US2167022A - Printing press - Google Patents

Description

R NA .July 25, 1939. c. w. BRENN ET AL PRINTING PRESS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fuel, v

N wnw INVENTORJ-' s @1127 BY 0 .A.

ITORNEY Filed April 22,- 1936 July 25, 1939- c. w. BRENN ET AL PRINTING PRESS Filed April 22, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVE GJKBre mz 01.4.

T ORNE Y July 25, 1939. c. w. BRENN ET AL PRINTING PRESS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 22, 1936 Tia July 25, 1939. c. w. BRENN ET AL PRINTING PRESS Filed April 22, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORS 6, 7/115; '6 6 Patented July 25, 1939 PRINTING PRESS Carl W. Brenn, Montclair, N. J., and Charles A. Meisel, Boston, Mass.

Application April 22,

24 Claims.

This invention relates to printing presses, and particularly to presses for printing on continuous strips.

'From time to time there has existed the need of a printing press for producing printed continuous strips with a large number of different printed forms. The required number has been so large, considering the length of each form, that to build any known press to produce the strip would be impractical because the size of the bed or the diameter of the cylinder would be so large that it could not be made or operated, and, besides, its cost could be prohibitive. The problem could not be solved by using a number of cylinder or other press units to act on the web seriatim or otherwise, because of the excessive cost, and because of the extensive space which would be required and the long time which would be required to makeready.

The desire for long continuous strips with many different forms or areas of printing has long existed, but, at the time of the inception of this invention, it was desired to print strips upwards of a thousand feet in lengththree thousand six hundred feet in one instance-with every foot of the strip containing different printing matter or form setup. There was no such product prior to this invention, nor was there any printing press capable of producing it.

An object of this invention is to supply this long felt want and produce long continuous strips having almost an infinite variety of different forms throughout its length.

Another object of this invention is to provide a press which will economically produce such long continuous printed strips, and which itself may be made at a cost which is not excessive and which will be of such size as to be practical.

In the broader aspects of this invention, the variety or number of different forms may be anything desired, starting With the greatest number of different forms which it is practical to print on a continuous strip with existing equipment, and ranging into the thousands. But, if desired, the number and variety may be less than the length of the continuous strip desired measured in form-length units, and the different forms may repeatedly appear on the same strip at different places thereon, if desired. For instance, if the strip is say three thousand feet long and each form-length a foot long, there may be, according to the present invention, three thousand different forms of one foot each printed on the strip; but, if desired, there may be but fifteen hundred forms, and after these have been printed once on 1936, Serial No. 75,734

a strip, they may be caused to print again-on the same strip. Likewise, if there are to be only five hundred different forms, them may be caused to be printed six times on each strip of three thousand feet long.

Again, if desired, according to the present invention, portions of the strip may be left unprinted, either at the beginning of the strip or at the end of the strip, or at intermediate points, for the present invention provides means for silencing '10 the printing mechanism and permitting the feeding mechanism to continue. If desired, the strip may have throughout its length, alternate printed and non-printed areas, and these may be of the same length or varying lengths.

In brief, the strip may be printed throughout its length with a non-recurring or recurring variety of different forms, and it may be left blank wherever desired or over whatever extent desired.

One of the features of this invention is the provision of double-faced printing chases, one side of which is employed to make impressions on the strip during one trip of the printing plates through the press, and the other side of which is 25 employed to make impressions on the strip during-another trip through the press. In this Way, only half the number of chases is needed for the total number of different subjects.

Another feature of this invention is the provision of a plurality of printing units in spaced relation on the press, and means for passing the printing plates from one printing unit to another. In the preferred form of this invention, each printing unit has provision for supporting a roll of paper, impressing the strip thereof against the printing plates and rewinding the printed strip in a roll. As so constituted, the press of the present invention simultaneously prints a plurality of long continuous strips for each trip which the plates make through the printing units.

All of the printing units may, if desired, be started out with a supply roll containing the same quantity of paper, but, inv this event, the entire press would be kept idle until all of the strips are threaded through their respective units and started on the rewind.

