US2159447A - Printing method and apparatus - Google Patents

Description

y 1939- I. F. N'ILES 2,159,447

PRINTING METHOD AND APPARATUS Filed June 25, 1936 9 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR A l/PV/NG E N/LES BYW ATTORN EYS y 1939" I. F. NILES 2,159,447

PRINTING METHOD AND APPARATUS Filed Jun e 25, 1936 9 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR IRVING E N/LES F 6 cw PAL/W14 202 I ATTORNEYS May 23, 1939. I. F. NILES PRINTING METHOD AND APPARATUS 9 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR IRV/NG- E N/LES BY n ATTORNEY-S Filed June 25, 1936 May 23, 1939. I. F. NILES 2,159,447

PRINTING METHOD AND APPARATUS Filed June 25", 1936 .9 Sheets-Sheet 6 I 245 2 a i 265 2a1 INVENTOR IRVING FI N/LES ATTORNEYS I. F. NILES PRINTING-METHOD AND APPARATUS Mgy 23, 1939.

Filed June 25, 1936 9 Sheets-Sheet '7 INVENTOR IRVING E NILES B C jf ATTORNEYS May 23, 1939. N|| E$ 2,159,447

- PRINTING METHOD AND APPARATUS Filed June 25, 1936 9 Sheets-Sheet 8 INVENTOR new/v0 E NILES W*MW 5 ATTORNEYS F. NILES PRINTING METHOD AND APPARATUS Fil ed June 25, 1936 -May 23, 1939.

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No. 2035 Dlll- T0 not mums MNMOIDIR OF NATKEQEENK INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented May 23, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT orFicI';

' 2,159,447 PRINTING Mn'rnon AND APPARATUS Application June 25, 1936, Serial No. 87,243

19 Claims. (Cl. 101-186) This invention relates to a method of printinggand to an apparatus for printing.

An objectof the invention is the'provision of an improved method'of'printing, and particularly 5 a method according to which printing may be accomplished in .a plurality of difierent inks.v

Another object of the invention is the provision of improved and simplified apparatus for printing in accordance with the method.

' 10 $till another object is the provision of a methd and. of an apparatus'for printing the same printed matter a plurality of times on the same sheet of stock, with the use of a plurality of different inks.

15 A further object of n the invention is the provision of printing apparatus which will, as an integral part of its operation, crease the sheets of stock in such manner'as to form, a hinge joint U whichis useful when the sheets are later bound 20' into a book or the like.

tstiIl further object is the provision of a method and of an apparatus which are particularlyadapted to and useful in printing checks,

Y drafts and similar .forms, although capable also 2'5 of many other uses.v

To these and other ends the invention resides in certain improvements and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in 30 the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 isa side .view of printing apparatus constructedin accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention; I

35 Fig. 2 is avertical section taken substantially on the line 22 of Fig. 1; I

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken substantially on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

4 is a vertical section taken longitudinally 0throu'gh the machine, substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2: 1

Fig. 5,,is a View of the impression cylinder and the associatedpaper stripping mechanism with H the stripping mechanism in an ineffective posi- 45"tio 3 Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. with the stripping mechanism in an effective position, and in theact of stripping a sheet from the cylinder;

Fig 7 is a longitudinal view through the im- 50 pression cylinder, with parts in section and parts broken away, and showing the paper holding dogs in normal'holding position;

--Fig.'8 is a view similar to Fig. '7 showing the p'aper holding dogs in open position for releasin'g "a sheet or receiving a new sheet;

Fig. 9 is a section taken substantially on the line 99 of Fig. 7

Fig. 10 is a section taken substantially on the line Ill-I0 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 11 is a section taken substantially on the 5 line llll of Fig. 7;

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary section taken substantially on the line l2l2 of Fig. '7;

Fig. 13 is a View partlyin elevation, and partly in vertical section, of the mechanism for creas- 10 ing the sheets;

Fig. 14 is another view partly in elevation, and partly in vertical section, of the paper creasing mechanism, the section being at right angles to that of Fig. 13, and being substantially on the 15 lines l4-l4 of Figs. 1 and 13;

Fig. 15 is a view similar to a fragmentof Fig. 14 showing the creasing member. moved upwardly to bend the sheet in one direction; I

Fig. 16 is a similar view showing the creasing 20 member moved downwardly to bend the sheet in the opposite direction;

Figs. 1'7 to 22, inclusive, are diagrammatic views illustrating successive positions of the printing. apparatus during one cycle of movement of the printing element or type carrying element;

Fig. 23 is a view of a sheet of stock adaptedto be printed on this printing apparatus, showing it as it appears at the end of one cycle of movement of the printing element;

Fig. 24 is a similar view showing the sheet as it appears at the end of the second cycle of operation of the printing element, and

Fig. 25 is a similar view showing the completed sheet as it appears at the end of the third cycle of the printing element.

The same reference numerals throughout the several views indicate the same parts.

The novel method of the present invention the printing element, the printing element will print on a difierent portion or area of the-sheet. The method further comprises the steps of inking a portion of the printing element withone ink and inking another portion of the printing element with a difierent ink. The portion of the 0 printing element inked with one ink mayprint upon one area of the sheet of stock, while the portion of the printing element inked withthe difierent ink may print upon a .diiferent areaoi 1; the sheet of stock. Then, upon one or more subsequent applications of the sheet to the printing element, the differently inked portion of the printing element may print upon that area of the sheet which was previously printed upon by the other inked portion of the printing element, and S0 on.

The method above outlined in general is particularly suitable and advantageous for printing checks, drafts, and similar forms, where several identical or substantially identical forms are to be printed on the same sheet, out it is obvious that the method is applicable also to many other things to be printed, and is not to be construed as limited to the printing of checks, or the like, which are selected merely as a convenient example for illustrative purposes.

Checks or drafts for commercial use are customarily printed three to each page of the check book, the page also having corresponding stub portions from which the checks may be detached. According to the present improved method of printing, the printing element carries a printing portion or a type portion for printing certain matter on the check and stub in one ink, and another printing portion or a type portion for printing certain matter on the check and stub in a different ink. These portions having been separately inked, the sheet is then applied to the type element in such position that one type portion will print upon the area of one check and stub, and the other differently inked type portion will print upon the area of another check and stub. Then the type element is again inked as before, and the sheet is again applied to the type element in a different position relatively thereto, so that the type portion inked with the first ink will print on one check and stub area, different from the one previously printed upon by this ink, and the type portion inked with the second ink will print upon one check and stub area of the sheet, which is different from the one previously I the sheet is applied to the printing element for a third time in still a different position so that the first inked printing portion will print upon the check and stub area which has not yet been printed upon by this ink (although this same area may have been already printed upon by the other ink) and the second inked portion of the printing element will print upon the check and stub area of the sheet which has not yet been printed upon by the second ink (although this portion may have been previously printed upon by the other ink). Thus, at the end of the three applications of the sheet to the printing element, all three of the check and stub areas will have been printed in both of the two different inks.

