US1383353A - Electric blue-printing machine - Google Patents

Description

J. H. WAGENHORST.

ELECTRIC BLUE PRINTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JAN-26,1918.

Patented July 5, 1921.

3 I 2 SHEETSSHEET l.

I. H. WAGENI'IORST. ELECTRIC BLUE PRINTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JAN-26, I918.

1,383,353. Patented July 5, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES: E. WAGENHOBST, OF AKRON, OHIO.

ELECTRIC BLUE-PRINTING- MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 5., 1921.

Application filed January 26, 1918. Serial No. 213,860.

To all whom it may cone-em:

Be it known that I, JAMES H. WAGnN- HORST, a citizen of the United States, res1ding at Akron, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Electric Blue- Printing Machmes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates generally to electric blueprinting machines and more part1cu larly to one in which the rays of light fromone or more are lamps are preferably transmitted through a fiat plate glass of suitable dimensions, while the material to be operated upon is held against the opposite face of said glass and moved across the said face thereof at a predetermined rate of speed, the material being held in firm contact with the glass at all times. A flat transparent plate through which the light rays are transmitted is to be preferred to a curved surface because it is-possible to get a true flat surface against which to hold the material to be operated upon, and a direct impingement of the light rays is also to be had. Furthermore, a flat I provide certain improvements whereby a firm contact will be had at all times between the glass and the material to be operated upon by the light rays. Another objectof the invention is-to provide improved means for causing the material to be properly moved through the machine while held in such close contact, that is all of the materials are caused to move in unison and creeping prevented, and furthermore bothcdges of the continuous strips are caused to move evenly and all possibility of one edge traveling faster than the other eliminated.

Another object of the invention is to provide for a variable speed whereby the vary- .ing kinds of printing material can be used in the machine and the speed of passage reg- --ulated to suit the conditions of said printing material.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the various novel features of construction and combination all of 1 which will be fully described hereinafter and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing illustrating one form of my invention Fi ure 1 is a central horizontal sectional view. ig, 2 is an end view. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectionon the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section on the line 44 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail of the apron pressing means.

In constructing a blue printing machine in accordance with my invention, I provide a frame consisting of base sills 10, and uprights 11 and 12 connected thereto, the uprights 11 being preferably of wood and the uprights 12 preferably of metal pipe.

Two boards 13 and 14 are connected to the uprights 11, these boards being spaced apart to receive therebetween a flat glass plate 15,

or a slightly curved glass. The edges of the boards 13 and 14 are rabbeted to receive the edges of the glass plate as most clearly shown 'in Fig. 3. The upper ends of the uprights are connected by brace arms 11, also preferably of pipe. 1

The sills 10 and uprights 11 are spaced a suitable distance apart according to the maximum width .of the print to be made, and the glass 15 extends substantially the width of the machine, the uprights 11 being rabbeted also as shown at 11" in order to provide seats for the ends of the glass.

Contacting with the flat glass plate 15 or the convex face of the curved glass 15 is an endless feeding and conveying apron, the function of which is to carry evenly the material across the face of the glass while the rays of light from the arc lamp or lamps.

pass through said glass. By carrying the material evenly is meant causing all of the material to move in unison and also preventing the material at one side moving faster than the material at the other side.

In order to accomplish this even motion, I employ an endless feeding and conveying means which may consist of a canvas or other fabric apron 16 of a width substantially co-extensivewith the length of the glass plate, and to this endless fabric apron are attached slats or strips 17 preferabl of wood. These strips extend the full widt of the apron and their meeting edges are beveled as shown at 17 in order that the endless apron and strips may travel around the upper and lower flanged rollers 18, these rollers being carried by upper and lower shafts 19 and 20 respectively, mounted in bearings 21, each bearing being adjustable through the medium-of the screw 22 work ing through a suitable support 23 attached to the uprights 11. The flanges of the rollers 18 are upon the outer sides, as shown in Fig. 1 and the strips or slats of the apron barely contact with'these flanges, thereby preventing any possible longitudinal shifting of the apron which would cause creeping. By the employment of the slats or strips, I am able to apply considerable pressure to the curtain as a whole without exerting the pressure directly upon the fabric itself, and in order to hold the endless apron in firm contact with the glass plate 15 or 15 I provide a metal plate or shoe 24 of suitable width and of a length substantially the same as the width of the apron. This plate or shoe 24 is connected to two angle iron strips 25 by means of pinsQG, and between the plate .24 and the angle iron strips 25 are interposed springs 27 surrounding the pins. The angle iron strips 25 are connected to brackets 28 supported upon bolts 29 projecting through the uprights 11, tensionbeing applied to brackets by springs 30 surrounding the bolts 29 and tensioned by means of thumb nuts 31 secured thereon.

The spring pressing means just described serves to hold that portion of the flexible endless apron which contacts with the glass,

infirm contact therewith, so that the printing'material introduced at the point A will be carried down between the glass and the apron at a definite rate of speed so that the proper exposure through the rays of light will be had and as previously stated the pressure is applied to the strips or slats and communicated to the fabric and owing to the construction of the endless belt and the manner of supporting the same between the flanged rollers, all possibility of creeping or endwise movement will be avoided.

Tension is also applied to the endless apron through a spring 32 surrounding a rod 33 the ends of which fit loosely in bearings 34 arranged centrally of the machine through which the shafts 19 and 20 pass.

For the purpose of actuating the endless apron in the proper manner, I employ a feeding mechanism receiving its power from an electric motor 40 driving the belt 41 which passes around the wheel 42 loose upon the shaft 20 and connected to this wheel 42 is a small wheel 43 over which travels a belt 44 extending around a wheel 45 also loose upon the shaft 19, and this wheel 45 carries a crank arm 46 to which is attached a link 47 pivotally connected at itsouter endto a rocking lever'48 suitably supported upon a journal bracket 49. A sleeve 50 is adjustably mounted upon the opposite end of this lever arm and carries a pitma-n 51 connected at its lower end to an arm 52 pivotally mounted upon the shaft 20 and carrying a pawl 53 adapted to engage a ratchet wheel 54 rigid with the shaft 20. These elements are so arranged that power from the motor is transmitted first to the wheel 42 which in turn transmits it to the wheel 45 through the medium of the belt 44 and the wheel 45 through the crank 46 rocks the lever 48 and this through the pitman 51 works the pawl carrying arm up and down so as to feed the ratchet one or more teeth at a time according to the position of the sleeve 50 upon the arm 48, it being understood that by adjusting the position of the sleeve along the arm a long or short stroke can be obtained as desired so as to turn .the ratchet wheel a distance of one tooth only or more than one tooth. The ratchet wheel being fixed upon the shaft 20 moves said shaft, and with it the endless spring pressed apron one or more steps at atime, car'iying with it the printing material and holding the same in firm contact with the glass during the entire passage of said material through the machine. The printing operation is accomplished by utilizing the rays of electric arc lamps, and in practice I prefer to employ four such lamps 60 arranged at equal points in advance of the reflecting surfaces 61, these reflecting surfaces being so arranged as to reflect all the rays of light and thereby provide a maxi surfaces (Z, the two inner lamps being arranged in line with the juncture of the refleeting surfaces 0 and (Z. By this employment of the long reflectin surfaces and the short reflecting surfaces am able to employ four are lamps arranged as shown, obtaining the maximum effect of light reflection and thereby collect a maximum number of light rays for the printing operation.

The are lamps 60 are arranged in a suitable sheet metal box 62, the reflector 61 constituting the rear of said box. This box is closed at each end, and the end adjacent the motor is preferably perforated as indicated at 62, and a ventilating fan 63 arranged upon the'end of the motor shaft inorder that the heated air may be withdrawn from the box. The forward end of the box is supported by suitable arms 64 connected to the uprights 11. Truss rods 65 are employed to strengthen the machine.

The carbons of the arc lamps'are preferably arranged in globes 66.

It will thus be seen that I provide an electric blue printing machine embodying a number of novel features of construction and it will be particularly noted that by the employment of a flexible apron constructed as herein shown and described, I am able to apply pressure direct to said,

apron ei'ther in connection with a flat oring strips upon itsforward face. I can dispense with the separate pressing means for effecting the contact between the glass and apron.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is 1. In a device of the kind described, the combination with a flat transparent plate of an endless fabric apron having a series of strips connected thereto, spring pressed means adapted to contact with said strips and hold said'apron in contact with one face of said glass, a source of light upon the opposite side of said glass, and means for moving said endless apron step by step.

2. In a device of the kind described, the combination of a fiat transparent plate, of an endless apron adapted to contact therewith, strips attached to said apron, pressure means contacting with said strips whereby, a portion of the apron is held in.

close contact with one face of the glass, a source of light on the opposite side of said glass, and means for moving said endless apron and strips, and means for preventing lateral movement of said apron and strips.

3. In a device of the kind described, the

4 combination with a transparent plate, of an endless apron adapted to contact therewith,

strips attached to said apron, spring pressed means contacting with the said strips,

flanged rollers around which said apron and strips travel, a source of light upon the op-' posite side of said glass, means for moving said endless apron and strips.

4. In a device of the kind described, the

combination with a transparentplate, of an endless apron adapted to contact therewith, strips attached to said apron, spring pressed means contacting with the said strips, flanged rollers around which said apron and strips travel, a source of light upon the opposite side of said glass, means for moving said endless apron and strips stepby step.

5. In a device of the kind described, the

combination of a flat transparent plate, of

an endless apron adapted to contact with said plate, 'a series of strips upon-the inner face of said apron, guide rollers upon which said apron and strip travel, adjust able pressing means for holding said apron in contact with one face of the glass, a source of light upon the opposite side of said glass, and means for moving said apron and strips.

6. In a device of the kind described, the combination of a flat transparent plate, of

'an endless apron adapted to contact withsaid plate, a series of strips upon the inner face of said apron, guide rollers upon which said apron and strip travel, adjustable pressing means for holding said apron in contact with one face of the glass, a source of light upon the opposite side of said glass, and means for moving said apron and strips step by step.

7 In a device of the kind described, the' combination with a transparent plate, of an endless apron having a series of strips connected to the inner face thereof said apron being adapted to contact with one faceof.

saidtransparent plate, a source of light upon the opposite side of said plate, means for moving and guiding said endless apron and strips, together wlth means for tensioning the same.

I 8. In a device of the kind described, the combination of a flat transparent plate, of an endless feeding means, adapted to contact with one face of said plate, arc lamps arranged upon the opposite side of said plate and reflectorsarranged at the rear of said arc lamps, said reflectors being arranged at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the machine and also to each other.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiix my signature.

' JAMES H. WAGENHORST.

Images