US1026938A - Paper-feed attachment for under-surface printing-presses. - Google Patents

Description

W. H. VOORHBES.

PAPER FEED ATTACHMENT FOR UNDER SURFACE PRINTING PRESSES.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 20, 1911.

1 026 938. Patented May 21,1912.

ventor 2M? m v Atty.

"UNITED STATE S gPATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. VOORHEES, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

PAPER-FEED ATTACHMENT FOR UNDER-SURFACE PRINTING-PRESSES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 20, 1911.

Patented May 21, 1912.

Serial No. 639,531.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, (VILLIAM H. VooR- I-IEES, a citizen of the United States, residing at the borough of Bronx, in the city, count-y, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Paper-Feed Attachments for Under-Surface Printing-Presses, of which "the following is a specification, reference upon a movable bed which is passed under the platen roller to make the imprint therefrom. Most work of this character requires two or more runs to complete the work, and to secure the proper register of the impressions of the different runs, each plate is provided with a register mark, with which, when taking the second impression, the register mark upon the paper must coincide. This condition thus requires great skill and accuracy on the part of the feeder and pressman, and the maintenance of the paper upon the plate until it is under the control of the platen roller, that the initial engagement of said roller with the paper will not disturb the register of the latter. With narrow plates, it is necessary for the operators to hold the sheets upon the plate until the hand holding the sheet upon said plate is close to the platen roller and the loss of fingers and the mutilation of hands resulting from being drawn under this roller is of not infrequent occurrence. These acciclents occur mainly because of lack of attention of the operator, carelessness and a familiarity with the working conditions of the press which breeds indifference to the danger. These conditions prevail only with the fiat bed presses upon which the finer grades of engraved work are done, the rotary presses being so constructed as not to allow the hands to come near the platen roller during the feeding operation.

The main object of the invention is to provide a paper feed attachment for flat bed presses which will engage and hold the paper, after the proper register has been secured, upon the plate without causing a transfer of any of the ink to the paper and until the platen roller has engaged said paper.

A further object is to provide an attachment which will be applied to and movable with the movable bed of the press, and which will be automatically disengaged from the paper after the platen roller has engaged the paper and prior to the completion of the passage of the plate under said roller to prevent the engagement of said feeding attachment with the said roller.

A still further object is to provide an attachment of this character wherein the hold ing fingers will be automatically shifted by contact with a fixed actuating member having the proper predetermined relation to the platen roller to insure the proper engagement of said roller with the paper prior to the disengagement of the fingers therewith and to provide the proper clearance above the plate in passing under the platen roller.

A still further object is to provide an attachment of the character immediately above described, wherein the releasing mechanism for the fingers may be adjusted to accommodate types of plates of different shapes and sizes.

A still further object is to provide an attachment of this character wherein the holda ing fingers will clamp the sheet upon the plate in a manner to prevent the displacement of the sheet and at the same time avoid such pressure upon the sheet as would result in a transfer of ink from the intaglio lines to the sheet, at any point thereof.

A still further object is to provide an attachment of this character wherein the feeder may readily set the holding fingers while the plate is moving toward the platen roller, thus leaving both hands of the feeder free so as to permit greater, freedom of movement in removing the sheet from the plate upon the other side of theplaten roller:

A still further object is to provide in an attachment of this character means which will cause the gripper mechanism or fingers to lightly'clamp the sheet upon the plate when the attachment is set and will hold said fingers below the'plane of the plate when said fingers are released after the engagement of the sheet between the plate and the platen roller in a manner to prevent any jarring or vibration of the plate bed from displacing said fingers to cause their accidental engagement with the platen roller or other parts of the machine.

A still further object is to provide an attachment of this character wherein the holding fingers may be adjusted to accommodate the device to sheets of different sizes.

A still further object is to provide an attachment of this character wherein the moment of throw-off of the holding fingers may be varied to adapt the device to sheets of different widths. And a still further object is to provide an attachment of this character which may be applied to the ordinary flat bed press without requiring any reorganization of parts.

The invention consists primarily in a paper feed attachment for under surface printing presses embodying therein a plurality of vibratory fingers mounted upon the work bed and adapted to engage and rest upon a sheet upon the engraved plate, means whereby said fingers may be thrown into engagement with the sheet, and automatically operating means adapted to disengage said fingers from said sheet when the forward edge of the plate and the sheet have passed under the platen roller; and in such other novel features of construction and combination of parts as are hereinafter set forth and described, and more particularly pointedout in the claims hereto appended.

Referring to the drawings :Figure- 1 is a plan view of a portion of an under surface printing press with my attachment applied thereto, Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a detailed perspective view of the holding finger mechanism alone,and Fig.4 is a detail view showing the stop mechanism for limiting the movement of the fingers when rendered inoperative.

