US2070593A - Method of preparing printing members for use - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 16, 1937. w. T. GOLLWIT ZER' 2,070,593

I METHOD OF PREPARING PRINTING MEMBERS FOR USE I Filed Feb. 29, -1936 2 Sheets-Sheet, 1

INVENTOR.

MTjW fima/w ATTORNEYS.

7 INVENT OR. 7mm 7? c? 2 sheets-sheet? Filed Feb. 29, 1936 i w. T. GOLLWITZER' METHOD OF PREPARING PRINTING MEMBERS FOR USE aAD:

246 NQFOURTH, ST. AKRON, OHIO 0 BMW M 310 805K U1 J1 mm 9 m MR JAMES BROWN Feb. 16, 1937 ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 16, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF PREPARING PRINTING MEM BERS FORUSE ration of Delaware Application February 29, 1936, Serial No. 66,332

19 Claims.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for preparing printing'members for use in a series printing machine. More particularly, the

present invention relates to an improved method and. apparatus for mounting printing plates in suitable frames or holders.

The general object of the present invention is to provide an improved method for preparing a printing plate, for use in a series printing mamchine, such as an Addressograph, where each plate is mounted in a frame, and the frame progressed through the machine to enable successive impression to be made from the plates, one

v at a time.

Printing systems utilizing individual printing plates carried by respective frames, are well known at the present time. Such systems often employ thousands of printing units (combined plates. and frames), as, for instance, a system of addressing invoices to the subscribers by large public utility corporations.

One advantage of using printing units comprising printing'plates removably mounted on individual frames, is that the printing plate -v may, be manufactured econimically, in contrast with the cost of manufacturing plates which are intended for use without frames. This economical advantage results from thefact that the plates may be made of comparatively light material, without regard to rigidity or strength, as they are supported by frames while in use. The frames act to protect the plates by absorbing the shocks imparted to the units during their progress through the printing mechanism,

552.5: well aswhile they are being transferred between the printing machine and suitable storage receptacles, while the printing plate itself is subjected only to the compressive stresses of the printing action.

Another advantage of the separable units is that the frames may be arranged to protect the printing surfaces or characters of the plate when the units are stacked one above another. The frame may be manufactured of a material more 45 readily adapted for long use and more capable of withstanding hard wear than a printing plate, as the latter must be made of material which will permit the embossing of suitable printing characters thereon.

As a result, it has been found that where the plates are mounted on individual frames, the frames outlast several printing plates, and provide a system which may be economically maintained;

In" systems-using such printingdevices, when a plate becomes worn, or when the subscribers address is changed or dropped from the mailing lists; it is desirable to remove the plates from the frames, abandon the plates and insert new plates on the old frames.

One of the difficulties encountered in the use ever, that these plates, which are made of comparatively thin metal, are diflicult to maintain in proper sequence, between the period of embossing and their storage on frames. It is therefore a specific object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus which will insure the retention of the plates in proper sequence, until they are positioned on their frames and retained in position thereon, so that they may not be readily dislodged.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus for mounting printing plates on frames or holders. The apparatus of the present invention may be considered as an improvement on the apparatus shown, described and claimed in my copending application for Letters Patent, Serial No. 733,709, filed July 5th, 1934.

Other objects of the present invention will be explained in the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which I have illustrated a preferred form of mechanism, included within my invention, which may be used in carrying out my improved method. The novel features of the invention will be set forth in the claims.

Referring now to the drawings, Fig. l is a plan view of an address printing plate; Fig. 2 illustrates the plate of Fig. 1, after the first step of my improved method has been carried out, namely, the embossing of the plate; Fig. 3 illustrates the plate of Fig. 2, after the ends thereof have been notched; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the complete printing device, namely, the plate assembled on a frame orholder; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the printing device illustrating the manner of retaining the plate in position on the frame; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section through the printing device, as indicated by the line 6-6 on Fig. 4;Fig.' 7 is a plan view of a mechanism for mounting printing plates on their. frames; Fig. 8 is a fragmentary transverse section of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. '7, theplane of the section being indicated. by the line 8-8 on Fig. 7; Fig. 9 is. a transverse vertical section, through the mechanism as: indicated bythe line 99 on Fig. 7; Fig. 10' is a fragmentary section similar to Fig. 9, but illustrating certain parts in a different position.

.them'with printing characters B in the usual Referring again to the drawings, and especially to Figs. 1, 3 and 4, the printing plate with which this invention is especially concerned, comprises a substantially rectangular-shaped, thinplate A, made of a material sufficiently soft to permit printing characters to be embossed thereon in the usual manner, yet sufiiciently hard to permit repeated use of the plate as a printing device. I have found that metal alloys, such as zinc, aluminum or tin, are well adapted for suchuse.

