US2450726A - Margin stop mechanism for embossing machine carriages - Google Patents

Description

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS 2 Shee ts-Sheet 1 c nfi Graver GRUVER MARGIN STOP MECHANISM FOR EMBOSSING MACHINE CARRIAGES I @S JHW t U 5 co Oct. 5, 1948.

Original Fil-e i Nov. 16, 1946 Oct. 5,1948.

J. H. GRUVER MARGIN STOP MECHANISM FOR EMBOSSING MACHINE CARRIAGES Original Filed Nov. 16, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IMII INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 5, 1948 2,450,726 ICE MARGIN STOP MECHANISM FOR EMBOSS- ING MACHINE CARRIAGES John H. Gruver, East Cleveland, Ohio, assignor Addressograph-Multigraph Corporation,

Wilmington, DeL, a corporation of Delaware Original applicat on November 16, 1946, Serial No. 710,269. Divided and this application April 9, 1947, Serial No. 740,305

This application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 110,269, filed November 16, 1946.

This invention relates to embossing machines, and particularly to the carriage that is employed in such machines to support a printing plate or the like while embossing operations are performed thereon.

In the prior patent to Duncan and Hubbard No. 1.831,103, patented November 10, 1931, there is disclosed an embossing machine for embossing lines of type characters on printing plates or the like, and in the use of a machine of the character disclosed in the aforesaid Duncan and Hubbard patent, it is desirable that the Work supporting carriage be of such a character as to be readily adaptable to the different conditions and requirements that are encountered in the production of embossed printingplates. Such printing plates are made in different sizes so as to accommodate different numbers of lines of embossed characters, and in different embossing machine installations it is found that the differentusers may desire to space the lines of type in different amounts from the end of the printing plate. It is also found that where printing plates that ac commodate different numbers of lines are to be used, the initial position of the cross slide of the embossing machine carriage must be changed and adjusted in accordance with the size of printing plate that is to be embossed. Many users of embossing machines of the aforesaid character have occasion to emboss many different sizes of printing plates, and to emboss these printing plates with different marginal arrangements. Furthermore. there are instances Where a particular user of an embossing machine may wish to use different line spacings as well as different character spacings, and in the past this has been impractical because of the difliculty and time required to elfect the necessary adjustments of the various ator of such machine so as to enable such operator to obtain different line spacings, different character spacings, different end margins and different initia1 line-spacing locations for the cross slide of the embossing machine carriage, and the present application is directed particularly to the structure afforded on such carriage for enabling ready and easy adjustment of the end margins to be attained on the embossed printing plates that are mounted on such carriage. It is therefore an important object of the present invention to afford simple and readily adjustable means for determining the end margin that is to be afforded on printing plates produced in such a machine.

Other and further objects of the present inven- 8 Claims. (01. 197--6.6)

tion will be apparent from the following description and claims and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings which, by way of illustration, show a preferred embodiment and the principles thereof and what I now consider to be the best mode in which I have contemplated applying those principles. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changesmay be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of an embossing machine carriage embodying the features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational View of the carriage mounted in position on the supporting and guiding rail of an emnbossing machine;

Figs. 2A and 2B are side and end views respectively of an adjustable stop member for determining the end margins to be afforded on the embossed plates;

Fig. 3 is an end elevational view of the carriage as viewed from the left in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a right hand end elevational view of the carriage; and

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the clamping and positioning means for the printing plates, the clamping jaws being shown in their horizontal position.

