throw-off lever

[gfish]

I finished the throw-off lever assembly on the printing press today. It, though a rather weird series of cams, changes how far the type bed moves in and out with each cycle of the press. In one position you're printing, in the other the paper and the type don't touch, despite everything still pivoting back and forth. If you have it hooked up to a steam engine, it's a convenient way to pause for some more paper.

Comments

[olafthunderfoot.livejournal.com]

damn, yer doin great job!

[samildanach.livejournal.com]

If you were driving this off a steam engine, would there be a clutch controlling how power is applied? I'm wondering whether the press would spin up as the steam engine came up to speed, or if the engine's drive shaft would come up to speed before components like the press would be engaged.

[gfish.livejournal.com]

There certainly could be a clutch. The press originally came with a foot pedal and an optional pulley for external power which mounted directly to the driveshaft. Beyond that there wasn't much factory guidance as far as I can tell. Letting the press come up to speed along with the engine wouldn't do any harm, so I'm sure someone did it that way.