What are these things under the bed of my Vandercook?

I am restoring a Vandercook 219 NS, and I have no idea what these lever-things are supposed to do.

image: underbed1.jpg

underbed1.jpg

image: underbed2.jpg

underbed2.jpg

image: underbed3.jpg

underbed3.jpg

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I’d recommend that you cross-post your questions to the Vanderblog. There are many experts there. Good luck.
Check with NA Graphics if they have a manual for your press. Also, you might want to start getting in touch with other 219 ns owners so you can get reference photos. I’ve found that very useful in my restoration process.

For a 219 manual, use this url from Boxcar
http://www.boxcarpress.com/community/flywheel.html?page=/community/flywh...

You may have to select all three lines and paste into your browser.

i’ve registered at the Vanderblog, and I am just waiting to receive my password. Thank you for the link to the manual I will download that now.

I have a 219 OS and those look similar to levers that are on the outside of the press under the bed, which cause the cylinder to switch back to trip after being on impression at the end of the bed. That or the gripper release cam. Looking at the 219 manual, which is frustrating because the pictures refer to the NS as much as OS, but there’s a gripper release wheel that hangs down below, and by hitting that cam at the end of the bed, the grippers open to remove the paper.

Just a guess!

The thing to do is to find what contacts those cams; I haven’t looked at this model a few years and don’t recall seeing that feature. There should be a clear view of what happens when the carriage moves past these cams. The spacing of them does suggest a connection with the long sheet/short sheet gripper release. But on all the 219 NS presses I have seen, the gripper action was on the far side of the press. And if I am reading the photo correctly this is inside the operator side: looking at the working direction of the cams, the cam to the left (toward the end of the bed) has a lower segment that works on the print stroke, but both cams have a higher segment that works on the back stroke. But by then the sheet should already have been released.
That arm with a knob on the side of the press is a bumper that stops the cylinder at long or short sheet positions. That feature does save your arm. Cranking past the release point for a short sheet and missing, or stopping short there just by muscle, these wasted motions really do add to the wear on your body.