IMPROVEMENTS IN CYLINDER PRINTING MACHINES
Year: 1868

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 CYLINDER PRINTING MACHINES "A communication
from abroad by Jules Derriey, Machinist, of 13, Boulevart St.
Martin. Paris.
Scaled the 30th April 1869, and dated the 11th November 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville
Clark at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with 'his
Petition, on the 11th November 1868.
1, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53; Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CYLINDER PRINTING MACHINES," to
be as follows:-
According to these improvements in cylinder printing machines,-
1st, either movable characters or stereotypes may be employed in the
same machine; 2ndly, both sides of the sheet may be printed at one.
time; 3rdly, a continuous sheet or roll of paper is employed, each roll
[Price 8d.]

page_text: answering the purpose of a guage. The above improvements may be
employed either separately or in combination.
Sheets 1 and 2 of the Drawings together show a side view of a rotary
cylinder printing machine constructed according to this Invention for
printing either from type or stereotypes. The one side of the machine
shown in Sheet 1 is represented with guaging tables, and in Sheet 2
with rolls of continuous paper, whereby said guages may be dispensed
with, for the purpose of showing that either method may be employed,
both sides of the machine being of course similarly provided. A, A,
framing of the machine carrying the several parts. At the centre of
the framing is placed a cylinder B of large diameter and arranged
similar to those known as American machines, except that in the latter
case nearly the whole of the cylinder serves as an inking table, a small
portion only being reserved for the type or stereotypes. In this
improved machine the large cylinder is divided into four parts, the
upper part C serving to receive the "form" used for printing the
journal. Next to the "form" there is a part D serving as an inking
table, following which and in position diametrically opposite to part C
there is a third part E of equal dimensions therewith, and also containing
form disposed in such manner that the head of the form in part C
shall exactly correspond with the foot of the form in part E. Lastly,
the remaining fourth part of the cylinder is occupied by part F
also forming an inking table. I particularly claim this arrangement of
the drum B, the large diameter of which permits of either type or
stereotype blocks being used or both combined, while the arrangement
of two printing surfaces on the onc cylinder enables the sheet to
be printed on both sides at one time, which has never hitherto been
effected. This arrangement further enables a large number of impres-
sions to be obtained in a short space of time and as cheaply as possible.
I may in fact render it possible to print 145,000 copies per hour small
journal size with but one conductor. The paper being placed on the
tables G, H, the "layer on" supplies a sheet to the cylinder I, for
example, which cylinder gearing with the drum presents the sheet
held by the fingers to the form C and receives an impression therefrom.
In order that the sheet may receive an impression from the other
"form and on the opposite side, it is necessary. that the sheet be
made to pass over said form, and present its unprinted side thereto.
33
For this purpose the sheet after passing over cylinder I is reversed as

page_text: herein-after described, the upper side being now undermost, and in this
position without being again turned it passes to cylinder J in contact
with the large drum, in order to receive an impression from the form
E, which is placed in a reverse position to the form C, as before
mentioned. For this purpose on leaving cylinder I the sheet is trans-
mitted to the band gearing L pivotted at point M. This apparatus is
composed of two levers or arms carrying four shafts provided with
pullies and bands suitably disposed. This apparatus is attached at
point N to a lever O operated by a cam or eccentric P. R, pulley acted
on alternately by the pulleys S, S', turning in opposite directions. This
pulley R has a toothed wheel mounted on its axis, communicating
motion by means of intermediate wheels with the shafts of the tape
pulleys which rotate the shafts mounted at the other end. The sheet
being now on tapes L the apparatus is slightly lowered by means of
eccentric P. At this moment the friction between pulleys R, S, ceases,
but as the tapes will still continue to turn by their momentum I place
a series of stops near the pulley R between the tapes in order to prevent
the sheet from continuing to travel as it is not held in any way on the
tapes. The apparatus continuing its downward motion the pulley R
now comes into frictional contact with pulley S' turning in the opposite
direction to pulley S. The momentum having been arrested during the
time it is out of gear the four tape shafts will recommence to turn in
the opposite direction, and the sheet will be carried therewith and pass
under cylinder J at the moment said cylinder is in contact with the
form E. In this manner the sheet will be printed on the reverse side,
and after receiving the impression it is conducted by means of tapes T
to a receiver U. I may place 4, 8, 12, or 16 cylinders at equal distances
around the large drum B with two, four, six, or eight "feeders," and an
equal number of receivers.
In a two-feed machine on this system I may also place the
receivers under the lower cylinders and thus economize space con-
siderably. The advantages attending the adoption of these improve-
ments may be readily conceived. In the first place there is the

