IMPROVE- MENTS IN PRINTING, AND IN THE MATERIALS AND APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1855

page_text: Sealed the 3rd July 1855, and dated the 5th January 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Livesey at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th January 1855.
I, JOHN LIVESEY, of No. 20, Kensington Gore, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PRINTING, AND IN THE MATERIALS AND APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH,"
communicated to me by a foreigner residing abroad, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the construction and
arrangement of lithographic and other printing presses or machines, and to a
peculiar inking composition to be employed therein, and also to an improved
mode of obtaining transfers from prints or engravings.
The improvements consist, first, of an improved construction and arrange-
ment of self-inking apparatus, applicable to printing machines, whether for
typographic, lithographic, or zincographic printing, or for the printing of textile

page_text: fabrics or paper hangings. This self-inking apparatus consists of an ink trough
or box, and of a "doctor"" or "doctors," and inking and distributing rollers, the
whole being placed in an iron frame, and travelling by the aid of pulleys on
two parallel cross bars or rails placed horizontally above and in the direction
of the impressing cylinder or cylinders. The ink trough consists of a small
box of iron or other suitable material, with loose sides for the adjustment
or regulation of the supply of ink, and covered in by two lids for the purpose
of keeping out all dirt and grit. This box is suspended by a vertical pin
working in a swivel joint, by which the trough and its rollers are enabled
to turn or be adjusted at two opposite angles to the feeding rollers. The
inking roller is fixed to and forms the bottom part of the trough. It
revolves constantly in the ink and supplys the doctor rollers, which convey
the ink to the distributing roller by means of an eccentric or alternating
motion. The distributing roller works in an oblique direction, or at a
horizontal angle with the first of a series of feeding or inking rollers, from
which it receives its travelling and rotatory motion, moving from end to end
of the feeding rollers and distributing the ink equally over the first roller of
the series. On arriving at the end of the feeding or inking rollers, or of that
portion over which it is necessary for it to travel, the inking trough and
oblique distributing roller is made to turn at an opposite angle by a small
self-acting catch or adjustable lever, and the angle of the distributing
roller having been thus reversed, it is caused thereby to travel in a con-
trary direction. The inking rollers are composed of suitable heavy metal,
covered with flannel, leather, or other suitable flexible material, or with the
composition used for ordinary typographical inking rollers. They are placed
in slots immediately above the printing cylinder, from the surface of which
they receive their motion, and on to which they distribute the ink. The cylin-
der or cylinders upon which the design or characters are transferred may be
composed of the ordinary lithographic stone, or of zinc plates, or other suitable
material; and in cases where large designs are required to be printed, it is pro-
posed to form a large stone or zinc cylinder, by employing a number of
segments of stone or zinc plates bolted to a quadrangular or other suitable
frame, so as to form one large transfer cylinder; or wooden blocks may be
constructed in a somewhat similar manner, to which blocks or ordinary stereo-
type casts may be affixed. These cylinders, when required, are damped by the
aid of suitable damping rollers, fitted into slots above the cylinder and situated
behind the inking rollers. The damping rollers are covered with a layer of
flannel, over which a layer of calico is placed, and finally over these two
materials a facing of velvet is added. The sheets. to be printed are fed into

page_text: the machine by hand, the attendant introducing the end of the sheet beneath
a falling bar, when the sheet is immediately passed into the machine by the
aid of an endless travelling blanket and tapes, which carry it under the printing
cylinder. One or more printing cylinders may be employed, according to the
amount of work to be thrown off, or according to whether the machine may be
required as a "perfecting machine" or not. The printing cylinder or cylinders
revolve in contact with a pressure cylinder, which may be composed of iron,
and covered with leather, india-rubber, felt, or other suitable flexible material.
A number of colors may be printed by this machine, a separate cylinder being
necessary for each color. The same general arrangements are applicable to
the printing of textile fabrics and paper hangings. When printing continuous
lengths, the roll of cloth, paper, or other fabric intended to receive the impres-
sion is-placed-on-the-feeding side of-the-machine, and thence-is-passed-between
the transfer and pressure cylinder, and after receiving the impression it passes,
if intended to be cut, between cutting rollers, one of which is fitted with a
knife or thin blade inserted throughout its length. This roller is so arranged
ás to descend and cut the paper or other fabric at the intervals required. If
the fabric is to be printed in continuous lengths, the cutting rollers may be
thrown out of gear.
The peculiar composition of the ink which it is proposed to employ consists
of the following ingredients, in the following proportions:-To 1 pound of
typographic printing ink are added one ounce and a half of strong litho-
graphic varnish, in which is dissolved by the aid of heat about half an ounce
of resin, and when the resin is melted the whole is well worked together
and ground on a stone while still in a heated state. In order to render
this ink both black and brilliant, about half an ounze of Venice turpentine
in a cold state is added to every two pounds of the composition.
To facilitate the obtainment of transfers from old engravings or prints, from
which transfers or impressions are to be afterwards printed, it is necessary
to soak them first in a peculiar preparation, herein-after described; if the en-
gravings or prints are very old, they may remain in the preparation for about
ten minutes, but if they are new, five minutes will suffice. This preparation
consists of the following ingredients, in the following proportions:-Three
ounces of distilled water, holding in solution about one ounce of caustic' potass,
and about a quarter of an ounce of essence of lavender; the whole is mixed
together cold, and the print or engraving, after having been soaked in the above
preparation, is to be carefully laid without pressure between two sheets of
blotting paper for about one hour, for the purpose of absorbing or drawing off
the excess of moisture. The lithographic stone or zinc plate on to which the