Frequently, the two different inks may be inks of different colors. For example, one of them may be black and the other may be red, the name of the bank and the number of the check being printed, for example, in red, while the other printed matter on the check and stub may be printed, for example, in black. Red and black inks are mentioned only as a convenient illustrative example, however, and it is to be understood that the invention is not limited necessarily to these colors, or to any particular kinds or types of ink. Obviously, if desired, one of the inks may be a visible ink and may be used to print all of the visible matter on each check and stub, while the other or different ink may be an invisible ink and may be used to print on each check suitable warning indicia or the like, which will be developed and become visible when ink eradicator is applied to the check. Or again, both of the dissimilar inks may be invisible inks, when it is desired to print certain matter on each check in one kind of an invisible ink and certain other matter on each check in another kind of an invisible ink. It is, therefore, within the scope of the present invention to employ different inks of any desired kind or character, not necessarily visible inks of two different colors.

Another feature of the method constituting part of the present invention is that, in accordance with this method, each sheet is creased by the apparatus to make an easily flexible joint along a line near one edge of the sheet, so that when the sheets are later bound into a book or the like (such as a check book), the sheets will bend easily along the previously'creased lines, so that the book may be readily opened up fiat Various other features of the present method, and additional details of the features above described, will be apparent from the following description of a preferred form of printing apparatus made according to the present invention and capable of carrying out the method of the present invention.

The preferred embodiment of the apparatus comprises a main frame indicated in general by the numeral 4| and having substantially vertically arranged guide rails 42 along which a bed 43 is vertically slidable. The bed 43 may have wear plates 44 on its rear surface for sliding over the rails 42, and may be held against forward movement away from the rails by means of plates 45 secured to the bed 43 and extending around to the rear side of certain flanges on the central rails 42, as best shown in Fig. 3.

This bed 43 is provided near the bottom edge of its front surface with lugs 50 on which the lower edge of a chase 5i may rest, and which are inclined so as to hold the lower edge'of the chase securely in place. The upper edge of the chase may be held by a clamp 52 vertically slidable on the bed 43 and normally urged downwardly into clamping position by a spring 53. To release the chase 5|, the clamp 52 may be raised by a partial rotation of the crank handle 54 which is connected to an eccentric 55 operating upon the clamp.

The chase carries printing types or a printing plate 51, constituting one printing portion, and also printing types or a printing plate 58, constituting another printing portion. These two printing portions may be arranged closely adjacent each other, so as to print upon contiguous areas of the sheet of stock to be printed, but preferably the two printing portions are spaced from each other by a distance equal to one dimension of one or more intervening areas to be printed.

In other words, if the printing portion 51 prints upon one area, the other printing portion 58 preferably does not print upon the next adjacent area, but rather upon the second area from the one printed upon by the portion 51', or upon an area even further removed from the area printed upon by the portion 51 than the second area from the portion 51.

The printing portion 51 is inked by suitable inking mechanism of conventional construction indicated in general at 6 I, mounted on a carriage 62 movable toward and away from the type by rotation of a pinion 63 mounted on the carriage and meshing with a fixed rack 64, the rotation of the pinion being controlled by a handle 65. Sinnlarly, the other printing portion 58 is inked by inking mechanism 68 of conventional form, mounted on a carriage 69 whose movements are controlled by a pinion 18 meshing with a rack 1 I, the pinion being turned by a handle 12. The printing portion 51 is inked by the inking mechanis'm BI near the upper end of the vertical movement of the bed 43', and does not cooperate with the other inking mechanism 68. The printing portion 58 is inked by the mechanism 68 near the lower end of the vertical movement of the bed, and does not cooperate with the other inkmg mechanism 6|. Thus each inking mechanism inks only its cooperating printing portion, and different inks may be supplied to the two inking mechanisms, so that the two printing portions will print with two different inks. In the illustrative case selected as an example, the inking mechanism 6| inks the printing portion 51 with black ink while the inking mechanism 88 inks the printing portion 58 with red ink, but entirely different kinds of ink could be employed as above mentioned.

Suitable operating mechanism is provided for reciprocating the bed 43 upwardly and downwardly. This mechanism may include a suitable electric motor 88 controlled from a control panel 81*, the motor driving a belt 82 running over a pulley 83 fixedto a shaft 84, which shaft also has, accessible at one side of the machine, a hand wheel 85" by which the shaft may be turned slightly when desired, for adjusting the machine or bringing it exactly to any predetermined position. A' pinion 88 is also fixed to the shaft 84 and mesheswith a gear 81 on a shaft 88. Near its periphery this gear carries a crank pin 89 on which is mounted'the lower end of a link 88, the upper end of which is pivoted at 9I to a bracket near the lower edge of the bed 43. Thus, as the gear 81 turns, the link 98 will move the bed 43' upwardly and downwardly along the guiding rails 42'.

On the opposite side of the link 98 from the gear81isa fly wheel Sit-mounted on,a shaft 94' concentric with the shaft 88. A crank pin 89 extends from the gear 81 through the link 98 and into the fly wheel 93, so that the gear and fiy wheel turn" with each other. The fly wheel is suitably counter-weighted to compensate for the mass-of the link 98, or a separate counterweight 95-may be provided on the shaft 88 ifpreferred,

To'hold the sheets-of stock to be printed, and to bring them into cooperative relationship with the printing portions 51 and 58, there is provided an-impression roller I88 freely rotatable upon a shaft I8I, the ends I82'ofwhichshaft are of reduced diameter, and arranged eccentrically with relation to theintermediate portion of the shaft on' which the impression roller I88 turns. These eccentric ends I82" extend through eccentric bushings I83 mounted in suitable openings in thejframe 4|; The bushings I83 may be turned 65F in-theframe toadjust the'entire shaft I8I bodily 58, and when properly adjusted may be locked toward andaway' from the type portions 51 and against further turningby suitable means such as the-set screws I84. The shaft I8I may itself be'turned in the bushings I83 by means of a tion' of the shaft on which the roller I88 rotates 75a closer to -or farther away from the: vertical'plane" of the printing portions 51 and 58 due to the fact that this central portion of the shaft is eccentric with respect to' its ends I82. Thus, by suitable manipulation of the crank arm I85, the roller I88 may be brought into proper cooperative printing relationship to the printing portions 51 and 58 during movement of these printing portions in one direction (such as downward movement thereof) and may be moved slightly back away from the plane of the printing portions to be out of cooperation therewith during movement of the printing portions in the opposite directions (such as during upward movement of the printing portions).

