IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING MACHINES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Smith Cropper, of Sneinton, in the County
of Nottingham, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING
MACHINES."A communication from abroad by George Gordon, of New
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Smith Cropper at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
19th September 1866.
I, HENRY SMITH CROPPER, of Sneinton, in the County of Nottingham,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PRINTING MACHINES," communicated to me from abroad by George Gordon,
of New York, in the United States of America, to be as follows:-
The Invention has for its object improvements in printing machines, and
relates to a novel combination and arrangement of machinery whereby the
operation of printing is greatly facilitated, and the necessity for skilled labour
is to a great extent obviated. For this purpose the machine is put in motion
by means of a treadle, or it may be by means of a strap or band from a steam
engine or other suitable power acting upon a pulley on an axis to which
continuous rotary motion is imparted, and from which by suitable gearing the
various movements of the machine are obtained, the attendant having only to
supply the sheets of paper to the machine and take them off when printed.

page_text: The platen is attached with capability of adjustment to a frame which is
capable of turning upon an axis, to which the requisite motion is given at the
times desired by means of a cam acting upon a truck or pulley carried by an
arm fixed to the axis of the frame carrying the platen, the platen being
locked in position whilst an impression is being given by means of fixed
stops limiting the amount of motion given to the platen in the one direction,
whilst other stops mounted on an axis prevent its moving in the opposite
direction, the latter stops being acted upon by means of a cam so as to keep
them out of action when not required, whilst a spring operates to throw them
into action when allowed to do so by the cam.
The bed of the press or that part to which the form of type is fixed and
the inking apparatus are carried by a frame which is capable of vibrating
upon an axis at the lower part of the machine to and from the position for
giving the impression, such frame being acted upon by connecting rods, one
end of each of which is connected to the said frame, whilst their other ends
are connected to crank pins, one of which is fixed to a disc, the other being
fixed to the cam giving motion to the platen.
The inking apparatus consists of an ink-distributing disc formed in two
parts, the central portion being caused to revolve step by step in one direction,
whilst the outer or annular portion thereof revolves in the other direction;
the inking rollers are carried by arms capable of turning upon an axis carried
by the frame to which the type bed is fixed.
The following is a description of the mode in which motion is given to the
ink-distributing apparatus and inking rollers :-The arms carrying the inking
rollers are connected together by a cross bar, and to a pin on one of these
arms a connecting rod is attached, the other end of which is pin-jointed to the
framing of the machine; thus in the to-and-fro motion of the frame carrying
the type bed a partial rotary motion is given to the arms carrying the inking
rollers, which rollers being mounted in bearings carried by rods acted upon
by springs are caused to run over the surface of the type and of the distri
buting disc, and after an impression has been given in the return motion of
the arms carrying the inking rollers such arms give motion to the two parts
of the distributing disc by means of a pin striking against one end of a bell-
crank lever, to the other end of which a clawker or driver is pin-jointed; this
clawker or driver takes into a ratchet wheel formed on the under side of the
annular portion of the ink-distributing disc, and gives a step-by-step rotary
motion thereto, and by bevilled gearing connected therewith gives a step-by-
step rotary motion in the contrary direction to the central portion of such
ink-distributing disc.

page_text: The machine is provided with two tables, upon one of which the blank paper
is placed, whilst the other is to receive the printed paper. A frisket is
attached by pin-joint to the platen, and is provided with an arm having a
pulley thereon, which in the motion of the machine is caused to run in a çam
course, and thereby hold or release the paper on the platen as required.
By the foregoing arrangement the platen is in a horizontal position, or
nearly so, whilst the paper is being supplied thereto, the type bed being at
the same time in a vertical position, or nearly so, thereby enabling the
attendant to see the type whilst feeding the paper to the platen.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Smith Cropper in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th March 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
SMITH CROPPER, of Sneinton, in the County of Nottingham, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Henry Smith Cropper, Her special licence that I, the said Henry Smith
Cropper, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Henry Smith Cropper, 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 PRINTING MACHINES," a communication to me from abroad
by George Gordon, of New York, in the United States of America, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Henry Smith Cropper, 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 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 Henry Smith Cropper, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is