Aseries of plates ofthe type illustrated in Fig. I

1, are utilized to make printing devices for a complete list of address printing members. The operator takes the plates one by one and embosses manner, such as,'for-instance, by an embossing machine of the type illustrated in Patent No.

1,831,103, issued to my assignee, Addressograph Company, November 10th, 1931.

After a'plate has been embossed, the operator,

byuse of any suitable punch mechanism, forms notches C in'opp'osite ends of the plate, as illustrated in Fig. 3. These notches C, as noted from 'Fig. 3, are dove-tailed, that is, entrance to the notch is restricted relative to any other dimension 30f thenotch parallel with the entrance and inwardlytherefrom. The notches are located on opposite ends of the plate substantially midway between the side edges thereof. I

My improved method includes the step of stacking these plates, one above the other, in

the order in which they are embossed, that is,

the order in which they are to be used in the printing machine, and maintaining them in such stacked relationship by engaging at least one notch of each plate and thereafter positioning each plate on an individual frame holder and retaining the plate in position on said holder by engagement of the notches of the plate by p'ortions of their respective frames.

A suitable frame, or holder on which the ad- 1 dress or printing plate A is to be mounted for use in printing machines, isbest illustrated in Figs.

4, 7 and 9. As there shown, the frame comprises a sheet-metal member D, preferably of a more substantial material than the printing plate. This frame, is provided with a curled-over lower edge II, which, together withstamped up ears I2, form a slideway for the printing plate A, and

adapted to occupy the notch C of the printing 7 plate. Theinclined central portion I8 provides abrupt shoulders 20 to engage the sidewalls of the notches C and thereby accurately locate the plate on the frame. This permits the use'of a plate, which fits loosely in the guideways II and tongueI5 by extreme portions described in various patents assigned to .signee, Addressograph Company.

I2 to enable the plate to be easilyinserted on the frame. The raised portion I 6 of the spring tongue is also connected with the body of the IS set back from the abrupt shoulders I1.

The side edges of the frame D are reenforcedwith suitable ribs 22, formed by downwardly and then upwardly curled portions of the frame member. These'ribs space the printing devices, one I above the other, so that the printing characters The frame above referred to is claimed in my and assigned to my assignee, Addres'sogr'aph Commy as pany, and is here set out; so that my improved method and apparatus may be better understood.

The mechanism which I have shownto facilitate'the mounting of the plates on the frames is an improvement on the mechanism shown in my prior application for Letters Patent, Serial No. 733,709, heretofore mentioned' Briefly, this mechanism comprises a base 30, carrying a magae zine SI, adapted to receive a stack of frames or holders, a second magazine 32 adapted'to receive a stack of embossed plates A and retain them in such stacked relationship as will be hereinafter more fully described, and a receiving magazine 33 into which the assembled printing devices are stacked by mechanism carried by the base. 7

Suitable feeding mechanism is provided to feed the frames one at a time from the magazine 3!, while other mechanism feeds the plates one at a time from the magazine 32, and mounts them on the frames. The feeding mechanism may, if

desired, act to remove an old plate from the frames, as they are progressed from the magazine 3i, if a frame carries such plate. Such a mechanism is described and claimed in my copending application, heretofore referred to, and hence will not be illustrated or described in the present application. a

As shown in Fig. '7, the base 30 is provided with a guideway 34, along which the frames are fed from the magazine 3| to the magazine 32.

. The bottommost frame is fed from the stack car- 7 ried in the magazine 3| in the usual manner by a pusher 35, reciprocably mounted in the guideway, and arranged to engage the bottommost frame D, and shove it into the position illustrated by the frame DI in Fig. 7.- At the same time the second surface 36 of this pusher engages the frame which previously lay in the position indi-' cated by the frame DI, and shoves it into the magazine 33. The arrangement of the magazine 33 is such that the printing devices are automatically stacked therein, consequent upon the operation of the pusher. Such device may either be accomplished by gravity, that is,'by the devices dropping one at atime to a magazine, which sets below the guideway 34, or, if preferred, by suitable arrangement such as shown in my prior applications heretofore referred to, which raises the successive plates up and retains them in such position so that the plates maybe slid one beneath the other, and thus stacked.

As illustrated in Fig. 7, the guideway 34 is mounted on pivots 38, so that it may be rocked, causing the frame DI (Fig. 7) to be raised upwardly, and the tongues I5 thereof to be depressed, relative to the frame, by lips 39 carried by the base 30. The depression of the tongues I5 enables a printing plate A to be shoved from the magazine 32, across the depressed righthand tongue 15 into position on the frame, whereupon the guideway is lowered, releasing the spring tongue 15 of the frame. The feeding mechanism thereafter functions to eject such combined frame and plate, shoving it into the magazine 38 and position a new frame to receive a plate.

