US2380322A

US2380322A - Printing machine

Info

Publication number: US2380322A
Application number: US500602A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frank C Marquardt
Original assignee: American Bank Note Co
Current assignee: American Bank Note Co
Priority date: 1943-08-31
Filing date: 1943-08-31
Publication date: 1945-07-10
Anticipated expiration: 1962-07-10

Description

F. C. MARQUARDT PRINTING MACHINE July 10; 1945.

Filed Aug. 51, 1945 12 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY July 10, 1945.

F. c. ,MARQUARDT PRINTING MACHINE 12 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 51, 1945 INVENTOR; -/7?,4/wr QAI/W z/ARDT BY ATTORNEY.

July 10, 1945. c; MARQUARDT PRINTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 51, 1945 12 Sheets-Sheet 3 w. iillllllllll'llwvlllfll uf l O llll ini n u INVENTOR. fir/wk cfzwwqmnwr A TTORNE Y.

y 0, 1945' F. c. MARQUARDT 2,380,

PRINTING MACHINE IN VEN TOR.

. ATTORNEY.

7 July 10, 1945'. F. c. MARQUARDT 2,380,322

PRINTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 51, 1943 12 Shets-Sheet 5 AIM/VA 671442404007- ATTORNEY July 10,1945. F. c. MARQUARDT 2,380,322

PRINTING MACHINE v Filed Aug. 51, 194; 12 Sheets-Sheet 6 'ATTORNEY July 10, 1945.

F. C. MARQUARDT' PRINTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 51, 1943' 12 Sheets-Sheet 7 y 1945- F. c. MARQUARDT 2,380,322

PRINTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 31, 1943 l2 Sheets-Sheet 8 INVENTOR fkwradhnomnpr ATTORNEY July.1 0, 1945. F. c. MARQUARDT ,3

PRINTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 31, 1943 12 Sheets-Sheet 9 a I v 2 [168 214 f "flu 1 //,l

223 E 6" 190 I!! 1 i I!!! I! ATTORNEY F. c. MARQUARDT PRINTING MACHINE July 10, 1945.

12 Sheets-Sheet 10 Filed Aug. 31, 1945 INVENTOR fimA/xr 6. MmpuA/awr A i @A flTTORNEY F. c. MARQUARDT PRINTING MACHINE July 10, 1945.

Filed Aug 31, 1943 12 Shets-Sheet 11 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

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' July 10, 1945. c. MARQUARDT PRINTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 51, 1945 12 Sheets-Sheet l2 NW RW A TTORNEY Patented July 10, 1945 omrso STATES PATENT omes.

PRINTING MACHINE Frank C. Marquardt, Bronx, N. Y., assignor 'to American Bank Note Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application August 31, 1943, Serial No. 500,602 (01. 91-50) 13 Claims.

This invention relates generally to printing machines and has particular reference to improvements in mechanism for supplying a printing composition such as waxcarbon in fluid condition to the impression faces of printing elements.

One object of the invention is to make it possible to use a printing press of th plate cylinder type forwhat is known in the art as spot carbon printing, although, as will be appreciated later on, the improvements are not limited in their application to that particular type of press. The term spot carbon printing is used broadly to cover the application of manifolding carbon only to the desired parts of sheets of paper making up a manifolding set as distinguished from an all-over of heating elements suitably positioned to apply the proper degrees of heat to melt the wax carbon and to keep it hot during its transit to the pap r- Another object of th invention is to provide a novel mechanism for heating and applying the wax carbon to the printing faces of a printing plate or similar instrumentality. It is constructed as a unit which is movable as a unit by manuallycontrolled throw-off devices when printing is to be discontinued, and can be removed as a unit from coating. Usually, the carbon is so applied that ther will be a coating on the back of the paper which conforms generally in area, extent and location to a space or spaces on the face of the paper provided for the writin of matter which will be reproduced by the carbon on the next sheet in the manifolding set. Usually the purpose of spot carbon printing is to economize in the use of carbon, although there are instances wher only a certain part of matter written on the face of an instrument needs to be reproduced on a manifold copy to make a' record.-

The plate cylinder type of printing press has many desirable characteristics such as simplicity of construction and operation, coupled with the fact that it lends itself to accurate work by locating the imprints on successive sheets of paper with great uniformity. Further, the printing any desired number of printing faces of any desired shapes or extents. However, the inking mechanisms heretofore used on such printing machines are not suitable for wax carbon printing due principally to the characteristics. of that material. It is normally a solid composition of wax, oil and coloring matter which is made fluid enough to print by heating it above its melting point or to a point Where it has the consistency of a fairly stiff varnish when it is applied to the printing faces and transferred from those faces to the paper. This, of course, involves both melt- .ing the wax carbon and keeping it at the proper temperature until the printing is completed.