page_text: impressions for each revolution may turn at half the usual speed, reducing
the power required, lessening the noise, and affording more time for the
feeding, inking, and other operations. It will be understood that the
functions of one of the feeders are also repeated for all the rest,
and in the machine illustrated in Sheets 1 and 2 the large drum in
making eighteen revolutions per minute will produce 36 impressions per
feed, at which slow rate 2,160 sheets per hour for each feed may be
produced, or a total of 8,640 sheets per hour for the whole machine.
The same machine, if provided with eight feeders and working at the
same speed, would produce 34,560 copies per hour. Instead of using
feeding tables I may employ an equal number of rolls of paper, using
in the manner shown in Sheet 2. X, roll of paper to be used instead of
the feeding tables. Y, Y, cylinders receiving motion from gearing in
connection with the eccentric for seizing the sheet which is drawn out
or uncoiled at each revolution of the cylinder of the required length for
printing a journal. At each revolution of the two cylinders Y, Y,
which are geared together and turn at the same speed, a steel plate
having saw teeth connected with the lower cylinder is presented at the
point of contact of said cylinders. The upward motion of this plate is
produced by the aid of two eccentrics placed at the ends and acting on
friction rollers carried on the plate. This plate in its motion enters an
opening made in the upper cylinder, permitting it to rise sufficiently to
pass through the extended sheet of paper uncoiled from the roll, and
which being drawn by the fingers will become detached and carried
away to be printed in a similar manner to that described with reference
to Sheet 1. After severing the sheet the cutting plate is immediately
lowered by the aid of springs which come into action immediately the
friction rollers have passed the eccentrics, and the cylinders Y, Y,
continuing to rotate, draw out a fresh length of paper from the roll
which is severed as before at each revolution of said cylinders. In case
the roll should supply the paper too quickly, a brake may be applied to
its axis for the purpose of regulating such supply. Heretofore in using
continuous paper it has always been divided into sheets after printing,
which mode is objectionable inasmuch as the cutter is liable to divide
the printed matter instead of the margins in case the tapes conducting
the sheet should slip, while according to this Invention the sheet is
severed before printing, and is immediately delivered to the printing
cylinders for receiving the impression on the parts required. This

page_text: continuous paper arrangement is also applicable to all kinds of
printing machines. I may also in lieu of a cutter having a circular
motion for severing the paper employ a straight cutter placed across
the machine, and operated by means of excentrics.
Sheet 3 of the Drawings show a printing machine having small
cylinders, using circular stereotypes instead of movable type, and
provided with two printing cylinders, reversing gear, and supplied by a
feeding table or roll of paper. As before I have shown the continuous
paper at one end of the machine and a feeding table at the other
end merely to show that either arrangement may be adopted. In this
machine the stereotypes are placed on two distinct cylinders B, C, each
cylinder carrying four "forms" as in Sheets 1 and 2; D, E, are the
printing cylinders. The sheet supplied from the table F is conducted
downwards by the tapes G between the cylinders B, D, for receiving an
impression on one side, and then following the direction of the tapes
indicated by the arrows, passes between cylinders C, E, for receiving
an impression on the other side. After this the sheet is conducted to
the divider V for delivery at one or other end of the machine on
to receivers U or U. Immediately the sheet is engaged between
cylinders B, D, another sheet is supplied from the feeding table on the
left (the place of which is occupied in the Drawing by a roll of paper
similar to that before described), which sheet follows in the same
direction as the other sheet and is conducted by the divider V to the
opposite receiver. This divider is caused to oscillate on point a by means
of a cam or eccentric Q. The rods b, b', of the receivers are provided
near their centres of oscillation with segments c, c', gearing with
segments d, d, on the ends of levers f, f', whose other ends are provided
with friction rollers acted on by cam g. By the aid of this arrangement
of parts the rods are lowered alternately for receiving the sheets from
divider V.
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 8th May 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Alexander Melville Clark, Her
special licence that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alexander
Melville Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN CYLINDER PRINTING MACHINES," a communication to
me from abroad by Jules Derriey. Machinist, of 13, Boulevart St.
Martin, Paris, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Alexander Melville Clark, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, 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, reference being had to the two Sheets of
Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say):--
The difficulty of printing a large number of newspapers in the shortest
space of time with a small staff would seem to have been solved by the
employment of machines having circular stereotypes and printing both
sides of the sheet. This is in fact a great advance on the double action
machines which produce but a small number of copies with a large staff
as the rate of production is at once doubled while reducing nearly one-
half of the number of persons employed. An advantage is also obtained
over the rotary machines on the American system, which although
capable of an equal production to the rotary machines above mentioned

