CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS ON PRINTING MACHINES
Year: 1821

page_text: PER AND M
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, SAMUEL
COOPER, Engineer, and WILLIAM MILLER, Gentleman, both of Margate, in the
County of Kent, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth did,
by His Letters Patent, under the Great Seal of that part of the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England, bearing date at West-
minster, the Seventeenth day of July, in the second year of His reign, give
and grant unto us, the said Samuel Cooper and William Miller, our exors,
adiñors, and assigns, His especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that we, the said Samuel Cooper and William Miller, our exors,
adiñors, and assigns, during the term of years therein mentioned, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and
the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and also in all His Majesty's Colonies and
Plantatations abroad, our Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS ON PRINTING
MACHINES;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso, that if
we, the said Samuel Cooper and William Miller, shall not particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same
is performed, by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or under
the hand and seal of one of us, and cause the same to be inrolled in His
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and imme-

page_text: diately after the date of the said Letters Patent, that then the said Letters
Patent, and all liberties and advantages whatsoever thereby granted, shal
utterly cease, determine, and become void, as in and by the same, relation
being thereunto had; will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, we, the said
Samuel Cooper and William Miller, do hereby declare that the nature of
our said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed,
are particularly described and ascertained.in. and. by the. Drawing hereunto
annexed, and the following description thereof (that is to say) :-
Our Invention consists in a machine or machines, and which said machine
it is our intention to term-"The British and Foreign Press or Printing
Machine." The construction of this said machine will be understood by a
reference to the Figures in the Drawing accompanying this Specification, in
all of which Figures the same letters of reference apply to the same parts of
the machine. Fig. 1 is a front view or elevation of the machine; Fig. 2,
a plan of the same; Fig. 3, an end-view of it, and Fig. 4, a front view of
some of the parts with the framework removed, in order to exhibit those
parts more clearly; the other Figures in the Drawing representing detached
parts, which could not be shewn so distinctly in their places on the
machine. A, A, A, &c., is the cast-iron frame of the machine, consisting
chiefly of two sides, united ȧt-bottom by screwed bolts to a framed bed; confined
above by two cross screwed bolts B, B, and bound together.. by a wrought-
iron brace C, C, &c., which passes underneath the said bed, ascends.on.cach
side of the frame; and is united to it-by screwed bolts: The bed is strengthened
by the two cross-stays D, D, 'and E; E, (the latter shewn in Fig. 2 by dotted
lines,) which are bound together in their centres by a screwed bolt; each side
of the bed has within it; and supported by it, a plane level surface, with an
external border forming a rebate, as shewn at F in Figures 3 and 5. Upon
these surfaces roll four cast-iron wheels, G, G, G, G, &c., two of each of them
being immoveably fixed upon the ends of two steel axes H, HI, each axis
having near the wheels G, G, &c. necks or pivots, upon which rest brasses
(see I, I, in Figs. 6 and 7), let into the four-forked branches J, J, &c., which
descend from a moveable carriage K, K, &c. This carriage consists of-two
similar cast-iron sides, united in the middle by means of a cast iron brace or
stay L, with forked or branched ends being bound to them by screwed bolts,
as shewn in Figs. 8 and 9. Each end of the carriage is united by screwed
bolts passing through the hollow wooden bars M, M. In the middle of this
carriage K, K, is a recess N, N, made to receive the table which supports
the form of printing types, as will be described hereafter. The carriage K, K,

