GB2032850A

GB2032850A - Printing method and apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2032850A
Application number: GB7933222A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: TADA SEISAKUSHO KK
Current assignee: TADA SEISAKUSHO KK
Priority date: 1978-10-13
Filing date: 1979-09-25
Publication date: 1980-05-14
Also published as: ES484983A1; GB2032850B; DE2940296C2; FR2438547A1; DE2940296A1

Abstract

A printing method and apparatus is particularly suited to use by children in printing pictures. The apparatus includes a housing 2 which has a tray 1 on which a printing frame Y is carried. The housing also includes a pair of rollers 4, 4' between which the tray 1 is fed by rotating the rollers using a handle 8 or by an electric motor. The printing frame carries an embossed plate 22, carbon paper 23 and a sheet of paper 24, in that order, so that the pattern on the embossed plate is printed onto the sheet of paper as the frame is passed between the rollers. The frame preferably also has a resilient layer 19, and a clip 20 held closed magnetically to hold the materials onto the frame. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Printing method and apparatus This invention relates to a printing method and apparatus therefor and particularly, but not exclusively to a printing method and apparatus which allow children or non-professionals to easily print papers such as drawing papers, post cards and writing papers, by a simple.handle operation.

An object of the invention is to provide a printing method and apparatus for practising the method, which method and apparatus are principally to allow children to produce so-called children's paintings, i.e. outline drawings for subsequent colouring, and other simple printed materials and which apparatus is suitably adapted as a teaching aid for schools or as an educational toy at home.

Another object of this invention is to provide a handy and simple printing apparatus which is suitable for making the above-described printed items and which can be easily assembled.

According to one aspect of the invention a printing method comprises placing in sequence an embossed pattern plate, carbon paperana a sheet of paper to be printed onto a printing frame; and passing the printing frame carrying the embossed pattern plate, carbon paper and sheet of paper between a pair of co-operating parallel rollers which are spaced from each other a distance substantially equal to the thickness of said printing frame, thereby transferring onto the sheet of paper the pattern on the embossed plate under the pressure of said rollers.

According to a second aspect of the invention printing apparatus comprises a body including a unit having a pair of parallel co-operating rollers which are spaced from each other, driving means for rotating the rollers, and a printing frame which is arranged to receive an embossed pattern plate, carbon paper and a sheet of paper in this order and is movable between the said parallel rollers.

Preferably the printing apparatus also includes a housing formed at a front end with a tray having a flat surface and with a width substantially equal to that of the printing frame; an opening for the printing frame extending through a rear portion of the housing at substantially the same level and of the same width as the surface of the tray, the rollers being disposed in the rear portion of the housing and extending horizontally across the housing in such a manner as to provide upper and lower rollers positioned respectively above and below said opening and spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the printing frame; and support means for supporting the ends of the rollers.

Conveniently each of said rollers carries at one end a gear wheel each having the same diameter and being in engagement with each other, said rollers being rotated by the driving means which includes a handle or an electric motor which is associated with the gear wheel of one of the rollers.

According to a further feature of the invention said body further includes a transverse rotatable shaft parallel to the rollers and located generally centrally of and below the tray and provided with at least one feeding wheel in such a manner that the feeding wheel protrudes above the surface of the tray, said transverse shaft rotating upon rotation of the rollers by means of an endless belt extending between pulleys carried on the transverse shaft and on one of the rollers, respectively, and the feeding wheel and the rollers are so arranged that the peripheral surfaces thereof rotate at the same speed.

If necessary a further roller is provided to prevent the upper roller from bending and is.

located above the upper roller towards the middle portion thereof so as to be rotatably in contact with the surface of the upper roller.

The support means may comprise a frame having a support wall at each end thereof; and a pair of holes formed in each wall in upper and lower relationship for locating the rollers removably in the holes.

The rollers may be rotated by gearing comprising a spur gear mounted on an input drive shaft so that the spur gear is engageable with a gear carried on one of the rollers through a transmission gear and the driving means may include clutch means which, when the driving means is operated in one direction, transmits rotation to the rollers to feed the printing frame forward in a printing operation and, when operated in the reverse direction. drive to the rollers is disengaged.

Conveniently, said clutch means comprises a sun gear on the drive input shaft of the driving means; a planetary pinion which is in engagement with the sun gear; a shaft carrying the planetary pinion being located in a guide slot, and the arrangement being such that the planetary pinion is brought into driving connection with a gear wheel carried oh one of the rollers when the planetary pinion shaft approaches one end of the slot and is disengaged when the shaft is moved towards the other end of the guide slot on reverse rotation of the drive input shaft.

