Meihle Verticals

We have a Miehle Vertical in our shop that I’ve been running for the last 18 months. Problem is there is no identification as to whether it’s a V36 or V45. I have a very poor reprint of a V50 manual that’s not much help for some problems we’re having relating to stopping the cylinder on impression. I do know it’s not a V50. Can anyone help with an image of both or a method of identification? We’re looking for a manual and some parts…
Many thanks in anticipation
Paul

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The serial number is on the top of the frame on the operator’s side, sort of above the doublesheet trip knob. Post that number. Also depends on what the guards look like and the style of pumps (piston, diaphragm or rotary). A picture would remove all doubt.

Hi, Paul—

I’ve run several V-50’s and one V-36. I think I saw a V-45 once, but I’ve never run one.

The V-36 had a simple lift shield to change the pulleys, which had only one slot (spline?) in their cores. The side delivery guards were a lattice-work, in cast-iron, I suppose.

Air was supplied by two pistons openly visible behind the press, as was the motor. Mine was painted orange (not original), and although it was rated to run up to 3600 impressions per hour, it really only ran at about 2400 or not at all, depending on pulley. No pin latched the cylinder—it was held in place by a sort of detent on the right, and could be rotated without having to unlatch it. It had a low serial number—I don’t recall that it was stamped into the top of the side frame, as on a V-50—rather, I seem to think it was somewhere lower, stamped into a brass plate. I have fond memories of that press.

If I recall my V-45 sighting, it was Miehle gray and the delivery side-guards were sort of art-deco—like the Chrysler building. Without knowing, I would imagine that the V-45 had different pumps, pulleys, and a cylinder latch more like the V-50. I suppose it theoretically had a top speed of 4500 impressions per hour.

The V-50’s seem to have enough beans that you can jog them around if they stop on impression. The V-36 required the insertion of two pins into holes in the flywheel and the use of a lever to bring the cylinder back into position.

I have an address. I don’t know if it’s current. You might also look in the listings on this site, but I’ve gotten good service from:—

Jack Beall Vertical Service
105 Schelter Rd.
Lincolnshire, IL 60069

Hope this helps, Brian

Hi Brian and Mike from Montana - thanks so much for your reply.
I checked today and the Serial number was in fact on the stamped on the lower front of the frame - Number V3271.
From your comments I’m becoming more and more convinced we have a V36. I counted one time and we only get about 2,200 - 2,400 per hour out of it. We are running it on the lowest pulley which as you say has a shield
You will see from the photo, the side guards are hardly art deco.
The unit recently had a new motor, but the pistons and bearings are so worn and parts were replaced before my time that it is so noisy I have to wear ear plugs all day!

The main problem is that we cannot get the cylinder to stop turning, so that when you run numbering jobs, you just hope you’re not going to get too many misfeeds.This could be due to the diaphragm or the fact that part of the feed table that locked the feed table has been broken and so we have had to block that part of the air system.
If you can readily identify the unit is a V36 and not a V-45 I can at least try to get a manual
many thanks in anticipation.

Sorry file size was too big - hopefully this is ok

image: IMG_1139.JPG

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Yes, V-36. Speak to the folks at Jack Beall about parts and instruction manual. Verticals are noisy presses and earplugs are a good idea. I use the foam ones that you roll up and stick in your ears.

Isn’t it amazing that this press is still kicking out a day’s work at about 80 years old? Someone told me the Miehle Co. made tank turrets during World War II.

Best wishes, Brian

don’t know where you are located, buy i know of a 36 sitting in a shop in dorchester, ma if interested i will get phone number for you, i don’t think it has been run for a few years. good luck dick g.

Thank you Brian, Mike and Dick - the more I looked at the comments the more I was convinced it had to be a 36.
I will surely contact Beall’s and see what parts they have available, but more immediately a decent manual so maybe we can resolve the problem of the cylinder not going off impression.
It also only has one roller that’s quite chewed up.
I too have to wear the sponge ear plugs- otherwise I would be deaf by now.
I’m up in Vancouver Island, on the extreme west of Canada just north of Washington….

