IMPROVEMENTS IN NEWSPAPER PRINTING AND FOLDING MACHINERY
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
NEWSPAPER PRINTING AND FOLDING MACHINERY." A communication from
abroad by Joseph Jules Derriey, of Paris, France.
Sealed the 13th April 1877, and dated the 21st October 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st October 1876.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN NEWSPAPER PRINTING AND FOLDING
MACHINERY."
This Invention relates, first, to improvements in flat form newspaper printing
machines, and the improvements have for their object to produce a perfecting
machine of this kind, printing from the continuous web of paper, whereby the rate
of production is increased and labor is economized.
Newspapers of small circulation are usually printed by the Wharfdale machine,
which first prints one side of the sheet, after which the form is changed and the
other side printed; or two separate machines are sometimes used, printing the
opposite sides of the of the sheet in order to accelerate the production. The first
improvements which I will describe relate to this class of machine.
The improvements are illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Referring to Fig. 1, the continuous web of paper fed from a roll at one end of the
machine passes between the cutter rolls A, A, and is conducted by the tapes to a
sheet divider c which delivers the first sheet between the rollers b, b, whence the
tapes convey it to the lift of the blanket cylinder B. The form C, of as many pages
as are required for one side of the sheet, moves to the right and passes beneath the
cylinder B, printing one side of the sheet as it passes round the said cylinder in the
direction indicated by the feathered arrows. The form C continues its movement
until it arrives at the position previously occupied by the form C₁, which has in the
meantime similarly passed beneath cylinder D. During this time the cutter rolls
have fed a second sheet to the machine, which sheet by the shifting of the divider c
is delivered to the rollers d, d. This sheet is carried by tapes, as indicated by the
[Price lel

page_text: unfeathered arrows to the right of the cylinder B, to be passed beneath it and printed
on one side on the return movement of the form C. Thus by this movement to and
fro two sheets have been printed upon one side by the form C. The sheets so
printed are conducted by the tapes, as indicated by the arrows, the first sheet being
delivered to the rollers f, f, and the second sheet (the rollers e, e, having meanwhile
been shifted) to the rollers g, g, the two sheets being thence conveyed to the other
blanket cylinder D to be printed on the other side by the other form C¹. The
courses taken by the first and second sheets are again respectively indicated by
feathered and unfeathered arrows. The first sheet which entered on the left of
cylinder B enters on the right of cylinder D to be printed on the other side by the
form C¹ on its return movement; that is to say, during the printing of the first side
of the second sheet on cylinder B, the sheet then leaves the machine, as indicated
by the feathered arrows. The second sheet, which entered at the right of cylinder B
and was printed by form C during its return movement, as above described, is then
presented at the left of cylinder D, and printed by form C¹ at its next movement
towards the right, the second sheet then leaving the machine at the same point as
the first sheet, as indicated by the unfeathered arrows; the sheets may then be
conducted to the same or different receivers, or to a folding machine. This machine
thus prints a newspaper on both sides at one operation, and with the same number
of to-and-fro movements of the carriage will print twice as many copies as the
Wharfedale machine. This machine is intended more particularly for printing
8 paged newspapers.
For printing 4 paged newspapers other machines are employed in which the
sheets are fed to each printing cylinder by a "layer on" and printed automatically
on both sides and then received by a "taker off." For printing 6000 copies of
4 pages per hour four "layers on "and four "takers off" are required.
In order to print from a continuous web or roll of paper, I do not replace each
"layer on" by roll, and each "taker off" by a mechanical receiver, which would
complicate the machine too much, but I obtain the same result with a single roll
of paper and two mechanical receivers by modifying the order in which the several
sheets are printed and the course they are made to take in the machine.
Figure 2 illustrates the arrangement of the machine. The lower part of the
machine is not shown, being indentical with that already in use, and for the same
reason the table and forms are merely indicated by a line. The original arrange-
ment of the printing cylinders and inking apparatus is also retained, so that old
machines may be converted by substituting the improvements at the upper part and
retaining the lower portion and printing mechanism.
