IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING PRESSES
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Philip Grant, of the City of Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, Letter-press Printer and Stationer, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING PRESSES."
Sealed the 9th June 1854, and dated the 14th December 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Philip Grant at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 14th December 1853.
PHILIP GRANT, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING PRESSES" to be as follows:-
I make the table of the press move backwards and forwards in slides
or V grooves, with rack and pinion, or strap and pully, or other similar
contrivance. And I obtain the downward motion, or pressure of the
platen, by inclined levers under the framework of the press, acted upon
by small friction rollers on pins or projections from the main shaft, so
that by the revolutions of the said main shaft, on which I fix a fly
wheel, alternate motion is given to the table, to move it backwards and

page_text: forwards, and also to bring down the platting of the press, to give it the
necessary pressure at the required time, to obtain the desired impression
from the type. I also make the inking apparatus self acting, by means
of rollers which obtain a supply of ink from apparatus termed doctors,
revolving on their axes in suitable bearings on the sides of the table of
the press, or in any other convenient position; and I print with one,
two, or more different colored inks, at the same time, by fixing springs
or blocks between the ink rollers on the frame, after which they revolve
the exact size or length of the distance between the lines which are to
be of different coloured ink, so that when the table or frame containing
the type moves under the inking roller which is not required, the said
roller will be raised up by means of the said springs or blocks, and thus
be free from contact with the form or type, and fall down to its former
position when it has passed the said spring or block. I also make the
feeding apparatus partially self acting, by means of endless guides or
conductors worked on pullies, motion being given to them from the
main shaft aforesaid by means of apparatus connected therewith, so
that when the paper is laid on the said guides or conductors, it is con-
veyed to the proper positions to receive the impression from the type;
it is then conveyed to the front of the machine or press, and is delivered
or stripped off by means of a roller coming in contact with it, or other
similar contrivance, and also when necessary conveyed to the back of
the machine or press, there to be delivered or stripped off' in like
manner.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Philip Grant in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 14th June 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
PHILIP GRANT, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Letter Press Printer and Stationer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of December, in
3

page_text: the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in
the seventeenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Philip Grant, Her special
licence that I, the said Philip Grant, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Philip Grant, my execu-
tors, 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 of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING PRESSES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Philip Grant, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, 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 Royal Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Philip Grant, 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 (that is to say):-
My Invention relates to improvements in the construction and
mechanism of the printing press, by which I am enabled to produce a
much greater quantity of work in a given time and with less labour
than can be done by the hand presses now in use. I make the
table of the press move backwards and forwards in slides or V
grooves,
by rack and pinion, chain, strap and pully, or similar contrivance. I
obtain the downward motion, or pressure of the platen, by levers under
the frame work of the press, acted upon by cams or eccentrics fixed on
the main shaft, and working against friction bowls on the lever ends.
I also make the inking apparatus partially self acting by means of
rollers revolving in suitable bearings fixed on the side frames; the said
rollers receive the necessary supply of ink from a doctor, and are either
made of the usual composition, or covered with caoutchouc or similar
elastic material. I also print with different colored inks, at the same

page_text: time, by fixing springs or blocks between the ink rollers on the table
upon which they revolve, the exact size or length of the distance
between the lines of letters or type which are of different colored ink
or by rollers suspended from suitable fixings and elastic springs, so that
when the table containing the type arrives under any inking roller
which is not required, the said roller will be raised up by means of the
said springs or blocks, and thus be free from contact with the type, and
fall down to its former position when it has passed the said lines of
letters on which it is not required to act. I also make the feeding
apparatus partially self acting by means of endless guides as conductors
made of tape, cord, cloth, parchment, or other suitable material worked
on rollers. These improvements will be clearly understood by reference
to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, in which the same letters of
reference are used to represent the same parts in all the Figures.
Fig. 1 is a right hand side elevation of my improved press, shewing
the side where the first motion is given. Fig. 2 is a left hand side
elevation of the same, shewing the motion for working the table back-
wards and forwards. Fig. 3 is a plan shewing the platen upon the
table, and the position of the gearing on each side of the machine.
Fig. 4 is a view shewing how the paper is made to traverse under the
platen; and Fig. 5 is a plan of the feeding or conducting apparatus.
tt, represents the handle fixed on the shaft b, which is used when the
machine is worked by hand, but if it is worked by power, a pully would
be substituted in its stead; c, is a pinion keyed upon the shaft b, work-
ing in gear with the spur wheel d, which is keyed upon the main shaft,
on the other end of which is secured the tappet or heart wheel c, which
has a groove of an eccentric form in which works a bowl revolving on
a pin attached to the sliding bar f, one end of which takes hold of a
stud fixed in the quadrant or segment wheel g, so that as the tappet c
revolves, motion is given to the pinion i, and by means of the pully and
chain, the backward and forward motion is given to the table, as
already described. I form the groove in the tappet e, so as to cause
the table to remain stationary whilst the impression is given to the
paper. Motion is given to the feeding apparatus by means of a tappet
or heart wheel fixed on the main shaft inside the frame, connected to a

page_text: segment or quadrant wheel by means of the sliding bar k, the same as
he one already described. The said segment wheel works into a small
inion fixed on a cross shaft under the table, on which shaft is secured
cord pully of suitable diameter, to which is attached a cord or light
chain passing over the roller 1, which gives the requisite motion to the
conductors m, which convey the paper from its first position on the
press under the platen to receive the impression. By means of this
motion the paper is returned, after receiving the impression, to be taken
off or delivered by the roller aforesaid. When necessary, for conveying
the paper after being printed to the back part of the machine, then to
be delivered or taken off, I detach the geering of the segment last
referred to, and substitute a rotary motion, worked forward at the
required intervals by a lever with a pall at the extremity, taking in into
the teeth of a wheel fixed on the same shaft as the cord pully. The
said lever has its vibratory motion from a tappet on the main shaft; ",
is a spring resting on the head plate of the frame through which passes
a pin, the lower end of it being fast in the platen. The top has a nut
to give any required strength to the spring, for the
the platen after the inpression has been taken.
attached at each side the rods p, p, the lever end
hold of studs fixed on the levers aforesaid. When the table is drawn
to the proper position under the platen, the projecting parts of the two
cams or eccentrics q, q, come in contact with the friction bowls on the
said levers, by means of which the platen is drawn down and the
from the type,
required impression given. In order to detach the paper
I employ a light frame attached to the platen, from which frame cords,
wires, tapes, or similar materials are stretched across in the marginal
spaces between the type, and so connected with the platen that when
it rises they lift the paper from the type after the impression is taken.
purpose of raising
To the platen o, is
of these rods take
Having thus fully described the nature and particulars of my said
Invention, I desire it to be distinctly understood that I do not confine
myself to the exact details herein set forth, as such may be varied or
modified without departing from the principle thereof; but I claim as
my Invention, and which, to the best of my knowledge and belief, has
not been hitherto used within this realm, the general arrangement and

page_text: construction of the printing press, as herein described and illustrated in
the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Philip Grant, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of June, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-four.
PHILIP GRANT. (L.B.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-
named Philip Grant in the presence of
E. J. HUGHES,
Patent Agent,
Manchester.