IMPROVE- MENTS IN HYDRAULIC PRINTING OR COPYING PRESSES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Andrew Betts Brown, of Alfred Road, Birken-
head, in the County of Cheshire, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN HYDRAULIC PRINTING OR COPYING PRESSES."
Sealed the 4th February 1870, and dated the 11th August 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Andrew Betts Brown
at the Office of. the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 11th August 1869.
I, ANDREW BETTS BROWN, of Alfred Road, Birkenhead, in the County
of Cheshire, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULIC PRINTING OR COPYING PRESSES," to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object "Improvements in Hydraulic
Printing or Copying Presses.' For this purpose I employ a square
press of wood or iron, which consists of a top and bottom table strongly

page_text: clamped with iron bars, which bars at the same time form hinges, so
that the top table may be folded back; on the other end of these
bars is jointed a clasp, so that when the top table is folded over and
the clasp shut the two tables will be held firmly together. The two
tables are placed at a suitable distance apart to receive the type form
or the copying book. In the lower table there is formed a recess, which
contains a bag of elastic or other material of a square form (by pre-
ference) and having an iron frame all round to secure it & render
it fluid tight. To this bag, known hereafter as the "press bag," a
flexible or other tube is tightly attached, while the other end of the
tube terminates in and is attached to a smaller ball or bag of flexible
material. The smaller bag with its tube previous to attachment with
the larger "press bag" is filled with water or air, but in virtue of its
elastic properties it remains in a spherical or cubical form, & the water
or air is retained in it.
"
The action of the press is as follows:-When the book or type form
required to be pressed is placed in the space (and is made to occupy
it exactly) between the two tables of the press the smaller bag is
subjected to pressure by the human foot or otherwise, when the water
or air contained therein will be expelled and will flow into the larger
press bag" occupying the recess in the lower table. By this means
the "press bag" is made to expand and occupy more space, the result
of which is that the book or type form is pressed with a force greater
than that applied to the small bag in proportion as the area of the
press bag" is greater than the small bag. On removing the pressure
from the small bag or ball the water returns to the latter, and the press
may be opened.
.
In place of elastic or india-rubber bags employed in light and portable
presses, as above described, metal discs or square plates may be con-
veniently fastened together, the pressure being obtained by the bulging
of such plates in connection with flat and rigid tables.
A convenient form of press may be also constructed according to
this Invention upon legs, as in a common table, the legs being hollow,
and one or more containing the tube and small bag with its quantity of
water or air, which may be acted upon by a projecting treadle or other
means.

page_text: For the purpose of copying letters witten in "copying ink" air will
be found to give quite sufficient pressure in the press; for higher
pressures, however, water may be used in the small and large bags.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Andrew Betts Brown in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 8th February 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ANDREW
BETTS BROWN, of Alfred Road, Birkenhead, in the County of Cheshire,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Andrew Betts Brown, Her special
licence that I, the said Andrew Betts Brown, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Andrew Betts Brown,
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 HYDRAULIC PRINTING OR COPYING PRESSES," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Andrew Betts Brown, 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
Scal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Andrew Betts Brown, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in hydraulic printing

page_text: or copying presses. For this purpose J employ a square press of wood
or iron, which consists of a top and bottom table strongly clamped with
iron bars, which bars at the same time form hinges, so that the top
table may be folded back; on the other end of these bars is jointed a
clasp, so that when the top table is folded over and the clasp shut the
two tables will be held firmly together. The two tables are placed at a
suitable distance apart to receive the type form or copying book. In the
lower table there is formed a recess, which contains a bag of elastic or
other material of a square form (by preference) and having an iron
frame all round to secure it and render it fluid tight. To this bag,
known hereafter as the "press bag," a flexible or other tube is tightly
attached, while the other end of the tube terminates in and is attached
to a smaller ball or bag of flexible material. The smaller bag with its
tube previous to attachment with the larger "press bag" is filled with
water or air, but in virtue of its elastic properties it remains in a
spherical or cubical form and the water or air is retained in it.
The action of the press is as follows:-When the book or type form
required to be pressed is placed in the space (and is made to occupy it
exactly) between the two tables of the press the smaller bag is subjected
to pressure by the human foot or otherwise, when the water or air
contained therein will be expelled and will flow into the larger "press
bag" occupying the recess in the lower table. By this means the "press
bag" is made to expand and occupy more space, the result of which is
that the book or type form is pressed with a force greater than that
applied to the small bag in proportion as the area of the "press bag" is
greater than the small bag. On removing the pressure from the small
bag or ball the water returns to the latter, and the press may be
opened.
In place of clastic or india-rubber bags employed in light and portable
prosses, as above described, metal discs or square plates may be con
veniently fastened together, the pressure being obtained by the bulging
of such plates in connection with flat and rigid tables.
A convenient form of press may be also constructed according to this
Invention upon legs, as in a common table, the legs being hollow, and
one or more containing the tube and small bag with its quantity o
water or air, which may be acted upon by a projecting treadle or other
mcans.

page_text: be found to give quite sufficient pressure in the press; for higher
pressures, however, water may be used in the small and large bags.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 represents a plan of the press, a, a, being the hinges, b the
clasp, and c is the pipe, which terminates in the ball or bag d.
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the press so as to illustrate the
connection between the ball and the press bag. c, c, is the top table,
with the hinge a at the back, while at the front the clasp is shewn at b;
ff, is the lower table, which contains the "press bag" g, g, which may
be made of any flexible water-tight material, but which I prefer to be
made of what is commonly known as vulcanized india-rubber; under-
neath this sheet g, g, there is placed another sheet of similar material,
or, as I prefer it, a sheet of brass, as shewn h, h. To the sheet of brass
is attached a branch pipe i, and the india-rubber g, g, is made tight to
the brass by means of an iron frame k, k, as shewn in section and in
plan at Fig. 3, which is secured by means of screws.. I, l, is a loose table
or packing piece, upon which the book or type form is laid when
required to be pressed.
The press is shewn in Fig. 4 in elevation with the book placed on the
loose table l, l, and with the clasp b shut.
To the branch pipe i, Fig. 2, is attached an india-rubber flexible tube
m, which has at its other extremity a ball or bag of similar material n,
the ball and tube being filled with water or air; when the ball is
subjected to pressure the water or air will be driven out through the
tube m into the "press bag" g, h, which will cause the loose table l, i,
to rise, and so press the book, as shewn at Fig. 4.
The. force obtained by the press as described will be greater in
proportion as the area of the "press bag" is greater than the area of
the small ball n, but the relative areas I prefer for printing copies of
letters written in suitable ink is a press bag of 120 inches area, and a
small ball or bag n of 12 inches.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I would have it understood that I do
not confine myself to the exact details described; but what I claim is,

page_text: the constructing presses by combining. elastic bags so as to operate in
the manner herein-before set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Andrew Betts Brown, have hereunto.
set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
ANDREW BETTS BROWN. (L.S.)