Abstract: For automating the placement or removal of printing plates on plate cylinders (16, 17) of rotary printing machines, particularly web printing machines, an application head (11) is secured to a multiple linked roboter arm (2), slidable vertically along a guide post (1). The roboter arm can be pivoted about the axis of the guide post, moved vertically thereabout, and includes a plurality of joints (3, 4, 5, 6) which connect roboter arm link elements (7, 8, 9, 10). The positioning head (11) is located at the roboter arm element (10) most remote from the guide post. The guide post is positioned between the axes of rotation of printing cylinders of adjacent printing stations, axially removed from the path of the web between the printing stations, so that interference with the web is effectively avoided.

Abstract: A sheet-fed printing press with a sheet feeder and a printing unit traction device connecting the sheet feeder and the printing unit to one another, the traction device having a taut side and a slack side, a phase-adjustment device acting upon the traction device for changing a phase angle between an input shaft and an output shaft by means of a change in the length of the taut side, one of the shafts being assigned to the sheet feeder and the other to the printing unit, the phase-adjustment device acting between the slack side and the taut side along a substantially vertical line disposed centrally with respect to the shafts, the phase-adjustment device comprising an adjustably disposed guide for the taut side of the traction device, and a guide for the slack side of the traction device, tensioning elements acting between the taut-side guide and the slack-side guide for prestressing the slack-side guide against the slack side of the traction device, the slack-side guide together with the taut-side guide bein

Abstract: A system and method for stabilizing a moving web within a printing press having one or more printing units cooperating to print an image on the web, including an air driven stabilizer structure disposed proximate to the printing units associated therewith for controlling the arc length of blanket follow between the web and one or more of the printing cylinders by creating a Bernoulli effect.

Abstract: To capture a torn web traveling at high speed after receiving printed subject matter from a printing machine, the web is guided between a pair of capturing rollers (1, 55) which, in normal operation, pass the web without contact with the rollers therebetween. Upon sensing of a torn web, a "torn web" signal modifies the diameter of one of the rollers to engage against the other, with the torn web therebetween. This system eliminates moving the axes of rotation of the rollers. Expansion of the diameter of the expandable roller is achieved by forming the roller of part-cylindrical segments which are retained by pivot levers (9, 54) on a rotating spindle (13), the levers being movable under spring pressure (16) from a sharply inclined to a more erected position to thereby move the segments (2, 3, 4) outwardly. A sear (20, 21) releases spring pressure. Centrifugal force due to rotation of the rollers assists in rapid expansion of the effective diameter of the expandable roller.

Abstract: A safety device for control of a roller rotary printing machine includes a plurality of sensors positioned either before or behind a web advancing device for recognizing tears or other damages in a region of the edges of the advancing web, an evaluation device having an input connected to the sensors and an output at which an impulse-like control signal is issued, and a switching device connected to the output of the evaluation device and arranged in a path of the web of the printing machine. The switching device is adapted for an abrupt lowering of a web tension upon receiving the signal from the evaluation device.

Abstract: A toy sewing machine includes a body portion which resembles the body of a conventional sewing machine and a printing mechanism which is operative for applying a printed image to a piece of sheet material as the piece of sheet material is passed through the sewing machine.

Abstract: In a machine such as a printer, mill, and similar machines, the fast coupling system for the replacement of the rollers comprises two vertical slides, each one of the slides being provided at the bottom with a fixed jaw and a movable jaw. The jaws form a circular seat. Each roller has an idle bush which engages with the circular seat.

Abstract: The guide roller apparatus in a rotary press using a paper roll includes: rotatable guide rollers; and a power transmission mechanism for connecting two or more guide rollers with each other in such a manner that at least one of the guide rollers is rotated at a circumferential speed different from those of the other guide rollers.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for making booklet type labels having at least one printed inner sheet includes apparatus for printing and assembling three webs which includes the provision of folding stations to enable a single web to be immediately and continuously folded after printing to produce one more inner label portions making up the booklet sheets. The press includes vertically stacked web support drums with associated printing stations wherein one of the drums is reversible to enable the simultaneous printing of two webs by the stack assembly including the printing of one web on both sides.

