IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING
Year: 1839

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DAVID
MORISON, of Wilson Street, Finsbury, in the County of Middlesex, Ink
Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Sixteenth day of December, in the third year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said David
Morison, Her especial licence, full power, solo privilege and authority, that I,
the said David Morison, my exors, adññiors, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said David Morison, my exors, adiiors, or assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term
of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed,
my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING;" in which said Letters
Patent is contained a proviso, that I, the said David Morison, shall cause a
particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High
Court of Chancery within six months next and immediately after the date of
the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being
thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
David Morison, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and ascer-

page_text: tained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the
Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon
(that is to say) -
As the improvements in printing secured by this Patent result chiefly from
a new adaptation, arrangement, and exemplification of instruments, means, and
appliances already in use, and well known to mechanics and printers, it will
not be necessary to describe or delineate any of the machinery employed by
me, excepting so far as it may be required to convey a distinct idea of the
arrangements which produce those novel results. But however simple and
universally used the means may be which I use to produce those results, I look
with confidence for protection against any infringement of the arrangements
by which I produce them, seeing that the results are as novel, extensive, and
important as if produced by machinery entirely new in all its parts.
The general principle I adopt and apply in my arrangements is that of
establishing perfectly equalized motion between contiguous parts of printing
machinery, making them mutually act upon each other, independent of any
pressure or contact subsequently applied.
I shall first describe its application to the apparatus for inking. It is well
known that in letter-press printing, whether by presses or by machinery, rollers
suffused with ink are rolled, or allowed to roll over the surface of the types and
blocks, that the motion in doing so is communicated by the act of contact, and
that thereby inequality and dirtying are only prevented by experience and skill
on the part of the workman, or by complexity in the machines; but in the
mode of inking which forms a part of my Invention this is not permitted. I
place the rollers together in any number and position best calculated for
spreading the ink equally and rapidly over them, and the number and position
I have found best is this:
(Figure 1), a is a prism or prisms, according to the thickness of the
colouring matter used (metal is preferred), on the inclined surface of which, at
a, a supply of ink is kept up, the lower side of the prism or prisms being
formed so as to fit the surface of b, with which it or they come in contact; bis
a solid roller (metal is preferred); c, d, and e, are rollers of composition or
any suitable material, and f is the roller which comes in contact with the
types, blocks, or other subjects to be printed from, having a surface of the
kind best calculated for putting the ink readily on the subjects it comes in
contact with.
Now, on each of these rollers I put a rack wheel. The size of the rollers is
of no importance, but the teeth of all the wheels are of the same pitch and
size; thus, when the lower wheel f is set in motion, it communicates that

page_text: motion to d and e, and d and e to c, and so on by means of the wheels, inde-
pendent of the contact of the rollers, and the surfaces of all are going at pre-
cisely the saine speed, whatever their size. I regulate the pressure of 6 against
the prism a, and the pressure of all the rollers against and their distance from
cach other, by means of screws, so that the supply of ink, and the thickness of
the film of it which is passing between the various rollers, is kept uniform or
increased or lessened at pleasure, and by means of a spring at one end, and an
inclined pivot or bearer at the other of any one or more of the rollers, I give
them a vibrating motion, which still further tends to equalise the ink. I have
found in this arrangement, and in this mode of moving them independent of
surface pressure, the ink distributed with amazing rapidity and equality, and a
supply kept up on the surface off as fast as it is removed, whatever the extent
of types, blocks, or subjects it has to supply, and that supply always the same;
the double action of the two smaller rollers & and e, which it comes in contact
with, constantly equalising the redundancies and filling up the vacancies as
rapidly as it turns. Thus, one contact of that one roller f supplies any sur-
face to be printed from, however elaborately wrought, or richly or thinly
covered. This mode of inking is applied, or may be applied, to printing
machines by affixing a straight rack, with teeth of the same pitch as those
on the rollers, to the side of the form or bed on which the form lies, which
rack by the motion of the bed in the machine coming in contact with the
rack on f, sets the whole inking apparatus in motion as often as the form
passes under it In bringing it to bear on forms in presses, which it
cannot touch while passing under or out from the platten, in consequence
of the tympan, &c., intervening, it may be placed at the side of the
press, and drawn out on parallel slides (or other methods well known
to printers and mechanics), over the surface of the types at the proper time.
The improvements effected by this over the usual methods, are, first, the
equality and constancy of the supply; second, the case and saving of time to
the workman from the doing away with the laborious working of the ink on
the table; and third, and more especially, the power of regulating the touch of
the inking roller so nicely on the surfaces required to be inked that there is no
fringing, no protruding of the ink over the edges of the types, the impressions
are sharp and equal, and perforated paper friskets are useless, there being no
possibility of any part of the form being dirtied in inking, while solitary words
or letters are as equally and softly inked as if they stood supported and sur-
rounded by others. But the most important application of my principle is to
cylinder printing, and here I apply it to every part of the machine, not merely
to the inking but to the printing itself. I do this in two ways; first, when a

