US2925029A - Printing machines - Google Patents

Description

Feb; 16, 1960 F. R. PATALON ,0

PRINTING MACHINES Filed Feb. 1s, 1958 8 Sheets-sheet 1 INVENTOR.

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F RANCJS RALPH PATALON I Feb. 16, 1960 F. R. PATALON PRINTING MACHINES 8 Sheets$heet 2 Filed Feb. 13, 1958 IZANC|S RALPH PATALON A-r-rvs.

Feb. 16, 1960 F. R. PATALON 2,925,029

PRINTING MACHINES Filed Feb. 13, 1958 1 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENT OR.

Fngglms RALPH PATALON WWW ATTYs.

Feb. 16, 1960 F. R. PATALON 2,925,029

PRINTING MACHINES Filed Feb. 15, 1958 a Sheets-Sheet 4 k PRODUCTION ORDER DATE. 7 A55\ NO. awe. MATLsPec SCHEDULE u-4-57 01234 A-5676 5-9012 l-6-58 R QUANTITY IDENTiFICATlON FACTORY I00 spacuu. HANDLE -ASSEMBLY a R -0ODO0000000090000000000OOOOOOQQOOOOOOOOOOQOOOOOOOOOOOOOO ii PART udmcn. DE$CR\PTION QUANSE'FUP MFG O 15a A-7 SPACE SLEEVE. WITH TAPPED AND SHOULDERED 2 ENDS 300 I 24 a Q I53A 5-4 SCREW 500 4 4 m4 A-l ACTUATlNG mos WITH 5 SPRING: RECESS I00 25 I7 7 6 I55 A-6 ACTUATINC; SHAFT I00 l4 7 use PURCH PINION G-EAR IOO 8 I57 PURCH. BIAS sPmNer \oo 9 INVENTOR.

' FTg ucls RALPH PATALON Feb. 16, 1960 F. R. PATALON 2,925,029

' v PRINTING MACHINES Filed Feb. 13, 1958 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 PRODUCT\ON ORDER ROUTE SHEET DATE ASS'Y NO. owe. MATLSPEC. SCHEDULE u-4-5'7 0|234- A-56'75 B-QOIZ \-6-58 7/ QUANTITY IDENTIFICATION FACTORY \00' SPECIAL HANDLE ASSEMBLE 3 mm mama. DESCRIPTION QUAN.ST-UP MFG:

I53 A-7 SPACER SLEEV E,WITH I TAPPED AND SHOULDERED 2 ENDS 300 l 24 3 \53A 54 scREw 300 4 4 I54 A |v ACTUATING KNOB wma 72 sPRme RECESS I00 3,; I7 6 I55 A-E ACTUATlNCr SHAFT I00 I; 14 '7 I56 PURCH.P\N|ON GEAR I00 8 \57 PURCH.BIA$ SPRING- I00 9 INVENTOR. FRANCE RALPH PATALON Feb. 16, 1960 F. R. PATALON 2,925,029

PRINTING MACHINES Filed Feb. 13, 1958 a Sheets-Sheet 6 FIG 7 7 PRQPUCTION ORDER .Joa TICKET DATE A ASS'Y NO. owe. MAT'LSPEC. SCHEDULE 7/ H-4-5'7 o\2a4 A-5678 5-9012 l-e-sa QUANTITY HDENTJFICATlON FACTORY |oo SPECIAL HANDLE ASSEMBLY 3 PART ,No. MACH-DESCRIPTION QUAN. air-u MFG.

I55 .A-7 SPACER SLEEVE, WITH I TAPPED AND SHOULDERED 2 ENDS 500 I 24- 3 PRODUCTION ORDER JOB TICKET DATE ASS'Y. NO. DWG. MAT'LSPEG. SCHEDULE 7/ |\-4-s7 0!.254 A-5678 s-eonz |-c,-sa

QUANTITY IDENTIFICATION FACTORY IOO SPECIAL HANDLE ASSEMBLY 5 PART Na. MACH. DEcmP-noN GUAN. SET-UP MFG- I55A 5-4 SCREW 300 24 4 INVENTOR. FRANCIS RALPHPATALON HTT'vs.