The printing frame may comprise a base plate having an upstanding peripheral edge portion defining a flat area with the depth substantially equal to the thickness of the embossed pattern plate to be placed thereon; a resilient sheet on said flat area; and a holding clip pivotally mounted at one edge of the base plate for holding the embossed pattern plate, the carbon paper and the sheet of paper to be placed thereon.

The base plate may include a magnet mounted on the upper surface at said one edge of the base plate to hold the clip in engagement with the items carried on the base plate.

For a better understanding of the invention reference is made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated, and in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of the apparatus according to one embodiment of the invention:: Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A'-A' in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A"-A" in Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the construction of a printing frame according to the invention; Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of the apparatus according to another embodiment of the invention; Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 'A-A in Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A'-A' in Fig. 6; Fig. 9 is a partially broken perspective view of 'the main portion of main mechanical unit; and Fig. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the mechanical unit.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 through 5, a housing 2 has, as best seen in Fig. 1, a sunken or lowertray 1 whose surface is flat and which is open upwardly and is towards the front of the housing with substantially the same width as that of the printing frame Y which wiil be described.

There is formed a through opening 3 which extends through the housing 2 in a longitudinal direction from a front wall to a rear end of a rear portion 1' of the housing at substantially the same level and of the same width as the surface of the tray 1. As shown in Figs. 2 and 4, a pair of parallel, upper and lower rollers 4, 4' are disposed horizontally, respectively above and below the opening 3. The upper and lower rollers 4, 4' are each rotatably received at their ends by a pair of support plates 5, 5', which are disposed within the rear portion 1' of the housing 2 along both sides thereof. The upper and lower rollers 4, 4' carry gear wheels 6, 6' at their ends, having the same number of teeth and the same diameter and being disposed in engagement with one another.

A manual operated handle 8 is rotatably located through a wall of the rear portion 1' of the housing 2. A spur gear 10 is carried on a shaft 9 of the handle 8 and the spur gear 10 is associated with the upper gear wheel 6 through a transmission gear 11 to complete the main mechanical unit X'.

Furthermore, as best seen in Figs. 2 and 3, in the housing 2 a transverse shaft 12 is disposed below the tray 1 at the middle portion thereof parallel to the upper and lower rollers 4, 4'.

Pulleys 14, 14' are respectively mounted on the right-hand end of the transverse shaft 12 and the other end of the lower roller 4' to gear wheel 6', and around the pulleys 14, 14' passes a rubber drive belt 1 5. Feeding wheels 13, 13' are provided towards the ends of the transverse shaft 12 in such a manner that the feeding wheels 1 3, 13' protrude upwardly through the bottom of the tray 1.

The feeding wheels 13, 13' as well as the upper and lower rollers 4, 4' are so arranged and dimensioned that their peripheral surfaces rotate at the same speed. A rubber roller 1 6 is also provided rotatably above the upper roller 4 to hold down the upper roller 4 thereby preventing it from bending.

The parts thus far described constitute a main body X of the printing apparatus.

A base plate 1 8 having a lowered or recessed flat area in the upper surface thereof is formed from a hard synthetic resinous material and is as shown in Figs. 2,4 and 5. In the lowered or recessed flat area of the base plate 1 8 is located a sponge sheet 1 9 and a holding plate or clip 20 is pivotally located along the rear edge of the base plate 1 8 which constitutes a printing frame Y. The holding clin 20 may be a strip-like plate made of a magnetisable material and, as shown in Fig. 5, a magnet 21 which is arranged to attract the clip 20 is mounted at a suitable place on the upper surface of the base plate 1 8.

On the sponge sheet 1 9 of the base plate 18 is placed an embossed pattern plate 22, a sheet of carbon paper 23 and a sheet of drawing paper 24 in that order. The carbon paper 22 with carbon surface facing the drawing paper 24 and the drawing paper 24 are then held in place by bringing the holding clip 20 into engagement with the rear edges of the sheets.

Thereafter, the printing frame Y carrying the embossed plate 22, carbon paper 23 and drawing paper 24 is moved from the tray 1 of the housing 2 through the opening 3 and between the upper and lower rollers 4, 4' by operating the handle 8.

The printing frame Y is fed rearwardly by turning the manual handle 8 to rotate the upper and lower rollers 4, 4' and the feeding wheels 13, 13' and thus the pattern or outline drawing carried on the embossed plate 22 is transferred onto the drawing sheet 24 with the aid of the carbon paper 23 under the pressure qf said rollers 4, 4'.

Figs. 6 to 10 show another embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, the main mechanical unit X' of the main body X includes a sun gear 40 carried on an input shaft 9 carrying a manual handle 8, and a shaft 43 of a planetary pinion 42 located in a guide slot 44 formed in a support plate 32, the planetary pinion 42 engaging a transmission gear 36 for the gear wheel 6' of the lower roller 4' when the shaft 43 has approached an inner end of the slot 44, and disengaging the planetary pinion 42 and transmission gear 36 when the shaft 43 moves to an outer end of the slot 44. By such a construction, clutch means is provided by which rotation of the rollers is caused by rotation of the manual handle in one direction but when the handle is rotated in the opposite direction such rotation is not transmitted to the rollers.

