US3192855A - Machine for duplicating with axially movable master sheet - Google Patents

Machine for duplicating with axially movable master sheet Download PDF

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US3192855A
US3192855A US288982A US28898263A US3192855A US 3192855 A US3192855 A US 3192855A US 288982 A US288982 A US 288982A US 28898263 A US28898263 A US 28898263A US 3192855 A US3192855 A US 3192855A
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sheet
master cylinder
master
slot
machine
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US288982A
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Ford Ronald Max
Morton Abbots
Crane Denis Percy
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    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41L—APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR MANIFOLDING, DUPLICATING OR PRINTING FOR OFFICE OR OTHER COMMERCIAL PURPOSES; ADDRESSING MACHINES OR LIKE SERIES-PRINTING MACHINES
    • B41L11/00—Apparatus for directly duplicating from hectographic masters in mirror image, i.e. "wet duplicators" for producing positive copies
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41P—INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO PRINTING, LINING MACHINES, TYPEWRITERS, AND TO STAMPS
    • B41P2700/00—Manifolding, printing or duplicating for office purposes
    • B41P2700/10—Hectographic line duplicators

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  • This invention relates to duplicating machines, hereinafter referred to as being of the kind specified, including a rotary printing couple comprising a master cylinder and a pressure roller co-operative therewith, the master cylinder being adapted to carry a master sheet from which impressions of matter appearing thereon-can be taken onto copy sheets passed through the printing couple.
  • the matter appearing on the master sheet may be marked or applied thereon in the form of hectographic carbon or other similar material from which impressions can be taken onto copy sheets moistened with a solvent, in which case the machine would include a means for moistening the copy sheets when passed along an in-feed path to the printing couple preparatory to entry between the master cylinder and the pressure roller.
  • duplicating machine of the kind specified includes a master cylinder having two circumferentially spaced slots in which are disposed clips for clamping the respective leading margins of a master sheet and a masking sheet, the latter being secured by the clip of the leading slot (having regard to the direction of rotation of the master cylinder) so that the masking sheet overlies a part of the master sheet and prevents matter appearing on this part from being transferred to a copy sheet, the extraction of matter being thus confined to the exposed part of the master sheet.
  • the clip which secures the master sheet has been adapted to be moved axially by means of a mechanism disposed in the interior of the master cylinder.
  • the movable clip shall have a length which is not more than half the axial length of the master cylinder to avoid restricting the extent to which the sheet held thereby can be shifted axially.
  • the clip At the end of a series of duplicating operations involving extraction of matter from. diiferen't circumferentially extending zones of a master sheet, the clip is normally left in a predetermined position, usually at one end of the master cylinder. It has, therefore, to be moved back to its starting position before the next series of duplicating operations are performed. This is because, in most cases, selective extraction of matter from a master sheet starts at one boundary thereof and finishes near the other boundary.
  • a further limitation of this form of duplicating machine is that, if, for any reason,- it is required to take an impression from the whole of a full width master sheet, that is one extending for the entire axial length ofthe master cylinder, such master sheet necessarily has to be held by a clip other than the movable clip (the latter being only half or somewhat less than half the length of the master cylinder). Consequently, the leading margin of such full Width master sheet must be held by the clip normally used for holding the masking sheet. The portion of the fullwidth master sheet which overlies the movable clip and part of the master cylinder in which s'uch clip operates is thus unuseable for the purposes of duplicating,
  • One object of the present invention is to provide anew or improved form of means for holding master and masking sheets on a master cylinder of a duplicating machine of the kind specified, whereby the disadvantages above referred to are avoided or reduced and certain other advantages are obtained as will hereinafter be apparent from, or will be pointed out in, the following description.
  • the invention resides in the provision in a duplicating machine comprising a supporting structure, a rotatable master cylinder having a radialiy outwardly presented'face for carrying at least one master sheet from which impressions of matter thereon can be taken, of the improvement comprising, a first sheet holding means on said master cylinder forsecuring said master sheet thereon, a second sheet holding means on the master cylinder for securing said masking sheet thereon and spaced circumferentially of said master cylinder from said first sheet holding means, at least one of said sheet holding means including an endless belt having a sheet-engaging face defining one of the boundaries of at least a predetermined portion of the length of an axially extending slot in said master cylinder, said belt having projections on its sheet-engaging face adapted to penetrate or indent that one of said sheets associated therewith, and means for moving said belt along saidslot while maintaining said sheet-engaging face preposition after it has been used for moving the associated sheet in a preceding cycle of operationsfof the machine along the length of
  • the belt is preferably driven through indexing mechanism which can impart stepwise movement to the belt along the length of the slot in one direction or in the other direction selectively, thereby enabling the user to effect forward stepwise movement of a sheet or reverse stepwise movement or back spacing of a sheet.
  • the forward movement may be performed selectively either at will, byuse of a hand-operated member on the machine, or automatically in response to each cycle of rotation of the master cylinder.
  • FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the machine looking towards the front or side thereof;
  • FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary view in end elevation of the master cylinder looking towards the left-hand end thereof, part of the end member and master cylinder being broken away to show details of the sheet shifting device;
  • FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary view showing part of the sheet shifting device and actuating mechanism therefor, the view being taken in cross-section on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;
  • FIGURE 4 is a view in front elevation of the sheet shifting device and actuating mechanism therefor, the master cylinder being shown in chain dotted lines;
  • FIGURE 5 is a view in side elevation of the machine unit proper or upper part of the complete machine shown in FIGURE 1 looking towards the right-hand side, the cover of the side frame member having been removed to show the drive to the master cylinder;
  • FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary view in cross-section in a vertical plane through a portion of the master cylinder showing the arrangement of slots and clips for clamping margins of a master sheet and masking sheet;
  • FIGURE 7 is a View in side elevation of the machine unit proper or upper part of the complete machine shown in FIGURE 1 looking towards the left-hand side thereof; the cover of the side frame member having been removed to show details of the mechanism for selecting the magnitude of each step of the stepwise movement imparted by the sheet shifting device to the sheet associated therewith when the machine is set for either automatic or hand operation of the sheet shifting device;
  • FIGURE 8 is a view similar to FIGURE 7 but looking at the right-hand side of the machine showing the arrangement of mechanism for controlling the magnitude of the steps of movement of the sheet shifting device when the machine is set for back or reverse spacing of the sheet;
  • FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary view in vertical crosssection through the operating member for setting the magnitude of the step through which the sheet shifting device moves the associated sheet;
  • FIGURE 10 is a view in side elevation of the parts shown in FIGURE 9.
  • the machine may comprise any suitable form of frame or supporting structure 10 including a pair of side frame members 11, 12 between which a master cylinder 13 is journalled for rotation about a horizontal axis.
  • a pressure roller 14 Beneath the master cylinder is a pressure roller 14 (FIGURES 7 and 8) having a length extending for the full length of the master cylinder and at one side of the latter, namely at the front of the machine, is provided a tray or table 15 with which is associated feed rollers for advancing copy sheets along the infeed path to the nip between the master cylinder 13 and pressure roller 14.
  • the machine also has a delivery traylSa for receiving the copy sheets returned forwardly beneath the printing completing any suitable form of sheet returning roller system (not shown).
  • the machine incorporates means 16 for applying solvent thereto to moisten the copy sheets, such means 16 comprising moistening roller 17 and liquid supply structure 18, and a moistening pressure roller 19 disposed respectively above and below the infeed path.
  • means 16 comprising moistening roller 17 and liquid supply structure 18, and a moistening pressure roller 19 disposed respectively above and below the infeed path.
  • a moistening pad may be employed. In either case the moistening means 16 extends for the full width of the master cylinder.
  • the moiste'ning roller 17 and mo-istening pressure roller 19 may be driven in any suitable manner, for example, by ransmission means deriving its motion from a cam driven with the master cylinder.
  • fractional width moistening means may be em ployed if desired in which case such means would be mounted on an axially shiftable carriage to register with the selected zone.
  • the frame or supporting structure 10 includes a base unit 9 having side plates 8 connected by a back wall 7, the side plates 8 including inwardly projecting enlargements 6 at their upper ends on which side frame members 11 and 12 of the machine unit proper or upper portion of the machine are carried, the base unit is thus of hollow form open at its front and which serves to accommodate at its lower end two operating pedals 4 and 5 which determine the mode of operation of the sheet shifting device, that is to say whether the latter operates automatically once per revolution of the master cylinder or is set to a neutral position. In the latter case the operator may then use a handoperated actuating mechanism for operating the sheet shifting device at will.