Preferably, in getting the press ready to start, the printing units are brought into operation one after another as the first plate of the series advances so that each roll will start out with the same printed form and each printed form will have the same position on each roll. To permit this to be'done, and for other purposes hereinafter referred to, each inking mechanism and '55 each impression roller may be separately made operative and inoperative with relation to the drive shaft.

However, if desired, the units may be started out with unequal quantities of supply paper, so that the supply rolls would become exhausted and require replenishment at different times, and thus permit the press to be attended to by a minimum number of operators. This is possible because, according to the present invention, each press unit may be independently silenced for the replenishment of the supply roll, for the removal of printed rolls, and for the repair of breaks in the strip.

In the broader aspects of this invention, the printing plates may be introduced to the first printing unit, passed from unit to unit, and stored until they are to make another trip through the printing units in any suitable way. However, in the disclosed embodiment of the invention, that at present preferred, the plates are automatically collected into a magazine, after having passed through the printing units, are advanced in this magazine as succeeding plates enter. the magazinc, and are finally taken from the magazine automatically and introduced to the first printing unit. A great variety of means may be employed for this purpose, but. it is preferable to conserve space, especially when there is a very large number of plates, to store them in the mag- I azine in edgewise position quite close together and, when the plates are on double-faced chases, tocause them to be reversed in entering, traveling through, or leaving the magazine.

Since the printing press of the present invention may contain as many printing units as desired, the press may include one or more extra printing units which are not ordinarily used but which may be brought into use in the event of a breakdown in the printing mechanism of any other unit.

Each printing unit may include means for punching, perforating and/or slitting the strip passing through it as it is being printed.

Another feature of this invention is the provision of means for silencing the inking mechanism of each printing unit during the times when there is to be no printing performed on the strip controlled by such unit.

Preferably, the press of the present invention is made as wide as practicable, and several printing plates are placed side by side so that a plurality of strips of the desired width will result from the printing of the strip or web of each printing unit. For instance, if the strips are to be eight and one-half inches wide, the press may be made to accommodate a web of paper fifty-one and one-half inches wide, and six forms side by.

side may be printed at once. The fifty-one and one-half inch Wide web may then be slit into strips of eight and one-half inches wide for use. If there are ten printing units for each press, then, it will be seen, sixty strips may be produced simultaneously.

In the embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, the printing plates are preferably made of rubber and the faces of the plates which do the printing are preferably of harder rubber than the bases of the plates. Withsuch printing plates,

a large number of impressions maybe taken from the hard-surfaced type faces, and cleaner. and more desirable impressions are obtained, because thefiattening or spreading out of the type faces is avoided. Yet, the soft or resilient back of the platepermits the plate to yield somewhat and avoids the necessity of make-ready. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that since so many printing plates are used with the same cylinder, it would be impossible to makeready on the cylinder in any way. Accordingly, an important feature of this invention is the provision of these rubber printing plates in a multiplate press of the kind referred to.

According to the present invention, the wide web passing through each printing unit is slit longitudinally on the press so as to produce a plurality of finished paper rolls of desired width, each roll having on one side a continuous succession of different printed forms and having its other side blank to receive writing or facsimile reproductions. The roll may have at the beginning or end, or wherever desired, small or large unprinted areas.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear. 1

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the same, on line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the delivery end of the press, showing the end printing unit, and showing the manner in which the web is passed through the printing unit, the manner in which the plates are positively picked up and printed by each printing unit, and the manner in which the plates are returnedto the magazine.

Fig. 4 is a partial transverse sectional view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3, and showing the feed mechanism for the plates, and the means for holding the plates in position to be impressed against the printed strip.

Fig. 5 is a fractional top view showing the driving means for advancing the plates through the magazine.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section of the receiving end of the machine, showing the means for elevating the plates and transferring them to the-means for introducing the plates to the first printing unit.

Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line T! of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of one side of the chase holding the printing plates.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view of the chase, but taken on the line [IL-II] of Fig. 8.

Fig. 11 is a sectional view taken longitudinally through the chase on the line Il--II of Fig. 8, and showing in dot-and-dash lines other chases on each side thereof to show how the plates are spaced in closely adjacent relation.

