IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING PRESSES
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT, to Alexander McGlashan and Edward Field, both of
the Coal Yard, Drury Lane, London, Engineers, for the Invention of
T
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander McGlashan and
Edward Field at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 22nd October 1855.
MOGL
We, ALEXANDER M°GLASHAN and EDWARD FIELD, both of the Coal Yara,
Drury Lane, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING PRESSES" to be as follows:→
"Our Invention of improvements in printing presses consists, of, certain
mechanical arrangements in that class of printing presses Known.as single-
cylinder perfecting machines, whereby the blank sheets of paper in passing
through the machine are printed upon both sides, and leave the machine in a
finished or "perfect "state as far as the printing is concerned. The machine
consists of a bed or platform, supported upon a suitable framing, and travelling
to and fro by means of rackwork in gear with wheels fitted at each. end.of the
cylinder. The forms of type are carried to and fro beneath the cylinder, or
'drum by means of this bed or platform. The "bank" or feeding board is
placed parallel-to the cylinder, in the ordinary position; in this board is cut &
transverse slot; in which is fitted a roller, its surface being level with that of

page_text: the feeding board. The roller is put in motion at certain intervals by means
of, a cam, so that when the paper is pushed. towards the cylinder it remains
inactive until the roller is in motion, which carries the paper forward between
the edges of a slot cut in the cylinder or drum. The paper is held in this
position by grippers or holders, actuated by a cam on the main or driving shaft,
and during the rotation of the cylinder it is carried over the surface of one of
the forms of type, which at the proper moment is brought beneath the cylinder;
the impression upon one side being taken, the cylinder rotates in the opposite
direction, and the paper is turned by means of endless bands, which travel over
a pair of rollers fitted parallel with the cylinder. The bands lift the lower
edge of the paper and turn it over, causing the printed side to lie next the
cylinder, in order that the plain side may receive the impression of the second
form of type. When this is effected, a rise or incline made upon the cam
fitted on the cylinder shaft causes the grippers to release their hold, and allow
the printed sheet to pass off to the delivery board. The foregoing is a general
outline of the nature of our Invention, the details of which we reserve a right
to vary as required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alexander McGlashan and Edward Field in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 22nd April. 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ALEXANDER
MCGLASHAN and EDWARD FIELD, both of the Coal Yard, Drury Lane, London,
Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give, and grant unto us, the said
Alexander McGlashan. and Edward Field, Her special. licence that we,, the
said Alexander McGlashan and Edward. Field, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said Alexander McGlashan and Edward
Field, 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
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
PRESSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Alexander

page_text: McGlashan and Edward Field, our executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under 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 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 Alexander McGlashan and Edward
Field, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
"
This Invention consists of certain improvements in printing presses. or
machines, whereby both sides of the sheets of paper àre printed or "perfected."
before leaving the machine. The printing press or machine, herein-after
described, is of the class known as single-cylinder machines, and the "grippers"
or holders which retain the paper in a given position while it is passed over.
the surface of the type are so arranged as to hold the sheet firmly while being
printed upon both sides without releasing their hold during the whole operation..
The reversing or turning of the sheet of paper when printed upon one side,.
in order to present the plain surface to the second form of type, is effected by
a mechanical arrangement connected with the cylinder herein-after described..
The advantages of a machine constructed according to this our Invention.
over the present single-cylinder machine are; that perfect "register" is
obtained by its use; that is to say, the impression upon one side exactly.
corresponds with that upon the other with regard to the width of margin, the
impression upon one side not overrunning that upon the other side,; secondly,.
increased speed in working, producing a greater number of impressions in a
given time; thirdly, simplicity of construction, and. consequent non-liability.
to disarrangement, with economy in prime cost; and, lastly, compactness of
form, the machine occupying comparatively a small space. But, in order that
the mechanical construction and action of the machine may be fully understood,.
we will proceed to describe its various parts, referring to the Drawings forming.
part of this Specification, and to the letters and figures marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine. A, A; is a strong, iron-framing;
supporting the moving parts of the machine; B, B; are a pair of beds or
rails secured to the framing, and running. parallel with the sides thereof. On:
these rails a series of antifriction rollers C, C, traverse to and fro; these are;
retained in their places by roller frames, and support the table or tables D..
on which the frames are placed. E.are the driving drums; F, the driving
shafts, to which is keyed the pinion G, which is in gear; with the crank wheel

