the type cylinder, and the impression cylinder, may be adjustable, and
the type cylinder or the impression cylinder may be self adjusting. The back
stops may be elevated above the table to allow the pusher or follower to pass back
under them. India-rubber or metallic type inay be used, and if india-rubber type,
it may be secured on the cylinders by strips in grooves. Metallic type may be
secured to the cylinders by chamfered rings screwed on the cylinders to embrace
the ends of the type plates. Rings on one of the cylinders press on the blanks or
boxes as traction rings. The inking devices may be above the type cylinder, and
there may be an index on one of the cylinders, for instance, the type cylinder,
by which the cylinder may be set to insure the type printing the blanks or boxes
at the right place. The numbers in the index wheel will correspond with the
number of the type plates, which may vary in size. The standards are made
adjustable by means of a slot, screws, and arms, and are provided with an
adjustable scale. One or both cylinders may be adjusted by sliding bearings, and
are made self adjusting by yielding bearings. The gate may be adjustable to adapt
it to blanks or boxes of different thicknesses or sizes. The feed or carrier, pusher
or follower, may be operated in various manners directly from the driving shaft, or
indirectly from the shafts of the cylinders, or from the cylinders themselves. Type
may be placed on both cylinders to print on both sides of the blank or boxes at the
same time. Segments or a support large enough to hold the type or type plates
may be used. The cylinders, or segments, or type supports may revolve or
oscillate. Stops are used to determine the position of the blanks or boxes, and are
automatically removed until the printing is accomplished. The table has adjustable
guides with or without the standards, and the guides may be curved at their ends
for the easy admission of the blanks or boxes. The impression cylinder may be
grooved or ribbed, or provided with points to allow the blanks or boxes to more
readily yield in that direction, and ensure even and regular printing.
To print more than one blank or box at the same impression, a spring or springs
or other means for effecting pressure is employed to hold the boards or boxes
together, and a roller or rollers, bar or bars, with an adjustable collar or collars, will
be employed to receive and deliver the boards or boxes, and the feed may be wide
enough and long enough to push the blanks or boxes through between the
cylinders. Traction rings or points may be on the cylinder or on the type plates.
The inking rollers and devices are operated from the cylinder shafts or cylinders,
or otherwise by suitable gearing and connections.
The blanks are placed in a pile on the table between the standards or guides, and
gate and stops forming the hopper. The feed carrier, pusher or follower force one
after another the under blanks in rapid succession under the gate and between the
cylinders, which will grasp them and draw them forward by the rings, points, or
type, and print them in rapid succession.
In another form of machine made according to my Invention, the boxes are
placed between the guides on the table one at a time and rapidly printed.
The type plates are designed on wood of the proper size for the plates desired.
The design is routed or caved out, and cast of composition or other material that
will stand bending. The cast plate is bent in a form to fit the cylinder of the
machine, and the face of the letters is turned true and of the proper height.
A level edge is turned on each side of the plate by which it is held firmly to the
cylinder by rings screwed thereon.
The machine may be operated by steam or other power by means of suitable
mechanism.

page_text: at without threads, which portion projects downward through the thin iron
cylindrical casing is through the india rubber spring or cushion within the same
and through the cap h¹ secured to the bearing / by screws. The said screw-bolts
terminate in heads, which enter recesses in the bearings, and upon which the
bearings are loosely suspended through the caps h. The said recesses extend
downward beyond the heads of the screw-bolts, and the india rubber cushions or
springs permit the impression cylinder g to yield and accommodate itself to any
irregularities in the thickness of the boards. On the upper end of the screws or
screw-bolts i are chain wheels i*, secured thereto by set screws or otherwise, and
having square heads i, so that the wheels can be turned by a wrench or spanner.
Around these chain wheels is passed an endless chain l, to provide for turning both
of the screws i at the same time by the application of the wrench to the square
head on one of the chain wheels, thereby causing the bearings h to be raised or
lowered evenly and simultaneously.
