US2668496A - Cylinder support means for rotary tape printing presses - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 9, 1954 G. G. THOMPSON 2,668,496

CYLINDER SUPPORT MEANS FOR ROTARY TAPE PRINTING PRESSES Filed June 22, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR. 6:471 020 6. 7' HOMPJ 0/1 Feb. 9, 1954 e. G. THOMPSON 2,668,496

CYLINDER SUPPORT MEANS FOR ROTARY TAPE PRINTING PRES-SE3 Filed June 22, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 I I -3 E INVENTOR. GAVLOED 6. THOMPSON BY W ATTOPIVL'VS.

Feb. 9, 1954 e. G. THOMPSON 2,668,4

CYLINDER SUPPORT MEANS FOR ROTARY TAPE PRINTING PRESSES Filed June 22, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 52 /0/Z6 54 56 50 50 /8 ("'41 m7; J L I R F; 4 48' L E) 2 0 m J M 42 46 46 4a INVENTOR.

6,4 VL OIQD 6T THOMPSON Patented Feb. 9, 1954 CYLINDER SUPPORT MEANS FOR ROTARY TAPE PRINTING PRESSES Gaylord G. Thompson, Redwood City, Calif., as-

signor to Thomco Mfg. 00., Inc., Redwood City, Calif., a corporation of California Application June 22, 1951, Serial No. 233,033 2 Claims. (01. 101-178) This invention relates to printing apparatus, and more particularly to improvements in web type rotary printers of that class adapted to print multi-color impressions, with said improvements relating to means for mounting the inking and printing rolls with respect to each other and the platen, whereby relative adjustment of these elements may be simply and quickly made to obtain the proper contactual pressures therebetween andto obtain the proper correlation of the successive printings made on the webor tape by the plurality of printing rolls.

1 Among the objects of the invention are the fol lowing: the provision of a printer embodying means for bodily moving a printing roll and its associated inking roll toward and away from the platen and means for pivotally adjusting the printing roll and inking roll as a unit with respect to the platen; the provision of a printer embodying means adjustably mounting the printing roll for swinging movement toward and away from the inking roll; and the provision of a printer having a printing roll provided with a printing surface adjustably mounted for endwise movement and for rotative movement relative to the platen.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings forming part of this specification, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of a printer embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view taken along lines 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation taken from the side of the printer opposite to that of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view in section taken along line 4 4 of Fig. 2;

v Fig. 5 is a view in longitudinal section of the multiadjustable printing roll of the apparatus; and Fig. 6 is a view of an adjusting mechanism.

Referring to the drawings for more specific details of the invention, the printer is provided with a supporting frame comprising a pair of opposed end frames I0 having legs l2 interconnected by cross members l4 and I6. Carried by and secured to the cross members M of the end frames I0 is an open-topped rectangular carriage bed 18 which has secured to opposite sides thereof posts 20 and 22 serving as the journal supports for a shaft 24 having secured thereto a platen 26. Shaft 24 has three sprockets 28, "and 32 affixed thereto.

The carriage bed I8 is provided with guide grooves 34 in the outer side Walls thereof, said grooves serving to receive inturned feet 36 of vertically disposed skirt plates 38 secured to the outer sides of carriage plates 46, said carriage plates being mounted in this manner on each side of the platen 26 for guided sliding movement on the bed [8 toward and away from the platen. Plates 46 areprovided with dependent flanges 42 having in threaded engagement therewith worm shafts 44, said shafts 44 being r0 tatably supported in the end walls of: carriage bed l8 and in transverse webs 46 integral with said bed. The worm shafts may be. anchored to the webs 46 as by thrust collars 48 secured to the shafts. At their outer ends the shafts are provided with feed handles 50. Rotation of the shafts through the medium of the handles is effective to move the carriage plates 46 either toward or away from the platen 26.

Roller carriages, indicated generally at v52 comprising bottom walls 54 and spaced side walls 56, are pivotally mounted on carrier plates 40, as by pivot bolts 58. Journalled in the side walls 56 of the carriages are shafts 66 having secured thereon inking rolls 62. The rolls 62 are partially immersed in ink 64 carried by trays 66, preferably of a suitable acid proof plastic, said trays being removably secured in any suitable manner between the carriage walls 56. The rolls 62 are provided with'doctor bars 68 adjustably mounted between the side walls, said bars being adjustable by set screws 16 to vary their degree of ink scavenging in order to obtain the desired ink film for the printing operation.

Pivotally secured to the side walls of the roller carriages are sets of radius arms 72. The radius arms of the right handcarriage, as viewed in Fig. 4, serve as the bearing supports for a shaft 14 having secured thereon a first impression printing roll 16. The radius arms of the left hand carriage serve as bearing supports for a shaft 18 having slidably mounted thereon a sec ond impression printing roll80. outwardly of the roll 80, the shaft 18 is provided, as indicated in Fig. 5, with threaded portions 82 and 84. Roll is adjustably secured to the shaft 16 between thrust washers 86 and 88 which are keyed to the shaft, as indicated at 90 and 92, and maintained in pressing engagement with the ends of the roll by nuts 94 and 96 in threaded engagement, respectively, with threaded portions 82 and 84 of the shaft.