Feb. 16, 1960 v F. R. PATALON 2,925,029

Filed Feb. 13, 1958 v 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 INVENTOR. FRgf dfis RALPH PATALON F. R. PATALQN PRINTING MACHINES Feb. 16, 1960 a Sheets-Shed 8 Filed Feb l3 1958 INVENTOR. FRANClS RALPH PATALON United Sttes Patent C PRINTING MACHINES Francis Ralph Patalon, Euclid, Ohio, assignor to Addressograph-Multigraph Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application February 13, 1958, Serial No. 715,036 8 Claims. Cl. 101-91 This invention relates to a new and improved offset printing machine and more particularly to an offset printing machine which permits printing, in a single operation, of both variable and fixed data.

The popularity of offset printing machines is well known. Machines of this kind are widely utilized for general duplicating requirements, including the preparation of circulars, inter-office communications, reports, charts, and the like. Because of the ease and facility of operation and the high quality of prints produced, planographic offset duplicating machines have also been widely used for printing letterheads, drawings, and even for three-color process work. Copy reproduced on machines of this kind lasts indefinitely, each duplicate copy retaining the appearance and the qualities of the original.

The lithographic, masters utilized in offset printing machines, although originally made of zinc or aluminum, are now to a great extent made of specially prepared paper. The paper masters afford many-important advantages, including easier typing, proof reading, and correcting, and also are moderate in price as compared with metal masters. Paper masters of this kind comprise a high wet strength paper towhich an appropriate coating is applied; a preferred form of lithographic master and the method of preparing such masters is described in detail in United States Letters Patent No. 2,534,650 to S. Worthen, issued December 19, 1950. These paper-base lithographic masters may be provided with perforated areas permitting detachment of portions thereof to afford a means for removing a part of the master in the reproduction of certain kinds of data.

There are also stick on and overlay masters which may be attached to an original master at predetermined places in those applications where it is desired to add to or to alter portions .of the original copy. The versatility of offset printing machines is also enhanced by devices fonautomatically applying the starting solution to the master and for applying a cleaner solution to the offset cylinder blanket immediately upon the completion of a printing run. Other known arrangements permit the mounting of two or more masters on the .form cylinder of the offset printing machine, thereby affording another means for adding or deleting portions of the printed information. i

The relatively versatile operation made possible by the aforementioned devices and developments with respect to rotary planographic printing machines makes possible their use for highly. variable and exacting applications, provided some means may be afforded for the selection of different areas or lines of data on consecutive printing operations. Thus, an offset printing machine which incorporates means for selecting particular portions of the data on the master cylinder for successive printing; operations may be utilized in the preparation of production orders and in other short-run printing operations in which it is necessary to reproduce some of the data consistently and to change other portions of the data. Of course, the offset printing machine 2,925,029 Patented Feb. 16, 1960 affords the same advantages in connection with applications of this kind as in more conventional duplicating and printing operations.

A principal object of the invention, therefore, is a new and improved offset printing machine including a. novel means for varying the content of the printed data.

Another object of the invention is a new and improved offset printing machine which affords a convenient and effective means for modifying a portion of the printed data with each printing operation or after any desired number of printing operations.

A more specific object of the invention is a new an improved offset printing machine including a blanket cylinder comprising means for changing the data printed from a given master. 1

Another objectof the invention is a new and improved offset printing machine comprising a blanket cylinder which includes an adjustable line selector device for preventing printing of all but selected lines of text from a master to a work sheet.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings which,

by way of illustration, show preferred embodiments of the present invention and the principles thereof and what is now considered to be the best mode for applying those principles. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a planographic offset printing machine constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a substantially simplified elevation view of the printing machine of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the blanket cylinder of the planographic printing machine of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the blanket cylinder of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 shows a planographic master which may be utilized in the offset printing machine of the invention in connection with a particular kind of systems job;

Fig. 6 illustrates one printed form which may be reproduced in the printing machine utilizing the master of Fig. 5;

of Fig. 9.

Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate a rotary planographic offset printing machine 20 constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. The printing machine 20 comprises a pair of spaced frame plates 22 which are mounted upon a suitable base 21. A form cylinder 25, a blanket or offset cylinder 26, and a platen or impression cylinder 27 are rotatably mounted between the frame plates 22 for cooperation with each other in the usual manner. A paper feed table 28 is provided to afford a means'for introducing work sheets into the nip of the offset and platen cylinders 26 and 27. The several cylinders maybe driven by a suitable motor through driving belts, pulleys, and like means in conventional manner.