An important object of the invention is to provide a mechanism which will heat the wax carbon until it is of the proper consistency and maintain it in that condition until the printing Thisis accomplished by a impression is made. novel heating apparatus which includes a set of manual controls for independently regulating sets plate used in plate cylinder machines may readily be etched, engraved or otherwise treated to give 25 the press for cleaning or any other purpose. All of the parts remain in position and adjustments need not be disturbed, and, after it is ready to be again placed in operation it is moved as a unit back into the position where it applies the wax carbon to the printing faces of the printing plate.

Without further particularizing, the invention attains other objects: and has other advantages which will be apparent from the description hereinafter contained. As will also become apparent, the invention consists in a novel combination and relation of parts, an illustrative embodiment of which is shown in the drawings accompanying and forming a part of thisspecification, the novel features of the invention being recited in the claims appended hereto.

In the said drawings:

Fig; 1 i a side view of a printing press of the plate cylinder type equipped with the improvements disclosed in this application.

Fig. 1a is a detail of a toggle forming a part of the throw-off mechanism for the'wax carbon s pply.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the wax carbon supply- I Fig. 6 shows parts of a section, onthe line 6-6 of Fi 2, of the lower electrically heated roller employed.

Fig. 7-15 an end view partly broken away apparatus shown in Fig. 6.

i 8 is a section illustrating the internal construction of-the upper heated roller.

Fig. 9 is a section on the line 9-901 Fig. 5 Fig. 10 shows principaldetails of the-construction of the plate cylinder. impression cylinder,

of the trol of the plate cylinder throw-off mechanism,

this same control being effective to operate the throw-01f mechanism for the carbon heating and supplying mechanism.

Fig. 15 is a section on the line l-I5 of Fig. 14.

Figs. 16 and 1'? illustrate diagrammatically layouts of printing plates.

Figs. 18 and 19 illustrate some of the many carbon spots which may be applied by suitable construction of the printing plates.

Fig. 20 is a wiring diagram of the electrical control for the various heating elements. 7

Fig. 21 is a diagram of the panel board for the electrical equipment In the drawings, the various features of the invention are shown in the form they have when applied to a plate cylinder printing press. It is constructed to print carbon spots upon handfed sheets, the location, area and shape of the spots being determined by the, construction and position of printing faces on a printing plate attached to the printing cylinder and cooperating with an impression cylinder. Power for driving the apparatus is supplied by a motor 30, Fig. l, and a. belt or chain 35 driving a large pulley or sprocket 32 which is rigid with a small gear 33. All. of the driven parts of the machine derive their power through the connections just stated.

The printing couple consists of two

cylinders

34, 35, 1 and 10, between which the sheets of paper are fed, the cylinder 34 being the impression member of the couple, and the cylinder 35 the plate-carrying or printing member of the couple. Sheets of paper are fed in from a feed board 36 against the usual stop or gauge 31 in which position the edge is received by a gripper designated generally as 36, and the sheet then travels with the-cylinder 34 until the gripping device is operated to release it. The grippin device is of the tumbler type actuated by a spring 39 and stationary pin 46 which has been used for many years on sheet printing cylinder presses and need not be described in detail.

The machine also has the usual set of tapes 4t, 42 and 43, Fig. l, for holding the sheet against the periphery of the impression cylinder 34 and then. after the gripping device has released the leading edge of the sheet, directing the sheet onto the fly 45. This fiy is old in sheet printing machines and need not be described in detail. It is sufiicient to say that it is actuated by a chain 45 which runs over a sprocket 46 rigid with the fly and a guide sprocket 4? and which is moved in one direction by a rotary cam 48 and bell crank 49 and in the other direction by a return spring 52. The cam 48 is so constructed as to swing the fiy 44 on its pivot 53 once for each rotation of the

cylinders

34 and 35, the fly depositing the printed sheet on the table or stack 54 in the usual way.

The impression cylinder 34 has its efiective up by a paper underlay 56. The rubber sheet and the paper underlay are secured in any suitable way at one of their edges to the impression cylinder 34 and their other edges are secured to the usual shafts 51 and 58 having squared ends to accommodate a wrench and ratchets 6| and 62 by which tension may be applied to insure a smooth fit of the underlay and rubber sheet on the cylinder. The usual brush 62 contributes to that effect, although its primary purpose is to insure that the sheets of paper are in close and uniform contact with the rubber sheet 55.

The plate cylinder 35 carries a plate 63 which is constructed to provide printing plate faces for printing the desired carbon spots. It is preferably. an etched zinc plate having th'e printing faces in relief, as illustrated diagrammatically at 64 in Figs. 16 and 17. In a representative machine the zinc plate has a thickness of about .039" and is deep-etched to a thickness of about .022" except for the printing faces 64 which are not afiected by the etching and have the original thickness of the plate. An underlay 65, Fig. 16,

of paper or any other suitable material is em-- struction is disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 1,374,859,

issued April 12, 1921, to the present applicant. It will be understood, of course, that in etching the printing plate it will have the printing faces 64 repeated or duplicated upon the plate as required for printing sheets which are later to be cut up into the required blanks.