  • this is formed, as seen in FIGURE 2, with two circumferentially adjacent axially extending slots, one 20 of which namely that occupying the trailing position, receives the leading margin of a textual master sheet from which matter is required to be extracted selectively from'certain circumferentially extending zones in sequence.
  • the other slot 21 occupies the leading position having regard to the direction of rotation of the master cylinder, as seen in FIGURES -2 and 6.
  • the slot 21 receives the leading margins of a masking sheet which overlies a portion of the master sheet.
  • the slot 21 also receives the leading margin of a further masking sheet spaced axially from the first masking sheet so as to afford a gap or slot between adjacent edges of the two sheets through which a selected portion of the textual master sheet is exposed.
  • the further masking sheet may be constituted by a master sheet which on its outer face bears constant or heading data which would usually be disposed adjacent to the gap or slot.
  • FIGURE 1 there are shown trays or. guide plates.
  • These trays or guide plates are preferably made of a transparent material such as a suitable synthetic resin and they are arranged tangentially,'or approximately so, to the surface of the master cylinder with their lower ends spaced circumferentially therewith to register respectively with the entrances to the slots 20 and 21.
  • the tray or guide plate 24 receives and supports on its upwardly and forwardy presented guide face the textual master sheet 22 preparatory to. insertion of the latter into the slot 20 while the tray or guide plate 25 receives in one of its zones 26 the masking sheet, again laid on the upper forwardly presented face, and on the other of its zones 27 the further masking sheet which, as previously indicated, may be a master sheet bearing constant or heading data.
  • the tray or guide plate .24 may be marked with two parallel lines 28 to indicate the gap or exposure slot through which matter is to be extracted from the textual master sheet, the position and width of this gap or' slot being in effect defined by the adjacent edges of the two masking sheets which are separated by a spacer bar 29 secured to the upwardly and forwardly presented face of the tray or guide plate 25, preferably centrally of the length of the latter.
  • clips associated respectively with the slots are caused to be moved to an open position to allow the various sheets to be moved into the slots.
  • the two masking sheets are secured in the slot 21 by means of clips of conventional form, as seen at 30.
  • the slot 21 is formed in an enlargement 31 of the wall of the master cylinder which is thickened by inward radial extension and the clip is of T-shape in side elevation, as seen particularly in FIGURE 6,' so that the slot 21 attords an entrance or radially extending branch 21a of which the mouth is in the circumferential face of the master cylinder, and a transverse or circumferentially extending branch 21b at the inner end of the nadially extending branch.
  • the slot 21 is thus of L-shape, as viewed in side elevation, and the sheets moved into this slot therefore take up a stepped form in cross-section, thereby stiffening the sheets locally and minimising the risk of distortion or crumpling.
  • the clip 3% is guided by means ofthe stem portion 39a for radial movement in the enlargement 31 and is urged radially inwardly by springs, such as that seen at 32, carried by a guide pin 33 of which the head is disposed in a bore in the clip 30 and which at its inner end screws into the enlargement 31.
  • Movement of the clip 30 between an open and close position is efiected by a cam 34 (-FIGURE 8) pivoted on a pin 35 carried by side plate 36 whichforms part of the side frame member 12;.
  • This cam can be rocked about the pin 35 by an operating lever 3'7 and carries two studs 38 and 39 which contact levers 4t and 41 pivoted on pins 42 and 43 on the master cylinder.
  • the lever 41 engages the inner end of the stem 30a of the clip 30 where this projects axially beyond the inset or recessed end members 13a of the master cylinder so that movement of the lever 37 can rest the clip 30 against the pressure of springs 32.
  • a similar clip 44 with a stem 44a guided in the enlargement 31, is provided to form the outer boundary of the slot 20 which again has a radially extending branch 20a and a circumferentially extending branch 29b.
  • the clip 44 is urged inwardly by a coiled compression 3 spring 45 disposed on a guide pin 46, the outer end of which is screwed into the'stem 44aand the shank of which passes slidably through a guide bar 47 fixed in the enlargement 31.
  • the clip 44 is movable from its closed position towards which it is urged by the spring 45 by the operating mechanism comprising the lever 37 already referred to, cam .34, pin 38 and lever 40.
  • a sheet shifting device for moving the textual master sheet axially of the slot.
  • This shifting device includes a member extending along the length of the slot and which is movable along the length of the slot, selectively in either direction, and selectively in increments of movement of any of a number of pro-selected magnitudes.
  • the belt is preferably of endless form although this "is not essential.
  • One run 48 of the belt lies in the bottom of the slot 24) and an opposed parallel run 49 is disposed at a position inset radially from the wall of the master cylinder.
  • Pulleys 5G and 51- are provided in the interior of the master cylinder adjacent to opposite ends thereof for supporting, driving and guiding the belt which thus moves in a plane radial, or approximately radial, to the axis of rotation of the master cylinder.
  • the belt may be provided with a plurality of outwardly projecting pins or spikes 52 which can penetrate the leading margin of the textual master sheet so as positively to move this along the length of the slot 29.
  • the outer face of the belt could be formed with transverse ribs or other forms of tread to indent or slightly deform the leading margin without necessarily penetrating this and so assist movement along the length of the slot.
  • the operative or outer run 48 of the belt is urged radially downwardly by means provided in the base of the slot specifically for this purpose and which comprise a pressure strip or bar 53 carried by guide pins 54, 'screwing into the enlargement 31, and on which are disposed coiled compression springs 55 acting between the underside of the bar 53 and the inner wall'of a recess in the enlargement 31 in which the bar is mounted.
  • the belt may be made of any suitable material, for example, it may be of natural or synthetic rubber or a synthetic resin having the requisite degree of flexibility. It could also be in the form of a sprocket chain ,or flexible of a series of sliding shoes arranged end-to-end and guided along an endless trackway formed in the base of the slot and having a return portion in the interior of the master cylinder.
  • the pulleys themselves are supported by trunnion plates or brackets such as those seen at 59, do.
  • the brackets or trunnion plates include base portions, such as seen at 61 of FIGURE 2, secured by bolts 62 to mounting arms 63 carried by the end member 13a of the master cylinder.
  • This mechanism comprises a ratchet wheel 64 which is fast with the associated pulley, and a pawl 65 mounted on an oscillatory carrier plate 66, the axis of oscillation of which is co-axial with that of the ratchet wheel 64 and.
  • the pawl 65 is normally retained at one extremity of its movement, as seen particularly in FIGURE 3, with its tooth 65a out of mesh with the teeth of the ratchet Wheel 64 by means of a tail 65b on the pawl which makes contact with a trip block or projection 67 mounted on the base plate of the trunnion plate or bracket 59.
  • the trip block 67 is adjustable lengthwise by means of guide slots 68 formed in the bracket ortrunnion plate 59, and threaded clamping elements 69 extending through these slots and screwing into the trip block.
  • the purpose of retaining the pawl out of mesh with the ratchet wheel is to ensure that the belt can be driven by the pawl and ratchet mechanism and pulley at either end of the master cylinder without encountering obstruc- 7 tion from the pawl and ratchet mechanism and pulley. at the other end.
  • Oscillatory movement is imparted to the pawl carrier 66 by means of a link 70 pivotally connected by means of a pin 71 at one of its ends to the pawl carrier, and pivotally connected at its opposite end to a spigot 72 projecting axially from a stud 73 fixed to one arm 74 of an oscillatory lever 75 rotatable on a circular boss 76 at the adjacent end of the master cylinder.
  • a second arm 77 onthis lever is pivotally connected to a cam plate 78 which can rock about the axis of a mounting bolt 79 carried by a plate 80 fixed on the master cylinder boss 76 and rotating with the master-cylinder.
  • the cam plate 78 has a pin and slot connection as indicated at 81 with the arm 77 of the lever 74 and the lever 7 is urged to rotate in a clockwise direction, asseen in FIGURE 2, by means of a coiled tension spring 82 connected between the arm 77 and the bolt 79 on the fixed plate 80 so as to normally maintain the. parts of the actuating mechanism for the belt in the neutral or disengaged position shown in FIGURE 3.
  • the cam plate 78 has a straight edge or face $3 which at one or the other end of the master cylinder is brought into contact with an actuating cam follower, as hereinafter described, to impart the requisite increment of movement to the belt in one direction of travel of the run 48 of this belt along the slot 20, or in the other direction as may be required.
  • the cam plate 78 and the associated cam follower element are so arranged in each case as to be set relatively in any of a plurality of different positions affording different degrees of lost motion so that the extent of the oscillatory movement" impartedto the cam plate 78 varies between one setting and another and thereby enables the user to preset the step or increment of movement to be transmitted to the run 43 of the belt.