Suitable mechanism is provided for moving the crank arm I85 at the proper times to accomplish this movement of the roller I88 toward and away from the plane of the printing portions 51 and 58'. For instance, the shaft 88 may be provided with a box cam I I8 (Figs. 2 and 4) in which runs a cam follower roller I II mounted on one arm II'2 of a bell crank lever pivoted at II 3 to the frame of the machine. The other arm II4 of this bellcrank lever is pivoted to a link I I5 which extends upwardly at one side of the machine and is connected, through suitable intermediate mechanism indicated in general at IIB, to a rod II1 which is pivoted to the crank arm I85. The intermediate mechanism II6 above mentioned is mechanism for breaking the connection or rendering it inoperative whenever no sheet of paper is in proper position to pass onto the impression roller' I88, and this mechanism may be of any suitable conventional or known form, forming no part of the present invention. Assuming that a sheet of paper is properly positioned upon the impression roller, and that the intermediate connecting mechanism II6 is'therefore not moved to an inoperative position, the crank arm I85 will be oscillated back and forth in accordance with the movement of the cam follower roller I I I in the cam H8; and this cam is so designed that at the beginning of a downward movement of the bed 43 which carries the chase 5I, the shaft I8I will be turned to shift the impression roller I88 toward the plane of the printing portions 51 and 58, into" cooperative printing relationship therewith, and approximately at the lower end of the movement of the bed 43, the crank I85 will be oscillated in the reverse'direction to shift the roller I88 away from the plane of the printing portions 51 and 58, so that the sheet of stock on the roller w'illbe out of contact with the printing portions whenthe' type orprinting plates move upwardly;

The cylinder I88'is provided with suitable sheet gripping means. have a longitudinal groove I28 (Figs. '7 and 12) therein, for receiving a gripper assembly comprising the plates I2I and I22 (Fig. 12) spaced from each other. Two or more grippers I 23 lie between the plates I2I and I22 and are pivoted on pivot pins I24 extending into one or preferably both plates. I25 which extend laterally and overlie the top edge of the plate I2I. Springs I26 (Figs. 7 and 8) normally tend to move the grippers I23 downwardly so that the lugs I25 will clamp firmly upon the edge of a sheet I21 (Fig. 12).

A bar I29 slidable between the bars I2I and I23 on guide pins I38 has cam portions I3I (Figs. 7 and 8) which, when the bar is moved rightwardly, shove up on the left hand ends of the grippers I23 and move the lugs I25 thereof upwardly asshown in-Fig. 8, torelease the sheet I21 or to provide space for receiving a new'sheet. Plunger For example the cylinder may The grippers I23 havesmall lugs' I33 pressed leftwardly by a spring I34 constantly tends to move the release bar I29 leftwardly and thus to permit the grippers I23 to move to gripping position under the influence of their springs I26.

Sharp pins I40 (Fig. 12) project obliquely into the groove I20 in which the paper gripping assembly is placed. When this gripping assembly is removed from the groove or slot I20, one end of a backing sheet I4I of paper or other suitable material may be forced over the pins I40 and held thereby, and the sheet I4I may then be passed around the corner of the groove I20, and around the periphery of the roller I00, and back into the opposite side of the groove I20, as plainly shown in Fig. 12. Then if the gripper assembly is forced back into the groove, it will frictionally retain the end of the sheet MI in place. This backing sheet may be renewed as frequently as necessary upon removing the gripping assembly from its groove or slot.

When the gripper assembly is in place in its slot, it is held in place therein by rings I45 extending circumferentially around the cylinder I 00 in circumferential grooves formed therein near the ends of thegripper assembly, these rings I45 being each split at one point so that when they are rotated to aline the split points with the gripper'assembly the gripper assembly may be removed from its slot.

A plunger I (Figs. '7 and 8) is mounted coaxially with the gripper control bar I29 at the left hand end thereof, and normally projects leftwardly from the left end of the cylinder I00, as shown in Fig. 7. Rightward movement of the plunger I50 will press rightwardly upon the control bar I29 and release the grippers. To operate this p unger for releasing the grippers at the desired time, there is provided a flat annular plate I52 mounted on a pair of rods I53 which extend through suitable openings in the frame M and which are connected to each other at their left hand ends by a bracket I54. Coiled springs I surrounding the rods I53 between the frame M and the bracket I54 normally press leftwardl'y on the bracket and thus tend to retract the rods I53 and the plate I52 to the position shown in Fig. '7, in which the plate I52 is not pressing against the plunger I50, and the grippers I23 are in closed or gripping position.

In order to move the plate I52 rightwardly at the desired time to release the grippers I2l3, the

Y a follower roller I64 on a lever I65 pivoted to the the frame of the machine.

frame of the machine at I66. The lever is also pivoted at IGI to a link I68 which extends upwardly and is connected at its upper end (Fig. 2) to one arm I69 of a bell crank lever pivoted on The other arm I'I0 of the bell crank lever is pivoted to a horizontal link I'II extending leftwardly to a point near the left hand side of the machine (Figs. 2 and 3) Where it is pivoted to one end of a lever I'I2 mounted on a fixed pivot I'I3. Near its other end the lever H2 is pivoted at I" (Figs. 3, '7, and 8) to the bracket I54. At the proper time, the cam I63 moves the follower roller I64 downwardly, which pulls the link I68 downwardly, moves the 'link I'II leftwardly, and turns the lever III2 to shift the bracket I54 rightwardly to bring the plate I52 against the end of the plunger I50 and shove this plunger rightwardly to release the grippers as indicated in Fig. 8.

The same lever I'I2 also controls the paper stripping mechanism, best seen in Figs, 5 and 6. Two or more stripping fingers I are fixed to a cross shaft I8I which is mounted parallel to the axis of the roller I00. Near the left hand end of this shaft I8I is fixed a control arm I82 which overlies a control bar I83 (Figs. 5, 6, 7, and8) which is pivoted at I84 to the lever II2 above mentioned. When the lever H2 is moved by the cam I63, the stripper control bar I83 will be moved longitudinally, or in a direction axially of the cylinder I00. This control bar is provided with a deep notch I86 at one point, and rightwardly thereof is provided with a shallower notch I81, and still rightwardly of this notch is provided with a portion I88 of full depth or thickness, these three portions I86, I81, and i88 being connected to each other by inclined or sloping surfaces constituting cams. At the proper point in the rotation of the impression roller I00 the cam I63 operating upon the follower roller I64 moves the lever I'I2 to shift the control bar I83 all the way to the right, to a point where the deep notch I86 of the control bar is alined with the control arm I82 on the shaft IBI. The arm I82 then drops to the full depth permitted by this notch, bringing the sharp corners or pointed ends I90 on the strippers I80 momentarily into contact with the roller I00, just as the forward or advancing edge of the sheet of stock on this roller reaches the stripping mechanism, and just at the instant that the grippers I23 are released. The advancing edge of the paper is thus caught by the points I90 of the stripper I80 and moved outwardly away from the roller I00, to strip the sheet from the roller. Almost immediately, after an extremely brief time interval, the cam I63 allows the follower roller I64 to move upwardly very slightly, so that the control member I83 is moved leftwardly by a slight amount, sufficient to remove the deep notch I86 from underneath the arm I82 and place the slightly shallower notch I8'I underneath this arm. This movement of the follower roller I64 and associated parts is not sufficient, however, to cause the grippers I23 to close again, these grippers still being held open. The positioning of the slightly shallower notch I8'I beneath the arm I82 causes this arm to be moved slightly in a counterclockwise direction when viewed as in Figs. 5 and 6, moving the points I90 of the strippers I80 very slightly away from the periphery of the roller I00 by a few thousandths of an inch, so that the points of the strippers will not actually bear upon the surface of the roller and will not catch thereon or cause wear on the roller during continued rotation thereof. Then, when the stripping of the sheet has been completed and when a new sheet has been brought into effective position with relation to the open grippers, the cam I63 allows the follower roller I64 to rise still higher to the uppermost limit of its travel, which again shifts the lever In further leftwardly, closes the grippers I23, and moves the stripper control bar I83 to bring the high point I88 thereof under the arm I62, shifting this arm further in a counterclockwise direction (Figs. 5 and 6) to move the strippers I80 entirely away from the roller I00 to their normal non-stripping position shown in Fig. 5. The shape of the cam I63 is designed to accomplish the movements above described, butthe extent of movement required to shift the deep notch I86 out from under the arm I 82 and place the slightly shallower arm 75 I01 under this arm is so slight that the configuration of the cam I63 which accomplishes this is practically imperceptible in the drawings.