The heated carbon is applied to the printing faces of the printing plate by a roll or rollers 68. There may be a single roller extending all the way across the printing plate 63,but usually, as shown in Fig. 5, there may be a plurality of rollers or roller sections each applying the carbon only to a part of the printing plate. The roller or rollers 68 constitute a part of the carbon heating and applying mechanism which, as before indicated, is a unit which can be withdrawn as a unit from relation with the printing plate 63 and which is operated as a unit when it is desired to throw off the carbon mechanism during printing operations. This throw-off mechanism will be described in detail later on.

Whether a single roller or a plurality of shorter rollers is employed, they are attached to a shaft M which has its ends rotatably supported in slots 12 of elements 13, Figs. 2 and 5. Each of said elements has an extension 14 slidable in a boss '35 on a member 16 which can be adjusted around a. bushing 17 in which is mounted a shaft '58 carrying a roller iZi described in detail'later on. The member 13 may be adjusted by turning the head SI of a screw 82 which is threaded into a boss on the member 13 to raise and lower the member 13. After the adjustment of the member 13 has been made it may be secured by a set 'screw 79 extending at an angle through the boss 80 into contact with the extension 15. The screws 82 are employed in levelling the roller or rollers 68 horizontally so as to make the proper contact with the full width of the roller I29.

The adjustment of the rollers 68 radially with reference to the plate cylinder 35 to regulate the inking pressure is effected by screws 88 (Fig. 2) turning in bosses 89 on the machine framework. Each screw may be turned up or down with reference to a slotted ear 9| integral with the member 16. After the desired adjustment of the screws 88.has been made, the adjustment can be secured against disturbance by a, set screw 83 extending through a slot 84 of the ear 9| and into a threaded hole in the adjacent machine and that the adjustment including the screws.

88 is then made to regulate the inking contact of the roller 58 with the printing plate. In describing these adjustments the parts have occasionally been referred to in the singular, but it will be understood that the adjustments are duplicated on each side of the machine. This construction is more fully disclosed in United States Patent No. 1,558,108 issued October 20, 1925, to I the present applicant.

The roller or rollers 03 for applying the carbon to the printing plate are, for convenience, usually,

' ally as 92 in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. It includes spacedapart side frames 33 and tie-rods 94 between which is a sheet metal tray, or pan 05 in which I the supply of wax carbon is deposited. The sheet metal pan has a drain 90 for use in emptying the pan whenever desired. Heat for melting the carbon in the pan is supplied by a series of electric heating elements 31 of the strip type which pass close to and across the bottom of the pan 95. They do not need to be shown or described in detail as they are standard commercial units now on the market and widely used for similar purposes. They are connected to a source of cur rent by leads opened and closed by a switch 00, Figs. 20 and 21, and the amount of heat developed by the heaters 91 isregulated by a rheostat 99.

In normal operations the heat applied is suflicient to melt the wax carbon in the pan and maintain it at a. temperature at which it has a consistency approximating that of a fairly described, roller I02 turning clockwise and IN counterclockwise as viewed in Fig. 3. The roller I02 is heated electrically while the roller I0! is not heated except by the hot carbon.- Therollers I BI and I02 are so set that there is a. crevice melted wax carbon from the pan 95 and cooper-.-

. ate mutually and with the walls of the side plates 93 to create and maintain a, pool I03 of the melted carbon which is' above the level of the carbon in the pan 95 and from which pool the carbon to be transmitted to the printing plate is drawn. Advantages of the rollers IOI and I02 and the pool I03 are that the carbon is maintained at a constant level in the pool instead of being lowered as the carbon is used; and the relatively small amount of carbon in the pool makes it easy to control the consistency of the carbon within accurate limits by regulating, the heat supplied to the pool by the roller I02.

The rol1er I02 is attached to a hollow shaft I04 journalled in the side plates of the font. As

shown in Figs. 3, 6 and 7, the hollow in ,the shaft is used to accommodate a tubular heater I05 which is connected by leads I08 and I01 to a pair of properly insulated commutators I08 and I09 which are in contact with brushes III and H2 connected to a source of current. The connection to the current source is controlled by a switch H3, Figs. 20 and 21, and the amount of heat is controlled by a manually adjustable rheostat H4. The amount of heat developed in-the shaft I04 and within the roller I02, which is hollow, is suflicient to maintain the carbon at the temperature it is given by the heating elements, or, of course, there may be an adjustment either way of the amount of heat to get the effect desired.

The roller IN is likewise a hollow roller and is attached to a shaft III; journalled in the side plates of the font. As a matter of convenience in ssembling, the shaft H6 and the. shaft I04 for the roller I02 are supported in the bottoms of slots I I1 in the side plates 93 and are held against accidental disturbance by keepers H8 each having a sliding tongue and groove (not shown) engagement of its edges with the edges of the slots I I1. This makes it possible to remove the rollers IN and I02 without having to disassemble the whole unit. Y

Also mounted in the roller I2I previously mentioned which has a limited part of its periphery in contact with the wax carbon in the pool I03.

