Improvements in or relating to the Dies or the like and Inking Devices of Presses for Printing or Embossing.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 26th July, 1899
Complete Specification Left, 18th May, 1900-Accepted, 20th July, 1900
PROVIDIUNAL
DIEUIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Dies or the like and Inking
Devices of Presses for Printing or Embossing.
I, JOSEPII YARDLEY JOHNSTON, of 22, Bride Lane, in the City of London,
Manufacturer of Steel Die and Plate Presses, do hereby declaro the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to improvements in or relating to the dies or
the like and inking devices of presses for printing or embossing, objects being
to enable the dies &c., (referred to hereafter as a die,) to be readily clamped or
secured in position upon the die block and in the case of a printing press to
prevent contact of the inking device with the edges of the die and the consequent
charging of such edges with ink.
My improvements may be employed in presses of various constructions.
The die may be secured to a rectangular block furnished with a square shank
adapted to slide vertically in a square opening at the end of a die arm, and the
said block may be held up normally in contact with the underside of the arm by
suitable springs. A dovetailed groove is formed horizontally across the underside
of the block to receive dovetailed projections on a pair of clamp jaws which
are caused to approach and grip the die between them, by means of a right and
left handed screw.
Sliding in a groove in the said block at right angles to the aforesaid dovetailed
groove is an index plate secured in position by a screw pin which enters any
one of a series of holes formed in it, and the die, before being gripped by the
clamp jaws, is pushed against its end. By this means a die can be instantly
removed by simply loosening the aforesaid right and left handed screw, and
replaced exactly in its previous position, thus ensuring correct register. Instead
of the index plate additional clamp jaws adapted to move at right angles to
those above mentioned may be employed. In a printing press, upon one of the
first mentioned clamp jaws are guards, operating upon an inking roller or other
inking device so as to depress the same and ensure that it does not come in
contact with the edges of the die face but only with the desired printing portion
of same.
In place of the dovetailed arrangement above described, the clamp jaws may
be provided with projections at their ends to embrace and slide upon the edges
of the die block, or any other suitable means may be employed for this purpose.
As it is necessary that the leading edge of the die should not be charged with
ink, means are provided which ensure the inking roller not coming in contact
with the die face until after the leading edge of the latter has passed the top of
the said roller. The said means consist of guards on the leading or forward die
clamp, acting in conjunction with the rollers on the inking roller spindle.
The ends of the said clamp extend beyond the die block and each said end is
formed with a rectangular opening, in which a block is free to slide vertically.
These blocks are confined in the said openings by plates, secured by screws to
the ends of the clamp, and they are adjusted and held vertically by screws
provided with hexagon or milled heads. These screws are seated in or exiend

page_text: into plain semi-circular vertical recesses or grooves in the sides of the openings
aforesaid, and motion of each screw being prevented by a semi-circular collar
formed at the end of its recess or groove entering a circular groove at the top
of the screw under its head, and the thread of the screw engaged in a threaded
semicircular groove, or half-nut, formed in the side of the block. The screws
are cut with a fine thread, so that a fine vertical adjustment can be given to
the blocks. Secured to the bottom of each block is a hardened steel plate having
the front part of its under surface inclined. The blocks are adjusted to such a
height that the horizontal part of the surface of the plates is slightly above the
under surface of the die As the die approaches the inking roller, the inclined
parts of the plates come in contact with the rollers on the inking roller spindle
and depress them, the inking roller and the entire ink reservoir, slightly com-
pressing the helical supporting springs; the top of the inking roller is now below
the plane of the die surface, but as soon as the hardened steel plates pass the
rollers, the said springs are free to force the reservoir up again, and the said
plates are so located that the inking roller comes in contact with the die just
beyond its leading edge and therefore no ink is delivered on the front edge of
the die. The die now travels over the inking roller, which is pressed against it
by the springs and becomes charged with ink.