1 Each of the radius arms 12 is provided with an outwardly projecting 'pivotally mounted hub eleme'nt 90 transversely apertured and internally threaded to receive the threaded end of a set screw I00. The set screws I extend through pivotally mounted hub elements I02 carried by carriage side walls 56 and are in opposite hand threaded engagement with said hub elements. Rotativezmovement f *the setisorews I00" serves to rocklthe-iradius arms either toward :or raway from the inking rolls 82, and by adjusting these set screws the proper contactual relation between the printing rolls I0. and .80 and .their respective inking rolls 62 may be'obtained.

Any slight rotative adjustment ofthe'i'nking and printing roll sets as amnit'..with.:.reSp'ectit0: the platen 26 is obtainable hy=means of setscrews I04 which are in threaded engagement with brackets I06 and contactual enga ment with=.the.-

walls 54 of the carriages 52. The bracket I06 are fixedly secured to carrier plates 51I ani:l=:it will be appreciated that rotative movement of the twowset screws I:04 :.of eachacarriage. in;oppo- '=site directions will serve to pivotally. move .the

carriage about :the vpivot bolt 58. .Set' screws: 1:08 extending [through skirt plates 99 serve .to secure .thecarriageiplates mto: the bed. I9.

The conveying system.v for the .tape 'II01to he printed comprises feed roll .I I2 rotatably mounted .onsspindle I\I 4:carried;.by 19 st 29; .carrier or-idler rolls; I t6: and ail-8 .fixed 'respectively, .to shafts: I and 2, with shaft I20 beingjournalled for retat-ionin crossarmw-Iimsecured tozpost 20,..and with shaft I622 .being, journalled for rotation in post 20;. and rewindroll I26 mountedion shaft Iltjournalled. .for rotation in arm I30 carried :by post 20. The surfaces of .idler rolls I I5. and 'Izl8aare knurled, era-finely grooved, toprevent a gummedatapefromadhering totherolls as the tapeisoonveyed to the rewind roli 29.

The tapedrive .systemadapted to cause the .tapeto bemovedfrom feed roll I I0, aroundp-laten 2E in successive engagement with printing 10118 1 6. and :80, over idler rolls I: I 6 and I. L0 \to rewind roll Ilfitcomprisesrmotor I32 havingfahelt drive connection I34 with .a variable speed transmission L35, .the output shaft-39 of which-carries sprocket. I \in driving relation to. chain I dzpassing; over. sprocket 23 on .platen shaft. 24:; .9. .drive take-.ofi..-.irom shaft 24wcomprising sprocket .92, chain I44 in driving =relationzto sprockets I40,

1411, 50.21.116.192 carried, respectively, by idler i mllishait:I20.,.idler1roil shaft I122, stub. shaft I54 iournalled. in arm I539,- andvstub =-shat I96 ,iournalieddntarm L24; ;adrive take-0E from stub sha'it I:54;to. rewind roll I26 comprisingggear 1:58

carried on shaft I54 and in mesh withggear lm carried on. stub. shaft 1:82. journalledx inzarm i I30, saidzgear I I being in driving relation-withrewindimll. shaft I28 which, in turn, hasv an automatically adjustable friction drive, not shown, with the rewind roll I-i'fi to compensateior the variable surface :speed of the tapeas th :tape rollonmewindroll. I26 increases in diameter; and another 1 drive talic-off from-shat t :24 comprising Sprocket 30, chain 62 passing around idler sprockets 1'04 mounted for rotation on post 'ifig sprockets I'fii on shafts IE8 coincidingwiththe pivotal-axessofrradius arms l lsprockets I"I'0 carried oninking roll. shafts fi0; idlerwsprockets =I'I2 mounted "for rotation .on arms HA secured to-end frames I 0, idler sprockets I 15 carried onshafts I18 iournalled in the side ofhed; I0; and vertically adjustable idler sprocket I89 carriedeon rshaft I82 residing within slot I841cf:pos-t-20; ami adrive take-off from shafts I68 .to the printing.rolls..-16 and 80-comprising gears I89 on shafts .LES in -42o:d'rivaIcly connect gears F88 -with'variasbly sized gears I90 and I92, such variation in these latter ears occurring when the printing rolls and at- .tachedgearsiiifland I92 are removed to be reiplaced vwithp'rinting rolls of other sizes.

With the drive system in operation, reference being hadtd Fig-mane chains I42, I44 and I65 travel in--acounter-clockwise direction to cause tIrenJIatcn'2'6,tl'retape feed roll II2, inking rolls 62,.idler .rolls :tlfizand H8, and rewind roll I26 to travel in the same direction. Printing rolls I6- and travel in a clockwise direction. The tape IIO thus travels in a counter-clockwise directionLfrom-iffeed roll 5 I t'Z- to rewind roll I26.

