US3869985A — Clamping and tensioning a sheet on a cylinder

Claim 1

Independent Claim 504 words

In a rotating cylinder impression machine, a device for clamping and tensioning the ends of a die sheet on a cylinder, comprising in combination with a cylinder having a leading edge relative to its rotational direction and defining the position to be occupied by the first end of said die sheet and a trailing edge defining the position to be occupied by the opposite end of said die sheet, said cylinder having a leading edge cutout portion, a trailing edge cutout portion, and a flat cutout portion positioned between said leading and trailing edge cutout portions, all the said cutout portions extending substantially axially across the cylinder, the clamping and tensioning device bridging said flat cutout portion and lying below the periphery of the cylinder between the positions occupied by the ends of the die sheet and within the space defined by the cutout portions and further being secured to the cylinder, the clamping and tensioning device further comprising: a stationary clamping bar disposed within the leading edge cutout portion of the cylinder and secured thereto, the bar having a radially facing clamping surface fitting flushly with the perimetric surface of the cylinder; at least one pivotally movable clamp bar disposed within the trailing edge cutout portion of the cylinder and pivotally attached thereto, the bar having a radially facing clamping surface; first clamping means opposing the clamping surface of the clamping bar and including spring means held between the clamping bar and said first clamping means and biasing said clamping means toward the clamping surface of the clamping bar for tensionably holding the first end of the die sheet therebetween; second clamping means opposing the clamping surface of the movable clamp bar and including spring means held between the movalbe clamp bar and said second clamping means and biasing said clamping means toward the clamping surface of the clamping bar for tensionably holding the second end of the die sheet therebetween; first link means pivotally connected to the first clamping means and extending transversely of the cylinder toward the second clamping means; second link means pivotally connected to the second clamping means and extending transversely of the cylinder toward the first clamping means and connecting pivotally with the first link means medially of the flat cutout portion of the cylinder; hinge means hingeably connecting the first and second link means at their respective inner ends for articulating the said link means relative to each other to allow the pivotally joined inner ends of the link means to be movable outwardly from the cylinder in a radial direction; and, coil spring means housed within the cylinder and extending radially from therewithin to abut and act against the first and second link means at substantially the hinged juncture thereof, the coil spring means biasing the hinged ends of the said link means outwardly from the cylinder in a radial direction, thereby to bias the first and second clamping means toward each other in substantially a circumferential direction to tension the die sheet on the cylinder.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 504 words

In a rotating cylinder impression machine, a device for clamping and tensioning the ends of a die sheet on a cylinder, comprising in combination with a cylinder having a leading edge relative to its rotational direction and defining the position to be occupied by the first end of said die sheet and a trailing edge defining the position to be occupied by the opposite end of said die sheet, said cylinder having a leading edge cutout portion, a trailing edge cutout portion, and a flat cutout portion positioned between said leading and trailing edge cutout portions, all the said cutout portions extending substantially axially across the cylinder, the clamping and tensioning device bridging said flat cutout portion and lying below the periphery of the cylinder between the positions occupied by the ends of the die sheet and within the space defined by the cutout portions and further being secured to the cylinder, the clamping and tensioning device further comprising: a stationary clamping bar disposed within the leading edge cutout portion of the cylinder and secured thereto, the bar having a radially facing clamping surface fitting flushly with the perimetric surface of the cylinder; at least one pivotally movable clamp bar disposed within the trailing edge cutout portion of the cylinder and pivotally attached thereto, the bar having a radially facing clamping surface; first clamping means opposing the clamping surface of the clamping bar and including spring means held between the clamping bar and said first clamping means and biasing said clamping means toward the clamping surface of the clamping bar for tensionably holding the first end of the die sheet therebetween; second clamping means opposing the clamping surface of the movable clamp bar and including spring means held between the movalbe clamp bar and said second clamping means and biasing said clamping means toward the clamping surface of the clamping bar for tensionably holding the second end of the die sheet therebetween; first link means pivotally connected to the first clamping means and extending transversely of the cylinder toward the second clamping means; second link means pivotally connected to the second clamping means and extending transversely of the cylinder toward the first clamping means and connecting pivotally with the first link means medially of the flat cutout portion of the cylinder; hinge means hingeably connecting the first and second link means at their respective inner ends for articulating the said link means relative to each other to allow the pivotally joined inner ends of the link means to be movable outwardly from the cylinder in a radial direction; and, coil spring means housed within the cylinder and extending radially from therewithin to abut and act against the first and second link means at substantially the hinged juncture thereof, the coil spring means biasing the hinged ends of the said link means outwardly from the cylinder in a radial direction, thereby to bias the first and second clamping means toward each other in substantially a circumferential direction to tension the die sheet on the cylinder.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 504 words

