US2483203A - Printing machine - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 27, 1949. E. J; JANKE 2,483,203

PRINTING MACHINE Original Filed April 29 1944 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR fDWARD I JAN/GE [3 Teww Sept. 1949- E. J. JANKE 2,483,203

PRINTING MACHINE Original Filed April 29, 1944 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 i 00 0 R MD Q v-' k m O4 mm In Illllllllllll l [bu/Aka J Jim:

Sept. 27, 1949. J, JANKE 2,483,203

PRINTING MACHINE Original Filed April 29, 1944 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 //VVEN 70/2 4 EDWARD J JAN/ 5 aept. 27, 1949. E. J. JANKE PRINTING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Original Filed April 29, 1944 INVENTOR.

N Wm a W I v E. J. JANKE PRINTING MACHINE Sept. 27, 1949. 2,483,203

Original Filed April 29, 1944 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 L- I INVENTOR.

y [DWAED JJANA'E Patented Sept- 27, 1949 2,483,203 rnm'rmo momma Edward J. Janke, Cleveland, ()hio,-assignor to Addressograph-Multigraph Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Original application April 29, 1944, Serial No.

533,276, now' Patent No.. 2,425,327, dated August 12, 1947. Divided and this application September 8, 1945, Serial No. 615,213

This application is a division of my copending application No. 533,276, filed April 29, 1944, and

issued as Patent No. 2,425,327 on August 12, 1947, for a Printing machine.

This invention relates to means for reproducing material on the planographic principle by the use of a. master sheet carrying a greasy image and the application to the sheet of liquid repellent, to prevent adherence of the ink to the non-printing regions of the sheet, and'the subsequent application of ink effectively to the printing image and non-effectively to the non-printing regions. The master sheet is readily changeable from time to time sothat a few or many imprints from the same image may be made as desired.

The invention is especially well adapted for a printing machine of. the offset type having a drum to carry the master sheet and equipped with suitable clamping means to hold the sheet thereon, an offset drum having a yielding blanket to coact with the master sheet, and a roller platen coacting with the offset drum.

An object of the invention is to provide ready means for the stoppage of the master sheet drum in a convenient position for the removal andreplacement of the master sheet, and in accomplishing this I provide a dual control preferably having two foot pedals, one for continuous rotation of the machine for printing and the other for half rotations of the master drum to enable the ready clamping of the leading end and the trailing end of the master sheet.

It is an object of the invention to provide effective mechanism for this purpose, including a clutch brake to stop the drum in desired position.

Other objects of the invention and features of the mechanism ac complishing it will be apparent from the following detailed description of the particular embodiment shown in the drawings.

planographic machine incorporating my invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the machine, as indicated by the line 2-2 on Figs. 1 and 3; Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on a i plane parallel with Fig. 1, as indicated by the In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a- 4 Claims. (Cl. 101-216) ticular portion thereof with which the present application is concerned. Referring to Fig. l and also to Figs. 2 and 3, it will be seen that the eneral frame of the machine'comprises a pair of side plates 10 and II suitably spaced from each other by cross rods, as l2. This frame is shown as mounted on a suitable stand I3 which carries an operating motor I and two controlling pedals 230 and 23! linked to mechanism on the machine itself as later explained.

Mounted on the frame plates I0 and H is an ink supply unit It (Fig. l), the details of which are not shown but which has at least an ink supply roll l5 applying ink to an applicator roll I6. A distributor ll coacts with the roll I6 to insure an even distribution of ink thereon. These rolls, together with the liquid repellent applicator roll l8, extend between and are mounted in the upper portions of the frame plates Hi and IE.

The applicator rolls [8 and It apply liquid repellent and ink, in that order, to the surface of a flexible planographic printing plate 20 which is mounted on the periphery of a plate drum 2!,

rotatably mounted in the frame plates Ill and II immediately below the applicator rolls.