The impression cylinder g has right and left hand screw threads, as clearly shewn
in Figure 7, extending from the middle of the cylinder, and the latter has also
upon it two rings j, j, with corresponding right and left hand screw threads. The
inner edges of these rings are bevelled or otherwise undercut at j, j, to overlap the
bevelled or shouldered edges of the type plate, shewn in dotted lines in Figure 7,
and hold it in place on the cylinder. The said rings have holes j³, 12, in which a
turning wrench can be inserted to turn the rings outwardly or inwardly to readily
release or secure the type plate or to accommodate any width of type plate adapted
to the cylinder. The toothed wheel g' that rotates the impression cylinder is loose
upon the projecting end of the shaft g¹, and has in its outer side a series of
holes arranged in a circle and in number about equal to the number of teeth
on the said wheel. On the shaft outside of this gear-wheel is a disc or plate 1,
having a feather or key projecting into a groove in the shaft to prevent the turning
of the disc or plate upon the same. This disc or plate is held on the shaft by a
washer and nut 13 on the inner side of the said disc or plate are pins * in any
desired number to insure sufficient strength, and adapted to enter the holes g³ in
the side of the said gear wheel. When the latter and the disc or plate 7 are
connected by the entry of the pins into the holes, and the disc or plate is held in
place upon the shaft by the feather, washer, and nut, motion will be imparted to
the said impression cylinder upon the revolution of the shaft g'. The object of
this construction is to provide for the adjustment of the impression cylinder, so
that it will cause the type plate to strike the boards to be printed in any desired
place, thus accommodating such type plate to any length or width of boards
adapted to be printed by the press. To adjust the impression cylinder it is first
necessary to release the nut 13 and washer 1 from the disc or plate l, then to draw
back the latter, and consequently withdraw the pins * from the holes in the
toothed wheel g² and leave it loose on the shaft. The impression cylinder is then
turned until the type is in the position desired, which position will be indicated by
a scale on the side of the toothed-wheel, and an index or pointer on the upper face
of the said disc or plate. The said scale corresponds with the number of holes.
To adjust the impression cylinder and type plate to suit the length of board to be
printed the relative position of the gear wheel and the disc or plate must be
changed accordingly.
In shading letters or printing in colors, if the adjustment last above described
should not be sufficiently accurate, it can be made so by slightly moving the
adjustable feed piece hereinafter described backward or forward to change the
position of the boards to be printed.
Screwed into the spur wheel d³ is a pin m connected by a connecting rod ml to
a stud or pin on the adjustable crank m², which when adjusted to the desired
position upon its shaft or axis n is fixed thereto by a set screw n¹ or otherwise.
This shaft, to which a rocking movement is imparted through the said connecting
rod and crank, is supported in bearings n³ in the frames or standards below the bed
plate c. Upon the shaft n a crank nº, Figure 5, is secured by a set screw or

page_text: otherwise. To the upper end of this crank is connected one end of a link o pivoted
at its other end to a rod o¹, the pivot which connects the said link and rod having
on its ends rollers 0, 0, Figure 6, which travel in grooves in lugs c¹ projecting
from the underside of the bed plate c.
On the rod o' the adjustable feed-piece p
is secured by a set screw which presses upon a gib interposed between the said
feed piece and rod, and by loosening the said screw the feed piece can be moved
longitudinally forward or backward to suit different lengths of boards. This feed
piece consists of two parts so shaped that when screwed together, as shewn in
Figure 5ª, there are grooves p³, p', between the two parts to receive the ribs c², c²,
on the bed plate c, upon which the said feed piece slides. The end p* of the upper
part of the said feed piece is raised sufficiently above the bed plate c to push the
boards to be printed between the cylinder d and the rings ; upon the impression
cylinder, and into contact with the type; q, q, are adjustable stops held by screw
bolts q, q, in slots c³, c³, in the bed plate c; these stops can be adjusted to suit
different lengths of boards to be printed, and serve to prevent any pulling backward
of the boards by the feed piece p in its return stroke.