•
The paper is supplied in sheets cut from a continuous roll, not shown, by the
cutter rolls A, A, and the sheets are then distributed to the several printing cylinders
by the divider B. In the ordinary machines each cylinder prints both sides of the
sheet, but in this case the sheet is printed on one side only by middle cylinders
C, D, the other cylinders E, F, working the reiteration. The divider B has thus
only to feed the cylinders C, D, which it must however do at each movement of
the carriage; that is to say, these cylinders are fed alternately at the right and left.
The distance between the two cylinders being much less than that which separates
the top of the first from the top of the following sheet, it is consequently necessary
that the sheet to be printed on cylinder C when the table travels from left to right
should traverse a longer course than that traversed by the sheet to cylinder D in
order that the two sheets may pass in succession from the divider B and arrive at
exactly the right moment to be printed on the passage of the forms G, G¹; inversely
for the same reason when the forms move from right to left the sheet to be printed
on cylinder D must traverse a longer course than the sheet to be printed on
cylinder C. This being understood I will proceed to describe the way in which the
sheets are fed at one side of cylinders D, F. The same remarks apply also to
cylinders C and E.
In order to render the description more comprehensible I have indicated the
course of one of the sheets by feathered arrows, and that of the other sheet by

page_text: unfeathered arrows. The long feathered arrows indicate the course common to
both sheets. Suppose the table to be moving from left to right, the sheet to be
printed on cylinder D on leaving divider B follows the direction of the feathered
arrows and is printed on cylinder D at the moment the form G passes, and while
the form continues its movement from left to right and until it commences to move
in the opposite direction, the sheet travels an equivalent distance, as indicated by
the feathered arrows, and having entered at the left of cylinder D, as before
mentioned, it now enters at the right of cylinder F to be printed on the other side;
the sheet is then conducted upwards by the tapes to the gripper II of the receiver
which conducts it to the end of the machine. At the desired moment the flyer L
falls upon the sheet and deposits it upon the table. These horizontal receivers are
well known, and I make no claim to them except in respect of their application to
flat form printing machines. While the carriage is completing its traverse from left
to right and returning in the reverse direction, the divider B sends a sheet to the
rollers and tapes 3, which sheet follows the direction indicated by the plain arrows,
and for the reasons before stated takes a longer course in order to arrive at the
proper moment at the cylinder D and allow the succeeding sheet to also arrive
the right time at cylinder C. The sheet thus printed on cylinder D receives the
second impression on cylinder F; that is to say, after the forms have passed under
the cylinders D, C, E, and returned under the same cylinders to arrive at the
cylinder F, the sheet then has to take a somewhat extended course.
In order to avoid the use of too many tapes the sheet is carried upwards and
returned to the tapes by which it was previously conducted; this return of the
sheet into the first tapes is effected at the roller, in until the descent the tapes shift,
and the sheet follows the course commencing at the roller J. The sheet after being
printed a second time on cylinder F passes direct to the receiver, by which it is
delivered upon the table as before explained. The sheet thus delivered is double,
therefore it bears complete duplicate impressions and must be cut in two as is done
in these machines. The cutter rolls may however be so managed as to supply single
instead of double sheets, and the second sheet is made to traverse a course as much
shorter than the first as the interval to be regained, so as to bring the two half
sheets end to end, in order that the printing may be performed the same as for an
entire sheet. After printing, the sheets are caused to travel different ways to
produce the reverse effect, and bring them together one up on the other to a flyer
which needs thus be only of the length of a half sheet, and by which the two
sheets are deposited at once on a small table. In this manner I am enabled to
dispense with the hand cutting hitherto necessary in this kind of machine.
The above description equally applies to the second set of printing cylinders,
which form as it were a second machine, and as machines of this kind are used
with two and four cylinders and as many layers on, I may adapt such machines
with two or four cylinders to print from a continuous web of paper. Two paper
rolls may also be used, each feeding one half of the machine.
Moreover the paper
may receive the first impression on the outside instead of the inside cylinders, and
a roll of paper being placed at either end, the whole of the sheets may be delivered
at the center of the machine to one or two mechanical receivers.
Figure 3 represents a two-cylinder machine based on the same system, showing
the position of the roll of paper, cutters, printing mechanism, and receiver. The
course of the sheets is indicated by the arrows and is similar to that of Figure 2.
