CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS ON ADDITIONS TO PRINTING PRESSES, AND ALSO IN THE PROCESS OF PRINTING
Year: 1817

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
CURSON HANSARD, of Peterborough Court, Fleet Street, in the City of London,
Printer, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third did, by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the First day of November,
in the fifty-eighth year of His reign, give and grant unto me, the said
Thomas Curson Hansard, my exors, adiňors, and assigns, His special licence,
full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Thomas Curson
Hansard, my exords, adññiors, and assigns, should and lawfully might, during
the term of years therein mentioned, make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS ON ADDITIONS TO PRINTING PRESSES, AND ALSO IN THE
PROCESS OF PRINTING;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained a
proviso that if I, the said Thomas Curson Hansard, shall not particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, and cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of
Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of
the said Letters Patent, that then the said Letters Patent, and all libertics
and advantages whatsoever thereby granted, shall utterly cease, determine, and
become void, as in and by the same, relation being thereunto had, may more
fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Thomas Curson Hansard, do hereby declare that the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following description thereof,
and the Drawings hereunto annexed (that is to say):-
My first improvement is the dividing tympans which are capable of being
added to any printing press for the purpose of printing double-sized sheets of
paper, and then dividing or cutting such double-size paper: to the ordinary sizo
of single sheets of paper. They are shown in perspective at Figures 1 and 2,
Fig. 1 representing the tympan turned down upon the press, with the inmost
part of the inner tympan opened to shew the internal part. These tympans
consist of, first, the outer tympan, Fig. 1, T, T, T, T, of dimensions according
to the size of the press or work required, the additions to which are a plato
of iron, steel, brass, or other sufficient substance, about seven eighths of an
inch in width. A, A, Figs. 1 and 2, the back side, Fig. 1 of which is level, but
the front side, Fig. 2, is raised in the middle, the centre part being about one
fourth of an inch'in' thickness, and the two sides about one eighth of an inch,
only a part of the top or front of which is shown in full size, Fig. 3, and
cross section of the same, Fig. 4. Along the middlo or thicker part are cuts
or openings for the purpose of admitting the knife herein-after described,
leaving small parts of the plate uncut (as at 9, 9, 9) on each side of the same.
Along the centre of the thinner part is a row of small holes at about half-inch.
distances. This plate is fixed across the middle of the outer tympan to each
side, being countersunk into the same (b, b, Fig. 1 and 2). 2dly, the inner
tympans are formed of two parts (Fig. 1, c, c, c, c, c, c), having each part
three sides, and moving on pivots at d, d, attached to the outer tympan. These
inner tympans, when shut down, are fastened in the common manner by hooks
and eyes or buttons; cach part when opened to adjust the blankets will inclino
back on the pivots d, d. These tympans 1 cover with black linen, of the
most fine and even texture, rolled and hot-calendered, taking a sufficient
length in one piece to cover the one half of both tympans; then folding it in
the middle, and laying such fold along the side rebate of the plate over tho
holes, I then firmly attach it thereto by strong sewing through the holes. I
then turn one part of the fold of the linen over the outer, and the other part
over the inner tympans, and sew or otherwise fasten the same around the iron-
work or sides and ends of the tympans in the closest and neatest manner, letting
the hooks, eyes, or buttons and pivots through the linen, and keeping clear the
openings for the point screws by carrying the linen on the inside in the same
manner as in putting on common parchment. The same operation then takes

page_text: place for the other half of the tympans. I then take pieces of velvet, vel-
veteen, or other uniform soft substance, which I attach, with the pile or softest
side outwards, to the linen already described as being fastened to the tympans,
by sewing or pasting it to the outside of the outer tympan to receive tho
tympan sheet, and by this means to give a beautiful and regular impression
of the type; which mode of covering tympans I also apply to common presses.
The divider or knife is shewn in front and back view, Fig. 5 and 6, and section
of the same, Fig. 7, and is seen fixed on the frisket at k, Fig. 2; it is made of a
plate of, iron or steel, about three fourths of an inch wide, turned down at a
right angle on one side about one fourth of an inch in width, and in length
sufficient for the width of the sheet of paper intended to be cut; and this must
be fixed so as to be exactly corresponding to the openings in the plate a, a,
before described. The part so turned down is cut into angular teeth about a
quarter of an inch from point to point, each tooth having two chisel-like edges
formed by being filed and dressed on the outside of the part so turned down on
the inside of the angle. The teeth are to be finished all along fair and smooth.
One or more of the teeth are then to be filed out at intervals corresponding
with the parts of the plate left uncut (9, 9, 9). The pivots or joints of the
tympans and frisket being accurately adjusted, the knife is then fixed to the
frisket at each end by screw or other connection) so that when the frisket is
turned down on the tympans the knife shall freely enter the plate at the
openings before described. The plate and knife now occupying the usual
place of point screws and points, those necessary articles are removed to the
centre of each half of the tympans above and below the plate e, e, e, e, Fig. 1
and 2. If wished, the positions of the plate and knife may be reversed by fixing
the plate to the frisket and knife to the tympan, or the plate both on frisket and
tympan, and knife to the forme or table of the press, but not with equal
certainty to the operation. All these parts being properly adjusted, the mode
of iapplication is as follows:-For making ready a forme or sheet the tympan
sheet. is drawn on the tympan, as in the ordinary mode, and the frisket pasted
and cut out; but for working the first side of the paper the knife must be
displaced (or, which is sometimes preferable, two friskets used, to be exchanged,
one having the knife and one without), the whole of the paper being worked
on one side without the knife. The knife s then replaced, or the friskets
exchanged, and the reiteration proceeded with. The sheet will then be divided
exactly along the centre, excepting at the parts where the portions of the
plate have been left uncut, and the teeth filed out of the knife, as before
described, which uncut parts answer the important purpose of keeping the

