This page is for the benefit of mechanical neophytes. It lists parts and tools not explained in operator manuals. To comment or suggest revisions please use the contact form. Acknowledgments appear at bottom of page.
| Term |
|---|
| Bearing rolling device supporting the movement of the carriage. Comprised of ball bearings packed in grease and encased in a cylinder. See bushing and eccentric. |
| Bearing bars two piece unit bracketing the roller core ends (AKA journals). Found on Vandercooks designed before the Universal series, e.g. No.4. |
| Bearing block single support for the roller core ends (AKA journals). Found on the SP15. |
| Bed bearers the smooth rails flanking the press bed that support the weight of the impression cylinder bearers. (Wipe clean with slightly oiled rag daily). See cylinder bearers. |
| Bushing a plain bearing, or sleeve, between a rotating part and an inert part, e.g. a roller core and its bearing. Material may be wood, brass, or plastic. Nyliner is the brand name for the plastic bushings that fit on the rollers cores. Used for all Vandercooks, except Universal series and SP20. |
| Caliper tool used to measure the distance between two opposing sides of a part or fastener. The jaws of the caliper are adjusted to fit across the points to be measured. One jaw is fix while the other slides on a ruler. Caliper may have an additional analog dial or digital readout. Also refers to the thickness of paper and packing expressed in thousandths of and inch, e.g. .006". See paper thickness gauge. |
| Cam ramp between two surfaces on which rolls a cam follower. |
| Cam follower a bearing (or wheel) that rides up a cam to activate a lever at one end of it's path. |
| Core steel rod onto which the rubber is covered and turns insides bearings fastened at each end. |
| Cylinder bearers raised outer bands of the impression cylinder. Contacts bed bearers when in print mode. |
| Cylinder undercut depth in thousandths of an inch that cylinder face is lower than bearers. With cylinder at feed board, locate measurement stamped into the narrow channel separating the cylinder face from the cylinder bearers on the operation's side (040 and 070 are most common). This means that .040" (or .070") total packing is needed to make contact with a type high form locked in press bed. |
| Diode on power carriage presses, an electronic component that conducts electric current in one direction (called the diode's forward direction) while blocking current in the opposite direction (the reverse direction). |
| Durometer gauge and measurement scale for the hardness of rubber rollers. The higher the number the harder the rubber. Vandercook recommended a reading of 20 on "A" scale gauges. Some printers recommend a reading of 25 when using photopolymer plates. |
| Eccentric bearing with an axle off center from that of the circumference to allow adjustment. Cylinder eccentrics shift the impression cylinder mode from print to trip. |
| Feeler gauge tool used to measure the clearance between carriage bearings and under rails. Consisting of a number of small lengths of steel of graduated thicknesses with measurements marked on each piece. Use gauge marked in thousandths of an inch. |
| Fuse on power carriage presses, an electrical protection device designed to interrupt or blow when excessive current flows to prevent overheating or fire on power carriage presses. Comprised of a glass tube containing a wire that melts when too much current flows, which interrupts the circuit in which it is connected. |
| Journal part of a shaft that turns inside of a plain bearing or bushing, e.g. roller core ends. |
| Journal screw passes through roller height bearing and fastens to roller core ends (AKA journals). Some have split shanks and interior |
| Nyliner brand name for the plastic bushings that fit on the rollers cores ends. Used for most common Vandercooks models except Universal series SP20 and SP25. |
| Paper thickness gauge tool used to measure the thickness of printing paper and packing materials in thousandths of an inch. (AKA micrometer, but it is technically a different tool.) |
| SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) a standards development organization. Describes oil grade, e.g. SAE 20 wt oil. Also denotes measurements, in a fraction of an inch, for fasteners and tools. |
| Set screw a headless screw, tightened by means of an internal hex slot. The set screw passes through a threaded hole in the outer object and is tightened against the inner object to prevent it from moving relative to the outer object. Align hole to detent (dimple) on shaft prior to fastening to reduce slippage. |
| Shim thin metal strip, calibrated in thousandths of an inch, used to increase the width of a part or gap between two parts. |
| Single-phase electric power standard residential wiring and the rate of current that most Vandercooks run. Large power carriage presses, e.g. 232P, are wired for three-phase used in commercial buildings. A phase converter may allow a large press to run at a home shop. |
| Solenoid on power carriage presses, an electrical switch that convert energy into linear motion. |
| Taper pin steel rods with one end having a slightly larger diameter than the other used as a fastener. |
| Thread pitch number of threads on length of screw. Expressed in fractions of an inch on Vandercook presses. A screw or bolt is specified as: 5/16 - 24 × 1¼. The first number describes the diameter, the second the threads per inch, the third the overall length. |
| Thread pitch gauge reference tool determining the pitch of a thread that is on a screw or in a tapped hole. |
| Tie rod horizontal rods that connect the two carriage side plate providing structural support. |
| Truss rigid frame on the No. 1 Vandercook providing structural support for the impression cylinder. The first version has a double truss spanning the length of both sides of the bed, while the second version from the 1930s has a single truss on the far side. |
| Woodruff key a small semi-circular keyed joint used to strengthen connection between the gear to the roller core. The key sits in a semi-circular pocket on the core called the keyway. When the key is installed, the flat surface projects to fill a slot in the gear. Not used on the No. 4 or 215 because of the clutch mechanism. |
Acknowledgments
The following individuals have helped improve this table: Terrence Chouinard, Bob Oatman, Mark Wilden