Since the introduction of printing machines employing continuous rolls of paper,
it has been sought to render the machine as automatic as possible, and to effect the
damping of the paper at the same time as the printing. Hitherto however all
machines using continuous paper have been made on the rotary principle for the
sake of the greater speed attainable, consequently the damping, whatever may be
the process adopted, has always been defective owing to the shortness of the time
which elapses between the damping and printing operations (usually from a third
to a quarter of a second) which is altogether insufficient to allow the moisture
deposited on the surface of the paper to be absorbed.

page_text: Figure 4 of the Drawings represents a machine which is free from the above
objections, at least ten seconds being allowed after damping before the sheet is
printed on the first side, twice that time before it receives the second impression.
The paper from the roll is led over a tension roller a by which it is made to rub
upon a roller b driven at considerably less speed in a water trough, whereby the
paper becomes damped. The paper passes thence beneath a roller c, which may in
some cases be hollow and perforated and covered with felt, and receive a supply of
steam at low pressure at one or both ends. The steam in escaping through the
perforations in the tube permeates the felt which thus damps the side of the paper
in contact therewith, and also facilitates by the slight heat the absorption of the
water previously deposited upon the other side of the paper. The rollers d and e
are also similarly constructed, in order that the damping may be as uniform as
possible.
Where steam is not available the roller c may be formed of discs of felt upon a
solid mandrel with a pipe above fitted with small taps throughout its length, from
which water is allowed to trickle upon and become absorbed by the felt, the paper
being damped by causing the same to press against the felt. The rollers d, e, would
be similarly made but not moistened, they serve for equalizing the moisture over
the whole surface of the paper. The several rollers are disposed at distances apart
as shown, in order to facilitate the passage of the paper between the damping rollers
on its way to the drawing rollers f, f.
In describing Figure 1, I stated that the printed sheets might go either to a
receiver or to a folding machine, which I will now proceed to describe.
At
Figures 5 and 6 show the arrangement of the folder which is applicable to all
printing machines. The printed sheet is carried away by the tapes in the ordinary
manner. The upper tapes terminate at a movable rod A, operated by an eccentric,
the said tapes being elastic. When rod A is in the raised position the sheet passes
straight beyond it between the tapes B which simply serve to keep the sheet spread
and do not exert any tractive effect thereon, as they do not touch each other.
the desired moment the rod A is lowered, and the tapes which it carries come upon
the roller C and pass down below it. By this means the sheet no longer moves in
a straight line, but descends toward the bottom of the space enclosed by the
rollers C, D, E; and on reaching the junction of the tapes at roller D it becomes
doubled and folded, and carried away in another direction to a second and similar
folding apparatus. The sheet is here folded a second time, after which it is conveyed
to a third apparatus to be folded at right angles to the previous folds.
The several thicknesses of paper to be folded now offer a greater resistance, and
I may employ the knife ordinarily used in folding machines. In folding a large
eight paged sheet I use the knife in the usual way, but as it is sometimes required
to fold both an eight and a four paged edition on the same machine, I adopt it to do
so by the following arrangement instead of requiring separate machines.
It has been before mentioned that the paper is fed by the tapes, which terminate
at the rod A, which descends in order to fold each large sheet at the middle. If
however the printing machine is printing a four paged edition, it follows that
a half sheet will arrive when the rod A. descends, and another half sheet when it is
raised.
The first half sheet after being folded follows in the same direction as that
described for a whole sheet. The second half sheet, which arrives during the upward
movement of rod A will naturally have a tendency to move straight forward into
the tapes B, and so escape from the machine, but to obviate this the rod E is mounted
on a lever, which when rod A rises lifts a catch beneath the latter in such a manner
as to bar the passage of the second half sheet to the tapes B, and cause it to follow
the direction of the tapes of rod A. by which it is conducted into the open
space C, D, F, the same as the folded sheet. By a suitable adjustment of the tapes
the first half sheet after being folded by rod A passes down while the rod A¹ is
being raised, and is conducted beneath the perpendicular knife F. The second
half sheet which passes beneath the rod A without being folded is on the other

page_text: hand folded by the rod A¹, and also conducted beneath the knife F beside the first
half. The knife then falls in and folds both sheets at once, and the sheets are then
deposited in regular order on a table by means of a mechanical receiver, or the sheets
are discharged from the folding machine as in others of the kind where there is not
room enough for a receiver.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th April 1877.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN NEWSPAPER PRINTING AND FOLDING MACHINERY."