This feed piece may be
formed comparatively narrow, as shewn in Figure 11, or it may be made wider
than the space between the stops q, q, as shewn in Figure 1; in the latter case the
said stops are provided with recesses in their forward end, into which the part p*
of the said feed piece enters when fully retracted, as shewn in Figures 1, 2, and 3;
r, r, are adjustable standards held by screw bolts 1, 2, in slots 2, in the top
of the side frames a. These standards can be adjusted backward, forward, or
laterally to suit the different length and width of boards; 8, 8, represent other
adjustable standards held by bolts 8', s¹, in the top of the said side frames. These
standards can be adjusted inward or outward to suit the different widths of
boards; represents a rigid guide, and 8³ a spring guide attached to the said
standards and extending forwards towards the impression cylinder and underneath
the adjustable gate t. This spring guideserves, in combination with the rigid
guide 83, to guide the boards evenly as they are fed forward to be printed, and
when two or more strips or pieces are being fed forward side by side at the same
time the said spring guide serves to force and hold the joints or edges of the said
pieces closely together. These guides may also be used for guiding single pieces
into the machine; d*, d, represent rollers fixed upon a shaft do supported in
suitable bearings in front of the supporting cylinder d. These rollers serve when
two or more strips or pieces of board are being passed side by side through the
machine to prevent any spreading of the said pieces laterally as they leave the
cylinders, and thus obviate any spreading, misplacement, or smearing of the
impression received from the type. The adjustable gate t slides in grooves t¹, t', in
the side frames, and is raised and lowered by a thumbscrew or hand wheel t². This
gate is so adjusted vertically as to permit but one thickness of boards to pass at a
time, and can be adjusted to suit the various thicknesses of boards to the printing
of which the machine is adapted.
On the end of the shaft n opposite to that upon which the crank m² is fixed is a
crank n³ which is pivoted to one end of a connecting rod 123* by a bolt, preferably
passed through a slot in the crank. This rod is connected at its other end to a
lever n by a bolt passing through a slot in the said lever (see Figure 9). This
lever is held by a set screw or otherwise upon a shaft n³, and is adapted to rock
thereon. On the other end of this shaft n³ is a lever or arm ne, Figure 10, also
secured upon the said shaft by a set screw, or otherwise. Each of these levers n*, nº,
has on its upper side two projections, between which the journals o¹ of the upper
movable ink roller u rests. By the rocking motion imparted to the lever n the
shaft n and arm n the said upper movable ink roller is brought into contact with
an upper ink roller v, supported in stationary bearings upon the ink fountain v¹
which is secured to seats upon the top of the side frames. To the side of the
lever n is pivotted a weighted pawl n* which operates a ratchet wheel 3 on the
projecting end of the shaft * of the upper stationary ink roller v.
At each

page_text: rocking motion of the lever n' the said pawl moves the ratchet wheel v² one tooth
and imparts a corresponding movement to the upper ink roller in the ink fountain,
from which it is supplied with ink. The said shaft n³ at each rocking motion also
brings, by means of the lever n' and arm no, the upper movable ink roller u into
contact with the roller and receives ink from the latter, and conveys such ink to
a distributing roller won a shaft w¹, supported in slots in the side frames. This
roller wis loose upon its shaft, and has on its interior a semi-circular guide moving
in grooves between screw threads cut crosswise (as at w* Figure 4) on the shaft;
the shoulders on this shaft, at the extremity of these screw threaded portions, are
so shaped as to cause the guide to travel to and fro in the said grooves, and thereby
produce a transverse reciprocating motion of the said roller won its shaft, whilst
at the same time the said roller is revolved by contact with the lower revolving
ink roller x, also having bearings in the same slots as the roller w; this roller x
receives ink from the roller w, on which the ink is well distributed by its combined
revolving and lateral or reciprocating movements. The ink roller x has on one
end a toothed wheel or pinion x¹ operated by a toothed wheel g* on the end of the
impression cylinder from which it receives motion. Steel springs u* are bolted on
the outwardly bent ends of the levers n' and no to press upon the ends of the
journal of the movable ink roller u and prevent its adhering to the upper stationary
ink roller v.