  • FIGURE 7 Referring firstly to operation of the belt automatically, the mechanism for effecting this is seen in FIGURE 7.
  • the cam follower required to contactthe straight cam face 83 of the cam plate 78 during rotation of the master cylinder 13 comprises a roller 84 preferably adjustable in position alonga slot'85 in a triangular plate 86, pivoted about a horizontal axis by means of a bolt 87 to the side plate 88 which forms part of the side frame member 11 or" the machine.
  • the angular position of the plate 86 about the bolt is controlled by means of a strut S9 whichrat one end carries a stop piece 93 which can be brought into abutting engagement with any one of a plurality of stop members 91a, 91b, 91c carried by a rotary setting device 92 wherein three such stop members are shown by way of example.
  • the foot pedal is depressed. This is pivotally connected at its lower end to a link 93, the upper end of which is pivotally connected to a lever 94 itself pivotally connected to the upper end of'link 95 so that it can rotate about a pin 96.
  • the foot pedal 4 When it is desired to set the mechanism to the neutral position, .in which the cam follower roller 84 is wholly out of the path of movement of the cam plate 78, the foot pedal 4 is depressed.
  • This pedal is connected pivotally to the lower end of the link so that the latter is moved downwardly relatively to the link 93.
  • the pedal 5 may be fixed to a board or structure rockable about horizontal axes at the forward edges of the pedals, and that the pedal 4 is separately hinged to this board or structure;
  • a link connection from the pedal 5 (or the board or structure) to means for controlling operation of. the machine thus ensures. that the machine will execute one cycle of operation whenever eitherpedal is depressed, and that sheet shifting will be automatic when the pedal 5 is used and non-automatic, that is by hand, when the pedal 4 is used.
  • depression of, the pedal restores the lever 94 to an approximately horizontal position and at the same time a cranked portion presenting a downwardly facing shoulder 95a at the upper end of the link 95 engages a stop member 10941 on the arm 160, thereby freeing the arm 97 for downward movement and positively oscillating the rocker 93 in an anti-clockwise direction (as viewed in FIGURE'7).
  • the strut 89 is moved to the left, and the cam follower roller 84 is brought to the lower end of its path of travel clear of the path of movement of the cam face 83.
  • a coiled tension spring 1% serves to maintain the parts in the position shown in FIGURE 7 when the pedal 5 has been depressed to set the machine for automatic operation.
  • the member 92 may comprise a nut and the stop members 91a and 910 may comprise bolts screwed into threaded holes in respective faces ofthe nut. As seen particularly in FIGURE 9, an operating member is provided for setting the nut in any of a number of angular positions.
  • the nut is carried by a bush 107 formed with a spigot 168 on to which screws a clamping nut 109.
  • Locking mechanism comprising a sliding pin 110 extending through a bore in the nut 92 to engage in any one of a plurality of angularly spaced holes, of which one is seen at 111, in the plate 88.
  • a push-button 112 is provided which can be depressed against the pressure of a compression spring 113 in the interior of the bush and which carries a stem 114 connected by a cross piece 115 to the pin 110.
  • the bush 107 is preferably formed witha notch 107a to expose selectively any one of a series of markings such as that indicated at 116, showing the value or" the increment or step of spacing pertaining to each selected position of the rotary member or nut 92.
  • a second triangular plate 117 is provided pivotally mounted on the plate 88 by means of a bolt 118 and carrying a canrfollower roller 119.
  • the plate 117 can be oscillated about the bolt 118 by means of a manually operable member 120 (FIGURES 7 and 1) which is fixed to a lever arm 121 on the inner side of the plate 88.
  • the lever arm 121 has a pin and slot connection 122 with an arm 123 fixed to the triangular plate 117.
  • FIGURE 8 there is shown therein an actuating mechanism for the sheet shifting device for use in operating the sheet shifting device for reverse motion or back-spacing of the textual master sheet.
  • This operation is performed manually by means of an operating member in the form of a lever 128Vwhich is pivoted bymeans of a bolt 129 to the side plate 36 and at its lower end carries a cam follower roller 13ft. Movement of the lever 128 causes the roller to make contact with the cam face E3 of cam plate 78 at the right-hand end of the master cylinder to cause the cam plate to oscillate and impart the requisite step of movement to the run 48 of the belt in a direction reversely of that produced by operation of the cam plate 78 at the left-hand side of the master cylinder.
  • the magnitude of the step thus imparted is determined by the degree of angular movement of the lever 128 which is permitted from its initial position as shown in FIGURE 8. r 1
  • the initial gap or space between the lug 128a and the corner 131a is controlled by the position of a rotary setting member 135 constructed and adapted to operate in a manner similarto that illustrated in FIGURE 9, and which carries a plurality of stop elements 136a, 1361: and 136a in the form of screws or bolts projecting radially for different lengths.
  • FIGURE 5 The arrangements for driving the master cylinder are illustrated in FIGURE 5.
  • the master cylinder is driven by means of a belt 137 passing round a pulley 138 fast with the input or driving member of a single revolution clutch 139, and round a pulley 14% on a counter-shaft 141 to which is fixed a larger pulley 142 which in turn is driven by a belt 143 from a pulley 144 on a driving shaft 145.
  • the driving shaft may be coupled directly to the armature of an electric motor or driven therefrom by any suitable form of transmission means.
  • Rotating with the driven or output member of the clutch is a dog or tooth 146 which cooperates with two pawls 147 and 148 to arrest the master cylinder in a predetermined position with its slots in registration with the trays 24 and as already described.
  • the pawl 147 comprises a bar which can pivot about a pin 149 and is positively controlled by means of a rigid, right-angled arm structure 15% fixed to the pawl 147 to swing therewith about the axis of the pin 149 and which carrie a pin 151 engaged by the upwardly extending arm 152 of a bell crank lever whereof the other arm 153 is pivotally connected to a downwardly extending link 154.
  • the link 154- is connected at its lower end to the foot pedal 5 or board or structure on which this is fixed, so that upon depression of the foot pedal 5 the link is lowered, the bell crank lever rotated clockwise and the pawl 147 released from the dog or tooth 146 to allow the clutch to rotate.
  • the pawls 14-8 also comprises a bar pivoted on a pin155 and urged for rotation in an anti-clockwise direction by a coiled tension spring 156 end of this pawl and an anchor pin 157 on the plate 36.
  • a release of pressure from the foot pedal 5 allows the latter to rise by spring means and restores the pawl 147 to its initial position as shown in FIGURE 5, so that the dog or tooth 146 is automatically brought to rest between the two pawls in the position shown, the spring loaded pawl 148 preventing any oscillation or reverse movement of the master cylinder.
  • the machine is set for automatic spacing of the textual master sheet in a forward direction, that is to say from right toleft of the master cylinder as viewed from the front.
  • the plate is held in a pre-selected position determined by the position of the rotary setting member 92 by means of a strut 8 9 which is moved to the right by rocker 93 automatically upon depression of the foot pedal 5.
  • Hand spacing can be effected by means of operating lever 1215 producing oscillatory movement of triangular plate 117 to bring the cam follower roller 119 thereof in contact with the cam plate 78. a It-will be understood that when the master cylinder is in its stopped position the straight cam face 83 will be suitably disposed in the path of movement of the 1.
  • a duplicating machine comprising a supporting 7 structure, a rotatable master cylinder having a radially outwardly presented face for carrying at least one master sheet from which impressions of matter thereon can be taken, and for carrying at least one masking sheet, and a pressureroller co-operative with said master cylinder; the improvement comprising, i
  • a second sheet holding means on said master cylinder for securing said masking sheet thereon and spaced circumferentially of said master cylinder from said first sheet holding means
  • said sheet holding means including an endless belt having a sheet-engaging face defining one of the boundaries of at least a predetermined portion of the length of an axially extending slot in said master cylinder,
  • means for moving said belt comprising pulleys disposed at opposite ends of said slot and around which said endless belt passes, i
  • indexing mechanisms each comprising a pawl element and a ratchet element, said indexing mechanisms including means for automatically disengaging each pawl from its associated ratchet element upon completion of a stepwise driving movement so that the pulleys are free to rotate in either direction according to which one of said indexing mechanisms is selected for actuation,
  • a duplicating machine comprising a supporting structure, a rotatable master cylinder having a radially outwardly presented face for carrying at least one master sheet from which impressions of matter thereon can be taken, and a pressure roller, co-operative with said master cylinder, the improvement comprising,
  • a second sheet holding means on the master cylinder for securing said masking sheet thereon and spaced circumferentially of said master cylinder from said first sheet holding means
  • one of said sheet holding means including an endless belt having a sheet-engaging face defining. one of the boundaries of at least a predetermined portion of the length of an axially extending slot in said master cylinder,
  • said belt having projections on its sheet-engaging face adapted to penetrate or indent that one'of said sheets associated therewith,
  • a duplicating machine comprising a supporting structure, a rotatable master cylinder having a radially outwardly presented face'for carrying at least one master sheet from which impressions of matter thereon can be taken, and for carrying at least one masking sheet, and
  • a second sheet holding means on said master cylinder for securing said masking sheet thereon and spaced circumferentially of said master cylinder fromsaid first sheet holding means
  • said sheet holding means including anelongated sheet-engaging member mounted on said master cylinder and having a sheet-engaging face defining, and constantly presented along at least a predetermined portion of the length of, one of the boundaries of a circumferential branch of an axially extending slot in said master cylinder,
  • spring means are provided for urging said pressure member in a direction towards said sheetengaging member.