A planographic form or master is mounted upon the cylinder 25 and is inked by a suitable inking mechanism which may, for example, include a pair of form rolls 35 which receiveink from an ink fountain (not shown) mounted within the housing 36 and which transfer the ink to the planographic master. An aqueous ink repellent in applied to thep'Iano-graphic'plate in conventional manner by a: repellent applicator roll 38 which is supplied with the ink repellent by a supply system (not shown) mounted within a housing'39. It will of course be understood that the above described general organization of parts of the printing machine is provided solely for thepurpose of illustration and that the location and construction of the several difierent parts of the printing machine may be varied substantially without in any sense departing from the invention. 3

One embodiment of the blanket cylinder and adjustable lineselector device of the-invention is best illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. Asshown therein, the line selector device comprises a: mask M and'clampin'g' means forthe mask M, the clamping means comprising a pair of rectangular plates 41a and 41bfacing each other; plurality of pointed pins 60 are mounted on and-extend from the inner surface of the plate 4 1a into a corresponding plurality of holes 60a in the" plate 41b. The two plates 41a and 41b form the two ar ms of a clamp'and are hinged upon a spindle 42. The support means'for the clamp comprises a Z-shaped sliding bracket 45' (see Fig. 4) having an upper panel 43 which is secured to the plate 41a and further having a lower shelf 44 the ends of which are bent upwardly on either side tOfQl'lTl two handles 58 which may be clasped by the-machine operator between thumband forefinger in order to shift the clamp laterally of the blanket cylinder 26'. i

The center panel of the Z-shaped sliding bracket45' issecured, by means of a pair of square-sectioned studs 47 and pressure springs 49, to a sliding means for guiding movement of the mask M relative to the blanket cylinder. The sliding means comprises a rectangular rail 46 which is provided with a longitudinal slot'51 in which the squaresectioned portions of the studs 47' are engaged for sliding movement,'the widthof the square portions of the stud being only very slightly smaller than the width of the groove 51. Each of the springs 49 iscompressed between a cup washer 52, which bears upon an adjusting nut 48 threaded upon the stud 47, and awasher 53' which engages the rear face of the rail 46. Accordingly, the springs 49 maintain the center panel of the sliding bracket 45' in bearing contact with the rear face of the rail 46, permitting the bracket to slide along the rail in frictional contact therewith. Moreover, the springs 49 tend tohold the plates 41a and 41b in firm engagement with each other, since the plate 41b, being freely hinged on the shaft 42, re'sts'upon a blanket clamp 54b, while the plate 41a is pulled against the plate 41b when the sliding bracket 45 is brought to bear against the rail 46 by the biasing,

action of the springs 49;, p

,The' mask M is held. in position, on the one hand, by

the pressure of the clamping plates 41a and 41b against A spring blade 61 with a downwardly extending catch 65 at its free end is secured to the middle portion of the clamping plate 41a, being located so that its free end is maintained in contact with the upper edge of the rail 46. The arrangement is such that the catch 65 engages in one of a series of positioning notches 66 in the top edge of the rail 46 whenever the register pointer is aligned with a particular graduation on the scale 59; The engagement of the catch 65 in the positioning notch 66 prevents lateral movement of the mask and clamp along the rail, thereby preventing any undesirable shifting of the mask which could otherwise take place during operation of the printing machine, for'in'stance as a result of vibrations. The two ends of the rail. 46 are-afiixed to the lead end blanket clamp 54b by suitable means such as the two screws 62.

