AN IMPROVED MACHINE OR PRINTING PRESS FOR PRINTING FROM TYPES, PLATES, OR BLOCKS
Year: 1817

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wc, CHARLES
BRIGHTLY, of Bungay, Suffolk, Printer, and BRYAN DONKIN, of Grange Road,
in the Parish of Bermondsey, and County of Surrey, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third did, by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Seventeenth day of
January, in the fifty-eighth year of His reign, givo and grant unto us, the said
Charles Brightly and Bryan Donkin, our exors, adñiors, and assigns, His especial
licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that we, the said Charles
Brightly and Bryan Donkin, our exors, adñiors, and assigns, shoukl and law-
fully might, during the term of years therein mentioned, make, use, exercise
and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed
our Invention of "AN IMPROVED MACHINE OR PRINTING PRESS FOR PRINTING
FROM TYPES, PLATES, OR BLOCKS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a
proviso that if we, the said Charles Brightly and Bryan Donkin, or one of us,
should not particularly describe and ascertain the nature of our said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in
writing under our hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us,
and cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within four calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent, that then the said Letters Patent, and all liberties and privi-
leges whatsoever thereby granted, shall utterly cease, determine, and become
void, as in and by the same. relation being thereunto hail, may more fully and
at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, we, the said
Charles Brightly and Bryan Donkin, do hereby declare that the principal
features and peculiar properties of our Invention consist in making the two
formes (upon which the types, blocks, or plates are laid,) pass, roll, or slide
over and under each other alternately, by which means we are enabled to ink
the types, blocks, or plates with elastic rollers as they lie upon the upper forme,
and take a proof from them by pressing paper upon them with a cylindrical
roller as the said forme advances to the extremity of its destination, at which
moment it begins to descend, and by its weight assists in raising to the sanie
level or height that forme which was before placed under it. The relative
position of the two formes, being reversed, or, in other words, that forme which
was before upon the upper slides or railway, is now placed upon similar slides
below, for the purpose of effecting its passage under the second forme, which
may now be conceived as raised to the position where the first started from to
receive the ink, and repeat the opperation of printing. During the operation
of inking the types and printing therefrom, it is necessary that the forme
should move in a direction exactly parallel to the plane in which the face of
the types are placed. And be it observed, that the same agents which propel
the upper forme in one direction are likewise employed in propelling the other
forme in the opposite direction, so that each may in succession make the same
circuit; that is, as one forme is raised from the lower to the upper railway,
the other is lowered from the upper to the lower railway, and as one forme is
propelled in one direction on the upper railway, the other forme is propelled
in a contrary direction on the lower railway. And we hereby further declare,
that this improved machine is so combined and constructed that the circum-
stance before stated, namely, the weight of the descending forme assisting, to
raise or being a counterpoise to the descending one, tends very greatly to
reduce the labour of working the machine..
We do not claim the sole use of formed types, blocks, plates, elastic rollers,
pressing cylinders, &c. as our Invention in their individual characters. Our
Invention or improvement consists in the, method of constructing, arranging,
combining, and applying the said agents or individual parts in such a manner
that we are enabled to pass, roll, or slide each forme and its necessary appen-
dages over and under each other alternately, producing by such combination
greater advantages in the art of letter-press printing than was ever before
known or made use of.
And we hereby declare that we do apply to each side of both formes a rack,
which we call an endless rack, each of the said racks being composed of two
parallel rows of teeth standing in opposite directions to each other. These rows

page_text: are united at each end by two semicircles, each. of which, having teeth upon its
periphery, unite the upper and lower rows, connecting the whole together into an
endless rack. To give motion to each forme in the manner before alluded to,
two pinions, which we call propelling pinions, are fixed upon a spindle placed
across the middle of the machine. These two pinions gear into the teeth of the
four racks at all times, and being turned by the propelling spindle upon which
they are placed give motion to the racks, and consequently to the formes to
which they are attached... To explain this more clearly, we make the under line
of teeth in each of the racks fixed to the upper forme gear into the upper teeth
of each propelling pinion. It is clear the pinions may be so turned as to move
the upper forme from the right-hand end of the machine to the left; and if the
upper teeth of the racks upon the lower formie are geared into the lower teeth
of the said pinions, it is likewise evident that the lower forme will by the
same motion be moved from the left-hand end of the machine to the right.
This explains the distinguishing and peculiar features or properties of our
Invention, the principal novelty of which is, that the formes are made to pass,
roll, or slide over and under each other alternately, each being moved in the
opposite direction by the propelling pinions working into the endless racks.
And we hereby declare, that although racks of this kind may have been used
for a variety of purposes before our Invention; yet we claim the sole use of
such endless racks when applied to the formes of printing machines for the
purpose of propelling them in opposite directions over or under each other
alternately.
And we hereby further declare, that to effect the ascent and descent of the
formes conveniently at proper intervals, we have invented two bars of peculiar
construction, which we call swing bars. These being made and applied in the
manner herein-after described, connect the two formes together at the period
of their ascent and descent, confine them during such period to the path in
which they are required to move, and are the chief agents by which the rela-
tive position of the two formes may be reversed with ease and certainty. And
although bars of this kind may have been used before for peculiar purposes,
yet we claim the sole use of them when applied to assist in elevating and
depressing the formes of printing machines..
Having enumerated the leading features and peculiar properties of our
Invention, we will next endeavour to shew how the same is to be combined
with such other auxiliary and well-known appendages as we have made use of
to effect the operation of letter-press printing.
Drawing 1, Fig. 1, shews a side elevation of the machine. A, A, the frame,
to the inside, of which is fixed, by adjusting screws, the lower railway B, B.

