Bed stops moving on Charles Brand press
HI, I’m new to this site & forum. I’m not a print maker myself, but my wife has a Charles Brand press - big floor-model thing that weighs a ton or close to it! - and she’s been having trouble with the bed sticking while she’s printing. The press has a Link Belt shaft-mounted speed reducer and hand crank. We had the press moved by a professional from NY/NJ area but it’s been acting up since we’ve got it set up here. I’m trying to determine the likely cause - in the link belt reduce? or some other gears somewhere? - and get any suggestions from anyone who has dealt with this kind of thing before. The bed will start moving, but then seems to stop when it hits something - the edge of the block plate or whatever - and has to be nudged and pushed through after that, the roller won’t turn by crank alone. Sorry to be so long-winded, but I wanted to get the details right. I’d appreciate suggestions on fixing it or who to call to talk to about it. Thanks again. Looks like a great group!
The bed should be riding on rollers under it as it moves through the press — if the rollers have shifted or the frame of the press is distorted by not being properly leveled that could cause the bed to stick when it encounters a slightly higher roller, which adds friction or pressure to the movement. Or you might be over-packing the plate?
Bob
Bob is correct in that the supporting roller guides could be out of adjustment or knocked out of alignment. The bed, usually solid steel with Charles Brand presses, should move easily from one end to the other. This can be checked by just pushing the bed by hand (no plate or any felts on the bed). It should be heavy but move easily from one stop to the opposite stop. Also, with long term use, there might be an accumulation of old oil and grease on the underside of the press bed and its corresponding lower roller that might cause a loss of friction, though this is more common on Charles Brand litho. presses. Good luck, Charles Brand presses are great printers!
Jim
Thanks for the suggestion! I’ll look into the underside rollers/guides and see what I can figure out.
You might try contacting Perry Tymeson if your problem persists-
http://suitcasepress.blogspot.com
He is THE guy for Charles Brand related things, and is located in Jersey City. Depending how far away you moved he may even be available to help.