As the roll turns it will be coated with the wax carbon and the carbon transmitted to the inking roll 68. The roller I2I is hollow and contains a set of electric heater units I22. The units are of the kind known as hair-pin heaters, they being mounted or held in place by supports I23'within the roller as shown in Fig. 8. The heaters are connected by suitable wiring to insulated commutators I25 and I26 on the end of the shaft 18 to which roller I2I is secured, the commutators I25 and I25 being enof about .010" between them. They lift the pin-is rigid with a nut I41 and a threaded rod gaged respectively by brushes I21 and I28. The

shaft 18 is hollow to facilitate wiring the heaters to the commutators. The brushes are of course connected by suitable leads to a source of current supply. The connection to the current source is controlled by .a switch -I3I, Figs. 20 and I 21, and density of the current is regulated by a rheostat I32. The temperature produced by the heating elements I22 may be controlled within -close limits so as to insure the proper degree of fluidity of the wax carbon when it is transmitted to the ink roller 68.

The amount of carbon to be transmitted to the ink roller and consequently the thickness of the final deposit printed on the paper is regulated by an adjustable doctor blade I35, Figs; 2, 3 and 4. The support for the blade includes a bar I36 having trunnions I31 journalled in the side plates of the inking mechanism and a member I38 which is drawn by bolts I39 against the member I35 to clamp the blade I35 in position. The adjustment for the blade with reference to the roller I2I comprises a U-shaped member I4I rigid with each trunnion I31 and a bolt I42 threaded through a lug I43 on a member I44 which is normally held stationary in a' fixed position. By turning the bolt I42, the-U-' shaped member and the doctor blade carrier may be adjusted on its trunnion toward or away from the roller I 2|. The member I44 is pivoted on the trunnion I31 of the doctor blade structure and has a slot I45 engaging over a pin I46. This I40 which is screwed into a threaded hole in the side plates of the font is the frame member I49. After the doctor blade has been assembled in position, the member I is firmly secured in position by a thumb nut I5! threaded on the outer end of the pin I46, the thumb nut being tapered to fit into a tapered recess in the side of the member I. When it is desired to move the doctor blade structure for cleaning or other purposes the thumb nut I51 is loosened and the whole structure may then be swung as a unit around the trunnion I31 by means of the handle I52. When the unit is returned to its effective position the tapered end on the thumb nut will, cooperate with the tapered recess to lock the unit in correct position without any resetting or adjusting of the parts. The mechanism described and shown in the drawings for adjusting the doctor blade and holding it in adjustable position may be duplicated at both ends of the doctor blade structure, although the member E36 holding the doctor blade may be so rigid that such duplication may not be necessary. The easily accessible adjustment afforded by the bolt or bolts I42 makes it convenient to regulate the operation of the doctor blade with great nicety to control the supply of carbon to the printing plate to print carbon spots in which the carbon is of any thickness desired.

The rollers I09, I02, I and 63 are all driven through gearing which causes rollers Hi2 and IM to be driven-at a speed which is lower than the speed of rotation of the other rollers mentioned. This gearing is shown in Figs. 5 and 9. The driving impulse comes from a gear I54 rigid with the plate cylinder and which is driven by a gear rigid with the impression cylinder 3 the latter gear being in mesh with and driven by the small gear 33 previously mentioned. Meshing with the gear 556 is an idler gear I55 which drives'two other idler gears I56 and E51. The gear I51 is in mesh with a gear I 58 rigid with the heated roller I23 and the gear I58 is in turn in mesh with a gear I59 rigid with the ink roller 68. Rigid with the gear 158 is a smaller gear I61 which drives a gear I62 rigid with the font roller I01. The gear IBII is about half of the diameter of the gear E62, thereby causing the roller "ii to turn at about half of the speed the rollers i2! and 68. Rigid with the gear IE2 is a small gear i635 which drives a gear ISQ rigid with the lower heated roll N12. The speed of the rollers I01 and I02 is reduced because the lower speeds are sufficient to cause the rollers to lift the carbon from the supply pan 95 and maintain the pool I03 at a uniform level from which the roller HI and inking roll 68 are supplied. However, there is an overflow from the pool which, due to the higher peripheral speed and direction of rotation of the heated roller 126, will be over the top of the heated roller I02 and back into the font 92. The roller IM and the heated rollers I02 and I2! therefore cooperate to keep the carbon wax in constant motion so that it cannot chill or stiffen in parts of the font, thereby contributing to uniformity of temperature and consistency of the wax in the font.