Abstract: To permit use of a yielding surface covering (19, 48) on an ink application cylinder (7, 32) in an offset printing machine, without slippage or rubbing between the ink application cylinder and an adjacent plate cylinder (5, 31), a drive is arranged between the plate cylinder and the ink application cylinder which provides for corresponding linear circumferential speed by, either, placing an auxiliary idler gear train (17, 18) between the plate cylinder gear (15) and the drive gear (16) for the ink application cylinder, or independently driving the ink application cylinder (7) by an electric motor.

Abstract: A flexographic printing machine, especially for flexographic web printing, has at least one printing unit. The printing unit comprises a printing cylinder or an endless printing belt drawn on round a back-up cylinder and a tension roller, an impression cylinder, an engraved roller for transferring the ink to the printing cylinder or to the printing belt, and an ink drier. A paper web runs through all the printing units. Incorporated in each printing unit is a working engraved roller, which can be uncoupled from a drive shaft of the flexographic printing machine during the operation of the latter, and at least one stand-by engraved roller which can be connected automatically in exchange during the set-up time.

Abstract: To permit access to accessory apparatus, such as inkers or dampers, or parts thereof, through an opening in the side wall of the printing machine which is so small, for reasons of printing machine stability, that normal access thereto is impaired, at least part of the accessory apparatus is located on a slide carriage (27) which is supported similar to a suspension slide on a carriage support rail (28). The carriage support rail (28) is secured to one side wall with a pivot hinge, so that it can be pivoted laterally, horizontally, to remove the part of the accessory apparatus by sliding it outwardly on the slide carriage. A holder extension (39) slidable on the support (38) is secured to the other side wall (1) of the printing machine supports the carriage support rail and provides an end stop for the accessory apparatus when the carriage support rail is swung outwardly.

Abstract: A second color print head attachment for an offset duplicator including a plate cylinder carrier 20 and an inker carrier 70 arranged to be pivotally secured to a side frame 11 of an offset duplicator press 10. A first pair of register pins 100 and 102 mounted on the inker carrier 70 are received in openings 21 and 23 formed in the plate cylinder carrier 20 for detachably securing inker form rollers 75, 76, and 77 in engagement with the printing plate 35. A pair of rollers 64 and 66 on the plate cylinder carrier 20 extend into guide slots 54 and 56 in a mounting bracket 50 secured to the duplicator press frame 12. The lock-up mounting bracket 50 and the hinge mounting bracket 40 are pivotally secured to the duplicator press frames for rotation by an eccentric actuator 110, 115 for moving the printing plate 35 into engagement with the blanket cylinder 16 in the duplicator press 10.

Abstract: A wheel (15) is freely mounted on the shaft (2) of a printing head and is in contact at its periphery with a film which is to be printed. A tachymeter (10) is provided which detects the speed of rotation of the wheel (15) and transmits a corresponding signal to apparatus (26) for controlling the speed of rotation of the motor (8).

Abstract: In a mailing machine including a postage meter, wherein the postage meter includes rotary printing structure for printing indicia on a sheet fed to the machine, and the machine includes apparatus for driving the printing structure, wherein the driving apparatus includes a drive gear, the driving apparatus includes a locking member movable into and out of locking engagement with the drive gear, the driving apparatus includes an actuating member for moving the locking member, and wherein the machine includes trip structure for sensing a sheet fed to the machine, an improvement comprising: a source of supply of d.c. power; a first circuit connected across the power supply and including a solenoid and a trip switch actuatable for energizing the solenoid; a second circuit connected across the power supply and including a d.c.

