IMPROVEMENTS IN LITHOGRAPHIC PRINTING, AND IN MACHINERY USED FOR THAT PURPOSE, PARTS OF WHICH INVENTION ARE APPLICABLE TO OTHER PRINTING MACHINERY
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Lewis, of Hazlewood House, Ranelagh,.
County of Dublin, Ireland, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LITHOGRAPHIC PRINTING, AND IN MACHINERY USED FOR THAT PURPOSE, PARTS
OF WHICH INVENTION ARE APPLICABLE TO OTHER PRINTING MACHINERY.”
Sealed the 31st January 1871, and dated the 20th August 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Lewis at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
20th August 1870.
I, JOSEPH LEWIS, of Hazlewood House, Ranelagh, County of Dublin,
Ireland, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE
MENTS IN LITHOGRAPHIC PRINTING, AND IN MACHINERY USED FOR THAT PURPOSE,
PARTS OF WHICH INVENTION ARE APPLICABLE TO OTHER PRINTING MACHINERY," to
be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in lithographic printing
and in machinery used for that purpose, parts of which Invention are
applicable to other printing machinery...

page_text: I use
a convexly formed semicircular surface, preferably of litho-
graphic stone (but other substances can be substituted, as brass, zinc, or
cast iron,) by which several advantages are secured, a more direct
application of pressure, a higher speed, economy, and simplicity in
construction, as also more convenient means for rapidly cleaning off the
used work and preparing the stone for new, an improved system of
inking and ink distributing, also in the production of work printed in
continuous rolls or sheets at option.
The said convexly formed surfaces may consist of any convenient part
or parts of the periphery of a circle, and any portion or portions of the
circumference of such surface or periphery may consist of cast iron or
other suitable material, into which the segment or segments of stone or
other printing surfaces are accurately fitted and secured, or the stone
may be made entirely cylindrical, and may be a monolith, or composed
of segments or parts joined and held together by strong clamps or
bolts.
The printing surface may be a complete cylinder of composite
characters comprising and presenting four several spaces on its periphery,
the space of lesser diameter is appropriated as an ink slab and dis-
tributor, and comprises one-half of the entire circumference or periphery.
A portion of the other half is received to contain the segment of stone or
other printing surface, and the spaces intervening on each side of the
stone and the ink slab portion are tapered so as to connect the one to
the other by easy inclines. This cylinder performs at least one revolution
on its axis for every impression produced. As the periphery of the
stone projects at least two-fourths of an inch it is the only portion that
comes in contact with the pressure roller below, and the instant it
arrives at a certain point the nip takes place, and the sheet to be printed
is carried through. The printing cylinder is supported in its place by a
suitable framework, around the top of which are the inking rollers, these
are fitted into slots and held in their places by springs; they are so
placed that each in turn comes in contact with the stone as it revolves.
When the cylinder is caused to revolve the stone's surface comes first in
contact with the wetting or damping box, which is regulated so as not to
come in contact with the portion of the periphery containing the ink
slab. As the cylinder revolves the stone receives a film from each ink
roller it passes under until it reaches the opposite side, when the feed

page_text: board is placed a pin on the end of cylinder takes hold on a forked
-projection on the feed board, instantly carrying it forward, together with
the sheets to be printed, which is taken in between the stone and a
revolving tympan; by this arrangement the register is always in
unison with the movement of the cylinder, and by a spiral spring the
table is drawn back to its former position. The sheet is relieved at the
other side by what I have named finger nails, which work automatically.
Serial finger nail-shaped levers slide along a bar immediately under the
damping box; these springs bear on the surface of the stone only, and
can be adjusted to ink only on the margins, so that when the sheet
passes through after being printed it is gently peeled off. The feed
board is caused to recoil immediately the pressure cylinder has relieved
it of its charge, and is then again ready for the reception of another
sheet. The degree of pressure is regulated by capstan headed screws
secured in moveable boxes under the journals of the pressure roller.
The impelling power by foot on treadle is sufficient to work off small
work, but steam or other power may be employed as in other printing
machinery. When it is desirable to stop the cylinder instantaneously, or
to repeat the inking operation, or to save the tympan clean when a sheet
is missed, it is only necessary to place the foot on a small treadle which.
is connected with a pair of cams, when the pressure cylinder is instantly
lowered out of reach of the stone, and this can be repeated as often as
necessary. A fly wheel is attached to diffuse the power and modify the
strain consequent on the "nip." A spur wheel on the printing cylinder
and a pinion or pressure roller serves to communicate the power from
the treadle to the cylinder. The endless leather tympan is simply a
piece of good level smooth leather fitted round two drums, and passing
in between the stone cylinder, and the pressure roller; the ends are
neatly sewed together; this tympan therefore encloses the presser roller
(in the centre) and two drums to keep it taught, and to act as a support
for the end of the sheet to be printed. In some cases I use a covering
of paper or even of polished sheet metal over the leather to impart
finish

page_text: pressed closely together, and the other compartment is filled with water
which percolates through the zinc grating and keeps the rags or sponges
always moist; these always present a wet surface to the stone, and so
wet it before it comes in contact with the ink rollers.
"The preparation of the stone" is effected by having a supplimental
cylinder situated over the grinding trough, in this cylinder there is a
receptacle exactly the same size as that which contains the stone in the
printing cylinder. When the work is to be ground off and the stone.
prepared for other work it is removed from the printing cylinder and
fastened into this receptacle; I then oppose a metal roller to the surface
of the stone; this metal roller has a longitudinal travelling motion across
the stone; the stone has also a to-and-fro motion, so that its entire
surface comes under the metal roller repeatedly. Sand and water is
allowed to flow copiously between the stone and the metal roller, this
effects the grinding out of the old work, and keeps the curve of the stone
true at the same time. When sufficiently ground a flat block of snake
or polishing stone is applied instead of the grinding roller, and sand and
water only is used; a few revolutions serves to give it the smooth
surface when it is ready for the transfer; this is also effected in the
temporary or supplemental cylinder, where it is "etched," "proved,"
and made ready for placing in its position in the printing cylinder. Or
the printing surface may consist only of a portion of a circle of very
large dimensions, and instead of a revolutionary motion it then has a
rocking, oscillating, or to-and-fro motion imparted to it, by which
arrangement a larger amount of available printing surface is obtained
from a given thickness of stone. Or the printing cylinder may comprise
two or more separate and distinct compartments or receptacles for the
stone and other printing surface on the same periphery. The sets of
inking rollers are then duplicated and apportioned each to its own color,
and by "cut off" cams they are prevented acting on any but their
own stones on their surfaces. Printing or polychrome may then be
effected rapidly; a similar arrangement is applicable to monochrome
printing.

page_text: cloth to impart to them the nature of the ordinary hand roller, of which
they are a substitute of much advantage, as they offer a greater amount
of fresh inking surface in a limited space, can be easily changed for ones
of different colors, and the grain or nap so essential to good work can
always be preserved in the best condition. These bands can be applied
simply as ink distributors; they are also applicable to other printing
surfaces by superimposing a thin film of composition consisting of
gelatine dissolved in glycerine on the leather, they may be used with
advantage for surface printing and letter-press work. When I use
ordinary inking rollers I place one or more of them slightly angular or
diagonally to the printing surface, by which a desirable brushing or
frictional motion is exercised on the work, whereby the operation of
inking by hand roller is closely imitated, this tends to keep the work
clear, yielding a fuller and clearer impression than by ordinary means
now in use.
.
'
A further improvement in the manner of applying the ink has
reference to the employment of inks of different degrees of fineness or
stiffness. Ink of a soft nature is just applied, this is followed by the
next roller containing ink of a stiffer quality, this stiffer roller exercises
a clearing influence, and removes any surcharge of ink left by the soft
ink roller.
-
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Joseph Lewis in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 20th February 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
LEWIS, of Hazlewood House, Ranelagh, County of Dublin, Ireland, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her, most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Joseph Lewis, Her special license that
I, the said Joseph Lewis, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Joseph Lewis, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time

page_text: 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 LITHOGRAPHIC PRINTING,
AND IN MACHINERY USED FOR THAT PURPOSE, PARTS OF WHICH INVENTION ARE
APPLICABLE TO OTHER PRINTING MACHINERY," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Joseph Lewis, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one or 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 I, the said Joseph Lewis, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in lithographic printing
and in the machinery used for that purpose, parts of which Invention
are applicable to other printing machinery.
In lithographic printing I employ a stone which is convex on the
printing surface in place of flat, as heretofore, and it is ground truly to
a cylindrical form.
For this purpose I employ the apparatus of which an end view is
shewn at Figure 1 of the annexed Drawings. The same apparatus is
also employed to transfer on to the stone the matter or design to be
printed; and it may also be used as a hand printing machine in cases
where economy in first cost is of primary importance.
Figure 2 is an end view, and Figure 3 a front view of the apparatus as
it is when arranged for transferring or printing. a, a, is a frame on
which is supported the plate 6 by means of its screw legs c, c. The
nuts d, d, on these screws rest on the cross plate a¹ of the frame. The
lithographic stone e having been roughly cut to the required shape is
placed on the plate 6 and adjusted by the screws and nuts so that its
surface is somewhat above the bottoms of the slots f¹, f³, formed in the
arms f; these arms are fixed on an axis f* mounted in bearings on the
frame. The stone is then locked in position by means of the side

