the Cylinder Printing Press

On 18 February 2002 I obtained the leaflet of this Cylinder Printing Press from a Meccano modeller. It was a great challenge for me to build this model because it involves so many mechanisms and I had never built a model from such a leaflet. This model is drawn and described by A. Konkoly of Budapest, Hungary, and is model number 47 in the modern Super Model series.

This is the result after a month of building and puzzling

This picture offers a close-up view of the rollers. The press roller is made from a Boiler #162, and the counter roller is made from two Sleeve Pieces #163. The other rollers are each made from a Cylinder #216 which is clamped between two Flanged Wheels #20. I made the ink roller from cardboard which I painted black. It is clamped between two Flanged Wheels #20b.

This picture shows the same rollers viewed from the other side. The excentric #130a transmits back-and-forth motion through the Gear Wheel #27a and the Pinion #25 to the ink roller. Also visible in this picture are the Pulleys #22 which are part of the linear bearing on which the ink bed moves to and fro.

Movable fingers at the rear of the printing press catch the paper coming off the press and lay it in a box. These fingers are made from five Strips #3 mounted on an Axle Rod #14. This Axle Rod also carries a Pinion #25 which engages a Gear Wheel #27, which in turn also moves to and fro through a Narrow Strip #235b and a Narrow Strip #235 which are mounted on a Face Plate #109.

In this picture the Axle Rod connecting the ink-bed to the flywheel can be seen. The flywheel is made from a pair of faceplates #109, a pair of circular plates #146 and a hub disk #118, all bolted together. On the flywheel is mounted a threaded pin #115 on which is mounted a threaded coupling with a handrail support #136.

This is the connection to the ind-bed. On this side the connecting Axle Rod #13 has the same finishing touches as at the flywheel, namely a Handrail Coupling #136a on the Axle Rod, and a Handrail Support #136 on the Coupling.

This is the motor that provides all the movements of the press. I have used a TEMSI electric motor and have set the gear ratio to 32:1. On the motor is mounted a Pinion #25 that drives a Geared Wheel #27c which is mounted on the central Axle Rod. This central Rod provides all the movements of the model. The flywheel and the press-roller get their movement through a Sprocket Wheel #95 and Chain #94. I drilled a four-hole strip, whereof I was sure that this was not a Meccano part. In the two middle holes I mounted the electric connection sockets so that the model can be operated from mains current through a 12V adapter.

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