For purposes of disclosure the invention is herein illustrated as embodied in an embossing machine carriage 30 adapted for use in an embossing machine such as that disclosed in the aforesaid Duncan and' Hubbard patent, and in such use, the carriage 36 is mounted and guided for horizontal character spacing movement on a supporting rail 3|. The carriage 36 has a cross slide 32 mounted thereon for horizontal line-spacing movement in a. direction transverse to the aforesaid direction of character spacing movement, and thus the cross slide 32 may be utilized to eifect line spacing movement of a printing plate or the like that is supported on the cross slide 32. The mounting of the work, such as the printing plate P, Fig. 3, on the cross slide 32 may be effected in different ways, but as herein shown, such mounting is effected manually by means of a pair of clamping jaws 3 3 that are shiftably mounted on the cross slide 34 for movement between a loading position shown in Fig. 3 and an operating position that is shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. rail 3| by means including a plurality of rollers 36 that are mounted on thecarriage so and engage appropriate surfaces of the rail 3| to support and guide the carriage 34 for longitudinal movement along the rail 3!. The carriage 30 is urged in a right hand or character spacing direction by resilient means of the character disclosed in the aforesaid Duncan and Hubbard patent, and character spacing movements mean- The carriage 30 is supported on the tomatically imparted to the carriage 30 at the end of each' embossing cycle through escapement means 30 that are actuated by downward movement of a, character spacing rod 39, 4. The character spacing rod 39 may of course be manually actuated where a character spacing operation is to be performed without operation of the embossing means of the machine. The escapement means 38 cooperate with arackR that is mounted on the carriage 30 as described in my aforesaid l parent application.

The carriage 30 is formed, as disclosed in my aforesaid parent application, as a hollow casting affording end walls 02 and 03 and a front wall 63A, and is recessed along its lower forward edge and along its rear surface to afford clearance spaces for the various operative elements that are associated therewith. The top of the carriage 30 has a flat surface that serves as a mounting for the cross slide 32 which is supported thereon by means including guide rods 10 alon which the cross slide 32 is slidable in a front to rear direction, as disclosed in said parent application. The cross slide is constantly urged in a forward direction by spring means, as disclosed in said parent application, toward a loading position which is governed by the rotative settin of a settable stop rod 85 that has an adjusting head 88 on its forward end. This stop rod 85 is disclosed in detail in my aforesaid parent ap- 3o plication.

The forward or line spacing movements of the cross slide 32 are imparted thereto by actuation of a rotatable line spacing shaft I00 that is extended through the end walls 52 and 63 of the 35 carriage adjacent to the upper face 50, and the shaft I00 is horizontally disposed at right angles to the path of movement of the cross slide 32. On its opposite end portions and just outside of the walls 62 and 63, the shaft I 00 has a pair of pinions I DI and I02 that are fixed to the shaft I00. The pinions IN and I02 are arranged respectively to engage racks I03 and I04 that are fixed on opposite ends of the cross slide 32, and hence by rotation of the shaft I00, the cross slide 32 may be actuated in a rearward or line spacing direction against the force of the return spring.

In the use of the carriage of the present invention, the line spacing shaft I00 is actuated and its rest positions are determined by operating and controlling means that are located at the righthand end of the shaft I00 as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. Thus, an actuating pawl H0 is pivoted at III on a rocker IIZ that is mounted for rocking movement on the shaft I00 somewhat to the right of the pinion I02, and the pawl IIO has a tooth that is adapted to engage a ratchet wheel I I3, that is fixed on the shaft I00 just to the left of the rocker II2 as viewed in Fig. 1. The specific structure of the line spacing means is disclosed in detail in my aforesaid paren't application, and for present purposes it is sufficient to point out that clockwise actuating movement may be imparted to the rocker I I 2 by the lever I50, and finger grips I55 and I50F, Figs. 2, 3 and 4. When so actuated, the eXtension I10 of the lever I50 acts through the escapement release lever I60A and a bar I65 to release the escapement 38 so as to facilitate concurrent carriage return movement. Moreover, selectively effective retaining ratchet means I23 are afforded in association with the shaft I00 for attaining different line spacing strokes, as described in my'aforesaid copending application,

and such ratchet means, and the pawl H0, may be released by operation of a carriage return rocker I35, the operation and structure of which are also set forth in said parent application.

