Offset printing web feed control

Claim 2

In a printing machine, movable means comprising a rotatable impression cylinder having a segmental web supporting surface, means to impart cyclic movement to said movable means, means carried by said movable means to support a supply roll of a strip of sheet material, means carried by said movable means to support a rewind roll of said strip, means carried by said movable means for feeding said strip from a supply roll supported thereon, and over said segmental-web-supporting surface to a rewind roll supported thereby, said rotatable impression cylinder being constituted of two side walls having spaced rotatably supported means projecting outwardly therefrom and connected in driven relation to said cyclic movement imparting means and said segmental-web-supporting surface being located at the periphery thereof and bridging the space between said walls, said cyclic movement imparting means rotating said cylinder, and said supply and rewind roll-supporting means and said strip-feeding means being located in said cylinder between said walls and spaced rotatably supported means, said feeding means being constructed and arranged to intermittently feed the strip of sheet material to advance successive portions of said strip into position on said segmental web supporting surface in a step-by-step fashion, means for varying the rate of feed of the strip by any given infinitesimal amount to vary the spacing between repeats produced on said strip from zero wherein the repeats are in abutting relation to a given maximum dimension, punching means operative to punch a hole in the strip during each period of dwell in the intermittent feed thereof, and means having a cyclic movement different from that of said movable means for actuating said punching means.

Claim 3

In a printing machine, a printing cylinder for applying a printing impression on its peripheral surface to successive portions of a strip of sheet material at a place along a path of travel of said strip and having a peripheral circumferential dimension greater than the length of such printing impression so that there is at least one gap between the ends of such impression, means for revolving said cylinder to move its peripheral surface at a continuous, given, constant velocity, means providing an impression surface coactable with the peripheral surface of said cylinder at said place during each application of an impression to the sheet material, means for supporting a supply roll of said strip, means for supporting a rewind roll of the printed strip, means for intermittently moving the strip relative to said impression surface in the intervals between such coactable relation of said surface and cylinder to advance successive portions of said strip into position for successive applications thereto by the repeated coaction of said cylinder and impression surface, said strip-moving means comprising a roll engageable with the strip to move the same, clutch means connected to said strip moving roll and operable to drive the latter in a direction to advance the strip supplied from a supported supply roll thereof, and means for operating said clutch means to advance the strip, including means reciprocative about an axis and drivingly connected to said clutch means and operative during one direction of movement thereof to drive said clutch means, means pivotal about a fixed axis, means connecting said pivotal means to said reciprocative means at the latter''s reciprocative axis, and means for shifting the position of the reciprocative axis of said reciprocative means relative to said fixed axis to cause said reciprocative means to drive said strip moving roll through said clutch means to advance the strip an amount dependent upon the shifted relation of said fixed and reciprocative axes, said shifting means being operable to effect any given gradient variation in the length of the strip between repeats of the impression to obtain the printing of such impressions on the strip in any given registered relation including the printing of impressions on the strip in abutting relation without gaps therebetween.

Claim 4

In a printing machine, a printing cylinder for applying a printing impression on its peripheral surface to successive portions of a strip of sheet material at a place along a path of travel of said strip and having a peripheral circumferential dimension greater than the length of such printing impression so that there is at least one gap between the ends of such impression, means for revolving said cylinder to move its peripheral surface at a continuous, given, constant velocity, means providing an impression surface coactable with the peripheral surface of said cylinder at said place during each application of an impression to the sheet material, means for supporting a supply roll of said strip, means for supporting a rewind roll of the printed strip, means for intermittently moving the strip relative to said impression surface in the intervals between such coactable relation of said surface and cylinder to advance successive portions of said strip into position for successive applications thereto by the repeated coaction of said cylinder and impression surface, said strip-moving means comprising a roll engageable with the strip to move the same, clutch means connected to said strip moving roll and operable to drive the latter in a direction to advance the strip supplied from a supported supply roll thereof, and means for operating said clutch means to advance the strip, including means reciprocative about an axis and drivingly connected to said clutch means and operative during one direction of movement thereof to drive said clutch means, means pivotal about a fixed axis, means connecting said pivotal means to said reciprocative means at the latter''s reciprocative axis, and means for shifting the position of the reciprocative axis of said reciprocative means relative to said fixed axis to cause said reciprocative means to drive said strip moving roll through said clutch means to advance the strip an amount dependent upon the shifted relation of said fixed and reciprocative axes, said shifting means being operable to effect any given gradient variation in the length of the strip between repeats of the impression to obtain the printing of such impressions on the strip in any given registered relation including the printing of impressions on the strip in abutting relation without gaps therebetween.