In a rotating cylinder impression machine, a device for clamping and tensioning the ends of a die sheet on a cylinder, comprising in combination with a cylinder having a leading edge relative to its rotational direction and defining the position to be occupied by the first end of said die sheet and a trailing edge defining the position to be occupied by the opposite end of said die sheet, said cylinder having a leading edge cutout portion, a trailing edge cutout portion, and a flat cutout portion positioned between said leading and trailing edge cutout portions, all the said cutout portions extending substantially axially across the cylinder, the clamping and tensioning device bridging said flat cutout portion and lying below the periphery of the cylinder between the positions occupied by the ends of the die sheet and within the space defined by the cutout portions and further being secured to the cylinder, the clamping and tensioning device further comprising: a stationary clamping bar disposed within the leading edge cutout portion of the cylinder and secured thereto, the bar having a radially facing clamping surface fitting flushly with the perimetric surface of the cylinder; at least one pivotally movable clamp bar disposed within the trailing edge cutout portion of the cylinder and pivotally attached thereto, the bar having a radially facing clamping surface; first clamping means opposing the clamping surface of the clamping bar and including spring means held between the clamping bar and said first clamping means and biasing said clamping means toward the clamping surface of the clamping bar for tensionably holding the first end of the die sheet therebetween; second clamping means opposing the clamping surface of the movable clamp bar and including spring means held between the movalbe clamp bar and said second clamping means and biasing said clamping means toward the clamping surface of the clamping bar for tensionably holding the second end of the die sheet therebetween; first link means pivotally connected to the first clamping means and extending transversely of the cylinder toward the second clamping means; second link means pivotally connected to the second clamping means and extending transversely of the cylinder toward the first clamping means and connecting pivotally with the first link means medially of the flat cutout portion of the cylinder; hinge means hingeably connecting the first and second link means at their respective inner ends for articulating the said link means relative to each other to allow the pivotally joined inner ends of the link means to be movable outwardly from the cylinder in a radial direction; and, coil spring means housed within the cylinder and extending radially from therewithin to abut and act against the first and second link means at substantially the hinged juncture thereof, the coil spring means biasing the hinged ends of the said link means outwardly from the cylinder in a radial direction, thereby to bias the first and second clamping means toward each other in substantially a circumferential direction to tension the die sheet on the cylinder.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 504 words

In a rotating cylinder impression machine, a device for clamping and tensioning the ends of a die sheet on a cylinder, comprising in combination with a cylinder having a leading edge relative to its rotational direction and defining the position to be occupied by the first end of said die sheet and a trailing edge defining the position to be occupied by the opposite end of said die sheet, said cylinder having a leading edge cutout portion, a trailing edge cutout portion, and a flat cutout portion positioned between said leading and trailing edge cutout portions, all the said cutout portions extending substantially axially across the cylinder, the clamping and tensioning device bridging said flat cutout portion and lying below the periphery of the cylinder between the positions occupied by the ends of the die sheet and within the space defined by the cutout portions and further being secured to the cylinder, the clamping and tensioning device further comprising: a stationary clamping bar disposed within the leading edge cutout portion of the cylinder and secured thereto, the bar having a radially facing clamping surface fitting flushly with the perimetric surface of the cylinder; at least one pivotally movable clamp bar disposed within the trailing edge cutout portion of the cylinder and pivotally attached thereto, the bar having a radially facing clamping surface; first clamping means opposing the clamping surface of the clamping bar and including spring means held between the clamping bar and said first clamping means and biasing said clamping means toward the clamping surface of the clamping bar for tensionably holding the first end of the die sheet therebetween; second clamping means opposing the clamping surface of the movable clamp bar and including spring means held between the movalbe clamp bar and said second clamping means and biasing said clamping means toward the clamping surface of the clamping bar for tensionably holding the second end of the die sheet therebetween; first link means pivotally connected to the first clamping means and extending transversely of the cylinder toward the second clamping means; second link means pivotally connected to the second clamping means and extending transversely of the cylinder toward the first clamping means and connecting pivotally with the first link means medially of the flat cutout portion of the cylinder; hinge means hingeably connecting the first and second link means at their respective inner ends for articulating the said link means relative to each other to allow the pivotally joined inner ends of the link means to be movable outwardly from the cylinder in a radial direction; and, coil spring means housed within the cylinder and extending radially from therewithin to abut and act against the first and second link means at substantially the hinged juncture thereof, the coil spring means biasing the hinged ends of the said link means outwardly from the cylinder in a radial direction, thereby to bias the first and second clamping means toward each other in substantially a circumferential direction to tension the die sheet on the cylinder.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 28 words

