Improvements in or connected with Wood Printing or Branding Machines.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Feb., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 18th Sept., 1891-Accepted, 24th Oct., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Wood Printing or Branding
Machines.
I, JAMES HAWLEY of Derby Works Carruthers Street Vauxhall Road Liverpool
in the County of Lancaster Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows,:-
My invention relates to that class of wood printing machines in..which the type
is arranged upon a cylinder and which are employed for printing the names of persons.
and descriptions of goods or other matter upon lengths of wood previous to their
being made up into boxes and the primary object of my invention is to render such
machines capable also of performing the operation of branding in lieu of printing
when required but I sometimes embody my improvements in a simple form, of:
machine for branding only.
For this purpose I dispense with the ordinary printing cylinder hitherto.employed.
together with its shaft and in lieu thereof I employ a hollow shaft closed at one
end by a valve and open at the other upon which I mount and fix a number of discs.
or wheels formed with projecting bosses which meet and thus preserve an annular
space between each disc so as to constitute a skeleton cylinder.
The meeting faces of the bosses of the discs are channelled to receive several
short lengths of gas pipe the inner ends of which are screwed into tapped holes
formed in the hollow shaft and leading to the interior thereof whilst their outer
ends are connected with curved or straight jet pipes which are provided with a
number of fan shaped or other jets or burners arranged in the required positions
and furnished with regulating or cut off cocks or taps.
The discs at their periphery are at intervals around their circumference formed
with dovetail grooves to receive correspondingly shaped nuts into which screw bolts
by the aid of which the branding or type plates are secured thereto and intermediate
of the dovetail grooves notches or openings are formed in the discs to admit of the
necessary circulation of the heated air and products of combustion.
The branding or type plates are formed curved or semicircular in shape to fit the
circumference of the discs and they are secured thereto by means of the bolts and
nuts herein before referred to for which purpose they are provided upon their edges
with countersunk or depressed lugs formed with holes, or open ended slots,therein.
The branding or type plates may thus be secured in the desired position upon the
skeleton cylinder with the rows of type over the annular spaces between the discs
and those only of the gas jets may be lighted which are immediately beneath the
type required to be heated thus localising the heat and economising fuel.
The shaft of the skeleton cylinder is mounted with capability of revolution in
bearings carried by the frame of the machine and capable of vertical adjustment and
loosely fitted upon the open end of the shaft and carried by the bearing is a,mixing
chamber for the coal or other gas and air constituting the fuel and entering into
this chamber is the conical nozzle of a gas chamber which is fitted with outwardly
opening valves to afford relief to any back pressure caused by an explosion, the
loose fit of the mixing chamber with the hollow shaft assisting to that end.
Gas is admitted to the gas chamber through a fitting furnished with an inwardly
opening valve to prevent back pressure and this fitting is by a flexible pipe connected
with a fan or blower driven from one of the shafts of the machine by means of
which the gas is forced into the gas chamber under pressure whilst a regulated
quantity of air under pressure is supplied to the mixing chamber in a similar
manner.
By these incans -the jets or burners are supplied with a proper mixture of gas

page_text: and air and an intense and regular heat is thus maintained beneath the branding or
type-plates.
Or in lieu of employing gas as the heating medium any suitable oil or spirit such
as benzoline in combination with air or other fluid may be substituted therefor.
Beneath the skeleton cylinder is a platen or pressure cylinder or roller which is
fixed upon a shaft mounted with capability of revolution in fixed bearings and over
which the boards are carried to receive the impression from the type.
The necessary rotary motion is imparted to the skeleton cylinder from the first
motion shaft of the machine by means of a pinion fixed thereon which engages a
toothed wheel fixed upon one end of the hollow shaft of the skeleton cylinder, and
motion is communicated to the platen or pressure cylinder by means of a toothed
wheel adjustably fixed upon the other end of the shaft of the skeleton cylinder
engaging a similar toothed wheel fixed upon the shaft of the platen or pressure
cylinder or if necessary motion may be communicated through an intermediate
wheel or wheels in order to allow of the vertical adjustment of the skeleton
cylinder.
In order to adjust the position of the branding or type plate in relation to the
varying sizes of the boards to be branded 1 loosely mount upon the hollow shaft
the toothed wheel which gives motion to the platen or pressure cylinder and I fix
this toothed wheel in relation to its shaft by means of a clamping device or clutch
as has been heretofore proposed so that the skeleton cylinder may be more or less
turned upon its axis independently of the other parts of the machine.