Abstract: A pair of engaged cylinders of a machine for processing a continuous web or sheets passing between the cylinder nip has shafts journalled at opposite ends in a machine frame with first bearings mounted in the machine on the shafts, and auxiliary casings supporting second bearings on the shafts and located inboard of the first bearings. Pairs of the casings having a gap therebetween are mounted on the frame for adjustment relative to the frame and to one another in a direction perpendicular to the shafts, and at least one pressure medium cylinder acts between the frame and at least one of the casings in such direction for adjusting the size of the gap between the casings and for thus adjusting the size of the nip between the cylinders.

Abstract: A pair of engaged cylinders of a machine for processing a continuous web or sheets passing between the cylinder nip has shafts journaled at opposite ends in a machine frame with pairs of first and second bearings for the shafts mounted on the machine frame for relative adjustment to each other and to the frame for adjusting the sides of the nip between the cylinders, at least one adjustable pressure medium cylinder acting between the frame and one of the casings of each pair being provided for effecting force flows to travel along parallel planes which contain the casing and bearing pair.

Abstract: A printing station for use in a flexographic printing press. The printing station has a frame to which is attached supports for holding a doctor roll, an anilox roll and an impression roll. Adjustable mechanisms are provided for adjusting these rolls such that a plate cylinder may be removed and reinserted, without the use of tools, and without any need to readjust the adjustable mechanisms. The doctor roll and the anilox roll may also be removed without the use of tools. Two printing stations may be used to print alternately while a web having substrates moves continuously through the stations. This is achieved without significant waste because of the ability to quickly change plate cylinders without readjustment of the printing station.

Abstract: In a machine including rotary structure for printing indicia on a sheet fed to the machine, wherein the machine includes apparatus for driving the rotary printing structure, wherein the driving apparatus includes a drive gear having a home position, wherein driving apparatus includes a locking member movable into and out of locking engagement with the drive gear when the drive gear is in its home position, and wherein the machine includes trip structure for sening a sheet fed to the machine, an improvement comprising: an actuating member for moving the locking member into and out of locking engagement with the drive gear; apparatus for controlling the actuating member, the controlling apparatus including resilient structure for urging the actuating member to move the locking member into and out of locking engagement with the drive gear; and the trip structure including structure for normally latching the controlling apparatus for preventing the resilient structure from moving the actuating member to move the

Abstract: A method and apparatus for printing repeat patterns of various lengths from a printing apparatus with a limited number of printing cylinders by driving the web being printed and the rotary printing means at a predetermined speed ratio. An impression element for pressing the web against the rotary printing cylinder has an impression portion with a radius of curvature in a range of from 2 mm to 70 mm.

Abstract: A hand-held printer in which tickets or the like are fed between a platen and an indicia-bearing printing wheel carried by a printing head. The platen is rotatable on a base on which the carrier is slidable vertically between an upper position in which the platen and wheel are spaced apart to receive the ticket therebetween and a down position in which the wheel presses the ticket against the platen. The printing wheel is inked by an associated inking wheel. Vertical movement of the carrier relative to the base is achieved manually by the gripping of elements located on the base and carrier. The printing head is selectively positionable crosswise of the platen to accommodate varying locations on the ticket to be printed. An adjustable ticket guide is provided to enable guiding of tickets of different dimensions.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for synchronously controlling a printing speed of a belt-type printing machine including a plate cylinder, a tension roll for adjusting a distance between the plate cylinder and the tension roll, and an endless printing belt detachably wound around the plate cylinder and the tension roll. According to the present invention, sprocket wheels each having thereround sprocket pins for engaging perforations of the endless printing belt are rotatably mounted on the plate cylinder so that the sprocket wheels have no function of driving the endless printing belt and are only intended to guide the belt along a predetermined path and prevent it from lateral movement relative to the plate cylinder. The endless printing belt is driven only by a frictional force between the peripheral surface of the plate cylinder and the belt. With independently detecting the number of rotation of the sprocket wheels, i.e.

