IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY PRINTING MACHINES
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Lloyd Ford, of Brooklyn, New York,
United States of America, but at present of the Langham Hotel,
London, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
"
Sealed the 17th December 1872, and dated the 23rd October 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Lloyd Ford
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 23rd October 1872.
I, EDWARD LLOYD FORD, of Brooklyn, New York, United States of
America, but at present of the Langham Hotel, London, in the County
of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY PRINTING MACHINES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object to improve the printing of rotary
printing presses so that the workmanship will be more perfect than that
produced on rotary printing presses now in use.

page_text: 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 Edward Lloyd Ford, 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 thereof, that is to say :—
This Invention has for its object to improve the printing of rotary
printing presses so that the workmanship will be more perfect than that
produced on rotary printing presses now in use.
It is a well known fact that a flat surface is the very best and easiest
form of printing surface that can be obtained so far as excellence of
printing is concerned (that is a flat type plate on a flat bed), but in order
to obtain greater speed in throwing off impressions cylinder printing has
been resorted to, and the cylinder as constructed up to the present time has
been so arranged and constructed as to print only one sheet or copy at
each revolution thereof, that is, one side of a sheet at a time, or in the
case of rotary presses the sheet has been carried forward by the impres-
sion roller or cylinder to a second printing cylinder, which gives the
impression to the other side of such sheet.
In the rotary printing machines hitherto used the type cylinder is
embraced by one bent electrotype or stereotype of the form to be im-
pressed, so that each revolution of said type cylinder will produce one
complete imprint.
The rotary presses arranged as stated, using only small cylinders, each
embraced by one set of plates, can only be used for ordinary newspaper
printing, but not for producing fine newspaper work or book work, or in
fact any printing perfect in detail.
From the above it will be clear that in cylinder presses the work will
be the more perfect the larger the cylinders are in diameter, that is to
say, the nearer the printing surfaces approach the form of flat printing
plates.
In all printing machines hitherto used any enlargement of the cylinder
has been at a corresponding loss of time, as the larger the cylinder the

page_text: small type cylinders are embraced by one set of plates alone. By this
device I also secure a better distribution of ink, in being enabled to pass
more "form rollers" over the type than has been secured by any other
device yet adopted on a rotary press.
The result of my Invention will be fine printing on a rotary press, so
that first class printing of every description, including book and periodical
work, and also illustrated and other newspapers, can be produced thereon
without more cost of time and labour than that at which inferior pro-
ductions are now turned out on rotary presses.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edward Lloyd Ford, in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 22nd April 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
LLOYD FORD, of Brooklyn, New York, United States of America, but at
present of the Langham Hotel, London, in the County of Middlesex,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-sixth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Edward Lloyd Ford, Her special license
that I, the said Edward Lloyd Ford, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edward Lloyd Ford, my
executors, adininistrators, 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 IMPROVE-
HENTS IN ROTARY PRINTING MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Edward Lloyd Ford, my executors, or adminis-
trators, 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 bo
66

page_text: 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 Edward Lloyd Ford, 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 thereof, that is to say :—
This Invention has for its object to improve the printing of rotary
printing presses so that the workmanship will be more perfect than that
produced on rotary printing presses now in use.
It is a well known fact that a flat surface is the very best and easiest
form of printing surface that can be obtained so far as excellence of
printing is concerned (that is a flat type plate on a flat bed), but in order
to obtain greater speed in throwing off impressions cylinder printing has
been resorted to, and the cylinder as constructed up to the present time has
been so arranged and constructed as to print only one sheet or copy at
each revolution thereof, that is, one side of a sheet at a time, or in the
case of rotary presses the sheet has been carried forward by the impres-
sion roller or cylinder to a second printing cylinder, which gives the
impression to the other side of such sheet.
In the rotary printing machines hitherto used the type cylinder is
embraced by one bent electrotype or stereotype of the form to be im-
pressed, so that each revolution of said type cylinder will produce one
complete imprint.
The rotary presses arranged as stated, using only small cylinders, cach
embraced by one set of plates, can only be used for ordinary newspaper
printing, but not for producing fine newspaper work or book work, or in
fact any printing perfect in detail.
From the above it will be clear that in cylinder presses the work will
be the more perfect the larger the cylinders are in diameter, that is to
say, the nearer the printing surfaces approach the form of flat printing
plates.
In all printing machines hitherto used any enlargement of the cylinder
has been at a corresponding loss of time, as the larger the cylinder the

page_text: longer does it take to revolve and bring the type or type plate round
again to receive another impression.
My Invention consists in obtaining a result approaching to the perfect
printing of a flat bed press without loss of time by combining two or
more sets of electrotype or stereotype plates either duplicate or successive
forms of equal size upon the same cylinder, applying them so as to print
successively, thereby insuring the use of a larger cylinder and moro
flattened surface. By this device, every part of the cylinder being
covered with type, the type plates are both continually printing and
continually being inked, and this without any intermission, precisely the
same as in presses adapted for common newspaper work only, and whose
small type cylinders are embraced by one set of plates alone.
device I also secure a better distribution of ink in being enabled to pass
more "form rollers" over the type than has been secured by any other
device yet adopted on a rotary press.
By this
And in order that the said Invention may be more clearly understood
and readily carried into effect I will proceed, aided by the accompanying
Drawings, more fully to describe the same.
Figure 1 represents a vertical section of a type cylinder A and printing
cylinder B of ordinary arrangement, the type cylinder being of a size to
receive and receiving one printing plate x which is laid around z.
Figure 2 is a similar section showing my improvements, and consisting
of a type cylinder A, having four printing plates a', a, a³, and a', placed
about it, said plates being in consequence made more flattened than the
plate x, and approaching more fully the perfect form for fine printing.
The impression cylinder B is enlarged correspondingly, as shewn in
Figure 2.
The result of my Invention will be fine printing on a rotary press, so
that first-class printing of every description, including book and periodical
work, and also illustrated and other newspapers, can be produced thereon
without more cost of time and labor than that at which inferior pro-
ductions are now turned out on rotary presses.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of the said Invention and the mode
in which I carry the same into effect, I would have it understood that
what I claim is, the combination of two or more type plates, either
duplicates or successive forms of equal size, with the rotary type cylinders,
substantially as set forth and for the purposes named and set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Lloyd Ford, have hereunto
set my hand and scal, this Twenty-fourth day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.