The feeding of the frames is accomplished by the rotation of av hand-wheel 40 by the operator. This hand-wheel, as shown in Fig. 9, is connected by bevelled gearing 4|, with a vertically extending shaft 42, which carries at its upper end an arm 43, provided with a roller 45. This roller engages a slot in a pivoted lever 44, which is provided, as shown in Fig. 7, with an arm 46, connected by a link 41, with a lever 48. The lever 48 is pivoted as at 49 to the base 30, and is provided at its outermost edge with a slot 50, the walls of which engage a ball 5|, secured, as indicated at Fig. 10, to the pusher 35, causing the latter to be 'reciprocated in the guideway 34, thereby feeding the frames consequent upon the operation of the handwheel 40.

The feeding mechanism is so arranged that the bottommost plate A is fed from the stack carried in the magazine 32, and shoved onto the frame which occupies the position indicated by the frame DI, while the frame feeding pusher is on its return stroke, thus forming a complete printing device. As shown in Figs. 9 and 10, the plate feed mechanism comprises a pusher 52, secured to a bar 54, mounted in suitable guideways in the base 30 for reciprocation in a direction transverse to the frame guideway 34. The pusher 52 is provided with an abrupt edge 55 arranged to engage the right-hand end of the bottommost plate A in the magazine 32 and shove it to the left (Fig. 7) into position on the frame DI.

The plate feed bar 54 is operated by the lever 44 heretofore described. As indicated in Figs. 9 and 10, this lever 44 is provided with a slot 60, the walls of which engage a roller 6| mounted on a stud 62 carried by the feed bar 54. Therefore, consequent upon the rotation of the handwheel, heretofore described, the plate-feeding mechanism will position a plate on the frame DI.

The operation of the plate feed bar 54 rocks the frame guideway 34 about its pivots 38, to

cause the depression of the plate-retaining tongues l5, as heretofore mentioned. The mechanism for accomplishing this is fully shown and described in my copending application, heretofore mentioned. Briefly, however, the frame guideway is provided with a cam 10, extending as shown in Fig. 10, in a direction parallel with the plate feed guideway and having its righthand end bevelled, as at H, in Figs. 9 and 10. Pivotally mounted to the plate-feed bar 54, is a pawl 15, which is normally maintained in contact with the bar 54, by a spring 16. When the bar 54 moves to the left (Fig. 9) it engagesthe bevelled surface H of the cam and raises the guideway 34 about its pivots. When, however, the bar 54 reaches its extreme left-hand position, the pawl is beyond the cam 10 and as the bar 54 moves toward the right on its return stroke, the pawl is swung out of engagement with the cam 10, passing to one side thereof. Thus, the guideway 34, on the return stroke of the plate feed bar 54, remains in its lowered position, permitting the advance of the frames.

This invention is especially concerned with the method of, and apparatus for retaining the embossed plates A in stacked relationship in the magazine 32. It will be noted from Figs. 7, 9 and 10, that the right-hand end of the magazine is provided with a vertically extending bar or rib 89, adapted to occupy the notch C in the righthand end of each address plate A, as indicated in Fig. 7, and maintain the plates in stacked relationship. This bar has a cross-section preferably complementary to that of the dove-tailed notch in the plate, but in any case the bar has a portion wider than the throat of the notch, so that the plate cannot be extracted horizontally from the bar.

The bar 80 extends downwardly substantially into contact with the pusher 52. However, when this pusher is drawn to the right, as shown in Fig. 10, the bottommost plate A of the stack falls onto a supporting surface 8|, in which position it is dropped below the lowermost end of the bar 80. The plate thereabove, however, remains gripped by such bar. Hence, consequent upon the left-hand movement of the pusher 52, the bottommost plate will be ejected from the magazine 32 and the next succeeding plate will be retained therein by coaction of the bar 80 with the wall of the notch C.

The left-hand end of the side of the magazine is provided with a wall 84, extending downwardly as shown in Fig. 9, a distance sufficient to normally engage the left-hand edge of the second plate from the bottom in the stack. Ordinarily, as is described in my copending application, heretofore mentioned, this side wallwould serve to retain the second plate from the bottom in the magazine. However, I have found that sometimes address plates are provided with printing characters on their right-hand region only, as indicated by the bottommost plate Al in Fig. 10. In this instance, the second plate from the bottom A2, will be tilted, as shown, so that its lefthand edge will be in contact with the surface of the bottommost plate Al. Under these conditions, the frictional contact between the plates Al and A2 would cause the upper plate to be dragged at least part way out of the magazine by the attempted ejection of the bottommost plate. This would result in not only jamming the machine but injuring both plates.

