Improvements in Hand Printing, Letter Copying, Impressing, or Compressing Presses.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Apr., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 21st Jan., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 2nd Mar., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Hand Printing, Letter Copying, Impressing, or
Compressing Presses.
We, SAMUEL BRADDON MCCALLUM, of 122 Union Street, Plymouth, in the County
of Devon, Printer and Publisher, and THEOPHILUS SEPTIMUS MCCALLUM, of Standard
Chambers, Neville Street Nowcastle-upon-Tyne, in the County of Northumberland,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
Our invention has for its object improvements in the construction, &c. of platen
letter press printing presses, particularly as to the mode of applying the pressure,
the form of hinges and the inking arrangement.
.
The bed of press (which remains stationary) is raised slightly on legs or otherwise
so as to allow an open space between it and the table, bench or other stand upon
which the press rests. The platen is hinged to the bed at one side, the hinges being
made self-adjusting (so that the pressure may be even) by means of the pin or bar
of the hinge passing through a vertical slot instead of the ordinary close fitting hole.
The mode of applying the pressure is as follows. Attached to either end of the
platen is a "lug" which reaches a little below the underside of bed, the lower end of
these lugs being in the form of a hook. Similar lugs are attached to the bed but
with the hooks in the opposite direction. Passing along underneath the bed of press.
is a rod or bar, attached to which-eccentrically-are two discs or wheels; also
fastened to one end of this bar is a lever handle at right angles to the said bar. On
the platen being.closed, the ends of the bar are made to bear upon the hooks of the
lugs attached to platen; and the eccentric wheels are so arranged and fixed to bar
that as the handle is pushed down they hear against the underside of bed (or against
bearings attached to bed) and thus give the desired pressure by drawing down the
platen. The pressure increases to any extent according to the amount the handle is
pressed, and by means of a regulating screw the handle is stopped at any desired
point. On the handle being raised the pressure is released. Attached to the sides
of eccentrics are small projections, which, on the handle being further raised, catch in
the hooks of the lugs which are fixed to bed. By this means the axis of movement

page_text: .
of the bar is transferred to the lugs of bed, thus (on handle being further moved in
the same direction) allowing the ends of bar to become clear of the lugs of platen
and so allow the latter to be lifted for removing the printed paper, attaching a clean
sheet and inking type. The platen is again closed, the handle is again pressed,
retransferring the axis of movement of the bar and eccentrics, and so on as before.
The bar and eccentrics may also be above platen, and the plan may be modified in
various ways, such as the eccentric bar being thrown out of gear by other means
than the lugs.
When it is desired to have the press self-inking, the following plan is adopted.
Attached to the two corners of platen which are upon the opposite side to the hinge
are two pins, upon each of which a flat bar works. The other end of the bars are
connected to the ends of inking rollers. Beside the press is an ink table.
platen is raised the rollers are thus drawn from the ink table on to the type, the
reverse action taking place as the platen is lowered.
As the
The press is preferably constructed of iron (with planed type bed and platen) but
may be of any suitable material or size. An attachment is provided for stretching
and fixing the blanket to platen.
The press may also be used as a letter-copying press, or for any purpose where
pressure is required in a similar manner.
1 1000

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Hand Printing, Letter-copying, Impressing, or
Compressing Presses.
We, SAMUEL BRADDON MCCALLUM, of 122, Union Street, Plymouth, in the
County of Devon, Printer & Publisher, and THEOPHILUS SEPTIMUS MCCALLUM,
of 114 Elizabeth Street, Cheetham, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Civil
Engineer do hereby declare 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 :--
Our invention has for its object improvements in the construction, etc. of platen
letterpress printing presses, particularly as to the mode of applying the pressure, the
form of binges and the inking arrangement.
The bed of press (which remains stationary and so prevents spaces working up)
is raised slightly on legs or otherwise so as to allow an open space between it and the
table, hench or other stand upon which the press rests. The platen is hinged to. the
bed at one side, the hinges being made self-adjusting (so that the pressure may be
even) by means of the pin or bar of hinge passing through a vertical slot, instead of
the ordinary close-fitting hole. The mode preferred for constructing this binge is to
have a small projection at two corners of the face of platen, through circular holes
in which a small iron bar passes. The bar is thus fixed and has a small space between
it and platen. Attached near to. the corresponding corners on the bed of press are
pieces of iron, each having a slot the exact width of the diameter of bar (or slightly
wider than it) and through which the bar passes. These slots are of such a length
that when the pressure is applied (as bereinafter described) the bar does not touch
either the top or the bottom of them and therefore the hinge does not interfere with the
even distribution of pressure. The bottom of slot is so arranged that the bar falls
on to it as soon as the platen has been slightly raised, but soon enough to prevent a
slurr being caused by the platen bearing on edge of forme. Wood bearers -inch
high are inserted on each end of bed when a small forme of tpye is to be printed so
as to bring the face of platen parallel with the face of bed and to keep it in that
position while pressure is applied. The platen is kept in its place longitudinally by
means of the bed portion of hinge working close to the platen portion; and
transversely by means of the bar working in the slots which are vertical. The
hinge may also be formed by transposing the positions of bar and slots; or by having
two short hars or pins instead of one bar extending the whole length.
The mode of applying the pressure is as follows. Attached to either end of the
platen is a lug which reaches a little below the underside of bed, the lower end of
35 these lugs being in the form of a hook; the hook being towards the back of press
or side nearest the hinge. Similar lugs are attached to or cast on the bed, but with
the hook in the opposite direction. The lugs on platen are so arranged that the centre
of the hook is immediately under the central line of platen; the lugs on bed are