page_text: require a double staff of attendants. Rotary printing machines, however,
in which cylinders of small diameter are used do not permit of movable
type being employed in consequence of the great curvature of these
cylinders, hence it is almost impossible to utilize them for printing
political newspapers where the necessity of attending on change and
obtaining the latest intelligence and the time required for stereotyping
these important items, does not allow for printing in time, it being also
impossible to make the slightest change in the composition. For these
reasons in order to solve the problem of a rapid and cheap printing
operation, a press is required which, in addition to possessing the
advantage of printing from either stereotypes or movable type, should
combine the rapidity and cheapness of production of the rotary machines
using stereotypes only.
According to these improvements in cylinder printing machines, 1st,
either movable characters or stereotypes may be employed in the same
machines; 2ndly, both sides of the sheet may be printed at one time
by disposing two printing surfaces on the cylinder; 3rdly, a continuous
sheet or roll of paper is employed, each roll answering the purpose of a
guage. The above improvements may be employed either separately or
in combination.
Sheet 1 of the Drawings shows a side view of a rotary cylinder
printing machine constructed according to this Invention for printing
from two sets of type or stereotypes. The one side of the machine
Sheet 1 is represented with guaging tables, and the other side with rolls
of continuous paper, whereby said guages may be dispensed with for the
purpose of showing that either method may be employed, both sides of
the machine being of course similarly provided.
A, A, framing of the machine carrying the several parts; at the
centre of the framing is placed a cylinder H of large diameter and
arranged similar to those known as American machines, except that
in the latter case nearly the whole of the cylinder serves as an inking
table, a small portion only being reserved for the type or stereotypes.
In this improved machine the large cylinder is divided into four parts,
the upper part C serving to receive the "form" used for printing the
journal; next to the form there is a part D serving as an inking table,
following which and in position diametrically opposite to part C there
is a third part E of equal dimensions therewith, and also containing form

page_text: disposed in such manner that the head of the form in part C shall
exactly correspond with the foot of the form in part E; lastly, the
remaining fourth part of the cylinder is occupied by part F also forming
an inking table. I particularly claim this arrangement of the drum B,
the large diameter of which permits of either type or stereotype blocks
being used or both combined while the arrangement of two printing
surfaces on the one cylinder enables the sheet to be printed on both
sides at one time which has never hitherto been effected. This arrange-
ment further enables a large number of impressions to be obtained in a
short space of time and as cheaply as possible. 1 may in fact render
it possible to print 145,000 copies per hour small journal size with but
one conductor. The paper being placed on the tables G, H, the "layer
on" supplies a sheet to the cylinder I, for example, which cylinder
gearing with the drum presents the sheet held by the fingers to the
form C to receive an impression therefrom. In order that the sheet may
receive an impression from the other "form," and on the opposite side,
it is necessary that the sheet be made to pass over said form and present
its unprinted side thereto. For this purpose the sheet after passing
over cylinder I is reversed as herein-after described, the upper side
being now undermost, and in this position without being again turned it
passes to cylinder J in contact with the large drum in order to receive
an impression from the form B which is placed in a reverse position to
the form C as before mentioned. For this purpose on leaving cylinder 1
the sheet is transmitted to the band gearing L pivotted at point M.
This apparatus is composed of two levers or arms carrying four shafts
provided with pullies and bands suitably disposed. This apparatus is
attached at point N to a lever O operated by a cam or eccentric P; R
pulley acted on alternately by the pulleys S, S', turning in opposite
directions; this pulley R has a toothed wheel mounted on its axis
communicating motion by means of intermediate gearing with the shafts
of the tape pulleys which rotate the shafts mounted at the other end.
The sheet being now on tapes L the apparatus is slightly lowered by
means of eccentric P; at this moment the friction between pulleys R, S,
ceases, but as the tapes will still continue to turn by their momentum
I place a series of stops near the pulley R between the tapes in order to
prevent the sheet from continuing to travel as it is not held in any way
on the tapes. The apparatus continuing its downward motion the
pulley R now comes into frictional contact with pulley S₁ turning

