IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING MACHINERY
Year: 1850

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
MAIN, of the Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Printer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Eighth day of
November, in the fourteenth year of Her reign, did, or Herself, Her
heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Main,
my exors, adñiors, and assigns, Her especial licence, full power, sole privi-
lege and authority, that I, the said Thomas Main, my exors, adñiors, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Main, my exors, adñiors, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING MACHINERY;"
in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso, that I, the said
Thomas Main, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instru
ment in writing under my hand and seal, to be enrolled in Her said Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the
same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Thomas Main, do hereby declare that the nature of my Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described

page_text: and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof,reference being had
to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention consists of apparatus whereby a horizontal table, to which is
given a reciprocating rectilineal motion in connection with a cylindrical sur-
face, to which is given a reciprocating rotary motion, and other parts are
applied to the purpose of printing. Figure 1 of the Drawing hereunto annexed
represents a longitudinal section; Figure 2, a transverse section; and Figure 3,
a plan of the machine; and Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7, represent parts of the
same in detail; and Figures, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13, machinery applicable
to the same, as I shall hereafter describe. In Figures 1, 2, and 3, a is a table
supported on and guided by rollers b, b, revolving in bearings mounted on
framing, so that it may be capable of horizontal rectilineal motion. This table
carries the type form c, the inking board d, and on either side of it a toothed
rack e; fis a portion of the cylinder carrying at either end cogs g gearing into
the racks c. The cylindrical body f, which I call the printing roller, is fixed
on an axis, which can revolve in bearings in the framework, is balanced upon
that axis, and it has a blanket or fabric ordinarily used for covering rollers of
printing machines, drawn tight over its cylindrical surface. By the gearing of
the cogs g and racks e, on reciprocating rotary motion being given to the
printing roller f, the table a receives reciprocating rectilineal motion; or
on reciprocating rectilineal motion being given to the table reciprocating
rotary motion is given to the roller. The reciprocating motion may be
given to either the roller or the table by means of a crank or eccentric on
the shaft of a suitable prime mover; or where the arc through which the roller
has to oscillate, and the distance through which the table has to reciprocate,
are too great for such a motion to be convenientapplied,othermodes of giving
the required motion may be adopted, three of which I shall now describe.
Figure S is an elevation, and Figure 9 a plan, of apparatus for giving recipro-
cating rotary motion to the printing roller; a isacrank on the rotating shaft of
a suitable prime mover; c, a connecting rod, having a circular cogged rack d
fixed to it, and gearing with a pinion e fixed onthe axish of the printing roller;
ff, are slings fitted so as to turn on the axis and on a pink at the centre of
the circular rack d. When the shaft and crank a rotate, the centre of the cir-
cular rack d, being retained by the slings at a constant distance from theaxis h,
receives reciprocating rotary motion through an arc determined by the crank
throw, and the pinion e receives from it reciprocating rotary motion through
an arc, increased in proportion as the radius or number of teeth of the circle,
of which the rack is a portion, exceeds the radius or number of teeth of the

page_text: pinion. Figure 10 is an elevation, and Figure 11 a plan, of apparatus for
giving reciprocating rectilineal motion to the printing table. a is a crank on
the rotating shaft of a suitable prime mover; b, a connecting rod fitted with a
pin c, on which a cogged wheel d, and two cogged pinions e fixed to the
wheel d can freely turn; f, f', are two fixed' racks gearing with the pinions
e, e¹; and g is a rack gearing with the wheel d. When the crank a rotates, the
pincreceives reciprocating rectilineal motion, and with it the pinions e, e¹, and
the wheel, which are caused to rotate by the fixed racks f, f. The rack g
receives a reciprocating rectilineal motion greater than that of the pin c,
the increase of throw being greater in proportion as the radius or number of
teeth of the wheel d exceeds the radius or number of teeth of the pinions e, e¹.
Figure 12 is a section, and Figure 13 a plan, of another apparatus for giving
reciprocating rectilineal motion to the printing table; aisa rotating crank; ba
connecting rod, acting by the pin and fork c, on jointed barsd, d, acting on a pin
e, fixed to the printing table; reciprocating rectilineal motion being imparted
to the pin c by the crank and connecting rod, reciprocating rectilineal motion
through a greater range is given to the pin and to the table to which it is fixed.
I will now describe other parts of the apparatus represented in Figures 1,2,
3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. The roller f, and the table a, are represented at the
extreme of their movement in one direction, the dotted lines a¹ indicating
the table at the opposite extreme; during its forward stroke, that is to say, in
passing from the one extreme to the other in the direction of the arrow, the
table brings the inking board d, and the surface of the type from c, in contact
with inking rollers 1, which may be arranged and fed as in other printing
machines. The printing roller rotating as the table moves onward, and the
bearings in which the axis of the roller is mounted being properly adjusted so
as to cause aduc pressure where the roller comes in contact with the type form,
a sheet of paper interposed between the roller and the type form, and carried
onward with them, is printed, as in other roller printing machines. During the
backward stroke of the roller and table their surfaces are separated sufficiently
far to prevent the blanket from being inked, by an arrangement of the bearings
of the axis of the printing roller, of which Figure 4 is an elevation, and
Figure 5 a plan, to an enlarged scale; a, the axis of the printing roller; b, the
boss of the roller, keyed on the axis; c, an eccentric bearing, bored to receive
the axis, and fitted to revolve freely in the framework d; e, e¹, are two paul's
mounted on a pin fixed in the framework, and having a spring at f, between
hem; the collar of the eccentric bearing is notched at g and gl, and has a
ooth h projecting from its surface; the boss of the roller has also a tooth /,
and a projection ; while the axes a rotates in the direction of the arrow, the

