GB2092072A - Serial number printing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

A serial number printing machine 10 has an attachment device including a counter 30, 32, 34, 36, 38 which as related to the cycles of operation of the machine counts down from a pre-set and adjustable number to zero. During the countdown, serial numbering boxes in forme 12 are not adjusted, but when the counter reaches zero the setting of all the print wheels is adjusted automatically, for example by incrementing the count by one, and the said predetermined number of print cycles have to take place again before the print wheels are again automatically adjusted. The incrementing may be achieved by solenoid 42 moving pin 20 to depress plunger 18 as the forme 12 moves. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Printing machines This invention relates to printing machines, and in particular concerns a device for a printing machine to facilitate the adjustment of a print numbering device, such as may be used for example for the printing of lottery tickets with a serial number.

Currently, printing machines of the letterpress type are provided with numbering attachments comprising a forme which is provided with a plurality, for example 100, numbering boxes, each of which comprises a plurality of numbering wheels having printing digits which are impressed against the material to be printed in order to print the sheet material passing through the letterpress.

The machine is also provided with what is known as a "crash" which comprises at least one projecting striker plunger which is arranged to impact against a pin during the reciprocation of the forme. This impact causes all of the numbering boxes to be adjusted by a count of one so that the next sheet to be printed will have the next consecutive number printed thereon. The respective numbering boxes in the forme may be set to print different individual numbers, or they may be set to print the same number, but each time the crash strikes the pins, the number in each box steps forward by one.It is possible selectively to lower the pins if the number in the print box is not to be stepped, but difficulties arise when it is desired to have more flexibility, for example to print a random number of sheets without altering the print wheels of the numbering boxes, and then to have the print wheels stepped forward by one as above described, after the numbering of said random number of sheets.

Currently, in order to do this, it is necessary for an operator individually to adjust the numbering of each individual numbering box, which is tedious and time consuming. For a normal letterpress printing machine, the down time can be much as 6 to 8 hours, when adjusting the numbering boxes.

The same situation prevails in a litho machine when provided with a numbering attachment. In fact, the numbering attachment of a litho machine is basically a letterpress printing arrangement in that it comprises a plurality of print wheels arranged on the outer ends of the arms of a star wheel, and the star wheel is rotated whereby the numbering wheels in turn impression print the material passing through the litho press. The print wheels of each wheel advance by one, by a conventional stepping method, once per revolution of the star wheel. The entire numbering device may comprise 5 or 6 star wheels, each provided with 5 or 6 groups of print wheels.It is possible to provide for numbering of groups of sheets with the same number before the number printed by each group of print wheels is increased by one, by removing the first print wheel or the first and second print wheels in each group, and by replacing them with skip wheels, which are wheels which index for each revolution or part revolution in the numbering attachment, without changing the number which is printed by the group of print wheels, but these skip wheels can arrange for only the printing of groups of pre-set numbers.Thus, each skip wheel may index by ten steps before indexing the next skip wheel or the first print wheel, and therefore the wheels may be arranged to print sheets of the same number in groups of 10 or 100, but of course for each numbering wheel which is removed and replaced by a skip wheel, then the possible number which can be printed is reduced by one digit. It is possible to use skip wheels having other indexing multiples e.g. 2 or 5, before the next skip wheel or print wheel is indexed forward by one step, but this range of possibilities is insufficient for the particular application in which we are interested.

In the printing of lottery tickets, it is frequently required that of a set of lottery tickets, of say 1,000, a number of less than 1,000, say 960 should be "losers", whilst 40 should be winners.

The winners may be printed separately and therefore it is required to print 960 losers. It is also desirable that each set of lottery tickets should be provided with its own serial number, and the need to print a number such as 960 lottery tickets with the same serial number frequently arises. The lottery tickets will be printed in sheets, a plurality to a sheet, and if for the purposes of explanation, it is assumed that the printing machine is set up to print 32 tickets on each sheet, then to print 960 tickets the machine must be set to print 30 sheets with the same number, before the number printed by the numbering boxes or numbering wheels should be adjusted. The present invention enables this to be done, without stopping the machine and without specifically stopping and re-setting the numbering wheels.

