IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING MACHINES
Year: 1884

page_text: I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47 Lincolns Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PRINTING MACHINES" which Invention has been communicated to me from abroad
by R. Hoe and Company of the City County and State of New York in the United
States of America, Printing Machine Manufacturers, to be as follows:-
This Invention has reference to the class of Machinery described in the Specifi-
cation of Letters Patent N° 1127 dated 27th March 1875 and consists of mechanism
for printing 4 or 6 page papers from type or stereotype plates or a mixture of both.
The printing is effect on both sides of a continuous web of paper which is first
conducted to the printing cylinder to be printed upon, and then to cutting and
folding mechanism in the manner hereinafter described. The inking surface of the
printing cylinder must occupy only one half of its circumference in order that there
may be room to place either two or three formes as required round the cylinder.
Impression cylinders and carrier cylinders are suitably arranged round the printing
cylinders to effect the printing and also a reversing or web turning apparatas
and cylinders for severing the web dongitudinally and transversely are suitably
arranged.
To print & four page paper the web which must be broad enough to have two
pages abreast printed thereon is conducted first between one of the impression
cylinders and the printing cylinder then round one of the carrier cylinders and
then passes between another impression cylinder and the printing cylinder, thence
round another carrier cylinder to between a third impression cylinder and the
printing cylinder, the web being thus printed on one side. The web is then
conducted by a suitable roller or guiding surface to a turning or reversing
apparatus so as to prevent the reverse side of the web to the printing cylinder
and after passing through turning apparatus it is conducted to a similar set of
3 impression cylinders and 2 carrier cylinders arranged on the opposite side of the
printing cylinder to receive impressions on the reverse side. The web being thus
printed on both sides is severed longitudinally along its contre by passing between
.

page_text: a pair of cutting cylinders and then transversely into sheets by another pair of
cutting cylinders suitably arranged for the purpose. The severed sheets or pieces
of the web of four pages each then pass in two streams between tapes carried on
two pairs of rollers, one roller of each pair of rollers being caused to oscillate so as
to conduct each alternate sheet to between two separate sets of conducting tapes
which conduct the sheets to between turning bars arranged at an angle of 45° to
the printing cylinder and by which the sheets are turned and thence conducted in
three distinct channels or pathways by guiding or conducting tapes suitably
arranged to between a pair of delivery rollers and thence to the folding
mechanism.
To print 6 page paper the webs is the same width as for a 4 page paper but 3
instead of 2 formes must be placed around the printing cylinder and must be
suitably arranged to print the pages in their required order--Only four instead of
six impression cylinders are required to print the web continuously on both sides.
The oscillations of the rollers hereinbefore described must be suitably timed to
conduct the sheets (which will be longer than the 4 page sheets) into the required
channels to the folding mechanism.

page_text: DE MULTIVATION,
I JOHN HENRY JOHNSON of 47 Lincoln's Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PRINTING MACHINES" which Invention has been communicated to me from abroad
by R. Hoe & Company of the City County and State of New York in the United
States of America Printing Machine Manufacturers 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 the class of machinery described in the
Specification of Let'ers Patent No 1127 dated 27th March 1875 and consists of
mechanism for printing two, four or six page papers from type or sterotype plates
or a mixture of both. The printing is effected on both sides of a continuous web of
paper which is first conducted to the printing cylinder to be printed upon and then
to cutting and folding mechanism in the manner hereinafter described. The inking
surface of the printing or forme bearing cylinder must occupy only one half of its
circumference in order that there may be room to place either two or three formes
as required round the cylinder. Impression cylinders and carrier cylinders are
suitably arranged round the printing cylinders to effect the printing and also a
reversing or web turning apparatus, and cylinders for severing the web longitudinally
and transversely are suitably arranged. To print a four page paper the web which
must be broad enough to have two pages abreast printed thereon is conducted first
between one of the impression cylinders and the printing cylinder then round one
of the carrier cylinders and then passes between another impression cylinder and
the printing cylinder thence round another carrier cylinder to between a third
impression cylinder and the printing cylinder the web being thus printed on one
side. The web is then conducted by a suitable roller or guiding surface to a turning
or reversing apparatus so as to present the reverse side of the web to the printing
cylinder, and after passing through turning apparatus it is conducted to a similar
set of three impression cylinders and two Carrier cylinders arranged on the opposite
side of the printing cylinder to receive impressions on the reverse side. The web
being thus printed on both sides is severed longitudinally along its centre by passing
between a pair of cutting cylinders and then transversely into sheets by another
pair of cutting cylinders suitably arranged for the purpose. The severed sheets or
pieces of the web of four pages each, then pass in two streams between tapes
carried on two pairs of rollers, one roller of each pair of rollers being caused to
oscillate, so as to conduct each alternate sheet to between two separate sets of
conducting tapes, which conduct the sheets to between turning bars arranged at an
angle of 45° to the printing cylinder, by which turning bars the sheets are turned
and they are thence conducted in three distinct channels or pathways by guiding or
conducting tapes suitably arranged to between a pair of delivery rollers, and thence
to the folding mechanism.