page_text: screws g, g, and the bar h, h, is laid upon it. This bar is held in thẻ
slots f¹ in the arms between screws f³, which, however, do not nip it so
that it rests on the stone with its own weight. By means of the handle
on the cross bar f' the arms are moved to and fro and caused to carry
the bar over the face of the stone. Sharp sand and water is applied to
the face of the stone constantly whilst grinding it, and the grinding is
continued in this way until the bar h rests on the bottoms of the slots
which carry it. A final polish is given to the stone by means of pièces
of snake stone applied by hand, or a bar of snake stone may in polishing
be substituted for the iron bar h. The face of the stone having been
prepared, the bar is removed and the transfer laid on in the usual way,
and it is rolled in by means of the leather covered roller i; this is set
down to the face of the stone by the pressure screws k, k, so as to bear
firmly upon it, and it is caused to traverse to and fro over the transfer
by means of hand wheels k', ', on its axis. The manipulation in
transferring to the stone and in preparing for printing remains in other
respects as heretofore. As before mentioned, the apparatus may be used
for printing. I usually, however, take the stone thus prepared together
with the plate b, and place it in a machine on a rotating drum or rocker,
so that its convex surface is accurately concentric with the axis of motion.
This is done simply by dropping the stone with its plate into a recess in
the drum or rocker prepared for it; this recess is made accurately to
correspond to the apparatus in which the stone is prepared. The nuts d
resting on the bottom of the recess ensure the surface of the stone being
at a distance from the centre or axis corresponding to its curvature.
Double nuts may be substituted for the single nuts seen in Figures I
and 3, so that there may be no risk of their shifting on the screw legs.
The cylinder or rocker carrying the stone is mounted in a frame with
which feeding, inking, and delivering apparatus are also combined.
Figure 4 is a side view, and Figure 5. a front view of such: a. machine.
a is the frame carrying the drum b, which is driven by a spur wheel c
gearing with a pinion having a crank handle on its axis; d is the stone
in its recess in the drum where it is locked by screws d'on one side of
it. The stone, as will be seen, when for use in this machine is made of
dovetail form on one side (in place of being parallel as it is represented'
in Figures 1 and 3), and a loose plate d2 with holes in it is forced by
the screws d'against the side of the stone.. The screws d'are tapped
:

page_text: into the side of the recess in the drum, and they have hexagonal heads
to receive a spanner to turn them. Projections on the heads of the
screws d' enter the holes in the plate d². The surface of the stone
stands beyond the general surface of the drum, which up to a short
distance of the stone on either side serves as an ink distributing table.
e, e, are a series of inking rollers carried in bearings sliding in radial
slots in the frame, and pressed inwards towards the drum by coiled
springs.
Figures 6 show one of these bearings full size. ff. are cam pieces
fixed on the sides of the drum to act upon small wheels e¹ on the axes
of the inking rollers to lift the inking rollers as the stone comes round
off the inking table, and deposit them fairly on the face of the stone.
The same cam pieces also when the rollers have passed over the stone.
again lift them from its face and replace them on the inking table. The
first roller of the series, which is marked e*, each time it is lifted comes
in contact with the metal ink-carrying roller g, against which an
ink hopper is arranged, as is usual in type printing. The roller e* at
each contact takes ink from the carrying roller, and also turns it partly
round.
h is a damping box, shewn also in section full size at Figure 7,
it is packed with sponge h¹ cut to a smooth surface, and so as to project
far enough to come against the surface of the stone but not against
that of the ink distributing table. Thus it will be seen that at each
revolution of the drum the stone is first damped and then inked on the
surface. The paper to be printed is laid upon the feeding table k and
fed forward, sheet by sheet, by hand. Two small rollers & serve as guides
to the workman for the position to which the front edge of the sheet is
to be laid, and there is also an adjustable stop to serve as a laying-on
guide in the other direction.
Figures 8 and 9 show in side view and plan respectively one of the
rollers with the parts connected therewith full size. In these Figures
1 is a socket fixed to the frame of the machine, and 2 is a guide, which
is able to turn in the socket 1; 3 is an arm passing through the guide 2,
and capable of being clamped in it by a thumb screw, so as to project
more or less as the work may require. These parts are similar on the
two sides of the machine. The arms 3 carry between them the bar 4,
on which the rollers are able to turn freely, and they can be shifted