A contact roller 200 (Fig. 5) mounted on arms 20I pivoted to the frame is urged by springs 202 in a direction toward the impression roller I00, to tend to keep the sheet of stock wrapped around this impression roller in proper relationship thereto and to prevent the trailing end thereof from flapping loosely.

Suitable mechanism is provided for turning the impression roller I00 at the proper times and to the proper extent. In its preferred form, this means comprises a rack 205 (Figs. 2, 3, and 11) mounted on and movable with the bed 43, and meshing with a gear or pinion 206 (Figs. 3, '7, 8, and 11) freely rotatable upon a leftward extension of the right hand bushing I03, and located adjacent the right hand end of the impression cylinder I00. Mounted at one point in this gear 206 is a plunger 20'! constantly urged leftwardly by a spring 208. The plunger acts as a clutch pin and is adapted to engage in one or another of three radial notches 209 in the right hand end of the impression cylinder I00, which notches are arranged at 120 apart, as shown in Fig. 10. When viewed endwise as in Fig. 10, each notch has a straight perpendicular or abutment like side on the clockwise edge of the notch, and a beveled or oblique side at the counter-clockwise edge of the notch. As the gear 206 is turned in a clockwise direction when viewed from the right hand end of the assembly, as in Figs. 10 and 11, the pin 201 will engage in the first notch 209 which it comes to, and, being unable to jump past the shoulder or abutment at the clockwise side of that notch, it will form a driving connection between the gear and the cylinder I00, so that the cylinder I00 will move with the gear in a clockwise direction. When the gear 206 is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction, however, the pin 20! will ride up the inclined counter-clockwise side of each notch 209 and will not turn the cylinder I00.

To prevent accidental counter-clockwise turning of the cylinder I00, which might be caused by the friction of the pin 20'! thereon, the periphery of the cylinder is provided near its right hand end with three notches 2I I, spaced approximately 120 apart, as shown in Fig. 9, and a dog 2I2 has a hooked end to cooperate with these notches to prevent counter-clockwise rotation of the cylinder. The dog 2I2 is mounted for oscillation on a fixed shaft 2I3, and a spring 2I4 (Fig. 8) constantly urges the hooked end of the dog into contact with the periphery of the roller I 00.

The amount of rotation to be given to the cylinder I00 at each movement of the bed 43 will depend upon the manner in which printing is to be effected upon the sheets placed upon the cylinder. In the embodiment here disclosed as an example and constituting the preferred form of the invention, the sheet of stock to be printed is divided into three areas which are so arranged with relation to each other that it is desirable to turn the cylinder I09 through one and one-third revolutions at each complete reciprocation of the bed 43. Hence, the linear extent of movement of the bed 43 in each direction of its reciprocation (which is determined by the amount of eccentricity of the crank pin 09 with reference to the shaft 88) is made equal to or very slightly greater than one and one-third times the circumference of the pitch circle of the gear 206, which pitch circle is of the same size as the effective diameter of the impression roller I00, so that the roller I00 will be turned in synchronism with the movements of the bed-43, and will have a perfect rolling action with relation to the printing plates or types, without slippage. With this arrangement, each full downward movement of the bed 43 will, through the rack 205, gear 206, and clutch pin 201, cause a rotation of the impression roller I00 through exactly one and one-third revolutions, the rotation being in synchronism with the movements of the printing bed so that a sheet of stock gripped in the grippers I23 on the impression roller will be properly presented to the printing portions 57 and 58 to be printed therefrom. During the subsequent upward movement of the bed 43, the impression roller will be held stationary, as the clutch pin 201 will pass idly out of each of the notches 209 which it comes to during the reverse rotation of the gear 206, and the cylinder I00 will be held against reverse rotation by the dog or pawl 2I2 engaging in a notch 2II which will come just to the proper point for cooperation with the dog at the end of each rotary movement of the cylinder.

At the end of the upward movement of the bed 43, the gear 206 will have been turned back to its initial position and the clutch pin 20'! will be just in engagement with one of the notches 209 if each movement of the bed 43 causes exactly one and one-third revolutions of the gear 206, or will be just a little to the rear of one of the notches 209, if each movement of the bed 43 causes slightly more than one and one-third revolutions of the gear 206 as is preferably the case in order to allow a little leeway. Then, upon the next downward movement of the bed 43, the gear 206 will again turn in a clockwise direction when viewed from the right hand end, and if the pin 20'! is not already against the abutment shoulder of its associated notch 209, it will very quickly come into contact with the abutment shoulder of the notch and thus form a driving connection between the gear and the cylinder. The cylinder will again be turned through one and one-third revolutions during the downward movement of the bed 43 and will be held stationary during the upward movement of the bed.

With this preferred arrangement, providing for turning the impression cylinder through one and one-third revolutions at each reciprocation of the printing element, it will be apparent that three printing operations, resulting in four complete revolutions of the cylinder I00, will be sufficient to print all three of the areas on the sheet of stock held on the impression cylinder. Hence, a new sheet is to be fed to the impression cylinder at every fourth revolution thereof or at every third complete reciprocation of the bed 43, and the finished sheet is likewise to be stripped from the impression cylinder at every fourth revolution thereof or every third complete reciprocation of the bed 43. The gears I60 and I6I therefor have the required sizes and number of teeth so as to give a three to one reduction. Thus the shaft I62, on which is mounted the cam I63 for controlling the opening and closing of the sheet grippers on the cylinder and for controlling the sheet stripping mechanism, rotates one-third as fast as the shaft 88 which controls the reciprocations of the bed 43, and the gripping and stripping mechanism will be operated once for every three printing operations. The cam IIO which controls the oscillation of the arm I05 and the movements of the cylinder I00 toward and away from the plane of the type is mounted on the shaft 88, however, so that the proper lateral movements of the cylinder will take place at each printing operation.

At 225 is shown a fragment of a conventional sheet feeding mechanism of any suitable kind, such as is commonly available on the market. This feeding mechanism delivers sheets of stock one at a time onto the belts or tapes 226 running over rollers 221, 228, 229, and 230. The belts or tapes are driven by means of gear teeth 232 secured to the roller 221 and meshing with gear teeth 233 operatively connected to a sprocket 234 driven by a chain 235 from a sprocket 236 on a shaft 231, which shaft, in turn, is driven by a sprocket 238 fixed to the shaft, and over which runs a driving chain 239 driven by a sprocket 240 fixed on the shaft I62. The feeding mechanism 225 itself is driven in any suitable manner, as, for example, from the gear 233, and is so timed that it delivers one sheet to the belts or tapes 226 for each three reciprocations of the bed 43 or each four revolutions of the impression cylinder 100.

The belts 226, in running from the roller 221 toward the impression cylinder 106 pass first over a substantially horizontal table 245, and then over a table or shelf 246 inclined slightly downwardly toward the top edge of the impression cylinder, as readily seen in Fig. 4.