Abstract: A wireless control device for a large printing machine includes at least one portable hand unit having a transmitter, and a plurality of push buttons for selecting a desired command to be sent to one of a plurality of electronic control units associated with the printing machine. The commands are transmitted, by electromagnetic radiation, such as infrared waves, or by ultrasonic waves, to receiving and decoding units that are connected to each of the control units. To insure that the control units are not inadvertently actuated, signal verification circuiting can be provided. This circuitry enables a signal received by one of the receiving and decoding units to be retransmitted back to the hand unit, where it is compared with the original signal in the transmitter, to insure that the two coincide. A speech analysis system can be employed with the device to enable commands to be entered verbally.

Abstract: A thermographic printing machine has a powder applicator, a heating stage, and a cooling stage wherein the heating stage has a paper transport path which is sinuous and passes on both sides of a heater, the paper passing around rollers which define the ends of the transport path. The rollers at one end do not touch the printed surface of the paper and a guide shell prevents buckling. The machine can run much faster than any previous thermographic machine because of the compactness of the heater stage. The machine may have a re-folding device for continuous fan-folded paper, wherein the paper is drawn through the machine by a drive mechanism at the exit end of the machine prior to the re-folding stage, and wherein an adjustable linkage between the drive mechanism and the re-folding device ensures re-folding of fan-fold paper of different sheet lengths.

Abstract: In a form printing machine having a printing section provided with a printing unit comprising a plate cylinder, a blanket cylinder and an impression cylinder, a change speed means for changing the rotation speed of the impression cylinder independently of the plate cylinder and the blanket cylinder is provided.

Abstract: A safety device which quickly reacts to the occurrence of a tear in a running web processed in a rotary offset printing machine includes a suction roller onto which a web is pressed by a blast of air discharged from a row of nozzles and a pressure-voltage transducer which detects the vacuum in the suction roller and issues a signal to stop the machine or adjust the printing mechanisms in case of the occurrence of the tear in the web.

Abstract: To exert tension on a moving web, typically a paper web pulled over a folding former of a printing machine, the pull-off rollers are formed with axial grooves which are filled with strips of elastic material, such as plastic or rubber; preferably, the width of the ribs, which can be steel, is slightly less than the circumferential width of the elastic insert strips to provide for slight pinching of engagement surfaces between the ribs (9) and the elastic insert strips (10)--see FIG. 2. The strips and ribs extend over the entire axial length of the rollers to provide an axially uniform tension over the entire width of the web material.

Abstract: A method of makeready for a web printing press of the type wherein a web of paper or the like is fed through a print station and a perforating or like processing station driven by first and second drive shaft sections, respectively, which are normally held interconnected via a clutch for joint rotation and which are declutched to allow the print station to operate independently of the processing station. For reconnecting the two drive shaft sections in phase, the method comprises counting the number of revolutions of the first drive shaft section after the same has been declutched from the second drive shaft section, as by a CPU connected to receive electric pulses representative of the revolutions of the first drive shaft section. Upon reception of a clutch engage command from a manually actuable control panel, the CPU computes the additional number of revolutions required for the first drive shaft section before being reconnected in phase to the second drive shaft section.

Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a print roller, a platen roller and an ink roller mounted between a pair of upright supports secured to a support surface. The platen roller is resiliently biased against the print roller, and is preferably supported independently of the upright supports by a spring-biased lever and cam assembly. The printing apparatus is especially constructed for printing accordian arrays of cards, having delicate masking material thereon, and includes a feed tray with a feed stop and a take-up tray with a take-up stop each located at a position within a defined ratio with respect to the length of a single card in the array. The platen roller is preferably biased within a selected range to prevent damage to the masking material. A drive mechanism rotates the print roller which, in turn, drives the platen roller either by direct pressure or through gears.

Abstract: For the drawing in of material webs in web-fed rotary presses a driven draw-in element is used which has a finite length extent and which is moved along different, preadjustable draw-in paths. Guides are disposed along the draw-in paths which provide interruptions which improve the accessibility of the printing units of the presses. For the passage through these guideless regions the draw-in element is stiffened.