In accordance with the present invention, a means which adjusts the print wheels is inhibited by an attachment device preventing it from operating until a counter counts a predetermined and preselected number of sheets set by a setting device, whereby the numbering wheels print the same number or same numbers on each of a plurality of sheets which correspond to the set number, whereupon the stepping device is or can be operated to advance the numbering wheels, for the printing of the next group of sheets or sheet sections with a new number or new numbers.

The advantage of the present invention, especially in the field of printing lottery tickets, is considerable.

In a preferred arrangement, a solenoid is used for inhibiting the stepping device, such solenoid being held inhibited whilst the sheets in a group corresponding to the preselected number are printed, and at the printing of the last sheet of the group, the solenoid is operated, enabling or causing the operation of the stepping mechanism to step the print wheels forward.

In the case of a letterpress adaptation, the print cylinder preferably is provided with two cams, one being a counting cam which operates a microswitch once per revolution and causes an impulse to be supplied to the counter. On receipt of each impulse, the counter counts down by one from the original setting, and when the count becomes zero, an impulse from the counter operates the solenoid, which causes the pins to become positioned for engagement by the crash of the forme. After the crash engages the pins to change the number setting, the second cam operates a second micro-switch which re-sets the counter and de-energises the solenoid to enable a further cycle of counting to take place.

In the case of the litho machine, because printing speeds are much higher, a rotary flag or arm is sensed by photoelectric means, for providing the count pulse which is supplied to the counter to cause the counter to count down to zero, and a reset pulse is derived from a second flag or arm, of appropriate angular extent to determine the length of the re-set pulse, the said flags or arms being rotated in synchronism with the rotary print star wheels of the machine. When the count is reduced to zero, a rotary solenoid is actuated to step forward the indexing mechanism and to increase the print number of each print wheel by one.

The said second flag is also detected by photoelectric means, and the detection of the leading edge causes resetting of the count number, by actuation of the solenoid, and the trailing edge cuts off the power to the solenoid which drops out and will not be actuated again until the appropriate number of sheets has been counted.

By way of example, two embodiments of the present invention are illustrated in the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 is a side view of preselected components of a letterpress machine; Fig. 2 is a plan view of a numbering forme of the machine of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a side view of certain components of a litho-printing machine provided with a numbering attachment; and Fig. 4 is a side view of a set of numbering wheels of the numbering attachment of the machine shown in Fig. 3.

Referring firstly to Figs. 1 and 2, the print cylinder of the letterpress machine is indicated by the numeral 10, whilst the numbering forme is indicated by the numeral 12. The numbering forme 12 is a tablet as shown in Fig. 2, and is provided with a plurality of numbering boxes 1 4.

In Fig. 2, the forme 12 is shown as having 1 50 numbering boxes. Each numbering box is provided with a group of print wheels 1 6 (each shown in Fig. 2 as five print wheels) and the print wheels have raised printing digits thereon. The forme 12 also has a conventional crash mechanism comprising a pair of plungers 1 8 which project from one side of the forme, so as to impact against pins 20 (Fig. 1), during the reciprocation of the forme in the manner indicated by arrow 22 in Fig. 1.

It will be appreciated that, from Fig. 1, the forme 1 2 reciprocates horizontally between the full line and dotted line positions shown in Fig. 1, so that the forme 12 engages the print cylinder 10 as it rotates as indicated by arrow 24. In fact, the print cylinder 10 drops approximately 60 thousandths of an inch during the print cycle so as to engage the print wheels 1 6 of the forme 12. In printing lottery tickets, the machine might receive individual sheets 26 from the magazine 28, each sheet 26, considering the layout of Fig. 2, having for example 1 50 lottery tickets thereon, each to be printed, it is assumed, with the same number.The print wheels 1 6 of each numbering box would be set to the same number, and as each sheet 26 passes through the machine it is printed in 1 50 locations, corresponding to the 1 50 tickets, with the same number. It is usual for a plurality of sheets to be printed with the same number, and for the purposes of illustration it is assumed that it is required to print 70 sheets with the same number.