page_text: Parallel to and above the said railway B, B, are fixed the two railways
C and D, for the upper forme E to slide upon. The lower forme is seen
upon the lower railway at E. In the centre of the frame, and exactly at
equal distances between the two formes, or rather at equal distances from the
endless racks upon each foruie, is placed the spindle a, working in bearing
brasses in the usual manner. To this spindle are fixed the propelling pinions
shewn in dotted lines at f. Upon the same axle is placed the swing bar g.
Near to each end of the said swing bar (as is shewn by the small circles),
and at equal distances from the centre thereof, two circular pins are fixed
therein and project from the side of the swing bar in a direction parallel with
the propelling spindle. The ends of these pins always remain in the grooves
of the sliding frames h, h, and i, i, the said frames being screwed to the endless
racks G & H. &c shew the position of two spindles, upon which are fixed
the rotative pinions d & e, placed there to assist in lowering and raising
the formes alternately. I & K represent two curved pieces of iron, screwed
to the frame by adjusting screws. These regulate the formes both in ascending
and descending, the said curves being concentric with the rotative pinions & & c.
L, M, N, shew the position of three plumber blocks, with bearing brasses,
which receive the axles or spindles of three wheels forming part of a train,
which is employed to give motion to the rotative pinions d, d, & e, e, upon
the spindles & c, and likewise to give motion to other parts of the machine.
Drawing 2, Fig. 1, represents a plan of the machine, the same letters of
reference being used upon the same parts wherever they can be seen. On
the inner side of each endless rack the conducting pinions h, k, & 1, 1, are
fixed so as to be exactly concentric with the semicircular ends of the endless
racks. These pinions are prevented from revolving by two steady pins which
project from the inner side of the endless racks, and enter corresponding holes
in the pinions. A short spindle or axle is also fixed into each end of the
endless racks, and passes through the centres of each conducting pinion, and
upon these spindles are placed the rollers m, m, and n, n. Exactly opposite
to these, and in the same plane, are fixed the rollers o, o, and p, p, which are
fixed to the spindles b and c, and revolve with them (and which, for the
sake of distinction, we shall call dead rollers). Over these dead rollers the
rollers m, m, and n, n, move as the upper forme descends and the lower one
ascends through the upper quadrant of the semicircle which each describes.
The dead rollers support a part of the weight of each forme. The cured
pieces of iron I, I, perform a similar office during the ascent and descent of
the formes through the lower quadrant of the semicircle.
Drawing 1, Fig. 4, represents a section of the machine by a plane passing

