IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO PRINTING MACHINERY
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Salmon, Mark Smith, and John Hamilton, all of
the City of Manchestor, in the County of Lancaster, Printers' Engineers,
for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO PRINTING
MACHINERY."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Salmon, Mark Smith,
and John Hamilton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
6th December 1881.
JAMES SALMON, MARK SMITH, and JOHN HAMILTON, all of the City of
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Printers Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN OR APPLICABLE TO PRINTING MACHINERY."
Firstly. Our Invention relates to an improved combination of mechanism, and to
modifications thereof for "taking off" the printed sheets from the "impression
cylinders" of that class of printing machines having reciprocating type beds or
plattens, and delivering such sheets printed side upwards on to a receiving table;
and our improvements are made upon that apparatus for the above named purpose
described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to Mark Smith, No. 643,
and dated the 16th day of February 1877, according to which Invention a
swinging frame is employed, oscillating from a stationary axis above the impression
cylinder which carries grippers, that in the forward oscillation pass over the centre
of the impression cylinder or thereabouts to open and to meet the edge of the paper
held by the grippers of the impression cylinder, and then begin the back oscillation
in the direction in which the impression cylinder is moving, and while so doing
the grippers upon the cylinder open and release the paper, and those on the
swinging frame close upon and grip, and then carry it over, and leave it upon the
receiving table.
By our improved combination and arrangement of mechanism we employ a
similar swing frame carrying grippers, but with shorter arms, or a modification of
it, which swing frame oscillates on an axis above its grippers; but instead of the
axis of the swing frame being stationary it is carried on the end of one or two
levers secured to an axis or shalt below, but some distance in front of the impression
Price 6d1

page_text: cylinder. This last named axis or shaft is oscillated to and fro by a crank or cam
and connecting rod from a shaft making one revolution for each impression
printed; and the swing gripper frame carried on the levers or arms is oscillated by
a toothed rack which gears with a toothed wheel on the axis of the swing gripper
frame, this toothed rack forming part of a rod, one end of which is jointed on a
stud in the framing, and thus as the carrying lever or levers oscillate an oscillating
movement is imparted to the swinging gripper frame.
Instead of a toothed rack a toothed segment is or may be used, jointed on a stud
on a projection from the lever, and gearing with the toothed wheel, and the rod
which at its lower end is jointed on a stud in the framing is also jointed with the
toothed segment. Instead of jointing the rod or toothed rack on a stud in the
fraining, it is or may be actuated by a fixed cam attached to the framing or lever,
or by a rotating cani which operates upon a bowl carried by the rod, or upon a lever
or levers connected with the rod.
For narrow machines we prefer, and our improved combination and arrangement
consists in carrying the axis of the swinging gripper frame on an arm or lever on
one side of the machine only, which leaves the other side clear for feeding the
printed sheets; but for wide machines we carry the axis of the swinging gripper
frame on a lever on each side of the machine, but in this case we prefer and our
Invention consists in curving this extra lever to a sickle shape to give clear space
to feed the sheets. Our improved combination of mechanism is arranged so that
the grippers will pass over the centre of the impression cylinder or thereabouts and
take the sheet from the grippers of that cylinder, while the cylinder and grippers
of the swing frame are moving together in the same direction.
The weights of the oscillating frames are counter-balanced to obtain smooth
working.
Secondly. Our Invention refers to lithographic printing machines, and consists in
combining and arranging with such machines the improved mechanisin hereinbefore
described in a modified form to take the printed sheets from the grippers or
modified grippers of the impression cylinder of a lithographic machine, the axis of
the levers which carry the axis of the swinging gripper frame being in this case
placed below the table for the stone or surface being printed from. But as the
sheets are fed to the grippers of the impression cylinders in a different position to
what they are in a type printing machine, no special arrangement of the levers is
required to give.clear space for feeding the sheets to the machine.
We arrange the taking off grippers to take the sheet from the grippers of the
impression cylinder when the latter comes to rest; or we sometimes, according to
this part of our Invention, take the sheets from the grippers of the impression
cylinder when they are in motion at or about the top of the cylinder; and to
facilitate this we hinge the feeding board at the back edge so that it can be lifted
at its front edge by cam action to allow the grippers free space to pass under to
take the sheet, the board being lowered again when the grippers have passed clear
und the sheet is to be fed.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Salmon, Mark Smith, and John Hamilton in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 1st June 1882.