, A sheet stop comprising one or more members 250 is moved into position to contact with the advancing edge of the sheet on the belts 226 and momentarily stop the movement of the sheets when the advancing edge of each sheet is ap proximately at the junction between the horizontal table 245 and the inclined shelf 246. When the sheet is stopped, a clamping bar 252 is moved downwardly onto the sheet to hold it firmly along ,a line substantially parallel to and spaced inwardly from the left hand edge of the sheet. The clamping bar 252 may be mounted on studs 253 projecting upwardly from the bar into suitable holes in a stationary frame 254, and springs 255 overlying the upper ends of the studs 253 constantly press downwardly on these studs and tend to depress the clamping bar 252.

A shaft 251 journaled in suitable openings in the frame 254 passes close to the studs 253 and is provided with a notch forming an abutment 258 which underlies and cooperates with an abutment 259 on each stud 253. An operating arm 260 is fixed to the shaft 251 and has a rounded end overlying the rounded end of another arm 261 pivoted to the frame at 262 and operated by a link 263 having on its lower end a bracket 264 which is forked and which embraces the shaft 231 to be guided thereby. The bracket 264 carries a follower roller 266 riding on the periphery of a cam 261 fixed to the shaft 231. During a considerable part of each revolution of the shaft 231 the cam 261 holds the follower roller 266 and the link 263 in its uppermost position, which elevates the arms 26! and 266 and holds the shaft 251 in such position that the abutment 258 holds the studs 253 in an elevated position against the tension of the springs 255, thus maintaining the clamping bar 252 in the position shown in Fig. 14, so that the sheet of stock indicated at S is not clamped. When the paper stop 256 has been moved to an effective position by mechanism controlled from the shaft 231 or in any other suitable way, and the sheet S has come into contact with and been stopped by this stop 250, then the cam 261, allows the follower roller 2 55 and the link 263 to move downwardly, permitting the arms 26| and 260 to move downwardly and allowing the springs 255 to press the clamping bar 252 down into clamping engagement with the sheet S.

Another cam 21!] on the shaft 231, preferably a box cam, actuates a follower roller 21! mounted near the lower end of a link 212. The upper end of this link is pivoted at 213 to an arm 214 which is fixed to a shaft 215 near one end thereof. Near the other end of the shaft is another arm 216. Links 218 and 216 pivoted to these arms 214 and 216, respectively, extend upwardly therefrom and carry at their upper ends a crimping bar 280 which has a channel 28l formed along its right hand edge in position to receive the left hand edge of the sheet S, as shown in Fig. 14. Studs 283 extend loosely into openings in the bar 286 and in the frame 4! and are surrounded by coiled springs 284 which constantly tend to move the bar 286 rightwardly against the clamping bar 252, but allow it to spring back away from the bar when necessary.

The box cam 21!] is so shaped that while the clamping bar 252 is in its effective clamping position, the link 212 will first be raised to move the crimping bar 280 upwardly to the position shown in Fig. 15, and then will be lowered to move the crimping bar down to the position shown' in Fig. 16, after which the crimping bar will be returned to its normal intermediate position shown in Fig. 14, and the clamping bar 252 will be released. At about this same time the stop 25 3 is withdrawn and the sheet S is once more moved ahead by the constantly running belts or tapes 226.

The upward and downward movements of the crimping bar 286 causes the sheet S to be crimped or creased along the line of the left hand edge of the clamping bar 252. At the uppermost limit of motion of the bar 280, the lower side wall of the channel 281 is moved to a position just above the original normal plane of the sheet S, as plainly shown in Fig. 15, so that the sheet is bent upwardly around the corner of the clamping bar 252, the springs 284 allowing the crimping or creasing bar 280 to move leftwardly enough to accommodate the thickness of the paper interposed between the parts 280 and 252 so that the action is a creasing one rather than an actual cutting or shearing one. Similarly, when the crimping or creasing bar 286 is moved downwardly to the lowermost position shown in Fig. 16, the upper side wall of the channel 281 is just below the normal undeflected plane of the sheet S, so the sheet is necessarily bent downwardly as plainly shown in Fig. 16, creasing it in the opposite direction along the same line coincident with the left hand edge of the clamping bar 252. When this crimping or creasing operation is completed the sheet will have a well defined crease substantially parallel to and spaced slightly inwardly from its left hand edge, so that if a number of sheets be bound together along their left hand edges to form a book (such as a check book or the like) the crease in each sheet will enable the sheet to bend more readily and the sheets may thus be opened up more easily into a substantially fiat condition than would be the case if this creasing were not provided.

When the paper stop 25!! is withdrawn, the sheet advances down the inclined table 243 and comes to rest against a second paper stop (not shown) which may be of any conventional or known form, just in advance of the impression cylinder 106. Then this stop is withdrawn while the impression cylinder I0!) is stationary during the upward movement of the printing element 43 immediately after the completion'of all three printing operations upon the immediately preceding sheet of stock. Upon the withdrawal of this second paper stop, the sheet advances to the grippers I23, which are now open and are at the top of the cylinder, in position to receive the advancing edge of the sheet. The immediately preceding sheet has been partially but not yet fully stripped from the, cylinder I00. Near the upper end of the upward movement of the printing element 43 the grippers I23 will be closed upon the fresh sheet which has just arrived at the cylinder I00, and during the next downward movement of the printing element 43, the cylinder I00 will be turned, effecting the first of the three printing operations upon the fresh sheet now gripped on the cylinder,'and the first part of this turning of the cylinder I00 will com.- plete the stripping of the previously printed sheet from the cylinder, which stripped sheet will fall onto any suitable receptacle, such as the shelf 300 (Figs. 1 and 4).

"In Figs. 23; 24, and 25, there are shown three successive stages in the printing of a typical sheet 3I0 designed to carry three printed areas, each consisting of a check and its associated stub. The crimped or creased line formed by the mechanism illustrated in Figs. 14, 15, and 16, is shown diagrammatically at3l I. In the illustrative example here given, the name of the bank appearing'on each check, and the consecutive or serial number appearing on each check and the corresponding stub, are printed in one ink, such as red ink, by type or a printing plate in the location 58,

near the lower edge of the chase 5|, the red ink being supplied by the inking mechanism 68. The other matter on each check and stub area, such as the name of the issuing company, the wording "pay to the order of, the usual text on the stub, etc., is printed in a difierent'ink, such as black ink supplied bythe inking mechanism 6|, the type or printing plate for'p'rinting this matter being located at 51 near the upper edge of the chase 5|.

In the preferred form of construction, the impression cylinder I00 is made of such size that its circumference is substantially equal to, or very slightly greater than, the dimension of the sheet in the direction across all three areas to be printed. In other words, when the forward edge of the sheet (that is, the top edge when viewed as in Figs. 23 to 25) is gripped in the grippers I23. and when the impression cylinder is turned so that the sheet becomes wrapped around the circumference of the cylinder, the rear or trailing edgeof the sheet will be very close to or substantially in contact with the forward or advance edge of the sheet, the sheet thus being wrapped around substantially the entire circumference of the cylinder.

