IMPROVEMENTS IN LITHOGRAPHIC PRINTING PRESSES
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Andrew Maclure, of Walbrook, in the City of*
London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LITHOGRAPHIC
PRINTING PRESSES."
Sealed the 18th March 1854, and dated the 29th October 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Andrew Maclure,
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 29th October 1853.
I, ANDREW MACLURE, of Walbrook, in the City of London, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Juvention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LITHOGRAPHIC PRINTING PRESSES " to be as follows:-
.
This Invention has for its object a peculiar combination of mechanical
parts by which the damping and inking of the stone are more advan-
tageously accomplished. And the improvements are applicable to those
lithographic printing presses where the stone is stationary, or where for
a time during the damping and inking processes it becomes stationary..
For this purpose the damping apparatus (which consists of a roller
or sponge and water: trough) is combined with inking rollers and ink

page_text: trough, and they have a travérsing motion given to them so as to
traverse over the printing surface and back, and thus to damp and ink
the printing surfaces when at rest.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said. Andrew Maclure-in-the-Great-Seal-Patent Office
on the 29th April 1854.
*
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I.
ANDREW MACLURE, of Walbrook, in the City of London, send
greeting.
24.
WHEREAS, Her most Excellen tMajesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
seventeenth year of Her reign, did, for. Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Andrew Maclure,, Her special
licence that I, the said Andrew Maclure, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Andrew. Maclure, 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 LITHOGRAPHIC PRINTING PRESSES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Andrew Maclure, 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 Andrew Maclure, 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):.

page_text: This Invention has for its object a peculiar combination of mechanical
parts, by which the damping and inking of the stone are more.advan-
tageously accomplished; and the improvements are applicable to those
lithographic printing presses where the stone is stationary, or where for
a time during the damping and inking processes it becomes stationary.
For this purpose the damping apparatus (which consists of a roller or
sponge and water trough) is combined with inking rollers and ink
trough; and they have a traversing motion given to them. so as to
traverse over the printing surface and back, and thus to damp and ink
the printing surfaces when at rest.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed
to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1, is a plan; Figure 2, a side view; and Figure 3, a section
of so much of a lithographic printing apparatus as will serve to illustrate
my Invention.
a, is the main driving shaft or axis, having thereon a
bevilled pinion b, which travels loosely on the axis a, when the inking
and damping apparatus is at rest. The pinion, has formed or fixed
thereon a clutch, and c, is a corresponding clutch which slides on a
feather a' of the shaft a; d, is a lever by which the clutch c, is caused
to slide on the feather into the clutch on the bevilled pinion b,
by means of which the pinion b, becomes fast on the axis a; the
pinion b, takes into and drives the bevilled toothed. .wheel e, on the
axis fg, is a crank affixed at the upper part of the shaft f which
carries the toothed wheel h, on the pin or axis. g'; the teeth of
the wheel h, take into the teeth of the circular rack i, by which
the wheel h, is caused to revolve on its axis. g'; the toothed wheel h;
has an upward pin or projection ', which enters the slot in the cross-
bar of the frame j, j, by which the frame j, j, and parts connected
therewith receive a to-and-fro action. The frame jj, carries the damp-
ing roller, and inking rollers 1, 1. On the frame.jj, are adjustable
inclines, which, while the inking of the printing surface goes on,
come against the tail ends m', m', of the bell crank levers m, m, so as
to raise the other ends m², m²; of the bell crank levers ni, m, carrying

page_text: the roller m in such manner as to cause the roller m³ to come in
contact with the ink roller w, and so receive ink therefrom, and thei
after the passage away of the inclines jj; the roller m³ falls with its
gravity, and deposits its ink upon the distributing roller m', from which
the inking rollers.1, 1, are supplied.,, are pins or projections from
the frame.,, which serve to carry the connecting links, which
connect the frame j, j, with one of the rollers 7, the other roller 1, being.
connected therewith by the links, The damping roller is con-
nected with the frame j, by the links.', k, attached to pins, Ps of
the frame j., k², are cups to hold a supply of water for damping the
printing surface before it receives a fresh supply of ink from the rollers
1, 7. On one end of the main driving shaft or axis a, is a pinion 1, which
gives motion to a train of wheels that work the several ink rollers, such
train of wheels being shewn by the dotted circles which represent the
pitch lines of each wheel; the pinion », takes into and drives a toothed
wheel n', carried by a stud in the framing which gives motion to
another toothed wheel n, taking into and driving the pinion, which
pinion n drives the toothed wheel.' on the axis m of the distributing
roller m the pinion n, also takes into and drives the toothed wheel v,
working on a stud carried by the framing, such wheel o, taking into
and driving the pinion o' on the axis o²; there is a pulley p, also on
the axis o, which by a cord 7, passing around it, and another pulley 1,
on the axis s, causes the axis s, and toothed wheel t, affixed thereon, to
travel in the direction of the arrows; the toothed pinion t, takes into
and drives the toothed wheel ", on the axis v, of the ink roller. Ou
the periphery of the bevilled toothed wheel e, is an inclined projection
e', see Plan, Fig. 1, which, as soon as the frame j,j, and parts comected
therewith, have travelled their proper distance, that is, once to and fro,
comes against the catch of the clutch c, and causes the sliding
portion of the clutch, to travel back again on the 'feather, and
carry, with it the lever d, which is then in a position to be acted on,
as before, by the attendant's foot, as soon as an. impression has been
struck off, and the printing surface returned again to be damped and
inked. The inking rollers 1, pass twice over the printing surface,
hat is, forward and backward, but the damping roller k, only passes

page_text: once over such surface, that is, in advance of the rollers 1, 1; but on the
return of the frame j, j, and rollers k, l, l, the roller k, is raised in the
following manner: the links, k', come against inclines on the frame
or supports a, a, shown by dots in. Fig. 2, by which the roller k,
and the links k, k', will be slightly elevated, and the spring catches
of the frame j, j, will be pressed into the notches,³, of the
links k, k, by the springs, by which such elevation of the roller k,
and ends of the links k', ', will be maintained until the ends ",", of
the catches, come against the adjustable stops j, by which the
springs will be overcome, and the catches will be withdrawn from
the notches of the links k', and the roller & will fall into its former
position ready to act again as before.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I would have it understood that I
make no claim to any of the parts separately, nor do I confine myself
to the details herein described; and I would state that I am aware
that machinery has before been constructed wherein moving litho-
graphic stones have been damped and inked by the working of the
machinery, and during the movement of the stones; I do not, therefore,
claim the damping and inking lithographic stones by the working of
the machinery when the stones are moved in the working of the presses
during the damping and inking processes; but what I claim is, the
combining apparatus herein described for damping and inking litho
graphic stones when fixed, or for the time being stationary, in lithographic
printing presses.
In witness whereof, I, the said Andrew Maclure, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of April, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
FRED HARRIS.
ANDREW MACLURE. (L.S.)