A CERTAIN IMPROVEMENT OR CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OR OPERATION OF PRINTING, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1849

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
FERRIER ROSE, of Greenvale Place, in the City of Glasgow, North Britain,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by
Her Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Twenty-fourth
day of July, in the thirteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs,
and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Alexander Ferrier Rose,
Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said
Alexander Ferrier Rose, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, and such others as I,
the said Alexander Ferrier Rose, my eñors, admors, or assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during
the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, within the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and Man,
and also within all Her Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, my
Invention of "A CERTAIN IMPROVEMENT OR CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS
OR OPERATION OF PRINTING, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREIN;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso requiring that
I, the said Alexander Ferrier Rose, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, shall particularly describe and ascertain the nature of my
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, and shall
cause the same to be enrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery

page_text: within six calendar months--next-and-immediately after the date of the said
in part recited Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Alexander Ferrier Rose, do hereby declare that the nature of my Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by this present Instrument in writing as
follows, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures placed thereon, that is to say:
.:
My said Invention consists of certain novel and improved arrangements of
mechanism or apparatus in connection with rotatory printing machines or
presses for letter-press printing, whereby greater economy and exactitude
of action can be obtained than by any other arrangements at present in use.
And in order that my said arrangements may be readily understood and
carried into effect, I shall now proceed to describe the various Figures on the
Sheet of Drawings of my mechanism hereunto attached.
Figure 1 is a complete side elevation of the machinery, in connection with
one cylinder, of what I term my duplex machine for letter-press printing.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same, corresponding. Figure 3 is a Diagram Plan of
the machinery, shewing how two machines, as delineated in Figures 1 and 2, are
combined and worked together so as to print two sheets or fabrics on both sides
simultaneously; and Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, are various views of the different
details of the apparatus. Figure 4 is an end elevation of a portion of the end
of the type cylinder. Figure 5 is a longitudinal section of a portion of one of
the moveable cylinder ends. Figure 6 is a transverse section of a 'column
rule. Figure 7 is a side elevation, corresponding. Figure 8 is an elevation
of a portion of a cylinder end, shewing radiated types arranged upon segmental
or curved surfaced galleys; and Figures 9 and 10 are Diagramis representing
an arrangement suitable for the pages of a magazine or book. The framing
in each of the two machines, of which Figures 1 and 2 are respectively an
élevation and plan, consists of two side standards A, A, across the longitudinal
centres of which is placed the type cylinder B, carried in bearings upon the
middle bar of the frame. The type cylinder has a pair of impressing
rollers C, D, one above and one below, the shafts of which are carried in
sliding bearings in connection with arrangements of springs provided to allow
for the irregularities of the surface of the type cylinder as working in contact
with the regular surface of the impressing rollers. The bearing of the lower
roller C is attached to the upper side of the spring E, whilst the lower side of
the latter rests upon a piece of metal F adjustable by screws acting upwards
so as to increase or diminish the pressure of the spring, and consequently the

page_text: pressure of the roller, upon the type cylinder. In this way the roller shaft
obtains the required play, being guided by passing through a vertical slot in
the frame, whilst the spring is steadied by a spindle G passing downwards
through a guide piece below. The bearings of the upper roller D slide in a
similar manner in the upper standards H, being bolted to the upper
springs I, L, which abut against the adjustable bars K, K. The lower sides
of the bearings rest upon the tops of the lower springs L, which again are
supported by fixed pieces on the side frames, and provided with guide spindles.
The machine may be driven directly through the shaft of the type cylinder B,
which carries on one end a toothed pinion M, gearing with an intermediate
wheel N, the latter being in gear with the large wheel O, carrying on its inner
side a small double pulley P, the endless bands of which drive the ink trough
rollers Q, Q, of the two sets of inking apparatus, one at the back and one at
the front of the machine. These two sets of apparatus are employed for the
purpose of distributing ink to the type cylinder in such a manner as to give
the power of obtaining impressions both above and below the cylinder, and are
exactly alike in their details. The arrows show the direction of the various
movements. The distributing roller in each is carried in bearings in the
levers R, suspended on joints at the top of the framing, and made to vibrate
between the trough roller and the metallic roller S by the action of the cams T
carried on the shaft of the wheel U, which is driven by a pinion on the end of
the shaft of the roller S. The ink is then taken from this last roller by the
inking roller V which inks the type cylinder, being carried in bearings in
suspended levers fitted with springs, which admit of a slight vibratory move-
ment to accomodate it to the irregular surface of the type cylinder. The usual
lateral traverse for equalising the ink on the roller V is given by a pin and
connecting rod driven by the worm wheel movement W of the roller S to a
traversing bar or roller bearing against the inking roller V, and arranged
so as to smooth the ink on that roller at the point after it has received its ink
from the roller S, and previous to communicating ink to the type cylinder.
The roller S receives its movement by the band Y on the end of the type
cylinder.
The paper to be printed is used in the form of a continuous web or webs
wound upon a roller running loosely at Z at the back of the machine, and
kept to the proper tension by means of springs or balance weights. From this.
roller it passes, as indicated by the dotted lines a, through or between the
surfaces of the lower impressing roller and the type cylinder, by which move-
ment it receives an impression on the upper side; it then passes over and
round a reversing bar b, coming in contact with it on its unprinted side, set