page_text: .
:
fixed at a slight angle and their hooks are a short distance behind and lower than
those of the lugs on the platen. Passing along underneath the bed of press is a rod
or bar, attached to which, eccentrically, are two discs or wheels placed a short
distance from the ends. For the purpose of actuating the bar, a lever handle (which
may be half-round and hollowed) is fixed at one end and at about right angles
thereto. The eccentric discs or wheels are so arranged that a line intersecting their
centre and the centre of the bar is about at right angles to the handle, and when the
handle is vertical the position of the centre of eccentrics with relation to the centre
of bar is towards the hinge of press in a horizontal direction. Attached to the sides
of eccentrics (nearly in line with handle) are small projections in such a position
that when the handle is about vertical- they catch in the hooks of the lugs which are
fixed to the bed. The handle is prevented from going more than a few degrees beyond
the perpendicular by the bar resting against the upper part of lugs. The bar is
prevented from moving out of its place longitudinally by the eccentrics working
close to the bed lugs. When it is desired to apply pressure, the platen is lowered.
The handle is then moved forwards and downwards, and until it reaches an angle of
about forty degrees with the horizontal the axis of movement of the bar (with
eccentrics) is upon the projections working in the lugs which are fixed to the bed.
At this point however the bar has become thrown forward sufficiently to catch the
hooks of the platen lugs, and on the movement of handle being continued the axis
of movement is transferred to the bar working in the hooks of platen lugs. As soon
as the bar. (which is round near its ends) touches these lugs, the eccentrics begin to
bear upon, the underside of the bed (or against bearings attached to bed), the
pressure gradually increasing as the handle is moved further, until sufficient has
been obtained. The movement obtained in the manner above described tends to force
the bed and the hooks of platen lugs apart, as the eccentrics between the two act
somewhat in the manner of wedges although giving better results with the exertion
of less power and in less time; and as the hooks of platen lugs are below the bed,
the platen and bed are drawn together, that is the platen is drawn down on to the
type. On the handle being raised the pressure is released, and the reverse action
takes place, the bar becoming clear of the platen lugs so as to allow the platen to be
lifted (for moving the printed paper, attaching a clean sheet and inking type). One
continuous movement of the handle without change of direction is sufficient to either
apply or release the pressure, and as this (and raising and lowering platen) is all
that is required speedy printing is the result. If necessary the same movement of
handle can be made to open and close platen. The bar and eccentrics may also be
above platen; and the principle may be modified in various ways such as the eccentric
bar being thrown out of gear by other means than hooked lugs one plan being to
have a projection on edge of eccentric wheels instead of on sides. The bar. may
also have one eccentric only so as to more easily equalise the pressure when
constructing. The position of the lugs and the direction of. their hooks and the
positions of eccentrics on bar may also be reversed. The handle of eccentric bar
may be at either end. The eccentrics give a very strong pressure (quite differently
from a mere lever to press down the platen); and in order to regulate the amount to
suit different formes à moveable screw or bolt and nut is passed through a projection
on the bar which bears against some convenient part of the underside of bed when
the handle is pressed down sufficiently. The maximum pressure is obtained when
the handle is about horizontal, but the whole of this pressure is scarcely ever
.required.
For the purpose of fixing and stretching the blanket on platen the following plan
is adopted. A wide hem is formed on one edge of the blanket through which the
hinge rod is passed. On the opposite edge of platen are two projections similar to
those for hinge rod, and through these a rod likewise passes; one end projects beyond
the end of platen and is bent to act as a handle, and the rod has some sharp projections
on it to grip the blanket. The blanket is then passed around rod which is turned
round and the blanket thus stretched. The rod is then locked with a nut at each
end. The rods are prevented from bending by small lugs on platen.