Abstract: A printer which comprises a printing roll mounted upon a main shaft for rotation, an ink roll presented in axial parallel relationship to said printing roll and having heat-soluble ink, a clutch brake unit operatively connected to said printing roll and ink roll for controlling rotation thereof consonant with the printing interval of material to be printed responsive to a feeding mechanism, an encoder for translating the rate of speed of said material into a pulse of unit length. A heat sleeve is concentrically disposed upon said main shaft for rotation therewith; there being a heater element provided within said heat sleeve. A printing type holder is removably mounted on the outer periphery of said heat sleeve for receiving ink from said ink roller. A power supply shaft cooperates with said feed mechanism, and a quill shaft is provided for operative connection to said power supply shaft to transmit rotation to said printing roll and ink roll.

Abstract: A cylinder for handling continuous lengths of web material comprises a rotatably mounted tubular casing, a spindle extending from end to end of the casing and arranged to be stationary in relation to rotation of said casing and having an external diameter less than the diameter of an inner face of the tubular casing, at least one support bearing which is symmetrical in relation to the middle of the cylinder and coaxial to the cylinder, the bearing bridging over an annular space existing between the casing and the spindle, oil at least partly filling the annular space, at least one heat exchanger placed in the annular space and surrounding the spindle, mounts fixed to the spindle for locating the heat exchanger thereon, and connection ducts for coolant, at least partly in the form of lengths of flexible hose placed in recesses in the spindle, the connection ducts being adapted to join the heat exchanger with an external coolant supply and return duct.

Abstract: A device for replacing plate cylinders for a color rotary press is proposed which includes suspending units having a bearing adapted to support one end of the shaft of a plate cylinder and to be movable in a vertical direction, and travellers for moving the suspending units in a horizontal direction, and elevator conveyors having bearings secured to a chain to support one end of the shaft of the plate cylinder and move the latter up and down.

Abstract: In a method of rendering subject matter which is printed on one surface of a computer paper sheet unintelligible, an alpha-numeric interference pattern is printed over substantially the entire printing area of the surface of the sheet carrying the printed subject matter, the density of the interference pattern being sufficient to render the printed subject matter unintelligible. One particular use of the method is in the overprinting of computer print-out paper having printed information on one surface, so that the paper may be reused by printing on its opposite surface without permitting access to the information on the first-printed surface. A machine is disclosed for this application of the method.

Abstract: An automatic sheet register control system for a printing press comprising: photocells (81-85) sensing the position of a sheet (5) relative to printing cylinder (48U); and a computer (86-89) to generate signals to actuators (75a, 75b) to adjust the length of bands (16a, 16b) which carry the sheets (5) to establish and control register of the sheet (5) relative to the printing cylinder (48U).

Abstract: To prevent smearing, ghost formation, or unsharp printing of offset printing machines, due to flutter, random oscillations or adhesion of a substrate to a blanket cylinder caused by adhesive characteristics of printing ink, an endless flexible guide element (9, 40, 48, 54, 68, 83, 84) is passed about the blanket cylinder and through the printing line with an impression cylinder, the guide element being, for example, a nylon thread, rope, or cable, or a thin flexible narrow web, guided, axially, with respect to the blanket cylinder by deflection rollers to locate the guide element at a position on the printed substrate which does not carry any printed copy. Preferably, the axial position of the guide rollers is adjustable, and at least one of the guide rollers is spring-loaded to adjust tension, which can be released for threading, or adjustment of the machine.