In the use .of the present invention, means are afforded for manually mounting the printing plates Pin position on the cross slide of the machine, and as will be evident in Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawings, such means include the clamping jaws .33 that are supported on a mountin racket ISI that is in turn secured in position on the upper surface-of the cross slide 32. The jaws 33 are mounted for rocking movement between a generally horizontal operating position shown in Fig. 4. and an upwardly and forwardly extending loading position that is shown in Fig. 3. Such mounting of the jaws 33 is efiected by means including a rock shaft I93 upon which the jaws 33 are carried as will hereinafter be explained, and this shaft I93 is mounted for rocking movement in the mounting bracket I9l that is secured in a fixed position on the top of the cross slide 32. The mounting bracket I9I under the present invention is embodied as a sheet metal stamping having a base IBIB that rests fiat on the upper surface of the cross slide 32, and at opposite ends of the base IBIB, upstanding mountin ears IS'IE are afforded. Along the forward edge of the base 19 IB, an upstanding wall I 9| R is provided, and at its upper edge, this wall has an angularly disposed portion I9IA that is disposed in a plane that passes substantially through the mounting shaft 193, it being noted that this mounting shaft I33 is rotatably supported in the end walls Iii-IE adjacent the rear ends of these end walls.

The jaws 33 are afforded by two jaw elements 33U and 33L formed from sheet metal and pivoted together by a shaft 205. The jaw 33L is carried. at the tail or rear portion thereof, on the rock shaft I93, while a tail portion 33T on the jaw 33U bears against cam portions on the shaft 193 so that by rotation of the shaft I93 relative to the jaws, the clamping ends of the jaws may be forced to clamping positions against the force of an opening spring structure 209 acting between the jaws. The shaft I93 may be rocked by means of the handle 2I5 so as to rock the jaw assembly between the operating position of Fig. 4 and the loading position of Fi 3.

When the jaw assembly is rocked in a clockwise direction, Fig. 3, and into the aforesaid loading position the righthand ear 203, Fig. 5, moves into engagement with an adjustable stop 220 that is mounted on a bracket 22I secured to the righthand ear I9IE, Fig. 5, of the mounting bracket I9I. Thus the rocking movement of the jaw 33L is terminated, and upon further movement of the handle 215 in a clockwise direction, Fig. 3, the rock shaft I93 will be rotated relative to the ears 203. Such rotative movement allows the spring 209 to shift the jaw 331- to its open position. Such movement is limited by a radial pin 2I5P on the handle 2I5 which strikes a stop pin 2I5S fixed on the adjacent ear 203 of the jaw 33L. It should be observed in this regard that a spring 222 acts between a pin 223 on the handle 2I5 and the extended end of the pivot shaft 205 so as to normally urge the shaft I93 to a position where the jaws 33 will be clamped, or in other words, this action of the spring 222 serves to rotate the rock shaft I93 in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed .in Fig. 3, relative to the two jaws 33.

While holding the handle 2I5 in a jaw-opening position, the operator inserts a printing plate P into position between the marginal end portions 33E of the jaws, and in this connection it should be observed that a rabbeted groove 33G is provided on the jaw 33L, Fig. 4, so as to be engaged by the edge of the printing plate P as it is moved into position between the jaws. The operator may then turn the handle 2 I 5 in a counterclockwise direction, Fig. 3, and this first permits the spring 222 to cause clamping of the jaws, and after the jaws are clamped the further movement of the handle ZIE acts to shift the jaws 33 to the operating position of Fig. 4. This operating position is determined by an adjustable abutment or screw 22d fixed in the lower jaw 33L and arranged to abut the upper face of.the cross slide 32 as will be evident in Fig. 4 of the drawings. In the reverse movement of the handle 2l5, the jaws 33 are first moved to the loading position, and further or continued movement of the handle 2H5 serves torotate the shaft I93 relative to the jaws 33 so as to thereby cause the jaws to be unclamp-ed.