I sometimes form the platen or pressure cylinder or roller hollow and heat the
same by means of a number of gas or other jets introduced therein when it is
desired to impart a polish to the boards.
The boards to be branded are placed in a pile upon the table of the machine and
fed automatically one by one through the rollers by any suitable means.
In lieu of the skeleton cylinder herein before described 1 sometimes employ a plain
hollow cylinder fixed upon a hollow shaft or formed with hollow necks or axes and
I introduce therein any suitable arrangement of gas jets.
When the machine is required for branding the inking apparatus is removed and
the gas is employed to heat the type in the manner above pointed out, but when the
machine is required for printing the inking apparatus is replaced in position and the
gas is turned off when the same type may be inked for printing purposes or if
desired the branding cylinder may be removed and a printing cylinder substituted
therefor.
In some cases I prefer to embody my improvements in a machine adapted for
branding only.
Dated this 3rd day of February 1891.
WHITE & WOODINGTON,
27, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Wood Printing or Branding
Machines.
1, JAMES HAWLEY of Derby Works Carruthers Street Vauxhall Road Liverpool
in the County of Lancaster Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to that class of wood printing machines in which the type
is arranged upon a cylinder and which are employed for printing the names of
persons and descriptions of goods or other matter upon lengths of wood previous to
their being made up into boxes and the primary object of my invention is to render
such machines capable also of performing the operation of branding in lieu of

page_text: printing when required, but I sometimes embody my improvements in a simple form
of machine adapted for branding only.
For this purpose I dispense with the ordinary printing cylinder hitherto employed
together with its shaft and in lieu thereof I employ a hellow shaft closed at one
end and open at the other upon which I mount and fix a number of discs or wheels
formed with projecting bosses which meet and thus preserve an annular space
between each disc so as to constitute a skeleton cylinder.
The meeting faces of the bosses of the discs are channelled to receive several
short lengths of gas pipe the inner ends of which are screwed into tapped holes
formed in the hollow shaft and leading to the interior thereof whilst their outer ends
are connected with curved or straight jet pipes which are provided with a number
of fan shaped or other jets or burners arranged in the required positions and
furnished with regulating or cut off cocks or taps.
The discs at their periphery are at intervals around their circumference formed
with dovetail grooves to receive correspondingly shaped nuts into which screw bolts
by the aid of which the branding or type plates are secured thereto and intermediate
of the dovetail grooves, notches or openings are formed in the discs to admit of the
necessary circulation of the heated air and products of combustion.
The branding or type plates are formed curved or semicircular in shape to fit the
circumference of the discs and they are secured thereto by means of the bolts and
nuts hereinbefore referred to and the heads of the screw bolts are countersunk below
the surface of the type so as to avoid any interference therewith.
The branding or type plates may thus be secured in the desired position upon the
skeleton type cylinder with the rows of type over the annular spaces between the
discs and those only of the gas jets may be lighted which are immediately beneath
the type required to be heated thus localising the heat and economising fuel and in
some cases arrange radial transverse plates between the discs in order to confine
the heat to that part of the type plates to be heated.
The shaft of the skeleton cylinder is mounted with capability of revolution in
bearings carried by the frame of the machine and capable of vertical adjustment
and loosely fitted into an extension of one of the bearings and adjacent to the other
end of the shaft is a mixing chamber for the coal or other gas and air constituting
the fuel and entering into this chamber is the conical nozzle of a gas pipe which is
fitted with a regulating valve, the loose fit of the mixing chamber with the hollow
shaft affording relief to any back pressure caused by an explosion.
Gas is admitted to the mixing chamber through the fitting and nozzle and the
fitting is by a flexible pipe connected with a fan or blower driven from one of the
shafts of the machine by means of which the gas is forced into the mixing chamber
under pressure whilst a regulated quantity of air under pressure is supplied to the
mixing chamber in a similar manner.
gas
By these means the jets or burners are supplied with a proper mixture of and
air and an intense and regular heat is thus maintained beneath the branding or
type plates.
Or in lieu of employing gas as the heating medium any suitable oil or spirit such
as benzoline in combination with air or other fluid may be substituted therefor.
Beneath the skeleton type cylinder is a platen or pressure cylinder or roller
which is fixed upon a shaft mounted with capability of revolution in fixed bearings
and over which the boards are carried to receive the impression from the type.
