US2029220A - Method of making design printing - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 28, 1936. w. E. BRAWN 2,029,220

METHOD OF MAKING DESIGN PRINTING CYLINDERS Filed Nov. 18, 1931 Patented Jan. 28, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LIETHOD OF MAKING DESIGN PRINTING CYLHVDERS Worthen E. Brawn, Brunswick, Maine, assignor to Pejepscot Paper Company,

Brunswick,

7 Claims.

This invention includes a novel method of making design printing cylinders. The design printing cylinder is especially adapted for use in apparatus for printing designs on paper webs in a paper making machine after sufiicient water is eliminated from the web, such as disclosed in my companion application (case No. 7866) filed September 17, 1931, Serial No. 563,378.

To enable others familiar with the art to adopt and use the invention I will explain same with reference to the accompanying drawing, and refer to the claims for summaries of the essential features of the method and the product for which protection is desired.

In said drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a complete designcylinder made in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a semi-cylindric stereotype plate bearing part of the complete de- S gn.

Fig. 3 is a view of a cylindric segment made by trimming said plate to such size that the edges of the design thereon will exactly match with the edges of an adjacent like segment or segments.

Fig. 4 is a view of a ring or tube formed of a plurality of segments such as shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section through Fig. 1 showing how a plurality of rings such as shown in Fig. 4 are assembled on a supporting roll or shaft to form therewith a complete design printing cylinder.

In constructing a design printing cylinder in accordance with my invention the design, or a complete repetitive unit thereof, is formed on a 5 suitable plate or surface from which a matrix such as commonly employed in the casting of stereotype plates can be formed. The original design from which the matrix is to be made may be produced by etching or assembly of stereos 40 forming the design to be reproduced or in any other suitable way.

To form a matrix flong or other suitable material is pressed onto such plate or surface so that the design will be reproduced in reverse or intaglio 45 on the fiong, after the manner in which matrices are prepared for the production of stereotype plates in newspaper printing oflices. The impressed iiong is then dried and forms a matrix from which stereotype plates can be cast. The

50 matrix contains a design or portion of a design in proper dimension to give a plate the desired size with due allowance for shrinkage.

To cast a plate, the matrix is placed in a stereotype plate casting box of the usual kind, and a 55 stereotype plate cast therefrom in the usual way,

such plate being semi-cylindric and having the design on the matrix reproduced in bas-relief on its surface; such a plate is shown at I in Fig. 2. A number of such plates such as I can be quickly and easily cast from the matrix.

As stated the stereotype design plates are pref erably cast semi-cylindric after the manner in common use in newspaper work so that they will fit on the periphery of a drum or cylinder 2 and are machined-by planers and trimmers such as 10 used in newspaper work. To provide a printing cylinder having a continuous unitary design it is necessary to use a number of duplicate plates thereon.

It is diflicult and ordinarily impossible to so 15 nicely cast semi-cylindric plates that two of them can be trimmed to 180 and accurately match the design at the meeting edges of adjacent plates. With some simple designs this might be possible but with more intricate designs tov insure com- 20 plete accuracy and continuity of the design it is necessary that the plates be trimmed to a lesser size. Ordinarily I trim the plates to 120 forming segments Ia (Fig. 3) so that three of them will surround the roll, and therefore to com- 5 plete the design around the circumference of the roll three duplicate plates I (Fig. 2) are each reduced to segments la, having due regard for the position of the design on the plate. Three such segments la (Fig. 3) are joined together to pro- 30 duce a ring or tube 2 (Fig. 4) whose surfaces bear a continuous design around the cylinder.

Three matched segments Ia are assembled in ring form (Fig. 4) and preferably placed in a suitable frame or holder which will retain them in accurate cylindric position and while so held the assembled segments are bonded together by melting the metal thereof on the inside and along the meeting edges of adjacent segments sumciently to insure a secure bond, but the heat is not applied sufficiently to melt the entire thickness of of the segments or mar the outer surfaces thereof whereon the design appears. The joints or welds between the plates are indicated at lb in Fig. 4. The melting or welding may be accomplished by a hot iron, or torch, electric heater or other suitable means.

Where the design cylinder is longer than the length of the plate as in my aforesaid application it is necessary to form a plurality of such stereotype rings 4 as above described, and these meeting edges of the adjacent rings must exactly match and for this purpose the rings (Fig. 4) can be put in a lathe and their ends trimmed to match the design at the edge of one ring with the design at the meeting edge of the next cylinder or rmg.

For example in the machine shown in my aforesaid companion application the design cylinder is about 64 long and 4'7" in circumference and therefore in order to provide the periphery of such a cylinder with a continuous design, such as exhibited on the cast plate I, it is necessary to cast twelve duplicate plates and trim them as described to supply the twelve segments necessary to make four rings 2 of three segments each.

After the rings are made and trimmed as described they are slipped endwise onto the drum 3. Preferably this drum has a central annular rib 3a against which the adjacent edges of the two innermost rings 2 abut,-said rib is of less thickness than the rings, and the adjacent edges of the innermost rings 2 are recessed as at Ic (Fig. 4) so that their adjacent edges can meet over the rib and the design printing surface be continuous and unbroken at this point.

