US2520474A

US2520474A - Make-ready gauge using simulated printing pressure

Info

Publication number: US2520474A
Application number: US748246A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frank W Shober
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1947-05-15
Filing date: 1947-05-15
Publication date: 1950-08-29
Anticipated expiration: 1967-08-29

Description

F. W. SHOBER Aug. 29, 1950 MAKE-READY GAUGE USING SIMULATED PRINTING PRESSURE Filed May 15, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. PEA lvk W. SHOES/Z AGENT F. w. SHOBER 2,520,474

MAKE-READY GAUGE USING SIMULATED PRINTING PRESSURE Aug. 29, 1950 2 R 0 a mm e n 0 WH w 5 w W .m 2 M 2 51V. B m mm 7 m D I ong w Q w M d e l 10 F AGENT Patented Aug. 29, 1950 READY I'GFAUGE USING SIMULHTED PRINTING PRESSURE -E1'ankW.rShober, Helham,lN. Y.

ApplicationMay 1'5, 1947, Serial No; 748,246

.BmGlaims.

This invention relates 'to improvements in measin 'in'g gagesand in particular to gages adaptable for -taking measuren-Ients on letter press =printin g members.

Deficiencies in varying degrees are encountered 'in'printing 'praotice'by reason of the fact that :the various elements of a composite le'tter press printing form are 'not :consistent in he'ight to paper? The well known -standard of measurementifor the heightto papeF- ortype height in the United States is 0.91 8. While printers type,as acomponent-in -a printing "form, is usually quite accurate in this=respect, the thicknesses of the various blocks andmountings which are as- 'semhled with half tone -plates and -line cuts vary considerably,-and therplates themselves are sub- :ject "to errors. These deficiencies 0f size :are 'compensated "for 'by the :process of makeready, which requires underlays on tithe 'form or makeready corrections in the packing o'f :the printing :20

"cylinder. Makereadygin most cases,-'isper'formed by the printing press operator at the time that a form is locked-up for printingand'eonsequent- 1y:a:greatfdea1:of the pressmans timeiis absorbed :in this preliminaryoperationinvolvingttrial and error. Due tothe fact that a cylinder-press represents a substantial capital iinvestment this 10st time in :makerea'dy during lock -up is costly.

In order to avoid this non -productive effort-by :theapressman at the:press,-and=in order to protime :a :more satisfactory :and higher quality of printing, it is *the :principal object "of army "invention to provide a printers igage with :which mounted orunmounted cuts and plates or "other printing members may be :accurately measured for makeready before they are arranged "as a part of a printing :form. in !the preferred em- Ibodiment of myinvention: shown herein, Iiadapt :my improved measuring gage for use suntan .im-

posing surface, :which is a standard part of the equipment of practically every 'rpririting :xblant, :whereby "an-"accurate and firm foundation-is provided for measurements, although other suitable supportingsurfacestmayrbe:used. :In the operation of :my improved gage, :pressurerwmayabe tap- 2 drawings and particularly pointed out in ithe appended claims.

In *the drawings,

Figure 1 -is a side elevation View partially in 'oross-section showing a type height gage 'acoording to my invention assembled on an imposing surface,

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the assembly of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is amend elevationofthe'assemblyo'f "I igmres 1 2, shownipartially in cross-section,

Figure 4 is-a view in cross-section showing details of various :parts of lmytype :height gage taken on line d li'of 'Figure 1,

:Figurefiisa section view taken online 5-7 5 of Figural,

Eigurefi is a view similar to that of'Figure .1 showing an adjusted position of my gage assemhled on an imposing surface.

'ZR'e'ferring to l the rdrawings, and 'insparticular to Figures 1, Land 3, numeral 1!) indicatesa part :ofa rigid metal imposingssurface plate which is, for conveniencaaplaced upon a table or stand for imposing operations. :Surface plates of this :nature are Well knownin Jtheart of printingand they-are accurately :machined on their top surffaoes: and likewisekhavelaccuraltely machinedrsides as indicatediby :numeral H ,including a .raboeted ledge :cut as vat .42. Other suchssurfaces -may :be iadaptedior" use with my invention: or, 'if desirable, -a specially constructed :base and. stand :may be "supplied having suitable strength and accuracy characteristics as may be :had with :the conventionalestyle :imposing surface ipl'ate.