The carbon heating and applying mechanism is, as before stated, so constructed that it may be moved as a unit relative to the plate cylinder 35. The rollers of the mechanism ,are all journalled in a frame construction which is rigid with the carbon supply pan and the heating units therefor. The entire unit slides upon tracks I65 which are pivoted at I66. The entire inking unit may be slid along these tracks until arrested by beveled stops I61 and then secured in position by bolts I68. This movement is facilitated by rollers I1I which rotate on tie rods 94 of the font structure, the tracks in which the rollsrun being recessed so that there is a slight drop of the inking mechanism as a unit relative to the tracks I65 as the stops I61 are engaged.

The tracks I65 are normally held level by a toggle mechanism hereinafter described. When it is desired to remove the inking mechanism as a unit, the bolts I 68 are removed and the entire unit, including the supply pan and all the rollers, may be then slid out or removed entirely to a table or stand. It may then be cleaned or simply left out of normal position without any change of the adjustments of the various parts so that when it is restored to the position in which it is shown in Fig. 1, normal printing may be resumed without difficulty.

When the'carbonizing or inking unit is moved out as just described, the gears i558 and, I51 may become disengaged. In order to facilitate remeshing these gears, the shaft M6 to which the roller IIlI is attached is provided with a handwheel Ilii, Fig. 1, which can be operated to set the gear I 58 so that it will mesh properly with the gear I51. The hand-wheel I'lil may also be used to turn all of the rollers in the inking or carbonizing unit when the rollers are being be moved out of printing relation with the impression cylinder whenever desired. This mechanism is shown in Patent No. 1,789,420, issued January 20, 1931, to Peter Aitchison. It comprises a cam I1I (Figs. 1 and 11) secured to the shaft H2 to which the plate cylinder 35 is attached, this cam operating a lever 13 pivoted at I14 to reciprocate a link I15, a roller on the lever 113 being held against the cam by a spring 115a, The link I15 is supported at an intermediate point by a rod I16 passing through a lug I11 pivoted in a boss I18 projecting from link 815. Springs I19 and I190 (see also Fig. 14) on the rod 516 cooperate with collars I80 on the rod and with the lug I11 to hold the link H15 in the position at which it is shown in the figures while the press is running, the link in this position being given an idle movement by the cam I12.

The rod I16 extends from a link I81 (Fig. 1) having its upper end pivoted at I82 to a member I83 which is in turn pivoted on a bracket itt mounted on the main side frame of the press. Rigid with the member I83 is a manually operable handle I85 which may be used to swing the member I83 over top center from the position in which it is shown in Figs. 1 and 14 and under bottom center until a stop I86 0n the member This will strikes the lower edge of the link Isl. thrust the link I8I and its springs and spring rod I16 downward and will swing the link I15 correspondingly so that reciprocation of the link I15 will become effective to operate the plate cylinder throw-off mechanism.

The shaft I12 to which the plate cylinder is attached is rotatably mounted in blocks or checks I81, Fig. 12, which are mounted for slidingmovement in a housing I88 secured to the machine frame. When the plate cylinder is in cooperative relation with the pressure cylinder the chocks -I81'are held in the determined relation by cams I89 on shafts I 90 against the tension of springs I91. Whenthe plate cylinder is to be thrown off,, the shafts I88 and the cams thereon are turned to relieve the springs I9I whereupon the springs will slide the chocks I01 to carry the plate cylinder out of printing relation with th pressure cylinder.

The positions of the cams I89 and consequently the relation of the plate cylinder to the pressure cylinder is controlled by the manually operable handle.l85, Figs. 1 and-l4, and the parts connected thereto. When the handle is in position in which it is shown in the drawings the connection between the link IBI and the ele-. ment I83 is a trifle past center so that the handle and the assembly will remain in the position shown during the idle reciprocation of the link I15, but when the handle is turned (clockwise, as viewed in Fig. 14) I until the stop I85'engages the edge of the link I6I, the upper end of the link I15 will be depressed. The handle I85 and connections are held in either of the two positions by tensioning one or the other of the two springs I19 and H911 as hereinafter explained. In its depressed position an upward thrust of the link I15 will actuate connections to turn the cams I 89, thereby freeing the springs I9I to move the plate cylinder away from the pressure cylinder."

The connections for doing this include a pair of rollers I92 and I 96 (Figs. 14 and 15) mounted on studs I94 and I95 secured in a plate I96 keyed on a shaft I91 extending across the machine. A plate I98 is held by nuts I99 in position to hold the rollers I92 and I93 on the studs I94 and I95. Also keyed on or attached to the shaft I91 are arms 20I and 202, one at each side of the ma chine, which are pivotally connected to

links

203 and 204 which'in turn are pivotally connected at their lower ends to

arms

205 and 206 secured to the throw-01f cam shafts I90. When the manually operated handle is turned as above described from the position in which it is shown in Fig. 14, reciprocation of the link I15 will cause the shoulder 201 on the link to engage the roller I93 and turn the arms 20I and 202 clockwise as viewed in Fig. 14, thereby drawing up on the their upper pivots to regulate the printing pressure of the plate cylinder relative to the pressure cylinder, the adjustment consisting of headed screws and lock nuts 2I8 in the brackets 2" coare pivoted, normally tend to hold the toggle past center, in which position a stop shoulder 221, Fig.

cylinder to its ineffective position. When the handle is restored to the position at which it is shown in the drawings, the shoulder 208 on the link I15'will engage the roller I92 and rotate the operating with the cross bolts 2 I 6.