page_text: To enable the platen to be more easily lifted a balance weight is attached. A
short lug is fixed to the top of platen over. hinge, and to this is fastened by a holt
a small bar at the end of which is a weight projecting over, beyond the side of press.
This bar works over the bolt with a slot (and guides) so that when the weight
touches the table the platen may still further be raised. A stop is placed to prevent
platen falling too far back when opened. A small handle may be fixed to side or
end of platen for lifting.
A ledge or rebate is formed on the front edge of press for the purpose of resting
a galley when sliding on or off a tied-up forme. Small pins are fixed in face of bed
for the purpose of keeping the chase in position; one edge of chase is cut to fit
these.
When it is desired to have the press self-inking the following plan is adopted.
Attached to the two corners of platen which are upon the opposite side to the hinge
are two pins (or the blanket bar may be used) upon each of which a flat bar works.
The other end of the bars are connected to the ends of inking rollers; the roller ends
work in oval holes or vertical slots formed in the ends of bars, which are considerably
widened at this point. Beside the press is an ink-table, which may be level or
sloping. As the platen is raised the rollers are thus drawn from the ink table on to
the type, and the bars are of such length that the whole of the forme is inked. The
reverse action takes place when the platen is closed. The bars may either have
wheels or may be curved at the ends, in either .case being made to run along at
ends of bed of press so that the weight of rollers only bear on the type; when on
ink table the ends of bars are supported by rollers. The bars are guided by strips
fastened to ends of press and continued along ink table; the ends of chase also act
as guides.
.
An ink feeder may be employed either by a revolving disc, or by an ink duct
(with regulating screws) and iron roller. In the latter case the iron roller is made
to turn around a little after each impression by means of the end of one of the roller
bars acting upon a ratchet wheel. One of the inking rollers touches the iron roller
cach time and thus maintains the supply of ink on table.
A frisket may be applied to the platen by being hinged to the hinge bar of platen.
It may be made self-acting by means of a horizontal spiral spring being formed at
hinge (around rod) and one end of spring resting on bed or under chase so as to
keep frisket against platen; or the spring may be clear of rod so as to enable frisket
to be easily removed."
A rotary or other action may be applied to the press.
The press may also be used as a letter copying press, or for any purpose where
pressure is required in a similar manner.
The press is preferably constructed of cast iron (with planed type bed and platen),
the lugs being of maleable cast iron and hinge rod, blanket rod and bolts and nuts of
wrought iron; but it may be of any suitable material or size. Suitable strengthening
ribs, etc. are used where required.
In order that our said invention may be most fully understood and readily carried
into effect, we will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
Figure I is a perspective view of the press when open (without ink table).
Figure II is a perspective view of the press when closed and the pressure applied.
Figure III is a section through press when open (with ink table); the position of
handle is dotted.
Figure IV is a section through press when closed and pressure applied for printing.
Figure V is an enlarged diagram of the eccentric bar and eccentrics, shewing the
mode of changing the position of the axis of movement by one movement of handle.
The position of eccentrics when pressure is applied is dotted, and when press
is open
by a firm line. The positions of the handle in each case is indicated by a thin and
thick dotted line respectively.
Figure VI is a plan of the eccentric rod or bar.
Figure VII is an enlarged diagram of the self-adjusting hinge.

page_text: For the sake of clearness the type, chase, frisket, blanket and padding are omitted;
likewise the alternative arrangements.
The reference letters indicating the various parts are as follows;-a, bed of press;
b, platen; c, hinge; d, blanket rod; e, balance weight; f, eccentric bar; g, eccentrics;
h, projection on side of eccentrics; i, regulating screw; j, lugs on platen; k; lugs on
bed, galley ledge; m, handle; n, ink table; o, roller bars; p, roller guides; q, ink
duct; r, iron roller; s, inking rollers.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is. to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is―
1. The application of pressure to platen printing and other presses by means of
eccentrics placed under the bed substantially as described.
2. The transferring of the axis of movement of eccentric bar. from one point or
pair of lugs to the other by one movement of handle substantially as described.
3. The self-adjusting hinges made by means of a bar working in vertical slots
substantially as described.
4. The self-inking arrangement by means of rollers connected to platen substantially
as described.
5. The combination of the different parts and the various devices substantially as
described, and as represented by the annexed drawings.
Dated this 17th day of January 1889.
SAMUEL BRADDON MCCALLUM.
THEOPHILUS SEPTIMUS MCCALLUM.