The troublesome action described is entirely avoided in my invention by the retention of the next to the bottom plate by the bar 84. By thus absolutely restricting the feed to the bottommost plate, and avoiding the discarding of an injured plate, I preserve the original order of the plates.

Likewise, since the bar 88 engages the righthand notch C of the plates While the feed is toward the left, the bar need not clear the printing characters, as must the left-hand wall of the magazine. Hence, if the characters are adjacent the lefthand edge of the plate, so that the slope would be in the opposite direction to that shown in Fig. 10, the plates would be retained stacked in the magazine 32 by the bar 8? Thus, the engagement of the notches C by the bar 83 retains the piates in stacked relationship, prevents damage to the mechanism and prevents more than one plate from being fed at a time, with consequent loss or disarrangement of the plates.

I have indicated at'Fig. 9, a second bar 90 (which may or may not be dovetailed) secured to a left-hand wall 84 of the magazine. I have found that in some instances the Width of the plates vary, making them diflicult to position on the frame. However, by providing the magazine with a bar 9t, as well as a bar 88, I align the notches of the plate with the tongues l5 of the frames, regardless of anyivariation in the width of the plates. Thus, when the plates are ejected from the magazine 32 and shoved onto a frame, they will be in position proper for alignment with the tongues [5. When the bar 98 is provided, the wall 85 of the magazine may be omitted, if desired. i

It is obvious, from the above description, that the retaining of the plates in their magazine by the engagement of the dovetail notch, is highly advantageous in that'it' prevents Wedging or jamming-of the plates. during the feeding action. This advantage is distinct from that of maintaining the entire stack in a prearranged order.

.' I may make the bar 39 with its dove-tailed pore the notch of such retained plate,

3. The method of preparing printing members tion only long enough to effectively engage the second plate fromthe bottomin'the magazine.

If the bar does not extend above the topmost plate in themagazine', its upper portion should be bevelled so that the plates descending by gravity will, in efiect, be speared by the bar. Indeed, with a full-height bar it is preferable to bevel the top, and as illustrated at 89a in Fig. 9, for greater convenience in manually placing the plates in the magazine.

I claim:

l. The method of preparing printing members for use comprising the steps of forming a thin plate, providing the plate with printing characters and forming a notch in one end of the plate, stacking a plurality of notched plates one above the other, and maintaining such notched plates in stacked relationship by engaging the notch of each plate. r

2. The method of preparing printing members for use, comprising the steps of forming thin plates, embossing each plate to form raised printing characters thereon, forming a notch in one end of each plate, stacking a plurality of such notched embossed plates one above the other,

' thereafter feeding the plates successively to individual holders while retaining in the stack the plate next to the fed plate by means engaging for use in a printing machine, comprising the steps of forming thin plates, providing each plate with printing characters, forming a notch in one end of each plate, stacking a plurality of such notched plates one above the other, and

maintaining such notched plates in stacked rela tionship, thereafter placing each plate on an individual holder while retaining the next adjacent plate by means engaging the notch of such 7 I plate.

e. The method of preparing printing members for use, comprising the steps of forming thin plates, providing each plate with printing charactors and forming notches in opposite ends of each plate, stacking a plurality of such notched plates one above the other, and maintaining them in stackedirelationship by engaging the notch of each plate, and thereafter placing each plate on an individual holder and retaining the plate in position thereon by means engaging the notches of the plate.

5. The method of preparing printing members for use in a printing machine, comprising the step of forming a plate, providing the plate with printing characters, forming a dove-tailed notch in one edge of theplate, stacking a plurality of notched plates one above the other, and thereafter placmg each plate on an individual holder while re- 7 taining the adjacent plate in the stack by engaging the notch thereof.

6. The method of preparing printing members for use in a printing'machine, comprising forming a dove-tailed notch in one end of a printing plate having raised printing characters thereon, stacking a plurality of plates, one above the other,

thereafter removing one plate at a time from such stack While retaining the adjacent plate in the stack by means engaging the notch of such plate and positioning the removed plate on a holder.

'7, The method of preparing printing members for use in a printing machine, comprising forming a dove-tailed notch in one end of ,a printing plate having printing-characters thereon, stack:

ing a plurality of plates, one above the other, and

maintaining them in stacked relationship by simultaneously engaging the notch of each plate,

' thereafter removing the plates one at a time from such stack and positioning them on individual holders, and retaining the plates in position on their respective holders by engaging the notches thereof.