The clamping and tensioning device of claim 1 and further comprising: means For holding the first and second link means against the flat cutout portion of the cylinder.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 64 words

The clamping and tensioning device of claim 1 wherein the stationary clamping bar extends lengthwise of the cylinder over subsantially the full length thereof and wherein a plurality of the pivotally movable clamp bars are disposed at spaced intervals within the trailing edge cutout portion of the cylinder, each of the movable clamp bars having one of said second clamping means disposed oppositely therefrom.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 60 words

The clamping and tensioning device of claim 1 wherein the first end of the die sheet is formed with hole means and the device further comprises dowel means disposed on the stationary clamping bar and being received within the hole means in the die sheet to maintain the die sheet in a desired position relative to the stationary clamping bar.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 220 words

The clamping and tensioning device of claim 4 wherein the dowel means includes an adjustable dowel mechanism housed substantially within a bore means in the stationary clamping bar and comprising: a rotatable spindle having an eccentrically bored hole disposed longitudinally therein, the spindle also having a circumferential groove disposed in its outer end and further having teeth about the periphery thereof, the spindle being disposed in the aforesaid bore means in the stationary clamping bar with the outer end of the spindle located in the upper portion of the bore; a dowel pin disposed in the eccentrically bored hole and protruding therefrom, the pin extending from the bore means in the stationary clamping bar; a snap ring fitting into a portion of the circumferential groove disposed in the spindle, the snap ring being held within a shallow portion of the bore means contiguous to that portion of the bore means in which the spindle is held; and, worm gear means disposed in the stationary clamping bar and engaging the teeth on the rotatable spindle, rotation of the worm gear means acting to rotate the spindle and to sweep the dowel pin in an eccentric path, thereby to move the dowel pin within the hole means in the die sheet during placement and removal of the die sheet from the cylinder.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 202 words

The clamping and tensioning device of claim 1 wherein the stationary clamping bar has notched-out portions at each end thereof and bar lateral translation means disposed in each of the notched-out portions, the translation means each comprising: plate means bearing against the innermost surface of the notched-out portion; bellcrank means of substantially L-shaped conformation disposed between the plate means and that surface of the leading edge cutout portion which is parallel to the plate means, the bellcrank means being pivotally held therebetwen at the elbow portion thereof, the bellcrank means having a substantially horizontally disposed arm member and a substantially vertically disposed arm member; button means disposed on the lower surface of the notched-out portion; and, stationary pressure means disposed on one of the arm members and adjustable pressure means disposed on the other of the arm members, the respective pressure means bearing on adjacent surfaces of the button means and at right angles relatively thereto, movement of the adjustable pressure means toward or away from the button means causing the lateral pressure exerted on the button means by the stationary pressure means to respectively increase or decrease, thereby to cause the clamping bar to be laterally movable relative to the cylinder.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 69 words

The clamping and tensioning device of claim 1 and further comprising: camming means surmounting both the first and second clamping means and rotatable to bias the said clamping means away from respective clamping surfaces of the stationary clamping bar and movable clamp bar, thereby allowing the respective ends of the die sheet to be positioned between or removed from between the said clamping means and the said clamping surfaces.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 82 words