Claim 5

In a printing machine as defined in claim 2, including driven means connecting said clutch means to said rewind roll supporting means, and in which said reciprocative means is drivingly connected to said driven means so that in said one direction of movement thereof it drives both said clutch and driven means, whereby said operating means simultaneously operates said clutch means and said driven means to advance the strip from a supply roll thereof and to take up the strip on a rewind roll.

Claim 6

In a machine as defined in claim 3, in which said means providing an impression surface is constituted of a reciprocating carriage having an impression plate provided thereon, means for supporting said supply- and rewind-supporting means, said strip moving means, and said driven means on said carriage, means supporting said carriage for horizontal slidable movement, means for imparting horizontal slidable reciprocating movement to said carriage, means coactable with said carriage-supporting means to raise and lower the same and said carriage to raise said impression plate on one stroke thereof to bring the strip into engagement with said cylinder, and to lower said plate on the other stroke thereof to disengage the strip from said cylinder, and said strip moving means including means connected to said pivotal means and coactable with means carried by said carriage-supporting means to advance the strip on said other stroke of said impression plate.

Claim 7

In a printing machine as defined in claim 2, in which said means providing an impression surface is constituted of a rotatable cagelike cylinder having sidewalls, peripheral bridging means including a segmental impression member connecting said walls together, and spaced shaft means projecting outwardly from said sidewalls whereby the interior central portion of said cylinder provides an unobstructed space, said supply-roll- and rewind-roll-supporting means and said strip-moving means being contained in the space in said cylinder and between the spaced shaft means thereof.

Claim 8

In a printing machine as defined in claim 2, in which said means providing an impression surface comprises a reciprocating carriage, and means connected to said carriage for reciprocating the same horizontally, said reciprocating means being constructed and arranged to raise said carriage on one stroke thereof to bring the strip into engagement with said cylinder, and to lower said carriage on the other stroke thereof to disengage the strip from said cylinder.

Claim 9

In a machine as defined in claim 6, in which said carriage comprises a framework, means supporting said framework for horizontal movement, and in which said reciprocating means comprises means for imparting horizontal movement to said framework, and means coactable with said supporting means to alternately raise and lower the same and thereby alternately raise and lower said carriage framework.

Claim 10

In a printing machine as defined in claiM 2, including a first strip-feeding means comprising means for feeding said strip from a supply roll thereof into a first loop formed by said strips, and means including said strip-moving roll for drawing the strip in a step-by-step fashion from said loop and advancing it to said impression surface, and including a second strip-feeding means comprising means for feeding the strip discharging from said impression surface into a second loop formed by said strip, and means for drawing the strip from said second loop and winding it on a roll supported by said rewind-roll-supporting means.

Claim 11

In a printing machine as defined in claim 8, including means cooperative with said drawing means to place a tension on the successive portions of the strip being drawn from the second loop to the rewind roll without effecting the changes in size of such second loop.

Claim 12

In a printing machine as defined in claim 2, in which said shifting means is operable to render said strip-moving means inoperative to move the strip, and including means controlled by said shifting means and controlling the coactable relation of said impression surface and said cylinder, said controlled means being operative when said shifting means is actuated to stop the movement of the strip, to break such coactable relation of said impression surface and said cylinder and thereby to interrupt the printing of impressions on the strip.