page_text: paule is pressed away from the collar of the eccentric bearing c, and the
tooth presses on the toothh, causing the eccentric bearing to rotate until the
notch g' is brought under the paul e¹, which is caused by the spring / to drop
into it; this rotation of the eccentric bearing elevates the axis a; when the
axis rotates in the opposite direction, the tooth leaves the tooth h, and the
eccentric bearing is prevented from rotating by the paule' until the projection/
lifts it from the notch, and the tooth, pressing the tooth 7, causes the
eccentric to rotate until the paul e drops into the notch y; the axis a being
thus depressed as much as it was previously elevated. This apparatus applied
at the bearings of the axis of the printing roller, and adjusted to suit its
reciprocating retation, causes the roller to be elevated during the backward
stroke and to be depressed during the forward stroke, the amount of the
elevation being limited so as not to interfere with the proper action of the
gearing of the cogs on the roller into the racks on the table. Parts of the
apparatus for supplying and discharging the sheets of paper are represented in
Figures 1, 6, 3; m is a feeding board, and n and o rollers, connected by tapes p
passing partly round them and along the upper face and under the feeding board
'm; q is a roller whose upper surface coincides with that of the feeding board,
and q'another roller having its upper surface below that of the feeding board;
the rollers and q¹ are connected with the roller n and with each other by
tapes r, on which is fixed a cross bars fitted with two or more pointed pins t,
which, when the bar s is in the position represented, project above the surface
of the feeding board, but which, when the bar has been moved onward to s¹, are
below the surface of the feeding board. On the axis of the roller n there is
fixed a pulley u and a crank and pin v; and on the framing are mounted two
other pulleys u and 11 with cranks and pins 1 and 2, and having each a
throw equal to the radius of the roller n. The three pulleys u, u, ull, are
connected by a chain or strap w, so that u and u shall rotate in the same
direction and in the opposite, and 11 is double the diameter of u and u²;
x is a plate or check fixed to the side of the printing table, and so formed that,
as it moves with the table, it causes each of the crank pinsv, vl, vll, respectively
to rotate through and arc of length equal to the distance which the cheek a
moves while in contact with it. By this arrangement, during the forward
stroke, the cheek r, acting first on the crank pin v¹; causes the roller n to rotate
and advance the tapes 2, the cross bar s, and pointed pins t, equably with the
advance of the table, until the cheek a escapes the crank pin v¹, the cheek r
then acting on the crank pin v11 causes the tapes and pins to recede through
double the distance they were advanced by the pin v¹. During the backward
stroke the cheek a escapes the crank pins v¹¹ and ¹, and acting on the crank

page_text: pin v causes the tapes and pins to advance over a space equal to that which
they are caused to advance by means of the crank pin v. The printing roller is
fitted with grippers, represented on an enlarged scale in Figure 7; a is agripper,
orthin curved plate or blade, of which several are fixed to a spindle b, mounted
in bearings and acted on by a spring so as to press the grippers against the
edge of the printing roller, and having levers c fixed at one end, which projects
beyond the end of the printing roller so as to meet pins at d and e fixed on
the framing. When the printing roller is turned backward to its extreme
position, the pin d, pressing on the lever c, holds the grippers back from the
edge f; when the roller rotates in the direction of the arrow, carrying with it
the spindle of the grippers, they are permitted to press on the roller, as repre-
sented by the dotted lines at f', and to lay hold of a sheet, the edge of which
has been advanced by the tapes and points on the feeding board; the roller
continuing to rotate till its edge nearly reaches 11, the lever c being brought
against the pin e causes the grippers to leave the edge of the printing roller,
and by its continued rotation, and that of a roller, the sheet is discharged
ona board; the lever c is jointed so that during the backward stroke of the
printing roller the pin e shall not act by it upon the grippers. When a sheet
already printed on one side is to be printed on the other, the two impressions
are made to register or coincide in position on the sheet by the adjustment of
the cross barsand pointed pins t,so that certain holes made in the sheet during
its first impression shall precisely fit on to the pins t, and the sheet shall,
advance with them towards the printing roller; before the sheet is caught
between the roller and grippers, the pins, having sunk below the surface of the
feeding table, leave the sheet at liberty to be carried onward, and to be printed
and discharged as above described. I do not confine myself to this particular
mode of supplying and discharging sheets of paper, as the printing machine
which I have described may be fitted with tapes passing under the printing
roller and reciprocating therewith, so as to carry the sheets of paper from the
one side to the other, in a mode similar to that followed in other printing
machines; neither do I confine myself to the arrangement which I have
described for the sake of simplicity of supplying sheets only at one side of the
printing roller, for it is obvious that with additional grippers or tapes, feeding
and discharging boards, and other parts such as I have described,a roller and
table with reciprocating motion may be made double acting, that is to say,may
be made to receive and discharge sheets on both sides, and print during both
the forward and backward strokes, and in this case, the eccentric bearings for
the printing roller are not required. I claim as my Invention a reciprocating
printing roller and table connected so that their surfaces shall move equably

page_text: together; also the modes of imparting reciprocating motion to the roller or
table from a rotating shaft; also eccentric bearings for the axis of the printing
roller, for depressing and elevating the roller during the forward and back-
ward strokes respectively; also grippers applied to the reciprocating rollerand
the apparatus, and pointed pins for supplying the sheets so that the impressions
made on them shall register.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Main, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighth day of May, One thousand eight hundred
AND
year
IT REMEMBERED that on the Lighth day of May, in the
of our Lord 1851, the aforesaid Thomas Main, came before our said
Lady the Queen in Her 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.
Enrolled the Eighth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand