IMPROVEMENTS IN COPYING PRESSES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER PRESSES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred George Brookes, of 62, Chancery Lanc, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN COPYING
PRESSES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER PRESSES." A
communication from abroad by Charles Eugène Farjon, of Brussels, in the
Kingdom of Belgium, Mechanic.
led the 19th January 1877, and dated the 21st July 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred George Brookes at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st July 1876.
ALFRED GEORGE BROOKES, of 62, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN COPYING PRESSES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE
TO OTHER PRESSES." A. communication from abroad by Charles Eugène Farjon,
of Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Mechanic.
This Invention consists, firstly, in the improvements herein-after described in the
construction of parts of copying and other presses, so as to afford the means of
regulating and adjusting the distance between the travelling plate and the fixed or
base plate of such presses, in order to adapt them for use with books or articles of
varying thicknesses.
According to this Invention the travelling plate is connected to the fixed plate or
basis of the press at each end of the said plates, or at suitable parts thereof, by
a screw bolt or pin passing-through the travelling plate, and engaging in a hole
The
screwed internally in a boss formed on the fixed or base plate of the press.
said screw bolt or pin is provided with a head or handle, by means of which it may
be turned or caused to enter more or less into the boss above referred to, and thus
to vary the distance between the two plates as required. The upper end of the
said screw bolt or pin may be affixed to or may traverse the pressure bar of the
press.
When a pressure bar is used the distance between the plates may be regulated by
means of a female screw or nut upon the lower end of the screw bolt or pin, which
in this case traverses the base plate of the press, such plate being raised on legs or
otherwise, so as to afford space for the said nut to work in.
Or each of the said screw bolts or pins may screw into a socket connected to the

page_text: base plate, and either the screw bolts or the sockets may be made capable of turning,
Bo as to regulate the distance required.
Or one screw bolt or pin may be similarly employed working in a socket, which
with the said screw bolt or pin traverses the centre of the pressure bar; or short
metal tubes screwed externally may be connected by suitable joints, one to each
end of the pressure bar, so as to be capable of turning or rotating; and other short
metal tubes of rather larger diameter and screwed internally may be affixed, one to
each end of the base plate, the travelling plate being traversed by the upper tubes,
and the upper and lower tubes screwed one into the other, the distance between the
travelling plate and base plate may be readily adjusted as required.
Or a tube screwed internally and provided with a suitable head or handle may
be passed through each end of the pressure bar, and traversing the travelling plate
may be caused to engage upon a screw bolt or pin affixed to the base plate of the
press.
In some cases the pressure bar may be connected to the base plate by short rods
passing through the travelling plate, and connected to the base plate by pins or
wedges traversing one of several holes in the said rods.
The connections between the pressure bar or travelling plate and the base plate
may be inclosed in a tubular metal telescopic casing, formed of two or more tubes
The return motion to the travelling plate
capable of sliding one within the other.
is given by a spiral spring inside or outside the said telescopic casing.
This Invention consists, secondly, in the improvements herein-after described in
the means of communicating motion and pressure to the travelling plate of copying
and other presses, by which the ordinary.central pressure bar may be dispensed
with. Upon the lower ends of the screw pins or, bolts used to connect the
travelling plate to the base plate are formed rings through which passes a horizontal
rod provided with a cam. Upon the end of the said rod is a lever or handle, by
turning which lever or handle the said rod is made to rotate partially, and the cam
presses upon the under side of the base plate and draws down the travelling plato
as required.
Or upon the top of each of the connecting pins or bolts a T head is formed, and
a cam lever is mounted upon the arms of the said head, and by turning the said
lever over from one side to the other the travelling plate may be forced down or
released.
Or the upper ends of the connecting bolts affixed by their lower ends to the base
plate take each into a female screw resting by a flange upon the travelling plate,
and provided with a lever or handle, by turning which lever or handle the travelling
plate may be screwed down or released as required.
