AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF PRINTING MACHINE
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Stift, of Minerva Cottage, Christchurch
Road, Brixton Hill, in the County of Surrey, Gentleman, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF PRINTING MACHINE."
Sealed the 26th July 1853, and dated the 13th May 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Stift' at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
18th May 1858.
I, GEORGE STIFF, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF PRINTING MACHINE" to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to produce a simple construction of
printing machine, which will admit of the operation of printing being
carried on with great facility. For this purpose I make the table which
carries the type slightly convex, and mount it on a reciprocating frame,
which will alternately carry the type under inking rollers to be inked,
and under a pressing roller to which the sheets of paper to be printed
on are fed by tapes or any other suitable contrivance. The table is so
mounted on its frame that it will yield to any undue pressure, but will
retain its elevation when no extraneous substance is present between it
and the pressing roller. It is kept up to its proper position by means of
springs interposed between the table and the frame, and it is held down
to the frame by retaining screws or their equivalents.

page_text: When I wish to print off high numbers I propose to mount two or
more of these reciprocating frames in a line, and so arrange their
motions relatively to the forms of type which they carry (with a view to
perfecting) that the paper may be passed from one "form" to the next,
and so on by any convenient arrangement of conducting tapes or
analogous contrivances that it may pass through the whole series with-
out delay, and be "perfected" or "semi-perfected" in this combined
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Stiff in the Great Seal Patent Office,
on the 12th November 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
GEORGE STIFF, of Minerva Cottage, Christchurch Road, Brixton Hill,
in the County of Surrey, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of May, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said George Stiff, Her special licence
that I, the said George Stiff, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said George Stiff, my executors, administra-
tors, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times thereafter during the term thercin ex-
pressed, should and lawfully might make, usc, exercisc, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION
OF PRINTING MACHINE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said George Stiff, 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 per-
formed, 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 George Stiff, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to

page_text: be performed; to, be particularly described and ascertained in and.by.the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto au-
nexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say): "
The object of this Invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive
construction of printing machine, which will admit of the operation of
printing being carried on with great facility. For this purpose I make
the table which carries, .the type slightly convex, and mount it on a
reciprocating frame which will alternately carry the type under inking
rollers to be inked, and under a. pressing cylinder to which the sheets of
paper to be printed on are fed by tapes or any other suitable contrivance.
The accompanying Drawing shews so much of a printing press
as will serve to explain the nature of my Invention, a, is a rock shaft,
which is intended to rest' in béarings in the frame of the machine.
Mounted on this rock shaft is a radius frame b, to thic upper end of
which a segment table c, is attached for carrying the type. Immediately
above this table is a pressing cylinder d, mounted on a shaft e, which
receives rotary motion from any first mover. The power for effecting
the reciprocating motion of the tablo c, is communicated to the frame b,
from the shaft c, by means of two pairs of rods f, f', the former of which
is jointed at one end to a pair of crank arms on the shaft e, or. to studs
projecting from one of the arms at the ends of the pressing cylinder d,
while the other ends of the rod f, are jointed to the rods f¹, the opposite
ends of which are connected to the frame b. The studs which connect
the pairs of rods together work in fixed guides g, carried by the main
framing; and thus, while the pressing cylinder d, receives a continuous
rotary motion, a smooth vibrating motion is communicated to the table
which carries the type.
It will be understood that the movements of the table and the
pressing cylinder must be so timed that they will both travel with the
same surface speed, or otherwise no clear impression could be produced.
Instead of the arrangement of rods above described, the motion might
be transmitted to the table by a crank rod, working an excentric set in
a strap or circular guide carried by the frame. That part of the
periphery of the pressing cylinder which imparts pressure to the type
must stand out beyond the other part, in order that the pressure may
be taken off the type after every impression to allow of the discharge

page_text: thereof from the press, as well as to permit of the return motion of the
table and the passage of the type under the inking rollers to prepare it
for a repetition of the printing operation.
The paper to be printed is fed into the machine from the feeding
board h, and after the impression is taken the sheets are delivered out
of the machine by the rollers i, i. I find it advisable so to mount the
table on its frame that it will yield to any undue pressure, but retain
its elevation when no extraneous substance is present between it and
the pressing cylinder. To this end I keep it up to its proper position
by means of springs interposed between the table and the frame, and
hold it down to the frame by retaining screws or their equivalents.
When I wish to print off high numbers I propose to mount two or
more of the reciprocating frames 6, in a line, and so arrange their
motions relatively to the "forms" of type which they carry (with a
view to perfecting) that the paper may be passed from one "form"
to the next, and so on by any convenient arrangement of conducting
tapes or analogous contrivances that it may pass through the whole
series without delay, and be "perfected" or "semi-perfected" in this
combined machinery.
Having now described my Invention of an improved construction of
printing machine, and explained the manner of carrying the same into
effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited
Letters Patent I claim the employment of a reciprocating segment table
for traversing the type under the pressing cylinder, as above described..
In witness whereof, I, the said George Stift; have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT.
66, Chancery Lane.
GEORGE STIFF. (L.S.)