  • a duplicating machine comprising a supporting structure, a rotatable master cylinder havinga radially 12 outwardly presented face for'carrying at least one master sheet from which impressions of matter thereon can be taken, and, for carrying at least one masking sheet, and a pressure roller co-operative with said master cylinder;
  • a second sheet holding means on the master cylinder for securing said masking sheet thereon and spaced circumferentially of said master cylinder from said first sheet holding means
  • said sheet holding means including an elongated sheet-engaging member mounted on said master cylinder at a position inwardly of its radially outwardly presented face, said sheet-engaging member extending axially of said master cylinder and having a sheet engaging face defining one of the boundaries of at least part of the length of an axially extending slot in said master cylinder,
  • said sheet-engaging member being spaced in a direction normal to its sheet-engaging face from a further boundary face of said slot by a distance providing freedom for movement of said master or masking sheetalong said slot,
  • a manually operable member operatively engageable with one of said indexing mechanisms for effecting step-by-step movement of said belt manually
  • said actuating mechanism further comprises a manually operable member operatively engageable with the other one of said indexing mechanisms for effecting step-by-step movement of said sheet engaging member in the reverse direction to that effected by the first said manually operable member and said one indexing mechanism.
  • said actuating mechanism comprises a cam element and follower element, one of such elements being mounted on said master cylinder and operatively connected with said one indexing mechanism, the other of said elements. being mounted on said supporting structure of said machine, mounting meansfor said other element for enabling it tobe positionally adjusted into any of a number of positions providing different respective amounts References Cited by the Examiner of clearance or lost motion with respect to said ele- I UNITED STATES PATENTS ment on said master cylinder, I manually operable setting devices each movable into 2,724,330 11/ 55 Brown et each of a plurality of positions and operatively con- 5 2,997,949 8/61 Ritzerfeld et a1. 101-l32.5

Description

y 1965 R. M. FORD ETAL 3,192,855
MACHINE FOR DUPLICATING WITH AXIALLY MOVABLE MASTER SHEET Filed June 19, 1963 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 I 09w: age Can/vs.
y 6, 71965 R. M. FORD ETAL 3,192,855
. MACHINE FOR DUPLICATING WITH AXIALLY MOVABLE MASTER SHEET Filed June 19, 1963 v 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 O IVkLD Max F01 0 Den; l spcy Ctfiua y 6, 1955 R. M- FORD ETAL 3,192,855
MACHINE FOR DUPLICATING WITH AXIALLY MOVABLE MASTER SHEET Filed June 19, 1963 '7 Sheets-Sheet 3 y- 1955 R; M. FORD ETAL 3,192,855
momma FOR nurmcmme w'xm AXIALLY MOVABLE MASTER SHEET Filed June 19, 1963 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 //v ua/vroza 1 0M940 N9! gp flaws ezcy lea/vi y 6, 1965 R. M. FORD ETAL 3,192,855
MACHINE FOR DUPLICATING WITH AXIALLY MOVABLE MASTER SHEET Filed June 19, 1963 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 July 6, 1965 R. M. FORD ETAL MACHINE FOR DUPLICATING WITH AXIALLY MOVABLE MASTER SHEET 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed June 19, 1963 f Q 21M y 1955 R. M. FORD ETAL 3,192,855
MACHINE FOR DUPLICATING WITH AXIALLY MOVABLE MASTER SHEET Filed June 19, 1963 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 n5 &
M/70:5 IOIYFFLD f/g RED Dcms a e (arms United States Patent 3,192,855 MACHENE F 311 DWLIQATHNG WITH AXKALLY MQVABLE MASTER SHEET Ronald Max Ford, Abbots Morton, and Denis Percy Crane, (Elton Soiihuil, England, assiguors to Frank R. Ford Limited, London, England, a British company Filed June 19, 1963, Ser. No. 288,982
9 Claims. (Cl. 101-1325) This invention relates to duplicating machines, hereinafter referred to as being of the kind specified, including a rotary printing couple comprising a master cylinder and a pressure roller co-operative therewith, the master cylinder being adapted to carry a master sheet from which impressions of matter appearing thereon-can be taken onto copy sheets passed through the printing couple.
The matter appearing on the master sheet may be marked or applied thereon in the form of hectographic carbon or other similar material from which impressions can be taken onto copy sheets moistened with a solvent, in which case the machine would include a means for moistening the copy sheets when passed along an in-feed path to the printing couple preparatory to entry between the master cylinder and the pressure roller.
In connection with the organisation and administration of manufacturing activities, and also possibly in other fields, it is often required to reproduce on copy sheets matter appearing in a selected area only of a'master sheet, possibly in association with constant or heading matter from another master sheet, and various constructions of duplicating machines of the kind specified have been proposed to meet this general requirement.
One such form of duplicating machine of the kind specified includes a master cylinder having two circumferentially spaced slots in which are disposed clips for clamping the respective leading margins of a master sheet and a masking sheet, the latter being secured by the clip of the leading slot (having regard to the direction of rotation of the master cylinder) so that the masking sheet overlies a part of the master sheet and prevents matter appearing on this part from being transferred to a copy sheet, the extraction of matter being thus confined to the exposed part of the master sheet. In order to vary the axial position of the master sheet and hence vaiy'the circumferentially extending zone from which matter is extracted during operation of the machine onto copy sheets fed therethrough, the clip which secures the master sheet has been adapted to be moved axially by means of a mechanism disposed in the interior of the master cylinder.
This arrangement, however, requires that the movable clip shall have a length which is not more than half the axial length of the master cylinder to avoid restricting the extent to which the sheet held thereby can be shifted axially.
At the end of a series of duplicating operations involving extraction of matter from. diiferen't circumferentially extending zones of a master sheet, the clip is normally left in a predetermined position, usually at one end of the master cylinder. It has, therefore, to be moved back to its starting position before the next series of duplicating operations are performed. This is because, in most cases, selective extraction of matter from a master sheet starts at one boundary thereof and finishes near the other boundary.
ice
A further limitation of this form of duplicating machine is that, if, for any reason,- it is required to take an impression from the whole of a full width master sheet, that is one extending for the entire axial length ofthe master cylinder, such master sheet necessarily has to be held by a clip other than the movable clip (the latter being only half or somewhat less than half the length of the master cylinder). Consequently, the leading margin of such full Width master sheet must be held by the clip normally used for holding the masking sheet. The portion of the fullwidth master sheet which overlies the movable clip and part of the master cylinder in which s'uch clip operates is thus unuseable for the purposes of duplicating,
owing to the discontinuous or uneven support which would be afforded by this part of the master cylinder underlying it, iie. that in which the movable clip is mounted.
One object of the present invention is to provide anew or improved form of means for holding master and masking sheets on a master cylinder of a duplicating machine of the kind specified, whereby the disadvantages above referred to are avoided or reduced and certain other advantages are obtained as will hereinafter be apparent from, or will be pointed out in, the following description.
The invention resides in the provision in a duplicating machine comprising a supporting structure, a rotatable master cylinder having a radialiy outwardly presented'face for carrying at least one master sheet from which impressions of matter thereon can be taken, of the improvement comprising, a first sheet holding means on said master cylinder forsecuring said master sheet thereon, a second sheet holding means on the master cylinder for securing said masking sheet thereon and spaced circumferentially of said master cylinder from said first sheet holding means, at least one of said sheet holding means including an endless belt having a sheet-engaging face defining one of the boundaries of at least a predetermined portion of the length of an axially extending slot in said master cylinder, said belt having projections on its sheet-engaging face adapted to penetrate or indent that one of said sheets associated therewith, and means for moving said belt along saidslot while maintaining said sheet-engaging face preposition after it has been used for moving the associated sheet in a preceding cycle of operationsfof the machine along the length of the slot. 7
'The belt is preferably driven through indexing mechanism which can impart stepwise movement to the belt along the length of the slot in one direction or in the other direction selectively, thereby enabling the user to effect forward stepwise movement of a sheet or reverse stepwise movement or back spacing of a sheet.