page_text: horizontally at an angle with the line of movement of the paper for the
purpose of reversing the latter so as to bring the unprinted side uppermost
in readiness for passing beneath the type cylinder of a second machine, similar
to the one I am now describing. The type cylinder of the second machine has
upon it the type for the reverse impression of the sheet, so that the combined
action of the two machines prints both sides of the paper with their respective
matter.
The Diagram, Figure 3, exhibits the action of the two machines. The one
marked A is to be understood to be exactly similar to that represented in
Figures 1 and 2; whilst the other, marked B, corresponds with it in every
respect except as regards the position of the roll of paper and the direction in
which the type cylinder is driven. In the machine A, as before described, the
roll of paper is placed as at Z, at the lower part of the frame, and the paper
from it passes in the direction of the arrow to the corresponding lower side of
cylinder of the machine B to receive its double impressions as before described.
In order to obtain double impressions from these two machines on two distinct
rolls or webs of paper, the upper sides of the type cylinders with their impress-
ing rollers are used. For this purpose a second roll of paper is placed in the
upper portion of the framing of the machine B, and the paper is passed
through and between the upper surface of the type cylinder and its impressing
roller, by which movement it is printed on the under side with the matter
described as forming the reverse impression of the paper coming from the
machine A. It is then passed beneath and round a reversing bar c to bring
the printed side uppermost in readiness for passing above the type cylinder of
the machine A, where its under unprinted side is now printed. At the
delivery end of each machine a suitable cutting apparatus may be placed,
so that the roll of printed paper can be cut into lengths of the requisite size as
it passes from the type cylinder giving the last impression. Thus the principle
of the system is, that when my duplex machine is used for printing newspaper
or other sheets, the type cylinders each carry type for reverse impressions, so
that the roll of paper printed on the obverse side on the lower surface of
the type cylinder of the machine A is reversed to receive its reverse impression
from the corresponding surface of the type cylinder of machine B; and in
like manner the paper passing from the upper surface of B receives its first
impression from it, and is reversed to receive its opposite impression from the
corresponding surface of the type cylinder of A. The whole of the matter neces-
sary for an impression of one side of the paper being placed on each type
cylinder, a single revolution of the duplex arrangement of cylinders produces two
finished sheets printed on both sides. In Figure 1 the paper is carried in so

page_text: as to be caught by the impressing roller previous to being impressed between
it and the type cylinder, so as to keep it from running to one side or the other,
and the reversing bars are shewn, the upper one above and the under one below
the line of junction of the type and impressing cylinders, to give it a hold upon
the next impressing cylinder or roller in the same way. This, however, is more
effectually done by the aid of a tension roller, as at a' in Figure 1, which will
accomodate itself to the tight or slack state of the paper, and thus afford a
means for ascertaining when the registering apparatus requires regulation. In
order that due register may be kept between the two machines, that is, that
the obverse and reverse impressions of each printed sheet or web of paper may
agree, I have introduced the arrangement represented at d, d, Figures 1 and 2.
An endless band e, e, in Figure 2, is passed round each end of the type
cylinder beneath the margius of the paper, passing through and round the
two tension pulleys f, f, carried on forked studs, adjustable by thumb-
screws, 9, 9, on a transverse traversing shaft h. The two ends of this shaft or
bar are linked to toothed racks l, l, into which two pinions m, m, gear. These
pinions are carried on the extremities of a transverse shaft n carrying a worm-
wheel o in the centre, driven by a worm on the stud shaft of the winch handle p.
According to this arrangement the revolution of the handle P causes the
racks 1, 2, to traverse in either direction, carrying with them the two pulleys ff,
which thus increase or diminish the tension upon the elastic bands passing
round them and round the cylinder ends, thereby altering the thickness of the
bands in proportion to the tension given to them. As the bands pass over the
type cylinder beneath the paper, it follows that any alteration in the thickness
of the bands will cause a virtual alteration in the diameter or circumferential
length of the cylinder, so that more or less paper will be passed through at
each revolution of the cylinder accordingly as this length is increased or
diminished. In this way, if it is found that one cylinder gives off more paper
than the other takes up, a ready means is afforded for adjusting the respective
diameters of the two. It is obvious that, instead of passing such bands round
the ends of the cylinder only, they may be placed to run upon any blank space
that may occur throughout the whole circumference of the cylinder in the form
of type. The quoins or surfaces over which these bands run are recessed or
hollowed, except at the parts opposite the blanks running across the cylinder,
so that the band may act in taking off an increased quantity of paper only
opposite such blanks, as it is obvious they could not work where the types and
impressing cylinders come in contact. In this way the bands act upon the
paper only through the medium of these surfaces at the blank portions of the
impression.

