A PRESS APPLICABLE TO THE SEVERAL PURPOSES OF LITHOGRAPHY, AUTOGRAPHY, TYPOGRAPHY, CHROMO- LITHOGRAPHY OR PRINTING IN COLORS, COPPER-PLATE PRINTING, CYLINDER PRINTING, EMBOSSING, AND COPYING LETTERS
Year: 1853

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Alexander Prince at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
10th August 1853.-A communication.
I, ALEXANDER PRINCE, of the Office of Patents, No. 4, Trafalgar Pro
Spe
Square, Charing Cross, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "A PRESS APPLICABLE TO THE
SEVERAL PURPOSES OF LITHOGRAPHY, AUTOGRAPHY, TYPOGRAPHY, CHROMO-
LITHOGRAPHY OR PRINTING IN COLORS, COPPER-PLATE PRINTING, CYLINDER
PRINTING, EMBOSSING, AND COPYING LETTERS;" to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in certain new mechanical arrangements
and combinations of parts having for their object the combining in a
small compass and in one machine all the advantages of the distinct
and separate presses hitherto employed in and for the purposes of
lithography, autography, typography, chromo-lithography or printing
in colors, copper-plate and cylinder printing, letter copying, and as an
embossing machine. And it should be observed that an important
feature in this Invention consists in employing the same constituent
parts to those of other presses used for similar purposes, by which
little or no difficulty can be experienced in working the same. And

page_text: n.
in order to combine these several machines in one machine the
same is effected according to this Invention by removing some of the
parts and substituting others, so as to make it a press suitable to one
or other of the several purposes above mentioned, which can be readily
and easily accomplished. And a press thus constructed will be found
quite as efficient and considerably cheaper than either of the above-
mentioned distinct & separate presses.
ADDITIONAL TO PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I, ALEXANDER PRINCE, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "A PRESS APPLICABLE TO THE SEVERAL PURPOSES OF LITHO-
GRAPHY, AUTOGRAPHY, TYPOGRAPHY, CHROMO-LITHOGRAPHY OR PRINTING IN
COLORS, COPPER-PLATE, PRINTING, CYLINDER PRINTING, EMBOSSING, AND
COPYING LETTERS," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in certain new mechanical arrangements and
combinations of parts having for their object the combining in a small
compass and in one machine all the advantages of the distinct and
separate presses hitherto employed in and for the purposes of litho-
graphy, autography, typography, chromo-lithography or printing in
colours, copper plate and cylinder printing, letter copying, and as an
embossing machine. And it should be observed that an important
feature in this Invention consists in employing the same constituent
parts to those of other presses used for similar purposes, by which little
or no difficulty can be experienced in working the same. And in order
to combine these several machines in one machine the same is effected
according to this Invention by removing some of the parts and sub-
stituting others, as herein-after described and represented, so as to
make it a press suitable to one or other of the several purposes above
mentioned, which can be readily and easily accomplished. And a press
thus constructed will be found quite as efficient and considerably'
cheaper than either of the above-mentioned distinct and separate
presses.
DESCRIPTION OF THE ANNEXED DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1. is a front elevation of the press: Fig. 2. a side elevation

page_text: Sp
rake and its box on the cylindric springs; Fig. 4, is the rake and it Pr
box; Fig. 5, the rake holder; Fig. 6, a cross bar connecting the rules;
Fig. 7, the piece used for chromo-lithographic printing; Fig. 8, a side
view of the same, with the piece L, G, raised; Fig. 9, the same with
spring K, raised; Fig. 1o, the pin holders; Fig. 11, is a carriage for
chromo-lithographic printing, representing the frame with the stone
fixed by means of the screws, and the sheet to be printed laid upon it;
Fig. 12, is a vertical section of the rake holder, with the piece H, and
the plate K, maintained by the flat springs L, above and below; Fig. 13,
the plate K, and the piece H; Fig. 14, the piece H, mounted like the
rake box to allow of its being fixed on the cylindric springs; Fig. 15,
a transversal section of piece H; Fig. 16, is a table or block covered
with cloth, and resting on the cylinder to receive the embossing die ;
Fig. 17, is a top view of Figure 16; Fig. 18, a vertical section of
the press when used for copper plate-printing, that is, with its two
cylinders; Fig. 19, the mill or levers; Fig. 20, is a transversal section
of the rake and its box. A, marks a table on which the press is fixed;
B, supporters of the press; C, a cylinder; N, an axis of the cylinder ;
M, mill or levers; D, a carriage; E C, nut or box of the screw
pressing on the cylinder; V, a screw; E, nuts; F, a rake or piece of
wood; P, a rake holder; B, bolts; J, X, an excentric lever; R, a
rule 6 feet 4 inches long; Q, rails; R I, a piece to be laid on H,
when the cylindric are used; V R, a rod entering the cylindric
springs L, the flat springs; W, the head of the pressure screw;
H, an embossing die holder; Y, a tube to hold the embossing die;
a, a screw to fix the die; K L, a plate; S B, the supporters of the
piece H; U, the vacuum; U, U, the centre of the vacuum; RG, a
cross bar connecting the rules; T, B, a table; O, R, shoulders;
C H, hinges; I, pin holders; P, pins; K, spring; L G, a moveable
lath, with hinge to hold the paper on the pins; RA, grooves; LA,
oval grooves; A B, hinge of the piece LG; I R, a rake box; T, a
screw head; K E, a box of the axis; S, a cylindric spring. The
above-described press may be used for eight different purposes, namely,
for lithography, autography, typography, chromo-lithography or print-
ing in various colours, copper-plate printing, cylinder printing, em-
bossing, copying letters and manuscripts.

