Opposing offset in printing and the like

May 7, 1935.

W W. ALLEN ET AL

2,000,684

OPPOSING OFFSET IN PRINTING AND; THE LIKE

Filed Nov. 21, 1952

Sheets-Sheet 1

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May 7, 1935. w. w. allen et al 2,000,684

OPPOSING OFFSET IN PRINTING AND THE LIKE

Filed Nov. 21, 1932

Sheets-Sheet 2

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Patented Mav 7. 1935

2,000,684

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,008,684

OPPOSING OFFSET IN PRINTING AND THE LIKE

William Watson Allen, Aldan, and Allen L. Grammer, Meadowbrook, Pa., assignors to The Curtis Publishing Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania

Application November 21,1932, Serial No. 643,548

Claims. (Cl. 34—48)

In our application, Serial No. 602,176, we have described and claimed a method of solidifying ink, or like oleaginous substance, newly applied to a web or sheet of paper, or like material, which 5 consists in continuously passing the latter between a dielectric and one of two spaced electrodes between which a stream of electrons pass from the dielectric and through the ink or like substance. In that application we have shown • plate or extended electrodes and a plate or sheet dielectric and while they work very well, still it sometimes happens that the dielectric fails, with the result that current must be cut off and operations suspended during the time required for renewing the dielectric. Such an interruption in the operation of printing presses is not desirable.

One object of the present invention is to obviate such disadvantageous features and to provide an improvement in the method and to provide apparatus for better doing the work.

Another object of the invention is to improve multicolor printing by hardening one color before the application or superposition of another color to either or both faces of a sheet or web moving between packing and printing rolls.

Other objects of the invention are hereinafter set forth, or will appear from the following description at the end of which the invention will be claimed.

Generally stated, the invention comprises passing an electric flux between two electrodes of which one comprises .a row of vacuum tubes spaced from the other electrode and of which the glass or like walls provide a dielectric, and passing the flux through ink or like substance on a newly printed paper or like sheet, web or object by leading the same through the space between the outside of the tubes and the other electrode.

The invention also comprises the apparatus and other improvements hereinafter described and finally claimed.

In the following description reference will be made to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof and in which,

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrative of the invention in its application to hardening ink or the like on one side of a sheet or web.

Fig. 2 is a similar view drawn to an enlarged scale and illustrating features of the invention.

Fig. 3 is a side view with parts broken away of the construction shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view illustrative of the application of the Invention between each stage in multi-color work and showing the same applied to both faces of a sheet or.web.

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view drawn to an enlarged scale illustrative of a modification in the shape of the vacuum tubes, and

Fig. 6 is a similar view illustrating another modification. β

In the drawings I and 2 indicate two electrodes of which one comprises a row of vacuum tubes 3, and this term is used to include evacuated mercury tubes, neon tubes and the like. The other electrode I may be referred to as of the 10 plate type, meaning that it is somewhat ‘extended. As shown the electrode I is in the form of a revoluble cylinder, and the row of vacuum tubes is in the form of a segment of the curved surface of a cylinder and conforms to the curvature of the 15 electrode I and is spaced from the latter. The vacuum tubes 3 are connected with one terminal of the source of current, and the electrode I is connected to ground or to the other terminal. When the circuit is closed an electric flux passes 20 across the air gap between the two electrodes and from the walls of the tubes 3, which are of glass or like appropriate material, constituting a dielectric. Among the advantages possessed by a dielectric made up of the walls of a row or group of 25 vacuum tubes, reference may be made to the fact that if the wall of a tube fails or is punctured or broken, that tube is automatically cut. out of the circuit and the remaining tubes continue to function normally. It may be said that the discharge 30 causes ions to be formed between the two electrodes and in the space or air gap between the dielectric and one electrode by the electric flux. The flux or discharge is active in ionizing oxygen ahd no doubt produces some ozone but in most 35 cases substantially no oxides of nitrogen are formed. Ionized oxygen is of value as an oxidizing agent. Another way to say the same thing is to say that oxygen in the air is represented by Oa, that the nascent oxygen in the flux is repre- 40 sented by O, and this new born oxygen represented by O combines to form O3 or ozone, and we believe that the nascent oxygen represented by O is an exceedingly valuable oxidizing agent and is in ionized air. At any rate according to 45 the present invention good hardening or fixation results are produced by passing the flux through ink or like substance on a newly printed paper or like sheet, web or object by leading the same through the space between the outside of the 50 tubes and the other electrode.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the web a is led between the packing cylinder b and the printing cylinder c, so that ink is deposited upon one face of the web a. The web a is then led through 55

9,000,684 the space between the dielectric and one electrode and through the flux passing between them. The result of this is to harden or fix the ink. The Web a then passes around the packing cyl5 inder d, and the face of it opposite the face last printed receives ink from the printing cylinders e, and inasmuch as the ink from the printing cylinder c is fixed and solidified, it does not offset on the packing cylinder d. The web, printed on 10 both sides, may be cut into sheets as at t.

Referring to Fig. 4, there are several groups, three in the present case, of vacuum tubes 3 constituting an electrode, such as has been described, and there is one packing cylinder 4 with four 15 printing cylinders 5, and the printing, cylinders 5 are arranged between the groups of the vacuum tubes, and they are adapted to apply inks of different color, so that after the application of ink of one color, it is dried by passing through an 20 electric flux before the application or superposition of ink of another color, and thus the color effect in the finished work is much improved. At the right in Fig. 4 is shown a duplication of the described multi-colored apparatus but ar25 ranged to print upon the other side of the sheet or web g.

Referring to Figs. 5 and 6, the departures there shown from the circular cross section ffir the tubes result in the presentation toward the sec30 ond electrode of additional area adapted to operate as a dielectric.

It will of course be understood that the vacuum tubes are fitted with terminals, but the construction of such tubes is too well known to require 35 detail description or illustration.

In the foregoing description and in the appended claims reference is made to opposing offset in printing but that reference is introductory matter as the invention includes fixing or hard40 ening ink and oleaginous substances on a web, sheet or moving body.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates that modifications may be made in details of construction and pro45 cedure without departing from the spirit of the invention which is not limited to such matters or otherwise than the prior art and the appended claims may require.