The forward movement may be performed selectively either at will, byuse of a hand-operated member on the machine, or automatically in response to each cycle of rotation of the master cylinder.
The invention will be further. described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing showing an embodiment of the invention and wherein:
FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the machine looking towards the front or side thereof;
FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary view in end elevation of the master cylinder looking towards the left-hand end thereof, part of the end member and master cylinder being broken away to show details of the sheet shifting device;
FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary view showing part of the sheet shifting device and actuating mechanism therefor, the view being taken in cross-section on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;
FIGURE 4 is a view in front elevation of the sheet shifting device and actuating mechanism therefor, the master cylinder being shown in chain dotted lines;
FIGURE 5 is a view in side elevation of the machine unit proper or upper part of the complete machine shown in FIGURE 1 looking towards the right-hand side, the cover of the side frame member having been removed to show the drive to the master cylinder;
FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary view in cross-section in a vertical plane through a portion of the master cylinder showing the arrangement of slots and clips for clamping margins of a master sheet and masking sheet;
FIGURE 7 is a View in side elevation of the machine unit proper or upper part of the complete machine shown in FIGURE 1 looking towards the left-hand side thereof; the cover of the side frame member having been removed to show details of the mechanism for selecting the magnitude of each step of the stepwise movement imparted by the sheet shifting device to the sheet associated therewith when the machine is set for either automatic or hand operation of the sheet shifting device;
FIGURE 8 is a view similar to FIGURE 7 but looking at the right-hand side of the machine showing the arrangement of mechanism for controlling the magnitude of the steps of movement of the sheet shifting device when the machine is set for back or reverse spacing of the sheet;
FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary view in vertical crosssection through the operating member for setting the magnitude of the step through which the sheet shifting device moves the associated sheet; and
FIGURE 10 is a view in side elevation of the parts shown in FIGURE 9.
In this construction the machine may comprise any suitable form of frame or supporting structure 10 including a pair of side frame members 11, 12 between which a master cylinder 13 is journalled for rotation about a horizontal axis. Beneath the master cylinder is a pressure roller 14 (FIGURES 7 and 8) having a length extending for the full length of the master cylinder and at one side of the latter, namely at the front of the machine, is provided a tray or table 15 with which is associated feed rollers for advancing copy sheets along the infeed path to the nip between the master cylinder 13 and pressure roller 14. The machine also has a delivery traylSa for receiving the copy sheets returned forwardly beneath the printing completing any suitable form of sheet returning roller system (not shown).
At a suitable position on the infeed path, the machine incorporates means 16 for applying solvent thereto to moisten the copy sheets, such means 16 comprising moistening roller 17 and liquid supply structure 18, and a moistening pressure roller 19 disposed respectively above and below the infeed path. Alternatively, a moistening pad may be employed. In either case the moistening means 16 extends for the full width of the master cylinder.
The moiste'ning roller 17 and mo-istening pressure roller 19 may be driven in any suitable manner, for example, by ransmission means deriving its motion from a cam driven with the master cylinder.
The construction of the machine thus far described in conventional and it will be understood that it may be varied as, for example, by utilisation of a pressure roller which is a fractional length relatively to the length of the master cylinder and mounted'for axial movement therealong to register with the particular zone of the mas ter sheet, from which matter is required tobe extracted.
Similarly, fractional width moistening means may be em ployed if desired in which case such means would be mounted on an axially shiftable carriage to register with the selected zone.
The frame or supporting structure 10 includes a base unit 9 having side plates 8 connected by a back wall 7, the side plates 8 including inwardly projecting enlargements 6 at their upper ends on which side frame members 11 and 12 of the machine unit proper or upper portion of the machine are carried, the base unit is thus of hollow form open at its front and which serves to accommodate at its lower end two operating pedals 4 and 5 which determine the mode of operation of the sheet shifting device, that is to say whether the latter operates automatically once per revolution of the master cylinder or is set to a neutral position. In the latter case the operator may then use a handoperated actuating mechanism for operating the sheet shifting device at will.
Referring now to the master cylinder 13, this is formed, as seen in FIGURE 2, with two circumferentially adjacent axially extending slots, one 20 of which namely that occupying the trailing position, receives the leading margin of a textual master sheet from which matter is required to be extracted selectively from'certain circumferentially extending zones in sequence.
The other slot 21 occupies the leading position having regard to the direction of rotation of the master cylinder, as seen in FIGURES -2 and 6.
The slot 21 receives the leading margins of a masking sheet which overlies a portion of the master sheet. The slot 21 also receives the leading margin of a further masking sheet spaced axially from the first masking sheet so as to afford a gap or slot between adjacent edges of the two sheets through which a selected portion of the textual master sheet is exposed. The further masking sheet may be constituted by a master sheet which on its outer face bears constant or heading data which would usually be disposed adjacent to the gap or slot.
These various sheets are not shown in FIGURE 2 but in FIGURE 6 fragmentary portions of the textual master sheet 22 and the masking 23 are shown as single lines spaced away merely for the sake of clarity from the circumferential face of the master cylinder 13. The leading margins of these sheets which enter the slots 21 are not shown in the slots in order to avoid obscuring certain of the parts present in the base of the slot 20.
In FIGURE 1 there are shown trays or. guide plates.
24 and 25 for these various sheets. These trays or guide plates are preferably made of a transparent material such as a suitable synthetic resin and they are arranged tangentially,'or approximately so, to the surface of the master cylinder with their lower ends spaced circumferentially therewith to register respectively with the entrances to the slots 20 and 21. The tray or guide plate 24 receives and supports on its upwardly and forwardy presented guide face the textual master sheet 22 preparatory to. insertion of the latter into the slot 20 while the tray or guide plate 25 receives in one of its zones 26 the masking sheet, again laid on the upper forwardly presented face, and on the other of its zones 27 the further masking sheet which, as previously indicated, may be a master sheet bearing constant or heading data.
The tray or guide plate .24 may be marked with two parallel lines 28 to indicate the gap or exposure slot through which matter is to be extracted from the textual master sheet, the position and width of this gap or' slot being in effect defined by the adjacent edges of the two masking sheets which are separated by a spacer bar 29 secured to the upwardly and forwardly presented face of the tray or guide plate 25, preferably centrally of the length of the latter.
It will be understood that the master cylinder 13 is faces of the trays or guide plates 24 and 25 respectively,
and in this position clips associated respectively with the slots are caused to be moved to an open position to allow the various sheets to be moved into the slots.
The two masking sheets, of which one may be a master sheet bearing constant or headed data, are secured in the slot 21 by means of clips of conventional form, as seen at 30.
The slot 21 is formed in an enlargement 31 of the wall of the master cylinder which is thickened by inward radial extension and the clip is of T-shape in side elevation, as seen particularly in FIGURE 6,' so that the slot 21 attords an entrance or radially extending branch 21a of which the mouth is in the circumferential face of the master cylinder, and a transverse or circumferentially extending branch 21b at the inner end of the nadially extending branch. The slot 21 is thus of L-shape, as viewed in side elevation, and the sheets moved into this slot therefore take up a stepped form in cross-section, thereby stiffening the sheets locally and minimising the risk of distortion or crumpling.
The clip 3% is guided by means ofthe stem portion 39a for radial movement in the enlargement 31 and is urged radially inwardly by springs, such as that seen at 32, carried by a guide pin 33 of which the head is disposed in a bore in the clip 30 and which at its inner end screws into the enlargement 31. i
Movement of the clip 30 between an open and close position is efiected by a cam 34 (-FIGURE 8) pivoted on a pin 35 carried by side plate 36 whichforms part of the side frame member 12;. This cam can be rocked about the pin 35 by an operating lever 3'7 and carries two studs 38 and 39 which contact levers 4t and 41 pivoted on pins 42 and 43 on the master cylinder.
The lever 41 engages the inner end of the stem 30a of the clip 30 where this projects axially beyond the inset or recessed end members 13a of the master cylinder so that movement of the lever 37 can rest the clip 30 against the pressure of springs 32.
