Vandercook 15-21 Notes

Jason Dewinetz

Adjusting Ink Roller Height

On the Vandercook 15-21, at either end of the ink roller carriage, are three screws: two adjustment screws with large flush heads and one lock screw with a small head that sinks into its hole.

The two adjustment screws, when tightened & loosened, raise and lower the bearing block that holds the two roller cores (axles), while the setting screw ensures that, when lowered, the bearing block is firmly "pushed down."

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Note: In this photo the roller axles are surrounded by hacked nyliners (the correct nyliners were unavailable at the time).

Adjustment Screw Reminder:
Right (clockwise) Raises, Left (counter-clockwise) lowers.

 

In the image below, the adjustment screws are tightened, thus pulling the block upward, thereby raising the roller cores. The lock screw is tightened only until it makes contact with the block, playing little or no roll in this position.

The diagrams below have been simplified for the purpose of this topic.

Lowering the ink rollers

To lower the ink rollers, the adjustment screws are loosened (counter-clockwise), which allows the block to drop, thereby lowering the ink roller cores.

The lock screw is then tightened (clockwise) to ensure that the block is pushed down firmly.

One reason for the lock screw is that, depending on the integrity of the threads in the adjustment screw holes, sometimes the adjustment screws will withdraw from their holes when loosened (counter-clockwise), and thus the block does not "drop."

In this scenario, tightening (clockwise) the lock screw will "push" the block downward, which will in turn pull the adjustment screws into their holes, thereby lowering the ink roller cores.

Raising the ink rollers

To raise the ink rollers it is obviously important and necessary to first loosen (counter-clockwise) the lock screw.

If this screw is not first loosened, and the adjustment screws are tightened (clockwise), the adjustment screws will attempt to raise the block, but the lock screw will stop the block from lifting . This will put undo strain on the adjustment screws' threads and may cause damage.

Therefore, before attempting to raise the rollers by tightening (clockwise) the adjustment screws, first loosen (counter-clockwise) the lock screw.

Then tighten (clockwise) the adjustment screws, which will "pull" the block upwards, thereby raising the ink roller cores.

Notes prepared by Jason Dewinetz.