JAMES SALMON, MARK SMIтп, and JoпN HAMILTON, all of the City of
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Printers Enginoers. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN OR APPLICABLE TO PRINTING MACHINERY."
Firstly. Our Invention relates to an improved combination of mechanism and to
modifications thereof for taking off the printed sheets from the impression cylinders
of that class of printing machines having reciprocating type beds or plattens, and
delivering such sheets printed side upwards on to a receiving table, and our
improvements are made upon that apparatus for the above named purpose, described
in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to Mark Smith, No. 643, and dated
the 16th day of February 1877, according to which Invention a swinging frame is
employed oscillating upon a stationary axis above the impression cylinder, which
swinging frame carries grippers that in the forward oscillation pass over the centre
of the impression cylinder or thereabouts to open and to meet the edge of the paper
held by the grippers of the impression cylinder, and then begin the back oscillation
in the direction in which the impression cylinder is moving, and while so doing tho
grippers upon the cylinder open and release the paper, and those on the swinging
frame close upon and grip and then carry it over and leave it upon the receiving
table.
By our improved combination and arrangement of mechanism we employ a
similar swing frame carrying grippers, but with shorter arms, or a modification of
it, which swing frame oscillates on an axis above its grippers, but instead of tho
axis of the swing frame being stationary it is carried on the end of one or two
levers secured to an axis or shaft below, but some distance in front of the impression
cylinder. This last named axis or shaft is oscillated to and fro by a crank or cam
and connecting rod from a shaft making one revolution for each impression printed,
and the swing gripper frame carried on the lovers or arms is oscillated by a toothed
rack which gears with a toothed wheel on the axis of the swing gripper frame, this
toothed rack forming part of a rod, one end of which is jointed on a stud in the
framing, and thus as the carrying lever or levers oscillate, an oscillating movement
is imparted to the swing gripper frame. Instead of a toothed rack a toothed
segment is or may be used jointed on a stud on a projection from the lever, or on.
a stud in the lever itself, and gearing with the toothed wheel and the rod, which"
at its lower end is jointed on a stud in the framing is also jointed with the toothed
segment.
For narrow machines we prefer, and our improved combination and arrange-
ment consists in carrying the axis of the swinging gripper frame on an arm or lever
on one side only of the machine, which leaves the other side clear for feeding the
printed sheets, but for wide machines we carry the axis of the swinging gripper
frame on a lever on each side of the machine, but in this case we prefer, and our
Invention consists in curving this extra lever to a sickle shape to give clear space
on one side of the machine to feed the sheets. Our improved combination of
mechanism is arranged so that the grippers will pass over the centre of the
impression cylinder or thereabouts, and take the sheet from the grippers of that
cylinder while the cylinder and grippers of the swing frame are moving together in
the same direction.
The weights of the oscillating frames are counter-balanced to obtain smooth
working.

page_text: Secondly. Our Invention refers to lithographic printing machines, and consists
in combining and arranging with such machines the improved mechanism herein-
before described in a modified form to take the printed sheets from the grippers or
modified grippers of the impression cylinder of a lithographic machine, the axis of
the levers which carry the axis of the swing gripper frame being in this case placed
in any convenient position above or below the table for the stone or surface
being printed from; but as the sheets are fed to the grippers of the impression
cylinder in a different position to what they are in a type printing machine, no
special arrangement of the levers is required to give clear space for feeding the
sheets to the machine.
We arrange the taking off grippers to take the sheet from the grippers of the
impression cylinder when the latter comes to rest; or wo sometimes, as we prefer
according to this part of our Invention, take the sheet from the grippers of the
impression cylinder when the are in motion at or about the top of the cylinder;
and to facilitate this we in some cases hinge the feeding board at the back edge, BO
that it can be lifted at its front edge by cam action to allow the grippers free space
to pass under to take the sheet, the board being lowered again when the grippers
have passed clear and the sheet is to be fed; or we arrange the board or the plate
at the lower end of it in slides, and give motion to it by cam action, or we cut
spaces in the metal plate at the bottom of the feeding board to allow the taking off
grippers to pass clear..
