US2293886A

US2293886A - Printing machine

Info

Publication number: US2293886A
Application number: US391826A
Authority: US
Inventors: Hobart W Bruker
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1941-05-05
Filing date: 1941-05-05
Publication date: 1942-08-25
Anticipated expiration: 1959-08-25

Description

ug- 25, 1942. H. W.'BRUKER 2,293,886

PRINTING MACHINE Filed May 5, 1941 INVENTOR W h. MAM

m4 w vbtui ATTO R N EYS Patented Aug. 25, 1942 PRINTING MACHINE Hobart W. Bruker, Bordentown, N. J assignor to George W. Swift, Jr. Inc., Bordcntown, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application May 5, 1941, Serial No. 391,826

Claims.

The invention relates to a machine for printing, stamping and similar impressing operations, by which numbers or similar characters or impressions are to be successively impressed by the machine upon a traveling sheet.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a machine of the above character in which the spacing between the successive characters impressed on the sheet may be altered, without requiring extensive alteration or substitution of parts in the machine to, keep the impressing tools moving at sheet speed while in contact therewith.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be in part obvious and in part specifically referred to in the description hereinafter contained which, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, discloses a machine constructed to operate in accordance with the invention. From the standpoint of the invention in its broader aspects, however, the specific machine hereinafter disclosed should be regarded merely as illustrative of its principles. In the drawing Fig. 1 is a side elevation in somewhat schematic and simplified form, of a machine constructed to operate in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a detail section taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

The invention is disclosed as applied to a machine designed for printing successive lines or rows of numbers, letters, or other desired characters or markings, the successive impressions being spaced longitudinally along a continuously fed paper web. As such machines have been previously constructed, it was necessary that the type blocks rotate at such a rate that their peripheral speed was at all times equal to the speed of feed of the paper sheet, otherwise the printed matter would be smudged. Thus the range in spacing of the printed matter which could be obtained with a given set of machine parts, was exceedingly limited, and in order to afford the necessary range in spacing of the printed matter it was necessary to provide such a machine with a large number of interchangeable rotary type supports operating on different diameters and providing different spacings between the type blocks, in order to provide for different spacing of printed matter and still keep the peripheral speed of the type blocks under all conditions equal to the speed of paper sheet travel.

As to many of its parts not specifically referred to hereinafter, the disclosed machine may be understood as similar to prior art machines or of appropriate construction known to those skilled in the art, and accordingly many of such parts sure or impression cylinder I mounted upon a rotary shaft 2, and acting as a feed roll for a paper sheet 3 of the usual type used in recording meters, the cylinder l beingdriven to feed sheet 3 at constant speed.

A rotary impressing tool support 4, shown in the form of a disk, is mounted upon a rotary shaft 5 adjacent cylinder I, the rotary support 4 being shown (Fig. 2) as driven by a gear 8 driven from shaft 2 as later to be described. A plurality of type blocks 8 (of which only two are shown for simplicity) are arranged circumferentially around the rotary support 4, these type blocks being equally spaced from each other, and in the illustrated form of the invention these type blocks operate on such a diameter and are so spaced from each other, as to provide the minimum spacing afforded by the machine between successive characters printed on sheet 3, when the peripheral speed of the type blocks 8 is equal to the speed of travel of sheet 3.

Whenever it is desired to provide a greater spacing between successive characters printed on sheet 3, the speed of rotation of shaft 5 is proportionately reduced relative to the speed of travel of sheet 3, thus producing a normal peripheral speed of the type blocks 8 which is slower than the speed of sheet feed, and the type blocks are mounted upon the rotary support 4 to afford movement of such type blocks relative to said support in a direction parallel to the direction of travel of the tool while in contact with sheet I.

Thus when each type block 8 is pressed into contact with sheet 3, the sheet controls the rate of movement of the type block in that stage so as to equalize the peripheral speed of the type block with the speed of sheet feed, and'make the impression on the sheet without smudging. V

In the illustrated machine each of the type blocks 8 is supported upon a lever 9 pivoted at ID to rotary support 4, and means is provided to urge each lever '9 to position the corresponding type block 8 at one limit of its permissible range of movement. As shown spring H is provided for this purpose, acting between a lug I2 and a stop [3, on rotary support 4. Thus if it be assumed that the printed matter is to be spaced along the length of sheet 3 a distance greater than the peripheral distance between adjacent type blocks 8, the speed of rotation of rotary support 4 will be correspondingly slowed down so that the normal peripheral speed of type blocks 8 is less than the speed of feed of sheet 3. But when a given type block 8 comes into pressing engagement with sheet 3, the faster movement of sheet 3 will cause the type block to move along at sheet speed, lever 9 tilting about its pivot at this stage against the action of spring ll.

After a given type block 8 has passed out of contact with sheet 3, its spring ll restores the corresponding lever B to normal position against stop I 3. In order to prevent the type block 8 from being pushed back against sheet 3 and smudging the latter as it is passing out of contact therewith, I preferably provide means for preventing or delaying the above restoring action of spring ll, until the type block 8 has moved away entirely clear of the sheet. As shown, each type block has associated therewith for this purpose, a latch I14 slidably mounted in a housing I5 carried by rotary support 4, and urged forwardly against the lever 9 by a spring I6. When the lever 9 is tilted as above described, the adjacent end of lever 9 moves out of the path of latch I4, so that spring 16 advances the latch into engagement with the bottom wall of lever 9, preventing the latter from moving back to normal position against stop l3, until the latch is withdrawn. Each latch I4 is shown as provided with a roller l1 engageable with a stationary sector cam 18 after the corresponding type block 8 has moved clear of sheet 3, to withdraw latch 16. Thereupon spring H restores the lever 9 to normal position against stop l3, and after roller 11 passes around beyond sector l8, latch I4 is pushed by spring 16 up against the inner end of lever 9. In the illustrated form, the stationary sector cam I8 is mounted upon a hub 26 carried in a bearing 21 for shaft 5.