page_text: has a backward and forward movement communicated. to it by means of the
four riveted or engine chains, as they are commonly termed, 0, 0, &c., which
are firmly affixed to the pressing or printing cylinder P, P, by means of two
pins, and lie in the grooves Q, Q, &c., made near each end of that cylinder to
receive them, and as shewn in Figs. 3 and 10. These chains 0, 0, &c., are
attached to the ends of the carriage K, K, &c., by the screwed eyes R, R, &c.,
which receive the tightening screws S, S, &c., into them, and which said screws
pass through holes made in the brackets T, T, &c. affixed to the carriage
K, K, &c., the heads of the screws S, S, &c., bearing against the said brackets;
the pressing cylinder P turns upon an axis U, U, the necks or pivots of which
V, V, lie in brasses W, W, which. angular grooves in their ends to slide up
and down between the angular edges made in the head stocks X, X, formed in
the sides of the frame A, A, to receive them. The cylinder P, being made of
cast iron, and about two inches in thickness, rests upon the brasses W, W,
with its whole weight, and its situation and pressure upon the types are regu-
lated by means of two adjusting screws, one of which is shewn at Y in Fig. 1,
which pass through screwed holes made in the lower parts of the head stocks
X, X, and act against the under sides of the brasses W, W, so as to raise or
lower them as required. A winch or handle Z is affixed upon one end of the
axis U, U, to which an alternating movement is to be communicated by
manual labour or otherwise; and to regulate the extent of motion of the
carriage K, K, each way, two sockets, or tubes a, a, with their outer ends
closed, and having helical springs and cylindrical rods 6, 6, acting against them
inside, the said tubes all firmly affixed by brackets and screwed bolts to the
bed of the machine frame, one at each end of it, and the centres of the axes
HI, H, coming into contact with the rods b, b, successively, drive those rods.
gradually home to their places of rest in the tubes, and stop the progress of
the carriage accordingly. c, c, is the table to support the form of types; the
manner of fixing this table in the recess N, N, made for it in the carriage
K, K, will be seen by referring to Figs. 11 and 12, in which K, K, represent
parts of one side of the carriage, c, c, &c., parts of the table. The table has
four, angular, gaps. made in it,. one at each corner, two of which are shewn at
d, d, in Fig. 12, and by means of which it is securely held in its situation in
the carriage K, K. The form of types e, e, is held in its place upon the table
c, c,, by means of four register screws f, f, &c., which pass through screwed
holes made in four plates 9, g, &c., affixed by screws to the table; two of these
screws f, f, and..plates g, g, are shewn in Figs. 11 and 12. The manner of
inking the types is as follows:-In the plan, Fig. 2, h, h, &c., are two ink.
troughs fitted up with the inking rollers i, i, &c., and the ductors j, j, &c., as
.

page_text: usual. On one end of each inking roller is affixed a ratchet wheel k, k; a
small degree of motion is given to these inking rollers in succession by means
of the tails of two levers 1, 1, coming into contact with the axes of two
other inking rollers o, o, &c., affixed to the machine frame. The levers 1, 1,
move upon the studs m, m, which are riveted into the metal plates n, n, one
of which plates is screwed to the end of each ink trough, as shewn separately
in Figs. 13 and 14, which are drawn on a larger scale to exhibit the parts
more clearly. The levers 7, 1, are brought back to their original situations
after touching the axes of the inking rollers o, o, by means of two springs, one
of which is shewn at p, in Figs. 13 and 14, pressing upon the shorter ends of
those levers, and bringing them into contact with the stops q, q. Each lever
has a pall or click in it, one of which is shewn at r in Figs. 13 and 14, which
takes into the teeth of the ratchet wheel belonging to it, and moves it a little,
as before mentioned..
The inking rollers i, i, are kept down in their places in the ink troughs by
means of forked plates, one of which is shewn at s in Fig. 13, and which said
plates are secured by screws to the ends of the ink troughs. The ink thus
continually spread over the surfaces of the two inking rollers i, i, is from time
to time received by the two other inking rollers o, o, covered with the usual
elastic composition, which are successively brought into contact with them by
the action of the machine. The rollers o, o, have necks or pivots at each
end, which turn in the brasses t, t, &c., and which brasses t, t, &c., have
square stems, which fit into and pass through square holes made in the sides
A, A, of the machine frame. Regulating screws v, v, &c., (see Fig. 1), passing
through screwed holes in the frame A, A, act against the bottoms of the
stems t, t, to regulate the heights of the rollers o, o, as required in use. The
rollers o, o, &c., are pressed upon by two solid iron ink distributing rollers
w, w, &c., with long necks or pivots, which lie in gaps or journeys made in
the under sides of four brackets or arms x, x, &c., shewn separately on a
longer scale in Figs. 16 and 17, which are firmly screwed to the machine
frame A, A, &c. These rollers w, w, &c., have not only a rotatory motion
given to them, as will be described hereafter, but have also a backward and
forward movement communicated to them in the following manner:-Upon
each end of the pressing cylinder D is formed an annular inclined plane y, y, &c.,
shewn in Figs. 1, 4, and 18. These inclined planes are reversed with regard
to each other (that is to say), that the most elevated or projecting part of the
one is opposed to the most depressed part of the other, as is shewn in Fig. 18;
upon these inclined planes roll the four friction wheels z, z, &c., two upon
each; these friction wheels are mounted upon axes fixed in the shorter arms