Hi Brian,

I have a Meihle V-50 and have been running it for the last 23 years. On the V-50, inside the cylinder is a horizontal bar to the right of the diaphragm housing. The left side of the bar has a spring with a locking collar with spokes that ffit into a pin. Push collar into the spring and rotate the collar. Making the spring compress more makes the cylinder harder to trip.
Turning it so spring is looser will allow cylinder to trip all the time.

I hope this helps.

Mike

Hi, all—

As I recall, the V-36 has exactly the same trip adjustment. I seem to recall replacing the diaphragm at one time. Blow out the air lines too.

I’ve sometimes used a patent gripper thingamabob that helps seal the sheet against the 6 trip holes at the gripper, replacing the two(?) original grippers there. Ream out the air holes in the gripper bar with a bent paper clip. You may be able to tape a stiff card or some such to that bar of metal that comes down on the feed board to help get the sheet to seal against the holes. If you’re numbering forms, the padding sometimes introduces a wave in the gripper edge that makes sealing hard. Another thing to do is run the bend of the pin wrench along the fold in the packing by the grippers to iron it out.

Here’s a new address for Jack Beall:

Jack Beall Vertical Service
2085 Orchard Ln.
Carpentersville, IL 60110
Phone 847-426-7958
Fax 847-426-7793

They’ll have instruction and parts books, too.

Good luck, Brian

Hi Brian,
I did get phone Beall’s and they are sending me a manual.
I did slacken off the spring, and the cylinder does now stop off impression to start with if I manually adjust it first. However, if I stop a sheet feeding it still continues on impression.
I hope to get a replacement feeder table that will resolve the rest of the problems if it’s in good condition…
Little steps…
Many thanks
Paul…

Hi Brian,
I did receive a manual - operators and Parts - today from Chuck at Beall’s.
Knowing we were on the right track we took the diaphragm apart and cleaned out the tubes and generally cleaned and smoothed the whole area - including I might add, the 6 holes on the gripper bar. After playing about with the spring - Bingo!
Works like a charm - first time it’s worked since the boss had the machine 15 years ago…
Now all I have to do its replace the parts on the feed table and it will be almost like new.
Many thanks indeed for your help
kind regards
Paul

Miehle Vertical V36 - continuing problem with automatic trip.
Most of our work is crash numbering – which means every time there is a misfeed, the cylinder turns on impression. Very frustrating. We’ve been struggling with this problem for some time
Have stripped and cleaned the diaphragm, and except the air lines to and from the diaphragm (in case we fractured the diaphragm itself), blown out all the tubes and the gripper bar; including those related to the feeder. The transfer table has just been replaced so we know the airlines on that are clean. As far as I know, the V 36 does not have a hose connection for servicing the air line as does the V50.
We are now in a position where one position of the ‘diaphragm latch spring collar’ does not allow the cylinder to rotate at all, and just one adjustment down (looser) the cylinder rotates continuously. The left transfer table trip lever does not work either.
We also have an old copy of the V50 manual, and I’m not sure our current hose connections in the cylinder are correct because the copy is so bad.
If anyone can help us with advice or a good copy of the configuration of the cylinder hoses, we would be mightily grateful.
Sincerely, Paul Watkins

HI Paul

I’ve had similar problems until cleaning out the whole diaphragm unit.
Put a series of videos up on YouTube
(5 in all)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noIz9kvQI8w

As far as the latch spring, I think the trick may be to let some tension off the spring, pop it out of the collar, and reposition with one less turn on the spring. Seems like that did the trick for me, after twisting it back around again.