page_text: to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
The Invention has for its object improvements in printing machines, and
relates to a novel combination and arrangement of machinery whereby the
operation of printing is greatly facilitated, and the necessity for skilled labour
is to a great extent obviated. For this purpose the machine is put in motion
by means of a treadle, or it may be by means of a strap or band from a steam
engine or other suitable power acting upon a pulley on an axis to which
continuous rotary motion is imparted, and from which by suitable gearing the
various movements of the machine are obtained, the attendant having only to
supply the sheets of paper to the machine, and take them off when printed.
The platen is attached with capability of adjustment to a frame, which is
capable of turning upon an axis, to which the requisite motion is given at
the times desired by means of a cam acting upon a truck or pulley carried
by an arm fixed to the axis of the frame carrying the platen, the platen being
locked in position whilst an impression is being given by means of fixed stops
¹imiting the amount of motion given to the platen in the one direction, whilst
stops mounted on an axis prevent its moving in the opposite direction,
itter stops being acted upon by means of a cam so as to keep them out
of action when not required, whilst a spring operates to throw them into action
when allowed to do so by the cam.
4.
!
"
The bed of the press or that part to which the form of type is fixed and
the inking apparatus are carried by a frame which is capable of vibrating
upon an axis at the lower part of the machine to and from the position for
giving the impression, such frame being acted upon by connecting rods, one
end of each of which is connected to the said frame, whilst their other ends
are connected to crank pins, one of which is fixed to a disc, the other being
fixed to the cam giving motion to the platen.
The inking apparatus consists of an ink-distributing disc formed in two
parts, the central portion being caused to revolve step by step in one direction,
whilst the outer or annular portion thereof revolves in the other direction; the
inking rollers are carried by arms capable of turning upon an axis carried by
the frame to which the type bed is fixed.
The following is a description of the mode in which motion is given to the ink-
distributing apparatus and inking rollers:-The arms carrying the inking rollers
are connected together by a cross bar, and to a pin on one of these arms a
connecting rod is attached, the other end of which is pin-jointed to the framing
of the machine; thus in the to-and-fro motion of the frame carrying the type
bed a partial rotary motion is given to the arms carrying the inking rollers,

page_text: which rollers being mounted in bearings carried by rods acted upon by springs
are caused to run over the surface of the type and of the distributing disc,
and after an impression has been given in the return motion of the arms
carrying the inking rollers such arms give motion to the two parts of the
distributing disc by means of a pin striking against one end of a bell-crank
lever, to the other end of which a clawker or driver is pin-jointed; this
clawker or driver takes into a ratchet wheel formed on the under side of
the annular portion of the ink-distributing disc, and gives a step-by-step
rotary motion thereto, and by bevilled gearing connected therewith gives a
step-by-step rotary motion in the contrary direction to the central portion of
such ink-distributing disc.
The machine is provided with two tables, upon one of which the blank
paper is placed, whilst the other is to receive the printed paper. A frisket is
attached by pin-joint to the platen, and is provided with an arm having a
pulley thereon, which in the motion of the machine is caused to run in a cam
course, and thereby hold or release the paper on the platen as required.
And in order that the Invention may be more fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed, aided by the accompanying Drawings, more
41.
Figure 1 is a side view, Figure 2 is a back view, Figure 3 is a sectional
side view shewing the parts in the position they would assume when the
paper is being fed to the platen; Figure 4 is a sectional side view shewing
the parts in the position they would assume at the moment of the impression
being given; and Figure 5 is a plan of a printing machine constructed
according to the Invention.
a, a, is the main framing; b is the main or crank axis, which may be put
in motion as shewn in the Drawing by a treadle lever c connected therewith
by means of a link or connecting rod c¹; or a drum or pulley may be mounted
upon the crank axis 6, and motion may be communicated thereto by a strap
or band from a steam engine or other suitable power. On the main or crank
axis b is fixed a toothed pinion 6', which takes into and gives motion to the
toothed wheel & on the shaft or axis d. On the interior face of the toothed
wheel d' is formed or affixed a cam e, which by acting upon the truck or pulley f*
carried by the crank arm f¹ formed on or fixed to the shaft or axis f gives the
required motions to the platen f*, which is also carried by the shaft or axis f;
g is the type bed which is carried by the frame g¹, supported with capability
of vibrating upon the shaft or axis h, and the desired motions are communicated