page_text: 1, 1, &c., which are fixed upon the square ends of the axes 2, 2, &c., one of
which is shewn on a larger scale at Fig. 19, which axes turn upon necks or
pivots at 3, 3, &c., working in holes made in the studs 4, 4, &c., and the
stems of which studs 4, 4, pass through holes made for them in the frame
A, A, at 5, 5, &c., and are secured therein by pins passed through holes made
in their stems for that purpose. On the other squared ends of the axes 2, 2, &c.,
are affixed the longer arms 6, 6, &c., the enlarged ends of which press against
the ends of the necks or pivots of the ink distributing rollers w, w, &c.; and
thus, by the motion of the pressing cylinder P whilst turning, is a backward
and forward movement communicated to the rollers w, w, &c. These solid
iron rollers w, w, &c., likewise press upon two other rollers 7, 7, &c., which
are also covered with the elastic composition; the necks or pivots of these
rollers 7, 7, &c., turn in brasses 8, 8, &c., shewn in Fig. 1, with squared stems.
9, 9, &c., passing through holes made in the frame A, A, and resting upon the
ends of the adjusting screws 10, 10, in the same manner as those of the
rollers o, o, before described. Upon the axis of each of the rollers 7, 7, &c., are
affixed two band wheels 11, 11, &c., with angular grooves in them, in which
are received the two catgut bands 12, 12, &c., which lie in two angular grooves
13, 18, made near each end of the pressing cylinder P, as shewn in Fig. 10,
and receive motion therefrom, which motion they communicate to the band-
wheels 11, 11, upon the two rollers 7, 7, &c.; and these rollers again transmit
their motion by contact to the solid iron distributing rollers w, w, which press
upon them, as already described; and these rollers w, w, likewise pressing
upon the rollers o, o, the motion communicated to the rollers w, w, is also.
communicated to the rollers o, o. Great care is requisite that the motion of
the surfaces of the two rollers 7, 7, should exactly correspond to the motion
of the carriage K, K, in order that the rollers 7, 7, may roll over the surfaces
of the types in inking them, and not slide or rub thereon, as would be the
case should their motions not be regulated as here described. The ink
received upon the rollers o, o, &c., from the rollers i, i, &c., in the ink troughs,
is given off by them to the distributing rollers w, w, &c., and again com-
municated by those rollers to the inking rollers 7, 7, &c., it being equally
diffused over the surfaces of the latter by the united circular and backward
and forward niotions of the distributing rollers w, w, &c., which, as aforesaid,
lie and press upon the rollers o, o, &c., and 7, 7, &c. The pressing cylinder
P, besides being covered with the usual blanketing, has a covering of fustian
laced over it, the lacing being covered by an iron bar 14, 14, with holes in
it, being secured by screws entering into screwed holes made at the bottom
of a groove made across the cylinder P, to receive the bar 14, 14. 15, 15, &c.,

page_text: are wrought-iron standards, affixed by screwed bolts to the machine frame
A, A, which standards carry the frames 16, 16, &c., shewn in Fig. 1, also
by dotted lines on the left side of Fig. 2, and parts of them in Fig. 20. To
the cross bar 17, 17, &c., of these frames are secured by screws, passing through
holes in those bars, the wooden tables 18, 18, &c., which serve to lay the
paper upon which is to be printed. To these tables are hung, by pins driven
into one end of each of them, as at 21, 21, &c., two iron frames 22, 22, &c.,
shewn in Figures 20, 21, and 22, the pins passing through holes made in the
frames for that purpose. These frames carry the bars 23, 23, &c., in which
are fixed the register points or pins 24, 24, &c.; these register bars 23, 23, &c.
slide upon the bars 22, 22, &c. (see Figs. 23 and 24), underneath the staples
25, 25, &c., which staples are secured to the bars 22, 22, &c., by means of the
screws 26, 26, &c., which pass through slits made in the bars 22, 22, &c., 'to
allow of side adjustment of the register bars 23, 23, &c., and enter into screwed
holes made in the staples 25, 25, &c., to receive them. To the register bars
23, 23, &c., lines are affixed, passing over the pullies 27, 27, &c., which are
fastened underneath the tables 18, 18, &c., and having weights 28, 28, hung
upon the said lines to restore the register bars to their places after they have
been removed therefrom in the manner to be described hereafter. The
other ends of the frame 22, 22, &c., are connected with and hang upon the
ends of the two levers 29, 29, &c. (see Figs. 1 and 25), by means of the con-
necting rods 30, 30, &c. (see Fig. 1), for the purpose of withdrawing the
register points, as will be described hereafter. The levers 29, 29, turn upon
the studs 31, 31, shewn in Figs. 4 and 25, which are riveted into the plates
32, 32, and which plates are affixed to the sides of the machine frame A, A,
by the screws 33, 33, shewn in Fig. 25, which Figure represents these and
other parts connected therewith on a larger scale. To the levers 29, 29, &c.,
are hung, by screwed pins, the short rods 34, 34, &c., which connect them
with the levers 35, 35, &c., which are affixed at one end by joints and screwed
studs to the levers 36, 36, &c., which turn upon screwed studs riveted into the
plates 32, 32, and are secured from coming off those studs by screwed nuts.
The upper ends of the levers 36, 36, &c., have circular slits made in them,
to allow of their being moved either way, sideways, to adjust them; and are
secured in their proper situations by thumb screws which lie in those slits,
and are screwed into the plates 32, 32, &c., and bind upon the levers 36, 36,
with their shoulders. To the other ends of the levers 35, 35, &c., are affixed,
by joints, the hooks 37, 37, &c., which have, besides the upward and downward
motions of those levers, movements sideways likewise, but in opposite directions,
as shown in Fig. 26; and by means of the squared ends of their shanks they