P

Hi I was working on a v45 this week replaced the deliver bar control cam. If u want to know if u hav a 36 or 45.
From the pix I would say u have a 36 the diamond guard over the delivery bar another difference on a 36 is that there is a rubber hose attached to the center of the cylinder. and the 3rd thing is that all 36 had a mechanical 2 cylinder air pump . 45s had leahman rotary pumps and 50s had a 2 piston rubber diaphram pump. v50 x were painted tan and had adjustable sideguide next to the door .
If the press stops on impression u can turn it off impression them run the press wo sheets the cyl should not turn if it does stop the press bring the cyl jus past top of stroke open door pull cyl pin rotate cyl till the reel rod is up and remove center hose from diaphram blow out all hoses also the rubber hose that supplys vaccuum the the diaphram must be blown out this hose is on the outside of the non operator side of the press. then adj the spring till the cyl dosent trip wo sheets. then tape the holes and adj
spring till the cyl turns remove tape and the cyl should remain stationary if it still turns increase the tension till the cyl stops wo tape over the holes on gripper bar also make sure that the rubber washers in the feed board are sealing
so that the trip stop works. if some of the holes in the feed board are not covered by the sheet u need to tape the open ones.
oldmancrum

A note should be made that later model V-50’s (at least 16000 on) have Conde rotary vane pumps. If a machine has been stored for a long time, the vanes may stick so that there’s no pressure. They are not too hard to get apart to clean the vanes/slots.

The original manual suggested “flushing” the pumps with Carbon Tetrachloride, but obviously that’s not a good idea. Any suggestions of what to use for pump flushing nowadays?
.

I have a v-50 with the rotary pumps and I use type wash to flush my pumps. you do not want to use any thing that will leave an oily residue. some thing fast drying is best. Use caution as it does blow out in mist, keep your face away and no open flames.

Paul

Was rather hoping for someting non-flammable (boom!). Where I used to work I used isopropyl alcohol (yeah—-brilliant…). It did do the job, but one would hope there was something better out there.

Hi, all—

I used 1, 1, 1-trichloroethane to flush vertical pumps. I don’t know if it’s a better choice than carbon tet. I’d be scared to use typewash.

If someone finds a better way, please post it.

Thanks, Brian

Hi. There is a V45 in the for sale or trade section of Briar Press. Most V45’s use piston pumps and the guards are different from the 35s. Its running at 3000 plus. Still doing a great job. You have to watch your suction tubes that they are not loose fitting and also your feed table suction holes where it fits is not sloppy. I made up some thin cardboard gaskets with a hole for the suction and not only does it tighten up the table but gives a good suction when operating.

Brian Donnel
Scared to use type wash with its high flashpoint?
Trichlo can explode from the can as a liquid solid at 7o
by turning it into mist in the pump you are lucky not to have had it blow up !
Dependant on whay kind of mineral spirits you use i dont understand what you call these cleaners but we use white spirit for general purpose cleaning up of grease or wet ink ,not dried solid ink , it wont damage manufactured paints . You dont want any oily stuff in a vane pump so they need an evaporating spirit which leaves no residue and it needs to have done its evap before reassembly !
Piston pumps dont really need attention in the bore but the valves ,be it spring and ball or flap plates need cleaning to make sure they close neatly

Edit - sorry just noticed this was three years old after i posted! Doh!

I’m not an expert on the vertical, but i have been down both of these roads before. When we put in our v50 a couple years ago, it had been sitting for some time. The serial is approx 18900, so it has the carbon vein pumps. That vaccuum pump was so solid i couldn’t even turn it with a channel lock on it. Opened up the top and opened up the bottom and poured a couple glugs of kerosene in ‘er and it freed right up. Let it dry out overnight before starting it up and it’s been great ever since. (also had to clean out the pipe running to the front side-was caked solid inside)

Once I got suitable suck, had to play with the cylider trip. Did the usual cleaning, new lines, etc and still couldn’t get it right on. So i called Chuck….man that guy knows his verticals. he pointed me to the little kicker/ starter block. It is at the bottom of the stroke on the non operator side. It helps the cylider start its cycle and it was a little worn. Since there is no adjustment (a little mounting screw head should show outside the casting) I wrapped a couple rounds of black electrical tape around it, readjusted the trip spring and boom, back in business.

Good luck…Chris