US2283587A

US2283587A - Method and apparatus for registering superimposed printings

Info

Publication number: US2283587A
Application number: US386600A
Authority: US
Inventors: Steinbach Warner
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1941-04-03
Filing date: 1941-04-03
Publication date: 1942-05-19
Anticipated expiration: 1959-05-19

Description

May 19,1942, w. STEINBACH 2,233,537

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REGISTERING SUPERIMPOSED PRINTINGS Filed April 3, 1941 ZShGG'tS-Shet .1

- INVENTOR. .Warmflfiezhbm,

y 19, 1942- w. STEINBACH 2,283,587

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REGISTERING SIiPERIMPOSED PRINTINGS Filed April 3, 1941 Sheets-Sheet 2 600 coo g) 000 o 0 0M0 0 oOoOoOoOoOoOoO0\ v l a3, e 27 :flllz; Ii; 32 a? 32 #WW/ I A 30 32 2x 4* IINVENTOIR. Wu'nerflezl 'zbadz,

Patented May 19, 1942 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REGISTER- ING SUPERHWOSED PRINTINGS Warner Steinbach, Maplewoo'd, N. J. Application April 3, 1941, Serial No. 386,600

7 Claims.

The present invention is concerned with multicolor printing and, more particularly, with registration of superimposed printings of different color.

It is well known that, in the present day multicolor printing processes involving the use of a plurality of master plates and of electrotypes made therefrom, the fine adjustment or alignment of successive and complementary printings to insure their proper positions in the final reproduction, requires an enormous amount of time and extraordinary care and skill. When conditions make such care and expenditure of time along the whole side of the base I, and the other one, 2, stopping short of the ends; 3 is an alignment plate pivotally attached to the threaded bolts 4 which pass through openings in the bearing blocks '5, provided with slots 6 for the knurled nuts 1. The bolts 4 are pivotally held in the alignment plate 3 by pins 8, and the ends of the bolts '4 are provided with a limited degree of freedom owing to the elongated shape of the openings 9 in the plate 3. Over the base I lies a transparent sheet l provided with a network of longitudinal, parallel lines II and parallel,

cross lines I2, these lines being interrupted at impossible, the result is a sloppy appearance and an overlapping of colors. It is the object of the present invention to attain perfect registration of superimposed printings with a substantial saving of time and with uniform accuracy. It is also an object to produce an apparatus requiring only ordinary skill to effect the desired correct registration. It is further an object to accomplish these results with a simple and inex-- pensive apparatus. Other objects will become apparent from the specification which follows and from the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the marking and registering device forming a part of the present invention. V

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same device.

Fig. 3 is a cross section taken along the line 3-3 of Fig.1.

Fig. 4 is a detail showing the marking punch used in connection with the device illustrated in Figs. 1-3.

Fig. 5 is a topplan view of a master plate as well as of an electrotype made from it. The wooden block on which the master plate is mounted is not visible in the top plan view.

Fig. 6 is the same electrotype, broken off, with holes drilled through the markings shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. '7 is a detail showing the alignment pins used in connection with the assembly plate shown in Fig. 8.

Fig. 8 is a top plan view of the assembly plate with electrotypes arranged thereon in proper alignment. Fig. 9 is a cross section taken alon the line 99 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a similar cross section for a modified form of the clamps used to secure the electrotypes to the assembly plate.

Referring to the figures in detail, I is the'base of the registering and marking device forming a part of the present invention; 2 and 2 are side walls, one of them, namely 2', extending certain portions of the sheet for a reason exparallel to the base I, by clamps l3 riveted in supporting plates I 4, H1, at a distance from the base I allowing the introduction of a master plate 24 (mounted on a wooden blockin the well known manner) between the base I and the sheet Ill. The master plate 24 is set on the base I and aligned with the help of the network of lines -ll, I2, and the alignment plate 3. The above mentioned interruptions in the network of lines, H, l2, are of assistance in making this alignment. I

A cross bar I5 is secured to the side walls 2, 2'. Threaded in this cross bar I5 are tightening screw bolts it (three such screw bolts being shown in the drawing) for holding the master plate 24 in position after alignment. In order to prevent injury to the master plate by the screw bolts l6, they are provided with cups 11 free to turn on them, a block of rubber or any other material softer than the metal of the master plate, I8, being inserted in the cup I! and forming a press fit therewith. A second cross bar l9, hereinafter referred to as the marking bar, is secured to the

side walls

2, 2, and is provided with a series of equally spaced holes 20, of equal diameter, adapted to receive a marking punch 2|. The marking punch 2| has, at

