IMPROVEMENTS IN LETTER- PRESS PRINTING MACHINES
Year: 1855

page_text: Sealed the 30th November 1855, and dated the 2nd June 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said. John Boyd at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 2nd June
1855.
I, JOHN BOYD, of Ashbocking, in the County of Suffolk, Gentleman, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LETTER-
PRESS PRINTING MACHINES" to be as follows:-
This Invention consist in an arrangement of machinery by which sheets of
paper (say, posting bills,) can be printed when required in various coloured inks
by means of one continuous operation.
To accomplish these improvements, upon a suitable framing a movable
table or platform is mounted, to which a reciprocating action is given by means
of a quadrant motion, which is placed beneath the table, and works in teeth
formed upon or attached to the under side of the reciprocating table. The
quadrant works on a fixed axle at its lower extremity, and receives motion
through a connecting rod from a crank or eccentric on a driving shaft. Above
this reciprocating table (upon which is laid the first "form" to be printed),
on fixed bearing is mounted an "impressing roller or cylinder," which is
provided with "grippers" in the ordinary manner, except that the axle of the
clippers" is placed a little below what would be the circular face of the

page_text: roller, had that portion of the cylinder not been removed for their, insertion.
The object of this arrangement is, that when that portion of the cylinder
is undermost it will allow the "form" on the reciprocating table to pass
beneath it in one direction, (that is, after it has been inked, which is done by
rollers in the ordinary way,) the cylinder being stationary during the time
the table is passing from the inking rollers to the reverse end of its course; to
accomplish which, there is fixed on the end of the impressing cylinder a rachet
wheel, which has one or two pawl teeth on the portion which is in line with
the opening in the cylinder for the clippers. This rachet wheel is acted upon
by a rachet formed on the edge of the reciprocating table when the table is
advancing to receive the sheet to be printed, but during the return action the
pawl teeth being free to yield to pressure applied by the rachet from that side,
the cylinder is held stationary by means of the end of a friction spring, which
takes into a notch formed on the edge of a disk which is attached to the axle
of the cylinder on the outer side of the rachet wheel. By this arrangement
it will be observed that the impressing cylinder makes one revolution, carrying
with it the sheet to be printed, and then becomes stationary during the return
action of the reciprocating table.
The mode of feeding the sheets to be printed is by means of three rollers,
which extend across the frame of the machine, parallel to the face of the
impressing cylinder described. These rollers are supported on pedestals fixed
on the sides of the frame which supports the reciprocating table, the two
extreme ones being placed sufficiently apart to allow tapes to be extended from
one to the other upon which the sheet is laid. The centre roller is provided
with two "registering points," which extend from its surface above the plat-
form, formed by the bands extending between the two extreme rollers. The
centre roller is connected to either of the others by bands in the same way
as the two extreme ones. To one of these rollers (say, the one furthest
removed from the impressing cylinder,) there is a lever attached, which extends
downwards in an angular direction across the path of the reciprocating table,
which on coming in contact with it causes the rollers partially to rotate, and
advances the sheet of paper which is laid on the tapes towards the impressing
cylinder, the registering points being also withdrawn at the same moment,
when it is taken hold of by the grippers in the usual way. Upon the return
of the table the rollers are returned to their normal position by means of a
connecting rod attached to the lower end of the lever described, and which
passes through an eye formed in a projection on the under side of the travelling
table. This rod extends nearly the whole length of the path of the table, and
is not acted upon until the projecting piece through which it slides comes in