For abetter understanding of the advantages ofiered by the blanket cylinder a nd movable mask construction of the invention, reference. may best be'had to a particular printing application which may be'carri'ed out by the printing machine 20. One such application, in which the invention is highly advantageous, is the printing of production orders for the manufacture of a particular device or apparatus I Inmany instances, .themanufacture ofithevarious parts of a given device, or the assembly 'of the parts constituting a device, involvesthe preparation". ofa series of different forms. In some instances, only one copy of each form may be required; Whereas in others duplicate or other multiple-copies may be necessary, depending to a substantial extent upon the" prevailing system in the factory in which the device is manufactured. In general, however, the system requires one or severa l copies of a repetitive document 70 (Fig. 6), commonly known as a route sheet :or job sheet,whichmay'includea description 71 of the item to be maufactur'edfrefcrred to hereinafter as repetitive data, anda' list" 72 of the individual operationswhich must be performed in the different manufacturing departments of the' factory, referred to he'reihafteras variable data. The route sheet or sheets 70 are accompanied by a set'of smaller sheets or tickets, usually known as labor' tickets or job. tickets, each corresponding to" aparticular operation; to beperformed in onefactory department; examples'of such job tickets, comprising the'printed cars' 74and 75, are illustrated in Figs; 7 and 8. For control purposes, however,

- the job tickets -such ascards 74':a rrd"75 should also show one another, and, on the'other hand, by the pointed pins 60 projecting'from' the inner face of the plate 4111'. The

line. selector device further comprises a means for I'narking' or indexing the position ofthe'mask and clamp on the rail; that is, the device includesa means for. accurately locating the mask M at a series of different positions axially of the blanket cylinder. The position marking means comprises a pointeror index marker 50 which is preferably located'in the middle of the lower shelf 44 of the sliding bracket 45. Agraduated angle scale is employed. in connection with the position pointer 50; the scale structure'comprises a support portion 69 which is" secur'edto the trailing clamp54a for the blanket bymeans. of alpair of knurled screws 56 and lock nuts 57'. The scale structure furtherincludes a vertical 'por-* corresponding to individual lines of" datafa's described,

more" fully hereinafter.

at least some description of thework piece; that is, the job tickets should include-at least a portion of therepetitivedata 71 Using the. improved blanket cylinder and selector mask arrangement of the present invention, the copiesrequiredfor initiatingfparticular manufacturing activity are processed as follows:

i A planogra'phic master 76 pie ferably a-paper master of the kind described m me aforementioned Worthen patent, is first prepared. As indicated in Fig.5, the master includes" two data sections on which'information is .typed or otherwise inscribed. The right-handsection 77 of the master receives therepetitive data 71 including, for example, a descriptioniof' the device to be'manufactured, an identifying numberfor the device being manufactur'ed, a drawingnumber, the starting date 'for the manufacturing activity, the scheduled; finishing date, the quantity of devices to be manufactured, specifications for the materials to be employed, and other like information. The left-hand section 78 of the master, which may, for example bis-separatedfrom the section 77by a I perforated line 79, receives the variable data comprising the list ofindividual operations 72. Each ofthe items in the variable data may-include, for example, an operation identification number, awork shop; number, a description of the operation to be performed, a machine tool codenumber, theset-uptimef'o r. the machine tool, the

work time for fabrication per piece, and other like data Each of these entries in theoperati'oh list i7Zmay' com-' prise one or several lines; the space required for each line corresponds to the spacing of the index markings on the graduated scale 19.

After the master 76 has been prepared, it is mounted upon the form cylinder 25 and inked in the usual manner. It should be noted that the lines of data on the master 76, as mounted on the form cylinder 25, extend circumferentially of the cylinder; that is, they extend in the direction of rotational movement of the cylinder, as indicated by arrows A, Figs. 1 and 5. The ink images of the repetitive and variable data are then transferred from the planographic master to the blanket 55.

To print the route sheets 70, work sheets comprising blank or pre-printed paper are automatically fed through the printing machine 20, the number of work sheets corresponding to the number of documents required for distribution to various departments of the manufacturing company. For this portion of the printing operatiomthe mask M is preferably removed from the clamp 41a, 41b, leaving the entire blanket 55 unobstructed and unmasked. Consequently, both the repetitive data 71 and the variable data 72 are printed complete upon the route sheets, affording an overall description of the apparatus to be manufactured and of each of the several steps involved in the manufacture thereof.