To print a six page paper the web is the same width as for a four page paper
but three instead of two formes must be placed round the printing cylinder and
must be suitably arranged to print the pages in their required order. Only four

page_text: instead of six impression cylinders are required to print the web continuously on
both sides. The oscillations of the rollers hereinbefore described must be suitably
timed to conduct the sheets (which will be longer than the four page sheets) into
the requisite channels to the folding mechanism.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to
the several figures on the annexed sheets of drawings.
Figure 1 represents diagrammatically a side view of a machine constructed
according to this Invention (up to and including the cutting cylinders) when
arranged for printing a four page paper; Figure 2 a side view thereof when
arranged to print a six page paper and containing a reduced view of the apparatus
for bringing the web into four page form, Figure 3 is a plan view corresponding
to figure 1. Figures 4, 5 and 6 are a side view, plan view, and end view respectively
of the said apparatus on a larger scale; and Figures 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 illustrate
the order of the pages on the web in the cases to which they refer.
I will first describe the course of the web and the mechanism up to and including
the cutting cylinders. R is the printing or forme bearing cylinder, the inking
surface on which must occupy only one half of the circumference of the cylinder in
order that there may be room to place three formes round the cylinder, as in
figure 2. The inking and distributing rollers are supposed to oscillate in the
usual manner, no mechanism for that purpose being shown since it may be effected
in any usual way. No adjustment of these oscillations will be necessary for printing
different numbers of pages but of course the supply of ink must be suitably
regulated. B D'F' K' M' Q' are impression cylinders C'E' E¹ GG L'L' N'N' are
carrier cylinders; D¹ is the reversing apparatus; F¹ the cylinders for longitudinally
severing the web along its central line; and R¹. S₁ the cylinders for transversely
reversing the said web; S¹ being the slotted cylinder with two equidistant slots a¹
therein, and its circumference equalling the breadth of a four page paper (measured
in the direction of its motion) and R₁ the cutting cylinder capable of carrying six
equidistant knives a³ and with circumference equal to three times the breadth of a
four page paper.
To print a four page paper the web A must be broad enough to have two pages
abreast printed thereon. It is then conducted (see Figure 1) round the cylinders B'
C D E F and gets printed on one side; thence round G to the reversing
apparatus D¹, and from there round the cylinders G' K' L' M' N' Q' and printed
on the opposite side. The web being now printed on both sides it is longitudinally
severed down the centre by passing between the cutting cylinders F1 and is
afterwards transversely cut by the cutting cylinders R¹ and S¹. When a four page
paper is being printed the cylinder R¹ must carry three equidistant knives and the
web will pass between the rollers T U figures 2 and 4 in two streams of four page
papers as indicated by figure 7 the dotted lines denoting the lines of severance.
To print a two page paper the web A must be half the breadth it was before.
Its course to the rollers T U will be similar to the case of a four page paper and no
adjustments will be required further than the due regulation of the supply of ink
(which of course will be only needed half across the machine); the adjustment of
the reversing device and distance of travel as hereinafter stated, the removal of the
circular knife from the cylinders F¹, and the placing of six instead of threo
equidistant knives in the cylinder R¹. The web will then pass between T U as
shewn in figure 8 the dotted lines indicating (as in figure 7) the lines of severance
of the web.