A similar clip 44, with a stem 44a guided in the enlargement 31, is provided to form the outer boundary of the slot 20 which again has a radially extending branch 20a and a circumferentially extending branch 29b.
The clip 44 is urged inwardly by a coiled compression 3 spring 45 disposed on a guide pin 46, the outer end of which is screwed into the'stem 44aand the shank of which passes slidably through a guide bar 47 fixed in the enlargement 31.
The clip 44 is movable from its closed position towards which it is urged by the spring 45 by the operating mechanism comprising the lever 37 already referred to, cam .34, pin 38 and lever 40.
At the inner side or bottom of the transverse or circumferentially extending branch 20b of the slot 29 there is provided a sheet shifting device for moving the textual master sheet axially of the slot. This shifting device includes a member extending along the length of the slot and which is movable along the length of the slot, selectively in either direction, and selectively in increments of movement of any of a number of pro-selected magnitudes. The belt is preferably of endless form although this "is not essential. One run 48 of the belt lies in the bottom of the slot 24) and an opposed parallel run 49 is disposed at a position inset radially from the wall of the master cylinder. Pulleys 5G and 51- are provided in the interior of the master cylinder adjacent to opposite ends thereof for supporting, driving and guiding the belt which thus moves in a plane radial, or approximately radial, to the axis of rotation of the master cylinder. I
At its outer surface the belt may be provided with a plurality of outwardly projecting pins or spikes 52 which can penetrate the leading margin of the textual master sheet so as positively to move this along the length of the slot 29. Alternatively the outer face of the belt could be formed with transverse ribs or other forms of tread to indent or slightly deform the leading margin without necessarily penetrating this and so assist movement along the length of the slot.
The operative or outer run 48 of the belt is urged radially downwardly by means provided in the base of the slot specifically for this purpose and which comprise a pressure strip or bar 53 carried by guide pins 54, 'screwing into the enlargement 31, and on which are disposed coiled compression springs 55 acting between the underside of the bar 53 and the inner wall'of a recess in the enlargement 31 in which the bar is mounted.
. The belt may be made of any suitable material, for example, it may be of natural or synthetic rubber or a synthetic resin having the requisite degree of flexibility. It could also be in the form of a sprocket chain ,or flexible of a series of sliding shoes arranged end-to-end and guided along an endless trackway formed in the base of the slot and having a return portion in the interior of the master cylinder.
Reverting to the construction specifically illustrated, it will be observed that positive drive is established between the pulleys 59 and 51 and the belt by the provision of teeth or castellations 56 at the inner side of the belt which mesh with corresponding recesses 57 and 58 in the grooves atiorded at the peripheries of the pulleys 50 and 51 respectively. u
The pulleys themselves are supported by trunnion plates or brackets such as those seen at 59, do. The brackets or trunnion plates include base portions, such as seen at 61 of FIGURE 2, secured by bolts 62 to mounting arms 63 carried by the end member 13a of the master cylinder.
For imparting the requisite stepwise or incremental I movement to the pulleys 50 and 51 and hence to the belt there is associated with each pulley, pawl and ratchet mechanism which, sinceit is identical at each end of the master cylinder, will be described in relation to only one of the pulleys, namely the pulley 50.
This mechanism comprises a ratchet wheel 64 which is fast with the associated pulley, and a pawl 65 mounted on an oscillatory carrier plate 66, the axis of oscillation of which is co-axial with that of the ratchet wheel 64 and.
pulley 50.
The pawl 65 is normally retained at one extremity of its movement, as seen particularly in FIGURE 3, with its tooth 65a out of mesh with the teeth of the ratchet Wheel 64 by means of a tail 65b on the pawl which makes contact witha trip block or projection 67 mounted on the base plate of the trunnion plate or bracket 59. The trip block 67 is adjustable lengthwise by means of guide slots 68 formed in the bracket ortrunnion plate 59, and threaded clamping elements 69 extending through these slots and screwing into the trip block.
This enables the clearance between the tooth 65a of the. pawl and the path of movement of the tips of the teeth of the ratchet wheel to be set so that, Whilst the ratchet'wheel is unobstructed as to its rotationwhen the pawl is in the position shownin FIGURE 3, there is almost instant engagement of the pawl to drive the ratchet wheel when the oscillatory carrier plate 66 is rotated from the position shown in FIGURE 3.
The purpose of retaining the pawl out of mesh with the ratchet wheel is to ensure that the belt can be driven by the pawl and ratchet mechanism and pulley at either end of the master cylinder without encountering obstruc- 7 tion from the pawl and ratchet mechanism and pulley. at the other end.
Oscillatory movement is imparted to the pawl carrier 66 by means of a link 70 pivotally connected by means of a pin 71 at one of its ends to the pawl carrier, and pivotally connected at its opposite end to a spigot 72 projecting axially from a stud 73 fixed to one arm 74 of an oscillatory lever 75 rotatable on a circular boss 76 at the adjacent end of the master cylinder.
A second arm 77 onthis lever is pivotally connected to a cam plate 78 which can rock about the axis of a mounting bolt 79 carried by a plate 80 fixed on the master cylinder boss 76 and rotating with the master-cylinder.
The cam plate 78 has a pin and slot connection as indicated at 81 with the arm 77 of the lever 74 and the lever 7 is urged to rotate in a clockwise direction, asseen in FIGURE 2, by means of a coiled tension spring 82 connected between the arm 77 and the bolt 79 on the fixed plate 80 so as to normally maintain the. parts of the actuating mechanism for the belt in the neutral or disengaged position shown in FIGURE 3.
The cam plate 78 has a straight edge or face $3 which at one or the other end of the master cylinder is brought into contact with an actuating cam follower, as hereinafter described, to impart the requisite increment of movement to the belt in one direction of travel of the run 48 of this belt along the slot 20, or in the other direction as may be required.
The cam plate 78 and the associated cam follower element are so arranged in each case as to be set relatively in any of a plurality of different positions affording different degrees of lost motion so that the extent of the oscillatory movement" impartedto the cam plate 78 varies between one setting and another and thereby enables the user to preset the step or increment of movement to be transmitted to the run 43 of the belt.
This arrangement is adopted whether the actuating mechanism is arranged for automatic operation, once per cycle of operation of the cylinder, is operable at will, or is used for reverse or back spacing movement of the belt.
Referring firstly to operation of the belt automatically, the mechanism for effecting this is seen in FIGURE 7.
The cam follower required to contactthe straight cam face 83 of the cam plate 78 during rotation of the master cylinder 13 comprises a roller 84 preferably adjustable in position alonga slot'85 in a triangular plate 86, pivoted about a horizontal axis by means of a bolt 87 to the side plate 88 which forms part of the side frame member 11 or" the machine.
The angular position of the plate 86 about the bolt is controlled by means of a strut S9 whichrat one end carries a stop piece 93 which can be brought into abutting engagement with any one of a plurality of stop members 91a, 91b, 91c carried by a rotary setting device 92 wherein three such stop members are shown by way of example.
To set the machine for automatic operation of the sheet shifting device the foot pedal is depressed. This is pivotally connected at its lower end to a link 93, the upper end of which is pivotally connected to a lever 94 itself pivotally connected to the upper end of'link 95 so that it can rotate about a pin 96.
in the position of the parts shown in FIGURE 7, when the pedal 5 has been depressed, resultant downward movement of the link 93 has caused the lever 94 to rotate from a horizontal position to a nearly vertical position, as seen in FIGURE 7, in which'the right-handend of the lever is engaged beneath an arm 97 on a rocker 98 pivotally mounted on a stud 99 for movement about a horizontal axis. At its lower end the rocker 98 carries a fixed arm 199 which forms part of an'over centre or toggle mechanism comprising a further armor link 101 slidable on a pin 102 carrying a spring 103 and supported by a pivot block on a lever 104.
The raising of the arm 97 and clockwise movement of the rocker 98 causes the strut 89-to be moved to the right through pivotal connection by a pin 105 at the upper end of the rocker with the strut 89. Movement is arrested when the stop piece is brought into abutment with one of the stop members such as 91a.
This sets the triangular plate 86 in a predetermined position in which the cam follower roller 84 is positioned for engagement with the straight cam face 83 at a particular position along the latter from its upper end and thereby imparts a particular value of oscillation to the cam plate 78.