page_text: thereto by two connecting rods i connected at one end to pins g' on the frame g³,
their other ends being connected to crank pins , one of which is carried
by the toothed wheel d whilst the other is carried by the disc d, fixed on the
shaft or axis d. The frame g' also carries the inking apparatus, which consists
of an ink-distributing disc formed in two parts j, j, the centre portion j¹ being
caused to revolve step by step in one direction whilst the outer or annular
portion is caused to revolve step by step in the other direction, as will be
hereafter described. The inking rollers k, k¹, k³, are carried, as shewn at the
ends of rods ³, which work in suitable guides provided for them in the arms
or frames 1, and in the to-and-fro motion of the type bed g the inking rollers
are caused to pass over the face of the type or other printing surface (which
is secured in the type bed g in any suitable manner) and over the ink-
distributing disc ",, by means of the link or connecting rod m, one end of
which is by pin-joint fixed to the main framing a, whilst the other is fixed by
pin-joint to one end of the arms or frames 1, thereby causing the frames / in
the to-and-fro motion of the type bed g to turn on their axis so as to cause
the inking rollers k, k, k³, to run over the type or other printing surface and over
the ink-distributing disc j, j³, and in doing so just after the rollers have acted
to ink the printing surface and as they are coming to their lowest position as
shewn in Figures 1 and 3, a pin & carried by one of the frames or arms / strikes
against and lifts the weighted end of the bell-crank lever m* on the pin or
axis m³, and by means of the clawker or driver m³, pin-jointed to the upper
end of the bell-crank lever m* taking into teeth formed on the under side of
the annular portion of the ink-distributing disc, gives motion to such annular
portion of the disc in one direction which by the bevilled wheels j, j³, j,
gives motion in the other direction to the central portion of the ink-distributing
disc. In order to govern the amount of motion given to the platen f* and at
the same time to lock it in position as shewn in Figure 4, whilst the impression
is being given fixed stops a¹ are employed which prevent the projections f³ on
the frame fmoving too far in the one direction whilst stops a³ mounted on
the frame a³ which is capable of rocking on the shaft or axis a* by falling into
notches flock the platen in the desired position whilst an impression is being
given, a cam n acting upon the truck or roller a³, carried by the frame a³, acts
to keep the stops a² out of action and bring them into action at the times
desired, a spring a or other suitable means acts to keep the truck or pulley a
up to its cam. The platen as shewn is connected by screws and lock nuts to
the frame f*, in order to facilitate the adjustment thereof; the platen is
also provided with a frisket o, pin-jointed thereto at o¹, an arm o³ being
connected to the frisket and having at its lower end a truck or pulley o'

page_text: which is acted upon by the fixed cam surface p, so that after the impression
has been given the frisket may first act to relieve the printed paper from the
type or printing surface, and then stand in the position shewn at Figures 1
and 3 to enable a sheet of paper to be fed on to the platen. q is a table upon
which the blank paper is placed, and r is a table to receive the paper after
the impression has been given. By the foregoing arrangement the platen is
in a horizontal position, or nearly so, whilst the paper is being supplied thereto
the type bed being at the same time in a vertical position, or nearly so, thereby
enabling the attendant to see the type whilst feeding the paper to the platen.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and the mode in
which the same is carried into effect, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise details herein shewn and described; but what I
claim is, the peculiar combination and arrangement of printing machine sub-
stantially as herein shewn and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Smith Cropper, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
HENRY S. CROPPER. (L.S.)