page_text: through the line 32 & 33 of Fig. 1, Drawing 1. This shews the formes
E and F placed over each other, and likewise the propelling pinions f. f, in
gear with the endless racks G and H. Close to the propelling pinions, upon
the same spindle, are placed the rollers », r. These support the weight of
one end of the upper forme in a certain part of its passage, and likewise
adjust the depth of the gearing between the propelling pinions f, f, and the
endless racks at the time when the said racks have lost the support of the
upper railway. In this Figure the shape of the railways B, B, and D, D,
may be distinctly seen. Those on the left-hand side bave an angular form,
and are so constructed to prevent any lateral deviation of the formes from the
direction in which they should move.
Fig. 2, Drawing 2, represents the position of the swing bar g at the time
when the formes are passing over and under each other in parallel lines.
Fig. 8, Drawing 2, represents a verticle section of the foregoing Figure
through the centre of the swing bar, shewing more distinctly the situation of
the projecting pius at the end of each arm, and the place they occupy in
the grooves formed in the metal frames, which frames and i are fixed to
the outer sides of the endless racks G and H.
Fig. 2, Drawing 1, represents a section through the machine in the direction
of the dotted line 34 and 35, seen upon the Plan Fig. 1, Drawing 2. In this
Figure the relative situation of the several wheels composing the train of
wheels mentioned before may be seen in purple lincs; the direction in which
cach revolves is indicated by the darts upon the said lines. The number of
teeth is also marked upon each respectively, and likewise the number of teeth
upon each of the endless racks.
These being the most important parts of our Invention, the combination of
which we have represented in the various Figures upon the two Drawings
annexed, we will now describe the nature of their operation upon each other
when set in motion, and afterwards explain the method of constructing and
combining the various auxiliary appendages that should be united to those
already described to render the same useful and effective.
Fig. 1, Drawing 1, represents the machine with the formes E and F placed
in the middle of the machine, the upper one E being immediately over the
lower one F. The spindle a being turned by a winch or any suitable contri-
vance sets in motion the propelling pinions f. f, which being geared into the
endless racks G and H, move the upper forme to the left-hand end of the
machine, and the lower one to the right. As the hinder end of the upper
forme E passes on it will leave the upper railway D, and be conducted or
carried over the open space at the end of the said railway by part of the end

page_text: pieces (which projects laterally from each end of the frame i, i, and h, h,
taking its bearing upon the rollers 7, 1, which are represented only by dotted
lines in this Figure. These rollers prevent the endless racks from falling
too deep in gear while the upper forme passes over the before-named space,
the weight of that end of the forme being borne by the said rollers during that
part of the journey of the said forme. As the upper forme E continues to
advance the end piece s, being too short to reach the railway C, it begins to
descend, and the principal part of its weight is then supported by the swing
bar g. At the other end the conducting pinion & (seen better in Fig. 1 of
Drawing 2) falling into gear with the rotative pinion d, is lowered with the
same velocity and in a similar path to that in which the other end is, moving,
the rotative pinions receiving the weight of the forme after it leaves the dead
rollers o, o, and having conducted it to the curved piece I, it rolls down, and
having completed its descent, the conducting pinions passing out of gear from
the rotative pinions & and e, and the forme is then moved along the bottom
railway B, B, by the propelling pinions.
We will describe the action of the parts that effect the elevation of the
lower forme F, which is as follows:-The propelling pinions drive forward the
lower forme until the teeth of the conducting pinions 1, 1, pass iuto gear with
the rotative pinions e, e. After the forme has been propelled a certain distance
up the curve K, the said pinions e, e, receive the weight and lift it to the upper
railway D, the depth of the gearing being very nicely adjusted by the curved
piece K and the dead rollers p, p, (Drawing 2, Fig. 1,) which are fixed upon
the spindle c. The elevation of the other end of the said forme is thus ex-
plained At the same instant the upper forme begins to descend the lower one
must begin to ascend, because the descending forme must carry down with it
one end of the swing bar G, which turning upon a centre must of course elevate
the lower end through the same space; and as the projecting pin fixed to the
lower arm of the swing bar g is placed in the groove of the lower forme, it
is clear the upper one cannot descend without the lower one be raised an equal
quantity. It will now appear evident, that so long as motion is given to the
propelling pinions so long will the formes continue to ascend and descend,
each passing under the other alternately.
The method of inking the types and pressing the paper upon them will be
understood by referring to the upper part of Fig. 1, Drawing 1. O, shews one
end of the pressing cylinder, the axle (a) of. which works in bearing brasses
placed at each side of the machine, and are made adjustible by two screws, by
which the said axle or spindle can be raised or lowered at pleasure. At the
back or inside of each plumber block or carriage which supports the spindle

