IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING MACHINES
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Murdoch Napier, of the York Road, Lambeth,
↑
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James, Murdoch Napier
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
25th October 1859.
1, JAMES MURDOCH-NAPIER, of the York Road,. Lambeth, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING
MACHINES," to be as follows:-
My Invention refers more particularly to cylinder printing machines (in.
contradistinction to platen or flat surface printing machines) used for letter-
préss or raised surface printing, and employed to print books, newspapers,
periodicals, broadsides; and general work, and consists of an improved means
of introducing the paper or other material to be printed into the machine, as
well as of receiving the sheets after they are printed. Instead of feeding the
paper in sheets to the machine by hand, which is now the general practice, I
provide the paper to be printed in a long length wound round a roller, this
roller is placed on bearings, and is free to turn round. I would, however,
remark, that it has before been proposed to supply cylinder printing machines
from rolls of paper; but according to my Invention I provide convenient
means for holding the outer end of the length of paper, so that its edge is
presented to a vibrating gripper, which at the one extreme of its vibration
takes hold of the end of the paper' so presented to it. As soon as such gripper
[Price 8d1

page_text: has taken hold of the paper, the instruments which previously held it are
relaxed, and the gripper in its return vibration draws the paper with it,
unwinding a quantity from the roll of paper until the gripper arrives at the
extreme of its vibration, when it presents the end of the paper in such a position
that the grippers, dropping bar, or other apparatus used in printing machines
for taking in the paper can lay hold of the paper. When the apparatus of the
printing machine proper has taken hold of the end of the paper, the vibrating
gripper will have let go the paper, and a pair of shears or other cutting
apparatus placed near to the first holding apparatus will cut through the
paper. The piece or sheet thus cut off passes on through the printing
machine, this operation is repeated, and thus the printing machine is supplied
with sheets without the intervention of any person to feed them in by
hand. When it is desired to damp the paper before printing, I cause it to
pass through a trough of water, and between suitable rollers, to get rid of the
surplus moisture; or instead of a trough of water, I use rollers the surfaces of
which are supplied with water, which is imparted to the paper as it passes
between them. Or, if preferred, the purpose may be effected by passing the
paper through a steam chamber. In all cases I prefer to damp the paper
before it is cut off from the roll. In order to arrange the sheets in a pile
upon the receiving board after they have passed through the machine, I
provide tapes and rollers, between which the sheets pass when in the act of
being delivered on to the receiving board. These are arranged so as to
ensure (as far as possible) the edge of the sheet coming out straight. 1 use
fixed guides, between which the paper passes as it leaves the rollers, or one
bottom guide will suffice, if the top roller is allowed to be a little in advance of
the lower roller, so as rather to give the forward edge of the paper a tendency
downwards on to the guide which supports the sheet, and gives it the proper
direction on to the receiving board. The receiving board is placed at a con-
venient height in respect of the delivery rollers, and slopes down towards the
end which is farthest away from the delivery rollers, where it is provided with
the ledge by which the sheets are stopped as they slide down the incline. To
avoid any bad effect from air remaining under the sheet, this ledge has
openings through which the air can escape. I also provide two side ledges on
the feeding board, which can be fixed at the proper distances apart, as may be
required, according to the size of the sheet. These side ledges serve to guide
the sheet sideways. I lay across these ledges an open framework, to prevent
the paper rising or curling up; or the same end may be answered by fixing
overhanging guides to each of the side guides. The receiving board is so
mounted, that its inclination can be varied and adjusted with facility to suit

page_text: the thickness of the sheet to be worked, and the speed of the machine. More
inclination being required for thick than for thin paper, and when the machine
is driven fast, less inclination of the receiving board will be required than
when it is working slow. It will be thus made clear that the sheets pass
from the delivery rollers, and are so guided that they range themselves one
upon the other in a heap on the receiving board. The first sheet when coming
on to the board will, of course, fall lower than the last sheet, which sheet
becomes the top sheet of the heap, but the height of the heap is not required
to be so great as to prevent the proper laying of the sheets. When, however,
a more uniform height of receiving surface is desired, I make the receiving
board to descend as the sheets accumulate upon it, so as to allow for the
thickness of the sheets. In order to direct the front edge of the sheet down
when it touches the lower ledge on the receiving board, this ledge is not
placed at a right angle with the board, but it leans, making an acute angle
towards the pile of paper. In order to facilitate the taking away of the paper
when a sufficient quantity is on the receiving board, the bottom and side
ledges of the receiving board are so made as to be easily removed. My
improved method of delivering the sheets is also applicable to machines into
which the sheets are fed by hand in the ordinary way, and it is not only suited
for the delivery of the printed sheets, but also for the delivery of set-off sheets,
such as are sometimes used in perfecting printing machines.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Murdoch Napier in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
25th April 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
MURDOCH NAPIER, of the York Road, Lambeth, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth-day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said James Murdoch Napier, Her special licence that I, the
said James Murdoch Napier, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said James Murdoch Napier, my executors,
administrators, and 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

page_text: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING MACHINES," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Murdoch Napier, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed; 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 James Murdoch Napier, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the follow-
ing statement thereof, that is to say;--
1
My Invention refers more particularly to cylinder printing machines (in
contradistinction to platten or flat surface printing machines) used for letter-
press or raised surface printing, and employed to print books, newspapers,
periodicals, broadsides, and general work, and consists of an improved means
of introducing the paper or other material to be printed into the machine, as
well as of receiving the sheets after they are printed. Instead of feeding the
paper in sheets to the machine by hand, which is now the general practise, I
provide the paper to be printed in a long length wound round a roller. This
roller is placed on bearings, and is free to turn round. I would however
remark, that it has before been proposed to supply cylinder printing machinery
from rolls of paper, but according to my Invention I provide convenient means
for holding the outer end of the length of paper so that its edge is presented
to a vibrating gripper, which at the one extreme of its vibrations takes hold of
the end of the paper so presented to it. As soon as such gripper has taken
hold of the paper, the instruments which previously held it are relaxed, and
the gripper in its return vibration draws the paper with it, unwinding a quan-
tity from the roll of paper until the gripper arrives at the extreme of its
vibration, when it presents the end of the paper in such a position that the
grippers, dropping bar, or other apparatus used in printing machines for taking
in the paper can lay hold of the paper. When the apparatus of the printing
machine proper has taken hold of the end of the paper, the vibrating gripper
will have let go the paper, and a pair of shears or other cutting apparatus
placed near to the first holding apparatus, will have cut through the paper.
The piece or sheet thus cut off passes on through the printing machine. This
operation is repeated, and thus the printing machine is supplied with sheets
without the intervention of any person to feed them in by hand.

page_text: When it is desired to damp the paper before printing, I cause it to pass
through a trough of water and between suitable rollers to get rid of the surplus
moisture; or instead of a trough of water I use rollers, the surfaces of which
are supplied with water, which is imparted to the paper as it passes between
them. Or, if preferred, the purpose may be effected by passing the paper
through a steam chamber. In all cases I prefer to damp the paper before it
is cut off from the roll.. In order to arrange the sheets in a pile upon the
receiving board after they have passed through the machine, I provide tapes
and rollers, between which the sheets pass when in the act of being delivered
on to the receiving board. These are arranged so as to insure (as far as
possible) the edge of the sheet coming out straight. I use fixed guides,
between which the paper passes as it leaves the rollers, or one bottom guide
will suffice if the top roller is allowed to be a little in advance of the lower
roller, so as rather to give the forward edge of the paper a tendency down-
wards on to the guide which supports the sheet and gives it the proper direc-
tion on to the receiving board. The receiving board is placed at a convenient
height in respect of the delivery rollers, and slopes down towards the end
which is farthest away from. the delivery rollers, where it is provided with a
ledge, by which the sheets are stopped as they slide down the incline. То
avoid any bad effect from air remaining under the sheet, this ledge has
openings through which the air can escape. I also provide two side
ledges on the feed board, which can be fixed at the proper distances apart,
as they may be required, according to the size of the sheet. These side
ledges serve to guide the sheet sideways. I lay across these ledges an
open framework to prevent the paper rising or curling up or the same
end may be answered by fixing overhanging guides to each of the side
guides. The receiving board is so mounted that its inclination can be
varied and adjusted with facility to suit the thickness of the sheet to be
worked, and the speed of the machine. More inclination being required for
thick than for thin paper, and when the machine is driven fast less inclination
of the receiving board will be required than when it is working slow.
It will
be thus made clear that the sheets pass from the delivery rollers, and are so
guided that they range themselves one upon the other in a heap on the re-
ceiving board. The first sheet when coming on to the board will of course
fall lower than the last sheet, which sheet becomes the top sheet of the heap,
but the height of the heap is not required to be so great as to prevent the
proper laying of the sheets. When however a more uniform height of re-
ceiving surface is desired, I make the receiving board to descend as the sheets
accumulate upon it so as to allow for the thickness of the sheets. In order to

page_text: DESCRIP
OF DRAWING,
Figure No. 1 is an elevation, shewing part of an ordinary single cylinder
-printing machine with the apparatus above described for supplying and re-
ceiving the paper adapted to it; Figures Nos. 2; 3, and 4, shew some of the
portions more in detail. A is the roll of paper placed on bearings at a;
b, b, are wetting rollers, between which the paper passes; the upper roller is
supplied with water by the perforated pipe above it, and the lower one works
in a trough of water. The paper also passes between rollers c, c, covered with
blanket or other suitable material to absorb the surplus moisture, and distri-
bute it more uniformly; B is the cutting plate upon which the paper rests,
and against, the edge of which the knife C acts in its descent to cut the
paper; D is the vibrating gripper which is actuated in its vibrations by the
cam
E and a corresponding cam on the opposite side of the machine.
These
cams also serve to give motion to the knife C, through levers e, which are
attached one to each end of the knife by connecting rods f; F guides the knife
and also carries the cutting plate B; this plate is free to slide in slot g, but
is kept forward by spring h. At the other side of the machine the ends of
the knife C and the cutting plate B are similarly guided, and a corresponding
spring assists h; G is a tappet fixed to the cylinder H, which strikes against
the tail of the vibrating gripper D so as to raise the upper gripping bar i,
and leave the paper free, at the moment the grippers k take hold of it.
Let us suppose that the end of the roll of paper simply rests upon the
cutting plate B, (for in this arrangement I have not thought it necessary to
provide means for holding it down), and that its front edge is just even with
the edge of the cutting plate. When the paper is in this position, the vibrating
lever D in its outward vibration comes against the cutting plate B and
pushes it back in the slot g so as to make the paper overhang it as much as
is necessary, the upper gripping bar j is then brought down to bite the paper

page_text: on the bar beneath it by the stop x on the upper gripping bar striking against
the incline. The vibrating gripper bar D now draws the paper forward, and
presents its edge to the grippers of the printing machine proper. The lower
gripping bar of the vibrating gripper is made with tongues to support the
paper (as shewn in Figure No. 3), between which the grippers get hold of the
paper; L is the received board; n, o, are the tapes which conduct the paper
to it; p, p, are rollers, round which these tapes pass, and from between which
the paper passes out on to the guide plate q; M is the bottom ledge; and
N, N, are the two side ledges on the receiving board; O is the framework
laid across the ledges to prevent the sheet curling up; P is the centre upon
which the receiving board hinges when its incline is altered, for which purpose
the screws must be slackened.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and the manner of per-
forming the same, I would have it understood that I make no claim to any of
the mechanical parts separately, nor do I confine myself to the details shown
and described; but what I claim is the combined machinery hercin described.
In witness whereof, 1, the said James Murdoch Napier, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
JAMES M. NAPIER. (L.S.)