page_text: contact with a knob formed on the end of the rod. A small weiglited lever is
fixed to the upper side of one of the rollers to give them stability during the
time they are at rest.
The sheet having been received and passed under the impressing cylinder,
and printed in (say). black ink, is received on an endless band, which conveys
-it-to-the-bank-of-an-impressing-cylinder,-which-with-slight-modifications
(which will be readily understood) resembles the impressing cylinder described,
except that it is of a conical form. This conical cylinder works on fixed
bearings above an horizontal, circular, rotating or partially rotating table,
which table is mounted upon suitable framing, and provided with inking
rollers of the same kind as those used on the reciprocating table described,
except they will require to partake of the conical form.
It is proposed to mount.several of these conical impressing cylinders over
the circular moving table, and to provide each impressing cyliner with inking
rollers which can be supplied with various coloured inks, the sheet to be
printed in various colours being passed from cylinder to cylinder by means
of endless bands, or by hand, as may be found most convenient. Upon the
revolving table are laid the "forins" to be printed in colours (which will
be one for each impressing cylinder); a cam motion, or other convenient
mechanical arrangement is used to lift up and support the rollers during
the passing of the "forms"..not requiring to be rolled with the particular
colour of ink applied by that set of rollers. The cam or other like motion
will not be required if a reciprocating motion is applied to the table, as then
the "forms" would not be. advanced far enough, to interfere either with the
impressing cylinders or inking apparatus by which the other colours are
applied.
By doing away with..the cam motion, and supplying all the rollers above
the circular rotating table with one colour of ink, an impression may be
taken from one "form "every time it passes under an impressing cylinder,
so that if there are four cylinders four impressions could be thrown off from
one "form" during one revolution of the rotating table; and if four forms
were placed on the revolving table four impressions would be taken off each
of the four "forms," being sixteen impressions from the four forms on
the circular rotating table, and one from the "form" on the reciprocating
table, making seventeen impressions in all, without a repeating action ;, but
this could only be done when one description of ink is used throughout the
whole set of conical rollers.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Boyd in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st
. Deceinber 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN BOYD;
of Ashbocking, in the County of Suffolk, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Boyd, Her special licence that I, the said John Boyd, my exccutors,
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 ex-
pressed, 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 LETTER-PRESS PRINTING
MACHINES," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Boyd,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 John Boyd, 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
(that is to say)-
This Invention consists of a novel construction and arrangement of
machinery, whereby sheets of paper (say, posting bills,) may be printed in
various coloured inks by one continuous operation, and by which impressions
can be taken with great expedition from two or more forms.at the same time,
and which is also equally applicable to taking impressions from a single form
when required.
To accomplish these improvements, upon a suitable framing of a parallelo-
gramical form I mount a moveable table (or platform), to which I give a
reciprocating motion along the length of the frame by means of a quadrant
(or sector) motion placed beneath the table, and which works into teeth
formed upon or attached to the under side of the reciprocating table. The
quadrant rocks on a fixed bearing at its lower extremity, and receives
motion through a connecting crank or eccentric on a driving shaft. Upon

page_text: "
suitable bearings constructed on the upper edges of the frame which sup-
ports the reciprocating table I mount an impressing cylinder, which extends
across the reciprocating table. This impressing roller or cylinder is provided
with "grippers" in the ordinary manner, except that the axle of the "clip-
pers is placed a little below what would be the circular face of the roller,
had that portion of the cylinder not been removed for their insertion. The
object of this arrangement is, that when that portion of the cylinder (or
rather the opening formed therein for the insertion of grippers) is under-
most it will allow the "form" which is laid on the reciprocating table to pass
beneath it (in one direction) without coming in contact therewith, (that is,
after it has been inked, which is done by rollers in the ordinary way,) the
cylinder being stationary during the time the table is passing from the inking
rollers to the reverse end of its course; to accomplish which, there is fixed on
the end of the impressing cylinder a ratchet wheel, which has one or two pawl
teeth on the portion which is in line with the opening in the cylinder for the
clippers. This ratchet wheel is acted upon and carries round the impressing
cylinder when the table is advancing to receive the sheet to be printed by a
rachet formed on the edge of the moving table; but on the return action of
the table, the pawl teeth being free to yield to the pressure of the ratchet when
applied in that direction, the cylinder remains stationary, and is held in position
by means of the end of a friction spring, which takes unto a notch formed on
the edge of a disk, which is attached to the axle of the cylinder on the outer
side of the ratchet wheel. By this arrangement it will be observed that the
impressing cylinder makes one revolution, carrying with it the sheet to be
printed, and then becomes stationary during the return action of the recipro-
cating table.
The mode of feeding the sheets to be printed is by means of three rollers,
which extend across the frame of the machine, parallel to the face of the
impressing cylinder described. These rollers are supported on pedestals fixed
on the sides of the frame which supports the reciprocating table, the two
extreme ones being placed sufficiently apart to allow tapes to be extended from
one to the other, and upon which the sheet is laid. The centre roller is
provided with two registering points, which extend from its surface above the
platform, formed by the bands extending between the two extreme rollers.
The centre roller is connected to either of the others by bands in the same
way as the two extreme ones.
To one of these rollers (say, the one furthest
removed from the impressing, cylinder,) there is a lever attached, which
-extends downwards in an irregular direction across the path of the recipro-
cating table, which on coming in contact with it causes the rollers partially to

