Machine for cleaning printers' rollers and the like.

Application filed March 27,1906. Serial No. 308,263.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Clarence B. Cutler, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Stanhope, in the county of Sussex and State 5 of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Cleaning Printers’ Rollers and the Like, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to certain 10 improvements in machine for cleansing printers’ rollers and the like, and in the present instance, it is my purpose to provide an apparatus or machine embracing in a compact and simple structure means whereby the 15 roller or the like may be washed and scraped with facility and thoroughness.

My invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts set forth in and falling within the scope of the 20 appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference indicate like parts in all the vie ws, Figure 1 is a side viexv of a preferred embodiment of my invention; Fig. 2 25 is a vertical, longitudinal sectional view taken through the same, certain parts being shown, however, in full lines; Fig. 3 is a top plan viexv showing the relative arrangement of gearing for driving the scraper; Fig. 4 is an 30 enlarged detail viexv- of certain portions of the scraper or screxvs and the gearing for actuating the same; Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional viexv taken on the line 5—5 of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail viexv partly in elevation 35 and partly in section of the loxver portion of the machine shoxving the cone bearing in which the loxver end of the subject roller is designed to seat; Fig. 7 is a detail view partly in section shoxving the arrangement of drive 40 gear in side elevation; Fig. 8 is a detail view .of the loxver portion of the machine, the cone bearing or seat for the subject roller beingshown in side elevation.

In carrying out the present invention I de45 sire to provide a mechanism through xvhich a roller such as a printer’s roller, may have the accumulation of ink and the like xvashed and scraped therefrom quickly and thoroughly. I have found that. this function 50 may be performed in a satisfactory manner by employing, in addition to other mechanism, a plurality of scrapers in the nature of screw blades adapted to revolve at relatively different speeds, so that the subject-roller, or 55 the roller to be cleaned resting upon such scraper rollers, xvill be rotated at the mean speed of said rollers. By this construction and arrangement the entire surface of the roller xvill be acted upon by the scrapers and, when the cleansing fluid is supplied thereto go in sufficient quantities, such subject roller may be cleaned xvith despatch.

Referring noxv to the accompanying draxvings.in detail the letter A indicates the frame of my machine xvhich may be of any desired 55 and preferred form or structure, but in the present instance I have shown such frame as approximating a right angle triangle; that is to say, with a relatively short base portion B, a long vertical rear portion C and an in- 70 dined front or bed portion D. Within the base of this frame is arranged a tank E adapted to contain the cleansing fluid.

F is a trough arranged parallel xvith the inclined bed I) and extending through and par- 75 allel xvith the trough are the txvo scraper screxvs G, G', upon xvhich screxvs the subject roller indicated at H is adapted to rest.

As heretofore stated those two screws are preferably designed- to be rotated at rela- .so tixrely different speeds, and may be rotated in either the same or different directions. To accomplish the actuation of the screxvs the following .mechanism is provided: I is a motor of any suitable character, such as an 85 electric motor, mounted at i upon the frame of the machine and the. poxver shaft i² thereof is provided at one end xvith a drive pinion i³. This pinion in turn meshes with a relatively large gear wheel J mounted upon the stud 90 shaft j as is also the smaller gear xvheel j'. This latter gear in turn meshes xvith. the gear xvheel k, xvhile k' is a second gear xvheel smaller than the gear k and in mesh xvith the relatively large gear xvheel J. Z, I, are txvo 95 gears in mesh respectively xvith the gear wheels k, k', and such gears Z, I' are mounted upon the ends of the shafts of the screxvs G, G'. These screxvs or scrapers at their lower ends are journaled in a suitable bearing g 100 and, as before stated, are thus arranged at an inclination to the vertical. By the construction just recited and the relative arrangement and size of the gears it xvill be noted that xvhen the shaft i² of the motor is 105 driven from the latter poxver xvill be imparted through the train of gearing to the screxv shafts and the latter will be caused to revolve at relatively different speeds. Noxv, if the roller to be cleaned be placed upon the no

876,336 shafts in the manner shown in Figs. 1 and 2 it will be rotated at a speed approximately mean of the speed of the two scrapers or screws, and the entire surface thereof will be thoroughly scraped in an approximately longitudinal direction.

In order to maintain the subject roller FI in position relative to the scraper I provide at the upper end a clip or clamp m for holding the stud shaft l> of the roller, while at the lower end of the frame is a bearing N hung from the ends of the pivoted arms n, ri. Carried by this bearing N at approximately the central portion thereof and in line between the two screws or scrapers is a conical cup or bearing block O adapted to receive the spindle h' of the subject roller, said cup O being free to turn relative to the bearing N. o' are anti-friction bearings interposed between the conical cup and the bearing plate N.

When it is desired to clean a roller it is preferable to first spray upon the same a cleansing fluid of any suitable nature and, as before stated, a receptacle E for said fluid is provided.

e is a suction pipe leading from the tank E to the pump P mounted on the frame of the machine, which pump is driven from the power shaft i² through the power transmission gearing P'.

e' is a pipe leading from the pump to the upper portion of the frame where such pump is branched at e² and e³, as is shown in Fig. 5 so as to pass on the outer longitudinal side of each of the scrapers or screw shafts and between such shafts and the wall of the trough F.

The branch pipes . extend approximately the entire length of the trough and are each perforated as shown at e⁴, so that the cleansing fluid may be sprayed therefrom upon the subject roller, as is clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 5. At the base of the trough F is a small conducting chute or gutter f into which the fluid and matter scraped from the subject roller passes, and is conducted into the Base of the machine. After the roller has been sufficiently wetted with the cleansing fluid and it is desired to continue the scraping operation without the application of additional fluid the three-way valve Q is actuated to direct the fluid through the branch e⁵ into the return pipe e⁶ whence it is conveyed back to the tank E, so that while the revolution of the scrapers may be continued to scrape the rollers dry, the fluid will be pumped in a circuit back to the tank.

S is a switch for throwing the electric motor into and out of operation.

R is an oil cup mounted at the top of the machine and designed to furnish a lubricant to the gearing through the small conducting tube r.

From the above description taken in con nection with the accompanying drawings the construction and operation of my improved machine will be readily apparent. The subject roller H to be cleaned is first placed in position as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 with the 70 lower spindle thereof resting in the conical cup of the bearing N and the upper spindle clamped as is shown at m. The switch S is then moved to throw the motor into operation and through the power shaft ? the screw 75 shafts or scrapers G and G' are caused to rotate at relatively different speeds, and their rotary movement is also imparted at mean speed to the subject-roller FI. Through the train of power transmitting devices P' the go pump P is also actuated and the cleansingfluid is drawn up from the tank E to the pump and thence pumped through the pipe E' into the perforated branch pipes extending longitudinally of and at the side of the sub- 35 ject roller. Such subject roller is thus thoroughly wetted by the applied fluid and the rotary motion of the screw scrapers cleanses or scrapes the roller in a direction approximately longitudinally of its action. After 90 the roller has been cleaned and dried by the scrapers it may be removed from the machine by unlocking the clamp at the top thereof and swinging the lower pivoted bearing N to the desired position by shifting the 95 pivoted arms n, n'. The machine is then ready for the next roller.

It will be noted that I have provided an exceedingly simple machine, one occupying very little space, and while I have herein 100 shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, I wish it of course to be understood that I do not limit myself to the details of construction herein enumerated, as there may be modification and va- 105 riation within the scope of the claims.