The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-01-14
Richard NJ. Hoe, Esq, Printing Press
Inventor.

IL ulSH Tttnk us an inventor whose
genius, more, perhaps, than any other
in our age, has contributed to the
diffusion of knowledge.
Richard M. Hoe was born in the
city of New York, September 12,
1912. His father was an English
machinist, who came to the United
States in 1905, and after following
the occupation of carpenter for
some years, finally commenced the
manufacture of printing presses in
1925. A brother of the elder Hoe
also came out to the country, and
was n mason.
Both of the brothers were men of
great reliability of character. The
subject of our notice succeeded his
father in business in 1882, and in
July, 1S47, patented his celebrated
type-revolving printing press.
This press is admitted to be the
best in the world, is now in use in the
large newspaper establishments of the
Uniced States, England and France,
and other countries, and has revolu-
tionized the mode of printing. A
type-revolving press was patented by
Nicholson, in England, in 1890, but
the inventor did not succeed in hold
ing the types. The Hoe press is in
tended for rapid working, and con-
sists of horizontal cylinder fifty
four to sixty-six inches in diameter,
On which the types are laid, and of
four to ten printing cylinders, which
are arranged around the front, and
tangential to IT. The type cylinder
and the printing cylinder are con-
nected by gearing in such q manner
that their velocity at the circumfer-
ence is exactly the same. Each print
ing cylinder is cut longitudinally, and
the iron fingers project through the
slit to take hold Of the paper, and re-
linquish it at the proper moment.
Underneath the type-cylinders are
the mixing fountains, and the dis
tributing rollers between the printing
cylinders and the linking rollers. In
the operation of the machine, >the
feeding is done by hand, the fingers
of the machine closing upon the
paper at the right moment, SO that
one sheet may be drawn in at each
revolution of the type cylinder. The
sheet thus seized is made to roll
around the printing cylinder, and, by
revolving in contact with the type
cylinder, receives the impression of
the types. The fingers then open,
and the sheet is carried by tapes to
fly which lays it on u receiving table
The distribution of the ink is at
tanned by a very ingenious arrange
ment. The portion of the surface of
the large cylinder which is not cover
ed with the form (about 2-3d is used
as an mixing table. and contact with
the printing cylinder is prevented by
the fact Of the surface of the table
being lower than that Of the form of
type. The ink is taken from the
fountain and distributed on rollers,
the last of which deposits it on the
mixing table, and recedes out of reach
to let the form pass. The mixing
rollers, between the printing cyl
inders, have similar motion to and
from the axis of the large cylinder,
coming in contact with the table at
each revolution, getting linked, and
depositing the ink on the form OF type
Immediately afterward.
Ihe types are placed on curved
bed between column rules, tapering
towards the centre, and the rules are
held in the form by cross headed
projections entering the bed, and
types and rules are pressed together
by screws in the sides and ends of
the form-thus the types are held by
friction. The press stands high, with
platforms for the feeders. one above
the other. While to the eye, the
machine presents considerable in
tricacy and complication, still in it's
operation it is a model of mechanical
perfection.
One hundred and thirteen of these
.presses have been made in the United
States. OF this number, si1ty-four
are in use in the United States, thirty
four in England, eight in Scotland,
one in Ireland, one in France, and
five in Australia. Besides these four
nssaye been made in England, under
- ~ - France