page_text: of the pressing cylinder is placed a cylindrical ring which can at all times be
placed concentric with the axis of the pressing cylinder by two screws which
pass through two chase mortices made in the said ring, and fix them to the
plumber blocks or carriages. This ring is used as a centre or axle for the
carriage P to turn upon, and for the purpose of removing the said ring at any
time without disturbing the brasses or spindle of the pressing cylinder, a portion
of the ring is cut away so as to let it pass over the spindle of the pressing
cylinder after the said cylinder is fixed in its place. At each end of the
carriage Pare placed the bearing brasses, in which the axle of the inking
cylinder Q turns. The bearing brasses of these are adjustible in a horizontal
direction, by which means the spur wheel which is fixed upon one end of the
axle may be adjusted to gear a proper depth in the spur wheel placed upon
the axle of the pressing cylinder. 7 represents a small screw stop, upon which
one end of the carriage P rests. By this stop the inking cylinder Q may be
elevated or depressed, and be made to bear lighter or heavier respectively
upon the three elastic cylinders or rollers t, t, and w, placed below it. •t, t,
and w represent the ends of the said rollers, which rollers are made of brass
or any other suitable material, and are covered with pelt, leather, or some
other elastic material or composition fit for receiving the ink from the inking
cylinder, and communicating it to the types, blocks, or plates. Two of these
cylinders or rollers t, t, arc of equal diameter. The other one w, which is
placed between them, is of smaller diameter; for it will be obvious, from the
Figure and the office they have to perform, that the upper parts of the said
rollers must revolve in contact with the under surface of the inking roller in
order to receive a proper supply of ink, and that they can only communicate.
the ink to the types, &c. when their under surfaces are all lying in the same
plane in which the types move: These rollers t, t, and w, are furnished with
spindles which are supported at both ends by fork bearings, as shewn in the
Drawing 1, Fig. 1. In order that the velocity of the surface of the rollers i, t,
and w, may be the same as that with which the types move, motion is com-
municated to them by the friction of the inking cylinder as it turns in contact
with them, and the diameter of the inking cylinder being so proportioned to
its angular velocity, or vice versa, that the linear velocity of the surface, and
consequently of the surface of the rollers t, t, and w, may be the same as that
of the types. The forks in which the spindles of the rollers t, t, and w turn
may be elevated or depressed as occasion may require, and the two outer ones
t, t, have also a horizontal adjustment. The adjustments are performed by
means of the lower ends of the forked bearings being formed into screws of
convenient length, and made to pass through the frame of the machine.or

page_text: pieces of metal affixed to the frame thereof; each of the said screws having
two binding nuts, one above and the other below the frame or piece through
which the said screws pass, it is evident they may be raised or lowered at
pleasure. The horizontal adjustment is rendered practicable by putting the
screws through slits or chase mortises instead of circular holes. When the
machine is at rest the inking cylinder Q may be raised off from the elastic
rollers t, t, &w, and turned back, so that any or all of the said rollers may
be conveniently removed from their respective bearings and replaced therein
whenever required,
R, in Fig. 1, Drawing 1, represents the end of what we shall call the doctor
frame, which is screwed at each end to the carriages P by four screws. That
part of the doctor frame which reaches across the machine is somewhat of a
semicylindrical shape, and hollow, as shewn in the Drawing 1, Fig. 2. We
make it hollow for the purpose of introducing any warm fluid or vapour in
order to warm the ink in cold weather. Upon the flat side of the said cylin-
drical prisim a thin plate of steel (which we shall call the doctor plate), is placed
and fixed thereon by two thumb-screws 2, 2, one near each end. These
screws pass through two chase mortises, which are made in the doctor plate.
A section of this is seen in Fig. 2. In Fig. 2 also may be seen one of the
two small guard pieces 3. These guard pieces 3, 3, are also fixed at each
end thereof to the doctor frame by the screws 2, 2, the said ends lying flat
upon the surface of the doctor plate. The other ends of the said guards
pieces are turned up and stand at right angles with doctor plate; they
are made of thin steel, and of the shape represented in the Drawing. The
lower edges of these ends are made to fall into two grooves in the inking
cylinder, one near each end of the said cylinder. It will appear from the
relative position of the doctor plate and the inking cylinder, as shown in the
Drawing 1, Fig. 2, that they form a kind of hollow trough, and that
the guard pieces become the ends of the trough. Into this trough we lay a
quantity of ink which, when the inking cylinder is in motion, becomes distri-
buted over the surface of the said inking roller. It may be necessary here to
state that the doctor plate is about the tenth of an inch thick, and that
edge of the said plate which is next the inking cylinder is ground off to an
edge about one-fiftieth of an inch thick, and made perfectly straight and
laid parallel with the inking cylinder, so that if the said clge of the plate
be laid close to the cylinder it would allow no ink to pass from the upper to
the under side; and when the said edge is placed at a small distance from it
the ink shall pass and cover the surface of the inking roller with a stratum
thereof of uniform thickness. It is evident, from the arrangement above