As the blocks are carried by the clamp jaw, they always occupy the same
relative position to the edge of the die, whatever may be its width, so that this
adjustment is automatic, and the distance from the edge of the die to the place
where the inking roller meets its face is regulated by raising or lowering the
said blocks as required, by their adjusting screws and they can be adjusted
independently of each other to suit variations in the position of the ends of the
inking roller. The thickness of the die and the diameters of the loose rollers
are suitably proportioned, the diameters of the said rollers being increased if a
thicker die is used and vice versa.
The rear clamp jaw is inclined to prevent it making contact with the inking
roller after the die has passed the same.
Although specific clamping arrangements are referred to, it is obvious that
other arrangements may be provided with guards as described and that other
arrangements of guards than those described may be used with my clamping
arrangements.
Arrangements according to this invention are suitable for use in a press of
the type described in the Specifications of former Letters Patent granted to me,
No. 16704 of 1893 and No. 14664 of 1894 and in the Specification of another
Application for Letters Patent by me and bearing even date herewith is described
the nature of my present invention as embodied in an improved construction
and arrangement of press for printing or embossing by means of female or
intaglio surfaces.
Improvements in or relating to the Dies or the like and Inking
Devices of Presses for Printing or Embossing.
I, JOSEPH YARDLEY JOHNSTON, of 22, Bride Lane, in the City of London,
Manufacturer of Steel Die and Plate Presses, do hereby declare the nature of

page_text: 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 has reference to improvements in or relating to the dies or
the like and inking devices of presses for printing or embossing, objects being
to enable the dies, &c. (referred to hereafter as a die,) to be readily clamped or
secured in position upon the die block, and, in the case of a printing press, to
prevent contact of the inking device with the edges of the die and the consequent
charging of such edges with ink.
My improvements may be employed in presses of various constructions.
The die may be secured to a rectangular block furnished with a square shank
adapted to slide vertically in a square opening at the end of a die arm, and the
said block may be held normally in contact with the underside of the arm by
suitable springs. A dovetailed groove is formed horizontally across the underside
of the block to receive dovetailed projections on a pair of clamp jaws which
are caused to approach and grip the die between them, by means of a right and
left handed screw:
Sliding in a groove in the said block at right angles to the aforesaid dovetailed
groove is an index plate secured in position by a screw pin which enters any
one of a series of holes formed in it, and the die, before being gripped by the
clamp jaws, is pushed against its end. By this means a die can be instantly
removed by simply loosening the aforesaid right and left handed screw, and
replaced exactly in its previous position, thus ensuring correct register. Instead
of the index plate additional clamp jaws adapted to move at right angles to
those above mentioned may be employed.
In place of the dovetailed arrangement above described, the clamp jaws may
be provided with projections at their ends to embrace and slide upon the edges
of the die block, or any other suitable means may be employed for this purpose.
In a printing press, upon one of the first mentioned clamp jaws are adjustable
guards, operating upon an inking roller or other inking device so as to depress
the same and ensure that it does not come in contact with the edges of the die
face but only with the desired printing portion of same.
Arrangements in accordance with this invention are described in the Specifica-
tion of another Application for Letters Patent by me bearing even date herewith
and numbered 14994 (such arrangements being suitable for use in a press of the
type described in the Specifications of former Letters Patent granted to me,
No. 16704 of 1893 and No. 14664 of 1894) in which specification is described
the nature of my present invention as embodied in an improved construction and
arrangement of press for printing or embossing by means of female or intaglio
surfaces. Although specific clamping arrangements are referred to, it is obvious
that other arrangements may be provided with guards as described and that other
arrangements of guards than those described may be used with my clamping
arrangements.
Referring to the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a sectional view on the line A-A Fig. 4;
Fig. 2 is a side view thereof;
Fig. 3 is a similar view to Fig. 1, partly in section;
Fig. 4 is a plan thereof.
Fig. 5 is an end view (Fig. 4), certain parts being omitted.
Fig. 6 is a detail sectional plan; and
Fig. 7 represents to a smaller scale a die secured to its block by clamps pro-
vided with regulating guards in the act of being inked.