Like letters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in the drawings, 421 indicates an ordinary reciprocatory flat bed upon which is mounted the engraved or intaglio plate 7). The worm 0 is alternately rotated in opposite directions to reciprocate the bed a and mounted above said bed is the platen or D- roll (Z. The parts illustrated are an old and well known construction of flat bed under surface printing press which is merely one type of fiat bed press in connection with which my invention may be utilized. When feeding presses of this type great care, accuracy and skill are required, and heretofore, it has been necessary for the pressman to hold one end of the paper and the feeder to hold the other end thereof, as the bed advances toward the platen roll (Z,

until said roll has actually engaged the forward edge of the sheet of paper so as to insure the proper relation of the sheet to the press during the moment when the imprint is being taken. To obviate the necessity for so holding the paper, I mount upon the rear edge of said bed plate, a rotary shaft 6 having ,mounted thereon a plurality of downwardly arranged holding fingers f adapted to extend over the bed plate and to be forced down upon the rear edge of the sheet of paper and press it against the plate in amanner to hold it firmly against displacement. Preferably these fingers are mounted upon said shaft 6 by means of the collars g and set screws so as to permit the lateral and circular adjustment of the fingers upon the shaft 6 in a manner to permit the attachment to be used with different sized plates and sheets and regulate the pressure exerted by said fingers. Carried centrally of the shaft 6 is an angular block 72. against which a leaf spring 2' carried by the bed acts to develop the requisite pressure of the fingers upon the sheet, or to hold said fingers in the inverted, inoperative position below the surface of the plate and prevent such displacement of the fingers as might result in interference during the reciprocation of the bed.

Mounted upon either end of the shaft 6 is an arm one face of which is provided with a cam surface j by means of which the shaft 6 is automatically rotated to raise the holding fingers f out of engagement with the paper and oscillate the shaft 6 to throw them below the surface of the plate in a manner to leave the proper clearance between them and the platen roll during the continued reciprocation of the bed plate after the imprint has been taken.

To limit the movement of the shaft 6 to that necessary to properly position the fingers f during the return movement of the bed plate, I provide the stops Z upon the shaft 6. The moment of actuation of the fingers in the manner described should be at a certain predetermined point in the reciprocation of the bed, and to accomplish this result, I arrange upon the rail of the machine an abutment is projecting into the path of the arm j in a manner to be engaged by the cam surface 7" upon said arm. To permit the adjustment of the attachment to sheets of different widths, I provide the base of said abutment with an elongated slot and provide a plurality of set screws in order to permit said abutment to be adjusted longitudinally of the machine to vary the moment of disengagement of the fingers from the paper.

The operation of the herein described attachment is substantially as follows :When the pressman has completed polishing the plate, the feeder takes the dampened sheet of paper and lays it manually upon the plate with the register mark thereon in register with the corresponding mark upon the plate, the pressman in the meanwhile adjusting the side of the sheet toward him in a similar manner. The feeder then gives to the shaft 6 a half rotation by means of the arm j thereon, causing the fingers f to engage the sheet and hold it in position upon the plate. The pressman then trips the press, and the Work bed including the feeding attachment is advanced under the platen or D-roll 0?, both hands of the feeder being free so as to permit him or her to conveniently remove the sheet from the plate after it has passed the platen roll (Z. This manner of holding the sheet permits both the feeder and the pressman to remove their hands from the sheet prior to the initiation of the movement of the bed, and thus precludes any necessity for endangering their fingers or hands. The fingers f contacting with the sheet at different points also prevent any such movement of the sheet as would cause it to become displaced prior to engagement with the platen or Droll, and thus minimize likelihood of an accident due to the efforts of the operative to straighten or remove the sheet after the bed is in mo tion. As the feeder sets the fingers f upon the sheet through the rotation of the shaft 6, the block it thereon forces the spring 2' outwardly, the tension of this spring upon the angular side of the block h above the center of the shaft 6 developing the requisite pressure upon the paper through the fingers f. If it be desired to increase this pressure,

" the said fingers 7 may be set slightly toward the bed plate upon the shaft 6, thus increasing'the moment of the spring during the interval of engagement of the fingers with the paper. The small contact area of the fingers f and their limited extent of projection over the engraved plate 6 prevents the smutting of the paper which result is also due to the lightness of the pressure exerted by said fingers. As the bed advances, the cam surface j upon the arm j engages the abutment is which being above the shaft e throws the said arm upwardly and imparts to the shaft 0, a half rotation so as to entirely remove the fingers f from the paper and throw them backwardly below the plane of the plate 0 where they are held by the spring 2' acting on the flat surface of the block it. This is essential, as after the plate leaves the platen or D-roll (Z, it has to pass under the wiping and inking mechanism and return under the said platen or D-roll, and any projections above said plate would interfere with other operative parts of the machine and preclude the use of the abutment. Upon the return movement of the bed a, the arm 7' passes under the abutment 7c and when the bed comes to rest the feed ing attachment is set preparatory to the next operation of the machine. While, if desired, automatic means may be employed for setting the fingers, such are not necessary as the interval of rest during which the pressman polishes the plate, and the paper is accurately positioned thereon, affords ample time for the manual operation of the attachment.

