US1724645A - Method and means for treating sheet material - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 13, 1929. N DE LONG 1,724,645

` METHOD AND MEANS FOR TREATING SHEET MATERIAL original FiledMay 29. 1924 4 sheets-sheet l N. DE LONG A ug. 1 3, 1929.

METHOD AND MEANS FOR TREATING SHEET MATERIAL 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 l Original Filed May 29. 1924 N. DE LONG' Aug. 13, 1929.

METHOD AND MEANS FOR TREATING SHEET MATERIAL Original Filed May 29. 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 N. DE LONG Aug. 13,. 1929.

METHOD AND MEANS FOR TREATING SHEET MATERIAL Original Filed May 29. 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Aug. 13,` 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

. NELSON DE LONG, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOIR TO BENJAMIN B. SALVATY, F

- CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

METHOD AND MEANS FOB TBEATING SHEET MATERIAL.

' Application led May 29, 1924, Serial No. 718,646. Renewed January 10, 1929.'

My invention relates to improvements in means and methods for treating sheet ma.-

terial, such as paper, and has special ref' out my improvements as applied specificall to the rapid printing of paper and, although I have, in this present application, described my invention as applied to the printing of a paper web successively on opposite sides of the web with the smearing or offsetting of the first impression, by the pressure necessary for the second impression, eliminated, it will be'obvious, upon a, full understanding of the invention, that it is also applicable to the printing of separate sheets and the elimination of smut sheets which are now commonly employed in this work. A particular object of my invention in connection with .the printing of .paper isv4 the elimination of the so-called smut roll which does not last long, the cost of which is high and which requires constant surveillance to prevent additional cost through delays, etc., whenever the smut web becomes wrinkled or broken. y

I accomplish my object by the peculiar and novel a plication of heat and airv to practically instantaneously eliminate all volatile elements of the impressed ink, and,

under some conditions, .the like chilling of the 'impressed ink after the volatile parts have been thus removed.

It will become clear, from the following description, that while I have illustrated my invention as applied to the rapid printing of' paper webs on its opposite sides andthe elimination of smut rolls and sheets, that my invention is capable of application to many other uses, such as the rapid or quick drying of sheet material itself, as well as ifnk which may be impressed upon its surace. v

My invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and in which I have illustrated a specific application of my invention as applled to a web printing press,` and in which draw- 'Figure 1, is a diagrammatic side elevation of a web printing press of usual con-v str uction equipped with an ink drying mechamsm constructed in accordance with my invention and which I have found best adapted for practicing my novel method;

Figure 2, is an enlarged'side elevation of tle ink drying mechanism, shown in Figure Figure 3, is a sectional view through one of the hot air applicators and its associable roll on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4, is a similar sectional view of the cold air applicator;

Figure 5, is an enlarged vertical sectional view of one of the applicators and its associated roll;

Figure 6, is a fragmentary plan view of one end of one of the applicators illustrating the means for adjusting the space between the applicator and its roll;

Figure 7, is a fragmentary end elevation of the parts shown in Figure 6;

Figure 8, is a fragmentary section on the lines 8--8 Qf Figures 5 and 7; and

Figure 9, is a diagrammatic sectional view illustrating the action of the thin film of air in transferring heat from or to the applicator.

In said drawings, 10 illustrates, diagrammatically a web press, adapted in the form shown, for printing on a paper web 11, first on one side by means of impression cylinders l2, 13 and 14, and then on the opposite side of the paper by the impression cylinders 15, 16 and 17.

Between the two sets of cylinders, I arrange means for drying and setting the ink of the first impressions before the web eaches the second set of impression cylin The paper web 11 is supplied in the form of a roll 18 and is led around suitable idlers 19 to the first set of impression cylinders where one or more impressions are made upon one side of the paper accordingl to the results desired; it is then led to e drying mechanism designated generally by 20 and having a plurality of idle rolls or cylinders .21, 22 an 23, that is, three in this particular instance. From the drying mechanism the web 11 is led over suitable idle guide rollers 24 to the second set of impression cylinders, from which point it is trained over suitable idle guide rolls 25 for delivery fron the printinggmachine to suit-v able-*cutting and folding mechanism, not

shown, as may be desired, as shown by the dotted line, Figure 1.