page_text: very extensive impression is required with great rapidity from any subject,
whether types or raised engravings of any kind, I take a stereotype cast or
casts of the subjects, and place them on the surface of a cylinder a (Figure 2),
which cylinder forms the centre of the machine; or I plant raised surfaces of
any kind I wish to have copies of on its surface. Around this centre cylinder
I place as many printing rollers b, and as many sets of inking rollers c (already
described), alternately, as the size of the respective rollers will permit, or
rapidity requires. Round each of the printing rollers b, I fasten a piece of
cloth or thin india-rubber, and I bring all the rollers, both printing and inking,
to bear by screws (by means familiar to all artizans), to any degree of touch I
wish or require against the centre roller a. The centre rollers, and all the
rollers, both printing and inking, are provided with rack wheels, having equally
sized teeth on them all, and I bring tapes a from any places in the room, and
in any directions I wish, around all the printing rollers. I then turn the
centre roller by a handle, or by any of the usual modes of communicating
motion. A person at each printing roller supplies paper, or the stuff required
to be printed, as rapidly as the centre roller turns, and as the motion of that
roller moves every part of the operations at the same time, as many impres-
sions are thrown off at every turn of the centre roller as there are printing
rollers around it, for as rapidly as an impression is thrown off on one printing
roller, so rapidly does the subject receive ink again in its passage to the next
printing roller.
Second, when I wish to print at once in divers colors, I make the centre
roller a (Figure 3), that upon which the impressions are to be received, and I
place round it rollers b, of the same size, or half the size, of one-fourth the
size, or any exact proportion of the size of the centre roller, and in any number
suitable to the subjects to be produced; and I place rack wheels, with teeth of
the same size, on all the rollers. In this case I do not limit myself to any
form of frame in which the rollers are placed, but I construct it so that
when bring the surrounding rollers to touch the centre roller a by means
of screws, the action of these screws and of the rollers is directly and invariably
towards and from the centre of the centre roller, whether approaching or
receding. I then place on the surrounding rollers b, in succession, the subjects,
whether stereotype, engraved, cut out of pieces of metal, of wood, of leather,
of paper, or of any material or composition, in the order, form, and arrange-
ment I wish, knowing from the principle on which motion is communicated by
the rack wheels throughout, that if the position of the said subjects be regu-
lated from a corresponding point on each roller, on that very spot the impres-
sion will uniformly and invariably fall, seeing that the same place of the same