When it is desired to set the mechanism to the neutral position, .in which the cam follower roller 84 is wholly out of the path of movement of the cam plate 78, the foot pedal 4 is depressed. This pedal is connected pivotally to the lower end of the link so that the latter is moved downwardly relatively to the link 93. It will be understood that the pedal 5 may be fixed to a board or structure rockable about horizontal axes at the forward edges of the pedals, and that the pedal 4 is separately hinged to this board or structure; A link connection from the pedal 5 (or the board or structure) to means for controlling operation of. the machine thus ensures. that the machine will execute one cycle of operation whenever eitherpedal is depressed, and that sheet shifting will be automatic when the pedal 5 is used and non-automatic, that is by hand, when the pedal 4 is used.
Also, depression of, the pedal restores the lever 94 to an approximately horizontal position and at the same time a cranked portion presenting a downwardly facing shoulder 95a at the upper end of the link 95 engages a stop member 10941 on the arm 160, thereby freeing the arm 97 for downward movement and positively oscillating the rocker 93 in an anti-clockwise direction (as viewed in FIGURE'7).
The strut 89 is moved to the left, and the cam follower roller 84 is brought to the lower end of its path of travel clear of the path of movement of the cam face 83.
A coiled tension spring 1% serves to maintain the parts in the position shown in FIGURE 7 when the pedal 5 has been depressed to set the machine for automatic operation.
The member 92 may comprise a nut and the stop members 91a and 910 may comprise bolts screwed into threaded holes in respective faces ofthe nut. As seen particularly in FIGURE 9, an operating member is provided for setting the nut in any of a number of angular positions.
For this purpose the nut is carried by a bush 107 formed with a spigot 168 on to which screws a clamping nut 109.
Locking mechanism is provided comprising a sliding pin 110 extending through a bore in the nut 92 to engage in any one of a plurality of angularly spaced holes, of which one is seen at 111, in the plate 88.
To withdraw the pin 110 from an associated one of these holes, a push-button 112 is provided which can be depressed against the pressure of a compression spring 113 in the interior of the bush and which carries a stem 114 connected by a cross piece 115 to the pin 110.
The bush 107 is preferably formed witha notch 107a to expose selectively any one of a series of markings such as that indicated at 116, showing the value or" the increment or step of spacing pertaining to each selected position of the rotary member or nut 92.
For operating the sheet shifting device manually, or at will, a second triangular plate 117 is provided pivotally mounted on the plate 88 by means of a bolt 118 and carrying a canrfollower roller 119.
The plate 117 can be oscillated about the bolt 118 by means of a manually operable member 120 (FIGURES 7 and 1) which is fixed to a lever arm 121 on the inner side of the plate 88. The lever arm 121 has a pin and slot connection 122 with an arm 123 fixed to the triangular plate 117.
The extent of oscillatory movement which can be imparted is controlled by a rotary member 124 and a series a 9 of stop members 125a, 125b, 1250 similar to those al-' ready described in connection with FIGURE 9 and which can be set selectively in the path of movement of a stop arm 126'fixed to the shaft or spindle 127 of the operating member 12% 7 Referring now to FIGURE 8 there is shown therein an actuating mechanism for the sheet shifting device for use in operating the sheet shifting device for reverse motion or back-spacing of the textual master sheet. This operation is performed manually by means of an operating member in the form of a lever 128Vwhich is pivoted bymeans of a bolt 129 to the side plate 36 and at its lower end carries a cam follower roller 13ft. Movement of the lever 128 causes the roller to make contact with the cam face E3 of cam plate 78 at the right-hand end of the master cylinder to cause the cam plate to oscillate and impart the requisite step of movement to the run 48 of the belt in a direction reversely of that produced by operation of the cam plate 78 at the left-hand side of the master cylinder.
The magnitude of the step thus imparted is determined by the degree of angular movement of the lever 128 which is permitted from its initial position as shown in FIGURE 8. r 1
This is controlled in turn by the angular position of a stop bar 131 pivotally mounted on a stud 132 at the outer side of the side plate 36 and connected to a coiled tension spring 133 extending between the bar 131 and an anchor pin 134 on the side plate so as to cause the stop bar to rotate in a clockwise direction as seen in FIGURE 8.
Movement of the lever 128 also in a clockwise direction is arrested by contact between a lug 128a extending at right angles from the plane of the lever stem which is formed of strip metal being brought into contact with the corner 131a of the stop bar 131. V p
The initial gap or space between the lug 128a and the corner 131a is controlled by the position of a rotary setting member 135 constructed and adapted to operate in a manner similarto that illustrated in FIGURE 9, and which carries a plurality of stop elements 136a, 1361: and 136a in the form of screws or bolts projecting radially for different lengths.
The arrangements for driving the master cylinder are illustrated in FIGURE 5.
The master cylinder is driven by means of a belt 137 passing round a pulley 138 fast with the input or driving member of a single revolution clutch 139, and round a pulley 14% on a counter-shaft 141 to which is fixed a larger pulley 142 which in turn is driven by a belt 143 from a pulley 144 on a driving shaft 145. The driving shaft may be coupled directly to the armature of an electric motor or driven therefrom by any suitable form of transmission means.
Rotating with the driven or output member of the clutch is a dog or tooth 146 which cooperates with two pawls 147 and 148 to arrest the master cylinder in a predetermined position with its slots in registration with the trays 24 and as already described.
The pawl 147 comprises a bar which can pivot about a pin 149 and is positively controlled by means of a rigid, right-angled arm structure 15% fixed to the pawl 147 to swing therewith about the axis of the pin 149 and which carrie a pin 151 engaged by the upwardly extending arm 152 of a bell crank lever whereof the other arm 153 is pivotally connected to a downwardly extending link 154. The link 154- is connected at its lower end to the foot pedal 5 or board or structure on which this is fixed, so that upon depression of the foot pedal 5 the link is lowered, the bell crank lever rotated clockwise and the pawl 147 released from the dog or tooth 146 to allow the clutch to rotate.
The pawls 14-8 also comprises a bar pivoted on a pin155 and urged for rotation in an anti-clockwise direction by a coiled tension spring 156 end of this pawl and an anchor pin 157 on the plate 36.
A release of pressure from the foot pedal 5 allows the latter to rise by spring means and restores the pawl 147 to its initial position as shown in FIGURE 5, so that the dog or tooth 146 is automatically brought to rest between the two pawls in the position shown, the spring loaded pawl 148 preventing any oscillation or reverse movement of the master cylinder.
The operation of the machine may be summarised as follows.
\Vhen the foot pedal 5 is depressed the machine is set for automatic spacing of the textual master sheet in a forward direction, that is to say from right toleft of the master cylinder as viewed from the front.
This takes place by movement from right to left of the run 4s of the belt. Such movement is derived from oscillation in a clockwise direction (relatively to the master cylinder of the cam plate 78 at the left-hand side of the master cylinder) which in turn is brought about by contact with the cam follower roller 84 on the plate 86.
The plate is held in a pre-selected position determined by the position of the rotary setting member 92 by means of a strut 8 9 which is moved to the right by rocker 93 automatically upon depression of the foot pedal 5.
When it is desired to revert to the neutral position of this actuating mechanism the pedal 4 is depressed to move the link 95 downwardly so as to engageits shoulder 95a with the stop member ltitia and move the rocker 98 to the left at its upper end. This movement is transmitted directly to the strut S9 and causes the triangular plate 86 to be moved clockwise to a position where the cam follower roller 84 is at the lower end of'its path of travel and is disposed out of the path of movement of the cam plate 78.
Hand spacing can be effected by means of operating lever 1215 producing oscillatory movement of triangular plate 117 to bring the cam follower roller 119 thereof in contact with the cam plate 78. a It-will be understood that when the master cylinder is in its stopped position the straight cam face 83 will be suitably disposed in the path of movement of the 1. In a duplicating machine comprising a supporting 7 structure, a rotatable master cylinder having a radially outwardly presented face for carrying at least one master sheet from which impressions of matter thereon can be taken, and for carrying at least one masking sheet, and a pressureroller co-operative with said master cylinder; the improvement comprising, i
a first sheet holding means on said master cylinder for securing said master sheet thereon,
a second sheet holding means on said master cylinder for securing said masking sheet thereon and spaced circumferentially of said master cylinder from said first sheet holding means,
at least one of said sheet holding means including an endless belt having a sheet-engaging face defining one of the boundaries of at least a predetermined portion of the length of an axially extending slot in said master cylinder,
means for moving said belt comprising pulleys disposed at opposite ends of said slot and around which said endless belt passes, i
connected between the lower I indexing mechanisms mounted on said master cylinder respectively for rotating said pulleys in opposite directions, said indexing mechanisms each comprising a pawl element and a ratchet element, said indexing mechanisms including means for automatically disengaging each pawl from its associated ratchet element upon completion of a stepwise driving movement so that the pulleys are free to rotate in either direction according to which one of said indexing mechanisms is selected for actuation,
and actuating mechanism mounted on said supporting structure of said machine .for selectively operating either of said indexing mechanisms.