page_text: .
laterally to any position the work may require, and there retained
between collars 5 held on the bar 4 by thumb screws. The pressure to
print the paper is given by means of a metal pressure roller n, between
which and the drum there is interposed a leather tympan o, which is
stretched upon a rocking frame p. The sheet of leather is attached to
the frame at its two ends, but is free on the sides. q is a weight, which
by a cord passing over pulleys brings the frame p whenever it is free to
the position shewn by the dotted lines in Figure 4. It is in this position
when the paper is fed up to the rollers 7. The tympan is then stationary,
and the rollers are resting upon it. As the stone comes round the
tappet upon the drum strikes the projection p¹ on the frame p, and
the tympan starts forward carrying the paper with it. As the edge of
the paper passes over the pressing roller the stone comes upon it, and the
paper and tympan are then nipped between the stone and the pressure
roller, and they are both carried forward. The rocking motion of the
frame p continues until the stone has passed, and then the weight q at
once carries back the tympan, but the printed sheet remains adhering to
the stone. It is taken off by means of thin brass springs 8, which I call
"finger nails;" they are brought against the face of the stone imme-
diately in advance of the edge of the paper, and as the stone moves on
they insert themselves under the edge of the sheet; they then close
down up it, and nip it against other instruments with which they then
retire, stripping the paper from the stone. When the paper is free from
the stone the gripping apparatus opens and drops the sheet, and then
comes forward again to take another. This apparatus is shown to a larger
scale in side view at Figure 10, and in back view at Figure 11. The
finger nails" s, of which two, three, or other number may be employed
according to the width of the sheet, are clamped in convenient positions
on the axis t, which is carried by the lever arms u, u, on an axis u¹; v is
a rod, clamped to one of the arms u, and carrying at its end a friction
pulley, which is caused to bear constantly against the cam w on the axis
of the drum by a weight x; u² is a bar carried by the arms u; and u³
are instruments clamped on this bar beneath the "finger nails" to aid
them in nipping the sheets; is a lever on the axis t; and is an
india-rubber spring, which tends to keep the axis in such a position
that the "finger nails" bear against the instruments u³. In taking a
sheet off the stone the cam throws the lever arms a forward, so that the
upper
end of the lever comes against a fixed stop (* on the frame. The
66

page_text: "
finger nails are thus lifted from the instruments u³, and they bear
on the face of the stone and get under the leading edge of the sheet, as
already described. As soon as the "finger nails" are overlapped by
the paper to the extent of about one-eighth of an inch the cam w allows
the levers u to return, and immediately the finger nails close down on
the instruments u³, and nip the edge of the sheet; then as the levers u
continue to recede the paper is stript off the stone. y is a fixed stop,
against which the lower end of the lever comes when at the outer end of
its course, and by which the finger nails are lifted so as to drop the sheet.
The cam then again throws this gripping apparatus forward to take off
the next sheet, and so on. The bearings of the pressure roller n are able
to slide in guide slots in the frame; they are supported by cams n¹, and
n² is a handle on the axis of these cams. By turning this handle at any
time the pressure roller can be lowered, so that should no paper have
been fed the tympan may not be soiled. Capstan headed screws nª are
interposed between the sustaining cams and the pressure rollers for
adjusting the pressure for printing.
:
Figure 12 shows to a larger scale a side view of a machine similar to
that already described. Some modifications of the details of the arrange-
ment are here indicated which will be understood without further
description.
Figure 13 is a side view, and Figure 14 is an end view of a machine
in which the stone is carried by a rocker instead of by a revolving drum,
an arrangement which enables me to employ stones of less convexity,
and consequently thinner than could be conveniently worked with a
continuously revolving drum. a, a, is the frame of the machine; b, the
rocker, mounted on an axis 6'; c is a crank giving an oscillating motion
to the rocker by means of a connecting rod. On the axis of the crank
is a spur wheel gearing with a pinion on the main axis of the machine,
which is driven by a belt and has a fly wheel upon it. The rocker
carries an axis, on which are toothed wheels d gearing into fixed arcs ;.
these parts serve simply to steady and support the rocker in its move-
ments. e is the stone fitted into a cavity in the top of the rocker, as
already described; f is an ink distributing table, fixed upon the rocker;
9, 9, are inking rollers, arranged as already described in slots in the
frame radial to the axis of the rocker; h, h, are other rollers similar to the
inking rollers, but without any ink supply; they serve by rolling over
-