In the embodiment of Figs. 6-10 the main mechanical unit X' is constructed as follows: As best seen in Figs. 9 and 10, there is provided a frame 31 having a pair of support plates or downwardly extending support walls 32, 32' at its ends, the frame and the support walls being made of hard plastics. Pairs of roller holes 33, 34; 33', 34' are respectively formed in the support walls 32, 32' and the upper and lower rollers 4, 4' are removably inserted into the holes 33, 34; 33', 34' respectively from the left-hand side, as seen in the drawings, to dispose the upper and lower rollers 4, 4' in parallel between the support plate or walls 32, 32'.

The left-hand end of the upper roller 4 and both ends of the lower roller 4' extend outwardly from their respective support walls 32, 32' and gear wheels 6, 6' are carried on the left-hand ends of the upper and lower rollers 4, 4' and a pulley 1 4a is carried on the right-hand end of the lower roller 4'. A transmission gear 36 is disposed outside gear wheel 6' on the left-hand end of the lower roller 4' so that the gear 36 rotates with the gear wheel 6'.

Upright support walls 37, 37' are provided respectively at the left-hand end of the frame 31 and at a position adjacent the left-hand end of the frame 31. A pair of shaft holes 38, 38' are respectively formed through the upright support walls 37, 37' and a rotatable and removable shaft 39 is located through the holes 38, 38'. The left hand end of the shaft 39 protrudes outwardly through the shaft hole 38, and a sun gear 40 is carried thereon together with the attachment shaft 9 for the handle 8 and a swinging arm 41.

The planetary pinion 42, which engages the sun gear 40 is attached by means of a shaft 43 to the lower end of the swinging arm 41. The inner end of the shaft 43 is extended to form an extension 43' which is located in a guide slot 44 formed in the downward support wall 32. The planetary pinion 42 is brought into engagement with the transmission gear 36 when the extension 43' is at the inner extremity of the slot 44. A cover 45 is attached to the frame 31 at the left-hand end thereof by slidably engaging ridges 45" in cooperating grooves 45'.

Furthermore, as in the previously described embodiment, a housing 3 having a lower tray 1 is formed as a separate member from the main mechanical unit X' as shown in Fig. 6 or 7. An opening 3 is formed in the housing 2 in the same manner. The above-described main mechanical unit X' is disposed within the rear portion 1' of the housing 2 and is detachably secured to the housing 2 in such a manner that the upper and lower rollers 4, 4' are respectively positioned above and below the opening 3. In addition, as shown in Fig. 8, a through-hole 46 is formed in the left-hand wall of the rear portion 1' of the housing 2 at a position corresponding to the handle attachment shaft 9 of the main mechanical unit X'.A foldable manual handle 8 is then attached to the handle attachment input shaft 9 through the through-hole 46 and, as shown in Fig. 7, a transverse shaft 1 2 is disposed below the bottom of the tray 1 of the housing 2 parallel to the upper and lower rollers 4, 4'. A pulley 14a' is carried on one end of the transverse shaft 12 and a rubber transmission belt 1 5 is located around the pulley 14a' and the pulley 1 4a carried on the right-hand end of the lower roller 4'. A feeding wheel 1 is mounted on the transverse shaft 12 at the midpoint thereof with the wheel 1 3a' protruding above the surface of the tray 1.The feeding wheels 1 3a and the upper and lower rollers 4, 4' are rotated with their peripheral surfaces travelling at the same speed.

The printing frame Y is constructed as a separate member from the main body X in the same manner as the previously described embodiment.

As in the previously described embodiment a sponge sheet 1 9 on the support plate 1 8 carries an embossed plastic plate 22, a sheet of carbon paper 23 (preferably a single-faced carbon paper 24 with its carbon face directed upwards) and a sheet of drawing paper 24 in this order. A holding clip 20 is pivoted down against a magnet 21 thereby holding the carbon paper 23 and drawing paper 24 in place at their rear edges.

The printing frame Y carrying the embossed plate 22, the carbon paper 23 and the drawing paper 24 is passed from the tray of the housing 2 through the opening 3, to between the upper and lower rollers 4, 4', and the printing frame Y is then fed rearwardly by turning the manual handle 8 to rotate the upper and lower rollers 4, 4' and the feeding wheel 13a, thereby transferring the pattern of the embossed plate 22 onto the drawing paper 24 by means of the carbon paper 23 under the pressure of said rollers 4, 4'.