page_text: transfer is to be effected is gently heated, and after placing the engraving
("treated in the manner herein-before described) upon the stone or zinc plate,
it is brought under a powerful press, which effectually transfers the impression
on to the surface of the stone or zinc, as the case may. be.
by the said John Livesey in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th July 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
LIVESEY, of No. 20, Kensington Gore, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Livesey, Her special license that I, the said John Livesey,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
John Livesey, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time, and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PRINTING, AND IN THE MATERIALS AND APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH;" being
a communication from abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) -that-I,
the said John Livesey, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same
to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next.
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said .John Livesey, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
The said Invention relates, first,, to an improved construction and arrange-

page_text: inent of self-inking apparatus, applicable either to typographic, lithographic, or
zincographic printing machines, or to machines for printing textile fabrics or
paper hangings.
Second, to the application and use in lithographic printing machines of large
sized transfer cylinders or rollers, composed of segments of lithographic stone,
bolted or otherwise secured to a suitable framework or foundation of wrought
or cast iron, whereby larger printing surfaces may be obtained than when the
transfer cylinder or roller is composed of one piece of stone only.
-Third, to the employment of-printing or transfer cylinders or rollers.com-
posed of zinc plates secured to a suitable metal frame, or of segments of wood
secured to a metal framework or foundation, such segments having stereotype
casts attached thereto.
Fourth, to a peculiar construction of damping rollers for lithographic printing
machines.
Fifth, to a peculiar construction and arrangement of rotatory cutting appa-
ratus, for cutting or dividing continuous lengths or webbs of printed fabric into
sheets of the required size.
Sixth, to a peculiar composition of ink which it is proposed to employ for
lithographic and other printing purposes.
Seventh, to an improved process for facilitating the obtainment of transfers
from old engravings or prints.
And in order that the said Invention may be more properly understood, I
shall now proceed to describe and refer to the several Figures on the Sheets
of Drawings hereunto annexed, the same letters of reference indicating
corresponding parts throughout all the Figures on both Sheets of Drawings.
Figure 1, on Sheet 1 of the Drawings, represents a side elevation of a double
cylinder, or perfecting lithographic printing machine, constructed according to
the Invention; Figure 2 is an enlarged detail side elevation of the self-inking
apparatus; Figure 3 is a corresponding side elevation, partly in section, look-
ing at right angles to Figure 2; Figure 4, on Sheet 2 of the Drawings, repre-
sents a longitudinal vertical section of the machine, taken through the axis or
centre of one of the transfer cylinders; and Figure 5 is a detached side
clevation of the cutting apparatus, herein-after more fully described and
referred to. A, A, are the fixed side standards of the machine, bolted together
by suitable tie rods, and carrying the lower or pressing rollers or cylinders
B, B'. The axes of these rollers are fitted with spur wheels C, C¹, which gear
respectively into the intermediate spur wheels D, D', geared together and fast
on the ends of the shafts E, E. These wheels receive their motion from the
driving pinion F, which gears into the wheel D¹, and is fast on the short