page_text: described, that the doctor plate may be laid and fixed at any required distance
from the inking roller, and thus be the means by which the quantity of ink is
regulated. The guard pieces above described are for the purpose of confining
the ink and preventing its running off or spreading itself beyond the groves
at each end of the inking roller. It is also evident from what has been said
that the ink, when spread upon the surface of the inking roller, will (when
the said roller is in motion) be again communicated to the clastic rollers aś
they revolve in contact with the said inking roller; and that lastly the clastic
rollers will in their turn communicate a portion of the ink they have received
to the face of the types as the said types are made to pass along below and in
contact-with them.
We shall now describe the various parts and the combination thereof which
we employ for receiving the sheets of paper to be printed, and for conducting
them through the operation. Upon the spindle a of the pressing cylinder O
is placed a chain wheel y, the teeth of which carry round the endless chainz,
and as the said chain passes over another but smaller chain wheel which is
placed upon the end of the first feeding roller 4, it causes the said roller to
revolve whenever the machine is in motion. The chain wheel y is fixed upon
the end of the pressing cylinder by two screws which pass through two chase
mortises; the said mortises are made in the opposite sides of the chain wheel y
and are concentric with it. By the means of the said screws and chaso
mortices we are enabled, to a certain extent, to change the angular position
of the chain wheel y, and this adjustment becomes necessary from the circum-
stance of their being another similar chain wheel at the other end of the
pressing roller, and that the teeth of both are required to stand correctly
opposite cach other. The parts last described will be better seen in the
Plan, Fig. 1, Drawing 2, where the duplicate parts are shewn on each side.
The two endless chains,, are employed to convey the sheets of paper from
the feeding board T, T, (hereafter to be described), where they are first laid, aud
thence to the pressing cylinder. It must here be observed that each of the end-
less chains have the same number of links, and that the length of each chain
is equal to four times the circumference of the pressing cylinder. Upon these
chains we affix four steel or iron bars, about three quarters of an inch wide, and
from a tenth to a twelfth of an inch thick, for the purpose of having affixed to
the said bars two pieces of parchment, cloth, or other material usually employed
for making tympans. We shall hereafter call the said bars and pieces of parch-
ment, &c. last mentioned tympan bars and tympans respectively. The tympan
bars lie across the machine, and are fastened to the chains at each end and at
equal distances from each other upon the said chains, and they are so placed;

page_text: relatively to the pressing cylinder, that whenever the said cylinder chains and
tympan bars are in motion, that each bar in succession shall fall into the recess
or groove 6 in the pressing cylinder. Upon each pair of these tympan bars we
attach a tympan by sewing or tying one end of each tympan to one bar; and
the other: ends thereof to the other bars respectively. To prevent confusion we
have not shewn the tympans or tympan bars in the Drawings, but we have
marked the situation of the tympan bars by the Figures 5, 5, 5, 5, &c. in
Drawing 2, Fig. 1, and in Fig. 1, Drawing 1. As the use of a tympan
in printing is well understood, we need only say that they answer the double
purpose of conveying the sheet of paper into the press and of being interposed
between the pressing surface and the paper when in the act of printing. From
what has been said, and by inspecting the Drawings, it will be understood that
when the machine is in motion that the pressing cylinder will make one revo-
lution during the passage of one of the formes below it, and that before the
other forme arrives the said cylinder will have made another revolution; or in
other words, the pressing cylinder will revolve twice for every sheet that is
printed; thus the reason is evident why the length of the endless chains is equal
to four times the circumference of the pressing cylinder, and why there are only
two tympans within in the recess or groove 6. In the pressing cylinder O, see
Drawing 1, Fig. 2, a piece of brass of the shape there described, and
reaching from one end of the cylinder to the other, is placed; this being
formed like a wedge serves to fasten any covering which may be put round the
said cylinder, such as kerseymere, fine woollen cloth, or other suitable mate-
rial. The cloathing being first put on to the cylinder, the piece of brass is
laid over it, and by four or five screws forced down into the recess and tightens
the cloathing round the cylinder. The said piece of brass being in the shape
of a trough, leaves a recess for the tympan bars to fall into. In Drawing 1,
Figure 1, U shews the position of a wooden frame set at the end of the
machine with the feeding board T, whose angle of inclination may be varied
as occasion may require, or as best suits the convenience of the person em-
ployed in laying on the sheets. In Fig. 1, Drawing 1, 7 represents one end
of a wooden roller, the spindle of.which works in a single bearing brass placed
in the carriage S. Under this is placed another roller 8, of the same diameter,
the spindle of which turns also in a single brass, which may be elevated by an
adjusting screw, seen immediately under it. By means of this adjusting screw
the lower roller 8. may be pressed upwards against the under side of the upper
roller 7 with any degree of force which may be necessary. On the inside of
the carriage. S is screwed a ring concentric with the spindle of the roller 7,
upon which ring is placed one end of the arm 9 which turns upon the said ring

