The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-06-11

ABOUT 5000 papers per hour printed upon
one side As the demands of the news
papers increased more impression cylin-
uers were added, until these machines
were made with as many as ten grouped
around the central cylinder, giving an
aggregate speed of about 1000 papers per
hour printed upon one side. A revolution
III newspaper printing took place. Jour
nails which before had been limited in
their circulation by their inability to fur
nish the papers rapidly increased their
issue, and many new ones were started.
The new presses were adopted not only
throughout the United States. but also
in Great Britain.
The type-revolving machine marked a
great advance in rapid printing 1t was
believed that the problem had been set
tIed, at least for long time to come. 1t
was scarcely conceivable that any paper
would want to print more than 10000 cop
les per hour.
The type-revolving presses had scarcely
been put into general operation in this
country and Europe before the constant
growth in circulation figures demanded
still further Improvements.
First Curved Stereotype Plates.
Various experiments had demonstrated
| the possibility of casting stereotype plates
on a curve. The process was brought to
| perfection by the use of flexible paper
matrices upon which the metal was cast
in curved moulds to any circle desired.
These plates were placed upon the type
| revolving machines instead of the type
| forms. The newspaper publishers were
| thus enabled TO duplicate the forms and
to run several machines at the same
time, with view TO turning out the pa
pers with greater rapidly. In some of
the large London and New York offices
as many as five of these machines were
| Kept in constant operation,
| The difficulty in obtaining high speeds
with these machines was not in printing
fast enough, but in getting the sheets to
| the machine rapidly and in disposing of
| them quickly after they had passed
through the press.
The demand was for a press which
would print from continuous roll of pa
per, leaving the sheets to be cut and fold
ed after they had passed through the
machine. 1t was necessary, too, TO In
| sure satisfactory results, that the ma
| chine should perform all these opera tons
itself. 1t was found that human hands
! could not work fast enough to keep up
! with the requirements of the modern news
paper.
In 1871 R. Hoe & Co. set to work TO
| study this problem in a comprehensive
manner, and to solve the difficulties in
the way of attaining much higher speed
than had ever before been attempted
Expert mechanics were set to work on
| different phases of the problem. Time
| money and effort was expended without
stint in the study of existing models, In
erecting experimental machines, and in
| trying all manner of devices suggested
| to meet the requirements of the situa-
ton.
The difficulties were not wholly of a
| mechanical nature. One was in the set
off of the first side OF the sheet printed.
This was avoided by the cooperation
of the ink-makers, who were induced to
devise special, rapid-drying inks.
New Ink and New Paper.
Another drawback was In obtaining pa
per in the roll of uniform perfection and
strength The paper-makers were led to
make a study of producing large rolls
| of paper meeting these requirements. They
solved the problem of finding a strong and
! cheap paper, such as could be afforded
by the daily press.
While these improvements were being
wrought out, the press manufacturers
| were working on the problem of a rapid
severance of the sheets after printing
and the reliable and accurate delivery OF
the printed papers.
|
| this matter was the patent of Stephen D.
| Tucker, a member of the firm of r. Hoe
& Co. 1t was called gathering and de-
| lvering cyclinder," and was able to han
die the papers as fast as they were print
| ed. 1t is the mechanism on which the
| great speed of the modern press depends.
| Without it one of the great machines
would block a pressroom with papers be
fore it had been in operation fifteen min
| utes.
Thus 1t will be SEEM the rapid-working
web press Is a composite for which no one
| man deserves the entire credit. 1t is one
| of the most notable examples of a really
| wonderful mechanism constructed in re-
| Spouse 10 a specific demand. The expert
| mechanicians engaged in the manufacture
| of presses knew what was wanted. They
sat down and figured TO these results just
as experts in other fields might solve prob
lens in mathematics or military tactics
1t is a concrete illustration of the saying
| that no matter what the demand is, if il
| is strong enough 1t will be satisfied
The press which was constructed in 1871
as result of these Investigations, was
fed from a roll or web of paper ovei
| cylinders carry stereotyped plates which
printed it on both sides.
The sheets were not entirely severed b.
the cutters, but were simply perfora tee
after the printing. They were drawn by
| accelerating tapes, which completely sep,
arated them, into a gathering cylinder sc
constituted that six, or any desired mum
Der. of perfect papers could be gathered
one over the other These, by means of &
switch, were, at the proper moment, turn.
ed off onto sheet flyers, which deposited
them on the receiving board.
This press for the first time did away
completely with hand labor in the pro
cess Of printing. 1t was, therefore, the
beginning of rapid printing, as that tern
is understood to-day The only duties meI
were required to perform in connection
with 1t were the starting of the press
watching to see that its work was per
formed properly, and taking away th'
papers after they were piled fiat on tht
receiving board.
First Great Power Press.
The first press of this pattern was sci
up in the Office of the New York Tribune
In 1871. OF course, 1t had been thoroughly