page_text: According to another of my arrangements a correct system of registration
may be obtained by an adjustable arrangement for increasing the height all
across the cylinder of one or more of the blank spaces, so as to enlarge
the diameter of the smaller cylinder at these portions to a sufficient extent to
admit of its taking off an increased length of paper from the other to make the
supply and demand agree, small ledges at the extreme ends of which would
clear the inking roller in the circuit.
These two arrangements for obtaining a correct register may be used
either singly or in connection. The two cylinders are supposed to be of the
same dimensions, and the registering is merely to obviate any fractional differ-
ence which, though immaterial in itself, would otherwise be increased at each
revolution. The position of the registering apparatus represented in Figure 3
will be found a more convenient one than that delineated in Figures 1 and 2,
as it is out of the way of the lengths of paper.
The general details and arrangements of the type cylinders are to be
explained with reference to Figures. 4, 5, 6; 7, and 8. One end of the
cylinder is fixed, its angles corresponding exactly to the type surface, whilst
the space between cach galley or column of type, that is, the part from a to b
in Figure 4, is a portion of a circle of the original radius of the cylinder. The
opposite end of the cylinder is moveable, and the height of the types is formed
upon it by separate pieces C, a piece for each column of types, the removal of
which admits of the taking out any single galley of types at pleasure. The
galley rests on the end pieces, as represented in the section (Figure 5) of a
portion of the cylinder end, and a ring d is cast on the outside of this end,
a space being formed between the ring and the end opposite each galley
for the reception of the loose pieces c, c, and tightening screws are passed
through the ring to abut against these pieces and hold them in their places.
These pieces answer as the holders of another set of screws f, which abut
against the quoins, and thus bind up the galley of types endways. These loose:
pieces, when fixed in, exactly coincide as a whole with the corresponding por-
tions on the periphery of the opposite fixed end of the cylinder. In this way
these end pieces may form supports to receive a portion of the pressure of the
impressing and inking rollers, and the curved surfaces between each space
act as guides to lead the rollers from angle to angle of the type surface, in so
far as this action may not be taken up by the registering bands. The divisions.
a to b on the type cylinder, as in Figure 4, are the widths of the column rules,
which are placed in a line with the axis of the cylinder, and are wedge shaped..
Figure 6 is a transverse section of a detached column rule, shewing the
shoulder at the bottom of the wedge portion, admitting of the types being

page_text: placed down upon the galley when the rule is up; and Figure 7 is a side
elevation of the same on a large scale. In addition to the two ends the
cylinder has a central disc to carry the central portions of the galleys. The
column rules have each a slotted projection g, g, running from end to end,
through which, when in their places, and through each of the radial slots in
the discs, a pair of long parallel action wedges h, h, are passed for the purpose
of drawing down the column rules towards the centre of the type cylinder.
These types, which are of the ordinary parallel kind, are thus compressed, and
held in laterally by the wedge or inclined plane action of the sides of the
column rules. A slip of pasteboard, or other yielding substance, might
be placed before the quoin along the whole distance between the rules when
up, so as to keep any types from slipping back.
In Figure 8 is represented a portion of the end of a type cylinder, shewing
how radiated or wedge-shaped types, bevelled towards their roots only on the
broad sides which form the sides or lengths of the letters, may be used. Here
the faces of the galleys a, a, are each curved to a radius larger than that of the
cylinder upon which they are placed, so that each galley of type will have a
separate curvature of the same radius, the object being to obviate as much
as possible the objectionable angularity of the polygonal surface of the type
cylinder, and the necessary space between each column of types where parallel
types are adjusted to flat surfaces. Thus, in Figure 8, the type surface is com-
posed of a series of curves, as from 6 to c, each galley when placed on the cylinder
baving a separate centre of its own, as from a to e and a to f. The surfaces
of the galleys are in all cases to be formed to the radius of the largest cylinder
to be used, to which radius the types are moulded, so that they may be easily
adapted to any smaller cylinder at pleasure. The parallel wedged sides of the
column rules are to be formed to suit the particular type used in the cylinder;
for the common types, the sides of these, with regard to each other, form square
parallels; if for radiated types, they form radiated parallels to suit, which forms
they maintain in receding from or approaching to each other.
The type cylinders of the machines represented in my Drawing are arranged
for printing newspaper sheets carrying sixteen columns of matter, although
there are seventeen surfaces on which types might be placed, the seventeenth
being left blank for cutting each sheet from its neighbour, and forming the
side margins. The object of this arrangement is also to form an odd number
of angles, so that the opposing impressing and inking rollers may not be
thrown separate at one time, provision being thus made for one roller to act
upon an angle whilst the opposite one is upon a flat surface.
In this arrange-