I will now proceed to describe a novel manner of constructing the type plates
used in the said machine so that they may be readily and conveniently secured to
the type cylinder. For this purpose these plates are first designed on wood, the
design is then routed or carved out to form a pattern; a casting of any suitable
metal which will bear bending is then taken from the pattern; the cast plate is
then bent into a form to fit the cylinder or type support of the machine. The face
of the letters is then turned true and to the proper height, or they may be engraved.
I then form on each side of the said plate a bevelled edge, by which it is held
firmly to the cylinder or type support by the aid of undercut rings j screwed
thereon, as herein before described. Instead of forming the plate and rings with
bevelled edges they may have shouldered edges, as shewn in Figure 7.
Although I prefer type plates made as above described, yet it is obvious that I
may use plates otherwise prepared, if desired.
In the above description and in the Drawing only one particular form or
construction of the printing machine is shewn and described, but various
modifications of the said machine may be made without departing from the spirit
of this Invention. For example, by increasing the number of impression and
supporting cylinders, and inking devices, and properly adjusting them to operate in
succession, the said machine may be adapted for printing in various colors.
Furthermore, the feed mechanism may be made endless instead of reciprocating,
and two additional gear wheels may be used to permit a greater separation of the
cylinders than would be permitted by the teeth on the spur wheels shewn in the
Drawing. Furthermore, one cylinder or support may be made adjustable, and the
other self adjusting, or either one or both may be made adjustable and self adjusting,
and one or both may be used as the impression or type support. In some cases I
use india rubber type, which is sufficiently elastic to yield to the irregularities in
the wooden boards without further automatic adjustinent. The type supports may
be in the form of a cylinder, or a part or segment of a cylinder, and one or both
supports may revolve, oscillate, or otherwise move. Inking devices may be applied
to the type on either or both supports. A single board for a part of a box, two or
more boards for a part of a box, or whole boxes may be printed in rapid succession
with the said machine. The pieces of wood can be fed singly to the machine, or
may be placed in a pile, as shewn in dotted lines in Figure 5, on the table in front
of the back stops q, and between the standards r and 8; the under pieces of board
will then be fed rapidly to the machine.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my

page_text: foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it under-
stood that I claim,―
First. The combination of the adjustable and self adjusting impression or type
cylinder, the supporting cylinder, the feed piece, the inking devices, and mechanism
for adjusting and operating these parts, all substantially as described.
Second. The combination of the impression or type cylinder or support, the work
support or supporting cylinder, one or both adjustable by hand and self adjusting,
or one adjustable by hand and the other self adjusting, the feed mechanism, the
inking devices, and mechanism for actuating these parts, all substantially as
described.
Third. The combination of the impression or type cylinder or support, the
supporting cylinder, the mechanism for the adjustment of the space between them,
and mechanism for actuating these parts, all substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
Fourth. A printing machine so constructed that it may be adapted by the
adjustment of various of its parts to print upon boards of different sizes, and to
automatically adjust itself to allow for inequalities in the thickness of the boards,
substantially as described.
Fifth. The combination of the impression or type cylinder and the type plate
constructed as above set forth, and formed with bevelled or shouldered edges, and
secured on the said cylinder by the clamping rings, substantially as described.
Sixth. The combination of the adjustable standards, the guides 82, 83, the
adjustable back stops, the adjustable gate, the feed piece, and the printing
mechanism, substantially as herein described.
Seventh. The novel construction of the type plates, substantially as and for the
purposes specified.
Eighth. The combination with the impression cylinder and supporting cylinder
of the adjustable rollers d*, d*, substantially as above set forth and for the purposes
specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this First day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
W. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)