The necessary rotary motion is imparted to the skeleton type cylinder from the
first motion shaft of the machine by means of a pinion fixed thereon which engages
a toothed wheel fixed upon the shaft of the platen cylinder and motion is com-
municated to the skeleton type cylinder by means of a toothed wheel adjustably
fixed upon the other end of the shaft of the platen cylinder engaging an idle wheel
which through another idle wheel engages a similar toothed wheel fixed upon the
shaft of the skeleton or type cylinder.
In order to adjust the position of the branding or type plate in relation to the
varying sizes of the boards to be branded I loosely mount upon the hollow shaft

page_text: .
the toothed wheel which receives motion from the platen or pressure cylinder and
I fix this toothed wheel in relation to its shaft by means of a clamping device or
clutch as has been, heretofore proposed so that the skeleton type cylinder may be
more or less turned upon its axis independently of the other parts of the machine.
.It sometimes form the platen or pressure cylinder or roller hollow and heat the
same by means, of a number of gas or other jets introduced therein when it is,desired
to impart a polish to the boards.
The boards to be branded are placed in a pile upon the table of the machine and
fed automatically one by one through the rollers by any suitable means.
In lieu of the skeleton or type cylinder hereinbefore described I sometimes
employ a plain, hollow cylinder fixed upon a hollow shaft or formed with hollow
neck or axes and I introduce therein any suitable arrangement of gas jets.
When the machine is required for branding the inking apparatus is removed and
the gas is employed to heat the type in the manner above pointed out but when the
machine is required for printing the inking apparatus is replaced in position and
the gas is turned off when the same type may be inked for printing purposes or if
desired the branding cylinder may be removed and a printing cylinder substituted
therefor.
In some cases I prefer to embody my improvements in a machine adapted for
branding only.
And in order that the said invention may be more clearly understood and readily
carried into effect I will proceed aided by the accompanying drawings more fully
to describe the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure. 1 is a side elevation of a wood printing or branding machine having my
invention applied thereto:
Figure 2 is an end elevation thereof.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal section thereof taken on the line 1-1 of Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 5 showing
the skeleton: printing or branding cylinder separately.
Figure 5 is a transverse section thereof taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 4.
Figure 6 is a longitudinal section representing a slightly modified construction of
skeleton printing or branding cylinder.
Figure 7 is a transverse section thereof taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 6.
Figure 8 is a transverse section of a portion of a skeleton printing or branding
cylinder illustrating a slightly modified form of gas burner.
Figure 9 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 10 illustrating
a modified method of supplying gas to the burners.
Figure 10 is a transverse section thereof taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 9.
In the several figures of the drawings in which like parts are indicated by similar
letters of reference Figures 9 and 10 are drawn to an increased scale with respect
to Figures 1 to 3 and Figures 4 to 8 are drawn to a still further increased scale.
For convenience I have shown my invention applied to a wood printing machine
of that kind for which Letters Patent were granted to William Robert Lake dated
the 1st day of September 1880 No. 3547 and as the general features of such
machine are well known and fully described in the Specification filed in pursuance
of the application for the said Letters Patent I will only refer to such parts
thereof as are intimately connected with my improvements.
Referring to Figures 1 to 5 a represents the frame of the machine c represents
the under or platen cylinder and d* represents the printing or branding cylinder.
The main shaft b is mounted in bearings a¹ carried by the frame a and at its outer
end is supported in bearings a formed in the upper part of a standard a* and the
main shaft is provided with a pulley upon one end thereof through which it is
driven by means of a belt from any convenient source of power and upon the same
end of the main shaft is fixed a pinion which gears with a toothed wheel c² fixed

page_text: upon that end of the shaft c' of the platen cylinder c and motion is thus given to
such cylinder.
Upon the opposite end of the shaft e of the platen cylinder e is fixed a toothed
wheel which gears into a toothed wheel ct mounted upon a stud fixed to the
frame a of the machine and the toothed wheel et gears into a similar toothed
wheel mounted upon a similar stud * and the toothed wheel gears into a
toothed wheel 3* adjustably fixed upon the shaft of the printing or branding
cylinder and motion is thus given to such cylinder.
According to my invention I dispense with the ordinary printing cylinder hitherto
employed together with its shaft and in lien thereof I employ a hollow, shaft closed
at one end and open at the other and upon this shaft d² I mount and fix a number
of discs or wheels d formed with projecting bosses which meet and thus preserve
an annular space between each disc so as to constitute a skeleton cylinder d.