The inked image of the printing plate is transferred to a transfer blanket 22 mounted on an offset drum 23, journaled in the frame plates. The sheet or article to be printed is fed between this oflset or transfer drum and a, platen roll 24 (Fig. 3) which is journaledin a bail 25, immediately below the transfer drum. 26 designates a curved guide for directing the printed sheet around the platen roll and between it and a coacting spring pressed roll 21 and discharging it, toward that face of the machine from which it was fed, between skeleton guides 28 As indicated in Fig.- l, the shafts of the ink and repellent applicator rolls l6 and 18 are -mounted in inclined slots in the frame plates and bear against the inclined edges of a pair of individually mounted cam plates 3|! which are slidably mounted on the outer faces of the respective frame plates. These cam plates are operated by the cams 40, M on opposite ends of a shaft 42 which coact with pins projecting outwardly from the plates. The manipulation of this cam shaft serves to hold both the repellent and ink applying rolls out of contact with the printing drum or to allow the repellent roll and thereafter the ink roll to contact with the plate on the drum, as will be well understood.

The plate drum 2| is best shown in. Figs. 2 and 3 and comprises a cylinder having a gap 50 and aiaaaos cess I is formed in the periphery of the cyl-' inder 2i, and in this recess are a series of hooks 52, Fig. 3. These books are adapted to engage openings 53 formed in one end of the printing plate 20. At its other end, the plate shown has a second series of slotted openings 54 which are engaged by hook-like formations 55 on a tensioning member 56. This tensioning member is pivotally mounted on a shaft 51 within the gap of the drum and is normally swung in a platetensioning direction by a spring 58 which is interposed between the member and a rod 59 carried by the end walls of the drum.

To retain the master sheet on the hooks 55, I show a pivotally mounted comb 60 on the tensioning member 56. The tines of this comb project between the hooks 55 and a spring 63 causes them to bear resiliently on the plate or master sheet.

The plate drum 2| is bodily movable in a direction away from the transfer or offset drum 23. As shown in Fig. 2, the drum 2I is rotatably mounted on a shaft 65 having eccentric end por- 65 and Bi which project into bushings carried by the frame plates in and II respectively. Thus, as the shaft is turned, the drum is moved bodily. The shaft 55 is latched in its printing position by a pivoted latch. I0 carried by a sleeve H which is pinned to the eccentric portion 61 of the shaft. A spring tends to retain this latch in a notch in a latch plate 13, which plate is adjustably mounted on the frame plate II. I

The latch 10 is released and the shaft is turned by a knob or control member I5, rotatably mounted on the shaft portion. 61, and connected by a link I6 to an operating lever II2. When the knob is turned in a clockwise direction a canr surface thereof engages the latch I0 and moves it out of engagement with the cam plate. There-.

after the knob engages a pin carried on an arm of the latch sleeve and turns the shaft. The pin 25. These levers are pivoted intermediate their ends as at I02 'to the inner faces of respective frame plates and at their outer ends are bent inwardly as at I03. These inwardly bent ends are each provided with a square opening to rehalve the squared portion I04 of a respective rod M5 carried by respective bars I06 forming part of the base I3 to which the machine is secured and projecting forwardly therefrom. A coil spring itlisurrounding the rod between the portion I04 of the lever and a nut carried by the threaded upper end of the rod serves to move the platen roll assembly resiliently toward theoffset roll.

The rods I05 which support the platen-rollspring-assembly are resiliently maintained in position by second coil springs I08 which are interposed between the bars I06 and shoulders I09 of the respective rods and are stilferthan the springs l0l. These springs I08 act to retain the rods in their uppermost positions. An adjusting nut H0 carried by a threaded portion of each rod extending beneath the respective bar I05 limits the upward movement of the rod and by varying the compression of the spring I01 controls the pressure of the platen roll.

After the plate has been mountedon the plate drum 20, it is coated with liquid repellent and then the ink applied before the plate is brought into contact with the transfer blanket. This may be effected by manipulation of the cam shaft 02. There is suitable means not shown in detail for controlling the separation between the plate drum ill, the platen roller 24, and the offset drum 23, in such manner as to enable the building up of an image on the transfer drum without danger of offsetting such imagepn the platen roller. Fig. 1 indicates at HI, II2 a pair of levers which may accomplish this operation by mechanism not shown.

It should be understood that have an idle vertical position and two operation positions and operate the cam shaft 42 to apply first the repellent and then the ink without releasing the repellent application. The lever II2 the lever I I I may also may have an idle vertical position and two 80 is engaged by the walls of an opening which is considerably larger than the diameter of the pin. Due to this lost motion connection the turning of the knob in a latching direction first moves the cam past the latch Ill permittingits spring to force it against the latch plate. Further movement of the knob turns the shaft until stopped by the latch engaging in the notch or the latch plate.