page_text: in the opposite direction to pulley S. The momentum having been
arrested during the time it is out of gear, the four tape shafts will
recommence to turn in the opposite direction, and the sheet will be
carried therewith and pass under cylinder J at the moment said cylinder
is in contact with the form E. In this manner the sheet will be printed
on the reverse side, and after receiving the impression it is conducted by
means of tapes T to a receiver U, I may place 4, 8, 12, or 16 cylinders
divided equally on each side of the large drum B with two, four, six, or
eight "feeders" and an equal number of receivers.
5+
In a two-feed machine on this system I may also place the receivers
under the lower cylinders and thus economize space considerably. The
advantages attending the adoption of these improvements may be readily
conceived. In the first place, there is the capability of using either
form" or stereotypes, which is of extreme importance in newspaper
printing. The production with the same staff is also double that of
American machines, the sheet is also printed on both sides at the same
time, and the large drum giving two impressions for each revolution
may turn at half the usual speed, reducing the power required, lessening
the noise, and affording more time for the feeding, inking, and other
operations. It will be understood that the functions of one of the feeders
are repeated for all the rest, and in the machine illustrated in Sheet 1
the large drum in making eighteen revolutions per minute will produce
thirty-six impressions per feed, at which slow rate 2,160 sheets per hour
for each feed may be produced, or a total of 8,640 sheets per hour for the
whole machine. The same machine, if provided with eight feeders and
working at the same speed, would produce 34,560 copies per hour.
Instead of using feeding tables I may employ an equal number of rolls
of paper in the manner shown on the left of Figure 1. X, roll of paper
to be used instead of the feeding table; Y, Y, cylinders receiving motion
from gearing in connection with the eccentric for seizing the sheet,
which is drawn out or uncoiled at each revolution of the cylinder of the
required length for printing a journal. At each revolution of the two
cylinders Y, Y, which are geared together and turn at the same speed, a
steel plate having saw teeth connected with the lower cylinder is pre-
sented at the point of contact of said cylinders. The upward motion of
this plate is produced by the aid of two eccentrics placed at the ends
and acting on friction rollers carried on the plate. This plate in its

page_text: motion enters an opening made in the upper cylinder, permitting it to
rise sufficiently to pass through the extended sheet of paper uncoiled
from the roll, and which being drawn by the fingers will become detached
and carried away to be printed in a similar manner to that supplied in
sheets from the feeding tables described with reference to the right-hand
end of Figure 1. After severing the sheet the cutting plate is imme-
diately lowered by the aid of springs which come into action immediately
the friction rollers have passed the eccentrics, and cylinders Y, Y, con-
tinuing to rotate draw out a fresh length of paper from the roll, which
is severed as before at each revolution of said cylinders. In case the
roll should supply the paper too quickly a brake may be applied to its
axis for the purpose of regulating such supply.
Heretofore in using continuous paper it has always been divided into
sheets after printing, which mode is objectionable inasmuch as the cutter
is liable to divide the printed matter instead of the margins in case the
tapes conducting the sheet should slip, while according to this Invention
the sheet is severed before printing and is immediately delivered to the
printing cylinder for receiving the impression on the parts required.
This continuous paper arrangement is applicable to all kinds of printing
machines. I may also, in lieu of a cutter having a circular motion for
severing the paper, employ a straight cutter placed across the machine
and operated by means of eccentrics.
Hitherto machines used for printing continuous paper have been
arranged to effect. the cutting operation by employing cylinders of a
given diameter to develop the required length of paper at each revolution.
which is then severed by means of a cutter placed at some point of the
circumference of the cylinder; this cutter is received in a recess provided
for it in the adjoining cylinder, which is of equal diameter to the one
carrying the cutter. This is similar to the ordinary arrangement pre-
viously referred to, with the difference however that I cut the paper
before printing instead of afterwards, as usual, from which difference
I derive great advantages. This mode of cutting by means of two
cylinders is sometimes however a source of inconvenience which it is of
advantage to rectify. This, when the cylinders are made to cut a length
of paper at each revolution the length will be always the same, and the
machine will only print sheets of a certain size. This is a great dis-
advantage in establishments where publications of various sizes are