page_text: driving shaft G. This shaft works in suitable bearings H,.H, being supported
at its outer end by the small standard I, and carries a pair of fast and loose
driving pulleys J, K. L and L' are the transfer or printing cylinders, on-the
axes of which are keyed, the large spur wheels M, M', gearing together and
receiving motion either from, the spur wheels C, C', on the shafts of the press-
ing rollers, or from the contact alone of the pressing rollers. These transfer
cylinders, as shewn in the Drawings, are composed of a number of segments
of stone, bolted or otherwise secured on to the quadrangular metal frame N. by
bolts or other suitable contrivance, as shewn at O. Although these cylinders,
which are of large diameter, arc represented as composed of segments of stone,
yet for small rollers or. cylinders one solid piece of stone may be employed. In
place of stone, zinc plates may be used, if the machine be intended for zinco-
graphic printing; or it may be composed of segments of wood, having stereo-
type casts secured thereto, if the ordinary typographic printing is required; the
same general arrangement of mechanism being applicable in all cases... The
axes of the transfer. or printing cylinders L,.L,.work in suitable bearings P, P',
in the lower portions of the moveable or sliding standards Q, Q. These
standards have projecting snugs R, R, cast upon their faces; which snugs fit
into and slide vertically with the standards Q, Q, in the vertical slots S of the
fixed standards A of the machine. "The upper part of the moveable standards
is furnished with a number of radiating slots T, T, to receive the journals of
the damping rollers U and inking rollers V, which are made heavy, and are
covered in the ordinary manner. The damping rollers are covered with flannel,
over which a layer of calico is placed, and finally over these two materials. a
facing of velvet is added; these rollers may be damped by a suitable supply of
water falling thereon' 'from a reservoir, or by a sponge periodically when
required. The damping and inking rollers are all made sufficiently heavy to
bear well against the upper portion of the transfer cylinders; the inking rollers
are supplied with ink from a self-acting.inking apparatus, illustrated in detail
at Figs. 2 and 3. This apparatus consists of an ink trough or box W, com-
posed of iron or other suitable material, with loose sides X; for the adjustment
or regulation of the supply of ink. This box is suspended by a vertical pin Y,
turning loosely in the traversing carriage or frame Z, which is fitted with small
running wheels or pulleys a, a, and traverses backwards and forwards along
the rails or bars b, b. The pin Y enables the ink box and its rollers to turn
er adjust themselves at two opposite angles to the feeding roller C. The inking
roller d is fixed to and forms the bottom part of the box; it revolves constantly
in the ink, and supplies the two doctor rollers e, e, alternately. These rollers
convey the ink to the distributing roller ƒ by means of an eccentric or wiper 9,

page_text: fast on the axis of the inking roller, which eccentric in its revolution throws
over either to one side or the other the oscillating frames h, h, which work on
the fixed centres i, i, and carry the doctor rollers. The distributing roller fis
made to work in an oblique direction, or at a horizontal angle with the feeding
roller c, forming the first of the series of feeding or inking rollers V. The
whole of the inking rollers and ink box receive their movements from the
surface of the transfer cylinders, the rotation of the feeding roller c imparting
not only a rotatory motion to the distributing roller f, which rests upon it, but
also a lateral traverse to the entire ink box and rollers fitted thereto, by reason
of the angle at which the distributing roller works in contact with the feeding
roller C. The rotatory motion of the distributing, roller. is. transmitted to the
inking roller in the ink box by means of the two small spur wheels k and I,
attached respectively to the axes of the inking and distributing rollers.. By
the aid of this combined travelling and rotatory motion of the inking apparatus
from end to end of the feeding rollers, or over that portion of them desired to
be inked, an equal and regular supply of ink is distributed. over the surface of
the feeding roller c. On arriving at the end of the feeding ог inking roller,
or of that portion over which it is necessary for it to travel, the ink box and
oblique distributing roller is made to turn at an opposite angle by coming in
contact with an adjustable stop or catch m, fitted on to each of the supporting
rails b, b, these stops being adjusted at a certain distance asunder, according to
the amount of travel required. The angle of the distributing roller f being
thus reversed, the inking trough or box is caused to, travel back again in the
contrary direction until it again strikes the stop, which again reserves it, and
causes it to return, thus keeping up a constant travelling motion to and fro
over the surface of the feeding roller c.. In order to steady the ink trough
and keep it in its proper angular position whilst travelling over the feeding
roller c,
I have connected the swivel or pin Y to a short horizontal arm n, to
the end of which I attach two cords o, o, which pass over the guide pulleys
P, p, and are equally weighted at r, r, the pull of one cord counteracting the
other; by this means the ink trough will be prevented from becoming acci-
dentally displaced or thrown out of the proper angle while travelling, over the
roller c.
In some cases I propose to assist the travelling and reversing of
the ink trough by the employment of a reversing screw or double spiral
groove, having the grooves or threads running in two opposite directions, or
crossing each other. Into these grooves is fitted to work the heads of the pin
or swivel Y, so that the reversing of the trough will occur at the end of the
grooves, where they run into each other, thereby dispensing with the weights
and adjustable reversing stops or catches; but I lay no claim to the use of this