The transfer or ofi'set cylinder 23 is secured to a shaft which is rotatably journaled in bushings carried by respective frame plates [0 and II. This cylinder has an axially extending gap at one end of which is a bar 92 provided with a series of hooks 93. One end of the transfer blanket is provided with slotted openings for engagement with these hooks. The other end of the blanket is provided with a similar set of slotted openings which are engaged by hooks 95 on the tensioning bar 96. This bar is pivotally mounted on a rod carried by the drum and is tensioned by a pair of screws 98 which threadingly extend through the bar and coact with a surface of the drum gap.

The platen 24 is a relatively small roll and is rotatably mounted on a shaft I00, the ends of which are mounted in respective levers which together with the shaft form the platen roll bail operative positions, one of which causes the engagement of the transfer drum with the inked image and thereafter a movement into the other position may raise the platen roller into engagement with the transfer drum, rendering the machine ready for printing. In its active position the platen roll is spaced from the transfer blanket a distance slightly less than the thickness of the sheet to be printed, so that no offsetting on the platen occurs in the absence of a sheet between them but they are able to impress the image on the sheet when presented.

Coming now to the particular portion of the machine with which the present application is concerned, it will be seen from Fig. 1 that the machine is power operated from a motor I80. The motor is connected by a belt i82 with a shaft I83 (Fig. 2) by a clutch mechanism 200 about to be described in detail.

The clutch mechanism 200 is. best shown in Fig. 2, and is mounted between the frame plate 10 and a frame bracket 20I secured thereto. The clutch shaft I83 is ioug'nalled in such bracket and frame plate. A flanged pulley 202 is rotatably mounted on this shaft adjacent the pinion I80. This pulley is continuously driven by the belt I82 heretofore described. The flange 203 of this pulley is provided with a plurality of internal axiallyextending grooves 204. These grooves receive lugs 205 on a friction clutch plate 206, which is disposed between a pair of discs 20'! and 208. These discs are normally held apart by long as the pedal m is retained in .a depressed position the printing mechanism continue ingly secured to the clutch shaft 183 by a pin 212.

The clutch discs when drawn together grip the clutch plate 205 and thereby form a driving connection between the clutch pulley 202 and the shaft 103.

The clutchdiscs are operated by a collar 213 which is slidably mounted on the shaft 183. As the collar is moved toward the clutch it engages a plurality of .fingers214. These fingers are pivoted to a collar carried by the hub 211 of the disc 20! and as they are swung by the collar 218 their inner ends; 215 engage the disc 208 thereby drawing the plates 20! and 208 together in driving relation with the friction clutch plate I The shaft 183 is also provided with a brake 218 which serves'to bring the shaft, andtherefore the entire printing mechanism, to a rapid stop. The brake is similar to the clutch mechanism heretofore described and the corresponding parts have been given corresponding reference numbers. In the brake mechanism the lugs 2050f the clutchplate are engaged by the walls of notches 219 of a stationary plate 220. This plate is mounted on posts or'bosses 221 carried by the bracket 201. The clutch discs'of the brake are operated bymovement of the collar 213 toward the left (Fig.2) in the same manner as heretofore described in connection with the clutch. Y

It will be noted that the collar 213 is so arranged that a relatively small movement from its clutch engaging position (shown in Fig. 2) will cause the eng'agement'of the brake mechanism, there being substantially no neutral position of this clutch and brake operating collar.

The clutch mechanism is controlled by foot pedals 230 and 231 (Fig. l). The former controls the operation of the clutch during normal operation of the machine and the latter serves a purpose hereinafter to be more fully described. These pedals are pivotally mounted for independent movement on a rod 222 carried by a bracket 223 secured to the lower end of the stand it. The forward or right hand end of the pedals are normally held in a raised position by suitable springs, one of which is indicated at 223.

Thepedal 230 is connected by a link 225 to a lever 226 which in turn is connected by anotherlink'22l with a lever 228 (Figs. 1, 4 and 5). This lever is secured to a rock-shaft 229 which is journalled in the frame plates 10 and 11. Secured to the outer end of this shaft is a lever 232 which is connected by a link 233 with one arm 23A of a bell crank 216 (Figs. 2, 4 and 5).