Fig. 1 is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 a plan illustrating the application of our
improvements, according to the first part of our Invention, to a letter press printing
machine.
a, part of the side framing of the machine.
b, the ordinary feeding board; c, the ordinary impression cylinder; and c¹,
ordinary grippers upon it.
d is a shaft extending across between the side frames, and having bearings
thereon.
d', the upper arm of a two armed lever secured upon the end of the shaft & at
one side of the machine.
The upper arm d' is cranked over, as shown, and has a long boss d² at its upper
end bored out to form the bearing of a shaft d³, which shaft has a boss part <*
secured upon it that carries an arm d³, to which the frame do is bolted that carries
the gripping mechanism, which is the same as that well known and employed in
the taking off" mechanism known as "Mark Smith's Patent Taking Off
Mechanisın," and the grippers of this mechanism are opened and closed and worked
as in the said Mark Smith's said patented Invention.
On the outside end of the shaft d³ a toothed spur wheel d' is secured, which
gears with a toothed rack on the end of a rod d³ that is guided in its movements
and kept in gear with the spur wheel by a part dº connected with and attached to
the end of the arm d'.
The lower end of the rod d is screwed, and has screw nuts upon it, by which it
can be adjusted and secured to an eye holt d* near the axis of the shaft d, which
eye bolt can swivel on its axis to the motion of the ari d¹.
The lower arm d¹º of the lever is jointed with one end of a rod d", the other
end of which is jointed upon a crank pin on the end of any convenient shaft of the
machine, making one revolution for each impression.
The joint stud in the arm d¹0 is adjustable in the arm by set screws, as
shown.
On the shaft & there is an arm to carry a counter balance weight.
e is the table on which the printed sheets are laid by the oscillating grippers,
and e' is a stand or bracket on one side of the receiving table e, against which the
bowl on the arm of the taking off gripper shaft comes when the grippers are to
release their hold of the sheet.
The oscillating arms or frames d' and do are shown in dotted line in the position
when releasing the sheet, and they are also shown in dotted line at the other

page_text: extreme of their movement, from which position the taking off grippers move with
the grippers of the impression cylinder until they arrive in the position shown in
full line, where they have taken the printed sheet from the grippers of the
impression cylinder.
Fig. 4 is a detached view, and illustrates a toothed segment dis on a stud in a
projection from the end of the arm d', which segment is in gear with the wheel a',
and it is jointed with one upper end of the rod d³.
This Figure also shows in peculiar dotted line that the segment may be also
placed on a stud in the arm of the lever d'.
That modification of our Invention illustrated by Figs. 1 and 2 leaves one side
the machine open and clear to feed the sheets to be printed.
For wide machines two side arins are used, one at each end of the shaft d, and
the shaft for the taking off gripper frame extends between the two side arms.
This modification is illustrated by Fig. 3, where a is the side frame of the
machine; b, the feeding table; c, the impression cylinder; e, the receiving table;
d, the shaft extending between the side frames; d, the arm secured on the shaft d
on one side; and d", a sickle shaped arm secured on the shaft d on the feeding side
of the machine.
The shaft has bearings in the ends of the two arms d'and ', and the
shaft d³ has secured upon it the arms de carrying the grippers.
Fig. 5 is an outside elevation, and Fig. 6 a plan view, illustrating the application
of our Invention to the taking off printed sheets from a lithographic machine.
a, side frame of the machine; c, impression cylinder; f, the stone from which
the impressions are taken; f', the inking rollers; b, the feeding table, which at
its lower end near the impression cylinder has a thin plate of metal b' attached
to it.
d is a shaft extending across the machine, and having suitable bearings on the
side frames.
This shaft is just above the level of the face of the stone f, from which the
impressions are taken.
The shaft d has an arın d' secured upon each end, and there is a shaft d³
extending between and having bearings in the ends of the arms d', and upon the
shaft d³ there are arms do, which carry the taking off gripper mechanisin, which is
similar to that hereinbefore referred to.