8. The method of preparing printing members for. use in a printing machine, comprising forming a dove-tailed notch in opposite ends of a printing plate, stacking a plurality of such notched plates one above the other, thereafter removing the plates one at a time fromsuch stack while. retaining the plate next adjacent the removed plate in the stack byengaging' one of the plates on individual holders, and retaining the plates in position on their respective holders by engagement of both notches of the plates.

notches thereof and positioning the removed 9. The method of preparing printing members for use in a printing machine, comprising forming a dove-tailed notch in opposite ends of a printing plate having printing characters thereon, stacking a plurality of notched plates one above the other, and maintaining such notched plates in stacked relationship, thereafter feeding the plates one at a time from such stack, moving them in a direction away from one of the notches of a next adjacent plate while retaining the next adjacent plate in the stack by engaging the said notch ofsaid plate.

10. The method of preparing printing members for use in a printing machine, comprising forming a dove-tailed notch in opposite ends of a printing plate, providing the plate withprinting characters, stacking a plurality of notched plates,- one above the other, and maintaining them in stacked relationship by means engaging both notches of each plate, thereafter removing the plates one at a time from such stack and positioning them on individual holders, and retaining the plates in alignment on their respective and maintaining such notched plates in stacked relationship by engaging the rear notch on each. plate with a common member, moving the notched plates one at a time forwardly-in a path'at right angles to the movement of the frames to position a plate on each frame, retaining the plates in position on their respective frames by engagement of both of said notches with portions of their respective holders, and stacking the combined frames and plates.

12. In a machine for acting on plates carrying raised printing characters, the combination of a magazine in which a quantity of said plates may be stacked, means to feed said plates one at a time from one end of such magazine, and retaining means engaging the plate next to the plate fed at the rear end of such engaged plate to prevent it being fed forwardly with the fed plate.

13. In a machine for acting on plates carrying raised'printing characters, the combination of a magazine in which a quantity of said plates may be stacked, means to feed the bottom plate from said stack, and means occupying a dove-tailed notch in the rear end of the next to the bottom plate to prevent said plate being fed with the bottom plate.

14. A device for feeding printing members having dove-tailed notches at one end thereof, one at a time from a stack, said feeding mechanism comprising a magazine having a member wider than the mouth of the notch and adapted to occupy the dove-tailed notch of the printing member next above the bottommost member in the stack, means to engage the notched end of the bottommost printing member and move it from beneath the other members in the stack.

15. The combination of means to feed frames ,one at a time, each frame being adapted to carry a printing member, a magazine adapted to carry a stack of printing members having dove-tailed notches in one end thereof, said magazines having means to engage the notches of the printing devices next above the bottommost device, and means to eject the bottommost printing member from the magazine and position it on the frame.

16. The combination of means to feed frames one at a time, each frame being adapted to carry a printing member, a magazine adapted to carry a stack of printing members having dove-tailed notches in one end thereof, said magazine having means to simultaneously engage the notches of all printing devices except the bottommost device in the magazine, and means to eject the bottommost printing members from the magazine and position it on the frame.

17. A device for feeding printing members having dove-tailed notches at one end thereof, one at a time from a substantially vertically extending stack, said feeding mechanism comprising a magazine having a substantially vertically extending dove-tailed bar adapted to occupy the dove-tailed notches of all of the printing members but the bottommost member in the stack, said member being arranged to permit the devices to slide downwardly in the magazine as the bottommost device is removed from the stack, means to engage the notched end of the bottommost printing member and move toward the opposite end of the stack, thereby ejecting it from the magazine, and means to prevent material downward movement of the stack until such device has been fully ejected therefrom.

18. In a machine of the class described, a base, a guideway carried by the base, a magazine adjacent one end of the guideway to carry a stack of printing frames, a second guideway intersecting said first guideway, a magazine carrying a stack of printing plates adjacent said second guideway, means to feed the bottom plate of said stack from the plate magazine, and means occupying a dove-tailed notch in the rear edge of the next to the bottom plate in the magazine to prevent such plate being fed with the bottom plate.

19. The combination of a magazine for holding a stack of individual frames, each frame being adapted to removably support a printing member, means for feeding frames one at a time from the magazine, a second magazine adapted to carry printing members having dove-tailed notches in the ends thereof, means carried by said second magazine and adapted to engage the notches of all printing devices but the bottommost device, and periodically acting means to engage the bottommost printing member and eject it from its magazine and shove it into position on the frames as they are fed from the first magazine, and means to stack the combined frame and printing members.

WALTER T. GOLLWITZER.

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