Claim 13

In a printing machine, a printing cylinder for applying a printing impression on its peripheral surface to successive portions of a strip of sheet material at a place along a path of travel of said strip and having a peripheral circumferential dimension greater than the length of such printing impression so that there is at least one gap between the ends of such impression, means for revolving said cylinder to move its peripheral surface at a continuous, given, constant velocity, means providing an impression surface coactable with the peripheral surface of said cylinder at said place during each application of an impression to the sheet material, means including a roller for intermittently moving the strip of sheet material relative to said impression surface in the intervals between such coactable relation of said surface and cylinder to advance successive portions of such strip in a step-by-step fashion into position upon said impression surface where they remain stationary relative thereto during successive applications of impressions to such strip portions by the repeated coaction of said cylinder and impression surface, and means connected to and controlling said intermittent feeding means including first operable means movable in an orbit about a first given axis and connected to and operable to drive said feed roller in a direction to advance the strip, a second operable means connected to said first operable means and movable in an orbit about a second given axis, shifting means operable to position the given axes of said first and second operable means in coinciding relation to render said first and second operable means inoperative to advance the strip, said shifting means being actuatable to cause the given axis of one of said first and second operable means to be shifted to a position displaced from the given axis of the other operable means so as to cause said second operable means to actuate said first operable means to advance the strip an amount dependent upon the distance of displacement between said first and second given axes, said shiftable means being actuatable progressively to effect any given gradient variation in the length of the strip between repeats of the impression to obtain the printing of such impressions on the strip in any given registered relation including the printing of impressions on the strip in abutting relation without gaps therebetween.

Claim 14

In a printing machine, a printing cylinder for applying a printing impression on its peripheral surface to successive portions of a strip of sheet material at a place along a path of travel of said strip and having a peripheral circumferential dimension greater than the length of such printing impression so that there is at least one gap between the ends of such impression, means for revolving said cylinder to move its peripheral surface at a continuous, given, constant velocity, means providing an impression surface coactable with the peripheral surface of said cylinder at said place during each application of an impression to the sheet material, means including a roller for intermittently moving the strip of sheet material relative to said impression surface in the intervals between such coactable relation of said surface and cylinder to advance successive portions of such strip in a step-by-step fashion into position upon said impression surface where they remain stationary relative thereto during successive applications of impressions to such strip portions by the repeated coaction of said cylinder and impression surface, and means connected to and controlling said intermittent feeding means including first operable means movable in an orbit about a first given axis and connected to and operable to drive said feed roller in a direction to advance the strip, a second operable means connected to said first operable means and movable in an orbit about a second given axis, shifting means operable to position the given axes of said first and second operable means in coinciding relation to render said first and second operable means inoperative to advance the strip, said shifting means being actuatable to cause the given axis of one of said first and second operable means to be shifted to a position displaced from the given axis of the other operable means so as to cause said second operable means to actuate said first operable means to advance the strip an amount dependent upon the distance of displacement between said first and second given axes, said shiftable means being actuatable progressively to effect any given gradient variation in the length of the strip between repeats of the impression to obtain the printing of such impressions on the strip in any given registered relation including the printing of impressions on the strip in abutting relation without gaps therebetween.

Claim 15

In a machine as defined in claim 11, including means controlled by said shifting means and controlling the coactable relation of said impression surface and said cylinder, said controlled means Being operative when said shifting means is actuated to position the given axes of said first and second operable means in coinciding relation, to break such coactable relation of said impression surface and said cylinder and thereby to interrupt the printing of impressions on the strip.

Claim 16

In a machine as defined in claim 11, in which said means providing an impression surface is constituted of a rotatable cylinder having such surface provided on the periphery thereof and having an axis of rotation coinciding with said first given axis, means for rotating said impression cylinder at a given constant velocity about said first given axis, said first operable means comprising clutch means radially fixed with relation to said first given axis and rotated thereabout by said impression-cylinder-rotating means, said second operable means being mounted for reciprocating movement relative to said first given axis and rotated about said second given axis by said impression-cylinder-rotating means.

Claim 17

In a machine as defined in claim 13, in which said clutch means comprises a clutch shaft and means supporting said clutch shaft for rotatable movement about its longitudinal axis and for translatory movement about said first given axis in a circular orbit of fixed radius, said second operable means constituting a member mounted on said clutch shaft and disposed in offset relation to the longitudinal axis thereof.

Claim 18

In a machine as defined in claim 11, in which said shifting means comprises means pivotal about a fixed axis, means mounted on said pivotal means at a place spaced from said fixed axis for rotative movement about said second given axis and rotatably connecting said second operable means to said pivotal means at said spaced place, and means operable to pivot said pivotal means about said fixed axis to shift said rotative means and said second given axis.