So far as I am informed, no attachments for holding the paper upon the plate in under surface printing presses have heretofore been used, and I believe such to be broadly new.

It is not my intention to limit myself to the precise details of construction shown in the accompanying drawings, it being apparent that such may be varied without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to have protected by Letters Patent, is

1. A paper feed attachment for under surface printing presses having a reciprocating work bed, a plate thereon, and a platen roller under which said bed passes, embodying therein, holding members mounted upon and movable with'the work bed, and adapted to engage and rest upon a sheet upon the engraved plate, and automatically operating means embodying therein an actuating element arranged in advance of the platen roller whereby said members are disengaged from said sheet when the forward edge of the plate and the sheet have passed under the platen roller.

2. A paper feed attachment for under surface printing presses having a reciprocating work bed, a plate thereon, and a platen roller under which said bed passes, embodying therein, a plurality of vibratory fingers mounted upon and movable with the work bed and adapted to engage and rest upon a sheet upon the engraved plate, means whereby said fingers may be thrown into engagement with the sheet, and automatically operating means embodying therein an actuating element arranged in advance of the platen roller whereby said fingers are disengaged from the sheet when the forward edge of the plate and the sheet have passed under the platen roller.

8. A paper feed attachment for under surface printing presses having a reciprocating work bed, a plate thereon, and a platen roller under which said bed passes, embodying therein, holding members mounted upon and movable with the work bed, and adapted to engage and rest upon a sheet upon the engraved plate, means applying yielding pressure to said holding members, and automatically operating means embodying therein an actuating element arranged in advance of the platen roller whereby said fingers are disengaged from the sheet when the forward edge of the plate and the sheet have passed under the platen roller.

4:. A paper feed attachment for under surface printing presses having a reciprocating work bed, a plate thereon, and a platen roller under which said bed passes, embodying therein, a plurality of vibratory fingers mounted upon and movable with the work bed and adapted to engage and rest upon a sheet upon the engraved plate, means applying uniform pressure to each of said fingers, means whereby said fingers may be thrown into engagement with the sheet, and automatically operating means embodying therein an actuating element arranged in advance of the platen roller whereby said fingers are disengaged from the sheet when the forward edge of the plate and the sheet have passed under the platen roller.

5. A paper feed attachment for under surface printing presses having a reciprocating work bed, a plate thereon, and a platen roller under which said bed passes, embodying therein, a rotatable shaft mounted upon and movable with the work bed, a plurality of radially projecting holding fingers mounted upon said shaft, said fingers being adapted to project over the work bed and engage a sheet upon the engraved plate, an arm carried by said shaft whereby said shaft may be rotated, and a fixed abutment arranged in advance of the platen roller adjacent to said bed and adapted to engage said arm whereby said shaft will be automatically rotated to disengage said fingers from the sheet when the forward edge of the sheet and the plate have passed under the platen roller.

6. A paper feed attachment for under surface printing presses having a reciprocating work bed, a plate thereon, and a platen roller under which said bed passes, embodying therein, a rotatable shaft mounted upon and movable with the work bed, a plurality of radially projecting holding fingers mounted upon said shaft, said fingers being adapted to project over the work bed and engage a sheet upon the engraved plate, a spring acting upon said shaft whereby a yielding pressure is exerted upon the sheet through said fingers, an arm carried by said shaft whereby said shaft may be rotated, and a fixed abutmentadjacent to said bed and adapted to engage said arm whereby said shaft will be automatically rotated to dis engage said fingers from the sheet when the forward edge of the sheet and the plate have passed under the platen roller.

7. A paper feed attachment for under surface printing presses having a reciprocating work bed, a plate thereon, and a platen roller under which said bed passes, embodying therein, a rotatable shaft mounted upon and movable with the work bed, a plurality of radially projecting holding fingers mounted upon said shaft, said fingers being adapted to project over the work bed and engage a sheet upon the engraved plate, a spring act-ing upon said shaft whereby a yielding pressure is exerted upon the sheet through said fingers, means whereby said fingers may be adjusted circumferentially of said shaft to vary the pressure exerted by said fingers, an arm carried by said shaft whereby said shaft may be rotated, and a fixed abutment adjacent to said bed and adapted to engage said arm whereby said shaft will be automatically rotated to disengage said fingers from the sheet when the forward edge of the sheet and the plate have passed under the platen roller.