page_text: cannot move inwards beyond the proper degree. These hooks are pressed
inwards by the actions of the springs 38, 38, upon them, and which springs
are firmly screwed at their other ends to the levers 35, 35. The rounded
ends of the hooks 37, 37, &c., apply themselves on the peripheries and sides of
the two steel cylinders 39, 39, &c., which are firmly fixed upon the axis of the
pressing cylinder P'alternately, in the manner now to be described. An obliqne
gap or cavity 40, 40, &c. (see Fig. 3 and 10), is made on each side of the
cylinders 39, 39, &c., sloping outwards in contrary directions, the bottoms of
them being in a line with the axis, and the tops and ends of them rounded off,
as shewn at 41, 41, &c., in Figs. 1, 4, and 25. In Fig. 25, one of the hooks 37
is shown as Eaving been raised 'to the top of one of the rounded ends of these gaps
by the action of the machine, and will continue in 'that situation, pressing upon
the periphery of the cylinder 39, until it has made a revolution, when it again
falls into the gap. The machine being then turned in 'the contrary direction, the
inclined or sloping side of the gap turns the hock towards one side, and brings
it into contact with the end of the cylinder, wliere it remains until the machine
lias made a complete revolution, when it again slips into the gap sideways,
ready to be raised up again to the periphery of the cylinder, as before described.
A similar movement, but in a contrary direction sideways, likewise takes place
with the opposite hook 37, and thus these levers 35, 35, &c, are alternately
raised and lowered, and their movements communicated to the levers 29, 29,
&c., with which they are connected, as before mentioned. At each end of the
levers 29, 29, &c., is a pivot hole, in which turn the necks or pivots of two
rollers 43, 43, &c. (see Fig. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 25). These rollers, which are of
wood, and may be covered with cloth, leather, &c., alternately come into
contact with two other similar rollers 44, 44, &c., with necks or pivots turning
in the brasses 45, 45, &c., with square shanks fitting into holes made for them
in the sides of the machine frame A, A, and retained therein by the pins 46,
46, (see Fig. 1 and 2,) being driven through holes made in the frame A, A,
and shanks to receive them. These rollers, 43 and 44, &c., are intended to
seize and carry forward the sheets of paper to be printed, as will be hereafter
described. Over the rollers 44, 44, &c., and under the pullies 46, 46, &c.,
which are fixed firmly upon the axis 47, 47, &c., pass the endless tape bands
48, 48, &c., and which, coming into contact with the surface of the pressing
cylinder P, at the parts 49, 49, &c., (see Fig. 4,) receive motion therefrom,
and which motion is likewise communicated by these bands to the rollers 43
and 45. The axes 47, 47, &c., have necks or pivots, which turn in pivot holes
made in the brasses 50, 50, &c., which brasses are affixed to the sides of the
machine A, A, &c., by. square stems or shanks, in a similar manner. to the