The drying mechanism 20 consists of the three idle rollers 21, 22 and 23, which are duplicates of each other; Each cylinder or roll consists .of a cylindrical shell 26 and heads 27.v The roll is mounted on a central shaft 28 to which the heads are secured, and the shaft is rotatably mounted at its ends in suitable adjustable bearings 29. The bearings at each side of the` machine, that is, the three at the same ends of the several cylinders are mounted on a channel beam 30. The two channel beams are supported at one end by swinging hanger or radius arms 31 which are pivotally mounted at their upper ends on trunnions 32 mounted in bearingr brackets 33. At their opposite ends the two channel beams are mounted for easy up and down adjustment through a limited movement by means of link members 34, pivotally connected at their ends to the adjacent ends of the channel beams and at their upper ends 35, carried on an eccentric strap 36, mounted on eccentrics 37 secured on a cross shaft 38. A crank arm 30 is secured to one end of the shaft 38 by which the shaft can be rotated through 180 from the position shown to lower the forward ends of the channel beams 30 in an obvious manner, and when the shaft is rotated back again the beams are raised and locked in their raised position. The channel beams 30 in their up and down move- Iments, as described, obviously carry with them thethree cylinders 21, 22 and 23, the up and down movement of which is for a purpose to be described.

The paper web, when it leaves the first set of impression cylinders, is rst led around the cylinder 21, then down around a relatively small diameter idle roller 40. This roller 40 is rotatably mounted at its ends in adjustable hanger bearings 41 depending from the channel beams 30. The web is then trained around the second cylinder 22 and thenis led down to the lower part of the machine around an idle roll 42, (see Figure l) then up and around the third cylinder 23, then down around the idle rollers 24 to the. second set of impression cylinders. The inking rollers for the impression cylinders are not shown.

Related to each of the cylinders 21, 22 and 23, is what we term an air applicator, shown respectively at 43, 44' and 45. The several applicators are substantially alike except that those shown at 43 and 44 are adapted to apply heat as well as air, and that shown at 45 is adapted to apply cold, or, in other words, extract heat as well as apply air. It should be understood that in the manner in which the paper is trained around the several cylinders 21, 22 and 23, the rst rinted surfaceis always presented outwaA y.

that, so far as I am aware, no one has been enabled heretofore toprint on the two opposite sides of a web of book or magazine paper in a web press, or for that matter in a sheet press without the use of a smut sheet or roll.

By means of the applicators 43 and 44 I am enabled to apply heat and air in a manner to eliminate all of the volatiles fromthe irst impressions, and by means of the applicator 45 I am enabled to .chill or lower the temperature of the remaining ink to such an extent that I do not produce any offset on the cylinder l5 in making the impressions by the cylinders 16 and 17. I have found that one reason prior methods have failed in eiiiciency is that all of the prepared air is not made use of. 'Io eliminate this detrimental feature I provide the applicators which are in the form of saddles or chests extending a little more than one-fourth'A the channels by nuts 49 on the outer ends of the trunnions 46 which are threaded to receive same. The nut clamps the web of the channel 47 against a shoulder 50 on the trunnion. The trunnions at both ends are hollow. At one end an air pressure pipe 51 is connected and which leads directly into a central longitudinal passage 52, through which the air is delivered to a longitudinal series of smalll ports or outlets 53 directed inwardly toward the cylinder with which the applicator cooperates. The inner end of each radial port 53 is flared or countersunk, as shown at 54, to provide an elongated emission opening at the surface of the cylinder suiiicient to provide an emission area which is at least equal to or greater than what would be the emission area of an exit slot extending the length of the applicator. The applicator is adjustable from and toward the cylinder by means, to be described, to provide a circumferential space 55 between the l applicator and the cylinder of a few thousandths of an inch in radial thickness, probably never lessA than three times the thickness of the paper web being presented, this for the purpose of allowing-the passage of wrinkles in the paper without tearing the The hollow trunnion at the opposite end is closed by a hollow plug 56 threaded at its outer end to receive a steam supply pipe 57. I provide simple means for directing the steam into the hollow applicator and outside of the central passage 52. This means comprises an inner plug 58 closed at its inner end and open at its outer end for receiving the steam. The plug 58 is pro'- vided with radial passages 59 which lead iinto a circumferential groove -60, and an opening 6l leads through the wall of the applicator into the hollow space 72 surrounding the passage 52. I provide simple packing means 73 and 74 to prevent the escape of the steam along the outer surface of the two plugs 56 and 58. Suitable control valves 75 and 76 are provided for controlling the flow of air and steam to the applicator. The air which I use in connection with the steam for heating and drying the ink is preferably of but a few pounds pressure, in most instances not over two or three pounds, but even this low pressure is sufficient to drive the thin film of air between the applicator and Vthe paper, which surrounds the cylinder, at a very hlgh velocity. The proj ection of the air in the form of this extremely thin film at this high velocity causes the almost instantaneous extraction of the more volatile parts of the ink, and what -is not extracted by the first application is extracted at the second application. It should be understood that if -a certain quality of ink or paper required further applications of heat and air the scheme is capable of such development by the further application of the hot applicators.

