IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR APPLYING ONE OR MORE COLORS OP INK TO TYPE IN LETTER-PRESS PRINTING BY HAND
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Evans, of the City of Manchester, and
Edward Hughes, of the City of London, both Letter-press Printers, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR APPLYING ONE OR
MORE COLORS OP INK TO TYPE IN LETTER-PRESS PRINTING BY HAND."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Evans and
Edward Hughes, at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 10th June 1863.
We, THOMAS EVANS, of the City of Manchester, and EDWARD HUGHES, of
the City of London, both Letter-press Printers, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR APPLYING ONE OF
MORE COLORS OF INK TO TYPE IN LETTER-PRESS PRINTING BY HAND," to be as
follows:-
Our Invention relates to apparatus for inking type in letter-press printing
by hand, and consists, firstly, in the combination of two or more rollers in the
same frame to which the handles are attached, one of which rollers at least
is coated with or formed of printers' composition, and is the roller which
comes in contact with the type and takes the ink from the table; the other
rollers are distributing rollers, and work in contact with the composition
roller. We prefer a combination of three rollers, the composition roller
below and resting between and against the two distributing rollers above.

page_text: The composition roller may be pressed against the other two by springs if
required. This improved inking apparatus is applicable for single colors.
The second part of our Invention consists in a combination of single
rollers, but we prefer a series of two or more rollers arranged in a frame
capable of rotating, so that any one of the series may be brought to the lowest
position. Each series of rollers consists of one roller at least, coated with
printers' composition, and if three rollers are employed in each series they
may be arranged in the manner above described. The rotating frame in
which the combined series of rollers are placed has its axis in another frame,
to which handles are attached, one of which handles is capable of rotating,
and its motion is conveyed by wheel-work to the axis of the rotating frame, so
that by a slight turn of the handle any of the series of rollers may be brought to
the lowest position-ready to apply the color or ink to the type, or for the purpose
of taking up or being charged with more ink or color. When the rotating
frame is turned, so that one of its series of rollers is at the lowest position
ready to apply or take up color or ink, catches are arranged to hold it so
that it will not move by accident. By means of this arrangement of rollers
several different colors may be applied to the same form of type, which
will save a considerable amount of time in the hand-printing of work required
in different colors, as each series of rollers may be charged with a different
color or ink.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Evans and Edward Hughes, in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 9th December 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, THOMAS
EVANS, of the City of Manchester, and EDWARD HUGHES, of the City of
London, both Letter-press Printers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Thomas Evans and Edward Hughes, Her special license that we, the
said Thomas Evans and Edward Hughes, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said Thomas Evans and Edward Hughes,
our 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

page_text: 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 APPARATUS FOR
APPLYING ONE OR MORE COLORS OF INK TO TYPE IN LETTER-PRESS PRINTING BY
HAND," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Thomas Evans
and Edward Hughes, by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals,
or under the hand and seal of one of us, 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 we, the said Thomas Evans and Edward Hughes,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement and accompanying Drawings, that is to
say-
Our Invention relates to apparatus for inking type in letter-press printing by
hand, and consists, firstly, in the combination of two or more rollers in the
same frame, to which handles are attached, one of which rollers at least is
coated with or formed of printers' composition,. and is the roller which comes
in contact with the type and takes the ink from the table; the other roller or
rollers are distributing rollers, and work in contact with the composition roller.
We prefer a combination of three rollers; the composition roller below, and
between and against the two distributing rollers above. The composition
roller may be pressed against the two upper distributing rollers by springs, if
required.
This improved inking apparatus is applicable for single colors, and will
be useful when inking portions of forms of type to be printed in several
colors at one impression, a separate inking apparatus, according to our
improvements, being used for each color. Fig. 7-is au end elevation illus-
trating this part of our Invention. a represents the frame, 6 one of its
handles, c is the roller covered with printers' composition, and e are the
distributing rollers above it. One composition roller may be placed in the
lower part of the frame (a), and a distributing roller (d) immediately above
it, and a second distributing roller immediately above and resting upon the
first distributing roller.
The second part of our Invention relates to apparatus which is more par-
ticularly intended for inking forms of type by hand in several colors, which
are to be printed at one impression, and consists in a combination of a series