its bottom, a conical marker 22 ending in a sharp point and shoulders 23 to limit the depth of the punch and to better define the center shown in Figure 5, and denoted by the numeral 25. These markings 25 of the master plate are faithfully reproduced on the electrotypes, always in the same correct and definite relation to the configuration on the master plate. Now, holes 26 are drilled through the electrotypes at the reproduced markings, after which the electrotypes are arranged in predetermined positions on the assembly plate 21, by registering the holes 26 with a predetermined set of holes 28 of the assembly plate 21. The

holes

26 and 28 are of exactly the same diameter, and the distance between the two holes 26 in the electrotype is the same as or a multiple of the distance between two consecutive holes 28 in the assembly plate 21. As to the assembly plate 21, it is provided with a multiplicity of equally spaced holes 28 of equal diameter, forming a coordinated system of reference marks. To keep the electrotypes in their aligned positions, alignment pins 29 are inserted into the registered holes. To facilitate this operation, the lower portion 30 of the pin 29 is of a somewhatsmaller diameter than the upper portion, 3|, which is of the same diameter as the

holes

26 and 28, as is particularly clear from Figures 9 and 10. In addition to the system of holes 28, the assembly plate 21 is provided with smaller, threaded holes 32 to receive the screws 33 of the holding clasps 34, either of the eccentric type shown in Fig. 9, or of the shoulder type shown in Fig. 10. In either case, the clasps permit of adjustment before they are tightened. It should be noted that the spacing of the holes 28 is the same as the spacing of the centers of the holes 20.

The method of operation will now be illustrated in the case of a two color job. This involves the use of two master plates which we will denote by th symbols #I and #2, one for printing in, let us say, red, the other for printing in blue. Master plate #I is inserted between the base I and the transparent sheet I0, Fig. 1. It is aligned sidewise by means of the alignment plate 3 manipulated by the knurled nuts 1 of the threaded bolts 4. The master plate now rests slidingly against the alignment plate 3 and is aligned in the up and down direction by hand. We now pick out some portion common to both master plates #I and #2 and determine its position on the base I with reference to the lines II, I2 of the transparent sheet I0, so that the corresponding common portion of master plate #2 can be oriented on the base I in exactly the same position. The master plate #I being now properly and definitely aligned, it is made fast on the base I by tightening the screw bolts it. Then the marking punches 2I are inserted in two of the holes 26 of the marking bar I9 and are given light blows with a hammer. This will mark the master plate with the reference indices 25 (Fig. 5). The screw bolts I6 are now loosened, releasing the master plate #I which is removed from the base I, and electrotypes are made from the marked master plate #I, in any desired number, and identified here as electrotypes #I. The reference indices 25 of the master plate #I will be faithfully reproduced on the electrotypes #I. I-Ioles are now drilled in the electrotypes #I through the markings 25, of a diameter equal to the diameter of the holes 28 in the assembly plate 21. Now as many of these electrotypes as the size ofthe assembly plate 21 allows and as is desired are arranged on the assembly plate 21 in positions determined by the desired appearance of the complete printed image. They are proper- 1y aligned by registering the holes 26 with holes 28 corresponding to the predetermined positions of the electrotypes on the assembly plate 21. This alignment is held fast by inserting the pins 29 into the registered holes. While the electrotypes are thus held fast, the clamps 34 are screwed into the threaded holes 32 and thus secure the electrotypes to the assembly plate. When the electrotypes have beveled edges, the eccentric clamps shown in Fig. 9 are used. They are easily adjustable and therefore are preferred. However, when the electrotypes have square edges, as in Fig. 10, clamps with square shoulders such as are shown in Fig. 10 are used. Whatever adjustment is possible in this case to allow for variations in the size of the electrotype plates, is due to the width of the clamp shoulders. After the electrotypes have thus been secured to the assembly plate, the pins 29 are removed and the plate is ready for the press, 1. e., for the first color printing.

We now come to the second color printing. The second master plate #2 is now inserted between the base I and the transparent sheet I0, aligned in the manner already described, namely so that the portion common to both the master plates #I and #2 will be in exactly the same position relatively to the lines II, I2, a the corresponding common portion of the master plate #I was, after which the master plate #2 is made fast on the base I, marking indices of reference are made with the marking punches 2| as in the previous operation, and the entire procedure followed in the case of the first master plate is now repeated. It will be clear that when the electrotypes #2 are finally secured to the assembly plate 21, they will be in exactly the proper relation to the electrotypes #I and that the second printing will accurately register with the first.

It will be noted that this method of registering superimposed printings requires no extraordinary skill. All the steps of the operation are very simple, with the exception of the alignment of the master plate under the transparent sheet, which requires a certain amount of care and good eyesight, but these are qualities which are not difficult to realize, especially with the assistance of a magnifying glass. In some case, as, for instance, when the master plate is very large, it may be advisable to number the lines II, I2, for easier identification.

What I claim is:

1. Method of registering superimposed printings in a multi-color printing process involving the use of a plurality of master plates and electrotypes made therefrom, which consists in preparing anassembly plate provided with a system of coordinated reference marks, supplying said master plates with indices in definite relation to a portion common to them all, converting the indices on said electrotypes corresponding to the indices on said master plates into reference marks registrable with the reference marks on said assembly plate, placing the electrotypes corresponding to one of said master plates on said assembly plate in predetermined positions by registering the reference marks of the electrotypes with a predetermined set of reference marks on said assembly plate, securing said electroplates to said assembly plate in said predetermined positions, and repeating this operation for each one of the other master plates.

2. Method of registering superimposed printings ina multi-color printing process involving the use of a plurality of master plates and elec-- trotypes made therefrom, which consists in preparing an assembly plate provided with a system of coordinated, equally spaced holes of uniform diameter, marking reference points on said master plates in definite relation to a portion com.- mon to them all, drilling holes in said electrotypes through the reference points corresponding to the reference points of said master plates, the holes in the electrotypes being of the same diameter as the holes in said assembly plate and at a distance from one another equal to the distance between the holes of said assembly plate or to a multiple of this distance, placing said electrotypes corresponding to one of said master plates on said assembly plate in predetermined positions by registering the holes in the electrotypes with a set of predetermined holes in said assembly plate, securing said electrotypes to said assembly plate in said predetermined positions, and repeating this operation for each one of the other master plates.

3. Method of registering superimposed printings in a multi-color printing process involving the use of a plurality of master plates and electrotypes made therefrom, which consists in preparing an assembly plate provided with a system of equally spaced holes of uniform diameter arranged in two sets of equally spaced parallel lines, one of said sets being displaced relatively to the other by a distance equal to half the distance between two consecutive holes, marking reference points on said master plates in definite relation to a portion common to them all and at a distance from one another equal to the distance between consecutive holes in said assembly plate or to a multiple of this distance, drilling holes in said electrotypes of the same diameter as that of the holes in said assembly plate through the reference points corresponding to the reference points on said master plates, placing the electrotypes corresponding to one of said master plates on said assembly plate in predetermined positions by registering the holes in said electrotypes with a predetermined set of holes in said assembly plate, holding said electrotypes properly aligned by inserting holding pins in said registered holes, securing said electrotypes to said assembly plate by adjustable clamps, removing said holding pins from said registered holes, and repeating this operation for each one of the other master plates.

4. In a marking and registering device for a multi-color printing process involving the use of electrotypes having reference marks in definite relation thereto, an assembly plate provided with a coordinated system of reference marks registrable with the reference marks of said electrotypes, means for aligning said electrotypes on said assembly plate by registering the reference marks on said electrotypes with the reference marks on said assembly plate and holding said electrotypes in alignment, and means for securing them to said assembly plate in their aligned positions.

5. In a marking and registering device for a multi-color printing process involving the use of electrotypes provided with reference holes in definite relation thereto, an assembly plate provided with a coordinated system of equally spaced holes of a diameter equal to that of the holes in said electrotypes, the distance between said electrotype holes being equal to the distance between consecutive holes in said assembly plate or to a multiple of this distance, means for aligning said electrotypes on said assembly plate and holding them in their aligned position by registering said electrotype holes with predetermined holes in said assembly plate and inserting holding pins in the registered holes, and adjustable means for securing said electrotypes to said assembly plate.

6. In a marking and registering device for a multi-color printing process involving the use of electrotypes having reference holes in definite relation thereto, an assembly plate provided with a system of equally spaced holes of uniform diameter arranged in two sets of equally spaced parallel lines, one set being displaced relatively to the other by a distance equal to half the distance between consecutive holes of said system, the diameter of the holes in said electrotypes being equal to that of the holes of said system and the distance between said electrotype holes being equal to the spacing between the holes of said system or to a multiple thereof, means for aligning said electrotypes on'said assembly plate and holdingthem in their aligned position by registering said electrotype holes with predetermined holes of said assembly plate and inserting holding pins in the registered holes,

and clamps for adjustably securing said electrotypes to said assembly plate.

'7. In a marking and registering device for a multi-color printing process involving the use of electrotypes having reference holes in definite relation thereto, an assembly plate provided with a system of equally spaced holes of uniform diameter arranged in two sets of equally spaced to the other by a distance equal to half the distance between the holes of said system, the diameter of the holes in said electrotypes being equal to that of the holes in said system and the distance between said electrotype holes being equal to the distance between consecutive holes of said system or to a multiple thereof, means for aligning said electrotypes on said assembly plate and holding them in their aligned position by registering said reference holes of the electrotypes with predetermined holes of said system by and inserting holding pins in the registered holes, said assembly plate being further provided with threaded holes intermediate said system holes, and clamping members for securing said electrotypes to the assembly plate having threaded portions screwable into said threaded holes.

WARNER. STEINBACH.