The two inner rings may be first slipped onto the drum, from opposite ends thereof, and then the two outermost rings slipped on and closely abutted against the inner rings; and they are confined against rotatorial and endwise movement on the drum by any suitable means. As shown annular collars 4 are fitted on the ends of the drum and abut against the outermost'edges of the outermost rings 2, and the collars can be fastened to the drums and clamp the rings endwise by means of bolts 4a as shown in Fig. 5.

Preferably after the rings have been made as above described they are heated to expand them and whilestill hot and expanded, are slid onto the drum as described. As the rings cool they shrink and bind tightly and evenly upon the drum surface. The annular rib 3a permits slipping on of the rings from opposite ends of the roll and insures proper location of the warm rings on the roll.

By tightening the bolts 4a the end collars 4 are caused to firmly clamp the stereotype rings from each end of the drum, and will hold them firmly in place and together with the above described shrinking of the rings prevents creeping. If desired the roll might'have a longitudinal rib or ribs and the rings have internal longitudinal grooves to engage such ribs to prevent creeping of the rings around the roll.

While -I have found it desirable to'use three segments to make a ring, I do not consider the invention restricted to such number. But the ordinary stereotype plate casting boxes will cast stereotype plates of such size that a complete design ring can be easily made from segments cut from three such plates.

The plates 1 can be quickly and easily cast in any quantity, and used for making a continuous cylindric design of any size for printing on a paper web. Bytrimming these plates to a size of exact dimensions, the trimmed plates can be assembled on a roll to form a cylinder having a continuous design on its entire surface. Uniting the trimmed plates by bonding or melting the metal along the meeting edges of adjacent plates enables a perfect cylindrical ring or tube to be formed on which the design is continuous. Furthermore the design on one ring can be made to register perfectly with the design on like rings,

thereby producing a continuous unitary design of any desired size on the roll. By this method any number of small cast metal plates can be assembled to form a continuous design printing surface on the periphery of a roll and a design printing cylinder having a continuous design of any length can be readily made to suit any width of machine. Assembling the plates into rings asclescribed is practical, easy and accurate, and obviates bolting or screwing separate plates to the drum, or using clamps between plates to hold them in place. The drum and plates assembled as directed form a cylinder of great rigidity. By

. accurate control of the dimensions in the original photographs and etchings from which the matrices are made cylinders having continuous designs ontheir surfaces can be accurately constructed. Uniting the segments into rings permits of easy assembly thereof on a roll. Such rings can also be easily removed from the roll, and rings of another design assembled thereon.

'As hereinabove described the design was supposed to be a unitary design comprising a plurality of duplicate sections each of which could be displayed on a single plate or segment. Obviously however some designs might be larger than could be displayed on a single plate, and

would require two or more plates or segments to contain it; in such case two or more non-duplicate plates would have to be cast each embodying a certain section of the complete design, which plates when properly trimmed and united in rings, and such rings assembled on the cylinder or drum, will disclose the complete design; In some instances the complete design might' be small enough to be displayed on a single plate or segment in which case the design cylinder could be covered with a plurality of such plates or segments, each containing a complete design.

Iclaimz- I 7 1. The herein described method of making design printing cylinders; consisting in forming a curved segment having on its exterior surface the design or a section of the design, assemblinga plurality of such segments edgewise ina circle, melting the interior portions of the abutting edges of the assembled segments to unite them ina ring, and placing such ring on a supporting roll.

2. The herein described method of making design printing cylinders; consisting in casting curved segments each'having on its exterior surface the design or a part thereof, assembling a plurality of such segments in a circle, melting or welding the interior portions of the abutting edges of the segments together to un'ite them in a-ring; and placing such ring on a supporting roll. r

3. The herein described method of making design printing cylinders, consisting in casting a curved plate having on its exterior surface a part of the complete design, trimming such plate to form a segment,assembling a plurality of such segments in a circle, melting the interior portions of the abutting edges of the plates to unite them into a ring or tube, and placing such rings on a supporting roll; the parts of the design on the abutting edges of adjacent segments in each ring and in abutting rings registering.

4. The herein described method of making a 5. The herein described method of making a design printing cylinder, consisting in casting a stereotype plate having part of the complete design on its exterior face, trimming such plate to a segment of less size containing a complete section of the design, assembling a plurality of such segments in a circle with their edges abutting, melting the interior portions of the abutting edges of the segments at the inner sides thereof to unite the same into a, continuous ring, and assembling such rings on a supporting roll; each of the segments forming a section of the complete design, and the design on the abutting edges of adjacent segments registering.

6. The herein described method of making design printing cylinders, consisting in preparing the design in has-relief on a plate, making a matrix from such plate, casting a stereotype plate from such matrix, trimming such plate to insure registration of the edges thereof with abutting plates, assembling a plurality of such plates in a circle with their edges abutting, melting the interior portions of the abutting edges of the plates to form a ring, and assembling such rings on a supporting roll.

7. The herein described method of making design printing cylinders; consisting in preparing the design in has-relief on a plate, making a matrix from such plate, casting a semicylindric stereotype plate from such matrix, trimming such plate to a segment of less size containing a complete section of the design to insure registration of the edges of the design thereon with the design on the abutting edges of adjacent segments, assembling a plurality of such segments in a circle with their edges abutting, partially melting the abutting edges of the plates on the inner sides thereof to unite them into a continuous ring, and assembling such rings on a supporting roll.

WORTHEN E. BRAWN.

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