To print a six page paper the roll A is of the same breadth as for a four page
paper, but instead of two formes there must be placed three formes b round the
printing cylinder (see figure 2.) Since one half instead of one third of the cylinder
is now occupied by formes only four instead of six impression cylinders are required
to print the web continuously on both sides; and its distance of travel between
successive impression cylinders must be greater than before. The impression
cylinders B7 Q7 are therefore somewhat raised so that they do not touch the formes

page_text: on the printing cylinder, and the composition rollers in connection therewith are
removed. Longitudinal cutting is the same as for a four page paper and the
cylinder R¹ must now carry four knives a³ which are placed at intervals, such that
two of the parts into which they divide the cylinder R' are each equal to the
breadth of a four page paper, and two of them each equal to half the said breadth
as indicated in figure 2.
The web A may pass round the cylinders B and C to the impression cylinder D'
(precisely as it did for a four page paper since the cylinder B7 no longer prints) or
it may pass to the cylinder D7 direct as shewn in Figure 2. It then passes round
the cylinders E¹ E7 to F7; thence round G* to the reverser D₁; thence round the
cylinders Go to K7%; from there round the cylinders L7 L' to M7; and from M7 it
may pass round the cylinders N' and Q7 to the cutting cylinders F1 F1 (precisely
as for a four page paper since the cylinder Q7 no longer prints), or it may pass
round N¹ to F¹ as shown in Figure 2. The web being thus printed on both sides
next passes between the cutting cylinders R' S' and thence between the cylinders TU
issuing as shewn in Figure 9, the dotted lines indicating as before the lines of
severance.
Of course if preferred the impression cylinders D7 or F7 may be raised instead of
the cylinders B; and the cylinder K' or M' instead of the cylinder Q7, the travel
of the web being adapted accordingly. And instead of the cylinder R¹ a cylinder
'carrying only one knife and whose circumference equals half the breadth of a four
page paper may be used, provided suitable movement be given to the knife.
Indeed it is obvious that the transverse cutting mechanism may be varied indefi-
nitely. And it is clear that the circumference of the cylinder R may be any even
multiple of the breadth of three formes, a corresponding number of impression
cylinders of course being required.
I will now describe the mechanism to the left of the rollers T U figure 2 which
is shewn on a larger scale in figures 4, 5 and 6.
The rollers V and T are connected by tapes as are also the rollers W and U.
There is a slight interval between V and W while T U touch one another so as to
grip the web as it passes between them. V and W are caused to oscillate in a
circular are so that they are at one time opposite the pair of rollers c d (as in
figure 4) and at another time opposite the pair of rollers a b. The rollers a & b
touch one another as do also the rollers c and d. The centres of the rollers a b c d
lie in the arc of a circle which is concentric with that in which the rollers V and W
oscillate. The oscillations of the rollers V and W must be different (as hereinafter
explained) according as a two, a four, or a six page paper is being printed, no
means of effecting these oscillations is shewn, as such devices are old, and well
known. In fact instead of the oscillating rollers a switch or switches or any other
suitable device may be used which will divert a stream into two paths an old and
well known result in printing machinery. mn n¹ c¹ d¹ are rollers whose axes are
parallel to those of the rollers a b c. On the rollers d' c¹ are loose pullies c³ d²;
those on c¹ being connected by tapes i with c; and those on d similarly connected
by tapes with d. ds are guards in connection with the rollers c¹ d¹ respectively.