On one end of the shaft there is an arm d' secured, that is jointed to one end
of a rod , the other end of which is secured by adjustable screw nuts in an eye
bolt d that can swivel in bearings on the side of the stand for the feeding table.
The shaft & has an arm do, which is jointed to one end of a rod d", the other
end of which is jointed with a lever (not shown) on a stud in the side of the
framing, and this lever carries a stud for a bowl that works in a double acting or
box or other cam or coms on the end of any convenient shaft making one revolution
for each impression.
This cam is shaped and arranged to give movement to the oscillating taking off
gripper frame de to bring the grippers over the impression cylinder c to the position
shown in dotted line, and then move with the grippers of the cylinder while the
edge of the sheet is transferred from the grippers of the impression to those of the
taking off frame, which then moves by the action of the cam quickly away,
taking the sheet with it over the receiving table e, when the sheet is released and
left there.
The taking off grippers are opened when taking and delivering, as when used for
taking off from letter press printing machines.
We form the thin metal plate 6' at the bottom of the feeding table with slots in
some cases to give space for the taking off grippers to pass sufficiently over the
cylinder c, and in some cases form the fixed part of the grippers, against which
each gripper pinches on a projection from a cross bar, so as to pass through the
slots in the thin plate b¹.
This arrangement of grippers is illustrated by Fig. 7, a side, and Fig. 8 a front

page_text: elevation, where g is the gripper shaft; g', a rod that carries projections gª against
which the gripper finger g³ pinches.
In some cases we hinge the feeding board b at its upper end (b), and arrange a
lever or arm from it to be jointed with a rod or rods, and actuated by a cam
making one revolution for each impression, to lift the lower end of the hinged
.feeding board to give space for the gripping mechanism, and then lower it again
into the feeding position ready to feed the sheet.
Or we arrange the feeding board b, or part of it, to slide up and down in its
inclined position to and from the impression cylinder, and then arrange a shaft in
suitable bearings across the machine, with two arms upon it connected with the
sliding feeding board, so that by oscillating this shaft by an arm, rod, and cam,
the two arms on the shaft will give up and down movement to the feeding board
to take it away when the taking off grippers come forward, and bring it back when
the sheet is to be fed to the grippers of the impression cylinder.
In some cases the shaft dis or may be placed in bearings at the lower part of
the framing of the machine, and the arms a will then extend from the fulcrum
shaft d; the shaft d³ and the rod d" will be connected with one of the arms d¹
between the fulcrum shaft d and the shaft d³, or will be connected to a separate
arm on the shaft d.
In some cases the shaft d, Figs. 5 and 6, is dispensed with, and a stud is used on
each side of the frame a.to carry the fulcrum of each lever d', and a shaft is then
placed in any convenient position, where it will be out of the way of other
mechanism, in suitable bearings across the machine, and this shaft has two arms
upon it, one on each side of the machine, so that each is or may be connected by a
rod with its corresponding arın d', and the shaft with the two arins is oscillated by
a cam and levers and rod, same as the shaft d, Figs. 5 and 6, is oscillated.
We have now particularly described the nature of our said Invention, and the
modes of carrying it into effect, and claim as our Invention,-
Firstly. The combination and arrangement of mechanism for taking off printed
sheets from the grippers of letter press printing machines where the gripper
mechanism is carried on an arm on one side of the machine, substantially as
herein before described and illustrated by Figs. 1 and 2 of the Drawings.
Secondly. The combination and arrangement of taking off mechanism for letter
press printing machines when the, gripper mechanism is carried on two arms, and
also when one of the arms is of the sickle form, substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated by Fig. 3 of the Drawings.
Thirdly. The combination and arrangement of taking off mechanism with
lithographic printing machines, where the frame on arms carrying the gripping
mechanism oscillates, and is carried on oscillating arms, substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated by Figs. 5 and 6 of the Drawings.
Fourthly. The forming of the thin plate (b') of the feeding board (b) with slots
to admit the grippers, and the arrangement of the feeding board b to lift on a
hinge or joint, or to be slided up and down by cam action to give space for the
taking off grippers, substantially as herein before described.
In witness whereof, we, the said James Salmon, Mark Smith, and John
Hamilton, have hereunto set our hand and seals, this Thirtieth day of
May, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty