US585296A - Printing-machine - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 1. H. D. 8v D. W. SWIFT. PRINTING MACHINE.

No. 585,296. Patented June 29,1897.

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PRINTING. MACHINE.

Patented June 29,1897.A

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PRINTING MACHINE.

No. 585,296. N Patented June 29,1897. Y

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'PRINTING MACHINE.

No. 585,296. Patented June 29,1897.

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PRINTING MACHINE. No. 585,296. Patented June 29,1897.

5 Sheets-Sheet' Nrrnn rares HENRY D.4 SVIFT AND DANIEL WHEELER SWIFT, OF VORCESTER MASSACHUSETTS.

PRINTING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 585,296, dated June 29, 189'?. Application tiled October 29, 1892. Serial No. 450,401` (No model-l To all whom it 71u03/ concert/ Be it known that we, HENRY D. SWIFT and DANIEL WHEELER SWIFT, citizens of the United States, residing at Vorcest-er, in the county of Vorcester and State ot Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Printing-Presses, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

Our present invention relates to that class of printingpresses known as rotary, which are arranged to print single sheets, instead of a continuous web, of paper; and it relates particularly to that part of the operative mechanism by which the paper is fed to and taken off from the impression-cylinder.

The accompanying drawings represent a printing-press especially designed for printing envelop-blanks and embodying our invention.

Figure l is a front View of the machine. Fig. 2 is a side View showing the left side as represented in Fig. l. Fig. 3 is an end View of the impression-cylinder looking in the direction of the arrow 1, Fig. l. Figs. 4 to 9, inclusive, represent sectional views of the impression-cylinder on line 4 4, looking in the direction of the arrow 2, Fig. l, and designed to show the several positions assumed by the grippers during a revolution of the impression-cylinder. Fig. 4 shows the grippers as nearly closed upon the paper blank which has been raised from a pile of blanks by the pneumatic nger. Fig. 5 represents the grippers as closed upon the paper blank. Fig. G shows the grippers closed andinoved into alinement with the surface of the cylinder. Fig. 7 represents the grippers as carried out in order to raise the printed sheet from the cylinder and allow'the ends of the fly-lingers to pass beneath it. Fig. S represents the grippers open to release the sheet. Fig. 9 represents the grippers open with the outer jaw moved in toward the center of the cylinder to clear the paper blank held by the pneumatic finger and with the inner jaw moved out so the face of the jaw willcorrespond with the lower surface of the pneumatic iinger when the grippers arrive at the position shown in Fig. 4. Fig. lO is an end view of the impression-cylinder looking in the direction of the arrow 3, Fig. l. Fig. 11 is a top view of the feedingetable and pneumatic finger and showing the pivoted separator. Fig. l2 is a front view of a portion of the separator. Fig. 13 is a sectional view of the same Online 13 13, Fig. 12. Fig. 14 represents in central sectional view a portion of the air-pump cylinder and valve by which air is admitted to break the vacuum. Fig. 15 is a central sectional view of the pneumatic linger on line 15 15, Fig.16. Fig. 16 is a view of the under side of the pneumatic finger with a portion broken away to disclose the interior air-passages. Fig. 17 shows in detail the operative mechanism for vibrating the fly-fingers, and Fig. 18 is a perspective View of the grippers and gripper-shafts.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the different figures.

Referring to the drawings, A denotes the frame of the machine, B the type-cylinder, and C the impression-cylinder, journaled in boxes B and C. The boxes B', of which only one is shown, are fixed upon the frame, and the boxes C are united to the boxes B by right and left hand screw-threaded bolts C2, by which they are adjusted to bring the axes of the cylinders parallel and the proper distance apart.

The cylinders are geared together by gearwheels (Fand C4, attached to each end of the cylinders, the gears upon one of the cylinders being adjustable by set-screws C5 and slots CG, so the teeth of the gears upon opposite ends of the cylinders can be made to crowd against the teeth of their engaging gears, thereby taking up any lost motion and cause the rotary motion of one of the cylinders to be accurately imparted to the other and prevent any slurrin g of the printing. The sheets to be printed are placed in a pile D upon a table D', carried by a slide D2, held in the vertical ways D3 and connected by a link; D3 with a crank-arm D4 on the shaft of the ratchet-wheel D5, which is intermittently rotated by a pa-wl DG on the arm D7, piv'oted concentrically with the ratchet-wheel and connected by a rod Ds with a vibrating lever D0, actuated by a spring D10 and by an eccentric D11 upon the shaft of the impression-cylinder C.

The action of the vibrating lever D is adjusted by a sleeve D12, swiveled upon the lever and loosely inclosing the rod D between the adjustable nuts D15. The vibrating lever D0 is attached to a rock-shaft D11, journaled in the frame of the machine, to which is attached the three-pronged linger D15, extending over the pile of blanks D, so that when the blanks have been raised into the path of the linger D15 the rocking motion of the lever D0 is limited and the feeding motion of the table is checked until the pile of blanks is reduced, allowing the finger D15 to fall far enough to permit another tooth of the ratchet D5 to be engaged. by the actuating-pawl D6 and the blanks to be again raised and held by the retaining-pawl D05. The finger D15 is preferably provided with three prongs containing an air-passage D10, Fig. 16, terminating at the ends of the prongs and upon their under side in openings or ducts D15. The ends of the prongs are flattened on their under sides, as shown in Figs. l5 and 16, and are arranged to act as pressure-fingers on the pile of blanks, the under surface of the iingers being in the same plane.

The air-passages D are connected by a flexible tube D with an air-pump consisting in the present instance of a cylinder D10, pivoted upon a stud D and containing a reciprocating piston whose rod D21 is connected with an oscillating arm D22, actuated through the pitman-rod D25 by the crank-arm D21 upon the shaft of the typecylinder B. The downward movement of the piston exhausts the air from the passages D10 at the period of contact of the pneumatic finger with the upper blank upon the pile D, causing a vacuum to be produced and the forward edge of the blank beneath the ducts D17 to be lifted by the upward motion of the pneumatic linger D15 into the position to be seized by the grippersV carried by the impression-cylinder C. The grippers consist of an inner jaw E, carried by the end of a hollow shaft E, and an outer jaw F, carried by a shaft F/, concentric with the shaft E, and both journaled in the ends or heads of the cylinder C, which is recessed to receive them.

To the end of the hollow shaft E and outside the gear-wheel C1 is a crank-arm E2, car rying a roll E5, held in contact by a spring E4 with a cam E5, attached to the inner side of one of the boxes C' and which is represented by broken lines in Fig. 3.

To the end of the shaft F', carrying the' outer jaw F, we attach a pinion F2, engaged by the rack F3 on the end of la lever F1, pivoted on the end of the impression cylinder.. The rack F3 is curved eoncentrically with the pivot of the lever, and the lever is provided with a camroll F5, carried by the rotation of the cylinder C into contact with a fixed camv F0 att-ached tothe inner side of one of the boxes C, causingmthe shaft F' to b e rocked and the outer jaw opened. A spring F7 acts against the cam F0, causing the jaw to close with pressure upon the paperblank when released from the cam F0; butin orderto secure a positive action of the jaw in closing independently of the spring FT we provide a cam F5, also attached to the box G, which serves to close the jaw. The revolution of the cylinder C will cause the jaws E and F to be independently moved into the several positions shown in Figs. 4. to 9, inclusive. As the grippcrs are brought into position to seize the blank raised by Athe pneumatic finger D15 the face of the jaw E is carried into the plane of the underside of the pneumatic finger D15 and in contact with the blank, as shown in Fig. 4. At that momentL the outer jaw F by its release from the cam F0 is closed in the position shown in Fig. 5, causing' the forward edge of the blank to be seizedand carried forward by the rotation of the cylinder G. Both jaws are then moved conjointly inward until the face of the inner jaw E is brought tangential with the surface F0 of the cylinder, upon which a tympanis secured by any of the well-known and practiced methods. After the form has rolled in contact with the blank and the cylinder is brought into the position represented in Fig. 7 the jaws are moved outward con jointly in order to raise the advancing edge of the blank from the surface of the cylinder, so as to allow the ends of the fly-fingers G, carried upon a rocking shaft G', to pass beneath the blank. The outer jaw F is then opened, releasing the blank, which is moved upon the fly-fin gers G by the cylinder C and rolls G2, held by rods G5, adjustably supported by the cross-bar G5, and provided with elastic tires G25, between which and the surface F0 the blank is held after its release by the grippers. The outer jaw F is moved into position (shown in Fig. 9) so it will clear the blank held by the pneumatic finger D15. The shaft G is rocked by the mechanism shown in Fig. 17, consisting'of an eccentric G5 upon the shaft of the impression-cylj inder, an elbow-lever G0, pivoted upon a fixed stud G7 and connected by a link G5 with a crank-arm G0 upon the shaft G', and a retractile spring G10. The printed blank is carried by the iiy-fingers G over upon the shelf or taking-off board G11, slightly inclined from a vertical position and held upon rods G12, so that the printed blank as it is deliver-ed by the fly-fingers will rest against the board G11 with its lower edge in contact with the rods G12, which serve as gage-rods to even the printed blanks. The upper ends of the rods 112 are provided with the guide-rods G15, curved concentrically with the axis of the fly-fingers G. The taking-off board G11 is adj ustably held upon'the rods G12 by means of a sleeve G11, attached to the board G11, and loosely'inclosing one of the rods G12 and provided with lugs to which is pivoted a lever G15, pressed by a spring G10 against the rod IOC IIO

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G12 and preferably having a piece of rubber or leather interposed between it and the rod. The lever G15 is readily released from the rod G12, allowing the board G11 to be moved on the rod, and the friction of the lever G15 will maintain the board in position, except as it is pushed down by the movement of the iiyfingers and the accumulation of blanks upon the takin g-off board.

In orderto cause the blank held by the pneumatic nger D15 to be released at the instant it is seized by the grippers, we provide the pump-cylinder D19 witha valve H, held against its seat by a spring lil', applied to the valve-stem H2, causing the valve to be held normally closed and preventing the admission of air through the ports H9 to the pumpcylinder D19. The valve-stem H2 is pushed downward at the instant the blank is seized by the gripper-jaws E and F by means of a lever I, pivoted upon a fixed stud and actuated to open the valve H by a spur I upon the cam l2, carried by the shaft of the impressioncylinder C, there by admitting air to the p umpcylinder D19 and breakin the vacuum. The pile of envelop-blanks D is placed upon the feeding-table D with its forward or backilap edge against the vertical guide-pins J J, held upon the shelf J', forming a portion of the framework. The feeding-table is then raised into the desired position so the upper blank will be struck by the pneumatic finger D15 as the shaft D11 is rocked. The pile of blanks D as it is raised is carried behind the registering gage-pins J2 J2, depending from the framework, and in front of the pivoted presser-bar J 5, pivoted upon a stud J 4, held in the shelf J and having a spring J5 applied to press the face J 9 against the upper blanks and crowd them back against the gagepins J2 J2.

To the end of the bar J3 is pivoied the block J1, provided with the face J 5 and the three posts J 8, carrying screws J9 with pointed tips, which are adjusted to reach slightly over the pile of blanks, so the edges of those blanks which are raised by the pneumatic finger D15 will be drawn across the tips of the screws, which act as separators to separate the blanks and admit air beneath the upper blank, so it will be raised by the pneumatic iin ger and the succeeding blanks allowed to fall back upon the pile. The upper ends of the guide-pins J J are slightly tapered, and to the rocking shaft D111 are attached the fingers K K, with their under sides slightly raised above' the under side of the pneumatic finger D15. As the fingers K K are carried down by the rocking of the shaft D11 they press the blanks which may have been lifted by the pneumatic finger D15 down beside the guidepins J J, whose tapered sides serve to restore any displaced blanks to their proper alinement with the pile D. The jaws E and F are bifurcated, forming the double jaws ct d and 'b h, Fig. 1S, so as to seize the paper blank upon each side of the central prong c and between the central and side prongs d d of the pneumatic finger D15, which is provided with three prongs c CZ d, so as to hold that portion of the blank to be seized by the jaws E and F in the same plane.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The form is suitably attached to the type-cylinder B in the usual manner, and is inked by the rolls L L, to whichthe ink is distributed by any of the known mechanisms used for that purpose, but not shown in the drawings, as it forms no part of our present invention. The pile of blanks D is placed upon thefeeding-table D and against the guide-pins J J. The table is then raised, bringing the blanks behind the gage--pins J2 J2 andin front of a spring-actuated pivoted bar J 9, so the face J 9 will press the upper blanks back against the gage-pins J2 J and insuring accurate registration of the upper blank. The table D is raised into the path of the fingers K K and the pneumatic finger D15, which are brought into contact with the top blank by the rocking shaft D11, closing the air-ducts D17 as the piston of the air-pump is making its downward stroke, exhausting the air from the airpassages D19, causing the upper blank to be raised with the finger D15, and usually raising several of the succeeding blanks by the clinging together of the edges of the paper. As the blanks are raised their edges are drawn overthe projecting pointed screws J9, which separate the succeeding' blanks from the top blank, so they will fall back upon the pile. The revolution of the cylinder C, carrying the grippers, with their connected mechanism, around the fixed cams E5 will cause the jaws to be successively moved into the positions already described, seizing the edge of the blank held by the pneumatic nger D15, carrying it in toward the center of the cylinder C, so as to bring it into proper alinement with the surface F9 to receive the impression of the inked form upon the type-cylinder B. The

`jaws are then raised to lift the edge of the blank over the ends of the ily-fingers G, which have been brought into position tangential with the surface F9 of the cylinder C. As soon as the edge of the blank has been caught by the tips of the ily-fingers the grippers are opened and the blank is delivered to the flyfingers by the action of the surface F9 and the rolls G2, and the grippers are brought into proper position to seize the succeeding blank raised by the pneumatic linger D15. The flyfingers G are vibrated by the rocking of the shaft G1, carrying the printed blank over with its lower edge sliding upon the curved guiderods G15, and depositing it upon the takingoff board G11, with its lower edge resting upon the gage-rods G12. As the printed blanks accumulate upon the board G11 the pressure of the fly-lingers G will push the board down the rods G12. The downward motion of the pneumatic finger D15 is limited by the pile of blanks, and as the blanks are removed the angular motion of the finger D15 increases IOO IIO

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until the vibrating lever D9 actuates the pawl D5, through the intermediate mechanism, as described, to move the ratchet-wheel D5 forward another tooth and raise the feedingtable D. The feeding-table D is raised through one-half a revolution of the crank-arm D4, or from its lower to its upper dead-center, which limits the upward movement of the feeding-table, for when the crank-arm passes the upper dead-center the weight of the table will rotate the crank-arm and ratchet-wheel and allow the table to fall. This arrangement of the ratchet-Wheel and crank as connected with the feeding-table we do not claim as a part of our present invention, but the intermediate actuating mechanism between the eccentric D11 and the ratchet-wheel D5 we deem to be new. The prongs c d d of the pneumatic finger D15 are provided with small bosses c, located within the ducts D17, with their faces flush with the under side of the finger in order to prevent the paper from being bent or curved too much into the duct by the air-pressure.

VVhatwe claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination with a table upon which the blanks are supported, of a rockshaft D14, a finger extending radially in a horizontal plane over said table and having its end forming the prong c, provided at its t-ip with an air-duct, prongs d, CZ, projecting from the side of said finger and having their ends parallel with and shorter than the prong c and having air-ducts in their ends arranged in line with the edge of an envelop-blank and having their under surfaces flattened to act as pressuresfingers to bear in the same plane upon the pile of blanks and an air-passage in said central finger communicating with said ducts, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a feeding-table upon which the blanks are supported, of the gagepins for registering the blanks, a pivoted presser-bar J 5, spring J5, block J 1 pivoted on said presser-bar and having three posts J 8 and screws J 9 carried by said posts and have ing their tips overhanging t-he pile of blanks held on said table, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a blank-supporting table, a rock-shaft D14, radial fingers eXtending from said shaft over said table, a vibrating arm D9 attached to said shaft, an actuating-eccentric D11, retractile spring D10, sleeve D12, swiveled on said vibrating arm and inclosing a rod D8, rod D5, nuts D13 adj ustably held on said rod, arm D7, connected with said rod, actuating-pawl D6 .carried by said arm, ratchet-wheel D5, and intermediate mechanism between said ratchet wheel and said blank-holding table, whereby the intermittent rotation of said ratchet-wheel will raise the table, substantially as described.

4t. The combination of an impression-cylinder, a lifting-finger by which the blanks to be' printed are raised singly, a gripping-jaw E, carried upon. a shaft, journaled in said cylinder, a crank-arm attached to said shaft and acam, actuating said crank-arm to rock said shaft and carry said jaw outward and bring its face into alinement with said lifting-finger, gripper F and means for actuating the same, substantially as described.

5. The combination with an impressioncylinder of the gripping-jaw E, hollow shaft E', crank-arm E2 and actuating-cam by which said hollow shaft is rocked, jaw F, shaft F,

pinion F2, pivoted lever F4, provided with rack-teeth F3 engaging said pinion spring F7, and actuating-cam F5, substantially as described.

6. The combination of an impression-cylinder, jaws attached to shafts, journaled in said cylinder, fixed cams E5 and F5 and connecting operating mechanism between said cams and said jaws, whereby said jaws are moved in correspondence to successively seize the blank and carry it into alinement with the surface of said impression-cylinder, raise the blank from the surface of said cylinder, and finally release the blank, substantially as described.

7. The combination of rods G12, board G11 having a sleeve G11, lever G15, pivoted on said sleeve and engaging one of said rods, and a spring G15, substantially as described.

j Dated this 24th day of October, 1892.

HENRY D. SWIFT. DANIEL WHEELER SVIFT.

Witnesses:

RUFUS B. FowLER, EMMA KEsTER.

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