page_text: the work to keep the lines clear. Ink is supplied to the rollers g from a
feed roller i, with an ink hopper on one side of it; in contact with it is
the endless leather band h³, and the same endless band is also in contact
with the rollers g. As the rollers g revolve running over the surfaces of
the ink distributing table and the stone, they give motion to the endless
band, and the ink feed roller in contact with it. There are cams on the
sides of the rocker to lift the ink rollers on to and from the stone, as
already described. The paper to be printed is placed on the feed table i,
and is fed forward by hand beneath the pressure roller k, which is more
clearly seen in Figure 15, being there drawn to a larger scale. The
pressure roller is sustained by cams, as in the machines already described,
and on the axes of these cams are two arms ¹ and k², and there are
tappets,, on the rocker to act on these arms. When the rocker
moves from left to right the tappet l' strikes the arm k¹, moves it, and
in this way turns the cams into such a position as to allow the springs m
to lift the pressure roller. The stone then passes under without touching
the endless leather tympan n, which surrounds the pressure roller. The
tappet in moving from left to right passes the arms without moving.
them, the tappet itself yielding by the extension of the spring connected
to it as the Drawing shows. o is the damping box for moistening the
stone; its construction has already been described; it consists of sponges
fitted into a perforated trough and cut to form; the trough is provided
with a water cavity, which is kept supplied, and the water flows to the
sponge through the perforations. The printing takes place when the
rocker returns from left to right; the tappet & then strikes the arm k²
and lowers the pressure roller so as to nip between it and the stone
the tympan and the edge of a sheet of paper which has been fed
forward; the paper and tympan are thus carried forward, and the paper
is printed. The printed sheets are removed by hand or grippers, as
before described.
Figure 15 is a side view of a portion of a similar machine arranged to
print in two or more colors, part of the sheet in one color, and the other
part in another. It is similar to the machine already described, except
that there are two or more sets of ink rollers, one for each color, and the
ink distributing table is divided between the colors. Cams on the rocker
lift each of the ink rollers out of contact with the part of the stone it is
not required to ink, and with the portion of the ink distributing table
;

page_text: which is devoted to the other color. One of the ink rollers in each series
is supplied with ink by rising each time it is lifted into contact with a
feeding roller supplying ink of an appropriate color. It will be observed
that very small pressure rollers are employed; this, which is very
advantageous, I am enabled to do by the methods of arranging the 5
tympan to which I have resorted. In some cases I combine parts of
the "revolving drum" and the "rocking" machines in the following
manner :-I use a drum of large diameter, which I place as low in
the frame as possible. The pressure cylinder I place above, as in
rocker," and I make it of a diameter capable of impressing the 1
entire surface to be printed by one revolution upon its axis. This
cylinder carries the sheet in grippers, as in other printing machines,
and the inking rollers are placed around, as in the revolving drum
arrangement.
the "
I would remark that the machines above described are also applicable 1
in printing from raised surface blocks or type, such blocks or types being
substituted for the lithographic printing surfaces, and appropriate ink
and inking rollers being supplied to the machine.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I do not confine 2
myself to the exact details described, but,—
First. I claim the use in lithographic printing of stones convex on
their surface, and formed suitablly to be carried on a drum or rocker,
substantially as described.
Second. I claim the apparatus for adjusting and grinding such stones 2
for transferring the matter to be printed to them, and for printing from
them, substantially as described in respect to Figures 1, 2, and 3.
Third. I claim the general arrangement of the rotating drum machine,
substantially as described in respect of the Figures 4 to 12.
Fourth. I claim the finger nail grippers, which strip the paper from 3
the printing surface by inserting themselves under its edge, then nipping
paper and retiring it with it, substantially as described.
the
Fifth. I also claim the general arrangement of the rocker machine,
substantially as described in respect to Figures 13 and 14, and also in
respect to Figure 15, for printing in two or more colors at the same 3
operation.

page_text: Sixthly. I claim the general arrangement of the tympan and parts
connected therewith, whereby I am enabled to use pressure rollers of
less circumference than the superficial surface printed, substantially as
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Lewis, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
JOSEPH LEWIS. (L.S.)