Fig. 12 is a view like Fig. 8, but showing the other side or face of the chase.

Fig. 13 is a. schematic View showing the path of the plates through the press.

Fig. 14 is a plan view of the driving chain for plates by means of which the plates are caused to travel in predetermined synchronism with the printing units while passing therethrough.

Fig. 15 is a side view, partly in section, of'the chain shown in Fig. 14. I

In the embodiment of this invention illustrated in these drawings, the frame I0 is made up of a plurality of units or subframes. There is one such framework II at the head end of the printing press, and another framework I2 at the foot end thereof, and between these there may be one or more intermediate frameworks I3. These frameworks are suitably united into one solid frame, but as many intermediate frameworks |3 as desired may be employed depending on the number of different webs which are to be printed upon simultaneously. Each framework ll, [2 or l3 supports a printing unit [4, and these preferably are all alike. Each printing unit l4 (see Fig. 3) comprises a support l5 for a supply roll I6 of paper or other fabric web I! to be printed upon, and a rewind roll 3 on which the printed web is rewound. Any suitable rewinding means may be employed. The usual form is illustrated and comprises a pair of power driven feed rollers I9 and 28 on which the roller l8 rests and is rewound as the feed rolls rotate. The printing unit l4 also has the usual inking mechanism which includes an ink fountain 2|, a ductor roller 22, distributing rollers 23, and form rollers 24 for applying ink to the printing plates or forms as hereinafter described.

Each printing unit US also includes an impression-cylinder 25 and guide rollers 23 over which the web I! courses in passing from the supply roll [6 to the rewind roll [8. The frameworks ll, l2 and I3 are placed end-to-end so that the printing units are on a line tangential to all of the impression-cylinders 25. This line, for convenience, is preferably horizontal and parallel to the floor indicated by the line 21 so that all of the printing units may conveniently be reached by the operators.

As above stated, a plurality of webs I! are printed simultaneously according to the present invention, and they are printed by means of plates which pass from one printing unit I 4 to the next. In this way, an infinite number of different plates may be presented to the printing units and a plurality of strips may be simultaneously printed.

According to the present invention in its broader aspects, the plates may be introduced to the head end printing unit l4, passed from unit to unit, and delivered from the delivery end l4 in any suitable manner.

Before describing how this is done in the embodiment of the invention herein illustrated, it should be noted that the frame and printing units of the present invention are of such Width as to each produce a plurality of printed strips, there being a multiplicity of forms or plates extending across the press.

In the form of the invention herein disclosed, the plates 23 and 29 (see Figs. 8-12) are carried by a chase 30 so as to extend across the press and so as to be carried in unison to printing position and from printing unit to printing unit. The plates 28 and 29 are preferably of rubber or rubber composition, not only for lightness but because, as pointed out more fully below, with such plates there is no need for make-ready. This is a special advantage in a press such as disclosed herein, because make-ready is practically impossible as will be pointed out below.

Each chase 33 is preferably made of a plate or strip of aluminum and has depressions 3| within which the plates 28 and 29 are located and cemented or otherwise secured. By having the printing plates cut to proper size and the depressions 3| formed properly in the chases 30, all of the forms will properly line up laterally in each chase without any special effort on the part of the plate maker. At each side of the driven and tends to push the chases toward the 16 right. The chases slide on the feeding portions 32 thereof which are thick enough to keep the faces of the plates 28 and 29 out of contact with the belt. After leaving the conveyor 33, the

first chase 33 slides over a section of a table 15 34, being pushed by the next chase and those following it until the feeding portions 32 of the chase are engaged by feeding chains 35, see also Fig. 3, at the sides of the press. The chain 35 may have any suitable construction, but preferably, in order to positively engage and move the chases 33, the links of the chain are provided with teeth or protuberances 36 (see Fig. 15) which engage in marginal holes 31 in the feeding portions 32 of the chases. The chain 35 carries the chases and the forms carried thereby under the impression cylinder 25. Before reaching the impression cylinder, however, the chases pass under the form rollers 24 of the inking mechanism causing ink to be deposited on the plates 330 to be transferred to the paper web ll when the plate passes under the pressure roller.

