A NEW OR IMPROVED PRINTING MACHINE
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Denis Lane; of the Strand, in the County of
Middlesex, for the Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED PRINTING
MACHINE."
Sealed the 21st August 1875, and dated the 22nd May 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Denis Lane at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
22nd May 1875.
I, DENIS LANE, of the Strand, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED PRINTING
MACHINE," to be as follows:-
This machine is designed for the printing of newspapers, magazines,
and such-like work. The type or stereotype is locked on a body having
any requisite number of flat sides, herein-after called a " flat-sided
cylinder," which is made to revolve on an axis. Another body, herein-
after called a "winged cylinder," is made to revolve against the flat-
sided cylinder, and the said winged cylinder has wings equal in number
to the flat sides of the flat-sided cylinder. The winged cylinder has a

page_text: blanket fastened upon it, and the paper coming continuously between
the flat sides of the flat-sided cylinder and the wings of the winged
cylinder printing goes on continuously from a reel of paper or separate
sheets. By the addition of a second winged cylinder the paper after
being printed on one side by the first winged cylinder is passed to the t
second cylinder, and then leaves the machine printed on both sides or
'perfect." Paper may be printed on one side only from two reels, and
the sheets are cut off as required, and delivered on a board. The paper
is damped as it passes from the reels to the machine.
"
The great feature in this Invention is that it is a flat rotary printing ]
machine, which dispenses with the necessity for placing the type on a
curve. Type on a curve may be said to be out of its natural position,
and is more quickly rendered unfit for use or subject to wear and tear
than when employed on a flat surface, while the space occupied by the
machine is oven less than that occupied by the general run of rotary
printing machines in use.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Denis Lane in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 22nd November 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DENIS 2
LANE, of the Strand, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-eighth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant §
unto me, the said Denis Lane, Her special licence that I, the said
Denis Lane, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Denis Lane, 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 "A NEW OR IMPROVED PRINTING MACHINE,” upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Denis Lane, my executors

page_text: 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 Denis Lane, 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 and accompanying Drawings, reference being had
to the figures and letters marked thereon (that is to say)
This machine is designed for the printing of newspapers, magazines,
and such-like work. The type or stereotype is locked on a body having
any requisite number of flat sides, herein-after called a
"flat-sided
cylinder," which is made to revolve on an axis. Two other bodies,
herein-after called "winged cylinders," are made to revolve against the
"flat-sided cylinder," and each of the said winged cylinders have wings
equal in number to the flat sides of the flat-sided cylinder. - The
"winged cylinders" have blankets fastened upon them, and the paper.
coming continuously between the flat sides of the flat-sided cylinder and
the wings of the winged cylinders printing goes on continuously from a
reel of paper or separate sheets. The paper after being impressed on
one side by the first winged cylinder, and being cut the required length
by a cutting or perforating gripper cylinder containing a fan or bellows
whereby a draught or "puff" of air acting through a perforated surface
of said gripper cylinder raises or strips the sheet from the surface of said
cylinder, when the sheet is again "gripped" and carried back upon
another cylinder to reverse the sheet for printing on the second side,
commonly called "perfecting." The sheet now passes to the second
cylinder, and then leaves the machine printed on both sides or "perfect."
Paper may be printed on one side only from two reels and cut off as
required, and delivered on a board.
The great feature in this machine is that it is a flat type surface
rotary printing machine with any requisite number of sides with two
winged cylinders, each cylinder having a corresponding number of seg-
ments of cylinders or "wings" constantly rotating against said flat type
surfaces, which dispenses with the necessity for placing the type on a
curve, and that the necessary grippers act in the double capacity of

page_text: grippers and cutters. Type on a curve may be said to be out of its
natural position, and is more quickly rendered unfit for use, or is subject
to greater wear and tear than when employed on a flat surface. The
space occupied by the machine is even less than that occupied by the
general run of rotary printing machines in use.
In the accompanying Drawing A represents the flat-sided cylinder
here shown with four sides, but three, six, eight, or other number of
sides may be employed, upon which sides the type is locked. B, winged
cylinders with number of wings corresponding to number of sides of A.
The rollers C carry blankets to cover each wing of the cylinders B, the
rollers C being held by ratchet and catch C' on their extremities.
The cylinders are driven by gearing, as indicated at D, and the shafts
are mounted in suitable bearings (not shown), and driven by steam or
other power in the usual manner. E is the reel of paper, which paper is
run off the reel, and conducted by guide rollers E¹ to and through the
machine.
The inking rollers and distributers F aro placed in forks F¹ arranged
at angles to the sides of the flat-sided cylinder A, so that by their own
gravity they bear against the type after the manner of rollers on ordinary
letterpress printing machines.
The arrangement contained in the perforating gripper cylinder G
consists of two sets of grippers H, the edges whereof rise through
openings in said cylinder, and are in the form somewhat of the teeth of
a saw, or a row of the curved ends of packing needles curved so that
after passing through and completely severing the paper, which is
tightly held over them by arms pressing from a smaller cylinder I above
the cylinder G the gripper H arches as it were over one edge of the
opening in the cylinder G, and holds and assists in carrying on the paper
from the printing cylinder. The diameter of the cylinder I is half that
of the cylinder G, and said cylinder I has an opening in its poriphery to
accomodate the stroke of the perforating gripper H in severing the
sheets.
The arrangement whereby the air is brought to bear upon the sheet to
assist in reversing the same consists of a fan or bellows, such as shown
at L, the object being to produce a draught or "puff" of air within the
cylinder G to act through a perforated portion of the surface of said

page_text: cylinder, so as to force the sheet from the cylinder on to tapes or
bands T running in an opposite direction, the sheet at the same instant
being seized or gripped at its lower edge by ordinary grippers on the
cylinder K, round which the sheet is carried, and thence passes to and
between the second winged cylinder B¹ and flat-sided cylinder A, from
whence it is conducted to the delivery boards M. These boards have an
alternate rising and falling movement imparted to them, so that the
alternate sheets as they leave the machine are received upon a different
board. The guide rollers E¹ carry where requisite endless bands or
aprons for conducting the sheets in thoir course through the machine, as.
will be well understood.
'
Having now described the naturo and particulars of my said Invention,
I claim, the new or improved printing machine, substantially as herein
CODE and COM.
In witness whereof, I, the said Denis Lane, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-five.