Upon the first downward movement of the printing element 43 and the accompanying rotation of the impression cylinder I00 through one and one-third revolutions, the printing portion 50 'will print the red matter on the first check and stub area and the printing portion 51 will print the black matter upon the third check and stub area, nothing being printed at this time upon the intermediate or second check and stub area. The appearance of the sheet at the end of this first printing operation will be that indicated in Fig. 23.

Due to the fact that in the first printing operation the impression cylinder was turned at one and one-third revolutions, the cylinder will start the second printing operation a third of a revolution around from the position in which it started the first printing operation. Hence, during the second downward movement of the printing element 43, the red printing portion 58 will print the red matter a third of a revolution farther around the cylinder from the position in which it was printed in the preceding printing operation. Thus, the red matter will be printed on the second check and stub area. Likewise, the printing portion 51 will print the black matter in a position a third of a revolution around the impression cylinder from that in which the black matter was printed in the previous printing operation so that the black matter will now be printed on the first check and stub area, this being a third of a revolution around the cylinder from the last or third check and stub area previously printed. At the end of this second printing operation, the appearance of the sheet will be as indicated in Fig. 24. The first check and stub area has now been entirely completed with both red and black printing. The second area has been printed only in red but not in black, and the third area has been printed only in black but not in red.

Due to the rotation of the impression cylinder I 00 through one and one-third revolutions, at the time of the second printing operation, this cylinder will start the third printing operation a third of a revolution farther around than the position in which it started the second printing operation. Hence, the respective red and black printing will each take place on areas a third of a revolution around from those printed upon during the preceding operation. Thus, during the third printing operation, the printing portion 58 will print the red matter on the third check and stub area, while the printing portion 51 will print the black matter on the second check and stub area. The appearance of the sheet at the end of this third printing operation is indicatedin Fig. 25. and it will be seen that at this time all three of the areas have been printed with both inks, so that the entire sheet is now finished.

The printing portions 51 and 58 may each be said to print substantially the same matter upon each area of each sheet, but it is obvious that some slight changes in the exact matter printed may be made from time to time, either by manually changing the type matter upon stopping the machine at the proper time, or by automatic changes in the type matter. For example, one or the other of the printing portions may carry one or more numbering heads of known construction, as commonly used in the printing art, for printing the consecutive or serial numbers upon the checks and the stubs. At each printing operation, the numbering heads are advanced one unit, so that the number printed thereby is one higher than the number previously printed. In the example here illustrated, two such numbering heads are employed, one for printing upon the check and one for printing upon the stub portion corresponding thereto, and each of these numbering heads is included in the printing portion 58 rather than in the portion 51, since it is desired to print the numbers in red.

A brief review of the operation of the machine as a whole will now be given. The paper feeding mechanism 225 feeds sheets one at a time onto the constantly moving'belts or tapes 225. The stop 250 is positioned in the path of travel of the sheet, so that when the advancing edge of. the

sheet reaches the stop, further travel of the sheet is prevented even though the sheet still rests upon the traveling belts 226. The clamping bar 252 now movesdownwardly and clamps the sheet 1 near its left hand edge, leaving a margin projecting leftwardly beyond the clamping bar as shown in Fig, 14. The cam 210 then moves the crimping or creasing bar 280 upwardly to the position shown in Fig. 15, and then downwardly to the position shown in Fig. 16, and then back up to its intermediate position shown in Fig. 14. The upward and downward movements of the creasing bar cause a creasing of the sheet along a line ill I (Figs. 23, 24, and 25) near the left hand edge of the sheet, so that When the sheets are bound into a check book, the book may be opened more easily.

The clamping bar 252 is now released by the cam 26?, and the stop 250 is withdrawn. The

withdrawal of the stop permits the sheet to advance once more under the influence of the moving tapes 226 so that the sheet'inoves ofi of the horizontal'table 245 onto the inclined table 246, and the advancing edge of the sheet comes against and is stopped by the second paper stop (not shown). Upon the withdrawal of this stop, in proper timed relation to the other movements, the sheet advances through the slight remaining distance between the second stop and the impression cylinder, and reaches the impression cylinder I00 at a time when the impression cylinder is stationary and when the grippers I23 on this cylinder are at the uppermost part of the cylinder (substantially tangent to the table 246) and are open to receive the new sheet. At this time, the printing element 43 is in process of moving upwardly toward the upper limit of its motion.

Just before the upward limit of motion of the printing element 43 is reached, the cam I63 acting upon the follower roller I64 moves the connections I68, I'II, I12 to shift the plate I52 left-- wardly from the position shown in Fig. 8 to the position shown in Fig. 7, thus closing the grippers I23 so that the portions I25 thereof grip firmly upon the finished sheet which has just been delivered to the cylinder I00. At the end of the upward movement of the printing element, the clutch pin 20! mounted in the gear 206 snaps into or is positioned just behind one of the notches 209 in the right hand end of the cylinder I00 ready to drive the cylinder when the gear 206 commences to rotate in the opposite direction.

The parts are now substantially in the position illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 1'7. As the rotation of the gear 81 continues, the link 00 begins to pull the printing element 43 downwardly. The downward movement of the printing element drives the gear 206 through the rack 205, and the rotation of the gear 206 is transmitted through the clutch pin 20'! to the cylinder I00 causing this cylinder to rotate in a clockwise direction when viewed from its right hand end as in Figs. 9 to 12, inclusive, or in a counterclockwise direction when viewed from its left hand as in Figs. 17 to 22, inclusive. Since the grippers I23 are already closed upon the sheet of stock, the rotation of the cylinder carries the sheet along with it.

Very early in this downward movement of the printing element 43, the box cam I I 0 acting upon the follower roller III, moves the links Hi5 and Ill to turn the arm I05 which is secured to the eccentric shaft IOI on which the cylinder I00 is mounted. It will be understood that the maximum movement of the cylinder caused by shifting the eccentric shaft is relatively slight in comparison to the depth of the gear teeth of the rack 205 and the gear'206, so that the rack and gear remain properly meshed with each other at all times, irrespective of the movements of the shaft NH. The turning of the shaft IOI at the beginning of the downward movement of the printing element shifts the whole cylinder I00 a slight distance bodily toward the plane of the printing types, into proper impression-making or printing relationship therewith.

As downward movement of the printing element continues, the lower or red printing portion 58 comes into contact with the first area of the sheet of stock, as indicated inFig. 18, and prints on this area. Then a little later during the downward movement of the printing element, theupper printing portion 51 of the printing element comes, in turn, into contact with the sheet of stock, as indicated in Fig. 19, and prints on this sheet in the third area thereof, leaving the second area unprinted for the time being.

'At' the completion of the downward movement of the printing element 43, the first area of the sheet has been printed upon by the red printing type 58 and the third area of the sheet has been printed upon by the black printing type 57, the condition of the sheet at this time being substantially as shown in Fig. 23. Approximately at the end of the downward movement of the printing element, the cam IIO again shifts the links H5, II! to turn the eccentric shaft IOI a slight amount in the opposite direction, throwing the whole cylinder I00 bodily away from the plane of the printing types 5'! and 58.

Continued rotation of the gear 61 now carries the printing element 43 upwardly (Fig. 21), but during such upward movement, no printing takes place because the cylinder I00 has been separated laterally a slight distance from the effective surface of the printing portions. Likewise, during such upward movement the cylinder I00 does not turn, but is held against retrograde turning by the dog or pawl 2i 2 engaged in one of the notches 2 of the cylinder, and'although the gear 206 turns backwardly, the clutch pin 201 thereof simply clicks idly past the notches 209 in the cylinder.