page_text: a
H. Upon one of the arms of the crank wheels is a crank pin h', to which
the connecting rod I is attached by an eye, the other end being bolted to a
rack K, which gears with the pinion L, on the axis of which the spur wheel
M is keyed. The spurll wheel M gears into a rack. N; secured to the
under side of the tables D. O is a short shaft on which the pinion L'and
wheel M are keyed; the ends of the shaft are fitted in plumber blocks; P.is
triangular sling, working loosely on the shaft O, and carrying two anti-
friction rollers p', which support and keep the rack K in gear with the pinion
LQ is the impression cam, which is keyed on to the shaft B, and by
means of the connecting rod S imparts a backward and forward motion to
the 'impression crank T; U is antifriction roller and lever which work in
grooves in the 'cam Q; V are adjustable side rods connected with the im
pression crank T; W, W, are pneumatic buffers. fixed to the end.. frames;
the pistons of which are connected with each other, by the rods W. As the
tables D traverse to and fro, the prongs fixed underneath strike against the
stops on the pneumatic buffer rods, which serve to check the momentum, and
prevent injury to the machine. It will be seen by this arrangement, that
when one piston is forced inward, the other. 'will be withdrawn. X is the
printing roller. or 'cylinder, on the ends of which the wheels Y are bolted,
which gear into the racks Z, fastened to the upper side of the table. The
ends 'of the 'cylinder shaft X are supported by the plumber blocks 1, working
in the slide: brackets 2. 3, 3, are rods screwed into the blocks 1, and con-
necting them with the adjusting side rods V; 4 are the grippers, or paper
holders; these are secured to the gripper bar 5. 6 is the gripper bar roller
levers; 7, a 'detent 'and spring, which keeps the gripper bar up to its work;
8 are plates, 'carrying inclines, by which the grippers are actuated; 9 are
hooks projecting from the face of the cylinder X, for the purpose of securing
the blanket thereto.
i
The inking apparatus consists of the following parts, and as this portion
of the machine is shewn in the side elevation and plan by Figures 2
and 3, in which the parts are drawn full size, it may thus be more readily
referred to than in the reduced Drawing, Figure 1. 10 are the ink. ducts
of the ordinary description'; 11-are the sinking cylinders; 12, vibrating
composition rollers; 13, distributing composition rollers; 14, right and left
handed screw motion to give a reciprocating rotary motion to the distri-
buting rollers 13; 15 are vibrating bars, to which are secured the levers and
antifriction 'röller's 16; 17, are open levers which carry the vibrating .com-
position roller's 18; 19 are india-rubber springs, which depress the tooth levers
20, which are keyed to the vibrating levers 15, and take into the recess of