The rabb-eted groove 33G of the lower jaw 33L serves of course to determine the position of the printing plate P in one direction, but it is also necessary to properly locate the printing plate P in an endwise direction, thereby to insure that the embossed characters will be properly located in an endwise direction relative to the plate P. Under the present invention, means are provided whereby such endwise location or" the printing plate P in the jaws 33 may be readily and easil accomplished, and whereby such an endwise location may be readily changed by the usual operator of the machine when different end margins are desired on the printing plates that are to be embossed. For this purpose the present invention provides a readily settable variable stop mechanism 225 disposed on the mounting bracket 19% to afford a stop against which one end edge of a plate P may be engaged in the course of a plate mounting operation. This readily settable stop mechanism 225 as herein shown is carried on a secondary bracket 226 having an arm 226A that is disposed along the forward face of the upstanding wall IQiR. The arm 226A is secured in position by screws 22! that extend through longitudi- -rial slots 228, Fig. 2, in the arm 226A, such screws being threaded into the wall lGiR. At its lefthand end as viewed in Fig. 2, the secondary bracket 226 has an end wall 228W, and this end wall is disposed in a plane that is perpendicular to the plane of the wall 3 85 R. In the wall 226W, a stub shaft 225 is mounted, and on the stub shaft 229, a knurled stop head 23!} is rotatably mounted in a fixed longitudinal position. The knurled stop head 238 is arranged to be [held in any one of a plurality of different rotative positions by means of a retaining lever 21% mounted on the end wall 226W and urged to an effective position by a torsion spring 232. The retaining lever 234 engages suitable fiat surfaces on the sides of the adjustable stop head 23!] to hold the same in different rotative positions. The knurled stop head .235 is cut away at different points about its periphery to afford a plurality of stop shoulders 239l, 236-3 and 23il i, and these stop shoulders face to the right in Figs. 1 and 2 and are displaced axially from each other so that each stop shoulder will serve to locate a printing plate in a different endwise position. Thus by rotative adjustment of the head 23%, the endwise location of the printing plates P may readily be changed. The adjustable stop head 239 is arranged to care for most of the normal marginal arrangements that are encountered in the use of embossing machines of the character to which this invention relates, and accuracy of initial adjustment may of course be attained by appropriate adjustment of the mounting arm 226A. After such an initial adjustment, four different marginal settings for the printing plates may be attained merely by rotative adjustment of the head 230. There are of course instances where it is desirable to emboss printing plates that are relatively short in length, and in such instances, a special stop means may be mounted directly on the rearward face of the angular portion itlA of the bracket lfil. Such a special stop is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings and comprises a rectangular block 2 20 that is disposed on the rearward face of the flange idiA near the lefthand end portion thereof as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2. The block 2% is held in the desired adjusted position by a mounting screw 2 H that is extended through a longitudinal slot 2 51.2 formed in the flange HA. 'The block 2% may of course be put in position quite readily, and may be removed where the machine is to operate upon the larger and more common sizes of the printing plates, in which instance, the adjustable head 239 will serve to afford the desired stop means for determining the end margin on the printing plate.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that the present inventionmaterially simplifies the use of embossing machines, and in particular it will be evident under the present invention that the end margin adjustment or setting may readily be changed by the usual operator of the machine. I

Thus, while I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of variation and modification and I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth, but desire to avail myself of such changes and alterations which fall within the purview of the following claims,

I claim:

1. In a machine of th character described wherein a carriage and a cross slide mounted for transverse movement on the carriage are utilized to effect character spacing and line spacing movement of a printing plate, clamping jaws mounted on said cross slide for movement lbetween an operating position and a loading position, and a shiftable-stop member supported upon said cross slideadjacent to the location of said'jaws'when said jaws are disposed in said loading position.

said stop member having-a plurality of abutment surfaces formed thereon in different positions and adapted to be set by shifting of said stop member for selective engagement by the end of a printing position, and a stop member mounted in fixed axial position on said cross slide for rotation on an axis parallel to the reciprocating path of said carriage and adjacent to the location of said jaws when said jaws are disposed in said loading position, said stop member having a plurality of 7 abutment surfaces formed thereon in different axial and circumferential locations and adapted to beset by rotative adjustment of said stop member for selective engagement by the end of a printing plate .as such printing plate is loaded into said jaws to thereby determine the endwise marginal relationship of such printing plate with respect to said jaws.

3. In a machine of the character described wherein a reciprocable carriage and a cross slide mounted for transverse movement on the carriage are utilized to efiect character spacing and line spacing movement of a printing plate, clamping jaws mounted on said cross slide for movement between an operating position and a loading position, a stop member mounted in fixed axial position on said cross slide for rotation on an axis parallel to the reciprocating path of said carriage and adjacent to the location of said jaws when said jaws are disposed in said loading position, said stop member having a plurality of abutment surfaces formed thereon in different axial and circumferential locations and adapted to be set by rotative adjustment of said stop member for selective engagement by the end of a printing plate as such printing plate is loaded into said jaws to thereby determine the endwise marginal relationship of such printing plate with respect to said jaws, and means for holding said stop member in any position of rotative adjustment.