2. In a duplicating machine comprising a supporting structure, a rotatable master cylinder having a radially outwardly presented face for carrying at least one master sheet from which impressions of matter thereon can be taken, and a pressure roller, co-operative with said master cylinder, the improvement comprising,
a first sheet holding means on' said master cylinder for securing said master. sheet thereon,
a second sheet holding means on the master cylinder for securing said masking sheet thereon and spaced circumferentially of said master cylinder from said first sheet holding means,
at least, one of said sheet holding means including an endless belt having a sheet-engaging face defining. one of the boundaries of at least a predetermined portion of the length of an axially extending slot in said master cylinder,
said belt having projections on its sheet-engaging face adapted to penetrate or indent that one'of said sheets associated therewith,
and means for moving said belt along said slot while maintaining said sheet-engaging face presented along said portion.
. 3. In a duplicating machine comprising a supporting structure, a rotatable master cylinder having a radially outwardly presented face'for carrying at least one master sheet from which impressions of matter thereon can be taken, and for carrying at least one masking sheet, and
a pressure roller co-operative with said master cylinder;-
the improvement comprising,
a first sheet holding means on said master cylinder for securing said master sheet thereon,
a second sheet holding means on said master cylinder for securing said masking sheet thereon and spaced circumferentially of said master cylinder fromsaid first sheet holding means,
at least one of said sheet holding means including anelongated sheet-engaging member mounted on said master cylinder and having a sheet-engaging face defining, and constantly presented along at least a predetermined portion of the length of, one of the boundaries of a circumferential branch of an axially extending slot in said master cylinder,
surfaces on said master cylinder defining a radial branch of said slot, such radial branch communicab' ing at its inner end with said circumferential branch and connecting the latter to said radially outwardly presented face of saidmaster cylinder,
and means for moving said sheet-engaging member along said slot while maintaining said sheet-engaging face presented along said portion.
4. The improvement claimed in claim 3 wherein a pressure member is also disposed in said circumferentially extending branch of said slot at that side of said sheetengaging member remote from its sheet-engaging face,
and wherein spring means are provided for urging said pressure member in a direction towards said sheetengaging member.
5. In a duplicating machine comprising a supporting structure, a rotatable master cylinder havinga radially 12 outwardly presented face for'carrying at least one master sheet from which impressions of matter thereon can be taken, and, for carrying at least one masking sheet, and a pressure roller co-operative with said master cylinder;
the improvement comprising,
a first sheet holding means on said master cylinder for securing said master sheet thereon,
a second sheet holding means on the master cylinder for securing said masking sheet thereon and spaced circumferentially of said master cylinder from said first sheet holding means,
at least one of said sheet holding means including an elongated sheet-engaging member mounted on said master cylinder at a position inwardly of its radially outwardly presented face, said sheet-engaging member extending axially of said master cylinder and having a sheet engaging face defining one of the boundaries of at least part of the length of an axially extending slot in said master cylinder,
said sheet-engaging member being spaced in a direction normal to its sheet-engaging face from a further boundary face of said slot by a distance providing freedom for movement of said master or masking sheetalong said slot,
longitudinally spaced projections on said sheet-engaging member extending at least partly across said slot between said boundary faces,
and means for moving said sheet-engaging member longitudinally of said slot.
6. The improvement claimed in claim 5 further comprising an elongated axially extending clip mounted on said master cylinder and having a portion disposed radially outwardly of, but spaced radially from, said sheet'engaging member to define in combination therewith a circumferentially extending branch of said slot, said clip having a circumferentially presented face opposed to, and spaced circumferentially from, a face on the master cylinder to define a radial branchof said slot communicating at its inner end with said circumferential branch,
means for moving said clip outwardly of, and towards, said radially presented face of said master cylinder to facilitate insertion of a margin of said master or masking sheet into said radial and circumferentially extending branches.
7. The improvement claimed in claim 1 wherein said actuating mechanism comprises:
a manually operable member operatively engageable with one of said indexing mechanisms for effecting step-by-step movement of said belt manually,
and power operated mechanism movable alternatively into operative and inoperative positions and operatively engageable in the former of these positions with said one indexing mechanism for effecting stepby-step movement of said belt automatically in response to each rotation of said master cylinder. 8. The improvement claimed in claim 7 wherein said actuating mechanism further comprises a manually operable member operatively engageable with the other one of said indexing mechanisms for effecting step-by-step movement of said sheet engaging member in the reverse direction to that effected by the first said manually operable member and said one indexing mechanism.
9. The improvement claimed in claim 8 wherein said actuating mechanism comprises a cam element and follower element, one of such elements being mounted on said master cylinder and operatively connected with said one indexing mechanism, the other of said elements. being mounted on said supporting structure of said machine, mounting meansfor said other element for enabling it tobe positionally adjusted into any of a number of positions providing different respective amounts References Cited by the Examiner of clearance or lost motion with respect to said ele- I UNITED STATES PATENTS ment on said master cylinder, I manually operable setting devices each movable into 2,724,330 11/ 55 Brown et each of a plurality of positions and operatively con- 5 2,997,949 8/61 Ritzerfeld et a1. 101-l32.5
nected with said positionally adjustable element FOREIGN PATENTS through transmlsslon means assoclateo respectwely I with said manually operable member and said power- 530,313 8/58 yoperated mechanism for setting the magnitude of the step-by-step movement effected thereby. 10 EUGENE CAPOZIO Primary Exammer-

Claims (1)

1. IN A DUPLICATING MACHINE COMPRISING A SUPPORTING STRUCTURE, A ROTATABLE MASTER CYLINDER HAVING A RADIALLY OUTWARDLY PRESENTED FACE FOR CARRYING AT LEAST ONE MASTER SHEET FROM WHICH IMPRESSIONS OF MATTER THEREON CAN BE TAKE, AND FOR CARRYING AT LEAST ONE MASKING SHEET, AND A PRESSURE ROLLER CO-OPERATIVE WITH SAID MASTER CYLINDER; THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING, A FIRST SHEET HOLDING MEANS ON SAID MASTER CYLINDER FOR SECURING SAID MASTER SHEET THEREON, A SECOND SHEET HOLDING MEANS ON SAID MASTER CYLINDER FOR SECURING SAID MASKING SHEET THEREON AND SPACED CIRCUMFERENTIALLY OF SAID MASTER CYLINDER FROM SAID FIRST SHEET HOLDING MEANS, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID SHEET HOLDING MEANS INCLUDING AN ENDLESS BELT HAVING A SHEET-ENGAGING FACE DEFINING ONE OF THE BOUNDARIES OF AT LEAST A PREDETERMINED PORTION OF THE LENGTH OF AN AXIALLY EXENDING SLOT IN SAID MASTER CYLINDER, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID BELT COMPRISING PULLEYS DISPOSED AT OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID SLOT AND AROUND WHICH SAID ENDLESS BELT PASSES, INDEXING MECHANISMS MOUNTED ON SAID MASTER CYLINDER RESPECTIVELY FOR ROTATING SAID PULLEYS IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS, SAID INDEXING MECHANISMS EACH COMPRISING A PAWL ELEMENT AND A RATCHET ELEMENT, SAID INDEXING MECHANISMS INCLUDING MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY DISENGAGING EACH PAWL FROM ITS ASSOCIATED RATCHET ELEMENT UPON COMPLETION OF A STEPWISE DRIVING MOVEMENT SO LTHAT THE PULLEYS ARE FREE TO ROTATE IN EITHER DIRECTION ACCORDING TO WHICH ONE OF SAID INDEXING MECHANISMS IS SELECTED FOR ACTUATION, AND ACTUATING MECHANISM MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORTING STRUCTURE OF SAID MACHINE FOR SELECTIVELY OPERATING EITHER OF SAID INDEXING MECHANISMS.
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Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2724330A (en) * 1950-08-31 1955-11-22 Block & Anderson Ltd Rotary hectographic copying machine for selective impressions
US2997949A (en) * 1958-02-19 1961-08-29 Ritzerfeld Wilhelm Machine for printing selected portions of a printing form

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2724330A (en) * 1950-08-31 1955-11-22 Block & Anderson Ltd Rotary hectographic copying machine for selective impressions
US2997949A (en) * 1958-02-19 1961-08-29 Ritzerfeld Wilhelm Machine for printing selected portions of a printing form

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