The plate cylinder throw-oil mechanism described is employed in controlling a throw-off for the inking or carbonizing uni-t whereby when the plate cylinder is thrown out the inking mechanism will also be thrown off. The extent of movement of the inking throw-01f may be just great.

enough to accommodate the throw-01f movement of the plate cylinder, leaving the ink roller 56 still in inking contact with the printing plate on the cylinder, but it is preferred to have the throwofi carry the inking roll 68 completely out of such contacting position when the plate cylinder i out of printing relation with the pressure cylinder.

The inking throw-off causes the entire inking unit to swing about the pivot I66 upon which, as Ibefore stated, the tracks I65 are mounted. Nor- -mally the entire inking unit is supported in the inking position in which it is shown in the drawings .by a pair of toggles, one under each of the tracks I65, Figs. 1, 1a. and 11, each toggle consisting of a link 22'I pivoted at one end to the rail I65 and having its other end pivoted at 222 between arms extending from units 223 secured to a shaft 224. Springs 225 on spring rods connected at one end to the pivotal connection between the arms 22! and 222' and guided at the other end in the rod upon'which the tracks I65 1a, is in engagement with a fiat; surface 228, thereby holding the tracks I65 and everything supported by them in elevated position. When the toggle is broken to allow the tracks and everything supported thereon to drop down around th pivot I66, the toggle parts are in the position in which they are shown in Fig. 1a. In this position a shoulder 229 on the link 22I will be in engagement with the fiat surface 228 between the arms on the elements 223. When the tracks or rails I65 are lifted to restore things to normal the springs 225 will throw the toggle parts over center and the inking mechanism will then be supported in operating relationship with the plate cylinder.

plate throw-oil cams I89 back to the position in which they are shown, thereby moving the plate cylinder into printing relation with the pressure cylinder.

The resistance for tensioning the springs I19 and I19aon the spring rod I16 is afforded by engagementof a finger or tongue 2 on the end of the link I15 which, during a'reciprocation of the link, rides idly against one or the other of the rollers I92 or I93. In the position in which the parts are shown in Figs. 1 and 14, the spring I19 is under tension to hold the tongue 2 against the roller I92 and that tension also serves to hold the handle I05 and connected parts in the positions in which they are shown in the I figures referred to.

The throw-off cams I89 for. the plate cylinder are, as before stated, attached to shafts I90. Theseare, as shown in Figs. 11 and 12, short shafts journalled in links M2 and 2I3 suspended from bosses '2 on brackets 2I5. Mounted in the lower ends of the links-are bolts 2I6 passing through elongated holes in brackets 2" attached to the machine frame. These elongated holes are to permit the adjustment of the links around The toggle is broken for the purpose just stated by a link 23I, Figs. 1 and 11, which is pivoted at its. upper end to the arm 206 forming apart of the plate cylinder throw-oil mechanism previously described. When the link 2'04 connected to the arm 206 is drawn up by operation of the cylinder plate throw-01f mechanism, the link 23I will likewise be drawn up and will act through an arm 232 rigid with the shaft 224 to swing the toggle parts to the positions in which they are shown in Fig. la. This will allow the entire inking mechanism to swing on the pivot I66 and will, among other things, swing the inking roll 68 well out of contact with the printing plate cylinder even though that cylinder may have been moved out of printing relation with the impression cylinder 34. The connections, including the links 203 and 23I will, when the plate cylinder is thrown in, restore the arm 232 and the toggle parts to the positions in which they are shown in Figs. 1

and 11, and the inking roller 66 will then be in.

correct position'to apply carbon to the printing plate. Return of the toggle mechanism to nornism independently of the plate cylinder throwheating units 242 below the plate cylinder.

ward thrust imparted to the link 23I when the plate cylinder is thrown in will then be an idle one. The arm 232 may then be actuated by -means of a handle 235 to straighten the toggles.

This will bring the short side of the bayonet slot in line with the locking screw 233 and the arm 232 and the link 23I may then be reconnected.

While the heated font 92 and the heated rollers IOI, I02 and I2I heat the carbon until it has about the proper consistency, means are provided for applying heat to the carbon on the printing plate and to the printing plate in order to prevent any substantial chilling of the carbon before it is applied to the paper. This iseffected 'by electrical heating units of the strip type which extend the full width of the printing plate. The arrangement of these heaters is best shown in Fig. 10. In the construction illustrated there are five stripheaters 24I extending across the face of the plate cylinder and three more of the strip A hood 243 attached. tothe machine framing confines the heat from the strip heaters 24I and insures application of the heat to the plate cylinder.