The printing element 43 now reaches the upward limit of its travel (Fig. 22) and starts down.- wardly again for a second printing operation which is substantially the same as the tfirst printing operation just described above, except that at the start of the second printing operation the cylinder I00 is a third of a revolution farther around than it was at the start of the first printing operation and except that the linkage I60, I'II, H2 is not moved at this time be cause the grippers are already closed upon the paper and are not to be released until three printing operations have been performed upon the sheet. Hence the cam I63 which controls the linkage I68 rotates only one revolution for every three revolutions of the gear 81 which moves the printing element 43 up and down. The cam IIEE which controls the oscillation of the eccentric shaft IOI is effective at each printing operation, however, and at the beginning of the second printing operation, as at all of the other printing operations, this cam moves the cylinder I00 into proper impression-making relationshipto the printing types, and again moves the cylinder laterally away from the printing types at the end of each downward movement of the printing element so that the sheet will not "be smeared during the subsequent upward movement 43 moves upwardly once moreand then starts to deeper notch holds the points I90 of the strippers slightly'away to reach these stripper points.

move downwardly for the third printing operation, at the commencement of which the cylinder I is a third of a revolution farther around than it was at the beginning of the second printing operation, or two thirds of a revolution farther around than it was at the beginning of the first printing operation.

During the third sprinting operation, the cam I63 acts upon the follower roller 54 to move the linkage I 68 "at an intermediate ,p'oint off the downward movementof the printing element 43, which action is preferably timed so that it takes place after the red printing type 58 has finished its printing upon the sheet. and about or a little after the time when the black printing type is beginning its printing operation upon the sheet. This movement of the linkage 1 68 causes movement of the parts Ill and In to shift the gripper release plate I52 rightwardly from the position shown in Fig. 7 to the position shown in Fig. 8, to open the grippers I23 just as the advancing edge of the sheet is about to reach the points E9!) of the strippers I80 (Figs. 5 and 6'). Simultaneously the stripper control bar I03 has also been moved rightwardly to the full limit of its motion, so that the control arm I82 is enabled to drop into the deep notch I86 of the control bar, throwing the points I90 of the strippers I80 against the surface of the cylinder -I-00 just as the advancing edge of the sheet is about sheet is caught by the points I90 and forced outwar-dly away from the periphery of the cylinder I00. Inspite of the release of the: grippers I23 and the stripping of the advancing edge of the sheet from the cylinder, the final stages of the printing operation, performed by the type portion 51, may nevertheless continue satisfactorily, because at this time the type 51 is in contact with the sheet and itself serves to press the sheet tance inthe reverse direction, not enough to-close the grippers 23, but enough to shift the pawl '583 so that the control arm I82 of the grippers is now in the shallower notch 1-81 instead of in the I86. This shallower notch I8"! from the periphery of the cylinder I00, but still maintains the strippers in such position 'thatthey form smooth guides for receiving and guiding the sheet as it comes off of the cylinder, so that'the sheet will. be deposited on "the receiving shelf 300.

At the end of the downward movement of the printing element 43 during this third or final printing operation, the cylinder 1011 comes to rest as before, but this time the grippers are open and are substantially at the top of the cylinder, readyrto receive a fresh sheet, and thesheet on which the printing has just been completed remains partially stripped but not yet wholly 're The edge of the "moved. from the cylinder. During the upward movement of the printing element 43, the fresh sheet which has already been creased by the T'mechanism shown in Figs. 14, '15, and 16, and which has come-down the table 246 to the second paper stop, advances upon the withdrawal of this second stop and enters the open grippers on the-cylinder I00. The above described printing operation is now ready to be performedover again with reference to this fresh sheet. The first part 'of the first downward movement of the printing element 43 for printing upon the new sheet turns the cylinder I00 far enough to complete the removal therefrom of the .old sheet.

The shaft 23:! maybe provided with acam 320 (Fig. 1) acting upon a follower roller 321 on an arm 32 2 to control any suitable or conventional known .form of mechanism for moving the ink mountains away from the printing types wheneven no .sheet of .stock is properly positioned on the impression cylinder I00. Since thismech- .anism .for throwing out the inking mechanism may be of conventional form and constitutes no part of the present invention, it is not described in detail here. 7

While one embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, it is to be understood that the inventive idea may be carried out in a number of ways. This application is therefore not'to be limited to the precise details described, but is intended to cover all variations-and modifications thereof falling within the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim: I

v1..Printing apparatus comprising a printing element, an impression element for pressing a sheet against said printing element, sheet gripping means mounted on and moving with said impression element to hold a sheet on and carry it along with said impression element, one of said elementsbeing substantially in the form of a-cylinder adapted. to roll over the other of said elements, means -forimoving one of said elements relatively to the other in one, direction and for simultaneously turning said cylindrical element in substantial synchronism with the relative movement between them through a rotary extent substantially different from a single complete revolution, and means for moving one of said elements relatively to the other in the op posite direction without substantial turning of said cylindrical element during such opposite directional relative movement.

2. Printing apparatus comprising a printing element, an impression element for pressing a sheet against said printing element, one of said elements being substantially in the form of a cylinder adapted to roll over the other of said elements, means for hiking different parts of said printing element with inks of difierent colors, means for moving one of said elements relatively to the other in one direction and for simultaneously turning said cylindrical element in substantial synchronism with the relative movement between them through a rotary extent substantially different from a single complete revolution, and means for moving one of said elements relatively to the other in the opposite direction without substantial turning of said cylindrical element during such opposite directronal relative movement.

'3. Printing apparatus comprising a printing element, an impression element for pressing a sheet against said printing element, sheet grippin'g means mounted on and moving with said impression element to hold a sheet on and carry it along with said impression element, one of said elements being substantially in the form of a cylinder adapted to roll over the other of said elements, the other of said elements being mounted for reciprocation along a path of travel substantially tangent to said cylindrical element, means for moving said other of said elements in one direction along said path of travel and for concomitantly turning said cylindrical element at a peripheral speed substantially equal to the linear speed of movement of said other of said elements and through a rotary extent materially different from a single complete revolution, means for separating said two elements rom each other laterally, and means for moving said other of said elements in the opposite direction along said path of travel while said two elements are separated from each other and without substantial turning of said cylindrical element.

4. Printing apparatus comprising a printing element, an impression element for pressing a sheet against said printing element, sheet gripping means mounted on and moving with said impression element to hold'a sheet on and carry it along with said impression element, one of said elements being substantially in the form of a cylinder adapted to roll over the other of said elements, the other of said elements being mounted forreciprocation along a path of travel substantially tangent to said cylindrical element, means for reciprocating said other of said elements in both directions along said path of travel, means for inking different parts of said printing element with inksof different colors, means for turning said cylindrical element during movement of said other of said elements in one direction in substantial synchronism therewith and in pressure-exerting relationship therewith to produce a printing impression upon sheet material interposed between said two elements, the extent of turning of said cylindrical element during said movement of said other of said elements in one direction being materially greater than a single complete revolution and materially less than two complete revolutions, and means for separating said two elements laterally from each other during movement of said other'of said elements in the opposite direction and for holding said cylindrical elementsubstantially against turning during said opposite directional movement of said other of said elements.