Aibifuroatedvbracket 3,ma'chined to conform to the side of the'imposingsurfaceat therabbeted 'e'cige under-cut is fastened. tothe edge of "the ltabl'e hythe =use of cap screwsM with a stepped :alignment surfaceresting on the rabbeted edge Projecting above ithe surface elevation of platsm are the bracketextension-portions 1 l 5, l 5, each of .which has high and low :Ldrilled openings I56 and it, Figure 3, therethrough, and '-below the elevation of :plate 18 "bracket 7! 3 forms a depending-portion !s1,' to which are assembled the rtwo abutment pieces 18, 1 8. The two sets of :drilled openings i6 and '16 :and the "two rabutment pieceg l8 and IB io'f difierin'g dimensions areaused tohprovidefhigh and .low :gaging adjustmentias will .ibe understood at a later point in 'theispecification.

3A pressure lever 2291s 'pivotally supported be- 1 ween the hifurcatedhracket portions 15, 15' by thetuserofzaeknurled head1removable pin 32.1 18X" tending through the aligned holes 1H5 :in rbracket I3 and through a suitable bearing hole in lever 20. Pin 2| is split and spread on its left hand end, Figure 3, so that it will bind slightly when placed in the pivot hole l6 and will consequently be retained in position during measuring operations. On the right end of lever 20, Figure l, which extends over the imposing surface ID, a pressure contact member 22, Figures 1 and 2, is provided which is integral with lever 20 and which engages the top surface of a printing plate 23 therebelow, Figure l, mounted on a suitable base 24. On the left hand end of lever 20 projecting outwardly below the level of the imposing surface, is a manipulating handle 25 housing a coiled compression spring 26 which is interposed between a plunger 2'1 and a threaded adjusting screw 28. Plunger 2? projects through an aperture in handle 25 to exert pressure against the abutment piece l8, tending to rock lever 29 clockwise about pin 2i so that the pressure member 22 will forcefully contact printing plate 23.

A second bracket 36, spaced apart and to the left of bracket i3, is removably fastened to the side of imposing surface plate ID by means of the knurled head screw 3 4. Alignment of bracket 3c is maintained by providing a stepped machined surface which rests on the rabbeted edge E2 of plate H in much the same manner as in the application of bracket 53. Bracket 35) overhangs the imposing surface plate as and terminates in an angularly disposed end 33 towhich is fastened a dial indicator 32. Dial indicator 32 of the usual style constructed for precise measurement, is rigidly held fastened to bracket 32 by the thumb screw 34. An extension piece -35 removably fastened to indicator 32 projects downwardly to make contact with printing plate 23 during manipulation of the gage.

Referring particularly to Figures 4 and 5, pressure member 22, which contacts the printing plate, is centrally cored and has assembled therewith a fibre ring 38 suitably fastened to a metal supporting ring 3?, the fibre ring providing a printing plate contact element which will not deleteriously affect the design on the surface of printing plate 23. Three short compression springs 35, seated in suitable holes 39 drilled in bosses 42, are arranged to abut metal ring Bl and are guided over pins All fastened to ring 3?, extending upwardly through the top of the bosses. Hexagon lock nuts 4| on the upper ends of pins 48 retain the assembly in place when no pressure is being exerted against a printing plate. The combined pressure exerted by the three coil springs is greater than the resultant pressure from spring 26 in handle 25 when properly adjusted, so that the metal ring 37 is always spaced from the body of pressure member 22. However, if there is a deviation from parallelism between ring 36 and the top surface of printing plate 23, the ring will conform with this irregularity inasmuch as only one spring will be stressed to any extent and the force exerted by a single spring will be overcome by the pressure of spring 26 in handle 25. Thus, when measuring plates which are not parallel to ring 36 on pressure member 22, the fibre ring will be self-adjusting and there will be no uneven wear on the ring 36.