The die a is shown secured to a rectangular block b furnished with a square
shank adapted to slide vertically in a square opening at the end of a die arm
which is revolved over inking and wiping apparatus prior to printing, and the
said block may be held normally in contact with the underside of the arm by
suitable springs as indicated in Fig. 7. A dovetailed groove c extends hori-
zontally across the underside of the block and receives dovetailed projections e

page_text: and formed respectively on clamp jaws g and h operated by a right and left-
handed screw i held longitudinally by plates secured to the die block b.
An index platek, formed with a series of recesses / corresponding to the gradua-
tions of the index, is arranged to slide in a groove m formed in the die block at
right angles to the dovetailed grooves e and to be secured in the desired position
by a screw pin which enters any one of the recesses ; instead of recesses 7 the
plate may be formed with holes similarly disposed. The clamp jaws and h
automatically centre the die in one direction, and by pushing it against the end
of the index plate k previous to clamping, its correct position in the opposite
direction may be ensured. By simply loosening the screw i the die is freed; it
can be replaced and held as herein before described exactly in its previous posi-
tion, thus ensuring correct register.
Upon the clamp jaw g which is at the leading or forward edge of the die a,
I
provide adjustable guards o adapted to operate upon the inking roller of a spring
supported inking apparatus at the required time so as to depress the said inking
roller and only allow it to rise when the front edge of the die a has passed,
whereby the said front or leading edge of the die is prevented from becoming
charged with ink and from catching against and damaging the inking roller.
The guards are carried by the ends of the clamp jaw y which extend beyond
the die block b, each of said ends being formed with a rectangular opening p
in which one of the guards o is free to slide vertically, but is confined therein
by a plate secured to the end of the jaws. The guards are adjusted and sup-
ported by screws that extend into plain grooves s (Figs. 3 and 6)
in the wall of the openings P, endwise motion of each screw being
prevented by a semi-circular collar t, which is formed at the end of the
groove and enters an annular recess u beneath the screw head; the thread of
each screw engages a half-nut v formed in the side of the guard o. Each
guard is provided with a renewable wearing piece to with inclined forward edge,
as shown, and the guards are so adjusted that their horizontal under surfaces
are slightly above the face of the die, but that when in contact with discs .
(Fig. 7) carried by the inking roller spindle, said roller will be held below the
dic face. As soon as the guards clear the discs, springs y force the inking
roller up again, so that it comes in contact with the die just beyond its leading
edge and therefore no ink is delivered on the front edge of the die. The die now
travels over the inking roller, which is pressed against it by the said springs
and becomes charged with ink.
This distance from the edge of the die to the place where the inking roller
meets its face is regulated solely by the vertical adjustment of the guards o which
may be effected independently so as to suit varying positions of the inking
roller.
"
The rear clamp jaw is inclined as shown (Fig. 2) to prevent it making contact
with the inking roller after the die has passed the same.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. The combination with die clamping jaws of which the forward or leading
jaw is formed with lateral extensions of adjustable means carried by said
extensions for regulating contact between said die and the inking device of the
press, substantially as described.
2. The combination of a pair of die clamping jaws, means for causing them
to grip a die and vertically adjustable guards, substantially as described.
3. The combination of a die clamping jaw having lateral extensions each
formed with an opening, a vertically adjustable block or guard located in each
of said openings and means for adjusting said block or guard, substantially as
described.
4. The combination of a die clamping jaw having lateral extensions each

page_text: formed with an opening, a vertically adjustable block or guard located in each
ef said openings and formed with a renewable wearing surface and means for
adjusting said block or guard, substantially as described.
5. The combination of a die clamping jaw having lateral extensions each
formed with an opening, a vertically adjustable block or guard located in each
of said openings and formed with a renewable wearing surface and with a half
nut, a screw engaging in said half nut and means for preventing said screw
moving longitudinally, substantially as described.
6. The combination with a die block having a dovetail groove, of a pair of
clamp jaws each formed with projections fitting in said groove, means for causing
said clamp jaws to move towards and from each other, vertically adjustable blocks
or guards contained in openings formed in lateral extensions of the forward or
leading clamping jaw, and having renewable wearing surfaces and half nuts,
screws engaging in said half nuts and each formed with a recess into which a
part collar formed on the clamp jaw enters, substantially as described.
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Chartered Patent Agent.