page_text: 'printed and acts as a preventative to the employment of machines using
continuous paper, as without a very considerable demand such machines
would not be required. Even supposing this to be the case there would
still remain the disadvantage consequent on the inability to substitute
a "form" of another size without considerable modification of the
machine.
In order to remedy the above objections I employ the arrangement of
machinery shown in Figure 2. Sheet 2. In this arrangement the paper
is drawn out by means of two cylinders A, A, the diameter of which
need not have any relation with the length of paper to be cut off. The
cylinders are perfectly smooth throughout, not being slotted as before
for the cutter. In front of these cylinders is placed the cutting appa-
ratus, which consists of a cutter carrier B acted on by the cam C. In
the machine here represented the printing cylinder D makes four revo-
lutions for every revolution of the type cylinder and prints a sheet every
two turns only. The pinion E mounted on the axis of cylinder D is
made half the diameter of wheel F and will consequently produce the
descent of the cutter carrier every two turns of said cylinder D. In this
movement the cutter H severs the paper by entering a groove made in
the fixed part G, as seen, and then rising allows the paper to continue
to travel in the same direction as it is unwound by the rollers A, A. It
will be readily understood that when the "size" is changed it is simply
necessary to vary the diameter of the gearing imparting motion to
rollers A, A, so that by turning at a greater or less speed they may
unwind more or less paper to be cut up into sheets by the cutter, whose
motion is regulated by the cam C, as before described. It will also
be understood that I may cut the paper by other means than those
described, the improvements being that the rollers supplying the paper
have no relation to the length required, while by changing the gearing
imparting motion to these rollers they may be driven more or less fast
to unwind more or less paper, as desired. The cutting apparatus is also
rendered independent of the feeding rollers, and is operated either by
a cam, as shown, or by other suitable means. This improvement is
applicable to all kinds of machines printing either from stereotypes or
ordinary type.
Figure 3, Sheet 2 of the Drawings, shows a printing machine having
small cylinders using circular stereotynes instead of movable tune and

page_text: provided with two printing cylinders and reversing gear, and supplied
by feeding tables. Figure shows the same machine provided with
continuous paper in lieu of feeding tables. In this machine the stereo-
types are placed on two distinct cylinders B, C, each cylinder carrying
four "forms," as in Sheet 1; D, E, are the printing cylinders. The
sheet supplied from the table F or right-hand roller X, for example, is
conducted downwards by the tapes G between the cylinders B, D, for
receiving an impression on one side, and then following the direction of
the tapes indicated by the arrows, passes between cylinders C, E, for
receiving an impression on the other side. After this the sheet is con-
ducted to the divider V for delivery finally at one or other end of the
machine on to receivers U or U. Immediately the sheet is engaged
between cylinders B, D, another sheet is supplied from the feeding
table F or roller X on the left, which sheet follows in the same direction
as the other sheet, and is conducted by the divider V to the opposite
receiver. This divider is caused to oscillate on point a by means of a
cam or eccentric Q. The rods b, b', of the receivers are provided near
their centres of oscillation with segments c, c', gearing with segments
d. d¹, on the ends of levers f, f', whose other ends are provided with
friction rollers acted on by cam g. By the aid of this arrangement
of parts the rods are lowered alternately for receiving the sheets from
divider V.
Having described the nature of this Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, 1 declare that what I claim as the Invention to be
protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,--
First. The application of a large cylinder B, Figure 1 of the accom-
panying Drawings, constructed and arranged in the manner shown and
described, with two printing surfaces consisting either of stereotypes or
movable types, or both, in order to print on both sides of the sheet at
one time.
Secondly. I claim the application of two printing surfaces for printing
on both sides of the sheet in small cylinder printing machines, arranged
substantially as described and shown in Figures 3 and 4 of the
Drawings.
Thirdly. I claim the arrangement of receivers shown in Figures 3
and 4 of the Drawings.

page_text: Fourthly. I claim the mode of cutting up continuous paper before
printing, as described and illustrated in Figures 1 and 4 of the Draw-
ings; as also the arrangement shown in Figure 3 for obtaining sheets of
any required length, all as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of May, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
Witness,
JAMES DAISH,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
A. M. CLARK.
(L.S.)