A similar shield 244 is provided for the lower set of strip heaters 242. In order to make lower strip heaters 242 accessible, they are supported between arms 245 pivoted at 246 and held in the position in which they are shown by latches 241 cooperating with pins 248 on the arm 2'45.

The heaters 24I and 242 are in the same circuit, that circuit being controlled by. a switch 25I, Figs. 20 and 21, and the volume of heat is controlled by a manually-operated rheostat 252. As shown in the figures last mentioned, the current for all of the heating elements is turned on" and on by a master switch 253 and the current for the ink font 92', the heated rollers I02, I2I and. the heating units 24I and 242 for the plate cylinder may be independently turned on and off and may also be independently regulated so as to get the proper degree of heat at each point of the mechanism where heat is required.

From the foregoing it is believed to be clear that the printing plate on the plate cylinder may be constructed to provide any desired number of printing faces, and that these faces may be constructed to print carbon spots of any desired ex-= tent or shape and in any desired locations on the paper. Some of these carbon spots are illustrated at 255 and 256 of Fig. 18 and others at 251 and 258 of Fig. 19. It isalso believed to be clear that the doctor [blade I35, by its sensitive adjustment mechanism is capable of regulating the thickness of the carbon'deposits in printing the spots according to varied requirements. The consistency of the carbon can be controlled and maintained by the described system for applying and-regulating the heat at all critical points so that uniformity and efliciency of operation are insured.

The font and roller mechanism for supplying the carbon to the printing faces has obvious advantages, not the least of which is that the font and the entire roller mechanism may be moved or removed as a unit without disturbing any of the adjustments, and that the entire font and roller mechanism may be thrown off so as to prewhen printing is not to be affected. This keeps the printing plate free of excess carbon and further contributes to proper operation of the apparatus.

In removing the font and all of the roller mechanism carried with it, the current connections for keeping the font and the rollers I02 and I2I may be left on to facilitate the cleaning or the heat may be applied by operation of the switches to the font alone or to either one of the rollers. Further, the impression roller 35 may be'run while the heat is applied by the heating elements 24I and 242 to warm up the printing plate before printing is begun, this .being done while the plate cylinder is in its thrown-oil position. In movin it to this position the gears between it and the impression cylinder 34 are not disengaged, so that the two cylinders will turn in their normal relationship even though there is no printing contact between them. It will be recalled that while the plate cylinder 35 is thrown off the inking mechanism is likewise thrown off so that the printing faces on the printing plate will not be inked during this preliminary warming-up operation of the printing plate.

While the mechanism involved has been described in considerable detail, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the mechanism can be changed in various respects, and it is not the intention to be limited by anything hereinabove set forth except to the extent indicated by the claims which follow.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine of the class described, a font for containing a supply of melted wax carbon, and a pair of oppositely driven parallel rollers mounted in close relation in the font cooperating mutually and with the. walls of the font to create and maintain a pool of wax carbon at a constant level above the level of the wax carbon in the font.

2. In a printing machine having a rotary printing cylinder carrying printing elements and a rotary impression cylinder cooperating therewith, an inking mechanism for supplying a printing composition to the printing elements whch includes a heated font for containing a fluid supply of said composition, a pair of oppositely driven rollers in said font cooperating to create and maintain a pool of said fluid composition held by the rollers and the walls ofthe font at a constant level above the level of the supply in the font, a heated supply roller mounted for rotary movement in the walls of the font and having its periphery rotating in and liftingprinting com-.

position from said pool, an inking roller supplied with printing composition by contact with the supply roller and applying said composition to the printing elements at each rotation of the printing cylinder, and a. doctor blade cooperating with the supply roller to regulate the amount of printing substance supplied to the inking roller.

3. In a printing machine having a rotary cylinder carrying a printing element, a mechanism for applying a printing substance to the printing faces of the printing element which includes a heated font for containing a supply of printing substance in fluid condition, a pair of oppositely driven rollersin said font cooperating to create and maintain a pool of said substance defined by the rollers and the walls of thefont, said pool .belng above the level of the substance in the font, a heated supply roller mounted for rotary movement in. the walls of the font and having a part of its periphery rotating in and-drawing vent application of carbon to the printing plate printing substance from said pool, an adjustable doctor blade cooperating with said heated roller to regulate the thickness of the printing substance on said roller, and an inking roller turning in contact with said heated roller to receive printing substance therefrom and in contact with the printing faces of the printing element to apply the printing substance thereto.

4. In a printing machine having a rotary printing cylinder carrying a printing plate on its periphery, means for inking said plate comprising an inking roller making contact with the printing faces on the printing plate, a heated supply roller for supplying printing fluid to the inking roller, an adjustable doctor blade cooperating with the heated roller for regulating the amount of printing fluid supplied by said heated roller to the inking roller, a heated font for containing a supply of printing fluid, a pair of oppositely driven rollers mounted in said font and cooperating to.

transfer roller.