Another inherent feature of the thin film method of applying the air results from the peculiar and efficient action of the air in transferring heat from the applicator to the paper in the case of the hot applicator and of transferring heat from the paper or ,ink to the applicator' in the case of the cold applicator. I have illustrated this action in Figure 9, which is a fragmentary transverse section of an applicator and its associated cylinder greatly enlarged. The air is driven with great velocity through the slot from the air outlets 54 and as the paper is in motion and the applicator is stationary, there is a differential of friction set up which would result in an undulating or rolling movement of the air, causing s ecific infinitesimal portions to contact wit one wall of the slot and then with the o, her wall of the slot, as indicated by the ad ancing circles 55' in the slot 55 in Figure 9. This action greatly enhances the transfer of heat from one wall to the other in addition to the `direct radiation possible through such a thin space. It is believed that this theory accounts for the remarkable efficiency of this method. Another feature of importance is the high velocity of the film of air, which in turn is due to the pressure under which the air is applied. This velocity, which is estimated to be about 5,000 feet per minute,

is sufficient to bring each portion. of the paper web into contact with about 150 feet in length ofthe stream of air while the specific portion of the web is passing between au applicator and its associated cylinder. I have therefore condensed,`or compressed, into the sniall space of about fourteen inches, as to results, what would ordinarily require about 150 feet of length of the web. If the air has to be preheated to a high enough temperature to carry an equivalent amount of heat-to the paper, it would be raised to a temperature Where it would ignite the paper. By my improved method I avoid such possibilities of'danger. Furthermore, the air is maintained at substantially the maximum temperature until it emerges from the space 55, that is, while confined in the slot it is working at maximum efliciency.

In order to be assured of the production and maintenance of the space between the applicator and the cylinder of uniform radial depth throughout, I have provided simple means for adjusting the positions ofthe cylinders and the applicators. Part of this adjustable means is the adjustable bearings by which the cylinders are carried and by which means the several cylinders can be accurately adjusted to properly track the paper web. The trunnion mounting of the applicators permit them to be tipped to equalize the space at the forward and rear edges. In addition I provide spacing or pressure rollers 77, one at each edge at both ends of each applicator. Each pressure roller 77 is mounted for adjustment radially and is adapted to Contact with the surface of the cylinder, as shown in Figures 5 and 7; The applicator is provided with a recess or pocket 78 for receiving the roller and the roller is mounted on a pin 79, having a hex head 80 and two concentric bearing portions 8l and 82. Between the bearing portions the pin is provided with an eccentric portion 83 upon which the roller 77 is mounted. It will now beobvious that by rotating the pin the roller 77 can be adjusted in and out. The pin is held rigidly in its adjusted position by a set screw 84. It should be under stood that the space 55 is very greatly exaggerated as to radial depth.

After leaving the two hot applicators 43 and 44, the web is carried down to the bottom of the machine around the idle roller 42 and then up again around the cylinder 23 and beneath the third applicator 45.

-This' relatively long travel of the web is for the purpose of allowing as much dissipation l of heat as possible between the last hot applicator and the cold applicator at-which point I reduce the temperature ofthe to a point sufficient to set it or make it hard and prevent any offsetting in the operation of printing on the opposite side of the web. The chest in the cold applicator 45 is a duplicate of one`V of the'hot chests, except that I do not provide any steam connection, closing one end of the central opening 52, see Figure 4, with a plug 85 and omitting the radial passage or port 61, the outer space 72 in this instance being merely a heat insulation space. The chest fits around the cylinder, as in the other instances, and is likewise held very close to the cylinder. The end of the passage 52 opposite to the plug 85 is closed by a plug 86 provided with a central passage 87 connected at its outer end with an air pressure supply pipe 88 controlled by a suitable valve 89. The inner end of the plug 86 is formed into an expanding nozzle 90, having a constricted passage 91 at its inner end. This is to cause the expansion of the high pressure air supplied to a larger volume and lower pressure within the passage 52, and simultaneously to produce a low or refrigerating temperature. The air is supplied at 50 to 60 pounds pressure and is dried and cooled to as low a temperature as convenient with, ordinary city water, probably about F. Such air when suddenly released and expanded drops down to about 40 F. orvlower, and the pressure used within the applicator is similar to the hot applicators, viz, about 2 or 3 pounds. This low pressure cold air is applied in the same manner as in the hot applicators, viz, in the form of a very thin film the whole length of the applicator and is caused to iow over the paper web in both directions around the cylinder at a very high velocity. The application of the air in the manner `described, besides the advantageous results mentioned, causes a balancing of the frictional drag on the paper and consequently does not accelerate or retard appreciably the forward movement of the paper web.

The peculiar mounting of the several cylinders on the channel beams 30 permits the quick and easy dropping of the three cylinders and their separation from the three applicators when it is desired to thread the web of paper through the machine. When the webA has been threaded through then the pulling down of the crank 39 simultaneously lifts the three cylinders to proper working relation to their several applicators, and the' relation of the centers of the lifting mechanism is such that the centers are passed and the frame is locked in raised position until unlocked b 39. The c ests of the two hot applicators 43 and 44 are each provided with drain pipes 92 by which the condensed steam may .be removed.

It is to be noted that the relation of the several applicators to their respective cylinthe swinging up of the crank ders and to the pivots 32, upon which the.

'This is illustrated by the arc 93 in relation to the applicator 43.

In Figure 1, besides the delivery of the web from the machine to suitable cutting and folding mechanism, as indicated by the dotting of the line indicating the web 11, I- can and sometimes do provide a second set of applicators, as shown at 94:, Figure 1. This second set of applicators may be the same as the first set already described, although I have illustrated but one, hot applicator and one cold applicator. These are used for the purposeof drying and setting the ink impressed by the second set of impression cylinders before lthe web passes to h; cuttingor Afolding mechanism spoken of e ore.

It will n'Ow be clear that the paper when.

parts of the ink are removed by the hot applicators, then the remaining ink is set by the cold applicator, then the opposite side of the web can be immediately printed without the use of a smut roll or web. It should printed surface is bound to be pressed with' greater or less pressure against the opposite side of the web, and by means of my invention this can immediately occur without any ,possibility of offsetting which is now the great bug-bear of this class of printing.

I have thus fully described this partlcular .application of my invention so that it might be thoroughly understood, but it should be clear that my invention .is not limited to the specific sequencefof steps described nor to ythe specific construction shown and described, particularly as it is obvious that 1many modifications will readily suggest themselves to one skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. The herein described improvements in printing paper, which consist in producing one or more ink impressions on one side of the paper, then causing relatively hot air to flow in contact with the printed surface of the paper at a relatively high speed, and

conning the air while in contact with the paper to the form of a relatively thin film and successively applying cold air in a similar manner.

2. The herein described method of printing a paper web, which consists in putting the web into motion endwise, and whileit is in motion producing one or more ink impressions on one sidel of the paper, applying air in the form of a relatively thin film to the rinted surface, the air flowing over the sur ace at a relatively high velocity, and then applying air at a relatively low temperature to the moving web in like manner, whereby the ink is set to prevent it smear- 3. The herein described method of printmg a paper web, which consists in putting the web into motion endwise, and while it is in motion producing one or more ink impressions on one side of the paper, applying air in the form of a relatively thin film to the printed surface, the air flowing over the surface at a relatively high velocity, and then applying air at a relatively low temperature to the moving web inlike manner, whereby the ink is set to prevent it smearing, and then producing ink impressions on the opposite side of the paper.

4. The herein described means for applyin'g heat and air to the printed surface of a sheet and comprising a. roller around which the sheet passes, a hollow enclosing member conformed on its inner surface to the periphery of the roll and positioned to provide a sheet-like space between the two, not more than a few thousandths of an inch in thickness, means for forcing air between the two at substantially the median line of the enclosing member, and means for applying heat to the sheet as it passes between the two.

5. The herein described means for applying heat and air to one surface of a sheet, such as a printed sheet of paper, and comprising a roller around which the sheet passes, a hollow enclosing member conformed on its inner surface to the periphery of the roll and positioned to provide a sheetlike space between the two, means for forcing air between the two at substantially the median line of the enclosing member, means for applying heat to the sheet as it passes between the two, and means for adjusting the radial thickness of the space between the roller and enclosing member.

6. The herein described means for applying heat and air to one surface of a sheet, such as a printed sheet of paper, and comprising asses, a hollow 'enclosing member conormed on its inner4 surface to the peripher `ofthe roll and positioned' to provide a shee like space between the two, means for forca roller around which the sheeting air between the two at substantially the median line of the enclosing member, and means for applying heat to the sheet as it passes between the two, the enclosing member being ivotally mounted so that it can be adj usted) substantially concentrically with the roller.

7. In a printing press in which paper is put into motion, and while in motion has one or more ink impressions applied on one side thereof, means in combination with the press for applying air in the form of a relatively thin film and at relatively high velocity to the printed surface,`rn`eans for simultaneously applying heat to the paper, and means for similarly and subsequently applying air at a relatively low temperature {yo dthe paper, as and for the purpose speci- 8. In a printing press in which paper is put into motion, and while in motion has one or more ink impressions applied on one side thereof, means in combination with the press for applying air in the form of a relatively thin film and at relatively high Velocity to the printed surface, means for simultaneously applying heat to the paper, means for similarly and subsequently applying air at a relatively low temperature to the paper, and means for subsequently producing one or more ink impressions on the opposite side of the paper before it is discharged from the press.

9. In a web printing press adapted to first print one side of the web and subsequently print the opposite side of the web, means arranged between the two points of impression to first apply heated air tothe surface of the web in the form of a film of not more than a few thousandths of an inch in thickness and fiowing at a relatively high velocity, and means for subsequently chilling the ink before the second impression.

10. In a printing press adapted to put paper in sheet form into motion, and while in motion to first print one side thereof, and later print the opposite side thereof, means for subjecting the first printed side of the paper to the action of a film of air of not more than a few thousandths of an inch in thickness and fiowing at high velocity, at a point between the two impressions, and means for likewise subjecting the second impression before the paper is delivered from the press.

'11. In a printing press adapted to put paper in sheet form into motion, and while in motion to first print one side thereof, and later print the opposite side thereof, means for subjecting the first printed side of the paper to the action of a film of air of not more than a few thousandths of an inch in thickness and, flowing at high velocity, at a point between the two impressions, and simultaneously applying heat to the treated surface of the paper, and means for likewise subjecting the second impression before the paper is delivered from the press.

12. In a printing press adapted to put paper in sheet form into motion, and while in motion to first print one side thereof, and later print the opposite side thereof, means for subjecting the first printed side of the paper to the action of a thin lm of air, flowing at high velocity, at a point between the two impressions, and simultaneously applying heat to the treated surface of the paper and successively likewiseapplying a thin film of cold air, and means for likewise subjecting the second impression before the paper is delivered from the press. v

13. In a printing press adapted to put paper in sheet form into motion, and while in motion to first print one side thereof, and later print the opposite side thereof, means for subjecting the first printed side of the paper to the action of a thin film of air, flowing at high velocity, at a point between the two impressions, and simultaneously applying heat to the treatedsurface of the paper and successively applying a second similar thin film of air and simultaneously extractmg heat from the treated surface of the paper, and means for likewise subjecting the second impression before the paper is delivered from the press.

14. The herein described method of treating sheet material, which consists inputting the sheet material into motion, and while in motion rst impressing a liquid on one surface thereof, then applying a thin film of air, fiowing at high velocity, to the impressed surface, then applying a second thin film of air to the impressed surfacev and simultaneously extracting 'heat -from the sheet material.

15. The herein described method of treating sheet-material, which consists in putting the sheet material into motion, and while in motion first-impressing a liquid on one surface thereof, then applying 1n the form of a film of not over a-few thousandths of an inch in thickness and flowing at high velocity, to the impressed surface and simul- -taneously extracting heat from the sheet material, then impressing liquid on the;opposite side of the sheet material, and then subjecting the said opposite side similarly to a thin film of air before the sheet material comes to rest.

16. The herein described method, which consists in putting sheet material in motion, and While it is in motion applying a gaseous fluid to the surface of the sheet material on a line transversely of the direction of movement of the material and causing the fluid to liow in both directions along the surface of the material from the line of application at relatively high velocity and in the form of a film of not more than a few thousandths of an 'inch in thickness. l

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, this 29 day of April, 1924.

` NELSONDE LONG.

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