US1157888A - Driving mechanism for printing-presses. - Google Patents

Description

R. MIEHLE.

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING PRESSES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-1. 1911.

1,157,8& Patented 001:. 26, 1915.

3 SHEETSSHEET I.

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R. MIEHLE.

DRIVI NG MECHANISM FOR PRINTING PRESSES.

' APPLICATION FI'LED DEC. 1/191.

Patented Oct. 26, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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R MIEHLE, .DRIVING MECHANISM FORPRINTING PRES SES.

APPLICATION FI LED DEC 1, I911.

Patented 001;. 26, 1915.

.3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- W/ TNESSES:

(All/ENTOR W %TATE PATENT FFIH ROBERT MIEI-ILE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 CONTINENTAL 8cCO1VIMERCIAL TRUST & SAVINGS BANK, TRUSTEE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING-PRESSES.

Application filed December 1, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT MIEHLE, a citizen of the United States, and a resldent of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Driving Mechanism for Printing-Presses, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to that class of printing presses in which an impression cylinder is employed to take the impression from the printing form, which in some cases is clamped on a form cylinder as in rotary presses, or the form is secured to a press bed as in flat bed cylinder printing presses, in all of which the printing cylinder makes one or more revolutions to one impression on the form. In this class of printing presses it is desirable to have the driving gears run smoothly and noiselessly, and it is therefore necessary to keep the gears set closely to their driving pitch lines, and at the samev time transmit uniform motion to the cylinder so that the periphery of the same will travel in'unison with the form.

In practice it has been found that it is almost impossible to hold the axis of the impression cylinder in a fixed position relative to the form, when a heavy impression is required. This may be due to thespringing or stretching of the parts which hold the cylinder against the form, or the cylinder shaft itself may spring or bend under the heavy pressure required to make the printing impression on the form. This springing of the cylinder shaft is more apt to occur when small cylinders are used, for the reason that a small shaft is usually employed for the purpose of reducing the friction. It will be readily understood that whatever will cause the cylinder to lift away from the form will at the same time change the mesh of the driving gears, and as the gear teeth are somewhat tapered the relative driving action is changed, which reacts on the form surface either as the cylinder engages and rides up on the leading edge of the form, or when. the cylinder is leaving the end of the form. This reaction results in wearing the edges of the form and in damaging it, consequently poor printing results.

The invention has for its objects to pro Specification of "Letters Patent.

Patented Get. 26, 1915.

Serial No. 868,363.

ing press in elevation, showing the media-- nism at the center of the printing stroke. Flg. II IS the same view in elevation, showing the mechanism at the center of the nonprinting stroke. Fig. III is a rear end view in elevation of the printing press shown in Figs. I'and II partly in section. Fig. IV is a side View in elevation of the cylinder gear supporting frame hereinafter referred to. Fig. V is an end view in elevation of the cylinder gear supporting frame with the unison driving ring separated from the cylinder gear. Fig. VI is a partial side view in elevation of the press, showing the cylinder raising and lowering mechanism.

Referring to the drawings for a detailed description of the construction, 13 represents the impression cylinder in connection with a two revolution cylinder flatbed printing press, in which the impression cylinder is moved bodily away from the form to clear it on the non-printing or return stroke of the press bed 2.

13 is the printing form secured to the press bed Q.

Mounted fixedly on the cylinder shaft 25 is a member 25 engaging with the unison member 14E, which in turn engages with the impression cylinder driving gear 12. The unison member loosely embraces the cylinder gear shaft 25 so as to be capable of movement transversely of said shaft in any direction. The cylinder driving gear 12 meshes with and is driven by the bed mo-- tion driving gear 10 fixed on the reduced end 9 of the shaft 9. The distance between the centers of gears 12 and 10 is maintained constant by means of the gear supporting frame 24, having a hearing at its upper end to receive the shaft 25 and a bearing at its lower end to receive the shaft9. The frame clamp the same by the shoulders it on the rods 9 and the nuts 72/ The rods 9 pass through the cross bar impression blocks 2' at their lower ends, the nuts j above and below .the cross bar block 1; being for the purpose of adjusting the impression cylinder I and holding it in position. This cross bar i can be either a part of the press frame or it may be a separate part used in connection with the usual mechanism, which is either an eccentric or a toggle mechanism, for raising and lowering the cylinder. However the mechanism herein shown for raising and lowering the cylinder is a toggle mechanism. Interposed between the cross bar impression blocks-i and an abutment 7c of the main frame 1 are the toggle members 30, the