5. In a printing machine havinga rotary printing cylinder carrying printing elements constructed to provide printing faces of the desired configuration and a pressure cylinder cooperating with the printing cylinder, an inking roller for applying a printing material to said printing faces, a supply roller and a doctor blade cooperating therewith for supplying the printing material to the inking roller in regulated amounts, a font for containing the supply of printing material, and a pair of oppositely driven rollers in the font cooperating to establish and maintain a pool of the printing material between them and above the level of the material in the font, the lower periphery of the supply roller turning in and drawing printing material from said pool.

6. In a printing machine having a rotary impression cylinder and a rotary plate cylinder carrying a printing plate constructed to provide printing faces of the desired configuration cooperating with the impression cylinder, a mechanism for applying melted wax carbon in fluid condition to said printing faces which includes an ink roll carrying melted wax carbon in fluid condition, a font for containing a supp y of wax carbon, means for heating the font to raise the wax carbon to a temperature above its melting point, a heated supply roller turning in contact crating with ythe impression cylinder, a mechanism for applying melted wax carbon in fluid condition to said printing faces which includes a driven applying roller having its periphery making contact with said faces during each rotation of the plate cylinder, a heated supply roller for supplying wax carbon in melted condition to the applying roller, 'a font for containing a supply of wax carbon heated above its melting point, means in the font for lifting the melted wax carbon-into contact with the periphery of the supply roll, means cooperating with the supply roll for regulating the amount of wax carbon delivered by the supply roll to the applying roll, and

means for applying heat to the wax carbon on A the printing faces to keep the wax carbon fluid until the printing impression is made.

'8. In a printing machine having a rotary printing cylinder'carrying printing elements and a rotar impression cylinder cooperating therewith, an inking mechanism for applying a colored Printing composition to the printing elements which includes a heated font for containing a fluid supply of said composition, a pair of oppositely driven rollers in said font cooperating to create and maintain a pool of said composition supported between the rollers and the walls of the font at a constant level above the level of the supply in the font, one of said rollers being heated, a heated supply roller mounted for rotary movement in the walls of the font and having its periphery rotating in and lifting printing composition from said pool, an inking roller supplied with printing composition by rolling contact with the supply roller and applying said composition to the printing elements by rolling contact therewith at each rotation of the printing cylinder, a doctor blade cooperating with the supply roller to regulate the supply of printing composition to the inking roller and printing elements, and means for applying heat to the printingcomposition on the printing. elements to maintain said composition in fluid condition until the printing impression is made.

9. In a machine of the class described, a rotary printing couple normally in printing relation, manually controlled means for moving one member of the couple out of printing relation with the other at the end of a run of printing operations, apparatus including an inking roller normally in position to be effective to apply hot wax carbon to the printing member of the couple, and means controlled by the aforesaid manually controlled means for moving the inking roller out of contact with the printing member of the printing couple when the members of said couple are moved out of printing relation.

10. In a machine of the character described,a

plate cylinder carrying a printing plate and a cooperating impression cylinder, at throw-off mech anism for moving one of said cylinders into and out of printing relation with the other cylinder, manipulative devices connected to and operable to control operations of the throw-oil? mechanism,

'an inking mechanism comprising an ink roller normally held in position to ink the printing plate at each rotation of the plate cylinder, a throw-oil mechanism for the inking mechanism operable to move the inking roll away from the? plate cylinder, and connections to'the aforesaid manipulativedevices for controlling operations of the inking mechanism throw-off.

11. In a machine of the character described, a

plate cylinder carrying a printing plate and a cooperating impression cylinder, a throw-off mechanism for moving the plate cylinder out of printing relation with the impression cylinder, an

inking mechanism comprising an inking roller for applying a printing composition to the printing plate, means normally holding the inking mechanism in position for the inking roll to make inking contact with the printing plate at each rotation of the plate cylinder, an inking mechanism throw-off for operating said means to move the inking mechanism to carry the inking roller out of inking relation with the printing plate, manipulative devices, and connections controlled by the manipulative devices for simultaneously opcrating the plate cylinder and inking mechanism throw-offs.

12. In a machine of the class described, a printing member, means for supplying hot wax carbon to the printing member including a, font, an inking roller and rollers mounted in and on the font for transmitting, the wax carbon from the font to the inking roller, pivoted tracks upon which the font is slidably supported, toggles connected to the tracks normally holding the tracks in such position with respect to their pivots that the inking roller will be held in inking relation with the printing member, a manipulative device,

and connections controlled by said manipulative device for actuating the toggles to turn said tracks on their pivots to carry the inking roller out of inking relation with the printing member.

13. In a machine of the class described, a heated font for containing a supply of melted wax carbon, and a pair of oppositely driven parallel rollers, at least one of which is heated, mounted in close relation in the font cooperating mutually and with the walls of the font to create and maintain a pool of melted wax carbon at a substantially constant level above the level of the wax carbon in the font.

FRANK C. MARQUARDT.