5. Printing apparatus comprising a printing element having printing surface portions lying substantially in a plane, a substantially cylindrical impression element for pressing a sheet against said printing surface portions of said printing element, sheet gripping means mounted on and moving with said impression element to hold a sheet on and carry it along with said impression element, means for inking different printing surface portions with different inks, means for reciprocating said printing element back and forth past said impression element, means for turning said impression element in one direction substantially in synchronism with the movements of said printing element in one direction and for holding said impression element substantially against turning during the movements of said printing element in the opposite direction, the extent of turning of said printing element during a single full movement of said printing element in one direction being materially greater than a single complete revolution, and means for moving one of said elements toward and away from the other of said elements to bring them into pressure-exerting relationship to each other during at least a part of the time when said impression element is turning and to separate them from each other during at least a part of the time when said printing element is moving without turning of said impression ele ment.

6. Printing apparatus comprising a printing element having printing surface portions lying substantially in a plane, a substantially cylindrical impression element for pressing a sheet against said printing surface portions of said printing element, means for inking different printing surface portions with diiferent inks,

' means for reciprocating said printing element back and forth past said impression element, means for turning said impression element in one direction substantially in synchronism with the movements of said printing element in one direction and for holding said impression element substantially against turning during the movements of said printing element in the opposite direction, the extent of turning of said impression element during a single full movement of said printing element in one direction differing from a single complete revolution substantially by a;

material aliquot part of a single revolution, and means for moving one of said elements toward and away from the other of said elements to bring them into pressure-exerting relationshipto each other during at least a part of the time when said impression element is turning and to separate them from each other during at least a part of the time when said printing element is moving without turning of said impression element.

'7. Printing apparatus for printing the same letter press matter a plurality of times in a plurality of diiferent positions on a single sheet of stock in a plurality of diiferent inks, said apparatus comprising a movable printing element having a plurality of printing portions spaced from each other, means for inking one of said printing portions with one ink and another of said portions with a different ink, an impression cylinder having means for holding a single sheet of stock wrapped around substantially the entire circumference of said cylinder, operating means for moving said printing element back and forth past said cylinder and for bringing said printing element and said cylinder into cooperative impression-making relationship to each other during movements of said printing element in one direction and separating said element and cylinder from each other during movements of said printing element in the opposite direction, and means for turning said cylinder through substantially more than one complete revolution in substantial synchronism with the movements of said printing element in said one direction without turning said cylinder during movements of said printing element in said opposite direction.

8. Printing apparatus for printing substantially the same matter in a plurality of different areas of substantially the same size on a single sheet of stock in a plurality of different inks in each area, said apparatus comprising a movable printing element having one type portion for printing all of the matter to be printed in one ink in each area and another type portion for printing all of the matter to be printed in a diiferent ink in each area, said two type portions being spaced from each other in one direction to an extent substantially equal to the corresponding dimension of one of such areas, an impression cylinder having means for holding on the circumference thereof a sheet of stock having an area of not less than the combined area of at least three of said areas to be printed, operating means for moving said printing element back and forth past said cylinder and for bringing said printing element and said cylinder into cooperative impression-making relationship to each other during movements of said printing element in one direction and separating said element and cylinder from "each other during movements of said printing element in the opposite direction, and means for turning said cylinder upon each full backward and forward movement of said printing element through a' rotary extent substantially greater than one complete revolution, so that at each successive movement of said printing element in said one direction a diiferent pair of areas of said sheet of stock to be printed upon will be presented to said two type portions.

9. Printing apparatus for printing substantially the same matter in a plurality of difierent areas of substantially the same size on a single sheet of stock in a plurality of different inks in each area, said apparatus comprising a movable printing [element having one type portion for printing all of the matter tobe printed in one ink in each area and another type portion for printing all of the matter to be printed in a different ink in each area, said two type portions being spaced from "each other in onedirection to an extent substantially equal to the corresponding dimension of one of such areas, an impression cylinder having means for holding on the circumferencethereof a sheet of stock having an area of not less than the combined area of at least three -of said areas to be printed, operating means for moving said printing element back and forth past said cylinder and for bringing said printing element and said cylinder into cooperative impression-making relationship to each other during movements of said printing element in one direction and separating said element and cylinder from each other during movements of said sheet of stock to be printed upon will be presented to said two type portions.

10. Printing apparatus for printing substantially the same matter in three difierent areas of substantially the same size on a single sheet of stock in two difierent inks in each area, said apparatus comprising a movable printing element having one type portion for printing all of the matter to be printed in one ink in each area and another type portion for printing all of the matter to be printed in the other ink in each area, said two type portions being spaced from each other by an amount sufficient to print upon two spaced areas with one intervening area between them, an impression cylinder having a circumference substantially equal to the over-all dil lension in one direction of three juxtaposed areas to be printed so that a sheet of stock havoperative ing threesuchareas may be wrapped around substantially the entire circumference of said cylinder with opposite edges of said sheet lying closely adjacent each other, operating means for moving said printing element back and forth past said cylinder and for bringing said printing element and said cylinder into cooperative impressionmaking relationship to each other during movements of said printing element in one direction and separating said element and cylinder from each other during movements of said printing element in the opposite direction, and means for turning said cylinder through substantially one and one-third revolutions for each complete forward and backward movement of said printing element, so that at each successive movement of said printing element'in said one direction a difl'erent pair of areas of said sheet of stock will be presented to said two type portions until all three areas of said sheet have been printed by both of said type portions.

11'. Printing apparatus for printing substantiallythe same matter in three different areas of substantially the same size on a single sheet of stock in two different inks in each area, said apparatus comprising a movable printing element having one type portion for printing all of the matter to be printed in one ink in each area and another type portion for printing all of the matter to be printed in the other ink in each area, said two type portions being spaced from each other by an amount sufiicient to print upon two spaced areas with one intervening area between them, an impression cylinder having a circumference substantially equal to the over-all dimension in one direction of three juxtaposed areas to be printed so that a sheet of stock having three such areas may be wrapped around substantially the entire circumference of said cylinder with opposite edges of said sheet 4 lying closely adjacent each other, operating means for moving said printing element back and forth past said cylinder and for bringing said printing element and said cylinder into coimpression-making relationship to each other during movements of said printing element in one direction and separating said element and cylinder from each other during movements of said printing element in the opposite direction, and means for turning said cylinder 1 through substantially one and one-third revolutions for each complete movement of said printing element in said one direction and for holding said cylinder substantially against turning during movement of said printing element in said opposite direction, so that at each successive movement of said printing element in said one direction a different pair of areas of said sheet of stock will be presented to said two type portions until all three areas of said sheet have been printed by both of said type portions.

12. Printing apparatus for printing substantially the same matter in three different areas of substantially the same size on a single sheet of stock in two different inks in each area, said apparatus comprising a movable printing element having one type portion for printing all of the matter to be printed in one ink in each area and another type portion for printing all of the matter to be printed in the other ink in each area, said two type portions being spaced from each other by an amount suflicient to print upon two spaced areas with one intervening area between them, an impression cylinder having a circumference substantially equal to the over-

Images