The arrangement described enables the operator to easily produce prints without soiling his hands, clothes and the like, and the apparatus can be successfully utilised as a mechanical toy for producing drawings for painting.

By the provision of clutch means interposed between the manual handle and the parallel rollers which only transmits rotation to the rollers in one direction and not, when the handle is rotated in the reverse direction, good prints are obtained and double printing is avoided.

Moreover, the printing frame includes the resilient sheet such as a sponge sheet so that the resiliency of the sheet allows the embossed plate to exert a uniform pressure on the carbon paper and the drawing paper. In addition, since the printing frame is provided with a clip and a magnet to secure the members placed on the printing frame, the embossed pattern plate, the carbon paper and the drawing paper are prevented from moving out of position, and the edges of the drawing paper and carbon paper are prevented from being turned up, when the printing frame passes between the rollers.

Claims

1. A printing method comprising placing in sequence an embossed pattern plate, carbon paper and a sheet of paper to be printed onto a printing frame; and passing the printing frame carrying the embossed pattern plate, carbon paper and sheet of paper between a pair of co-operating parallel rollers which are -spaced from each other a distance substantially equal to the thickness of said printing frame, thereby transferring onto the sheet of paper the pattern on the embossed plate under the pressure of said rollers.

2. Printing apparatus comprising a body including a unit having a pair of parallel cooperating rollers which are spaced from each other, driving means for rotating the rollers, and a printing frame which is arranged to receive an embossed pattern plate, carbon paper and a sheet of paper in this order and is movable between the said parallel rollers.

3. A printing apparatus according to claim 2, -wherein said body further includes a housing formed at a front end with a tray having a flat surface and with a width substantially equal to that of the printing frame; an opening for the printing frame extending through a rear portion of the housing at substantially the same level and of the same width as the surface of the tray, the rollers being disposed in the rear portion of the housing and extending horizontally across the housing in such a manner as to provide upper and lower rollers positioned respectively above and below said opening and spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the printing frame; and support means for supporting the ends of the rollers.

4. Printing apparatus according to claim 2 or 3 wherein each of said rollers carries at one end a wheel gear each having the same diameter and being in engagement with each other, said rollers being rotated by the driving means which includes a handle or an electric motor which is associated with the gear wheel of one of the rollers.

5. Printing apparatus according to claim 3 wherein a further roller is provided to prevent the upper roller from bending and is located above the upper roller towards the middle portion thereof so as to be rotatably in contact with the surface of the upper roller.

6. Printing apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 5 wherein said body further includes a transverse rotatable shaft parallel to the rollers and located generally centrally of and below the tray and provided with at least one feeding wheel in such a manner that the feeding wheel protrudes above the surface of the tray, said transverse shaft rotating upon rotation of the rollers by means of an endless belt extending between pulleys carried on the transverse shaft and on one of the rollers, respectively.

7. Printing apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the feeding wheel and the rollers are so arranged that the peripheral surfaces thereof rotate at the same speed.

8. Printing apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the support means comprises a frame having a support wall at each end thereof; and a pair of holes formed in each wall in upper and lower relationship for locating the rollers removably in the holes.

9. Printing apparatus according to any one of claims 28 wherein the rollers are rotated by gearing comprising a spur gear mounted on an input drive shaft so that the spur gear is engageable with a gear carried on one of the rollers through a transmission gear.

10. Printing apparatus according to any one of claims 2-9 wherein the driving means includes clutch means which, when the driving means is operated in one direction, transmits rotation to the rollers to feed the printing frame forward in a printing operation and, when operated in the reverse direction, drive to the rollers is disengaged.

11. Printing apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said clutch means comprises a sun gear on the drive input shaft of the driving means; a planetary pinion which is in engagement with the sun gear; a shaft carrying the planetary pinion being located in a guide slot, and the arrangement being such that the planetary pinion is brought into driving connection with a gear wheel carried on one of the rollers when the planetary pinion shaft approaches one end of the slot and is disengaged when the shaft is moved towards the other end of the guide slot on reverse rotation of the drive input shaft.

1 2. Printing apparatus according to any one of claims 2-11 wherein the printing frame comprises a base plate having an upstanding peripheral edge portion defining a flat area with the depth substantially equal to the thickness of the embossed pattern plate to be placed thereon; a resilient sheet on said flat area; and a holding clip pivotally mounted at one edge of the base plate for holding the embossed pattern plate, the carbon paper and the sheet of paper to be placed thereon.

13. Printing apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said base plate includes a magnet mounted on the upper surface at said one edge of the base plate to hold the clip in engagement with the items carried on the base plate.

14. Printing apparatus substantially as described with reference to Figs. 1-5 or Figs.

6-10 of the drawings.