A communication from abroad by Joseph Jules Derriey, of Paris, France.
This Invention relates first to improvements in flat form newspaper printing
machines.
Newspapers of small circulation are usually printed by the Wharfedale machine.
In this machine the forms are placed upon a reciprocating carriage, upon which presses
a blanket cylinder, operated by and revolving with the movement of the carriage.
When the carriage travels in one direction a sheet of paper is supplied to the
cylinder by a "layer on," and is then printed and carried away by the tapes to a
receiver and deposited upon a table. The sheets are printed on one side only, and
when the whole have been passed through the machine it is necessary to remove
the forms and replace them by those for the second printing on the reverse
side, and then pass the sheets through the machine a second time to complete the
printing. Under these conditions, and allowing twenty-five strokes of the carriage per
ininute, and two sheets to be printed at each complete evolution, three thousand copies
per hour are obtained, printed on one side only, or 1,500 copies printed on both
sides; or less if we reckon the time required for changing the forms, reversing the
paper, &c.; while if two separate machines are used, each printing one side only of
the sheet, a considerably increased cost is incurred for machinery and labor.
The present improvements have for their object to produce a perfecting machine
of this kind, printing from a continuous web of paper, whereby the rate of pro-
duction is increased and labor is economized.
The improvements are illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Referring to Figure 1, the continuous web of paper from a roll at one end of the
machine passes between the cutter rolls A, A¹, and is conducted by the tapes to a
sheet divider c which delivers the first sheet between the rollers b, b, whence the
tapes convey it to the left of the blanket cylinder B. The form C, of as many pages
as are required for one side of the sheet, moves to the right and passes beneath the
cylinder B, printing one side of the sheet as it passes round the said cylinder in the
direction indicated by the feathered arrows. The form C continues its movement
until it arrives at the position previously occupied by the form C¹, which has in the
meantime similarly passed beneath cylinder D. During this time the cutter rolls
have fed a second sheet to the machine, which sheet, by the shifting of the divider C₁
is delivered to the rollers d, d. This sheet is carried by tapes, as indicated by the
unfeathered arrows, to the right of cylinder B to be passed beneath it and printed
on one side on the return movement of the form C. Thus, by this movement to
and fro, two sheets have been printed upon one side by the form C. The sheets so
printed are conducted by the tapes, as indicated by the arrows, the first sheet being
delivered to the rollers f, f, and the second sheet (the rollers e, e, having meanwhile
been shifted) to the rollers g, g, the two sheets being thence conveyed to the blanket
cylinder D to be printed on the other side by the other form C¹. The courses
taken by the first and second sheets are again respectively indicated by feathered

page_text: and unfeathered arrows. The first sheet which entered on the left of cylinder B
and was printed on the first side by the movement of the form to the right enters
on the right of cylinder D to be printed on the second side by the form C¹ on its
return movement; that is to say, during the printing of the first side of the second
sheet on cylinder B; the sheet then leaves the machine, as indicated by the
feathered arrows. The second sheet, which entered at the right of cylinder B, and
was printed by form C during its return movement, as above described, is then
presented at the left of cylinder D and printed by form C¹ at its next movement
towards the right (during the printing of the first side of the third sheet on cylinder
B), the second sheet then leaving the machine at the same point as the first sheet,
as indicated by the unfeathered arrows, and so on. The sheets may then be
This
conducted to the same or different receivers or to a folding machine.
improved printing machine thus prints a newspaper on both sides at one operation,
and with the same number of to and fro movements of the carriage will print twice
as many copies as the "Wharfedale" machine. This machine is intended more
particularly for printing 8 paged newspapers.
For printing 4 paged newspapers other machines are employed, known in France
as " re-action "machines, in which the sheets are fed to each printing cylinder
by a "layer on," and printed automatically on both sides and then received by a
"taker off." For printing 6000 copies of four pages per hour four "layers on” and
four "takers off" are required..