With :the :drive system operating as described, theroller carriagesfit may be backed away from platen 26-, without necessitating any stopping or thecdrivesystemgby rotation oiworm shafts This backing away-,.asa unit, ofeach hiking and printing roll :set enables the ready adjustment of the printing rolls with respect to'theinking rolls to :place the 'type'orr-" the printing rolls -and to obtain the desired; oontactua l pressure "between the printing and inking "rolls, such adjustment being made by means or the set screws I00.

-ehBIl the proper "adjustment has been mada the r carriages 52 are moved toward "the platens'to gagement ivith'the tape, this quay-be done, as previously described, by adjustment of the set screws I04.

If, after a 'test run of-pri'nting has been-made; it is "found that the second printing impression made "by roll 89' 'does' not register 5 mthe=desired complementary manner with 1 the first printing impression made by roll I8, the roll 80 may be adjusted lengthwise of "its supporting shaft 'f8 or may' be rotated relative'to said shaft to 'obtain the Y desired registrations of the first and second printing impress-ions. Adjustment of .roll 80 lengthwiseof its'supportin shaft; 'or'tran'sversely of the platen is achievedbylooseningthelock nut 9'4, rotating the-nut 9E, and 'tighteningthelock nut 94. Rotative adjustment of the roll relative to sha'ft lfl in ordertolongitudinally orient the second printin impressionwith'the-iirst impression onthe tapeis achieved by loosening lock nut 94, turning the roll 89 in the desired-direction, and tightening the lock'nut. Itwill be notedithat the keying of washerst 6* andSB to sha'ftltserves to prevent rotative movement of the roll 00 relative to-shaft It! "while *thenuts "94 andSB are being loosened or tightened.

'Fromthe foregoing description, it'will'be'seen that the subject printing apparatus "embodies novel means. .for 'znoving and adjusting, the printingassemblies as units relativeto the platan and for adjustably registeringia printing roll with respectto either the .tape' to. be printed, or another printingroll, andivhile a preferred embodiment of the.apparatus has'been shown and described it is. to be understood that all substantial equivalents of said emhodimentare withithe scope of. the. invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A machine of the class described comprising a support frame, a horizontally disposed carriage bed carried by said frame, a pair of oppositely disposed spaced parallel post members extending upwardly from said frame, a shaft journalled for support in said post members, a cylindrical platen secured to said shaft, a carriage support plate connected to said carriage bed for horizontal sliding movement thereon toward and away from said platen, screw shaft means interconnecting said support plate and bed and rotatably operable to adjustably move said plate with respect to said bed, a carriage base plate superposed on said support plate and connected to said support plate for pivotal movement with respect thereto about a vertical axis by removable bolt means, means carried by said support plate in engagement with said base plate adapted to adjustably secure said base plate in a selected pivotal attitude with respect to said support plate, a pair of spaced parallel carriage wall plate elements extending upwardly from the side edges of said base plate and fixedly carried thereby, a first shaft journalled for rotation in said wall plate elements, an inking roll secured to said shaft, a pair of parallel oppositely disposed lever arms pivotally connected at their lower ends to said wall plate elements and having their common pivotal axis disposed between said platen shaft and said inking roll shaft and at a lower level than said inking roll shaft, a shaft journalled in the upper ends of said lever arms, a printing roll secured to said shaft, and set screw means carried by said wall plate elements and connected to said lever arms adapted to adjustably rock said arms toward and away from said inking roll and away from and toward said platen.

2. A machine of the class described comprising a support frame, a horizontally disposed carriage bed carried by said frame, a pair of oppositely disposed spaced parallel post members extending upwardly from said frame, a shaft journalled for support in said post members, a cylindrical platen secured to said shaft, a carriage support plate connected to said carriage bed for horizontal sliding movement thereon toward and away from said platen, screw shaft means interconnecting said support plate and bed and rotatably operable to adjustably move said plate with respect to said bed, a carriage base plate superposed on said support plate and connected to said support plate for pivotal movement with respect thereto about a vertical axis; by removable bolt means, means carried by said support plate in engagement with said base plate adapted to adjustably secure said base plate in a selected pivotal attitude with respect to said support plate, a pair of spaced parallel carriage wall plate elements extending upwardly from the side edges of said base plate and fixedly carried thereby, a first shaft journalled for rotation in said wall plate elements, an inking roll secured to said shaft, a pair of parallel oppositely disposed lever arms pivotally connected at their lower ends to said wall plate elements and having their common pivotal axis disposed between said platen shaft and said inking roll shaft and at a lower level than said inking roll shaft, a shaft journalled in the upper ends of said lever arms, a printing roll secured to said shaft, means securing said printing roll to said shaft for selectively adjustable movement endwise thereof and for selectively adjustable turning movement thereon, and set screw means carried by said wall plate elements and connected to said lever arms adapted to adjustably rock said arms toward and away from said inking roll and away from and toward said platen.

G. G. THOMPSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 7 Number Name Date 1,328,842 Marquardt Jan. 27, 1920 1,802,038 Springstead Apr. 21, 1931 2,229,226 Scott et a1. Jan. 21, 1941 2,258,653 Klingelfuss Oct. 14, 1941 2,405,795 Luehrs Aug. 13, 1946

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