Printing press

Claim 1

Apparatus for imprinting an elongate strip of paper moving along a path of travel through the apparatus, said paper strip having a pair of parallel elongate peripheral edges, said apparatus including (a) primary frame means; (b) a roll of paper rotatably mounted on said frame means to supply said strip of paper moving through said apparatus; (c) at least one drum rotatably mounted on said frame means for contacting and imprinting said strip of paper moving through said apparatus; (d) roller means rotatably mounted on said frame means and adapted to contact and form transverse, parallel lines of weakening at spaced intervals along said paper strip moving through said apparatus; (e) a take-up roller for receiving said paper strip after said strip has contacted and moved past said imprinting drum and said roller means; (f) a plurality of guide rollers rotatably mounted on said frame means and contacted by said strip of paper moving through said apparatus; said guide rollers, imprinting drum and roller means generally defining said path of travel of said strip of paper from said supply roll through said apparatus, one of said guide rollers being positioned along said path of travel intermediate said roller means and take-up roller, said paper strip moving through said apparatus along said path of travel within an envelope generally bounded by a pair of imaginary vertical parallel planes each intersecting one of said elongate peripheral edges of said paper strip; (g) secondary frame means operatively associated with said primary frame means; (h) an oscillating chute mounted on said secondary frame means for alternately distributing at least some of said lines of weakening in said paper strip in substantially opposite directions; (i) a feed roller carried on said secondary frame means for dispensing said continuous strip of paper into said oscillating chute; (j) folding means carried on said secondary frame means and operatively associated with said oscillating chute for urging said paper distributed by said chute into a folded condition, said folding means including (i) spirals shaped and dimensioned to receive and carry away from said oscillating chute creased edges of paper distributed by said chute, said spirals being independently adjustable prior to the operation of said apparatus, and (ii) beaters for periodically tamping said paper distributed by said chute, said beaters assisting in the folding and positioning of said paper and being independently adjustable prior to the operation of said apparatus, said spirals and beaters moving in synchronous relationship with said chute during the operation thereof, (k) a support surface mounted on said apparatus for receiving paper dispensed by said spirals and beaters; (l) paper stops mounted on said secondary frame means and positioned above said support surface, each of said paper stops having at least one upstanding face for contacting and preventing the lateral travel of creased edges of paper distributed by said chute; (m) first gear train means carried on said primary frame means for transmitting motive power to at least one of the group consisting of said guide rollers, said take-up roller, said imprinting drum, and said roller means mounted on said primary frame means to draw said paper strip from said supply roller through said apparatus and along said path of travel; (n) power means to drive said first gear train means; (o) second gear train means carried on said secondary frame means for driving and transmitting motive power to said feed roller, oscillating chute and folding means such that generally synchronized movement thereinbetween is maintained, a portion of said gear train means actuating said chute and folding means without actuating said feed roller; (p) means for driving said second gear train means; said secondary frame means being connected to said primary frame means for movement between at least two operative positions, (q) a first operative position with said feed roller generally parallel to said guide rollers, supply roll and takeup roller, and positioned to receive said paper strip from said guide roller positioned intermediate said roller means and said take-up roller such that said paper strip received by said feed roller generally lies within said envelope bounded by said first and second parallel imaginary planes; and, (r) a second operative position with said feed roller and secondary frame means generally displaced to a position outside of said envelope bounded by said first and second parallel imaginary planes; said paper strip moving through said apparatus being directed from said guide roller positioned intermediate said roller means and said take-up roller to said feed roller and through said chute and folding means when said secondary frame means is in said first operative position; and, said take-up roller when said secondary frame means is in said second operative position, (s) means carried on said primary frame means for, when said secondary frame means is in said first operative position, simultaneously advancing or retarding said the movement of said strip of paper through said chute and folding means.