750,903. Printing-machines. TIMSON'S Ltd., and TIMSON, E. A. March 25, 1954 [March 24, 1953], No. 8091/53. Class 100 (2). In a rotary printing press wherein the co-operating cylinders effecting printing may be " thrown off " accompanied by the " throwing-off " of the forme-inking rollers, the entire inking mechanism is built in the form of a unit bodily displaceable to and from the forme cylinder. As applied to a machine employing offset cylinders 1, 2 printing on a web and each co-operating with its forme cylinder 3, the cylinders 1, 2 may be " thrown-off " by power mechanism operated by a hand wheel 6 as described in Specification 750,902. Each cylinder 3 has an inking mechanism comprising a duct 23, duct roller 22, messenger roller 31, distributing rollers 24 ... 30, two inking-drums 19 and two pairs of forme-inking rollers 20, 21, each pair associated with one of the drums 19. Each such inking mechanism is mounted on a frame 8, Fig. 1, having rollers 9 running along the upper edges of rails 13, and pinions 14 operated by hand wheels 16 engaging racks 15 on the lower edges of the rails 13. The shaft 32, Fig. 3, of each roller 20, 21 is carried by a two-armed lever 34a, 34b pivoted at a to a plate 36 itself pivoted at 37 to the frame 8 ; the pivot a coincides with the line of contact of the roller 20 or 21 with its drum 19. Each arm 34b is forked to engage a square-shaped block 38 which is apertured to receive an eccentric 39 rotatable on the frame 8. Adjusting screws 40 and springs 41 on the forked arm 34b engage opposite sides of the block 38 so that by rotation of the screws 40, the corresponding levers 34a, 34b can be set to position the rollers 20, 21 in relation to the plate cylinder 3. Adjacent ends of pairs of plates 36 are also forked to accommodate square blocks 43 having circular holes engaged by a crank-pin 44 projecting from a spindle 45 on the frame 8. The spindle 45 can be turned by a knob 46 whereby the two associated plates 36 are turned about their pivots 37 to " throw-off " the corresponding pair of rollers 20, 21. For simultaneous " throwing- off " of all the rollers 20, 21 of a unit, the eccentrics 39 are connected by cranks 47, Fig. 5, and a linkage 48 ... 54 to a shaft 55 attached to which is a hand lever 56. Operation of the lever 56 rotates all the eccentrics 39 of the unit and throws-off the rollers 20, 21. A sleeve 57 loose on the shaft 55 carries a sector plate 58 which can be secured to the lever 56 by a poppetpin 59. A linkage 60, 61 connects the sleeve 57 to a lever 62 pressed by a spring 64 so that a roller 63 thereon engages a rounded part 70a of a lever 70 connected by a link 69 to an arm 68 on a control shaft 7 operated by the hand wheel 6 actuating the cylinder throw-off mechanisms. The link 69 is extended and connected to a second lever 70<SP>1</SP> corresponding to lever 70 and which can actuate another mechanism 61, 62, &c. for operating on the inking mechanism of the second plate-cylinder. Consequently, when the levers 56 and sector plates 59 are connected, both inking mechanisms are " thrown-off " simultaneously with the " throw-off " of the cylinders if the hand wheel 6 is operated, or each can be " thrownoff independently of the other and of the cylinders by detaching the requisite poppet-pin 59. Furthermore, when an inking mechanism is returned to its working position after having been displaced by actuation of the rack-andpinion devices 14, 15, contact of the roller 63 with the rounded part 70a of the appropriate lever 70 will cause the inking rollers 20, 21 of the unit to be automatically brought into correct position corresponding to the setting of the hand wheel 6. Each inking mechanism is driven by a gear train from a main shaft 81 and displacement of the unit by means of the rack- and-pinion 15, 14 disconnects the drive. Also, operation of the lever 56 or hand wheel 6 to " throw-off " the inking-rollers 20, 21 causes the drive of the duct-rollers 22 and messenger roller 31 to be disconnected. This drive includes a clutch 82, Fig. 5, comprising a spring- influenced pawl 83 which when the eccentrics 39 are rotated to " throw-off " the rollers 20, 21, is disengaged by a pivoted arm 85 acted upon by a member 86 connected by a link 87 to an arm 88 attached to one of the eccentrics 39. A hand-operated cam 89 is provided for manually disconnecting the drive of the rollers 22, 31. Specification 640,112 also is referred to.