The upper or travelling plate of the press, when its actuating levers do not move
over it, may have affixed.upon it note files, letter weighers, or other small accessories
of an office or writing table.
The improvements herein-before described are also applicable to presses for
stamping or embossing photographs, paper, cardboard, or thin or soft inetal surfaces.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alfred George Brookes in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th
January 1877.
ALFRED GEORGE BROOKES, of 62, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN COPYING PRESSES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE
TO OTHER PRESSES." A communication from abroad by Charles Eugène Farjon,
of Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Mechanic.
The said Invention relates to improvements in the construction or combination
and arrangement of the parts of copying and other like presses, whereby I am

page_text: enabled to obtain a cheaper, lighter, and more compact press than heretofore, with
which are combined other advantages, herein-after specified.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to the
several Figures on the explanatory Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the same
letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 of the Drawings represents a transverse vertical section of the simplest
form of my improved copying press; and Figure 2 is a corresponding plan of the
same drawn to a scale of one-third the full size.
A is the travelling plate, and B the base plate, which requires no special stand or
support for the same, as the press may be used on an ordinary table. In this par-
ticular arrangement the travelling plate is connected to the base plate at each side
or end of the said plates by screw bolts a, a, the one being by preference a right-
handed screw, and the other a left-handed one. These screw bolts pass freely
through the travelling plate at or near the edges thereof, so as to leave ample space
for the reception of the book or other article to be operated upon, and engage at
their lower ends in holes screwed internally in bosses b, formed on or secured to
the base plate. Each of the screw bolts a is provided with a head c and actuating
handle d, the handles being grasped one in each hand of the operator, and turned
outwards or inwards, as the case may be, in order to depress or elevate the travelling
plate. The screws and handles are by preference so arranged that when the
travelling plate is in its normal position or out of action the handles shall lie across
the plate or assume the positions indicated in Figure 2, so as to occupy as little
space as possible.
On applying pressure or when lowering the position of the travelling plate the
handles are each turned either towards or from the operator simultaneously, as indi-
cated by the dotted circles, one half a revolution being generally sufficient to apply
the necessary nip or pressure, provided the height of the travelling plate has been
previously regulated by turning the screws, so that it will just receive the copying
book C or other article beneath it, as shown clearly in Figure 2.
c, e, are helical springs surrounding the screw bolts and bearing against the
travelling and base plates, their object being to lift the travelling plate again when
the screw bolts are turned in the reverse direction for the removal of the pressure.
If preferred for the sake of greater neatness the screw bolts and springs may be
concealed by being enclosed in telescopic tubular casings, one portion of which is
attached to the travelling plate, and the other to the base plate.
It is obvious that in lieu of the screw bolts turning in internal screwed bosses on
the base plate, and having fixed heads, as in Figure 1, they may be cast or otherwise
secured to the base plate, and have nuts with handles attached at their upper ends
working above the travelling plate.
Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section, and Figure 4 a corresponding plan of a
slightly modified arrangement of copying press, wherein special provision is mado
for regulating the height of the travelling plate A above the base plate B for the
accommodation of books or other articles of different thicknesses, the nip or pressure
being given by a separate and independent action. In this arrangement the screw
bolts a, a, are not required to rotate, and are therefore made square at the upper
ends of their shanks, and fit into square holes in the sides of the travelling plate.
The lower ends of the screws pass freely through the base plate B, and have each a
thumb nut f, f, screwed thereon. To the head of each screw there is pivotted an
actuating lever handle d, having an eccentric or cain-shaped boss g, which bears
against the surface of the travelling plate A or against a steel washer fitted thereon.
The travelling plate is maintained elevated or is lifted after being depressed by
the action of helical springs arranged precisely as described in reference to Figure 1,
but which I have not considered it necessary to repeat in Figure 3. The eccentric
boss of one of the actuating levers or handles is shown in section in order to illus-
trate more clearly its connection with the screw head. In the normal condition of

page_text: the press I prefer that these handles & shall lie across the travelling plate (see
Figure 4) for the purpose before mentioned.