The operator of the machine then mounts the mask M in place, securing the mask between the two clamp members 41a and 41b. The mask itself is preferably, made of a relatively thin flexible material and may comprise, for example, a simple sheet of thin flexible card stock or other paper or of fabric. The work tickets, as exemplified by job tickets'74 and 75 are then fed into the printing machine 20. At the outset, selected portions of the variable information 72 are printed on the job tickets. The repetitive data printing of the job tickets is deferred untilafter. printing of the variable data thereon, .as explained more fully hereinafter. This sequence of printing the variable and repetitive data is necessary to effective operation of the printing machine, since'otherwise the repetitive data would be imprinted on the face of the mask M during printing of the variable data and would produce a multi-image imprint in the repetitive data area of the job tickets.-

In printing the variable data on the job tickets the masteris inked and the ink image thereof is transferred to the blanket 55. Only one inking is normally required for printing the variable data on all job tickets, since only a few copies of each job ticket are necessary. The mask M is then positioned, with respect to the blanket cylinder 26, so that it does not cover any of the variable data, but may cover the repetitive data. The first job ticket is then fed into the printing machine from a position such that only the first item of variable information is im- Operation of the adjustable line selector is extremely simple and convenient and requires a minimum of skill on the part of the machine operator. Thus, in order for the operator to insert the edge of the mask M between the retaining clamp plates 41a and 41b, it is only necessary to press downwardly (see Fig. 4) onthe' shelf 44 of the sliding bracket 45 so as to move the lower part of the bracket easily from the rail 46 against the biasing action of the springs 49. In the course of this action, the clamping plate 41a, which is integral with the sliding bracket 45, is lifted, whereas the plate 41b remains in position on the blanket clamp 54b by virtue of its own height and the fact that it is freely hinged upon the shaft or spindle 42. After insertion of the mask M, when the operator releases the bracket shelf 44, the springs 49 again press the clamp plate, 41b'against the plate 41a and hold the mask M tightly clamped between the inner surfaces of the plates. Moreover, the pointed pins 60 perforate the mask and penetrate therethrough into engagement with the apertures 60a in the clamp plate 41b. The operator then clasps the handles 58 at the ends of the shelf44 on the Z-shaped sliding bracket 45, usually between the thumb and forefinger, and shifts the bracket laterally along the rail 46 while exerting sufiicient outward pulling force to disengage the catch 65 from the notch in which it has been engaged. In this manner, the operator may slide the catch along the upper edge 7 of the rail 46 until it is located above the notch correprinted thereon, the length of the job ticket being such that the remainder of the variable data is not imprinted on the job ticket. i During this and subsequent variabledata runs of the job tickets, the master cylinder 25 is maintained in spaced relation with respect to the blanket cylinder 26, since no additional inking of the blanket cylinder is required.

After the end of one or more printing cycles, depending upon the number of job tickets required for the first item of variable information, the adjustable line selector device is moved by the machine operator, to the left as seen inFigs. 1 and 3, the required space for covering the first variable entry with the mask M. The second labor ticket. is then fed into the machine and the second entry of variable'information is printed thereon. As before, all undesired items of variable information are effectively omitted from the job ticket by virtue of the positioning of the mask M and the relatively short length of the job ticket. This printing process is repeated there after for each subsequent item of variable information, the desired number of job tickets being printed for each manufacturing, stocking, assembling, or other operation.

spending to the desired position for the mask, after which the handles 58 are released and the spring action of the blade 61 forces the catch 65.into.the desired notch 66. Alignment of the mask is made simple and convenient by registration of the pointer 59 with the graduations on the scale 59. v

In printing of the job tickets, the operator next positions, on the feed table, the labor ticket which isto be imprinted with the line or lines of variable information corresponding to the first item of variable data. In order to align the job ticket with the desired portion of the variable information data and with the mask M, a graduated scale 64 is preferably provided upon the feed table 63 of the printing machine, the scale 64 corresponding to the graduationsof the blanket cylinder mask scale 69. In this manner, once the operator has positioned the labor ticket so that the bottom edge of the ticket (the left edge to the operator) covers the graduations up to but not including the index marking n, the ticket may be fed into contact with the blanket cylinder, 26 in a position such thatthe space at the bottom of the ticket is located exactly opposite the desired item of variable information transferred from the master onto the blanket. No other information can be printed on this labor ticket because, on the one hand, the data transferred from the master onto the blanket beneath the item of variable information corresponding to index marking n, that is to the left as seen in Fig. 3, these additional data (n+1), (n+2) are located beyond the bottom edge of the ticket in an area of the blanket cylinder which does not contact any portion of thepaper. On the other hand, the other variable information entries (n l (n2) which are located above theitem n, that is, to the right as seen in Fig. 3, cannot be printed because of the interposition of the mask M between the blanket and the labor ticket, the left edge of the mask being located just above the variable data 11 when the pointer 50 has been set by the operator in alignment with the graduation n on the scale 19.