page_text: as an axle. At the other end of the said arm is a hole which receives the spindle
10, upon which is placed at any convenient part the three pulleys or riggers
11, 12, 13, one only of which is seen in this view; 14 represents a crank bar
which is jointed to a portion of the arm 9, projecting from the said arm down-
wards; 16 shews the position of a spindle which revolves in brasses placed
in the projecting curved carriage 17. To the end of the said spindle is fixed a
sector 18,.which forms the radius to the crank pin 19. Near the wider end of
the sector 18, the crank pin is fixed in a chase mortice, which is concentric with
the crank spindle and sector 18, in which it is firmly held by a screw nut in
any part of the mortice where it may be required. By this contrivance the
position of the crank pin may be adjusted so as to place it exactly opposite to
another similar crank pin on the other end of the same crank spindle, in the
same manner as the crank pin last described. Both of the said cranks are
for the purpose of raising and lowering the spindle upon upon which are
placed the pulleys or riggers 11, 12, & 18, at the precise time: and for the
purpose herein-after described. The said cranks, sectors, and crank spindle
are put into motion by means of the wheel u, which is hung upon the said
spindle in the situation as shown in the Drawing: That part of the spindle
on which the wheel u is hung is made cylindrical, and the wheel is fastened
thereon by a wedge or key, so that when the key is withdrawn the angular
position of the wheel u, and, consequently, the ascent and descent of the pulley's
11, 12, and 18, may be regulated to take place at the precise periods of time
required by the other evolutions of the machine by which the said periods
must be determined. The upper part of the crank rod 14 is bent in the forms
shewn in the Drawing that it may not interfere with the spindle of the roller
4 as the said crank rod rises and falls. 31 represents a brass carriage
screwed to the carriage S, so that it may, when required, be raised or lowered.
In tho said carriage 31 is placed the spindle, on which are fixed the three
riggers or pulleys 27, 27, 27, only one of which is seen in Fig. 1, Drawing 1,
but they are all shewn in Fig. 1, Drawing 2. *,, *, *, *, *,,, represent
an endless string, catgut, or other band. Three or more of such bands are
necessary to be employed in combination with the tympans and other part
described to feed in the paper; namely, one or more on each side of the
machine, so as to fall upon the outside margins of the sheet of paper, and one
or more in the center, so as to fall upon the middle of the sheet, or any other
part thereof where the margin happens to be. The sheet to be printed is
placed between the tympan and the three or more strings or bands just
described, and by them is carried forward to the pressing cylinder O, as herein-
after explained. The pulleys 24, 25, 26, 28, 29, and 30, and; the rollers.

page_text: 21, 22, & 23, are employed to conduct the endless strings or bands in the
direction or course in which they should go.
Having described the principal agents employed to feed in the sheets, we
shall now endeavour to explain the way in which they act upon each other.
Supposing the machine to be set in motion, it is evident that the tympan bars
and tympans will successively be drawn over the roller 4; we will also
suppose that the cranks have raised the pulleys 11, 12, and 13, and that a
sheet of paper has been laid upon the feeding board T in such a position and
situation as that when it is carried forward it will cover the types, and in such
a position and situation in the contrary direction as that one edge thereof may
fall upon or (somewhat) over the roller 4. If, then, we suppose the first edge
of one of the tympans to have been just drawn over the roller 4, and a little
beyond the said sheet of paper, and that at the same instant of time (by the
operation of the cranks) the riggers or pulleys 11, 12, and 13, are brought
down so as to compress the sheet of paper now lying over the roller 4, it is
evident that as both the said pulleys and the said roller 4 would be revolving
the sheet of paper would be drawn forward between the tympan and the
strings or bands before described, anil be by them conducted to the pressing
cylinder O. It must here be observed that the roller 4 and the riggers 11, 12,
and 18 are only employed to draw in the sheet at the proper time and con-
tinue to draw it in only until the edge of the sheet has entered between the
rollers 7 and 8, which, as they always revolve in. contact with each other,
carry forward the sheet of paper whenever it is placed between them. It may
be inferred, from what we have just said, that the riggers 11, 12, and 18 arc
required to remain upon the roller 4 until the edge of the sheet of paper has
been drawn in between the rollers 7 and 8,-we have therefore to explain how
this is effected. At the bottom or lower end of the crank rod the crank pin
passes through a long hole or chase mortise, as may be seen in the Drawing 1,
Fig. 1, and the length of the crank rod being such that when the crank pin
is at its lowest point of depression, and the riggers 11, 12, and 13 are bearing
upon or supported by the roller 4, the crank pin will then be in the lower part
of the hole or chase mortise; it is evident, therefore, that before the crank pin
can rise to the upper part of the said hole, or can have contributed to raise the
riggers 11, 12, and 13 from the roller 4, it must have described an arc of a
certain length, during which time the said riggers would have been revolving
upon the roller 4, and thereby would have continued to advance the sheet of
paper, which, having arrived at the said rollers 7 and 8, the crank again raises
the pulleys 11, 12, and 13, and so soon as the hinder edge of the tympan and
sheet of paper have been carried over the roller 4, another sheet may be

page_text: deposited upon the feeding board ready to be carried forward upon the other
tympan in the same manner as the former one, and so on, sheet after sheet in
succession. When the tympan bar arrives at the pressing cylinder O it falls
into the recess 6, and the tyınpan attached to it with paper upon it is made to
envelope the cylinder as it continues to turn round when the tympan bar and
the first edge of the sheet of paper arrive at the bottom or under side of the
cylinder O. The paper is there met by one the formes (which by the previous
adjustment of the various parts of the machine is made to approach the cylin-
der, and thus bring forward the types so as that the paper may be applied to
the face of the types, and receive such a degree of pressure between them and
the cylinder O as will produce the required impression or become printed.
We will here more distinctly describe the application of the strings or bands,
of which it may be properly said we use three sets, each set performing a
different office. We will begin by describing those which are distinguished in
the Drawings by the asterisks *,*, *, &c.; and in order to point out the course
in which they travel, we will commence tracing that course at the dart 44,
Drawing 1, Fig. 1, from whence the said bands pass under the riggers 27, 27,
&c., over the roller 7, over the rigger 11, 12, and 13, and returning under the
same, pursue their course in the direction of the endless chains to the pressing
cylinder O, round which they are conducted, and again pass on over the rollers
21 and 22, until they arrive at and turn down over the roller 23; they then
pass under the pulley 24 and ascend to the pulley 25, over which they pass,
and then take a horizontal direction to the pulley 26, and having passed over
26 they descend to the point at which we commenced at 44. It will now be
understood that this set of strings or bands, from the course described, will
necessarily fall upon the tympans, and, consequently, upon the paper when
laid upon the tympans & pass along with the paper to the cylinder O, and
oblige the paper to apply itself closely to the surface of the cylinder O, and
after the paper has received the impression and begins to leave the cylinder,
they then detach the paper from the types and assist in conveying it from the
cylinder towards the end of the wooden frame where the sheet is removed.
What we have said relative to the course of the first set of strings
or bands is only correct with regard to those strings which fall on the
outside margins of the sheet; for those which we apply, or which fall upon
the middle margin or margins, must at the end of the wooden frame be made
to deviate from the course described, in order that they may not be opposed as an
obstacle to the delivery of the sheets of paper, which there must be removed.
Such strings or bands, therefore (we will suppose, for instance, a band in the
middle), after having passed over the roller 23 descends to a pulley in the
middle of the frame below-the roller 23, and nearly in a line with the pulley 28,

page_text: under which it passes in a horizontal direction towards the side of the frame
until it reaches the pulley 28; passing under 28 it ascends. to the pulley 29,
over which it again passes in an horizontal direction to the pulley 30, round
which it turns into the same direction as that of the outside strings..
We shall now describe the second set of endles strings, which are employed
solely for the purpose of assisting in bearing up the paper after it has been
printed, and in conveying it from the cylinder O, (near to which the paper is
brought upon them) to the end of the wooden frame. To effect this a suffi-
cient number of such strings are made to pass round the rollers 21 and 28, and
in their passage from 21 to 23 they pursue the same course as the strings of
the first set, before described. We usually allow an interval of about 2 or 8
inches between each string of the said second set.
the
We shall now describe the third set of endless strings, which are used for
purpose of detaching the sheets from the tympan sheet, to which they
are liable to adhere on the reiteration of the paper, which being well under-
stood by printers, &c., needs no other explanation. Tho application' of the said
third set of strings will be better understood by stating that they lie between
the tympan (or the tympan sheet when such sheets are used) and the sheets of
paper to be printed; we therefore cause one or more of such strings to fall upon
each marginal space on the paper, and make them pass along with the tympans
round the pressing cylinder O, and from thence over the roller 21, on leaving
which they begin to diverge or seperate from the tympan sheet,..and at the
same time detaching the printed paper from it, the said strings, together with
the paper, continue on nearly the same course as that already described for the
first set of strings, until the said third set of strings arrive at the roller 45,
round which they are bent, and from thence pass over the roller 4, and falling
upon the tympan sheet, proceed along with it to the pressing cylinder, and so
on as before.
The first set of strings or bands are distinguished in the Drawings by
asterisks and black lines; the second set by blue lines and blue darts; and the
third set by red lines and red darts.
With regard to the number of strings in the first and third set of endless
strings, such number will depend in some degree upon the number of marginal
spaces, between the pages of the letter, but we prefer having three or more
strings to each margin.
.
:
It now remains for us to describe the method we have adopted for register-
ing the sheets of paper, which is effected as follows (that is to say):-Upon
each pair of tympan bars we affix a piece of flexible steel, about three eighths
of an inch or half an inch wide, and about the thickness of a strong watch
spring. (we mean such as are used for main springs). This piece of steel is of