page_text: 11.
The press is fixed at A, on a table. The cylinder C, the axis N, and
the mill M, which revolves in the uprights or supporters B, are used
to move the carriage D, backwards and forwards. The carriage
receives the lithographic stone, type, or copying register; it bears a
leather fixed in a frame fastened at one end to the carriage. This
leather bears the friction when the press is used for printing on stone
or copying letters; the carriage is supported by the uprights B, and
guided by the rules R, and the rails G; the rails G, slide against the
interior face of the rules, which are maintained parallel by cross bars;
these cross bars are fixed by means of bolts (see Fig. 6). The rules
are twenty-eight inches long; they are made of pieces connected
together by means of a hinge, so that the front part of the press may
be raised or removed to facilitate its removal from one place to another.
The rake F, descends upon the leather by means of the excentric
lever J, X, which presses upon the screw head W; this screw works
in the iron R, I, (see Fig. 2). The screw V, together with its screw
head W, serves to diminish or increase at will the pressure on the
cylindric springs which push the rake forward from the rake holder.
By removing the pressure the cylindric springs which were compressed
by the lever push up the rake and disengage the carriage, which may
be then be brought forwards or backwards to remove the stone or
register. The screw V, and the bolts E, serve not only to maintain the
rake holder, but raise or lower it to diminish the pressure or increase
it, as may be required. I do not give either the design or description
of the frame and manner of printing in lithography, autography, and
copying letters, because these things and processes are well known. To
effect chromo-lithography take Fig. 7, which consists in a hinge OH,
having a groove R N, and the bolt B, which serves to fix it to the car-
riage A, and admits of its being raised or lowered to the level of the stone.
The other part of the hinge has a hole and semicircular groove cut in
it, and bears the pin holder. The pin holder is composed of three
parts-Firstly, the pin holder I; secondly, the pin P, P; and, thirdly,
the spring K, having a hole bored at its free extremity to admit the
passage of the pin when the spring is lowered. In its natural state
the spring is raised; it is lowered in printing, and then serves to hold
the paper on the pin. The oval groove serves to give it oblique

page_text: directions. Two.bolts, .one in the hole on the. hinge, the other in the g
oval groove, are. used to. fix. the pin holders where. they may be
required.. Fig..9, is a.profile view of Eig. 7,. with the. hinge C. H,
closed.. It.bears. the. bolt which fixes. it: to. the: carriage. The other.
part.of.the-hinge shows the pin. holder, I, placed upon it,,and main-
tained in its position by, its two bolts, the pins: P., P, and the spring. K,
in. its free state... This little. mechanism is. used in the following.
manner. Eix.the-left.part. of the hinges on both sides. the. carriage.
by means of the bolts, steady-the stone in the press, make:a small hole
on..either side the stone corresponding to the size of the Drawing,
and just large enough to admit the. short .end.of pin P., .direct.to.these
holes the-pin-holders; and fix them.with the bolts; the position.of the
stone is then-found. Whenever a.wide: margin of paper. is..required.
to. enter the pin-holder. the spring. K, is removed, and. the piece L G,
introduced in its stead. This. piece. L. G, bears a hinge. A B, which.
allows of. its. being. raised. or lowered. at will. This piece, therefore,.
replaces..the spring, and does not stand in the way, of the paper (see.
Eig. 8). To steady the. stone while the press is: worked a frame may-
be fixed in the.carriage by means of.bolts. This frame bears a:certain
number.of.screws, which press against the stone, and thus maintain it
in its position. To this frame are.also fixed the pin holders (see Fig. 11.)
This frame.is not, however, absolutely necessary, and the press. may-be
worked without it. For embossing introduce Fig. 14, into the rake
holder.. The. rods. RV, are. fixed in. the cylindric. springs S. The
embossing die is then introduced into the tube Y, and held fast by
means of screw Q. The carriage being removed, place upon the
cylinder the table or block (Fig. 16). This table is covered with a
cloth tacked on both sides. It may be fixed, if necessary, at O R,
by means of screws; the part T B, rests on the fore part of the press,
and supports the paper. When the press is used for typography the
cylinder must be removed. The frame containing the type is then
placed in the carriage. The frame supporting the leather is also
removed, and the tympan and frisket put in their stead; the piece H,
to which is adapted the plate K L, is then introduced into the
opening U; to this is adapted the flat spring L, either above or below

page_text: the rake holder (see Fig. 12); and by the pressure of the lever J, X,
the plate descends on the tympan. The type is fixed in the carriage
in the usual way. We do not judge it necessary to give a Drawing of
the tympan and frisket, nor of the processes used in typography, as they
are well known. The flat spring L, and the cylindric spring S, may in
some cases be used indifferently. For copper-plate printing introduce
the two cylinders. The axis of the top cylinder work in the boxes KE;
to each of these is adapted a screw, which passes through the hole E C,
and ends in the head T, which has a hole in it. This screw serves to
raise or lower the boxes, and therefore the cylinders themselves, thus
increasing or diminishing the pressure. The printing is effected after
the usual method. It will be observed that in the above state this
press may be used as a cylinder for pressing paper and cards. While
the press is mounted for lithography, copper-platė printing, and typo-
graphy, it may also be used for letter copying. In the first case put
a leather over the register and roll it under the cylinder; in the second
case pass the letter between the cylinders; and in the third case the
copy is obtained by the flat pressure of the plate K L. The object
of this Invention, as has been shewed, is to combine within a small
compass all the advantages of the lytographic, typographic, and copper-
plate presses; its constituent parts being the same as those of other
presses, no difficulty can be experienced in the working of it.