Abstract: To prevent damage to a printing cylinder, typically the blanket cylinder of rotary offset printing machine, upon tearing of a paper web, which usually occurs within a dryer, a paper web seizing apparatus is positioned downstream of the last printing station. The apparatus includes a roller (15) which is driven at the speed somewhat higher than the linear speed of the paper web by a belt drive (20,21,22) from a friction wheel (18) and held out-of-engagement with the other roller (3) of the pair by a latching mechanism (24, 25, 26--FIG. 2). Upon sensing of a tear, the electromagnetic (26) of the latching mechanism permits a spring (23) to disengage the first roller (15) from the friction drive (18), the roller continuing to rotate due to inertia and engaging the web (A) and then being driven by the positive drive (8,9,10) of the first roller, thus wrapping any torn web about the first roller and preventing damage to the printing cylinders of the printing machine.

Abstract: An improved printing apparatus for printing a running web is proposed which includes printing units each having a plate cylinder adapted to carry two plates, a pair of impression cylinders mounted in diametrically opposite directions, and adjust rolls for guiding the web so that the length of web existing between two contact points will be three or more odd number of times as long as the printing length. The plate cylinder or the web is controlled so that during the printing, the peripheral speed of the plate cylinder will be equal to the web speed, and from the print end to the next print start, the plate cylinder will move for a distance equal to the gap between the two plates.

Abstract: A paper web guiding mechanism for a web-fed rotary printing machine is disclosed. The paper web guiding mechanism includes paper guide rollers and a prefeed formed roller which are substantially wider than the maximum width of the web which can be printed. Two turning bars are provided for each paper web which may be slit from the printed web. At least three formers are disposed on a common horizontal plane and are used to form the web sections that are guided to various mixed or superimposed arrays by the paper web guiding mechanism.

Abstract: A printing belt extends around a rotatable cylinder having independently rotatable belt drive sprockets at the opposite ends thereof. A torque-assist drive connected with the cylinder is selectively operable for imparting supplemental traction to the belt for preventing relative slippage between the belt and drive sprockets.

Abstract: To indicate externally of a printing machine the position of a turning bar, the turning bar (15) drive spindle (1) is coupled to a numerical indicator (11) by a worm gearing (8, 9). The numerical indicator, having a plurality of number wheels, is capable of indicating the position of the turning bar (15) on a traverse rod (14). Preferably, a stop wheel (6) having ball-loaded detents at its circumference provides for predetermined angular positions of fractional revolutions of the spindle.

Abstract: A print head has a print roller carrying one or more type holders thereon for imprinting a work piece movable between the print roller and a support roller, and has dual hot ink rollers carried on an ink roller support member which is movable so as to simultaneously engage one of the ink rollers with the printer roller for inking the type thereon and to move the other ink roller to a position away from the printer roller permitting replacement of the ink roller without stopping the printing operation. The support member carrying the dual ink rollers may be manually movable or may be movable by a hydraulically actuated rack and pinion or by an air cylinder. The printer roller may be equipped with a counter for providing a signal after a specified number of revolutions indicating a change of inking rollers is necessary. In the automatic embodiments, the counter may be connected to a control unit for automatically moving the support member to engage a fresh inking roller.

Abstract: An exchangeable print head hot ink roll marker providing for adjustment of an inking roll and a backing roller relative to print heads of different diameters. Additionally there are provided a novel arrangement for releasably securing the print head to its driving shaft, an improved arrangement for adjusting the backing roll relative to the print head, novel type holder arrangements, and novel type holder latching or magnetic retaining structures.

Abstract: To prevent introduction of paper scraps or torn paper into the inker of a web printing machine, a web paper tear sensor (17, 18) controls a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder-piston unit (25) which severs engagement between an ink supply roller (13) and an ink application roller (12) while maintaining contact of the ink application roller with the plate cylinder (4) of the printing machine; the greater quantity of ink on the ink application roller will cause paper to adhere to the ink application roller, and thus wrap itself about that roller, severance of contact with the ink supply roller (13) preventing introduction of torn paper into the inker.