In the operation of my device, and before a printing plate has been inserted under the pressure member, the screw 28 in handle 25 may be adjusted so that spring 25 will exert suitable pressure. Thereafter, the operator depresses handle 25 and raises the pressure member 22 away from the surface It), at the same time com- 4 pressing spring 26. A mounted printing plate or other printing member is then placed under pressure member 22. Upon releasing the pressure from handle 25, pressure member 22 will be forced downwardly against the printing member and will tend to flatten out the printing plate for a substantial area to simulate pressure under printing impression. The dial indicator is then used to take an accurate reading of the height of the upper surface of printing plate 23 above the imposing surface, the extension piece 35 projecting centrally through the

rings

36 and 31 to permit a reading centrally of the area of applied pressure. Dial indicator 32 must, of course, be pre-set in a suitable manner so that the readings which are observed are of the height of the printing surface of printing plate 23 under pressure from the top surface of the imposing surface plate HJ. Any number of readings may be made as at corners, along sides or across the body of the plate and the error above or below type height is marked in a convenient manner at the location of measurement so that plate leveling may be done as a separate makeready operation. 7

Referring now to Figure 6, and assuming now that it is desired to measure the thickness of an unmounted plate, the pivoting lever 22 may be mounted at the lower position with pin 2! inserted through holes IS in bracket portions l5, l5 and the plunger 21 will then be positioned to exert pressure against the lower of the two abutment pieces l8. description adjustment is made on screw 28 in handle 25 so that the desired degree of pressure is being exerted to rock arm 29 in a clockwise direction about its pivoting center. The identical measuring procedure is followed as in the case of measurements for mounted plates with the exception that an extended adaptor member 35 is provided for attachment to the dial indicator to facilitate measurements on the unmounted printing plate.

When not in use it is a simple matter to remove the dial indicator bracket 39 from surface plate is and thereby make the imposing surface free of this obstruction for imposing operations. Likewise, the lever 20 may be removed merely by drawing out the pin 2!.

It is to be understood that this description is that of a preferred embodiment of the invention and that various changes in the size and shape of component parts may be made without departing from the invention or from the scope of the sub-joining claims.

I claim:

i. In a measuring gage, in combination, a supporting surface, a spring biased pressure exerting member arranged to extend over the supporting surface, a work-piece contacting element carried by said pressure exerting member and biased therefrom by a plurality of spring units, the individual biasing pressure of each spring unit being less than that exerted by said pressure exerting member and the combined biasing pressure of the units being more than that exerted by said pressure exerting member, a handle portion integral with said spring biased pressure exerting member for releasing the pressure exerted thereby, and means to take a measurement reading on the work-piece surface adjacent the area of applied pressure.

2. In a measuring gage, in combination; a rigid plane support, a pivoted member carried by the support, a spring biased plunger mounted on one As in the aforementioned end of the pivoted member for exerting pressure against the support which is transmitted to a Work-piece resting on the support, a Work con tasting element on the other end of the pivoted member and spring biased therefrom by a pi".- rality of spring units, the individual biasing pressure exerted by the spring units being less than that transmitted to a work-piece by said spring biased plunger and the combined biasing pressure of the spring units being greater than that transmitted to a Work-piece by said plunger and a handle portion on the first mentioned end of said pivoted member to release the spring pressure exerted by said plunger.

3. In a measuring gage, in combination, a horizontal work supporting surface, manually re leasable spring biased means extending over the supporting surface, a Work-piece contacting e1ement carried by said extending means and spring biased therefrom by a plurality of spring units, the biasing pressure exerted by each unit being less than that being exerted by said extending means, and the combined biasing pressure of 8 the units being more than that exerted by said extending means, and an indicator to measure the elevation of the top surface of a Work-piece resting on the supporting surface engaged by the spring pressed means adjacent the area of contact thereof.

FRANK W. SHOBER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in th file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,171,646 Replogle Feb. 15, 1916 1,307,775 Hacker June 24, 1919 1,307,776 Hacker June 24, 1919 1,617,281 Ames Feb. 8, 1927 1,984,837 Kronenberg Dec. 18, 1934 2,051,357 Zenke Aug. 18, 1936 2,134,184 Guyer Oct. 25, 1938 2,321,121 Basquin June 8, 1943