page_text: ment the centre of the newspaper is formed by a thicker column rule placed
exactly opposite the blank for cutting. This decreases the breadth of the
columns of type on each side of it, which columns may be conveniently added
to their adjoining ones to afford wide spaces for tabular matter.
In printing
large magazines or books, where the type cylinders may be so large as not to
require the provision of an odd number of angles of types, the different pages
might be placed as in the Diagrams, Figures 9 and 10, and cut longitudinally
as the paper issues, in addition to the before-mentioned transverse cutting
apparatus. In these Diagrams the paper is supposed to be bound up by sew-
ing eight leaves or sixteen pages together at once. The headings or titles
might be formed of stereotyped plates, or the whole matter might be stereo-
typed and fixed on cylinders, the general principle being peculiarly suitable
for such an arrangement.
In reference to the employment of a reversing bar for turning the paper to
be printed a second time, as herein-before described, I have to remark that
an arrangement of two rollers may be made to answer the same end, either
with or without the bar itself.. When used with the bar, one roller is to be
placed above and the other below it, and each being set with its axis exactly at
right angles with the line of paper passing to and coming from each machine.
The particular angle of these rollers may be made adjustable by means of
screws and joints. Again, with regard to the use of springs between the type
and impressing cylinders, the latter might be formed with undulating or uneven
surfaces, proportioned to correspond with the uneven surface of the type
cylinder, and thus obviate the positive necessity of the use of springs.
It will also be obvious to practical men that detached sheets may be printed
by my machine either in the single or duplex form, and with or without the
use of the reversing apparatus for the paper. Should any difficulty arise as to
the passage of the paper through my machine without a liability to tear,
additional strength might be given to it by passing along it two or more
threads imbedded in its substance.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my various
improvements, and the manner in which the same are or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine myself
to the precise details or arrangements of mechanism or apparatus which I
have had occasion to explain and refer to, as several variations may be made
therefrom without deviating from the principles of my Invention. But what
I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-

page_text: First, the combination of two letter-press printing machines, set angularly
with respect to each other, forming a duplex machine, for the purpose herein-
before described.
Second, the use or employment of reversing bars and rollers, separately or in
combination, for the purpose of reversing or turning the surfaces of the paper
for obtaining reverse or second impressions.
Third, the use or employment of elastic bands or fabrics as the means of
obtaining a correct register, or agreement of the two printed surfaces, in double
printed sheets or webs of paper.
Fourth, the system or mode of obtaining a correct register of the two impres-
sions of the paper by means of an adjustment of the height of one or more of
the blank spaces across the form of type in the cylinder.
Fifth, the formation of one or both ends of the type cylinders with separate
loose pieces combined to form one whole surface, so as to allow of putting in
or taking out the separate columns of types.
Sixth, the system or mode of fastening or adjusting types upon cylinders
by means of wedge-shaped column rules or division pieces placed between
the different bodies or columns of types, and arranged to approach to or
recede from the centre of the cylinder, and consequently towards and from
each other, so that each pair gives a parallel wedging action to compress the
types laterally.
Seventh, the use or application of radiated types upon cylinders of various
diameters, by means of galley's with curved surfaces, as herein-before described
Eighth, the adaptation and use of type cylinders, with a surface equal to the
size of the required form of type, with angular surfaces adapted for holding
parallel types of the ordinary form, together with the general arrangement of
these cylinders for printing newspaper sheets, as before described.
In witness whereof, I the said Alexander Ferrier Rose, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of January, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty.
ALEXANDER F.. (L.s.) ROSE.
Signed, sealed, and delivered, in the
presence of
JOHN HY JOHNSON,
Solicitor,

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-first day of January, in
the year of our Lord 1850, the aforesaid Alexauder Ferrier Rose came
before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the
Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and speci-
fied, in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped
according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
.