The meeting faces of the bosses d' of the discs d are formed with channels d¹✶ to
receive several short lengths of gas pipe e the inner ends of which are screwed
into tapped holes * formed in the hollow shaft d² and leading to the interior
thereof whilst their outer ends are connected with and support curved or they
might be straight jet pipes e' which are provided with a number of fan shaped or
other jets or burners arranged in the required positions and furnished with regulat-
ing or cut off cocks or taps e².
The discs d are securely bound together and against a central stop flange **
formed on the shaft d by means of tie rods e³ and nuts and in order to hold them
all in the same relative position with regard to their circumference the hollow
shaft is at that part formed square in section and the discs are formed with
similarly shaped apertures therein or if desired the shaft d² may be round in section
and may be formed with a feather or a groove to receive or enter a corresponding
part upon the bosses d' of the discs d.
The discs at their periphery are at intervals around their circumference
formed with dovetail grooves to receive correspondingly shaped nuts into
which screw bolts by the aid of which the branding or type plates are
secured to the discs d and intermediate of the dovetail grooves notches or
openings are formed in the discs d to admit of the necessary circulation of the
heated air and products of combustion.
2
The branding or type plates fare formed curved or semicircular in shape to fit the
circumference of the discs d and they are secured thereto by means of the screw
bolts and nuts 2 hereinbefore referred to and the heads of the bolts' are
countersunk below the surface of the type * so as to avoid any interference
therewith.
The branding or type plates may thus be secured in the desired position upon
the skeleton or type cylinder d* with the rows of type over the annular spaces
between the discs d and by reason of the cocks or taps e those only of the gas jets
may be lighted which are immediately beneath the type required to be heated thus
localising the heat and economising fuel or in some cases I arrange radial transverse
plates between the discs d as shown by the dotted lines in Figure 5 in order to
confine the heat to that part of the type plates to be heated.
The shaft of the skeleton or type cylinder * is mounted with capability of
revolution in bearings carried by the frame a and capable of vertical adjustment
in relation thereto as is well understood and loosely fitted into an extension ** of
one of the bearings and adjacent to but not forming a tight joint with the open
end of the shaft d² is a mixing chamber for the coal or other gas and air
constituting the fuel and entering into this chamber is the conical nozzle of a gas
fitting which is provided with a regulating valve the loose fit of the mixing
chamber with the hollow shaft d affording relief to any back pressure caused by
an explosion.
!
Gas is admitted to the mixing chamber g through the fitting and nozzle and
the fitting is by a flexible pipe 3 connected with a fan or blower which is
driven through a pulley fixed upon a shaft / by a band * which passes around

page_text: **
a pulley fixed upon a shaft i at one end mounted in a bearing in the framing
and at the other end mounted in a bearing formed in the upper part of a standard a*
and the shaft is driven through a pulley fixed thereon by a band /* which
passes around a pulley fixed upon the main shaft and thus the gas which is
passed into the blower by a pipe ** is forced into the mixing chamberg under
pressure whilst a regulated quantity of air under pressure is supplied in a similar
manner to the mixing chamber through a pipe fitted with a regulating
cock g
By these means the jets or burners are supplied with a proper mixture of gas and
air and an intense and regular heat is thus maintained beneath the branding or
type plates f
Or in lieu of employing gas in combination with air as the heating medium any
suitable oil or spirit such as benzoline in combination with air or other fluid may be
substituted therefor as will be readily understood.
c
In order to adjust the position of the branding or type plate in relation to the
varying sizes of the boards to be branded I loosely mount upon the hollow
shaft the toothed wheel 3* which receives motion through the idle wheels
from the toothed wheel of the platen cylinder and 1 fix this toothed wheel 3*
in relation to its shaft by means of a clamping device or clutch as fully described
in the hereinbefore recited Specification of the said W. R. Lake so that the skeleton
or type cylinder d* may be more or less turned upon its axis independently of the
other parts of the machine.
****
In the arrangement represented at Figures 6 and 7 the bosses of the discs d
are reduced in width and loose distance pieces 2*** are employed to separate the
discs d the required distance and thus by having at. hand a number of distance
pieces
of varying width. the discs dinay be spaced upon their shaft 2 accord-
ing to the width apart of the rows of type upon the type plate to be employed
and in this example the dovetail grooves in the periphery of the discs are
dispensed with and the type plates are fixed directly to the periphery of the
dises d by screws which screw directly therein whilst, a single jet pipe el supported
by a single gas pipe e and forming almost a complete ring is employed in lieu of the
arrangement hereinbefore shown and described.