To imprint the next item of variable information (n+1) on the next labor ticket, the operator shifts the sliding bracket 45 to the left along the rail 46 untilthe pointer 50 is aligned with the graduation (n+1) upon the scale 59, as described hereinabove. He then positions the job ticket to be printed on the feed table, using the scale 24 to'align the ticket so that when it is fed into the machine only the desired item (n+1) is printed thereon. In this manner, and as described hereinabove, each 1 jobticket is imprinted with only the desired portions of the variable data. 1

After the printin'g of'the variable data 72 has been completed, the repetitive data 71 is reproduced on the job tickets such as the cards 74 and 75. For this purpose, the master cylinder 25 is again actuated to transfer an ink image onto the'blanket 55 of the blanket cylinder 26. Inasmuch as printing of the variable data has been completed, the variable data portion of the master may In printing of the repetitive data 72 on the job tickets, I

the tickets are fed through the right-hand side of the printing machine 20, as viewed in Fig. 1. As an alternative to the arrangements set forth immediately hereinabove, the variable and repetitive data areas of the master may be separated by a spacing sufiicient that the relatively short job tickets are not imprinted with the variable data at the time that the repetitive data is reproduced thereon. Normally, it is necessary to reproduce a total number of job tickets which is greater than the number which may be imprinted from a single inking of the blanket 55. Consequently, it is usually necessary to re-ink the blanket 55 a number of times in the course of printing of the repetitive data 71. Thus,'prin-ting of the repetitive data on the job tickets is carried out in a manner essentially similar to printing of the route sheets, except for the provisions described hereinabove forv preventing simultaneous printing of the variable data 72. I

Figs. 9 and 10 illustrate another embodiment of the invention in which the adjustable line selector device is of somewhat modified construction. In this construction, the clamp supporting means comprises an angle bracket 93 having one flange which is secured to the clamp plate 41b and having a second flange which is attached, as by means of the screws 94, to the sliding mount for the clamp. Inthis instance, the sliding mount comprises a U-shaped slide member 95 which engages a rectangular rail 96, the rail 96 extending longitudinally of the blanket cylinder 26. A spring member 97 is mounted upon the slide member 95 and is compressed between the inner rear face of the slide member 95 and the front face of the rail 96, asbest seen in Fig. 10. The spring 97 pulls the inwardly bent flanges at the ends of the two side walls of the slide member-95 in contact with the rear or upper face of the rail 96.

The line selector device further includes a shield mernber 98 having a forwardly bent lower end 99, the shield being mounted upon the upper clamp plate 41a as illustrated in Fig. 10. A spring blade 100 issecured to the bottom face of the U-shaped slide member 95, as by means of a screw 101, and engages the upper or rear face of the shield 98. The mask clamp in this embodiment thus comprises two members, one being formed by the upper clamp plate 41a and the shield 98 to which it is aifixed and the other by' the lower plate 411), the angle bracket 93 mounted thereon, and the slides 95 to which the angle bracket is affixed. The spring blades con stantly urge the plates 41a and 41b toward each other. To insert the mask M between the blades, the operator pushes against the shield 98, moving the shield against the action of the spring 100 and toward the sl de mem ber 95, thereby separating the plates 41a and dlb and providing adequate space for insertion of the edge of the mask. In this device, it should be noted that the mounting pins 60 of the first embodiment have been omitted; these pins may be desirable in some instances but are not essential inasmuch as the spring biasing means in either embodiment may afford sufiicient gripping strength to maintain the mask M in the desired position on the blanket cylinder.