When it is desired to regulate the maximum height of the travelling plate above
the base plate, it is simply requisite to turn the thumb nuts f, f, accordingly, which
has the effect of drawing down more or less the screw bolts a, a, and with them the
travelling plate, or vice versa. The press having been thus adjusted to suit the
thickness of the book or other article to be pressed, the nip or pressure is applied by
a half turn outwards in a vertical plane of the lever handles d, as indicated by the
dotted arcs in Figure 3.
.
If desired, the screw bolts may be made to turn freely in the travelling plate, and
engage in internal screwed bosses or holes in the base plate, whereby the adjusting
nuts may be dispensed with, the adjustment of the height of the travelling plate
being accomplished by turning the screw bolts by the aid of the lever handles, as in
the first described arrangement, whilst the final nip or pressure is applied by the
action of the eccentric bosses g, g, as above described.
Figure 5 is a transverse vertical section, and Figure 6 a corresponding plan of
the under side of the base plate of a further modification of copying press. In this
arrangement the adjustment of the maximum height of the travelling plate A above
the base plate B is effected by the internal screwed sockets h, h, which are capable
of being turned freely by hand in holes inade to receive them in or near the sides or
edges of the travelling plate, shoulders or flanges being formed on such sockets, so as
to bear upon the surface of the said plate. The upper ends of the screw bolts a, a,
which in this case receive no rotary motion, engage inside the rotary sockets h, h,
whilst their lower ends play freely in holes in the base plate B, and have each an
eye or ring formed on them at i, i, for the reception underneath the base plate of
the journals of a rocking shaft . This shaft carries or has formed thereon one or
more eccentrics or cams 7, l, which bear against the under side of the base plate.
One of the before-mentioned journals is prolonged outside the base plate, and has
an actuating lever handle d keyed or otherwise secured thereon. In order to afford
space for the said rocking shaft and eccentric the base plate of the press should
be slightly elevated by being provided with projecting feet m, as shown in the
Drawing.
In order to regulate or adjust the height of the travelling plate A, the screwed
sockets are turned more or less in either direction, as required; and when the book
or other article has been introduced into the press, the final nip or pressure is
applied by pulling over the lever handle d, thereby partially turning the eccentric
or cam 1, which by its upward pressure against the under side of the base plate
forces downwards the rocking shaft , and with it the screw bolts and travelling
plate. The same arrangement of springs as in Figure 1 is also adopted in this press
for the same object, although not repeated in the Drawing. This arrangement of
press, by leaving the surface of the travelling plate entirely free, admits of the said
plate being fitted up with note files, letter weighers, pens, pencils, and other small
accessories of an office or writing desk.
Any of the peculiar arrangements of presses herein-before described, when con-
structed of suitable dimensions, may be advantageously employed for stamping or
embossing photograplis, paper, cardboard, or thin or soft metal surfaces, or may be
used as amateur hand printing presses.
When constructed for embossing photograph mounts, an oval or other opening
according to taste is made in the travelling plate, as indicated by a dotted line in
Figure 4, in order to allow of the bulging of the cardboard, which is placed upon an
india-rubber bed on the base plate, when the pressure is applied, whilst at the same
time a perfectly unimpeded view of that portion of the mount during the operation
is obtained.
For light, portable, and compact copying presses suitable for travellers I make
the top and bottom plates of hard wood, with brass or other metal mounts to receive
the screws and other actuating and adjusting parts.

page_text: Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect, I
would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part Letters
Patent is, the constructions or combinations and arrangements of the parts of
copying and other like presses, as and for the objects herein-before described and
illustrated by the Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred George Brookes, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
ALFRED GEORGE BROOKES. (L.S.)
Witness,
F. J. RAPSON,
Clerk to E. P. Alexander,
14, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane,
W.C.