4. In a machine of the character described wherein a reciprocable carriage and a cross slide mounted ,for transverse movement on the carriage are utilized to effect character spacing and line spacing movement of a printing plate, clamping jaws mounted on said cross slide for movement between an operating position and a loading position, a bracket mounted on said cross slide for adjustment parallel to the reciprocating path of said carriage, and a shiftable stop member supported upon said bracket adjacent to the location of said jaws when said jaws are-disposed in said loading position, said stop member having a plurality of abutment surfaces formed thereon in difierent positions and adapted to be set by shifting of said stop member for selective engagement by the end of the printing plate as such printing plate is loaded into said jaws to thereby determine the endwise marginal relationship of such printing plate with respect to said jaws.

5. In a machine of the character described wherein a reciprocable carriage and a cross slide mounted for transverse movement on the carriage are utilized to effect character spacing and line spacing movement of a printing plate, clamping jaws mounted on said cross slide for movement between an operating position and a loading position, a bracket mounted on said cross slide for adjustment parallel to the reciprocating path of said carriage, a shiftable stop member supported upon said bracket adjacent to the location of said jaws when said jaws are disposed in said loading position, said stop member having a plurality of, abutment surfaces formed thereon in difierent positions and adapted to be set by shifting of said stop member for selective engagement by the end of the printing plate as such printing plate is loaded into said jaws to thereby determine the endwise marginal relationship of such printing plate with respect to said jaws, and yielding means'operable to hold said stop member in any one of its set positions.

6. In a machine of the character described wherein a carriage and a cross slide mounted for transverse movement on the carriage are utilized to client character spacing and line spacingmove .ment of a printing plate, clamping jaws mounted on said cross slide for movement between an operating position and a loading position, a shiftable stop member supported upon said cross slide adjacent to the location of said jaws when said jaws are disposed in said loading position, said stop member having a plurality of abutment surfaces formed thereon in diiierent positions and adapted to be set by shifting of said stop member for selective engagement by the end of a printing plate as such printing plate is loaded into said jaws to thereby determine the endwise marginal relationship of such printing plate with respect to said jaws, and a spring urged detent acting on said stop member to hold the same in any set position thereof.

7. In a machine of the character described wherein a reciprocable carriage and a cross slide mounted for transverse movement on the carriage are utilized to effect character spacing and line spacing movement of a printing plate, clamping jaws mounted on said cross slide for movement between an operating position and a loading position, a bracket mounted on said cross slide for adjustment parallel to the reciprocating path of said carriage, a shiftable stop member supported upon said bracket adjacent to the location of said jaws when said jaws are disposed in said loading position, said stop member having a plurality of abutment surfaces formed thereon in difierent positions and adapted to be set by shifting of said stop member for selective engagement by the end of the printing plate as such printing plate is loaded into said jaws to thereby determine the endwise marginal relationship of such printing plate with respect to said jaws, and yielding means mounted on said bracket and engageable with said stop member to hold said stop member in any one of its set positions.

8. In a machine of the character described wherein a reciprocable carriage and a cross slide mounted for transverse movement on the carriage are utilized to effect character spacing and line spacing movement of a printing plate, clamping jaws mounted on said cross slide for movement between an operating position and a loading position, a bracket mounted on said cross slide for adjustment parallel to the reciprocating path of said carriage, and a stop member mounted in fixed axial position on said bracket for rotation on an axis parallel to the reciprocating path of said carriage and adjacent to the location of said jaws when said jaws are disposed in said loading position, said stop member having a plurality of abutment surfaces formed thereon in difierent axial and circumferential locations and adapted to be set by rotative adjustment of said stop member for selective engagement by the end of,a printing plate as such printing plate is loaded into said jaws to thereby determine the endwise marginal relationship of said printing plate with respect to said jaws.

JOHN H. GRUVER.

REFERENCES CITED ihe following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 921,600 Duncan May 11, 1909 1,735,252 Kiely Nov. 12, 1929

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