The line. selector deyice in the embodiment of Figs. 9 and 10 is also provided with marking or. indexing means for locating the slide member in predetermined accurate position along the rail 96, the indexing means being substantially similar tothat described hereinabove in connection with Figs. 3 and 4. Thus, the position marking meanscomprises a pointer 50' which in this instance is located in the middle of the downwardly extending portion 99 of the shield member 98 (see Fig. 10), in position to cooperate with the graduated scale 59 of the printing machine; The shelf 99 of the shield 98 also has its left andright ends 58 bent upwardly to form two handles which may be clasped by the operator, usually between the thumb and forefinger, to shift the slides along the rail 96 and to "bring the pointer 50 opposite a graduation on the scale 59, that is, in alignment with the figure corresponding to a particular line selection. The rail 96' may be secured to the lead end blanket clamp 54b of the blanket cylinder as by means of two countersunk set screws 62, lock nuts 61 being utilized to maintain the screws in position in the rail 96 and the blanket clamp 54b. 7

While preferred embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated, it is to be understood that these are capable of variation and modification. Accordingly, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such variations and modifications as may fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. I

a I claim: a

1. In an offset printing machine of the kind comprising a form, cylinder adapted to mount a lithographic master,

an impression cylinder, a feed table and a blanketcylinder interposed between the form andimpression cylinders to transfer an ink image from a master mounted on said form cylinder to a print-receiving sheet fed from said feed table between said blanket and impression cylinders, a line selector device comprising: a slide member mounted on said blanket cylinder for longitudinal sliding movement with respect thereto; a clamp, affixed to said slide member, for gripping a thin, flexible mask and supporting said mask in position to cover a predetermined portron of said blanket and prevent printing therefrom; first index means on said blanket cylinder for indicating the portion of said blanket cylinder covered bya mask supported in said clamp; and second index means on said feed table for enabling an operator to align a print-receiving sheet in predetermined position with respect to the maskedv and unmasked portions of the blanket cylinder.

2', In an offset printing machine of the kind comprising a form cylinder adapted to mount a lithographic master, an mpression cylinder, a feed table and a blanket cylinder mterposed between the form and impression .clamp plate toward said fixed clamp plate, for'gripping a thin, flexible mask and sup-porting said mask in position to cover a predetermined portion of said blanket and prevent printing therefrom; first index means on said blanket cylinder, for indicating the portion of said blanket cylinder covered by a mask supported in said clamp; and second index means on said feed table for enabling an operator to align a pr ntere'ceivin'g sheet in predetermined position with respect. to themasked'and unmasked portions o-f-the blanketcylinder;

3. In an offset printing machine of the rind. compris ing a form cylinder adapted to mount a lithographic master, an impression cylinder, a feed table and a blanket cylinder interposed between the form and impression cylinders to transfer an ink image from a master mounted on said form cylinder to a print-receiving sheet fed from said feed table between said blanket and impression cylinders, a line selector device comprising: a guide rail mounted on said blanket cylinder and extending longitudinally thereof; a slide member mounted on said guide rail for longitudinal sliding movement with respect thereto; resilient biasing means, effectively engagng said slide member and said guide rail, for maintaining said slide member in frictional contact with said rail; a clamp afiixed to said slide member, for gripping a thin, flexible mask and supporting said mask in position to cover a predetermined portion of said blanket and prevent printing therefrom; first index means on said blanket cylinder, for indicating the portion of said blanket cylinder covered by a mask supported in said clamp; and second index means on said feed table for enabling an operator to align a print-receiving sheet in predetermined position with respect to the mask and unmasked portions of the blanket cylinder.

4. The method of printing a series of related documents comprising the following steps: applying repetitive and variable ink-receptive data images to first and second discrete areas of a lithographic master, said variable data being arranged in a series of equally spaced lines; mounting said master on a form cylinder with the lines of variable data extending circumferentially thereof; inking the images on the master; rotating the form cylinder in inktransferring contact sheet with a cylindrical blanket; feeding work sheets having lengths correlated to the data on the master one-by-one between said blanket and a platen cylinder from a series of different positions therealong while simultaneously masking predetermined related portions of said blanket at one side only of the work sheet to imprint only one item of variable data on one marginal portion of each work sheet; and feeding said work sheets one-by-one between said blanket and said platen cylinder from a fixed position to imprint said repetitive data on each work sheet adjacent the opposite edge thereof.