page_text: the wedge pieces 21; 22 are the inking rollers; 23, the inking roller brackets;
24 are the cylinder bearers; 25, the roller lifts; 26, bearers for moving the
vibrating bars 15; 27 are the rollers and webs for reversing the sheets; 28,
are the feed rollers; 29, the dropping bar; 30, the brush roller; 31, the
delivery webs and rollers; 32, the delivery table and frame carrying the.
same; 33, racks on the upper side of the table; 34 is the feed table; 35, a
board on which the supply of plain paper is kept; 36 is. a stud or incline fixed
on one end of the cylinder X; 37 is a jointed lever keyed on to the dropping
bar axis 38.
Figure 4 represents a side view of one of the grippers or holders; Figure 5
is a plan of the same, showing its attachment to the gripper bar.. a, b; are
the jaws; c, the pin or joint upon which the jaws turn; d is a notch or recess
to receive an india-rubber spring e, which keeps the jaws of the gripper.
closed until acted upon by another force; fis an antifriction roller which
acts upon the tail of the jaw.a; g is a pin which carries the roller f; h, a
boss sliding upon the gripper bar 5, and having an adjusting screw fitted
therein, by which the position of the gripper on the bar is regulated; i is a'
collar or balance weight to hold the gripper steady and keep it up to its work.
When the jaw b of the gripper is pressing against the edge of the cylinder X-
just before receiving a sheet of paper, the india-rubber spring e keeps the jaws
close, but at that point in the rotation of the cylinder when the sheet of
paper is to be either taken or released, the jawa is caused to open by the
gripper bar continuing to rotate a short distance, the effect of which causes
the antifriction roller f to press against the tail of the jaw a, by which the
pressure of the spring e is overcome, and the jaw opens to release the sheet
and in readiness to receive another. :
Figures 6 and 7 represents the plates, carrying the inclines by, which the
grippers are actuated. 8.are the plates, to which the inclines k and l'are
secured by pins, on which they.freely rotate; m, m, are levers, each carrying at.
its free end a roller n; o, o, are studs or pins fixed to the plates 8; these studs
or pins prevent the inclines.k and from moving in a wrong direction. The
part of the Figure colored blue indicates the path of the lever in one direction;
and that colored red the path when going in the opposite direction. The inclinc
p, shown on Figure 8, actuates the gripper bar for opening the jaw a of the
gripper. The action of the machine is as follows': The strap is thrown on
to the driving drum E, which causes the pinion G and crank wheel H to
revolve, giving an oscillating motion to the connecting rod I, and rack K,
which in their turn give a reciprocating motion to the pinion L, 'the wheel M,
and-consequently, by means of the rack N, to the table D and cylinder X,

page_text: which is connected with the table by means of the wheels Y and racks Z.
The table, which is made either in one or two pieces, as most convenient, is
divided in the centre by a bar, against which the two forms are locked in
their proper position with regard to the opening in the cylinder X. The
cylinder X is driven by the table D, on which the type is placed, by means of
the wheel Y and racks Z, and is always in gear. The "forms" of type are
so adjusted on the table that the edges of the "matter" next the middle
bar coincide, or nearly so, with the edges of the cylinder, according to the
margin required. Each time the centre of the table passes under the cylinder
X, the cylinder is brought down on to the type by means of the impression
crank T and side rods V, and raised again as soon as the type has passed
under it, otherwise on the return of the cylinder the type would come in
contact with the blanket, and smut the next impression. Each form after
having given an impression passes under the inking rollers and receives a
fresh supply of ink, as in the ordinary machines. The inking of the forms is
effected in the following manner:-As the table D reciprocates, it causes the
bearer 26 to pass under the roller and lever 16, the springs 19 depress the
levers 20, and throw the composition roller 18 against the ink roller of the
duct 10, which as it revolves covers .the roller 18 with a film or coating of
ink; when the bearer 26 has lifted. the roller and lever 16, the composition
roller 18 is thrust against the inking cylinder 11, which revolving continuously
in one direction takes the ink from the composition roller 18. The distri-
butor 13, which is .always in contact with the inking cylinder 11, by its
reciprocating and.rotary action spreads the ink received from the composition
roller 18 uniformly over the surface of the inking cylinder 11, when the
bearer 26 again recedes, the levers 20 fall and push the wedge pieces 21;
forward, thereby raising the inking rollers 22, and causing them to take a
fresh supply of ink from cylinder 11, the bearer 26 then passes under and
causes the levers 20 to be raised, which action withdraws the wedges, and
allows the inking rollers to fall on the type. This motion is repeated (at each
end of the machine) every time the table reciprocates; but we do not confine
ourselves to the use of inking cylinders, as tables may be used in lieu thereof,
or in combination therewith, by which arrangement inks of one or more colors
may be used simultaneously. Underneath the feed board is fitted a spring
attached to a light bar.34%, Figs. 1 and 5, projecting above the feed, board,
and forming a ledge therewith, against which the "layer-on". places the
paper. During the revolving of the printing cylinder the ledge projects above
the feed board, which prevents the "layor-on" placing the sheet beyond its
proper position; but at the moment .the dropping bar falls, in order to carry