In order to print from a continuous web or roll of paper I do not replace each
"layer on" by a roll, and each "taker off" by a mechanical receiver, which would
complicate the machine too much, but I obtain the same result with a single roll of
paper and two mechanical receivers, by modifying the order in which the several
sheets are printed and the course they are made to take in the machine.
Figure 2 illustrates the arrangement of the machine. The lower part of the
machine is not shown, being identical with that already in use, and for the same
reason the table and forms are merely indicated by a line. The original arrange-
ment of the printing cylinders and inking apparatus is also retained so that old
machines may be converted on this system by substituting the improvements at
the upper part and retaining the lower portion and printing mechanisın, which is a
great advantage, considering the large number of this kind of machine now in use.
The paper is supplied from sheets cut from a continuous roll (not shown) by the
cutter roll A, A, and the sheets are then distributed to the several printing cylinders
by the divider B. In the ordinary "re-action" machine each cylinder prints the
sheet on both sides, but in this case the sheet is printed on one side only by the
middle cylinder C, D, the other cylinders E, F, working the reiteration. The
divider B has thus only to feed the cylinders C, D, which it must however do at
each movement of the carriage; that is to say, these cylinders are fed alternately
at the right and left. The distance between the two cylinders being much less than
that which separates the head of the first from the head of the following sheet, it
is consequently necessary that the sheet to be printed on cylinder C when the table
travels from left to right should traverse a longer course than that traversed by the
sheet to cylinder D, in order that the two sheets may pass in succession from the
divider B and arrive at exactly the right moment to be printed on the passage of
the forms G, G¹; inversely for the same reason when the forms move from right to
left the sheet to be printed on cylinder D must traverse a longer course than the
sheet to be printed on cylinder C. This being understood, I will proceed to describe
the way in which the sheets are fed at one side of cylinders D, F; the same
remarks apply also to cylinders C and E.
In order to render the description more comprehensible I have indicated the
course of one of the sheets by feathered arrows and that of the other sheet by
unfeathered arrows. The long feathered arrows indicate the course common to both
sheets. Suppose the table to be moving from left to right, the sheet to be printed
on cylinder D on leaving divider B follows the direction of the feathered arrow and

page_text: is printed on cylinder D at the moment the form G passes, and while the form
continues its movement from left to right and commences to move in the opposite
direction the sheet travels an equivalent distance, as indicated by the feathered arrow
and (having entered at the left of cylinder D, as before mentioned) it now enters at
the right of cylinder F, and is there printed on the other side. The sheet is then
conducted upwards by the tapes to the gripper H of the receiver, which conducts it
to the end of the machine, and at the desired moment the flyer L falls upon the
sheet and deposits it upon the table. These horizontal receivers are well known,
and I make no claim to them, except in respect of their application to flat form
printing machines. While the carriage is completing its traverse from left to
right and returning in the reverse direction the divider B sends a sheet to the
rollers and tapes 3, which sheet following the direction indicated by the plain
arrows, for the reasons before stated, takes a longer course, in order to arrive at the
proper moment at the cylinder D and allow the succeeding sheet to also arrive at
the right time at cylinder C. The sheet thus printed on cylinder D receives the
second impression on cylinder F; that is to say, after the forms have passed under
the cylinders D, C, E, and returned under the same cylinders to arrive at the
cylinder F; the sheet thus has to take a somewhat extended course.
In order to avoid the use of too many tapes, the sheet is carried upwards and
returned to the tapes by which it was previously conducted; this return of the sheet
into the first tapes is effected at the roller m, until the descent, when the tapes shift
and the sheet follows the course commencing at the roller J. The sheet after the second
printing on cylinder F passes direct to the receiver, by which it is delivered upon
the table, as before explained; the sheet thus delivered is double, i.e., it bears
complete duplicate impressions and must be cut in two, as is done in these " re-action "
machines. The cutter rolls may however be so managed as to supply single
instead of double sheets, and the second sheet be made to traverse a course as much
shorter than the first as the interval to be regained, so as to bring the two half
sheets end to end, in order that the printing may be performed the same as for an
entire sheet, the sheets after printing being caused to travel different ways to
produce the reverse effect and bring them together one upon the other upon a flyer,
which need thus be only of the length of a half sheet, and by which the two sheets
are deposited together upon a small table. In this manner I am enabled to dispense
with the hand cutting hitherto necessary in this kind of machine.