. This bell crank is pivotally mounted on a rod the clutch collar 213 to the right (Fig. 2) thus operating the clutch to connect the motor 180 drivingly with the printing mechanism. So

to rotate. I 7

It is desirable that the machine stop in a predetermined position when the clutch pedal 230 is released. To this end, there is provided a. latch mechanism to retain the clutch-operating bell crank 216 in clutch-operating position until a predetermined point in the cycle of operation of the printing mechanism. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, this latch mechanism comprises a latch member 240 pivoted as at 241 to the bracket 201,

and urged toward the arm 234 of the bell crank 21 6 bya spring 211;

' The arrangement of the mechanism just described is such that when the bell crank is actuated by the depression of the pedal 230, the latch will be moved into the position shown in Fig. 4. In this position the latch overlies the bell crank and retains it in'the position shown in Fig. 2, even though the pedal 230. be released by the operator. until the latch 240 is automatically released by the printing mechanism as about to be described. Y

As shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the transfer roll shaft 90 extends outwardly beyond the frame plate 10 and has secured to it a cam 242. This cam has two active cam portions 243 spaced one hundred and eighty degrees apart. These cam portions are arranged to engage a lip 244 of the latch and swing it out of engagement with the bell crank 216, as shown in Fig. 5; whereupon the spring 230 swings the bell crank in a counter-clockwise direction (Fig. 2) moving the collar 213 from the clutch-engaging position to the brake-engaging position.

The cam 242 is so arranged that it will stop the printing drum either in the position shown in Fig. 3, where the plate retaining hooks 52 are accessible at the front of the machine, or in the diametrically opposite position, in which the plate clamp 56, etc., is accessible at the front of the machine.

Assuming the machine be stopped in the position diametrically opposite to that shown in Fig. 3, then the plate clamp mechanism 56, etc., may be operated to release the plate 20. Then, if the mechanism is rotated half a revolution, into the position of Fig. 3, the plate retaining hooks 52 are accessible to permit removal of the printing plate and the substitution of a new plate therefor. Following the positioning of a new plate 20 on the hooks 52, the rotation of the drum 20 for one half a revolution will wrap the plate around the drum and again bring the plate clamp 56, etc.,

into position to enable the operator to secure the plate thereto, thus completing the attachment of the new plate to the drum.

The rotation of the printing mechanism one half a revolution and the holding of it there no matter how long the pedal may be held depressed, is accomplished by the depression of the pedal 231- by the operator. The mechanism associated with this pedal is such that for each depressionof the pedal the printing drum will rotate one-half a revolution and then come to a stop, regardless changed frequently.

The pedal 231 and its associated mechanism Fig. 1, this pedal is connected by a link 24: with I. Ro'tatably mounted on this stud, between the amazes .5

plate 248 and the frame I0, is a compound ratchet and starwheel member 250, 25! (Figs. and 6).

' When the pedal 23l is depressed by the operator a pin 252 of a pawl253 carried by the plate 248 advances the'ratchet 250 a distance of one tooth and this advances the star wheel 25l a distance of one tooth. As the'star wheel tooth 254 is pro-' gressed it engages a roller 255 carried by lever 232 heretofore described. This rocks the lever downward (Fig. 5) causing it to depress the arm 234 of the clutch-operating bell crank 2H5, energizing the clutch, and this causes the latch 240 to retain the lever in its clutch-actuating position.

It will be noted that the ratchet and star wheel member is so arranged that normally the roller 255 lies between two adjacent teeth 254 of the star wheel; As the star'wheel is advanced a dis- .tance of one tooth for each actuation of the pedal 23!, it is obvious that as such pedal is depressed a star wheel tooth depresses the lever 232 and immediately moves out of reach of the roller 255 which then, so far as the starwheel is concerned, is free to return to its normal position, as shown in Fig. 5. Therefore the latch mechanism 240 will be released by the cam 242 as soon as the print ing drum has turned a half a revolution, whereupon the spring 239 will cause the bell crank 2l6 to swing in a counter-clockwise direction (Fig. 2) disengaging the clutch and connecting the brake mechanism with the operating or clutch shaft I83. It will be seen that the machine provides, in a most convenient manner, for the various controls desired in a rapidly operating planographic printing machine. One hand lever by its two positions controls the application of the materials to the image on the plate and the other hand lever by its two positions enables the ready transfer of the image to the ofiset blanket and then controls the printing impression. One of the two pedals and the mechanism operated thereby enable the continuous rotation of the drumto eilect printing as desired, while the operation of the other pedal enables the partial rotation of the plate carrying drum to bring it to'a stop in position where the plate may be quickly detached and a new plate attached to the drum. This enables the master sheet to be changed with the minimum loss of time and is especially desirable where the runs are short. These features result in the entire printing operation being readily controlled by an operator sitting at the front of the machine.