The first chase to pass into engagement with the chain 35 is manipulated so that the teeth 36 properly enter the holes 3'! in the chase, but the subsequent chases need not be manipulated for this purpose, for, as shown herein, the chases advance in edge-to-edge contact with each other, and in this condition the feeding holes 3'! are equally spaced both in the chases .and betweenv the chases.

Not only does the chain 35 positively advance the chases to and from the impression cylinder, but it maintains the movement of the chase in synchronism with the rotation of the impression cylinder. For this purpose, the chains 35 are engaged by pin or sprocket wheels 38, one at each side of the press, and mounted on a shaft 39 which has gears 40 meshing with gears 4i carried by the impression cylinder 25, and it is.-

by means of these sprocket wheels and shaft 39 that the chains 35 of each set are caused to move in synchronism with each other and with the impression cylinder 25. The chain is caused to travel in the plane of the conveyor 33 and table; 34 by idler sprockets 42 and 43 located tangential to the table .and any slack existing in the chain is taken up by a take-up roller 35a.

In order to maintain the edge-to-edge engagement of the chases in their approach to the feeding chain 35, the conveyor 33 is designed to travel slightly faster than the plates move through the unit and thereby causing each newly introduced plate to come into contact with the plate ahead of it before the junction of the two I plates reaches the intake-side of the chains 35.

After leaving the chains 35, the chases move on to another section of the table 34, and from the latter onto an intermediate conveyor 44 by means of which the chases are advanced to the next, table section 34 and from the latter to the next feeding chain 35 of the next printing unit. The conveyors 44 assist in carrying the chases from one printing unit to another, and thus lighten the load on the chains 35.

The chases thus pass from printing unit to printing unit until the last printing unit is reached, in which case the chases are fed from the last feeding chains 35 onto the end-section 34 of the table 34.

Since all of the ink applied to the plates 28 and.29 may not have been transferred to the paper webs I1, and since it may be some time before each plate again performs a printing operation, the chases travel under a washing roller '45 and wiping roller46, the former being designed to apply a solvent to the type faces and the latter being designed to wipe the ink and solvent from the same.

According to the present invention in its broader aspects, the plates may be taken from the table 34 by hand, or in any suitable way, to be'stored until they .are again to be used, but, in the form of the invention herein disclosed, the plates are stored in the press itself and gradually advance from the delivery end of the press to the receiving end in a magazine.

For this purpose, the space directly beneath the table 34, chains 35, and conveyors 33 and 44 is left available for the storage of the chases. The floor of this space may be constituted by a conveyor belt 41, and, to conserve space, the chases are introduced to the magazine edgewise and are caused to advance through the magazine in vertical edgewise position.

To introduce the chases to the magazine, the delivery end of the press is provided with a chute 48 and guide flanges 49 so that, as the chase leaves the end of the table 34 it will fall by gravity down the chute to the position shown by the chase marked 30a in Fig. 3, where it rests on the edge of the preceding chase. In the meanwhile, the end chase in the magazine advances and the chase to follow drops still farther until it engages the conveyor 41. In this position, the enlarged feeding edges 32 of the chases are in position to be engaged by screwthreads 50 on feeding screws 5|, one located at each side of the press as shown in Fig. '7. The rotation of the screws 5| with the threads 56 engaging the tapered feeding edge 32 of the chase causes the chase to be advanced constantly from the delivery end of the press to the receiving end. The pitch of the conveying screws 5| is so selected that the chases advance through the magazine with the thick feeding edges of the chases substantially in contact with each other or are closely adjacent to each other, but face-to-face contact or engagement of one printing plate with the next is avoided by the thickened edges of the chases.

In advancing through the magazine, the weight of the chases is sustained by the conveyor belt 41 and a table 52 over which it rides, and, if desired, the conveyor belt 41 may itself be power driven to assist the screws 5| in advancing the chases. The conveyor belt may have .at each end a roller 53, and a shaft 54 for one of the rollers may extend to receive a driving gear or the like. The conveyor or feed screws 5| may have at opposite ends of the frame bearings 55 in which it turns, .and at one end of the press the screws 5| may have sprockets 56 engaged by chains 51 leading to longitudinally extending drive shafts 58.