The above description equally applies to the second set of printing cylinders,
which form as it were a second machine, and as machines of this kind are used
with two or four cylinders and as many "layers on "I may adapt such machines with
two or four cylinders to print from a continuous web of paper; two paper rolls may
also be used, each feeding one half of the machine. Moreover, the paper may
receive the first impression on the outside instead of the inside cylinders, and a roll
of paper being placed at either end the whole of the sheets may be delivered at
the centre of the machine to one or two mechanical receivers. It will be understood
that the positions of the guide rods and rollers for the tapes may be modified
according to circumstances.
Figure 3 represents a two-cylinder machine based on the same system showing
the position of the roll of paper, cutters, printing mechanism, and receiver. The
course of the sheets is indicated by the arrows and is similar to that of Figure 2.
Since the introduction of printing machines employing continuous rolls of paper,
it has been sought to render the machine as automatic as possible, and to effect the
damping of the paper at the same time as the printing. Hitherto however all
machines using continuous paper have been made on the rotary principle for the
sake of the greater speed attainable, and the damping, whatever may be the process
adopted, has consequently always been defective owing to the shortness of time
which elapses between the damping and printing operations (usually from a third to
a quarter of a second) which is altogether insufficient to allow the moisture
deposited on the surface of the paper to become absorbed.

page_text: In the machines of this Invention this objection does not exist, at least ten seconds
elapsing after damping before the sheet is printed on the first side, and twice that
time before it receives the second impression.
Figure 4 represents the damping apparatus. The paper from the roll is led over
a tension roller a by which it is made to rub upon a roller b which turns at con-
siderably less speed in a water trough, whereby the paper becomes damped. The
paper passes thence beneath a roller c, which may be variously made, and may in
some cases be hollow and perforated, and covered with felt, and receive a supply of
steam at low pressure at one or both ends. The steam in escaping through the
perforations in the tube permeates the felt which is thus moistened and warmed,
and which damps the side of the paper in contact therewith, the warmth facilitating
the absorption of the water previously deposited upon the other side of the paper.
The rollers d and e are also similarly constructed in order that the damping may be
as uniform as possible.
Where steam is not available the roller c may be formed of discs of felt upon a
solid mandrel and moistened by water from a pipe above, fitted with small taps
throughout its length, from which the water is allowed to trickle upon the felt, the
paper being damped by contact with the felt against which it presses. The rollers d, e,
would be similarly made but not moistened. They serve for equalizing the moisture
over the whole surface of the paper. The several rollers are disposed at distances
apart, as shown, in order to facilitate the passage of the paper between the damping
rollers on its way to the drawing rollers f, f.
In describing Figure 1, I stated that the printed sheets might go either to a
receiver or to a folding machine which I will now proceed to describe.
Figures 5 and 6 show the arrangement of the folder, which is applicable to all
printing machines. The printed sheet is carried away by the tapes in the ordinary
manner. The upper tapes terminate at a movable rod A operated by an eccentric,
the said tapes being clastic. When rod A is in the raised position the sheet passes
straight beyond it between the tapes B which simply serve to keep the sheet spread,
and do not exert any tractive effort thereon, as they do not touch each other. At
the desired moment the rod A is lowered, and the tapes which it carries come upon
the roller C and pass down below it. By this means the sheet no longer moves
in a straight line, but descends towards the bottom of the space enclosed by the
rollers C, D, E, and on reaching the junction of the tapes at roller D it is doubled
and folded and carried away in another direction to a second and similar folding
apparatus. The sheet is here folded a second time, after which it is conveyed to a
third apparatus to be folded at right angles to the previous folds.