Abstract: An impression roller for electrostatically assisted printing distributes a charge across a web of packaging material. The roller has considerably more resistance in the longitudinal direction than in the circumferential direction to restrict the distribution of charge to portions of the roller extending beyond the web. The lower resistance in the circumferential direction is provided by a set of looped conductors--either conductive rubberized strips or wire loops--which are embedded in an outer layer of semiconductive material of the roller to allow electrical current traveling in the circumferential direction to bypass portions of the semiconductive material. The electrical current encounters considerably more resistance in the longitudinal direction, because the conductors are spaced longitudinally along the rollers at intervals and any current traveling from one looped conductor to another travels through the semiconductive material.

Abstract: Apparatus for makeready of a business forms press having an unwind apparatus (12) for supporting a rolled web (20) of material and having a plurality of rotatable members in spaced alignment defining a path for the web and arranged to perform operations on said web such as printing (22, 23), perforating (45), numbering (35), punching (40, 42) or slitting, wherein the members are rotated in synchronism and are adjustable laterally and/or circumferentially with respect to the web path, is disclosed as comprising markings (90) and scales (110) establishing a reference position in the unwind apparatus for the rolled web and further devices (125, 230, 250, 270, 297, 327) establishing separate side reference positions for each of said rotatable members which has a lateral adjustment with respect to the unwind reference position, and further markings and scales (128, 222, 247, 272, 298, 308) establishing a circumferential reference position for each of said rotatable members with respect to each other.

Abstract: To suppress shocks and bending oscillations arising upon roll-off of grooves (7, 8) of printing or blanket cylinders (3, 4) the blanket cylinders are constructed as hollow elements within which an absorber rod (12) is located, secured by a transversely extending member (11). The absorber rod which has propeller-like vanes, buckets or extensions (8) secured to its ends, the transversely extending member, and if provided, inertia masses secured to the end portions of the absorber rod are all embedded within a damping material filling the interior of the cylinder. The damping masses can be formed with the radial projections, vanes, buckets or propeller-like extensions (18), all embedded within the damping mass.

Abstract: To suppress shocks from being transferred to the walls of a cylinder (3) of a printing machine, when grooves (7) on the cylinder roll-off against another cylinder, and particularly against the edges of another groove (8) in an engaging cylinder, a damping mass (11) is filled within the cylinder which additionally retains an elastic shaft (12) on which an inertia mass (13) is secured. The inertia mass, preferably in form of a ball, is excentrally located on the elastic shaft (12) and touches at a point C the inner surface of the wall (10) of the cylinder (3) when the cylinder is in engagement with another one. The impact or shock, at the edge of the groove (7) rolls off against an engagement cylinder causes the inertia mass (13) to be accelerated towards the center of the cylinder, typically upwardly, and to place this mass into oscillations.

Abstract: A marking machine of the type having a powered rotary marking head provided with heated raised indicia brought sequentially and repeatedly into contact with a pigment source and a linearly moving workpiece to be imprinted by the indicia. The device is provided with a rotary drive train which may be geared to the workpiece drive and is equipped with adjustment mechanisms within the train providing for both rotary angle adjustment of the head with respect to the drive input and rotational speed adjustment varying the rate of rotation during each rotation of the head to adjust to different spacing between imprints while maintaining proper imprint speed.

Abstract: A printer-processor is used to print multi-ply business forms. The printer processor uses paper from a paper roll and uses an absorptive ink which dries substantially by absorption. The ink stays in liquid form during stopping and starting periods of the printer processor. The ink is also thixotropic so as to remain at proper film thickness on the printing surfaces of the printer processor at operational speeds or when stopped. The absorptive thixotropic ink enables the printer processor to deliver to the collator webs of paper having an uninterrupted sequence of images of uniform quality. The paper has one continuous path between the printer processor and the manifold forms collator. To enable the printer processor to print all common form sizes from small cylinders, a unique cluster of gears arrangement is attached to the impression cylinder of the printing unit. This cluster contains gears with circular pitches which are the increments which are evenly divisible into the common form sizes.