page_text: of single rollers, or (which we prefer) a series of two or more rollers arranged
in a frame capable of rotating so that any one of the series may be brought to
the lowest position. Each series of rollers consists at least of one roller coated
with printers' composition; and if three rollers are used in each series, they
may be arranged as shewn in Fig. 7. The rotating frame in which the rollers
are placed has its axis in another frame, to which handles are attached, one of
which handles is capable of rotating, and its motion is conveyed by wheel-
work to the axis of the rotating frame, so that by a slight turn of the handle
any of the series of rollers may be brought to the lowest position ready to
apply the color or ink to the type, or for the purpose of taking up or being
charged with more ink or color. When the rotating frame is turned so that
one of its series of rollers is at the lowest position, ready to apply or take up
color or ink, a catch is arranged to hold and prevent it from moving. By
means of this arrangement of rollers, several different colors may be applied
to the same form of type, so as to be printed at one impression, which will
save a considerable amount of time in the hand-printing of a class of work
required in different colors, as each series of rollers may be charged with
different color or ink, though the improved apparatus will be found useful
when each of the series of rollers is charged with the same color or ink.
Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 illustrate this part of our Invention. Fig. 1 is a
side view, partly in section, and Figs. 2 and 3 end views of an apparatus
having three sets of rollers. a is a cross bar, upon each end of which a frame
e is secured, as shown; these end frames have bearings for an axis f, which
can rotate freely, and this axis has a frame f' secured at each end, as shown,
in which bearings are formed for the pivots of three sets of rollers; c is the
roller in such series covered with printers' composition, and which takes
up the ink or color from the table and comes in contact with the face of the
type. The bearing of each composition roller is slotted so that it can
freely rest against its distributing roller (d), as shown. These distributing
rollers (d) serve also to hold part of the ink, and may be made of
wood or like the composition roller. Upon the axis (f) a wheel (f)
is secured, which geers with one (f³) free upon a stud secured in the end
frame (e) as shown, the latter wheel (f³) geers with another wheel (f) fixed
upon a hollow shaft (f³) arranged to rotate freely on the cross bar (a) as shown,
this hollow shaft has a bevil wheel secured to it, which geers with one (¹)
secured to one of the handles (6) that rotates on an axis (a¹) from the cross
bar (a), so that by turning this handle the frame carrying the rollers (c and d)
is rotated. For the purpose of stopping the rotation of the frame when one
of the series of rollers bas arrived in the correct position, and for holding the

page_text: rotating frame in its position when in use, a catch is employed which (as
shewn in Figs. 1, 2, and 3), consist of a bar (9) arranged to slide in a guide
(9), and in a hole in the cross bar (a), as shown. The lower end of this
sliding bar (9) is slightly tapered, and enters into notches in the edge of a
disc h secured on the axis (f) of the rotating frame, as shown. There are as
many notches in this disc as there are sets of rollers in the rotating frame,
and the notches are so placed in the edge of the disc that one will be opposite
the taper end of the sliding bar (9) when one of the sets of. rollers (c and d)
is in the correct position for use. Though the frame carrying the rollers can
be rotated in either direction by the handle, it is more easy and convenient to
turn it always in one direction, say in that pointed by the arrow in Fig. 3,
we therefore form the notches in the disc partly ratchet fashion, as shown,
so. that the sliding bar when left free will be certain to stop the rotation of the
frame at the next notch, and enter it. When the frame has to be rotated, the
sliding bar (9) is drawn back from the notch by a lever (92), having its fulcrum
on a projection (93) secured to the cross bar (a), as shown; one end of this lever
(92) enters a hole in the sliding bar (g), and the other end of the lever is
connected with a vertical rod (9), which can slide freely up and down in the
hollow projection (as) from the bar (a) to which one of the handles (63), is
attached. The upper end of the vertical rod (9) comes above the top of the
handle and terminates in a button form, upon which the thumb of the operator
is pressed when the slide is to be lifted out of the notch in the disc. A spring
(9) may be arranged to act upon the vertical rod (9'), or sliding bar (g), or
(as shown in the Drawings) upon the lever (92), which will act to force the
sliding bar (9) towards the notches in the disc (h). The projections (e¹) from
the end frames (e) form feet, so that the apparatus when not in hand may be
rested upon these feet and the roller which is lowest, which roller is placed
upon the table containing the ink or color to which it belongs, if different
colors are used. Fig. 4 is an end, and Fig. 5 a side view, illustrating another
arrangement of catch and lever for stopping and holding the rotating frame;
h is the notched disc; 9 a catch, secured upon a shaft; g², one end, having its
bearing in the end frame (e), and the other end in a projection from the cross
bar (a), as shown. Upon the inner end of this shaft a lever (9) is placed,
which ascends alongside of the handle (6') for the left hand, this lever being
arranged so that it may be pushed back by the thumb of the left hand; the
right hand having hold of the handle by which the roller frame is rotated.
The catch (9), when free to act, is kept against the notched disc (h) by the
twisting force of a helical spring (g), coiled round the shaft (9), one end of
the spring resting against the fixed bearing, and the other upon the catch (9),

page_text: as shown. In each modification the slide bar or catch (9) is lifted out of the
notch in the disc (h) by the thumb of the left hand, and then it is left free
after the frame has been partly turned by the right hand, in which the rotating
handle is held, so that after the slide or catch has been lifted it is ready to
enter the next notch by the force of the spring (9³). If the frame is required
to turn more than one notch, the catch is held up till it has passed over the
intermediate notch or notches. Fig. 4 also shows a combination of three single
inking rollers without distributing rollers, which rollers we prefer to make with
hollow metal cores to reduce their weight. Fig. 6 is an end view of a rotating
frame carrying two sets of rollers, the mechanism for turning and arresting the
motion and holding the rotating frame is the same as that herein-before
described, except that the disc requires only two notches.
We have now particularly described the nature of our said Invention, and
the mode in which it may be carried into effect, and claim as our Invention,―
Firstly, apparatus for inking type by hand, as described under the first head
of our Invention.
Secondly, the combination of two or more single rollers, or sets of rollers,
in a rotating frame for inking type by hand, and also the mechanism for turning
and holding the rotating frames, as described under the second head of our
Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Evans, on my own behalf and
on behalf of the said Edward Hughes, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Eighth day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
THOMAS EVANS. (L.B.)