page_text: rotate, and advances the sheet of paper which is laid on the tapes towards the
impressing cylinder, the registering points being also withdrawn at the same
moment when it is. taken hold of by the "grippers" in the usual way. Upon
the return of the table the rollers are returned to their normal. position' by
means of an horizontal connecting rod attached to the lower end of the line
described, and which passes through an eye formed in a projection on the
under side of the travelling-table. "This rod extends nearly the whole length
of the path of the table, and is not acted upon until the projecting piece
through which it slides comes in contact with a knob formed on the end of
the rod. A small weighted lever is fixed to the upper side of one of the rollers
to give them stability during the time they are at rest."
The sheet, having been received and passed under the impressing cylinder
and printed in (say) black ink, is received on an endless band, which conveys
it to the "bank" of an impossessing cylinder, 'which with slight modifications
(which will be readily understood) resembles the impressing cylinder described;
except that it is of a conical form. This conical cylinder works on fixed
bearings above an horizontal," circular, rotating, or partially rotating table;
which table is mounted upon suitable framing, and provided with inking
rollers of the same kind as those used on the reciprocating table described,
except they will require to partake slightly 'of-the conical-form.
I proposed to mount several of these conical impressing cylinders over the
horizontal moving table, and to provide each impressing cylinder with inking
rollers which can be supplied with various coloured inks, the sheet to be
printed in the various colours being passed from cylinder to cylinder by means
of endless bands, or by hand; as may be found most convenient. Upon the
revolving table are laid the "forms" to be printed in colours (which will-be
one for each impressing' cylinder); a cam motion or other convenient mecha-
nical arrangement is used to lift up and support the rollers during the passing
of the "forms" not requiring to be rolled with the particular colour of-ink
applied by that set of rollers. The cam or other like motion will not be
required if a reciprocating motion is applied to the table, as then the "forms"
would not be advanced far enough to interfere either with the impressing
cylinders or inking apparatus by which the other colours are applied.
"
By doing away with the cam motion, and supplying all the inking rollers
above the circular rotation table with one colour of ink; an impression may
be taken from one form every time it passes under an impressing cylinder,
so that if there were four cylinders four impressions could be thrown off from
one form during one revolution of the rotating table; and if four forms were
'placed on the revolving table, four impressions would be taken off each of the

page_text: four forms, being sixteen impressions from the four forms on the circular
rotating table, and one from the form on the reciprocating table, making
seventeen impressions in all, without a repeating action; but this could only
be done when one description of ink is used throughout the whole set of
conical rollers.
Having now described_my-said-Invention, and in what manner the same
may be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to
the precise details; but what I claim as my Invention is,―
First, the stopping of the impressing cylinders during the back action of the
reciprocating table.
Secondly, the use of conically-shaped impressing cylinders, and horizontal,
circular, rotating, or partially revolving tables, as applied to letter-press printing
machines.
And, lastly, the application of the quadrant (or sector) motion to the under
side of the tables of printing machines to give them a reciprocating motion.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Boyd, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
W. WALKER.
JOHN (L.S.) BOYD.