IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING PRESSES
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Braidwood, of the City and State of
New York, United States of America, at present residing at No. 4,
-Clayton Square, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, for the
وو
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Braidwood at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 24th August 1870.
I, WILLIAM BRAIDWOOD, of the City and State of New York, United
States of America, at present residing at No. 4, Clayton Square,
Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING PRESSES," to be as.
follows:-
•
My Invention relates to job and card platen printing presses, and
consists of novel arrangements and combinations of the whole and of
some of the parts of such presses. On a supporting frame of any

page_text: suitable construction a platen is made to vibrate and come into contact
at the end of each double vibration with the form, which is secured to
a vertical and stationary bed in the supporting frame. The platen is
caused to vibrate from a crank pin on the driving shaft by connecting
rods one at each side. The ends of these connecting rods are fitted
with springs and set screws for the purpose of giving a period of rest
to the platen during the time each successive sheet is being fed to it
and the work being done. The inking of the form is effected by a
roller carriage made to move up and down in the supporting frame, such
roller carriage being operated from the connecting rods, whereby the
platen is actuated. One or more rollers, four are preferred, are fitted in
the roller carriage; these receive ink from a cylinder provided with one
or more, two being preferred, supplementary rollers. When four rollers
-are-used-the-lower two receive ink from the cylinder direct, and the top
two from the supplementary rollers.-
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,.
filed by the said William Braidwood in the Great Seal Patent Office
-on the 24th February 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
BRAIDWOOD, of the City and State of New York, United States of
America, at present residing at No. 4, Clayton Square, Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-.
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Braidwood, Her special
licence, that I, the said William Braidwood, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Braidwood,
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:

page_text: Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN PRINTING PRESSES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said William Braidwood, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, 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 William Braidwood, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Sheet of illustrative Drawings forming part of this Specification, and to
the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say:
My Invention relates to job and card platen printing presses, and
consists of novel arrangements and combinations of the whole and of
some of the parts of such presses. On a supporting frame of any
suitable construction a platen is made to vibrate and come into contact
at the end of each double vibration with the form, which is secured to
a vertical and stationary bed in the supporting frame. The platen is
caused to vibrate from a crank pin on the driving shaft by connecting
rods, one at cach side. The ends of these connecting rods are fitted with
springs and set screws for the purpose of giving a period of rest to
the platen during the time each successive sheet is being fed to it and
the work being done. The inking of the form is effected by a roller
carriage made to move up and down in the supporting frame, such
roller carriage being operated from the connecting rods whereby the
platen is actuated. One or more rollers, four are preferred, are fitted
in the roller carriage; these receive ink from a cylinder provided with
one or more, two being preferred, supplementary rollers. When four
rollers are used the lower two receive ink from the cylinder direct and
the top two from the supplementary rollers.
On the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation
of a machine arranged to be operated by a treadle, the platen being
shewn lowered and in the position it occupies during the period of rest;
Fig. 2, a longitudinal section_at about the line A, B; Fig. 3, a front

page_text: elevation, the platen being raised into the position it occupies when
an impression is being taken from the type; Fig. 4 a plan view; and
Figs. 5, 6, and 7, views hereafter. described, shewing how the machine
can be readily adjusted for printing in colours. In Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4,
similar letters indicate the same parts.
A denotes the supporting frame with bed for the type frame at a;
B treadle board moving on or with the rod b; connecting rod; b²
crank on the shaft ; toothed driving wheels; C, toothed wheels
secured on the shaft c and geared with 6. D, platen connecting rods
coupled to the eccentric studs c¹ and to the studs d, which latter are
free to slide in the slots d'; & springs and adjusting set screws to
provide for giving a longer or shorter period of rest to the platen E,
and thereby allow for adjusting the sheets or cards to be imprinted,
and for giving a clear impression when the machine-is-being-driven-
rapidly. The platen E is secured on the rocking shaft e, such such shaft
being fitted with balancing lever weights e¹. A spring or springs can
be used instead of e¹; F, are spring stops to receive and support the
platen at the lower end of its stroke and to prevent shocks or jars.
In Fig. 1, G denotes a frisket piece shewn in dotted lines fixed on
the shaft g and balanced by weight g¹, a stop piece g³ being provided
to arrest it in its downward motion, and cause it to rest in the position
shewn, yet leaving it free to rise with E.
In Figs. 1 and 2, I denotes a card drop to be fitted in the place of
the frisket G, g, g¹, and g². The cards to be printed rest against the
edge of H, but shortly after the platen E commences the downward
stroke the said drop leaves E and allows the printed card to fall down-
wards. The card drop H consists of the piece h, weighted lever h¹, and
crank piece ². The piece is caused to leave E by the catch spring
under which it passes when at the top of the stroke; the piece hit will
be observed by referring to the Drawings is fixed at a different angle to
the corresponding piece on the frisket G. To the studs d in the slots d¹
of the platen connecting rods D the inking carriage connecting rods i are
coupled. The said connecting rods are coupled to the studs in the
roller carriage I, which latter is moved up and down by motion from
the platen connecting rods D in the frame A. The throw of the roller
carriage may be adjustable. During the up and down motion of I the
inking rollers 2 ink the type on the bed a. Four inking rollers are

page_text: shewn, but a larger or smaller number may be used; two of them are
here arranged to receive ink from the supplementary rollers j, and two
to receive ink from the inking cylinder J, the said inking cylinder J is
driven by a band passing over pullies . Ink is supplied from the
fountain K through the cylinder k and vibrating roller ¹; k is caused to
rotate slowly by the cam k³, vibrating lever k³, and pawl and ratchet k',
and is caused to come into contact alternately with K and J by the
cam, vibrating lever . The distributing roller / which works by
contact with the inking cylinder J is caused to partake of a lateral move-
ment by the intersected screw or diamond thread piece, a piece k³, free
to move a short distance, being fitted to enter the grooves.
The machine arranged as above described is suitable for printing with
one colour or shade. When it is desired to print in colours the parts
shewn by Figs. 5, 6, and 7, are to be substituted for those shewn in
Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4. Fig. 5 is a plan of a fountain divided into three
compartments; Fig. 6 is a vertical cross section of the same fountain
at C, D; and Fig. 7 a longitudinal section of the distributing roller.
Like letters denote the same parts. m, the fountain; n, partitions; o,
cylinder; p, shaft of distributing cylinder with three lengths of com-
position on movable sleeves r. The spaces between the colours on
the form, and other rollers, are covered with thin steel bands or their
equivalents in paper, cloth, or other material to prevent the colours
from mixing.
Printers, machinists, and others acquainted with machines of this class
will see at a glance the operation of the several parts and also how
substitutes for some of them can be applied.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and particu-
larized the same, I would have it understood that what I claim is,—
First. The arrangement and combination of the whole of the parts,
substantially as described for the purposes set forth.
Second. Fitting the ends of the connecting rods D with springs and
adjusting set screws d and providing spring stops F or a spring stop
whereby to allow for a period of rest to E, substantially as described.
Third. Giving motion to the roller carriage I by connecting rods i,
coupled to the platen connecting rods D, substantially as described.

page_text: .
Fourth. The frisket G and card drop H arranged and operating auto-
,matically, substantially in the manner set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Braidwood, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Tenth day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
WILLIAM BRAIDWOOD. (L.S.)