page_text: roller is uniformly brought into contact at each turn with the same places
on the centre roller. Adjoining each subject roller b, I then place an inking
apparatus c, formerly described, giving different colored inks to each set, and
in some instances, if required, putting two, three, four, or more colors in one
set of rollers, the teeth of the rack wheels on the color rollers exactly corre-
sponding with those on the other cylinders. I then introduce tapes d at the
most convenient place of the centre rollers, carrying them around it. These
tapes take in the paper or cloth or other material, and bring it out after it
having received, by the motion of the centre roller, a touch or impression from
all the cylinders 6 in succession, presenting on its emerging all the forms as
truly combined in various colors (whether distinct or united, as the subject
requires), as if all printed from one and the same set of types, block, or
engraving. I apply this mode of inking to a vibrating printing machine thus:-
(Figure 4), I place the form or subject to be printed from on a; b, a section
of a large cylinder, having a double rack from a to b, which is turned by the
rack wheel c. This communicates motion to a printing roller d, and to two
sets of inking apparatus, already described; e, e, the paper or material to be
printed upon, is introduced and taken out by the tapes f, f, and impressions
are thus received at every vibration of a and b; and I find when the section of
A large cylinder is thus used, good and equal impressions may be taken from
very large surfaces of the types in common use, without any further accommo-
dation to the cylindrical form of a, b, than what may be given by a slight
bevel in the furniture in which the form is locked. In this way newspapers
may be printed, placing the columns at right angles to the line a, b, and giving
a slight bevel to the rules between the columns.
a
There are some peculiar features in the previously described modes of cylin-
drical printing, to which I wish to direct attention.
First, the economy of power, all the surfaces being merely required to touch
each other, so that scarcely any force is required, however long the line of
contact, and the action of the uniform teeth of the rack wheels throughout
removing every obstruction in the way of a smooth easy motion.
Secondly, the economy of time, one motion of the centre roller performing
every operation connected with the printing and with the inking, from the
original passage of the ink from the prism to the finished print.
Thirdly, the dispensing with almost all wadding, blanketing, or stuffing
under the material printed upon, provided great care be taken to have the
surface level. In this case, the less the wadding the smooth and easier the
motion, and the more firm and sharp the impression.

page_text: Fourthly, the varied and fine effects that may be produced by any slight
variations on the level of the subject printed from, those parts which receive
a slight depression getting uniformly a less degree of color than the higher,
and therefore giving uniformly a lighter shade.
.
Fifthly, the capability of printing from any kind of raised figures, even
of comparatively soft materials; the tendency of the action of the racks,
according to the process I have originated, laid down, and claim, being to
communicate a copy from a surface without wearing, injuring, or depressing it,
thus rendering this process peculiarly applicable to paper-hangings. I have
obtained good sharp impressions in this way from leather, paper, cork, and
many other soft materials.
I further apply my process to a machine (Figures 5 and 6) for printing
upon substances of unequal thicknesses, such as letters or newspapers. Upon
the cylinder b, I place any figures or stamps d, in any number required, and I
place an inking apparatus c, so as to touch them in rotation, and bring a
cylinder a into juxta-position with b, each cylinder, as well as the inking appa-
ratus, having rack wheels, as formerly described. The cylinder a has two
s rfaces, the inner surface e, e, being solid. The outer surface is divided into
sections f, f, of any required size and number, projected from the inner
surface by springs e, e, or I place around the cylinder a coating of india-rubber
or any elastic substance. I introduce the letters, newspapers, or other articles
to be printed upon (g, g,) through slits in an inclined table h, h, or in any con-
venient way, so that when the cylinders are in motion each will receive an
impression from at least one stamp in its passage through the elastic surface
ff, accommodating itself to their various thicknesses.
For printing or stamping I also employ a machine (Figure 7), the lever g, h,
moving on a pivot at n, is connected by moveable joints at i, h, with a lever
u, h, on which a portion of a circle f, e, is projected. A small inking roller d
is connected to a, h, by the arms c, d, and is further acted upon by an arm
moving upon a pivot at b, and fixed to it by a moveable joint o, near c. At f
the stamp or subject to be printed from is fixed, e, e, being a surface suffused
with ink or color, projected from the circle f. e, to the same height as the
stampf. When the lever g, k, is raised the roller d is, by that action, forced
down, so as to come into contact with the surface of f; and when the lever
g, k, is again lowered, the inking roller d is raised to receive fresh color,
and an impression is given by f to any letter, paper, or substance placed on g.
While, therefore, I do not claim the use of cylinders, either for inking or print-
ing, as my Invention, I claim the mode I have described, whereby, by means of

page_text: rack wheels, and other arrangements, the inking or coloring matter is con-
veyed continuously to the subject from the surface of one roller brought into
juxta-position with it. I claim as mine the processes I have described,
whereby great rapidity is given to production, whereby various colours are
brought to bear with certainty on any substance, and whereby soft substances
may be printed from without injury; and I claim as mine the machines
(Figures 5, 6, and 7,) for printing or stamping on substances or articles of
unequal thickness, in particular the invention of springs between the two
cylindrical surfaces.
In witness whereof, I, the said David Morison, have hereunto set my
hand and scal, this Sixteenth day of June, One thousand eight hundred