Suitable variable speed transmission may be employed to rotate the support 4 at a rate appropriate to produce the desired spacing of printed matter on sheet 3. In the disclosed machine, a simple change gear is shown for this purpose, consisting of a gear l9 engageable with a gear (not shown) on shaft 2 and mounted on a fixed spindle 2|]. A gear 21 is adjustably mounted in known manner upon a slotted arm 22 pivotally carried by shaft 20, and adjustable by a bolt 23 operating in a slot 24 in known manner, so as to connect with the gear 6 on shaft/5 and a change gear 25 fixed to shaft 20.

In machines of the above described type, the rotary support-4 will usually carry a large number of type blocks equally spaced around their circular path of travel, and. each constructed and arranged as above described in connection with the particular type block which is shown in contact with sheet 3.

Thus a machine of the above type may be readily adjusted to produce impressions on the sheet 3 which are spaced various distances apart along the length of the sheet, without requiring substitute supports 4 of different diameters and with different peripheral spacings between adjacent type blocks, to be substituted.

While the invention has been disclosed as carriedout by a machine of the above described specific construction, it should be understood that many changes may be made therein, without departing from the invention in its broader aspects, within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A machine of the character described for printing and like purposes, having means for continuously feeding a sheet to be operated upon 7 at uniform speed, a rotary support rotated at uniform speed, an impressing tool rotatable with said support and positioned to engage the sheet while moving substantially in the same direction as the latter, said machine including means for producing a difference between the normal peripheral speed of said tool and the speed of travel of the sheet to alter the longitudinal spacing between successive impressions of said tool on the sheet, means yieldably urging said tool toward a normal position relative to said support but said tool being mounted to afford movement thereof relative to said support in a direction substantially parallel to the direction of travel of the tool while engaging the sheet, to cause said tool to shift from normal position and move along with the sheet at sheet speed while in contact therewith under conditions where the normal peripheral speed of said tool is different from sheet speed, said last mentioned means acting to restore said tool to normal position relative to the support after leaving contact with the sheet.

2. A machine of the character described for printing and like purposes, having means for continuously feeding a sheet to be operated upon at uniform speed, a rotary support rotated at uniform speed, an impressing tool rotatable with said support and positioned to engage the sheet while moving substantially in the same direction as the latter, said machine including means for producing a difference between the normal peripheral speed of said tool and the speed of travel of the sheet to alter the longitudinal spacing between successive impressions of said tool on the sheet, said tool being mounted to afiord movement thereof relative to said support in a direction substantially parallel to the direction of travel of the tool while engaging the sheet, to cause said tool to shift from normal position and move along with the sheet at sheet speed while in contact therewith under conditions where the normal peripheral speed of said tool is different from sheet speed, means being provided to restore said tool to normal position relative to the support after leaving contact with the sheet.

3. A machine of the character described for printing and like purposes, having means for continuously feeding a sheet to be operated upon at uniform speed, a rotary support rotated at uniform speed, an impressing tool rotatable with said support and positioned to engage the sheet while moving substantially in the same direction as the latter, said machine including means for producing a difference between the normal peripheral speed of said tool and the speed of travel of the sheet to alter the longitudinal spacing between successive impressions of said tool on the sheet, means yieldably urging said tool toward a normal position relative to said support but said tool being mounted to afford movement thereof relative to said support in a direction substantially parallel to the direction of travel of the tool while engaging the sheet, to cause said tool to shift from normal position and move along with the sheet at sheet speed while in contact therewith under conditions where the normal peripheral speed of said tool is different from sheet speed, said last mentioned means acting to restore said tool to normal position relative to the support after leaving contact with the sheet, said machine also including means for temporarily holding said tool against the aforesaid restoring movement as said tool is leaving contact with the sheet.

4. A machine of the character described for printing and like purposes, having means including a rotary pressure cylinder for continuously feeding a sheet to be operated upon at uniform speed, a rotary support mounted adjacent said cylinder and also rotated at uniform speed, a plurality of impressing tools spaced circumferentially around said support and each positioned to engage the sheet while moving substantially in the same direction as the latter, said machine including means for producing a difference between the normal peripheral speed of said tools and the speed of travel of the sheet to alter the longitudinal spacing between successive impressions of said tools on the sheet, each of said tools however being mounted to afford movement thereof relative to said support in a direction substantially parallel to the direction of travel of the tool while engaging the sheet, to cause said tools successively to shift from normal position and move along with the sheet at sheet speed while respectively in contact therewith, under conditions where the normal peripheral speed of the tools is different from sheet speed.

5. A machine of the character described for printing and like purposes, having means for continuously feeding a sheet to be operated upon at uniform speed, a rotary support rotated at uniform speed, an impressing tool rotatable with said support and positioned to engage the sheet while moving substantially in the same direction as the latter, said machine including means for producing a difference between the normal peripheral speed of said tool and the speed of travel of the sheet to alter the longitudinal spacing between successive impressions of said tool on the sheet, means yieldably urging said tool toward a normal position relative to said support but said tool being mounted to afford movement thereof relative to said support in a direction substantially parallel to the direction of travel of the tool while engaging the sheet, to cause said tool to shift from normal position and move along with the sheet at sheet speed while in contact therewith under conditions where the normal peripheral speed of said tool is different from sheet speed, a latch constructed and arranged to hold said tool temporarily against movement back to said normal position as the tool is leaving contact with the sheet, and mechanism operating after said tool has left contact with the sheet to withdraw said latch and cause the aforesaid yielding means to restore said tool to said normal position.

HOBART w. BRUKER.