page_text: brasses 45, 45, &c., before described.
Three other tapes 51, 51, &c., secured
at one end to the wheels 52, 52, &c., which are mounted upon the axis 53, 53,
&c., so as to slide nearer to or farther from each other upon that axis, and be
secured thereon by the kegs or wedges 54, 54, &c., which lie in slits made in
the said wheels to receive them, and press upon a flattened part made along
the said axis, as shewn in Fig. 28, when the said wedges are driven tight; this
axis 53, 53, &c., has necks or pivots at each end of it, which lie in pivot holes
made in the two standards 55, 55, &c., which are firmly affixed upon the right-
hand end of the carriage K, K. These three tapes 51, 51, &c., pass over the
pullies 56, 56, &c., which are fixed upon the axis 57, 57, &c., the pivots of
which turn in holes made in the brasses 50, 50, before described, the
three tapes then pass beneath and in contact with the under side of the pressing
cylinder P, and pass over other three pullies 56, 56, &c., which are fixed upon
another similar axis 57, 57, &c., on the opposite side of the cylinder P, and
which parts, as they perform exactly the same offices as those already described,
are marked with the same figures of reference. The three tapes 51, 51, &c.,
are then affixed at their other ends to three other wheels 52, 52, &c., mounted
upon an axis 53, 53, &c., the necks of which turn in holes made in the two
standards 55, 55, &c., which are affixed upon the left-hand side of the
carriage K, K; two of these three last-mentioned wheels 52, 52, &c., have,
however, in addition to the wedges 54, 54, &c., as already described, two
ratchet wheels 58, 58, &c., with spring clicks or palls 59, 59, &c., affixed
to them, in order to strain the tapes sufficiently tight in use. To facilitate the
entrace of the paper between the tapes 48, 48, &c., and the pressing cylinder
P, the upper conductors or knives 60, 60, are employed. One of these is
shewn on a larger scale in Figures 29 and 30, in which 61, 61, &c., represent
the blade, and 62, 62, the arms, by which it is secured by screws upon the tops
of the brasses 45, 45, &c. The form of the blade is best seen in the section
Figure 30. The part from 61 to 61 being placed near to the periphery of
the pressing cylinder P, the paper being received between the endless tapes
and the cylinder is next carried between the lower conductors or knives 63, 63,
&c., one of which is shewn separately in Figures 30* and 31, in which Figures
63, 63, shew the form of the blade 64, 64, the stems or shanks having necks
or pivots at their ends, which are received into holes in the brasses 50, 50, &c.,
affixed to the machine frame; the exact situations or positions of these lower
conductors, in respect to the pressing cylinder P, are obtained by means of the
hooks or appendages 65, 65, &c., near their ends resting against the periphery
of that cylinder, as shewn in Figure 4, the paper being supported upon the
three tapes 51, 51, &c., passes underneath the pressing cylinder, as do likewise

page_text: the printing types inked in the manner before described; and after receiving
the impression, the paper meets the rounded ends of the receiving bars 66, 66,
&c., see Figure 4, and one of which is shewn separately in Figure 32. These
bars are affixed at their upper ends to the sockets 67, 67, &c., which lie upon
the cylindrical axis 57, 57, &c., which, as before mentioned, support the pullies
over which the three tapes pass, the holes in these sockets being made large
enough to permit the axis 57, 57, &c., to turn freely therein. The lower ends
of these conducting rods have the hooks 68, 68, &c., affixed to them, by means
of which they are supported upon the two cross-screwed bolts B, B, of the
machine frame. The sockets 67, 67, &c., have screwed holes made in them,
into which are screwed the rods 69, 69, &c., and the use of which is to receive
the paper after being printed, and prevent it from falling upon the types. The
paper to be printed is placed upon the register points 24, 24, &c., whilst they
are elevated, as shewn on the left side of Figure 1. The front edge of the
paper is likewise resting upon the roller 44. By the motion of the machine
the register points 24, 24, &c., fall down on the descent of the levers 29, 29,
&c., to which the lower ends of the register frames 22, 22, are hung, leaving
the paper at liberty to be seized by the rollers 43, 43, &c., which are brought
down successively by the said levers 29, 29, &c., and carried into the machine
in the manner before described. In order to clear the level surfaces F, F, &c.,
on each side of the machine frame upon which the four carriage wheels G, G,
&c., roll from any dust, &c., which might lodge thereon, and tend to disturb the
action of the machine, each wheel is accompanied by two scrapers 70, 70,
&c., the lower parts of which are formed somewhat in the shape of plough-
shares, see Figures 1, 3, 4, 33, 34, and 35. These scrapers have holes in their
upper parts to receive screwed studs, by means of which they are affixed to the
forked branches J, J, &c., of the carriage K, K, as shewn at Fig. 33. Figure
15 is an edge view of one of the supports of the ink troughs, which is shewn in
front by dotted lines in Figure 13.
In witness whereof, we, the said Samuel Cooper and William Miller
.
(parties hereto), have hereunto set their hands and seals, this Seven-
teenth day of January, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and twenty-two.
SAMUEL (L.s.) COOPER.
WILLM
(L.s.) MILLER.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Seventeenth day of January, in
the year of our Lord 1822, the aforesaid Samuel Cooper and William Miller'
came before our said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged. the
Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified,
in form above written. And also the. Specification aforesaid was stamped
according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Seventeenth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and twenty-two.