page_text: sufficient length to reach between the two tympan bars, and is fastened at each
end by being screwed to the said tympan bars in such a situation that the said.
piece of steel shall be exactly in the middle of the marginal space where it
is necessary that the registering points should be.. Upon this piece of flexible.
steel we fix two points, similar to those used in the common printing press for
a like purpose. Having fixed the flexible pieces of steel to the tympan bars, i
as just described; together with the aforesaid points, we then lay the tympan
over them, and and sew or otherwise fasten the said tympan to the tympan
bars; we then cause the said points to be protruded through the tympan..
Both tympans are supplied with similar points, which occupy in each the
same relative situation. With this apparatus it will be clearly understood
that. whenever a sheet of paper is laid on so as to be drawn, through
between the rollers 7 and 8, along with and upon the tympan, the said points
will in succession be forced through the sheet of paper, and make two holes
therein. Thus every sheet, on its first passage through the machine, will have:
two similar holes made through it as guides for laying the sheets in a proper:
position upon the feeding board on the reiteration of the paper. When, the other
side of the paper is to be printed, or (what is the same thing) during the
reiteration, we place two similar points to those before described upon the
feeding board in such a manner that the said points project from the surface of.
the said board, and are placed precisely at the same distance from each other
as that between those upon the tympans, and in such a position and situation
relatively to the printing machine as that when the two holes in each sheet are
applied to the two points upon the feeding board, the front edge of each sheet
when, so laid will lie over the roller 4, be conducted as described before, and.
receive the impression from the pages of types exactly opposite to those of the
first impression, or (in the common phrase among printers) be in register.
Having omitted in the former part of this Specification to refer to the
Figures 4 and 5, in Drawing 2, we have here to state that Figure 5 is a
Diagram to explain the ascent and descent of the two endless racks Grand H
with the conducting pinions k, k, and 1, l. f represents a propelling pinion,"
and & and e the two rotative pinions; but as the mere inspection of the Fig.
will clearly shew the path in which the racks, or rather any point of the. racks,
move in, we forbear to go into further particulars. Fig. 4 is an edge view of
one of the endless racks, groove frame, and swing bar.
We have also to notice that in Fig. 1, Drawing 2, to prevent obscuring
other parts of the machine, we have only shewn those parts of the roller 4 as
at 4, 4, 4, round which the endless strings pass; but the said roller must be
conceived as filling up the space between the said parts shewn at 4, 4.4.
.

page_text: We have also used the same method in exhibiting a view of the
rollers 7 and 8.
And, lastly, we declare that we do not claim any exclusive privilege for the
use of pressing cylinders, inking cylinders, elastic rollers, doctor plates, or any
other of the apparatus which we have described as being employed by us for
inking the types, blocks, or plates, and pressing the paper upon the said types,
&c., for the purpose of taking an impression therefrom; neither do we claim
as any part of our Invention any of the individual or elementary parts, or com-
bination of parts, herein described, by the use of which the sheets of paper to
be printed are conveyed into or out of the machine, or by which we effect
the register of the paper.
Our Invention consists of such an arrangement and combination of the two
formes, and other parts when attached and combined therewith, that the two
formes, whether moving upon slides or roller, shall pass, roll, or slide over
and under each other alternately, and in such a manner that the two faces or
upper surfaces of the said formes shall always be parallel to each other,
or nearly so; and that, during the ascent and descent of the said formes from
one plane or from one railway to another, the weight of the one should always be
a counterpoise to that of the other as far as the weight of cach will permit, for
we do not mean by this that the weight of one can always be exactly equal to
that of the other, but we mean that whatever the weight of the descending forme
may be, it will nentralize or assist in raising an equal weight in the ascending
forme.
In witness whereof, I, the said Bryan Donkin, party hereto, have here-
unto set hand and seal, the Sixteenth day of May, in the year of our
T in
Araucand night hundred and nightoon