The loose pullies on the shafts of the rollers c¹ d¹ are slightly less in diameter than
the rollers themselves. The rollers c¹ rotates in the contrary direction to that in
which the tapes i which connect c and the loose pullies on c*; and the guard is
to prevent the sheets from coming in contact with the roller c¹. Similar remarks
apply to the roller d and the guard d³ therewith connected. For the sake of
clearness some of the rollers are in the drawing placed farther apart than they
would be in practice and some details are omitted. Thus the rollers n and n¹
should touch one another and n be much closer to c¹ than is shewn. Similarly the
roller m should be much closer to the roller d' and both much nearer to the tapers
connecting cc, so that there should be but a very small interval between the
guard d and the lower sides of the said tapes. And the guards should be
very thin and smooth and be as close as possible to their roller. But all these
things are well understood by those skilled in the art as the devices just described

page_text: are old and well known. f and h are turning bars parallel to one another, and
inclined at an angle of 45° to the axis of the printing cylinder. p and q are similar
parallel bars at right angles to the other two bars fand h and also inclined at an
angle of 45° to the axis of the printing cylinder. gg are two rollers whose axes
are at right angles to the axis of the printing cylinder; the upper surface of one
of the cylinders, g being flush with the upper surface of the turning bar f and
the under surface of the other cylinder g flush with the under surface of the
turning bar h.-k and are rollers round which tapes pass. o s u v w are rollers
for returning the tapes, their axes being parallel to that of the printing cylinder,
and r¹ p² p³ t¹ t³ ³ u¹³ ³ are guide pullies for returning the tapes, their axes
being all parallel to one another and perpendicular to the axis of the printing
cylinder.
The course of the various sets of tapes may now be easily traced. One set
(marked i) connect c with loose pullies on c³ and another (marked ₁) connect d with
those on d' as before explained. Each of these sets should consist of the same
number of tapes, and they should run a tape of one set on a tape of the other in
pairs as indicated in Figure 5. Similarly the sets connecting the cylinders T and V
and U and W should run one of one set on another of the other set in pairs. A set
of tapes passes round the roller a and another round the roller b. These two sets
should also be the same in number and run in pairs as before explained. Each set
may consist of any convenient number; six are shewn in the drawings but a larger
number would be better in practice, care of course being taken to fix them so as
not to conflict with the sets i and j. The course of the tapes round a (and similarly
of those round b) differs for the opposite halves of the roller. Consider first those
which lie on the side towards the rollers g. Let a tape start at x go round a,
thence round the turning bars pq; and from there to the roller n, its end being
indicated by the letter ¹. Its future course will depend on the after folding and
delivery mechanism and therefore I have not shewn it joined to the other end x,
but of course it must be ultimately returned by guide pulleys or other suitable
means to the other end x.
A tape, starting round b (on its side towards the rollers g) goes round the turning
bars p and q, thence round the roller c¹; thence round the roller w; thence round
the guide pullies u¹ (or u³, or u³ as the case may be); and thence round the
rollers uv thus returning to the roller b from which I supposed it to start.
Now consider the tapes which run on a and b on the other side (i e) on the side
towards the rollers 8. A tape starting from a, passes round the turning bar f, thence
round the rollers g, thence round the turning bar h, thence round the rollers k l d¹ o,
thence round the guide pullies (or or as the case may be) thence round the
rollers 8 thence round the guide pullies t¹ (or t2 or t³ as the case may be) and from
there returns to the roller a whence it is supposed to start.
A tape starting at y, goes round b then round the turning bar f, thence round
the rollers g, thence round the turning bar h, and from there round the rollers k b m
to the roller n¹, its end being indicated by the letter y¹. Its future course will
depend on the after folding and delivery mechanism, and therefore it is not shewn
joined to the other end, but of course it must be ultimately returned by guide
pullies or other suitable means to the other end y.
It will be seen that the sets of tapes, described form three distinct channels or
pathways. A stream of papers passed between the rollers c and d will be con-
ducted in a direct line to between n and n¹. A stream of papers passed between
the rollers a and b on the side towards g goes round the turning bars p q and thence
between the rollers n and n¹ but on the opposite side of the machine to that from
which it started (i e on the side towards 8) and the said stream will pass between
the rollers n and n' on the top of the stream coming from between the rollers c and d.
A stream of papers passed between the rollers a and b on the side towards & goes
round the turning bar f, thence round the rollers g; thence round the turning bar h
and from there round the rollers k l m to between the rollers n and n¹, but on
the opposite side of the machine to that from which it started (i e) on the side

page_text: towards g). And the said stream will pass between the rollers n and n' under-
neath the stream coming from between the rollers c and d. The length of the two
pathways froin between a and b to between n and n¹ need not be the same, but each
of them must exceed the length of the pathway from between c and d to between
n and n¹ by once or four times or seven times or so on times the breadth of a
page.
The course of the webs in each case can now be understood.