In the broader aspects of this invention, the chases may be taken from the magazine by hand if desired to be placed on the conveyor 33 at the receiving end of the press. However, it is preferable to do this automatically, and accordingly,

the end of the magazine, it is engaged at each side, of one end by the lugs 60 and caused to ride upwardly in a chute 62 until it reaches a partly inclined position indicated by the chase.

marked 3% in Fig. 6, in which position it remains until the next chase which is being elevated by the next set of lugs 60 engages it and causes it to'move in the chute 62 until it is horizontal and engaged by the conveyor belt 33 to again pass through the printing unit.

In order to reduce the number of chases, the chases of the present invention are double-faced and each side carries printing plates or forms so that there is half as many chases as forms. In their travel through the press and through the magazine back to the press, the chases are auto matically reversed so that when one side has just been printed from, on the next trip through the press the other side will be printed from. This will be understood from an examination of Fig. 13, in which the faces of the chases extending up become the faces of the chases extending to the right in the magazine, and when fed from the magazine back to the table 34, conveyors, belts and feed chains, this right face becomes the bottom face, and the face which was the bottom face becomes the top face.

The guide chute 62 by which the movement of the chase from the magazine to printing position is controlled may, as shown in Fig. 7, be constituted by channel members 63 and engage only the edges of the feeding portions 32. i

The shaft 58 may be the main power driving shaft, but, in the form shown, the extension shaft of the screw which carries the sprocket 56 is the drive shaft, and for this purpose has a pulley 56a engaged by a belt 561) leading to a motor, and the extension of the screw 5| so driven may have a sprocket 56c carrying a chain 56d connected to a sprocket 56e on the extension of the other screw 5|.

In order to sustain the chases 3|] against the pressure of the impression cylinder 25 when the chases pass into engagement with the latter, there is provided under each impression cylinder a plurality of disks 64 secured to the shaft 39 and so spaced as to engage plain flat portions 65 located between the plates 28 or/and 29 on the chases. Since these disks do not engage the plates themselves, there is no danger of the plates on the bottom sides of the chases being damaged while passing under the impression cylinders. The disks 64 are preferably free on the shaft 39 so as to be rotated by the frictional engagement with the chases.

The inking mechanism for each unit is driven by a bevel gear 66 engaging a bevel gear 61 on the longitudinal shaft 58 and clutched thereto by clutch 68, the bevel gear 66 being connected to a gear 66a driving the inking mechanism. When it is desired to render the inking mechanism of any unitinoperative, it is merely necessary to adjust the clutch 68, so that the bevel gear 61 runs idlyon the drive shaft 58.

The conveyor belts 33 and 44 are driven by bevel gears 69 in mesh with bevel gears 16 also carried by the shaft 58, and these likewise may have clutches H in case it is desired to render any conveyor belt inoperative.

These bevel gears and clutches are carried by one .of the shafts 58'while the other shaft 58 has bevel gears "engaging bevel gears 13 secured to the shafts 39 carrying the sprockets 38 for the chains and the gears 40 for driving the impression cylinder 25. Whenit is desired to run through each printing unit a quantity of paper Without printing on the same, the entire machine may be operated and chases without printing plates thereon employed for the area which is to be unprinted. In such event, the inking mechanisms are rendered inoperative. by the operation of the clutches 68 so that ink. will not be piled up on the form-rollers 24. Another way of feeding paper through the units without printing is provided for. As shown in Fig. 4, the impression cylinder 25 has trunnions 14 carried in bearings 15 slideably mountedin a portion 16 of the framework and normally held elevated by springs 11.

The impression cylinder 25 is helddown in working position by screws 18 having handwheels 19 for rotating them. When it is desired to feed paper through the units without printing, these screws may turn to permit the impression cylinders to be raised by the springs 11 taking the gears 4| out of mesh with the gears 40 and freeing the impression cylinder from the rest of the mechanism. The mechanism for the rewind rollers I9 is then operated to feed as much paper past the impression cylinder as desired without imprinting thereon.

