The Sun.
London, England, 1824-02-12 00:00:00

ORIGIN OF MACHINE PRINTING.

The cylindrical mode of printing, in order to
distinguish it from the old process, is called
Machine Printing. It was first invented by Mr;
Nicholson, so well known in the scientific and
literary world. Ile took out a patent for it is
1799, but never appears to have carried it into
practice. Mr. Konig, a Saxon printer, seems
next to have conceived it possible to print by a
steam engine ; but at first he expected only to
increase the speed of the common press. After,
having attempted in vain to interest the Conti-
nental printers, and get them to put his schemes
into execution, he Game to England about 1804,
and was for some time equally unsuccessful ill
his application to several af the London printers ;
but being at length introduced to the elder Mr.
Beesley, they made an arrangement together.
After a short course of experiments on the
making of a press having accelerated motion, and
at the same time rendering the work of the matt
who inks the types unnecessary, Mr. Konig and
Mr. Bensley, senior, were joined by Mr.G.lVood-'
fall and Mr. It. Taylor, hut Mr. Wood fall soon red
tired from the partnership. The remaining three ind
dividuals persevered in their design, in spite of
the tediousness and expence unavoidable in the,
progress of any improvement in machinery, ant'
which were the greater in this case from thc;
parties being deficient in the practical knowledge,
of mechanics. It was at length found, that the.,
intended improvements could not be brought tc
bear in the common press; and that a radical
change in the mode of printing must he adopted.-
Printing with cylinders was then thought of, and:
after two or three years spent in experiments, a.
small press was made, in which, instead of tho
printing being produced by the impression of a.
flat form on the paper, the sheet of paper was'
parted between a large roller and the usual flat
form ; and the types were inked, not by round.
dabbing balls, but by means of skins stretch-,
ed over smaller rollers, under which the form.
of types passed in its way to the roller. Such
a promise of success attended this mode of
printing, that it was deemed practicable to
construct a larger press on the same principle.
The press being exhibited fo Mr. Walters, the-
Proprietor of " The Times" Newspaper, two sie
miler presses, with such improvements as the de-
ficiences in the old one suggested, were construct-
ed, and " The Tinzes" of Monday, the 28th of
this manner, the rollers and forms being moved.
obsbNfaeytloo,,etavlr.latsa,lltregalm4, wasengine. These presses are indeed
cumbrous, but they are strong, and so convenient
that they are still in use, notwithstanding the se..
veral alterations which have been since made in
machine printing. A machine was then made for
Messrs. Bensley, in which the sheet of paper was
placed in the feeder, and delivered from the ma-
chine printed on both sides, notwithstanding the
many difficulties that always exist in keeping re-
gister, or, in other words, in causing the pages on
tec ttt Q.:: 'fir
one side to fall precisely on the hack of those on.
the other side. 'There were also other improve-
ments, and, in particular, the first attempt to
types intopritl
individualstri
compositionon l e
prsre coveredassteou:m,
bpgutl
attempted
change the strained skins used for inking the
degweititlialitletrt
generally
treacle,sftaPrii
their projected improvements. Messrs. Apple-, girth and Cowper constructed an excellent press,.
which was executed by Mr. Dryden, a very
clever engineer, who managed the concerns of
Mr. Lloyd. These gentlemen were desired to
apply their inking apparatus to Messrs. Bensley's
•
machine, which simplified it so much, that no less
than 40 wheels were discarded at once. This
press was pertly destroyed by fire in 1819;7:
since which the press described and figured im
our third Number, r . 33, has been erected by
them. Many other machine presses have since
been erected by different individuals, those which
print on one side only, delivering 1,500 or 1,600
by the hour, and the double or perfecting ma-
chine
800 to 1,000 in the same time. It will be
seen by this sketch of the history of machine
printing, that it is but incomplete ; and we shall
be happy to receive further information on a sub-
ject so interesting to mankind as printing.--e
(Mechanics Weekly Journal.)

DREADFUL ACClDENT.—(Brighton, Feb. 11.)
—A very melancholy accident occurred here
yesterday, in the afternoon. As five labourers were
employed in digging for flints, at the base of the
Cliff, between the Royal Crescent and Blackrock,
the over-hanging earth and stone suddenly
fell in, and crushed and buried the whole of
them. A sixth man, on the margin of the
steep, was precipitated to the beach by the fall,
but descending on the summit of the immense
weight of rubbish, he escaped without broken
bones, or any very essential injury. No time
was lost in digging out the others, but the whole
of them were dead. The following are the names
of the sufferers, viz. :—William Smith, aged 40;
John Ratey, 35 ; John Maslings, 38 ; .John Jail,
25 ; and William Gorringe, aged 19. Smith has,
left 2. widow and one child—the others were.
single men.

COAL-MARKET, FEB. n.
Ships at Market. Ships sold
31f Newcastle - - lg
8 Sunderland - - 7

Prlco,
-32 s Od to 4,1', .
- 345 Od to 44, 0