8. A paper feed attachment for under surface printing presses having a reciprocating work bed, a plate thereon, and a platen roller under which said bed passes, embodying therein, a rotatable shaft mounted upon and movable with the work bed, a plurality of radially projecting holding fingers mounted upon said shaft, said fingers being adapted to project over the work bed and engage a sheet upon the engraved plate, means whereby said fingers may be adjusted aXially of said shaft to accommodate the attachment to sheets of various sizes, an arm car- 9 ried by said shaft whereby said shaft may be rotated, and a fixed abutment adjacent to said bed and adapted to engage said arm whereby said shaft will be automatically rotated to disengage said fingers from the sheet when the forward edge of thesheet and the plate have passed under the platen roller.

9. A paper feed attachment for under surface printing presses having a reciprocating work bed, a plate thereon, and a platen roller under which said bed passes, embodying therein, a rotatable shaft mounted upon and movable with the work bed, a plurality of radially projecting holding fingers mounted upon said shaft, said fingers being adapted to project over the work bed and engage a sheet upon the engraved plate, a block carried by and rotatable with said shaft and having flat surfaces upon diametrically opposite points of said shaft, a leaf spring adapted to bear upon said block, whereby a yielding pressure is applied to said fingers, through said shaft, and said fingers are held in the operative or inoperative position, an arm carried by said shaft whereby said shaft may be rotated, and a fixed abutment adjacent to said bed and adapted to engage said arm whereby said shaft will be automatically rotated to disengage said fingers from the sheet when the forward edge of the sheet and the plate have passed under the platen roller.

10. A paper feed attachment for under surface printing presses having a reciproeating work bed, a plate thereon, and a platen roller under which said bed passes, embodying therein, a rotatable shaft mounted upon and movable with the work bed, a plurality of radially projecting holding fingers mounted upon said shaft, said fingers being adapted to project over the work bed and engage a sheet upon the engraved plate, a block carried by and rotatable with said shaft and having flat surfaces upon diametrically opposite points of said shaft, a leaf spring adapted to bear upon said block whereby a yielding pressure is applied to said fingers through said shaft, and said fingers are held in the operative or inoperative position, supplemental positive stops for limiting the movement of said shaft, an arm carried by said shaft whereby said shaft may be rotated, and a fixed abutment adjacent to said bed and adapted to engage said arm whereby said shaft will be automatically rotated to disengage said fingers from the sheet when the forward edge of the sheet and the plate have passed under the platen roller.

11. A paper feed attachment for under surface printing presses having a reciprocating work bed, a plate thereon, and a platen roller under which said bed passes, embodying therein, a rotatable shaft mounted upon and movable with the work bed, a plurality of radially projecting holding fingers mounted upon said shaft, said fingers being adapted to project over the work bed and engage a sheet upon the engraved plate, an arm carried by said shaft whereby said shaft may be rotated, a fixed abutment adjacent to said bed and adapted to engage said arm whereby said shaft will be automatically rotated to disengage said fingers from the sheet when the forward edge of the sheet and the plate have passed under the platen roller, and means whereby said abutment may be adjusted longitudinally of the machine to vary the moment of disengagement of the fingers from the sheet.

12. A paper feed attachment for under surface printing presses having a reciprocating work bed, a plate thereon, and a platen roller under which said bed passes,

embodying therein, holding members mounted upon and movable with the work bed, and adapted to engage and rest upon a sheet upon the engraved plate, automatically operating means whereby said members are disengaged from said sheet when the forward edge of the plate and the sheet have passed under the platen roller, and means whereby the operative moment of said automatically operating means may be varied to adapt the attachment to work of different slzes.

surface printing presses having a reciprocating work bed, a plate thereon, and a platen roller under which said bed passes, embodying therein, holding members mounted upon and movable with the work bed and adapted to engage and rest upon asheet upon the engraved plate, means whereby said members may be positioned below the surface of the plate whereby when said members are inoperative the work bed and its attachment may move freely under the inking and wiping mechanism and the platen roller, and automatically operating means for actuating said last named means whereby said members are disengaged from said sheet when the forward edge of the plate and the sheet have passed under the platen roller.

14. A paper feed attachment for under surface printing presses having a reciprocating work bed, a plate thereon, and a platen roller under which said bed passes, embodying therein, holding members operative during a portion of the feeding movement of the bed, and means arranged in advance of the platen roller whereby said members are rendered inoperative while said bed is passing under the platen roller and during the balance of the movement of said bed.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature, in the presence of two witnesses, this 17th day of July, 1911.

'WILLIAM H. VOORHEES.

Witnesses:

P. G. HANNA, EUGENE WENING.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

13. A paper feed attachment for under

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