page_text: reversing screw. The screw spindle is driven by a band from any suitable
portion of the machine, and when a larger or smaller form or design is to be
printed, a corresponding screw spindle may be inserted into the machine with
facility.
The rails or bars b, b, along which the self-inking apparatus travels, are
bolted into the upper portion of the moveable standards Q, Q', so that when these
standards are clevated, for the purpose of taking off the pressure of the transfer
or printing cylinders from the pressing rollers, the whole of the inking apparatus
and damping rollers will be raised with them. The raising of the transfer or
printing cylinders and inking apparatus niay be effected by the lever handles t, t',
which work on fixed centres at u, and are fitted with eccentric ends, upon
which the lower portion of the moveable standards bear when the handles are
pulled down for the purpose of raising the transfer cylinders. The sheets to be
printed are laid upon the table u', and are fed into the machine by hand, the
attendant introducing the end of the sheet beneath the falling bar v, which is
brought into action at the desired time by the cam w, which is here shewn
with four notches, so that four sheets will be introduced for each revolution
of the transfer cylinders, the form of cam depending of course upon the
number of transfers on each of the printing or transfer cylinders. The adjust-
ment of the cam is effected by the endless screw w working on the worm
wheel w fast on or forming the boss or centre of the cam. The sheet having
been fed into the machine, is carried between the transfer cylinder L and
pressing roller B by the endless blanket or apron a and tapes y, and is there
printed on one side only; it is then carried along by the apron a and tapes
to the pressing roller B', which reverses or turns the sheet, and passes it below
the second transfer or perfectly cylinder L', where it is printed on the second
side. From this cylinder it is carried by the tapes and out of the machine,
and discharged on to a suitable receiving board or table.
Although I have herein-before described the machine as a perfecting.
machine, yet I by no means confine or restrict myself to that precise arrange-
ment, as, by simply removing one of the transfer and pressing rollers, and
disposing the tapes accordingly, the machine may be made to perform ordinary
lithographic or other printing. When continuous lengths or webs of fabric are
to be printed, the beams for carrying and receiving the same when printed are
placed one on each end of the framework, and are driven by suitable driving
belts or bands from any convenient portion of the mechanism. If the con-
tinuous lengths or webs are to be cut, they are passed between the cutting
rollers A, B, in Fig. 5, Sheet 2. One of these rollers is fitted with a knife or
thin blade C, inserted throughout its entire length. The upper roller.may.be

page_text: composed of lead, or any other suitable material for cutting upon, and the
cutting apparatus will work conjointly with the printing machine; the circum-
ference of the cutting roller B will correspond to the size of sheet to be cut, its
surface speed being equal to the speed at which the web leaves the printing
machine. A helical spring D bears upon the brasses of the upper roller, to
allow it to give slightly when the knife comes round to effect the cut. The
peculiar composition of ink which I propose to employ consists of the following
ingredients, in the following proportions:-To one pound of typographic
printing ink-I add-one and a half ounces of strong lithographic varnish, in
which has been dissolved, by the aid of heat, about half an ounce of resin;
and when the resin is melted, the whole is well worked together and ground
on a stone whilst still in a heated state. In order to render this ink both black
and brilliant, about half an ounce of Venice turpentine in a cold state is
added to every two pounds of the composition.
My improved process for facilitating the obtainment of transfers from old
engravings or prints, from which transfers impressions are to be afterwards
printed, consists in soaking the engravings or prints for about ten minutes,
if they are very old, in a preparation composed of three ounces of distilled
water, holding in solution about one ounce of caustic potass, and one quarter
of an ounce of essence of lavender. The whole is mixed together cold, and
the print or engraving, after having been soaked in the preparation for about
five minutes, if not very old, is to be carefully laid without pressure between
two sheets of blotting paper for about one hour, for the purpose of absorbing
or drawing off the excess of moisture. The lithographic stone or zinc plate on
to which the transfer is to be effected is gently heated, and after placing the
engraving or print (treated after the manner herein-before described) upon
the stone or zinc plate, it is subjected to powerful pressure, which effectually
transfers the impression on to the surface of the stone or zinc, as the case
may be.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to
describe or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without devi-
ating from the principles or main features of the said Invention; but what I
consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the general construction and arrangement of printing machines, as
herein-before described.

page_text: Second, the improved construction and arrangement of self-inking apparatus
for lithographic and other printing machines, as lierein-before described.
Third, the application and use of transfer or printing cylinders or rollers,
composed of a number of segments of stone or zinc plates, or segments of wood
having stereotype casts' attached thereto, and bolted to a quadrangular or other
frame, as herein-before described.
Fourth, the peculiar construction of damping rollers for lithographic printing
machines, as herein-before described.
Fifth, the application and use of the rotatory cutting apparatus, herein-
before described.
Sixth, the peculiar composition of printing ink for lithographic and other
printing.
Seventh, the system or mode of obtaining transfers from engravings or
prints, and obtaining impressions from such transfers, as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Livesey, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifth day of July, One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-five.
JOHN LIVESEY. (L.S.)