The handwheels 19 may also be adjusted to raise and lower the impression cylinder 25 while the ears 40 and 4| are still in mesh so as to increase or decrease the pressure of the paper against the faces of the printing plates 28 and produce a heavier or lighter impression, as desired. If desired, and as illustrated, at the rewind the web I! may be slit into strips of form-width by slitters 80.

According to the present invention, the plates 28 are made of rubber, and, as so made, yield slightly under pressure produced by the impression cylinder 25, thereby avoiding any makeready on the impression cylinder. Since so many different plates are used with each cylinder and each plate is used with a number of cylinders, make-ready as ordinarily understood, would be impossible, but, as pointed out above, no makeready is necessary in view of the fact that the plates 28 are made of rubber.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of this invention and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

We claim:

1. A printing press, a frame; a plurality of impression means spaced along the frame, each adapted to serve a separate continuous strip; a plurality of mechanically noninterconnected printing plates; and means for supporting and causing said plates to pass seriatim to position to print on said strips succesively, said last-named means being constructed and arranged to support the noninterconnected plates for ready selection and removal therefrom.

2. In a printing press, a frame; a plurality of mechanically noninterconnected printing plates; means for causing said noninterconnected printing plates to travel in a procession along said frame; and a plurality of printing stations along said frame in the path of said printing plates, each station including means for causing impressions to be taken from said plates on a continuous strip located at each station.

3. In a printing press, a frame; a plurality of mechanically noninterconnected printing plates; means for causing said plates to travel in printing position in a procession along said frame due to end-to-end contact; and means for taking impressions. from said plates, the noninterconnected end-to-end relation making them readily removable from the frame at points as the procession moves therealong.

4. In a printing press, a frame; a plurality of mechanically noninterconnected printing plates; means for causing said printing plates to travel end-to-end in printing position in a procession along said frame; means for taking impressions from said plates, including means for coupling the noninterconnected plates thereto for synchronous movement therewith; and means for receiving the plates at one end of the frame and returning them in non-printing position to the other end of the frame and to the first-named means.

5. In a printing press, a frame; a plurality of printing plates; means for causing said printing plates to travel end-to-end in printing position in a procession along said frame; means for taking impressions from said plates; and means for receiving the plates at one end of the frame and supporting and returning them in face to face relation to the other end of frame and to the first-named means.

6. In a printing press, a frame; a plurality of mechanically noninterconnected printing plates; means for causing said printing plates to travel end-to-end in printing position in a procession along said frame; and means for taking impressions from said plates at a plurality of stations along their path of travel, including means for synchronizing the movement of the plates therewith.

7. In a printing press, a frame; a plurality of separate, noninterconnected printing plates; means for causing said plates to travel through a closed path in said frame to be repeatedly presented to printing position; and means for taking impressions from said plates seriatim when in printing position, including means for successively coupling the separate plates thereto for synchronous movement therewith.

8. In a printing press, a frame; a plurality of separate, noninterconnected printing plates; means for noninterconnectedly supporting and causing said plates to travel through a closed path in said frame to be repeatedly presented to printing position; and means for taking impressions from said plates seriatim at a plurality of stations along said path, when in printing position.

9. In a printing press, a frame; a plurality of printing plates; means for causing said plates to travel flatwise in printing position in a procession along said frame; means for taking impressions from said plates; and means for receiving the plates at one end of the.frame and returning them supported in edgewise position to the other end of the frame and then returning them to the first-named means.

10. A printing press for printing a plurality of long continuous strips, each containing a successive of form-lengths of varying subjects, comprising a frame; a multitude of separate, different and noninterconnected printing plates; means for causing said plates to travel end-to-end in printing position in a procession along said frame; and means for taking impressions from said plates onto one of said strips at each of a plurality of stations along said frame, the separate plates being so supported in the frame as to be readily selected and removed therefrom.

11. A printing press for printing long continuous strips' containing a succession of sheet lengths of varying matter, comprising a frame; a multitude of separate, different and noninterconnected printing plates; means for causing said plates to travel end-to-end in printing position in a procession along said frame; and means for taking impressions from said plates onto said strips.