Claim 19

In a machine as defined in claim 15, in which said pivotal means is provided at said spaced place with a bearing hub and said rotative means is constituted of a bearing mounted on said hub and a link rotatably supported by said bearing, said link being connected to said second operable means.

Claim 20

In a machine as defined in claim 15, in which said shifting means comprises movable operable means connected to said pivotal means and actuatable to pivot said pivotal means about said fixed axis to an adjusted position, means associated with said movable operable means for indicating the change in position of said pivotal means about said fixed axis, and disengageable locking means for locking said movable operable means when said pivotal means has been pivoted to an adjusted position.

Claim 21

In a machine as defined in claim 17, including means controlling the coactable relation of said impression surface and said cylinder, and means associated with said movable operable means and actuated by the latter to break such coactable relation of said impression surface and said cylinder and thereby to interrupt the printing of impressions on the strip, when said pivotal means has been pivoted to a position in which the given axes of said first and second operable means are in coinciding relation.

Claim 22

In a printing machine, an offset printing cylinder for applying a printing impression on its peripheral surface to successive portions of a strip of sheet material at a place along a path of travel of said strip and having a peripheral circumferential dimension greater than the length of such printing impression so that there is at least one gap between the ends of such impression, means for revolving said cylinder to move its peripheral surface at a continuous, given, constant velocity, means providing an impression surface coactable with the peripheral surface of said cylinder at said place during each application of an impression to the sheet material, means to impart cyclic movement to said means providing an impression surface, means for supporting a supply roll of said strip, means for supporting a rewind roll of the priNted strip, means for intermittently moving the strip relative to said impression surface in the intervals between such coactable relation of said surface and cylinder to advance successive portions of said strip into position for successive applications thereto by the repeated coaction of said cylinder and impression surface, means operable to effect any given gradient variation in the length of the strip between repeats of the impression to obtain the printing of such impressions on the strip in any given registered relation from zero length wherein the impressions are in abutting relation to a given maximum dimension, punching means operable in the periods of dwell in the intermittent feed of the strip to punch in the strip a series of holes in a spaced relation related to the registered relation of the impressions printed on the strip, and means having a cyclic movement different from that of said means providing an impression surface for actuating said punching means.

Claim 23

In a printing machine, an offset printing cylinder for applying a printing impression on its peripheral surface to successive portions of a strip of sheet material at a place along a path of travel of said strip and having a peripheral circumferential dimension greater than the length of such printing impression so that there is at least one gap between the ends of such impression, means for revolving said cylinder to move its peripheral surface at a continuous, given, constant velocity, means providing an impression surface coactable with the peripheral surface of said cylinder at said place during each application of an impression to the sheet material, means to impart cyclic movement to said means providing an impression surface, means for supporting a supply roll of said strip, means for supporting a rewind roll of the priNted strip, means for intermittently moving the strip relative to said impression surface in the intervals between such coactable relation of said surface and cylinder to advance successive portions of said strip into position for successive applications thereto by the repeated coaction of said cylinder and impression surface, means operable to effect any given gradient variation in the length of the strip between repeats of the impression to obtain the printing of such impressions on the strip in any given registered relation from zero length wherein the impressions are in abutting relation to a given maximum dimension, punching means operable in the periods of dwell in the intermittent feed of the strip to punch in the strip a series of holes in a spaced relation related to the registered relation of the impressions printed on the strip, and means having a cyclic movement different from that of said means providing an impression surface for actuating said punching means.

Claim 24

In a printing machine as defined in claim 19, in which said punch-actuating means comprises movable means controlling the operation of said punching means, and means located in said gap on said printing cylinder cyclically coactive with said movable means to operate said punching means.

Claim 25

In a printing machine as defined in claim 19, including means operative to render said punch-actuating means inoperative to actuate said punching means whenever said coactable relation of said impression surface and cylinder is interrupted.

Claim 26

In a printing machine as defined in claim 19, including first means operative to render said strip moving means inoperative to advance the strip, and second means controlled by said first operative means and operative to render said punch-actuating means inoperative to actuate said punching means whenever the advancement of the strip is interrupted by said first operative means.