lower member being provided with a lever extension 31. The outer end of lever 31 is pivotally connected to the connecting bar 32, whose lower end is in turn pivotally coni nected to the lever 33, mounted on the rock shaft 3 1. It will be understood that this rock shaft passes through to the other side of'the press where it operates a duplicate toggle mechanism, which acts on the other bearing box of the cylinder 13. The rock shaft 34' is oscillated by the lever 35, which is fixedly mounted on the rock shaft and has a stud and roller36, mounted at its outer end, working in the cam groove 37 of the cam 38, which is mounted on the cam shaft 21 and receives one revolution to each complete to and fro motion of the type bed. In order to raise the cylinder counterbalance springs 39 are provided, which are located n the spring chambers 40. In some printing presses no raising or lowering mechanism is necessary, and only the adjusting means is provided. In printing presses of this character there is no necessity for raising or lowering the cylinder gear and its driver, the cylinder gear shaft being journaled in the stationary frame 27, which is bolted to the main press frame. The function that the unison member performs, however, is the same in all cases of printing presses above mentioned, namely: to transmit uniform motion to the cylinder regardless of whether the cylinder axis and the axis of the cylinder gear are in alinement or not. This universal driving action is brought about by the flexibility of the unison member (which is held in place by its lugs 12 12 and 14 14:, which are confined in the guide slots 12, 12,

and 143, 14 through the sliding of the guide lugs 12 in the guide slots 12 and the guide lugs 14 in the guide slots 11 As the unison member 1 1 revolves it slides back and forth a limited distance on the shaft 25 in the above mentioned guide slots, thus compensating for the difference of positions of the axes of the cylinder and the cylinder gear, thereby keeping the cylinder and form from changing their register or relative positions at the point of contact.

It will be seen that when it is necessary to adjust the cylinder to or away from the form, which happens frequentl the action of the unison member is of great advantage, because the register of the with the form is not changed as it is when the cylinder gear is mounted on the cylinder shaft and is moved with it into or out of perfect mesh with its driving gear when the cylinder gear is adjusted, an unnatural mesh of the gears, which changes the register or relative position of the form with the cylinder. By keeping the cylinder gear and its driver at all times in a position to insure a proper mesh when the cylinder is adjusted or shifted bodily away from the form, as in multi-revolution cylinder presses, to clear the form, (the range of this shifting movement being nearly one half of the pitch depth of the teeth), all backlash of the teeth and consequent noise and unnatural wear of the teeth is thus avoided. Because of the gears having a fixed and perfect -mesh a smaller pitched tooth can be used in the gears, thus insuring smoother running.

Secured to the under side of the press bed 2 is a rack frame 1, which is provided with an upper and lower rack 3 and 4-, with which the bed driving gear 5, attached to the inner end of shaft 9, alternately engages. The bed motion frame 15, in which the shaft 9 is journaled, is fulcrumed at 22 and 23 in the press frame 1. Frame 15 is provided with an arm 17, which has a stud 18 operating in the groove 19 on the cam shaft 21.

The rack frame 1 is provided at either end with straight shoulders 6 in juxtaposition to inner shoulders or gates 7 pivoted in the rack frame 1 and are provided with studs or rollers S and 8", which engage with the grooves of cams S and 8 respectively. These cams swing the gates 7 of cam 20, mounted and 7 into and out of the path of the roller or crank stud 8 at the proper times to allow the crank stud 8 to gradually stop the press bed and start it back again on its return stroke, while the bed motion gear 5 is being shifted from one of the racks 3 the other in a well known manner by the cam 20. This cam receives one revolution while the gear 5 receives three revolutions for one to and fro motion of the press bed, and may be driven in any approved manner.

point of contact thereby causing 1 e or 1 into and 7, which are l The counter-balance spring 29 keeps the weight of the frame 2 1 and the cylinder gear 12 and the unison member 1% from bearing down on the shaft 9.

In Fig. III is shown in dotted lines an eX- tension arm 15, whichcan be cast with or bolted to the frame 15 for the purpose of supporting the frame With this arrangement the extension 9 is secured to the arm 15.

In Figs. I and III it will. be noticed that the impression cylinder is down to engage with the form, the bed motion frame being lifted so that the gear 5 is in engagement with the rack 3 on the press bed, and the cylinder gear centerv is about in alinement with the center of the impression cylinder gear. In Fig II the impression cylinder is in its upper position to clear the form on the nonprinting stroke, while the bed motion frame is in a lowered position with the gear 5 engaging with the lower rack 4. In both positions, shown in Figs. I and II, the cylinder gear teeth are in full mesh with the gear teeth of driving gear 10. In both these positions the unison member will impart a uniform motion to the cylinder from the cylinder gear without the necessity of the axial center of the impression cylinder being in line with the axial center of the cylinder gear.