In conventional letterpress machines, there are only two possibilities for the fingers or pins 20.

They are either up, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, or down as indicated in full lines in Fig. 1.

When the fingers are up, they are engaged by the crash once per cycle of reciprocation of the forme 12, and therefore the numbering wheels of the numbering boxes 14 are advanced to increase the print number by one during each cycle of reciprocation. When the fingers are down, the print number of the wheels 1 6 is not changed. In conventional machines the movement of the pins 20 is effected by manual selection. In practice, this means that, unless considerable manual labour is to be employed, the machine can be set only to adjust the print numbers of the wheels 1 6 sequentially, or not at all.In the printing of lottery tickets it is frequently required to print a group, say 70, of sheets with the same number, then to increase the print number on the wheels 1 6 by one, and then print another group which might also be of 70 or another number before the print wheels 1 6 are again altered, and it is important that this changing be capable of being done automatically, because to leave it to the skill and judgement of an operator to move the pins 20 during running of the machine, would be too indeterminate.

In accordance with the embodiment of the invention deployed in the machine illustrated in Fig. 1, the print cylinder 10 is provided on its spindle with two cams 30 and 32. These cams rotate with cylinder 10 and are coupled as indicated by links 34 and 36 to a counter/setting device 38. A link 40 couples the counter 38 with a solenoid 42 for controlling the raising and lowering of the pins 20. To use the attachment, the operator sets in a display window 44 the number of sheets to be printed with the same series number as set on the print wheels 16, and the printing operation is commenced. With each revolution of the print cylinder 10, the cam 30 sends a signal, via a micro-switch or other suitable means, to the counter 38 and the count displayed in the window 44 is reduced by one.This procedure continues until the count is reduced to zero at which point 70 sheets 26 have been printed with the serial number set on the print wheels 1 6, and following the printing of the seventieth sheet, a signal is sent via a link 40 to the solenoid 42 which is actuated and raises the pins 20 to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1.

The plungers 18 engage the pins 20 and advance the print number displayed by wheels 1 6 by one, and then during the movement of the forme 12 back towards the print cylinder 10, but before engagement therewith, the cam 32 sends a signal over link 36 to reset the count in counter 38 to 70, whereby a further 70 sheets will be printed with the new serial number. It will be appreciated that the number which is displayed in window 44 can be any selected number and the correct number of sheets will be printed automatically by utilisation of the device according to the present invention.

In the diagrammatic arrangement of Fig. 3 depicting a litho-machine, the sheets to be printed travel round a print cylinder 50, which rotates in a direction indicated by arrow 52, the input and output of the sheets being indicated by arrows 54 and 56. Whilst the sheets travel round cylinder 50 they are impression printed, by means of a numbering attachment 58, with the series number, corresponding to the series number referred to in describing the embodiment of Fig. 1.

In fact, the equipment illustrated in Fig. 3 is functionally the same as the equipment illustrated in Fig. 1 except that the numbering attachment 58 rotates rather than reciprocating as indicated in Fig. 1. Rotation is employed for the numbering attachment because litho-machines operate at much higher speeds than letterpress machines.

The numbering attachment 58 comprises a plurality of star wheels 60, provided with radial arms 62. At the extremity of each arm is a set of print wheels 64, and the print wheels are interlinked so as to be indexed forward by one step during each revolution of the star wheel 60.

Fig. 4 illustrates a set of print wheels 64 in which the first two wheels have been replaced by trip wheels 64A, the function of which is to index at each revolution without adjusting the print number on the remaining print wheels 64. Thus, if the first trip wheel 64A is set to count 10 revolutions before commencing to step the second trip wheel 64A which also has ten steps, there will be 100 revolutions of star wheels 60 before the print number set by the wheels 64 is increased by one. Fig. 4 is therefore to illustrate that the star wheel 60 can be set to print the same number on a series of 100 sheets, or ten sheets if only one trip wheel 64A is used, and this is the method which is currently deployed by printers for printing the same series number on a plurality of sheets.