5. The method of printing a series of related documents comprising the following steps: applying repetitive and variable ink-receptive data images to first and second discrete areas of a lithographic master, said repetitive data area having a given length and said variable data being arranged in a series of equally spaced lines; mounting said masteron a form cylinder'with the lines of variable data extending circumferentially thereof; inking the images on the master; rotating the form cylinder in ink-transferring contact with a cylindrical blanket; feeding work sheets having lengths correlated to the data on the master one-by-one between said blanket and a platen cylinder from a series of ditferent positions therealong while simultaneously masking different predetermined portions of said blanketvat one side only of the work sheet to imprint only one item of variable data on each work sheet, said work sheets being selected to correspond in length to the variable data entries imprinted thereon; and feeding said work sheets one-by-one betwgen said blanket and said platen cylinder from a fixed position to imprint said repetitive data on each work sheet.

6. In an offset printing machine of the kind comprising a form cylinder adapted to mount a lithographic master, an impression cylinder, a feed table and a blanket cylinder interposed between the form and impression cylinders to transfer an ink image from a master mounted on said form cylinder to a print-receiving sheet fed from said feed table between said blanket and impression cylinders, a line selector device comprising: a guide rail aflixed to and extending longitudinally of said blanket cylinder and having a central longitudinal slot therein; a slide member i 10 mounted on said guide rail for longitudinal sliding movement with respect thereto, said slide member comprising a Z-shaped bracket and a plurality of studs afiixed thereto and extending into said guide rail slot; a corresponding plurality of biasing springs, individually mounted on said studs and engaging said studs to urge said bracket into frictional contact with said rail; a clamp, afiixed to said siide member, for gripping a thin, flexible mask and supporting said mask in position to cover a predetermined portion of said blanket and prevent printing therefrom; first index means on said blanket cylinder for indicating the portion of said blanket cylinder covered by a mask supported in said clamp; and second index means on said feed table for enabling an operator to align a print-receiving sheet in predetermined position with respect to the masked and unmasked portions of the blanket cylinder.

7. in an oflfset printing machine of the kind comprising a form cylinder adapted to mount a lithographic master, an impression cylinder, a feed table and a blanket cylinder interposed between the form and impression cylinders to transfer an ink image from a master mounted on said form cylinder to a print-receiving sheet fed from said feed table between said blanket and impression cylinders, a line selector device comprising: a guide rail afiixed to and extending longitudinally of said'blanket cylinder and having a plurality of index notches spaced at preselected intervals therealong; a slide member mounted on said guide rail for longitudinal sliding movement with respect thereto; a clamp, afiixed to said slide member, for gripping a thin, flexible mask and supporting said mask in position to cover a predetermined portion of said blanket and prevent printing therefrom; first index means on said blanket cylinder for indicating the portion of said blanket cylinder covered by a mask supported in said clamp and comprising a graduated scale corresponding to said index notches;-

latch means comprising a resilient releasable latch member mounted on said slide in position to engage one of said index notches whenever said slide is in predetermined alignment with the corresponding portion of said scale; and second index means on said feed table for enabling an operator to align a print-receiving sheet in predetermined position with respect to the masked and unmasked portions of the blanket cylinder.

8. In an offset printing machine of the kind comprising a form cylinder adapted to mount a lithographic master, an impression cylinder, a feed table and a blanket cylinder interposed between the form and impression cylinders to a transfer an ink image from a master mounted on said form cylinder to a print-receiving sheet fed from said feed table between said blanket and impression cylinders, a line selector device comprising: a slide member mounted on said blanket cylinder for longitudinal sliding movement with respect thereto; a clamp, affixed to said slide member, for gripping a thin, flexible mask and supporting said mask in position to cover a predetermined portion of said blanket and prevent printing therefrom; first index means, including a first graduated scale mounted on and extending axially of said blanket cylinder, for indicating the portion of said blanket cylinder covered by a mask supported in said clamp; and second index means on said feed table comprising a second similar graduated scale mounted in parallel relation to the axis of said blanket cylinder in predetermined axially displaced alignment with said first scale to enable an operator to align a print-receiving sheet in predetermined position with respect to the masked and unmasked portions of the blanket cylinder.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,093,385 Storck Sept. 14, 1937 2,421,823 Allen et a1. June 10, 1947 2,707,433 Roberts May 3, 1955

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