In practice in the class of a two revolution flat bed printing press as shown in the draw-- ings the raising and lowering of the cylinder does not occur at the time when the bed motion cam action takes place, therefore in practice a separate cam is provided for raising and lowering the cylinder, which is made to suit the timing of the cylinder with the form. Then again in the drawings the bed motion shaft is lifted at the time when the cylinder is being lowered and vice versa.

I do not wish to limit myself to the specific construction herein shown and described for imparting the to and fro motion to the press bed, and the means for keeping the cylinder gear in mesh with the driving gear, which moves with the cylinder gear. Nor do I wish to limit myself to the specific construction, herein shown and described, of the unison driving mechanism, for it may be used in its various forms, and any universal joint, which will transmit a uniform motion to the cylinder when its axis is out of line with the axis of the cylinder gear will be understood to come within the spirit of the invention herein claimed.

Having thus fully described my invention what I desire to claim by Letters Patent 1. In a printing-press, the combination of a form-supporting member, means to actuate said member at a substantially uniform speed during the printing operation, a revoluble impression-cylinder, a cylinder-gear mounted at an end of said cylinder, a driving-gear meshing with said cylinder-gear, the distance between said gear axes being fixed, means for adjusting the impression position of said cylinder transversely to the axis of the cylinder-gear, and means connecting said cylinder-gear to said cylinder, including a member shiftable with respect to both said cylinder and said cylinder-gear, the peripheral speed of said cylinder being thesame as the speed of said form-supporting member. during the printing operation and remaining substantially unchanged with respect to that of the cylinder-gear even though the cylinder and gear are laterally shifted relatively to one another causing relative displacement of their axes, substantially as described.

2. In a printing-press, the combination of a form-supporting member, means to actuate said member at a substantially uniform speed during the printing operation, a revoluble impression-cylinder, a cylinder-gear mounted at an end of said cylinder, a driving-gear meshing with said cylinder-gear, the distance between said gear axes being fixed, means for adjusting the impression positionof said cylinder transversely to the axis of the cylinder-gear, and means connecting said cylindergear to said cylinder, including a member slidably connected to the cylinder-gear and to the cylinder so as to be capable of radial movement with respect to said cylinder and gear, the peripheral speed of said cylinder being the same as the speed of said form-supporting member during the printing operation and remaining substantially unchanged with respect to that of the cylinder-gear even though the cylinder and gear are shifted relatively to one another causing a relative displacement of their axes, substantially as described.

3. In a printing-press, the combination of a form-supporting member, means to actuate said member at a substantially uniform speed during the printing operation, a revoluble impression-cylinder, a cylinder-gear mounted at an end of said cylinder, a driving-gear meshing with said cylinder-gear, the distance between said gear axes being fixed, means for adjusting the impression.

position of said cylinder transversely t0 the axis of the cylinder-gear, a driving member rigidly connected to the impression-cylinder, and means connecting said driving-member to said cylinder-gear including a member slidably engaged with both the drivingmember and the cylinder-gear so as to be capable of radial movement with respect to the cylinder-gear and the driving-member whereby motion is transmitted from the cylinder-gear tothe cylinder irrespective of the relative axial positions of the gear and cylinder, the peripheral speed of said cylinder being the same as the speed of said formsupporting member during the printing operation and remaining substantially un changed with respect to that of the cylindergear even though the cylinder and gear are shifted relatively to one another, causing relative displacement of their axes, substantially as described.

4'. In a printing press, the combination of a bed, an impression cylinder, a shifting bed motion driving gear, a cylinder gear meshing with said driving gear, means for maintaining a predetermined distance between the'centers of said gears irrespective of the shifting position of said-driving gear, and a flexible connection between said cylinder gear and said impression cylinder for operating said cylinderirrespective of the position of said cylinder gear. y

5. In a printing press, the combination of an impression cylinder, a bed motion mechanisn including a shifting bed driving gear, means for shifting said gear, a cylinder gear meshing with said driving gear, means for maintaining a predetermined distance between the centers of said driving gear and said cylinder gear, and means including a member slidable radially with respect to said cvlinder gear and said cylinder for transmitting motion from said cylinder gear to said cylinder. g

6. In a printing press, the combination of a press bed, an impression cylinder, a cylinder gear, a driving gear, means for main- .taining a predetermined distance between the centers of said gears, means for shifting saidgears bodily with respect to the cylinder, means for'raising and loweringsaid cylinder with respect to the bed, and flexible driving connections between said cylinder gear and said cylinder.