page_text: double sheet adhering as one, for the pressman who may be pulling to draw it
off the timpans over the bank, where it is finally parted by the other man,
who is beating while looking over his heat; when six or eight sheets are
accumulated, by means of a gentle pressure with each hand, at each end of
the heap; the white paper or first side is worked with four points placed
opposite each other in the middle fold of each half of the double sheet, as e, e, e,
Fig. 2; but for the reiteration the two lower points are taken off, and the sheet
kept in register by the two upper ones only. For cutting the sheet into more
parts than two I extend the same principle by placing knives and plates in
various positions, or at right angles with each other. The demy (or half)
chases are made so as to contain the pages imposed in a less measure of
square than usual.
One side of the rim is made particularly strait, and
rather less in breadth than the other three sides. This narrow side forms the
part to lie in the middle of the table of the press. By turning a pair of
chases so made on contrary faces the two narrow sides will join, and form as
one chase. The pages are not in these chases, as in others for all sizes above
folios, locked up by having sidesticks and quoins on all four sides, but only on
one side and at each end; the inner forme being locked up on the right side only
and at each end, and the outer forme on the left side only and at each end; and
the margin being made when the two demy chases are laid together on the
imposing stone as if the same were one large chase of double dimensions, the
pages will require no more margin in the centre of the double sheet than a
fair equal proportion for the division of margin. The chases must be made
in proportion to the size of the work intended to be executed. The girths I
form of lines made of any close forme, strong material, or substance, but
round or narrow, and I particularly prefer catgut of about one inch in circum-
ference. Such lines I arrange in pairs, one pair to run the table in, the other
pair to run it out, applying them to the wheels after the manner of leather or
web girths; except that such lines I place with a small degree of obliquity
from either end of the table to the wheel, so that in winding round no one
coil shall touch or interfere with the other, but take a spiral direction, one
pair giving place, by being wound off the wheel as a table is run in or out, to
the other pair, which, by being then wound round the wheel, causes the table to
traverse in the given direction. By these means the rounce or handle will be,
in every position or turn of the wheel equally tight, and no friction or adhesion
of the lines can ever take place.
Stereotipe plato risers with holdfasts or claws:
The risers are made
of tipe metal, or any other metal or substance, cast in a typefounder's

page_text: mold, having somewhat the form of what are called quotations. I take
the usual standard for printers' admeasurement, and casting them quada-
lateral to four pica ms, then longer ones, as parallelograms, four by eight,
four by twelve, and four by sixteen, and smaller ones, four by two, four by
one, four by a half. In height they are about three fourths of an inch, or
sufficient to raise the plate to the usual height, or somewhat higher than
common type. These, being cast and dressed perfectly true in body and
height, may be easily combined to form the size of any page necessary, with a
certainty of having a uniform plain surface for all the plates, however
numerous; they are cast as hollow cubes, the larger combination having
divisions to get sufficient support to every square against any pressure which
can be brought upon them. The holdfasts or claws are formed of brass or
other hard metal accurately adjusted in thickness to a brevier or any other
body chosen with a projecting bevil at the top. They may be of various
lengths, as to 4, 8, 16, 24, or more or less, picams, the elongated parts of the
larger ones being to the height of ordinary reglect, having the holdfast or claw
in the centre or towards each end, as in Figs. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, where they are
shown in full size, Fig. 8 being a side view of the bevil or claw projecting ono
cighth of an inch over the body, as seen in the Figures following. They may
be opened or pierced as well to make them lighter as to cause them, by
pressing and indenting the furniture of the forme, to be less liable to be
drawn out. The height of the claw is about seven eighths of an inch, or
sufficient for the projecting bevil of about one eighth of an inch to lay upon
the flanch of the plate when resting on the risers.
To prepare plates for working:-Form with the risers the requisite number
of pages for the forme or sheet to the nearest size they make by the various combi-
nations, and add any difference wanting by reglect, leads, or scaleboard; then lay
on the plates, and place at the head, foot, and sides of cach plate as many hold-
fasts as may, from the size of the plate, be deemed sufficient for proper fastening.
Thus for small pages, as in octadecimos and duodecimos, one at each side and
end will be sufficient; for larger pages two or more may be thought necessary,
making up the parts which they may be deficient of the length and breadth of
the pages with quadrats or reglect of the same body; then proceed to make
margin or dress the formes, and lock up in the usual mode.
To change the plates when worked :-Unlock the forme, draw out the hold-
fast at the head or foot of the plate, slide off the done with plate, replace by the
new one, lock up again; and if the plates have been all cast true to one guage
in thickness, width, and length, you will have throughout the whole work exact
and uniform register and equal impression. When the work is completed the

page_text: samo material of risers and holdfasts, by admitting every combination of size,
will form into any other -sized pages for any other sized plates.
In witness whereof, the said Thomas Curson Hansard hath hereunto'
set his hand and seal, tliis Twenty-seventh day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighteen.