ruling machines
The machines used to rule lines on paper according
to a predetermined scheme. There are two basic
types of ruling machines in use today: the pen
ruling machine and the disc ruling machine. The
pen ruler applies ink in lines by means of
multiple pens. It is the most common type of
ruling machine in general use, and is also the one
usually regarded as producing the best results. It
is used for short-run general ruling and is
capable of producing lines in the most intricate
patterns. Its operation is relatively simple. The
paper is fed from the feed board onto an endless
moving blanket, each sheet being kept in position
on the blanket by means of thin cords stretched
around a series of plain and grooved rollers. The
pens are held in a slide fitted on the carriage
and positioned according to the pattern to be
ruled. The pens rest lightly on the paper and rule
the lines as the sheet passes beneath. After
passing under the pens, the sheet is carried on
cords underneath the machine a nd onto another
blanket to permit the ink to dry before delivery
to the pile at the end of the machine. The pens on
the carriage are arranged to rule along the length
of the sheet forRUN-THROUGH RULING .
For "struck work" the carriage may be lowered or
raised at any required position on the sheet. It
is automatically operated by a system of cam
wheels at the side of the machine that are
synchronized with a gate in front of the feed
board which retains and releases each sheet in
such a manner that it passes under the pens at the
proper time. The pens may be set in a slide in a
straight line so that they drop and lift in a
straight line, or they may be staggered so that
they drop and lift in different alignments, e.g.,
for box headings. Different colors of ink may be
ruled at the same time from the same set of pens
on the same carriage provided they are not too
close together. Pen ruler s are designed with one
or more carriages, which permits additional sets
of pens to be used on the same sheet if required
by the pattern, or separate carriages may be used
for different colors of ink.
The disc ruler transfers the ink to the sheet by
means of thin revolving discs instead of pens. Its
principal advantage over the pen ruler is that, on
two-sided machines, both sides of the sheet can be
ruled in one operation; in addition, some disc
machines will rule, count, perforate, slit, and
jog the sheets, all in one operation. Despite
these advantages, however, they are still
considered to be less versatile than pen rulers in
the combinations of intricate patterns they can
rule. In addition, disc rulers have a tendency to
produce broken lines. On one-sided disc rulers,
the discs are arranged on spindles according to
the pattern of ruling required. The spindles are
set around a cylinder over which the paper is
conveyed by means of thin cords. On "striker"
machines the spindles are arranged so that they
can drop and lift the discs as required by the
ruling pattern; however, since each row of discs
is set on one spindle, and therefore in one line,
a separate spindle has to be used for each "step"
(and also for each color on most machines),
whether or not the lines run off one end of the
sheet. Two-sided (perfecting) machines have an
additional cylinder and after the sheet has been
ruled on one side it is carried by the cords to
the second cylinder to be ruled on the reverse
side before being conveyed to the delivery pile.
(190 , 320 )
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