'7. In a printing press, thecombination of a bed, an impression cylinder, a bed gear and a driving gear co-axially mounted,

means for shifting said gears with respect to the bed, a cylinder gear meshing with said driving gear, means for shifting said cylinder gear with the dr1v1ng gear, and

, flexible driving connections between said cylinder gear and said cylinder.

8. In a printing press, the combination of a bed, a bed motion driving gear, a cylinder gear in mesh with said drivinggear, a frame for maintaining a predetermined distancebetween the axes of said driving and cylinder gears, means for shifting said driving and cylinder gears with respect to the bed without disturbing the relative position of their axes, a driving member connected to the cylinder, and a unison member having a sliding connection with said driving member and with said cylinder gear whereby motion is transmitted from said cylinder gear to said cylinder irrespectiveof the axial alinement of said cylinder gear and cylinder."

9. In a printing press, the combination of a bed, an impression cylinder, a shifting bed motion driving gear, a cylinder gear in mesh with said driving-gear, a frame for maintaining said cylinder gear and driving gear in predetermined relation with respect to each other, means for raising and lower ing said frame, and means including a unison member movable radially with respect to said cylinder transmitting motion from said cylinder gear to said cylinder.

10. In a printing press, the combination of a bed, an impression cylinder, a cylinder driving gear, means for raising and lowering said cylinder, a shifting bed motion frame, a bed motion shaft supported in said frame, a driving gear on said shaft meshing with said cylinder driving gear, means for shifting said bed motion frame, a f *ame for maintaining a predetermined distance between the axes of said driving gear and said cylinder driving gear, and driving connections between said cylinder gear and said cylinder.

11. In a printing press, the combination of a bed, an impression cylinder, a cylinder gear, flexible driving connections between said gear and said cylinder, a shiftablc bed motion frame, means for shifting said frame, a shaft supported in the frame, .1 driving gear on said shaft meshing with said cylinder gear, and means whereby the shifting movement of saiddriving gear is transmitted to the cylinder gear so that both said gears are shifted an equal amount.

12. In a printing press, the combination of a bed, a shiftablc bed motion driving gear, a shiftable cylinder gear, means for shifting said gears simultaneously and equally, an impression cylinder, means for raising and lowering said cylinder and driving connections between said cylinder gear and said cylinder.

13. In a printing press, the combination of a bed, an impression cylinder, a bed mo tion driving gear, a cylinder gear, means for shifting the axes of said gears without disturbing the relative positions of said axes, means for shifting said cylinder and driving connections between said cylinder and said cylinder gear.

14. In a. printing-press, the combination of a revoluble impression-cy]inder, a cylinder-gear mounted at an end of the cylinder, a driving-gear in mesh with the cylinder gear, the distance between said gear axes being fixed, means to simultaneously raise and lower said driving and cylinder gears, and

a driving connection between said cylindergear and cylinder including a member shiftable with respect to both said cylinder and gear, the peripheral speed of the cylinder: remaining substantially unchanged with respect to that of the cylinder-gear even and said cylinder gear for ll j though the relative shifting of the cylinder and gear causes relative displacement of their axes, substantially as described.

15. In a printing-press, the combination of a revoluble impression-cylinder, a cylinder-gear mounted at an end of the cylinder, a driving-gear meshing with said cylindergear, the distance between said gear axes remaining fixed, means for shifting said cylinder, means for simultaneously shifting said cylinder-gear and driving-gear in a direction opposite to the shifting movement of the cylinder and without changing the distance between said gear axes, and a flexible driving-connection between said cylinder-gear and cylinder including a member slidable radially with respect to both said cylinder-gear and cylinder, the peripheral speed of the cylinder remaining substantially unchanged with respect to that of the cylinder-gear even though said cylinder and cylinder-gear are shifted relatively to one another, causing a relative displacement of their axes, substantially as described.

16. In a printing-press, the combination Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

of a revoluble impression-cylinder, a cylinder-gear mounted at an end of said cylinder, a driving-gear meshing with the cylinder-gear, means to maintain the distance between the axes of said gears unchanged, means for raising and lowering said cylinder, means for simultaneously raising and lowering said cylinder driving-gears independently of the shifting movement of the cylinder, and means connecting said cylinder-gear to said cylinder, including a member slidable radially with respect to both said cylinder and said cylindengear, the peripheral speed of said cylinder remaining substantially unchanged with respect to that of the cylinder-gear even though the cylinder and the cylinder-gear are shifted rela tively to one another, causing a relative displacement of their axes, substantially as described.

ROBERT MIEHLE.

Witnesses:

PAUL E. HARTUNG, ROBERT F. MIEI-ILE, J r.

Washington, D. G. l

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