Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 11th May, 1887
Complete Left, 16th Dec., 1887
Complete Accepted, 20th Jan., 1888
I, THOMAS DOWNIE, of 2 Radnor Terrace, Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Clerk, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows, that is
to say :-
My said Invention has for its object to construct copying presses in an improved
and so as, whilst being thoroughly effective and of ample strength to be
compact and comparatively light.
manner,
the
In carying out the Invention pressure is applied to the platen or pressing plate of
press by means of two pairs of toggle links each pair being jointed at one end to
the platen and at the other to a nut or internally screwed ring upon a spindle which
is held parallel to the bed plate of the press, and is made with right-hand and left-
hand screw threads for the two nuts or rings. When the spindle is turned in one
direction it moves the outer ends of the toggle links in the direction to make them at
right angles or nearly so to the platen, which they force down with increasing
leverage; and the opposite movement raises the platen. The toggle links are jointed
to the platen at points on opposite sides of the centre and at a little distance apart,
and the pressure is thereby better applied than when concentrated on the centre as in
ordinary copying presses. The spindle is held by its ends in cheeks or side pieces fixed
or formed on the bed plate of the press; and either end of the spindle is squared to
receive a small removable winch handle. The working parts may be made of any
suitable metal or metals. The bedplate and platen may be made entirely of metal or
partly of metal and partly of wood or other suitable material.
Dated this Tenth der of Mar 1987
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.

page_text: Improvements in Copying Presses.
I, THOMAS DOWNIE, of 2 Radnor Terrace, Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Clerk, do hereby declaro the nature of this 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 :—
My said Invention has for its object to construct copying presses in an improved
and so as whilst being thoroughly effective and of ample strength, to be
compact and comparatively light.
manner,
In carrying out my Invention pressure is applied to the platen or pressing plate of
the press by means of two pairs of toggle links each pair being jointed at one end to
the platen and at the other to a nut or internally screwed ring upon a spindle which
is held parallel to the bed plate of the press, and is made with right-hand and left-hand
screw threads for the two nuts or rings.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the same may
be properly understood I hereunto append a sheet of explanatory drawings to be
hereinafter referred to and representing a copying press as made with my
improvements.
Figure, 1, of the accompanying drawings is a side elevation of the press, showing
the platen as raised in full lines and as depressed in dotted lines. Figure, 2, is an end
elevation, and figure, 3, is a plan. In these drawings the same reference letters are.
used to mark the same or like parts wherever they are repeated.
The bed plate, or bottom, A, of the press is represented as consisting of a wooden
board which is strengthened by metal end pieces, B, each made with a middle part
extending up to form a standard or cheek, C. A horizontal spindle, D, placed
longitudinally above the middle of the bottom plate or board, A, is held in bearings
or eyes in the upper parts of the standards, C, and is formed with right-hand and
left-hand screw threads. Internally screwed rings or nuts, E, are placed on the screw
threads of the spindle, D, and two pairs of toggle links, F, are jointed at their upper
ends to the nuts, E, their lower ends being jointed to lugs formed on a metal plate, G,
which is fixed to the top of the platen, H. This platen, H, is a wooden board
strengthened by metal angle pieces, J, at the ends. On one end of the spindle, D, there
is fixed a small flanged head or block, K, to which there is jointed a crank handle, Is,
by means of which the spindle can be turned. In figures, 1, and 2, the handle, L, is
shown in its working position, being turned so as to partly lie between the flanges of
the head, K, in which position a pin, M, having a conical or rounded point and held
in a socket from which it is made to project by a spring, enters an indentation made
for it in the flange of the head. The spring pin, M, holds the handle, L, in position
whilst the spindle is being turned, but yields when the handle is being moved into the
position in which it is shown in figure, 3, for the purpose of allowing the press to be
packed in a small space.
When the spindle, D, is turned in one direction the screw threads on it move the

page_text: toggle links, F, in the direction to make them at right angles or nearly so to the
platen, H, which they force down with increasing leverage into the position indicated
by dotted lines in figure, 1, or as near that position as the letter book that is being
pressed will allow; and the opposite movement raises the platen. As the toggle
links, F, are jointed to the platen at points on opposite sides of the centre, and at
some distance apart the pressure is better applied than when concentrated on the
centre as in ordinary copying presses.
The bed plate, A, and platen, H, or either of them may be made entirely of metal
or partly of metal and partly of any other suitable material. When the press is made
of extra size or strength, I prefer to make the standards or cheeks, C, each with a rib
on its inside, the platen, H, being formed with a notch or indentation at each end to
fit easily on the rib which will guide the platen and at the same time strengthen
the cheek.
Instead of the handle, L, being jointed to the spindle, D, as herein before described,
it may be removable, being made with a square socket to fit a squared end formed on
the spindle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
The combination of parts forming an improved copying press substantially as
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.