For printing a four page paper the formes should be placed on the printing
cylinder so that the web issues printed on as in figure 7. No oscillation of the
rollers V W is required except for the purpose of breaking the web if as is usual it
has not been completely severed by the knives carried by the cylinder R¹. (It is
usual and advisable to connect the cylinders T and R¹ by fine tapes and also the
cylinders U and S₁ so that the web may surely enter betwen T and U. The knives
in R¹ must then have small breaks in them to admit the free passage of the said
tapes). If the rollers V W oscillate for the above purpose the oscillation must be
arranged so that the stream of papers constantly passes between the rollers c and d.
The stream will thus pass between the rollers n and n¹ in precisely the same form
that it enters between c and d, that is as shewn in Figure 7 and it must now be
conducted to any suitable folding apparatus which gives the first fold perpendicularly.
to the direction of motion.
For a two page paper, a half breadth roll should be placed in the machine on
either side (say for example towards g) one of the turning bars in the reverser D¹
should be adjusted so that the web may not undergo any lateral transfer; and the
distance of travel of the web from F to K' should be suitably fixed. Then tho
web being on the side towards g the oscillation of the rollers V W should be
timed so that all those divisions or pages marked Center between a and b and all
those marked C' between c and d (see figure 8). The stream will thus pass
between n and n¹ in the state indicated by figure 10. And it may be folded by
the same mechanism as is the four page paper by suitably conducting it to the
devices for giving the second fold since the stream is in the same state as is the
four page stream after it has received its first fold. To print a six page paper the
formes must be arranged on the printing cylinder so that the web is printed on as
indicated by figure 9 and the oscillations of V. W timed so that all those pages
marked A B¹ are delivered between the rollers c and d and all those marked A* B*
between a and b. Thus those marked A* go underneath those marked B¹ and those
marked B go on top of those marked A¹ so that the stream passes between the
rollers n and n¹ in the state indicated by figure 11. This stream may therefore
be folded by the same mechanism which folds the four page stream (figure 7)
provided the periodical times of imparting the folds are slowed in proportion to the
longer time between successive sheets. Or instead the motion of the stream
(figure 11) may be slowed by any usual device so that the stream becomes a
continuous one, and the speed of the whole folding mechanism relatively to the
other mechanism slowed in the samo proportion.
It will be observed that the half webs are transferred laterally without being
reversed and any other suitable devices may be employed for the purpose instead
of those here shown. It is also evident that mechanism which reverses as well as
transfers may be used instead if preferred; the formes being placed on the printing
cylinder so that the web shall issue printed on as indicated in figure 9 except that
pages 3 and 4 are interchanged.
And, indeed, by choosing different folding mechanisms the ways of bringing the
six page papers into four page forme may be very much varied.
If it is not required to print a two page paper or if the two page paper is
delivered open or folded by separate mechanism or if the four page folding
mechanism is capable of operating on a stream such as in figure 8 then the
transferring mechanism may be dispensed with. For if pages 3 and 4 (figure 9)
be turned round or interchanged those marked A' may be brought on to those
marked A'; and B* under B¹,

page_text: When the length of the formes is not too great for three abreast to be placed
on the printing cylinder it is better to thus arrange them than in the way just
described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and the manner in which the same is to be performed I declare that
what I claim is.
First: The combination in a printing machine of a printing or forme bearing
cylinder (adapted to receive six formes, two abreast, the columns lying parallel to
its axis and not occupying its whole surface) and impression and carrier cylinders,
with mechanism for reversing the sides of the web, mechanism for longitudinally
severing or slitting the web along its central line; and mechanism for transversely
cutting or severing it into sheets of unequal breadth (measured in the direction of
their motion) all substantially as described.
Second-The combination with printing mechanism whereby a web is perfected,
slitting or severing mechanism for dividing the web longitudinally into two webs
and transversely cutting or severing both of said webs into sheets of unequal
breadth mechanism for moving forward side by side the larger sheets and deflecting
devices whereby the smaller sheets are transferred laterally and associated with the
larger sheets substantially as herein before described.
Third: The combination with printing mechanism operating to perfect a web, of
mechanism for severing the web into alternately large and small sheets, and means
for associating the small with the large sheets substantially as described.
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