page_text: "
the sheet forward, the ledge descends, and permits the passage of the paper
onwards.
The paper to be printed is first laid on the board 35, and afterwards laid
sheet by sheet or otherwise, as the "layer-on" may think fit, to a certain
position on the feed board 34, regulated by the ledge 34*, where it will be
about half an inch from the cylinder X. The paper, it will then be noticed, is.
between the feed roller 28 and the dropping bar 29, and as soon as the upper
edge of the opening of the cylinder is level with the feed board 28, a stud.or
incline 36, fixed at one end of the cylinder X, comes in contact with a
jointed lever 37, keyed on to the dropping bar axis 38, causing the bar 29' to
fall and press the paper on to the feed roller 28, which by a rotary motion
carries the paper forward into the jaws of the grippers, which are at this
moment open, and in contact with the upper edge of the cylinder opening.
The grippers 4 then close firmly on the paper, by which it is carried between
the cylinder and the type, and thus receives the first impression. The cylinder
X continues to move in the same direction until the "tail" of the sheet
arrives above the roller and webs 27; a reverse action is then produced by the
crank motion underneath, the tail of the sheet falls on the roller 27, and is
carried out straight along the webs, the grippers in the mean time holding
the sheet fast. When the grippers arrive oposite the reversing roller 27, they
become nearly stationary, and the cylinder still continuing in motion, the other
edge of the opening comes in contact with the grippers, carrying them and the
sheet of paper the second time between the cylinder and the type, but with
the plain side next the type. The cylinder continues its backward motion till
the tail of the sheet is raised above the brush roller 30; the action of the
cylinder is again reversed, the tail of the sheet descends, and is whipped up
by the roller 30, and caught by the delivery webs 31; the grippers (which
are now on the lower edge of the cylinder opening) then become again
nearly stationary, and as soon as the upper edge of the cylinder opening
comes in contact with the grippers, they open, release the sheet, which passes
on to the delivery board, the grippers pass down to the feed board 34, and are
ready to receive another sheet, which has in the meantime been laid on the
feed board.
Having described the nature of our Invention, and the manner of carrying
the same into practical effect, we wish it to be understood that we do not.
confine ourselves to the precise arrangement of the mechanical details herein-
before described and shewn, as the same may varied without departing from
the Invention; but we claim, and desire to secure under the herein-before in
part recited Letters Patent, is,―

page_text: Firstly, the mechanical arrangement, whereby the sheet of paper is held
with one bite or grip during the operations of printing and reversing the
sheet, such mechanical arrangement including the construction and peculiar
action of the grippers or holders, the parts which communicate' the proper
movements to the same, and the arrangement of the inclines upon the plates 8,
as herein-before described and shewn...
Secondly, the construction and arrangement of the .inking rollers, brackets,
and wedges, by which the said rollers are lifted up to the inking cylinder, and
then lowered on to the type at the proper instant.
Thirdly, the peculiar arrangement of the rack K, which gives motion.to.the
pinion Land spur wheel M, as applied to printing machines..
Fourthly, the peculiar, construction of the printing cylinder X,, for printing
both sides of the sheets of paper, having an. opening, as before described, and
shewn by. Figure 4, at each edge of which opening the impression commences.
Fifthly, the application and arrangement of the pneumatic buffers, as before
described.
Sixthly,. the peculiar arrangement and combination of the parts of the
machine, herein-before described, constituting our improved printing press.
In witness whereof, we, the said Alexander McGlashan and Edward
Field; have 'hereunto set our hands & seals, this Twenty-second day
of April 1856.
Vitness,
CHA BARLOW,
ALEX. MOGLASHAN. (L.B.)
EDWARD FIELD. (L.S.)
Patent Office, 89, Chancery Lane,
London.