However, only certain selected numbers of sheets can be printed with the same series number, as limited by the steps of the trip wheels, and whilst there are available trip wheels with 2, 5 and 10 steps, there are no trip wheels provided with other prime number steps, such as 3, 7, 11 and 13, and so on and therefore the numbering attachment as conventionally used in litho-machines is limited in its flexibility, although not as limited as the numbering attachment for a letterpress machine.

in the device according to the present invention for the adaptation of the litho numbering attachment, a rotary solenoid is used for indexing the number wheel 64, and the operation of that solenoid is controlled by an electronic counter.

The signals for operating the electronic counter are derived from two arms or flags which rotate in synchronism with the numbering attachment 58.

The first flag operates a first photo-electric device, which sends a signal to the counter each revolution of the numbering attachment, and each pulse counts the counter down from the pre-set value in much the same manner as described with reference to Fig. 1. When the counter reaches zero, a signal caused by the second flag interrupting a second beam of light of a photoelectric device is enabled to operate the rotary solenoid which indexes the print wheels by one, and also re-sets the counter for the counting of the next batch of sheets to be printed. The angular extent of the second flag determines the period during which the solenoid is operational, and this period may be adjusted depending upon the speed of the machine, by replacing the flag with another flag of different angular extent or by providing that the flag angular extent is adjustable. As in the arrangement of Fig. 1 ,the two flags are angularly displaced so that the resetting of the device will take place after the first flag has reduced the count to zero, and before the first flag again commences the count reducing process for the next batch of sheets to be printed.

The experiments with the equipment have shown that considerable savings are effected especially in the printing of lottery tickets, but it is to be pointed out that the invention is not to be considered as being limited to this field of application.

Claims (1)

1. A printing machine having a plurality of groups of print wheels for printing sheet material with the same serial number a plurality of times, including means for adjusting the print wheels the improvement comprising an attachment device for inhibiting the print wheels from adjusting until a counter means counts a predetermined and preselected number of sheets printed, such counter being set by a setting device, whereby the numbering wheels print the same number or same numbers on each of a plurality of sheets which correspond to a set number, whereupon a stepping is or can be operated to advance the numbering wheels, for the printing of the next group of sheets or sheet sections with a new number or new numbers.

2. A printing machine according to claim 1, wherein a solenoid is used for inhibiting the stepping device, such solenoid being held inhibited whilst the sheets in a group corresponding to the preselected number are printed, and at the printing of the last sheet of the group, the solenoid is operated, enabling or causing the operation of the stepping mechanism to step the print wheels forward.

4. A printing machine according to claim 1 or 2, in which the printing machine is a letterpress printer, and the print cylinder is provided with two cams, one being a counting cam which operates a micro-switch once per revolution and causes an impulse to be supplied to the counter.

5. A printing machine according to claim 3, wherein the counter counts down by one from the original setting, and when the count becomes zero, an impulse from the counter operates the solenoid, which causes the pins to become positioned for engagement by the crash of the forme, the second cam being arranged to operate a second micro-switch which re-sets the counter and de-energises the solenoid to enable a further cycle of counting to take place after the crash engages the pins to change the number setting.

6. A printing machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the printing machine is a litho printing machine and the counter is operated by a rotary flag or arm which is sensed by photo-electric means, for providing the count pulse which is supplied to the counter to cause the counter to count down to zero, and a reset pulse is derived from a second flag or arm, of appropriate angular extent to determine the length of the re-set pulse, the said flags or arms being rotated in synchronism with the rotary print star wheels of the machine.

7. A printing machine according to claim 6, wherein the second flag is also detected by photoelectric means, and the detection of the leading edge causes resetting of the count number, by actuation of the solenoid, and the trailing edge cuts off the power to the solenoid which drops out and will not be actuated again until the appropriate number of sheets has been counted.

8. A printing machine substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to Figs. 1 and 2 or Figs. 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.