The clamping and tensioning device of claim 1 Wherein the pivotally movable clamp bar comprises: opposed hinge brackets secured to the trailing edge cutout portion of the cylinder and having oppositely facing and aligned bores disposed therein; and, aligned hinge pin means on opposite sides of a narrowed rear portion of the clamp bar, the hinge pin means being received within the oppositely facing and aligned bores in the hinge brackets, the clamp bar being pivotally movable about the hinge pin means.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 153 words

The clamping and tensioning device of claim 8 wherein the first clamping means comprise: spaced side plates secured to the stationary clamp bar, each of the side plates having diagonally disposed holes formed therein and aligning with corresponding holes in the opposing side plate, and further having an additional pair of aligned holes in the forwardmost portions thereof; and, a clamping block having hinge pins extending from opposite sides thereof and received rotatably within one pair of aligned holes in the spaced side plates, thereby to allow said clamping block to pivot thereabout, the clamping block having a nose member on the outermost portion thereof and which confronts the clamping surface on the stationary clamping bar, the spring means being disposed between the rear portion of the clamping block and the stationary clamp bar and acting to bias the nose member of the clamping block toward the clamping surface of the clamping bar.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 110 words

The clamping and tensioning device of claim 9 and further comprising camming means surmounting the first clamping means and including a T-shaped latch having aligned hinge pins extending from the arms of the latch, the pins being received in a second pair of the holes in the side plates of the first clamping means, the latch being rotatable about the hinge pins, the latch further having a camming surface formed on the rear portion of the arms and engageable with said clamping means on rotation of the latch about the hinge pins to bias the nose member of the clamping block away from the clamping surface of the clamping bar.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 153 words

The clamping and tensioning device of claim 10 wherein the second clamping means comprise: spaced side plates secured to the movable clamping bar, each of the side plates having diagonally disposed holes formed therein and aligning with corresponding holes in the opposing side plate, and further having an additional pair of aligned holes in the forwardmost portions thereof; and, a clamping block having hinge pins extending from opposite sides thereof and received rotatably within one pair of aligned holes in the spaced side plates, thereby to allow said clamping block to pivot thereabout, the clamping block having a nose member on the outermost portion thereof and which confronts the clamping surface on the movable clamping bar, the spring means being disposed between the rear portion of the clamping block and the movable clamping bar and acting to bias the nose member of the clamping block toward the clamping surface of said clamp bar.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 110 words

The clamping and tensioning device of claim 11 and further comprising camming means surmounting the second clamping means and including a T-shaped latch having alinged hinge pins extending from the arms of the latch, the pins being received in a second pair of the holes in the side plates of the second clamping means, the latch being rotatable about the hinge pins, the latch further having a camming surface formed on the rear portion of the arms and engageable with said clamping means on rotation of the latch about the hinge pins to bias the nose member of the clamping block away from the clamping surface of the clamping bar.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 68 words

The clamping and tensioning device of claim 12 wherein the first link means are pivotally hinged to the side plates secured to the stationary clamp bar within the additional pair of aligned holes in the forwardmost portions thereof and the second link means are pivotally hinged to the side plates secured to the movable clamping bar within the additional pair of Aligned holes in the forwardmost portion thereof.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 65 words

The clamping and tensioning device of claim 13 wherein a plurality of said pivotally movable clamp bars, first and second clamping means, first and second link means, hinge means, and coil spring means are provided, each combination thereof being laterally spaced from each other such that selected portions of the ends of the die sheet can be independently clamped and moved toward each other thereby.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 57 words

The clamping and tensioning device of claim 14 and further comprising means for securing said first and second link means in a position whereby the link means are substantially parallel and in a co-linear condition so as to maintain said first and second clamping means respectively apart from the stationary clamping bar and the movable clamp bars.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1978-03-10	1978-09-09	1979-03-11	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1982-03-10	1982-09-09	1983-03-11	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1986-03-10	1986-09-09	1987-03-11	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Clamping and tensioning a sheet on a cylinder

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