In the arrangement represented at Figure 8 I have shown another slight modifica-
tion in the gas heating device in which four gas pipes e are arranged radially around
the shaft and the curved jet pipes el are shaped like T pieces whilst the shaft d²
is formed round in section and the discs d are fixed against revolution in relation
thereto by means of a feather 2**** upon the shaft engaging corresponding
grooves in the bosses d' of the dises d..
In the arrangement represented at Figures 9 and 10 the discs d are fixed against
rotation in a similar manner to that lastly herein before described with respect to
Figure 8 whilst they are spaced upon the shaft by means of distance pieces (****
in a similar manner to that described with respect to Figures 6 and 7 but in lieu of
forming the shaft hollow for its entire length it is so formed only for a short
distance and a number of gas pipes e are arranged radially around the shaft d² and
at their inner ends communicate with the hollow therein whilst at their outer ends
they are connected by union joints with longitudinal jet pipes el which pass through
apertures *** formed in the discs d and distribute the fuel to the jets or burners
which are arranged beneath the type plates which are required to be heated.
According to this arrangement of parts by keeping at hand a number of jet
pipes e provided with differently spaced jets or burners the discs d may be spaced
upon the shaft in the desired manner to accommodate the particular type plates
desired to be used and then the necessary jet pipes having their jets or burners
arranged or spaced in conformity with the positions of the type plates may be
passed through the apertures *** of the discs d and connected with the gas pipes e
by the union joints and thus the positions of the gas jets may be readily changed to
suit the varied spacing of the discs d and type plates f
The boards to be branded are placed in a pile upon the table a*** of the machine

page_text: as indicated at Figure 3 and are fed automatically one by one through the
cylinder c d by the means shown which are identical with those shown and
described in the Specification of the said W. R. Lake and therefore need not be
specifically described here or 1 may employ any other suitable means for effecting
this object.
In some cases I form the platen or pressure cylinder or roller e hollow and heat
the same by means of a number of gas or other jets introduced therein in a similar
manner to that described with respect to Figures 9 and 10 when it is desired to
impart a polish to the boards.
In lieu of the skeleton or type cylinder d* hereinbefore described I sometimes
employ a plain hollow cylinder fixed upon a hollow shaft or formed with hollow
necks or axes and I introduce therein any suitable arrangement of jets supplied
with gas in the manner hereinbefore described.
When the machine is required for branding the inking apparatus a** is removed
or put out of action and the gas is employed to heat the type in the manner above
pointed out but when the machine is required for printing the inking apparatus a*
is replaced in position or put in action and the gas is turned off when the same type
may be inked for printing purposes with good effect or if desired the skeleton or
type cylinder * may be removed and a separate branding cylinder substituted
therefor.
In some cases I prefer to dispense with the inking devices and embody my
improvements in a machine adapted for branding only as will be readily understood.
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
--
1. In a wood printing or branding machine the combination of a type cylinder
means for heating the same by the aid of gas, and a platen cylinder substantially as
herein shown and described.
2. In a wood printing or branding machine the combination of a platen cylinder,
a type cylinder formed with a hollow shaft, gas conduits and burners supplied from
said shaft to heat the type, a mixing chamber for gas and air abutting on said
shaft and means for supplying a regulated quantity of gas and air under pressure
to the mixing chamber substantially as herein shown and described.
3. In a wood printing or branding machine a type cylinder formed of a number of
discs, means for separating the same so as to leave annular spaces between them
and a number of gas burners or jets located in the annular spaces substantially as
herein shown and described.
4. In a wood printing or branding machine the combination of a platen cylinder,
a type cylinder formed of a number of discs means for separating the discs so as to
leave annular spaces between them, a number of gas burners or jets located in the
annular spaces and means for supplying such burners with a mixture of gas and
air under pressure substantially as herein shown and described.
5. In a wood printing or branding machine a type cylinder formed of a number
of discs, means for separating such discs so as to leave annular spaces between
them, a type plate or plates secured to the periphery of the discs and a number of
gas burners or jets located in the annular spaces for heating the type and means for
supplying the gas burners or jets with gas substantially as herein shown and
described.
6. The improvements in type printing or branding machines substantially as
herein shown and described.
Dated this 18th der of Sontember 1201
WHITE & WOODINGTON,
27, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents.