US1750253A - Photo-engraver's printing frame - Google Patents

Description

March 11, 1930. w. J. ADAM PHOTO EIJGRAVBRS PRINTING FRAME Filed Nov. 2, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet l March 11, 1930. w, M 1,750,253

PIZOTO EIJGRAVERS PRINTING FRAME Filed Nov. 2, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sywcmi'o:

March 11, 1930. w. J. ADAM 1,750,253

PHOTO ENGRAVERS PRINTING FRAME Filed Nov. 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Mar. 11, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM J. ADAM, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO F. "WESEL MANUFACTUR- ING COMPANY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK PHOTO-ENGRAVERS PRINTING FRAME Application filed November The invention relates to printing apparatus, more particularly to printing frames of the vacuum type as employed by photoengravers, lithographers and rotary gravure printers.

It has for its object to simplify the construction and operation of these frames and to render the same more effective. To this end, the invention comprises a suitable open frame or base member and a movable glass plate carrying frame associated therewith and adapted to be held in a horizontal pos1- tion, or to be moved to and held in a position substantially at right angles to the said base member for exposure purposes. The arrangement is such, furthermore, that as the glass plate carrying frame is tilted, 1t carries with it from the base member both the sons;- tized plate and the negative from which a print is to be made as well as a rubber mat upon which the two aforementioned plates were previously laid. Moreover, a novel form of mat is employed to hold the said sensitized plate and negative to the glass plate and whereby an improved sealing action is effected.

in the accompanying drawings, a printing frame is shown of the vacuum type and constructed in accordance with the invention, and in which drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective View of the novel printing frame with negative support in lowered position.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing said negative support in elevated position suitable for exposure.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal section thru the printing frame, taken on the line 3-3, Fig. 1, and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. i is a fragmentary plan of a portion of the mat and shows also the vacuum connection thereto.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken on the line 5-5, Fig. 4, and looking in the direction of the arrows.

6 is a fragmentary detail sectional view illustrating the manner of mounting the glass plate carrying frame.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary plan view of a side 2, 1926. Serial No. 145,813.

of the glass plate carrying frame and supporting brace by which it may be maintained in upright position.

Fig. 8 is a transverse vertical section taken on the line 88, Fig. 7, and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates a suitable rectangular frame or base member which is provided with feet 11 for resting or securing the printing frame upon a table, bench or the like 12; and, for example, is of metal with open-work top to reduce weight as well as to allow for the free movement of air between the rubber mat and the frame or base and for the introduction of a vacuum connection as the tube or hose 13 embodying a flexible portion and communicating with a motor-driven vacuum pump 14 for providing a suitable degree of vacuum. This pump may conveniently be carried by the base 10, if desired, thus affording a complete unitary structure and rendering the printing apparatus portable and selfcontained. The hose 18, moreover, is brought thru the open top and extends at its frame end also thru a mat or cushion 15 of flexible material. as high grade rubber or felt, and to which it is suitably seem d by nuts 16 working on the thread ed end of 1.- nipple l? in the end of the hose connection. The said mat is adapted to rest normally upon the open top of the base it). and is provided also with marginal port? as 18 elevated somewhat above its surface. Said marginal portions are designed to round the sensitized plate 19 upon which the print is to be made from a suitable negative 20 placed thereover in the usual nnin 'ier. Moreover, it is preferred to provide the upper surface of the mat in the form of adjacent pyramids with intermediate cross channels, as shown in Fig. 42, which channels afford ducts for rapidly withdrawing the air. as hereinafter set forth, so that the mat may wrap itself about the sensitized plate and negative and insure an effective seal.

This particular mat construction and arrangement of printing members is required not only for the purpose of insuring and maintaining good contact when the vacuum applied by preventing leakage to the vacuum space formed between the mat and a transparent glass plate 21, but also to maintain temporarily the mat with retained negative and sensitized plate in position as a unit on the said glass or top plate 21. The latter is carried by a tiltable supporting frame 22 to which it may be fixed in any suitable manner, for example, being attached along a portion of its side edges and rear edge thru the medium of a suitable cement or adhesive and becoming thereby an integral part of the said frame 22; or, preferably, by forming said frame as a channel-shaped clamp member embracing a portion of the side and rear edges of plate 21 with a strap member 23 inserted between the upper face of the plate and the corresponding face of the frame. The latter, furthermore, is arranged to be movably attached to the base 10, for example, as by means of a pair of hinges 21 at the rear edge of said frame and which serve, also, partly to counterbalance the weight of the frame and glass plate. Said frame may be raised or tilted, therefore, to a vertical posi tion or position substantially at right angles to the surface of the said base member 10.

In order to maintain it in this position which is the position for exposure of the sensitized plate and wherein the same is brought into juxtaposition with suitable means of illumination as the lamp 25a hinged arm or brace member 26 may be pro Vided along one side, being pivotally attached at the free ends respectively to the said tiltable portion thru its supporting frame 22 and to the base or support 10. This will insure the retention of the frame 22 in the desired vertical position when an exposure is being effected.

In the operation of the novel printing frame in preparing a sensitized plate for such exposure, the loading of the printIng apparatus is arranged, as shown, to be accomplished in a horizontal position, the said frame 22 being first tilted to the vertical position with vacuum cut off at the pump 14. The mat 15 thus remains on the open top or surface of base 10 and does not follow the frame 22 in its swinging movement to a vertical position and in which position it remains during this stage under the action of brace 26. On top of the mat, or rather the apices of its pyramidal upper surface, is then placed the sensitized plate 19 and over the same the negative 20 of which a print is to be made on said plate. Frame 22 with glass plate 21 is then returned to a horizontal position being lowered over the mat upon which are located the sensitized plate and negative. the glass plate 21 of the frame 22 then contacting with the elevated marginal portions 18 of the said mat. The vacuum is next applied to the vacuum space and maintained during the printing operation, serving to seal the said portion 18 to the glass plate 21 and to cause the negative to be pressed by the mat 15 into intimate contact with the sensitized plate, the mat collapsing around and wrapping itself about the same as shown more clearly in Fig. 3 of the drawings. Thereupon, the frame 22 is tilted again to the vertical position and carries with it the said mat and contafned negative and sensitized plate into proper position for exposure, which is accomplished in the usual manner, and the flexible portion of the hose 13 permitting said movement. After the proper exposure has been effected, frame 22 is lowered and the vacuum cut 011', whereupon the frame is again raised to permit access to the exposed plate and the negative.

It will be observed that the manipulations of loading the apparatus and of removing the finished print may be accomplished in a horizontal position, while the printing op eration is effected in a vertical position, thereby facilitating such operations. It will be appreciated, however, that for printing with an overhead inverted lamp, the operations are the same except that the glass plate and mat remain in a horizontal position for print ing. Furthermore, the apparatus may readily be located upon the table or bench 12 or other convenient support, no truck or like device of the usual type is required for its support, and the same affords a compact and readily operable self-contained unit.

I claim:

1. A printing frame, comprising: a stationary base with open-work top; a tiltable frame hingedly secured to the base, and a plate of transparent glass carried by said tiltable frame; a flexible cushioning and sealing member normally resting on said stationary base and adapted to receive both a sensitized plate and a negative from which a print is to be made thereon; and a vacuum connection thru said flexible member adapted to permit the same to follow movement of the tiltable frame relatively to its base and for temporarily causing attachment of negative and sensitized plate to the glass of the tiltable frame when the vacuum is applied as well as to permit the tiltable frame to be swung therewith away from said stationary base into printing position.

2. A rinting frame, comprising: a stationary ase with open-work top; a tiltable frame hingedly secured to the base, and a plate of transparent glass carried by said tiltable frame; a flexible cushioning and sealing member normally resting on said stationary base and adapted to receive both a sensitized plate and a negative from which a print is to be made thereon; and a flexible vacuum connection thru said flexible member adapted to permit the same to follow movement of the tiltable frame relatively to its base and for temporarily causing attachment of the member with negative and sensitized plate to the glass of the tiltable frame when the vacuum is applied as well as to permit the tiltable frame to be swung therewith away from said stationary base into printing position.

3. A printing frame, comprising: a stationary base; a tiltable frame hingedly secured to the base, and a plate of transparent glass carried by said tiltable frame;'a flexible cushioning and sealing member nor mally resting on said stationary base and adapted to receive both a sensitized plate and a negative from which a print is to be made thereon, said flexible member having raised marginal portions to contact with the transparent glass plate of the tiltable frame; and a vacuum connection thru said flexible member adapted to permit the same to follow movement of the tiltable frame relatively to its base and for temporarily causing attachment of the member with negative and sensitized plate to the glass of the tiltable frame when the vacuum is applied as well as to permit the tiltable frame to be swung therewith away from said stationary base into printing position.

4. A printing frame, comprising: a stationary base; a tiltable frame hingedly secured to the base, and a plate of transparent glass carried by said tiltable frame, and means to support the glass plate carrying frame in tilted position; a flexible cushioning and sealing member normally resting on said stationary base and adapted to receive both a sensitized plate and a negative from which a print is to be made thereon; and a vacuum connection thru said flexible member adapted to permit the same to follow movement of the tiltable frame relatively to its base and for temporarily causing attachment of the member with negative and sensitized plate to the glass of the tiltable frame when the vacuum is applied as well as to permit the tiltable frame to be swung therewith away from said stationary base into printing position.

5. A printing frame, comprising: a stationary base; a tiltable frame hingedlysecured to the base, and a plate of transparent glass carried by said tiltable frame, and a hinged brace along one side of the glass plate carrying frame and pivotally attached there to and to the said base; a flexible cushioning and sealing member normally resting on said stationary base, and adapted to receive both a sensitized plate and a negative from which a print is to be made thereon; and a vacuum connection thru said flexible member adapt ed to permit the same to follow movement of the tiltable frame relatively to its base and for temporarily causing attachment of the member with negative and sensitized plate to the glass of the tiltable frame when the vacuum is applied as well as to permit the tiltable frame to be swung therewith away from said stationary base into printing position.

6. A printing frame, comprising: a stationary base; a channel-shaped frame memher, a plate of transparent glass over a portion of the side and rear edges of which said frame member fits, an intermediate. strap member for securely holding said plate to said frame member, hinges connecting the frame member to the base, and a pivoted brace having its free ends connected respectively to the said frame member and to the said base; a flexible cushioning and sealing member normally resting on said stationary base, and adapted to receive both a sensitized plate and a negative from which a print is to be made thereon; and a vacuum connection thru said flexible member adapted to permit the same to follow movement of the tiltable frame relatively to its base and for emporarily causing attachment of the memher with negative and sensitized plate to the glass of the tiltable frame when the vacuum is applied as well as to permit the tiltable frame to be swung therewith away from said stationary base into printing position.

7. In a printing frame: the combination with a base; of a supporting frame, a flexible mat with smooth resilient edges, and a glass top carried by the supporting frame and cooperating with the said edges to form a vacuum seal, means for applying vacuum in the space between the said glass top and the mat to cause the same to adhere to each other so that said top may be raised from the base with or without the flexible mat, and means to maintain the top in elevated position for printing.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

WILLIAM J. ADAM.

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