12. A printing press for printing long continuous strips containing a succession of sheet lengths of varying matter, comprising a frame; a multitude of separate, different and noninterconnected printing plates; means temporarily connected to said plates for causing said plates to travel endto-end in printing position in a procession along said frame; means for taking impressions from said plates onto said strips; and means for inking said plates as they approach said impressiontaking means.

13. A printing press for printing long continuous strips containing a succession of sheet lengths of varying matter, comprising a frame; a multitude of separate and mechanically noninterconnected printing plates; means for causing said plates to travel in end-to-end contact in printing position in a procession along said frame; means for taking impressions from said plates onto said strips; and means for temporarily coupling said noninterconnected plates to the impression-taking means while the impression is being taken.

14. A printing press for printing long continuous strips containing a succession of sheet lengths of varying matter, comprising a frame; a multitude of separate and different printing plates; means for causing said plates to travel in end-toend contact in printing position in a procession along said frame; means for taking impressions from said plates onto said strips; and an endless carrier positioned in longitudinal extension of the means for causing the plates to travel and positively moving the plates through the impression-taking means.

15. In a printing press, a frame; a plurality of printing plates; means for causing said printing plates to travel in a procession along said frame; a plurality of printing stations along said frame in the path of said printing plates, each station including means for causing impressions to be taken from said plates on a continuous strip located at each station; and means for selectively rendering any of the plurality of printing stations inoperative to print on said strip as desired.

16. In a printing press, a frame; a plurality of printing plates; means for feeding said plates to travel to a point adjacent a printing position in end-to-end relation; separate'means for moving said plates in printing position; and means operated synchronously with the last-named means for taking impressions from said plates. 17. In a printing press, a frame; a plurality of printing plates; friction means for feeding said plates to a point adjacent a printing position; positive means for temporarily coupling to and for feeding said plates in printing position; and means for taking impressions from said plates.

18. In a printing press, a frame; a plurality of printing plates; friction means for feeding said plates to a point adjacent a printing position; positive means for feeding said plates in printing position; and means for taking impressions from said plates, said friction means being disposed in substantially end-to-end relation with the positive feed means and driven at a higher speed than said positive. feed means thus causing proper delivery of the plates to the positive feed means.

19. In a printing press, a frame; a. plurality of plates; means for causing said plates to travel in end-to-en'd contact in printing position in a procession along said frame; means for taking impressions from said plates; and means receiving said plates at one end of the frame and storing and returning them in nonprinting position to the other end of said frame, said means extending the full length of the machine and connecting the two ends to form a closed circuit for the plates and carrying the plates in face-to-face relation during the entire travel from said receiving end to the other end.

20. In a printing press, a frame; a plurality of plates; means for causing said plates to travel in end-to-end contact in printing position in a procession along said frame; means for taking impressions from said plates; and means receiving said plates at one end of the frame and returning them in nonprinting position to the other end of said frame, said means extending the full length of the machine and connecting the two ends to form a closed circuit for the plates and carrying the plates in face-to-face relation during the travel from said receiving end to the other end and including a screw adapted to engage the edges of the plates to move them along.

21. In a printing press, a frame; a plurality of printing plates having printing surfaces on both sides thereof; means for receiving said printing plates to travel in end-to-end contact in printing position in a procession along said frame; means for taking impressions from said plates; and means for receiving the plates at one end of the frame and reversing and returning them to the other end of the frame and to the first-named means.

22. In a printing press, a frame; a plurality of noninterconnected printing plates having printing surfaces on both sides thereof; means for causing the printing plates to travel in endto-end contact in printing position; means for reversing said plates, and means for taking impressions from both sides of said plates alternately.

23. In a printing press, a frame; a plurality of printing plates having printing surfaces on both sides thereof; means for causing the printing plates to travel in end-to-end contact in printing position; and means operable during the opera tion of the machine for taking impressions from both sides of said plates.

24. In a printing press, a frame; a plurality of printing plates; means for causing said printing plates to travel in end-to-end contact in printing position in a procession along said frame; means for inking said plates; means for taking impressions from said plates; and means for rendering said inking means inoperative whereby said plates will cease their printing operation.

CARL W. BRENN. CHARLES A. MEISEL.

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