I claim:

1. In a printing machine, a rotary drum, means for attaching the ends of a printing plate thereto, driving means for said drum, a clutch for cou-" pling said driving means to the drum, clutch operating means for efiecting said coupling, holding means for holding operating means active, means for automatically releasing said holding means at the end of a half revolution, a manually operable control mechanism for said operating means and including a member connected with said operating means and movable in onedirection to cause the clutch to become active and in another direction to an inactive position to permit the clutch to be released, resilient means normally tending to retain said member in an in active position, a rotatable star wheel cooperatmg with said memberto move said member into an active position as a tooth of the star wheel moves into engagement with said member and releases said member as'a tooth passes out of engagement therewith during rotation of the star wheel, a manually actuatable means to rotate the star wheel to bring one tpoth thereof into and out of cooperation with said member for each actuation of said means.

2. In a printing machine, the combination of a drum, means for attaching the ends of a printing plate thereto, a clutch adapted to couple power to the drum, 9. control mechanism for rendering the clutch active, said control mechanism including a clutch operating member for connecting the clutch to the drum, automatic means operating on said member to retain the member in an active position to cause the drum to rotate a half a revolution and then release the member to disconnect the clutch from the drum, pedal operated mechanism to initially move said member to an active position, said last named mechawheel, means carried by the linkage and cooperating with the star wheel to move the linkage against its bias and cause the clutch to become active cooperation with the and then inactive as the star wheel is rotated, a ratchet mechanism to rotate-said star wheel to bring one tooth of the star wheel into and out of linkage for each movement of the mechanism in one direction. and a pedal connected to operate said ratchet mechanism.

3. In a printing machine, the combination of a drum, means for attaching the ends of a printing plate thereto, a clutch adapted to couple power to the drum, a control'mechanism for rendering the clutch active, said control mechanism including a clutch operating member for'connecting the clutch to the drum, resilient means acting to retain said member in an inactive position, a latch to retain the member in an active position, means to release said latch when the drum completes a half a revolution to disconnect the clutch from the drum, pedal operated mechanism to move said operating member to an active position comprising and including a spring biased pivoted lever, a link between said-member and said lever, a rotatable star wheel cooperating with said lever to move said lever against its bias to move said operating member to an active position each time a tooth of the star wheel cooperates with the lever as the star wheel is rotated, a ratchet mechanism to rotate said star wheel one tooth at a time, and a pedal connected to said ratchet mechanism.

4. In a printing machine, a rotary drum, means for attaching the ends of a printing plate thereto, driving means for said drum, a clutch for coupling said driving means to the drum, clutch opmeans normall acting to render said operating meansineifective, holding means for holding opcrating means active, means for automatically releasing said holding means at the end of a half revolution, a manually operable control mechanism for said operating means and'including a active position to permit the clutch to be released,

. active position as a tooth of the star wheel moves into engagement with saidmember and to release said member as a 'tooth passes out of engagement therewith during rotation of the star wheel, a. ratchet wheel operatively connected v file of this patent:

with said star wheel, a pivoted pawl carrier, a I

pawl mounted on said carrier and engaging said ratchet wheel, resilient means acting to retain I said pawl in engagement with said wheel, a pivoted pedal, a link between said pedal and said pawl carrier whereby depression of said pedal actuates said ratchet to move one tooth of the star wheel into and out of engagement with the roller each time said pedal is depressed, a second pedal, and means interconnecting said second named pedal directl with said member.

' EDWARD J. JANKE.

. I Harem-moss omen The following references Allen et a1. June 10, 1947 are of record in the-

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