The several thicknesses of paper to be folded now offer a greater resistance, and
I may employ the knife ordinary used in folding machines. In folding a large
eight paged newspaper sheet I use the knife in the usual way, but as it is some-
times required to fold both an eight and a four paged edition on the same machine,
I adapt it to this end by the following arrangement instead of requiring separate
machines.
It has been before mentioned that the paper is fed by the tapes terminating at
the rod A which descends in order to fold cach large sheet at the middle; if
however the machine is printing a four paged edition it follows that a half sheet
will arrive when the rod A descends and another half sheet when it is raised.
The first half sheet after being folded follows in the same direction as that
described for a whole sheet; the second half sheet which arrives during the upward
movement of rod A will tend to move straight forward into the tapes B and so
escape from the machine; but to obviate this, the rod E is mounted on a lever which
when rod A rises lifts a catch beneath the latter in such a nanner as to bar the
passage of the second half sheet to the tapes B and cause it to follow the direction
of the tapes of rod A, by which it is conducted into the open space C, D, F, the
same as the folded sheet. By a suitable adjustment of the tapes between the first
folder at A, and the second folder at A¹, the first half sheet after being folded by

page_text: rod A passes down while the rod A' is being raised, and is conducted beneath the
perpendicular knife F. The second half sheet which passes beneath the rod A
without being folded is on the other hand folded by the rod A' on its descent, and
is also conducted beneath the knife F behind the first half; the knife then falls and
folds both sheets at once, and the sheets are deposited in regular order on a table by
means of a mechanical receiver, or the sheets are discharged from the folding
machine as in others of the kind, where there is not room enough for a receiver.
Having described the nature of the said Invention and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1st. A flat form newspaper printing machine provided with the necessary forms,
and simultaneously printing both sides of an eight paged newspaper, substantially
as shown and described, instead of one side only as usual in the "Wharfedale "
machines.
2nd. The application substantially as described to flat form newspaper printing
machines of the above kind, of an endless web of paper which has hitherto only
been applied to cylinder machines, owing to the necessity of passing the paper
twice through the flat form machine.
3rd. Providing a machine of the above kind with two impression cylinders, one
for each "form," the one side of the sheet being printed on the one cylinder, and
the opposite side on the other cylinder; the operation being such that the sheet
which entered on the left of the first cylinder is entered on the right of the second
cylinder, and vice versa, substantially as described, the tapes being arranged in any
desired manner.
4th. The general arrangement of machine shown in Figure 3 for printing four
paged newspapers.
5th. In the "re-action" machine, shown in Figure 2, I claim employing one half
of the number of impression cylinders for printing the first side only of the sheet,
and the other half for the reiteration only in whichever direction the carriage may
be travelling, substantially as described.
6th. I claim feeding from a number of paper rolls, not exceeding half the number
of impression cylinders, substantially as described, instead of having as many feeders
as cylinders as usual.
7th. The employment of a number of mechanical receivers of whatever kind, not
exceeding half the number of impression cylinders, substantially as described, instead
of as many receiving places as cylinders as usual.
8th. Employing the tapes by which the sheet is conducted to the first printing
for the purposes of the second printing, in order to reduce the number of tapes
employed, substantially as described.
9th. Cutting the paper for each copy into separate sheets before printing, and so
conducting them by different ways as to bring them end to end for printing, as if
they formed one double sheet as described, these half sheets being then delivered to
a mechanical receiver of only half the ordinary length.
10th. The application of self-acting damping apparatus to flat form printing
machines, in which a continuous web or roll of paper is employed, the motion being
sufficiently slow to admit of the paper being properly damped.
11th. The arrangement of the damping apparatus, substantially as shown and
described.
12th. The application of a mechanical folder to flat form newspaper printing
machines.
13th. The arrangement of folder described consisting of movable rods operated by
eccentrics having continuous motion, in lieu of the intermittently acting knives
employed in other folding machines.
14th. The combination and arrangement of two folding rods as described, whereby
four and eight paged sheets may be folded in the same machine.
15th. The use of a knife for making the last fold or folds in an eight or four paged
sheet as specified.

page_text: 16th. The arrangement of mechanical receiver placed beneath the last folder, for
depositing the sheets in regular order upon a table instead of being discharged from
the machine as usual.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
A. M. CLARA,
(L.S.)