IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF PRINTING FROM PUNCTURED STENCILS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Wilson Swan, of Newcastle-on-Tyne, in the County
of the same Town, Chemist, and Isaac Freeman, of the same Place, Accountant,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF PRINTING FROM
PUNCTURED STENCILS."
Sealed the 27th October 1877, and dated the 5th May 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Wilson Swan and
Isaac Freeman at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th May
1877.
JOSEPH WILSON SWAN, of Newcastle-on-Tyne, in the County of the same Town
Chemist, and ISAAC FREEMAN, of the same Place, Accountant. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MEANS OF PRINTING FROM PUNCTURED STENCILS."
Our Invention consists of improvements in the means of printing impressions of
autographic writing, drawings, designs, &c., produced by means of Edison's electric
pen or by any analogous instrument, whereby a punctured stencil is produced.
Whereas it has been customary hitherto to print impressions from the before-
mentioned stencils by rolling a detached hand roller charged with ink upon the said
stencil so as to force ink through the punctures, and so produce a print upon paper
placed beneath it, the pressure of the roller upon the stencil being produced directly
by the hand without the aid of leverage or springs. And whereas the producing of
impressions from the said stencils in the manner described is comparatively slow
and laborious, our Invention has for its object and accomplishes the more rapid and
easy printing of the said impressions from the said stencils. We obtain this result
in one or both of the following ways, that is to say, where the utmost rapidity and
facility of printing from the stencils are required we adopt the following plan
Two or other number of inking rollers are fitted in fixed or stationery bearings, the
frame on which the stencil is stretched is hinged upon a block, which, by means of
a handle fixed at one end of the block, is made to travel backward and forward
Prins G27

page_text: under the rollers, the rollers being held down by one or more springs, and the
pressure regulated by screws.
We provide for the automatic opening and closing of the frame which carries the
stencil by attaching to the end of the frame beyond the hinge two plates curving
upward, so that when the block is drawn forward the curved plates pass under
friction wheels, and raise the stencil frame up after it has passed clear of the inking
rollers. The paper may then be removed and a fresh sheet put in position for
printing. The block is then again pushed forward, and this action causes the stencil
to fall into its original position.
We sometimes attach to the bed piece a pair of blades, which, when the stencil
frame is raised, project slightly above the surface of the bed piece, and actuated
from beneath by means of a lever, the end of which carries a pin working in a
sinuous groove, and which, being pressed by a spring, causes the blades to move in
slots across the bed piece, and throw off from the bed or block the printed paper.
The two blades also act as guides in placing the paper..
The stencil is held fast in its place in the stencil frame by means of a plate bound
down to the frame by rods passed through projections from its under side, or
other means.
The automatic opening of the press, and the arrangement for the throwing off
from the bed of the press of the printed paper, are features which may be suppressed
where the cost of construction renders their introduction undesirable.
Where simplicity and cheapness of construction of the press combined with
facility in printing are the main objects, while rapidity of printing is a secondary
consideration, we so form the press and the frame which carries the inking roller as
to allow of a friction roller being attached to the lower part of the inking roller
frame, so as to work against the bottom of the press, and constitute the frame
which carries the inking roller, a lever, of which the inking roller is the fulcrum,
and the friction roller working underneath the press, the point of resistance; in this
way the labour of working the roller so as to communicate the required pressure to
the stencil is greatly reduced.
We reserve to ourselves the right of varying the detail as to the manner of
carrying out the general principles embodied in the foregoing Invention.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Joseph Wilson Swan and Isaac Freeman in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 3rd November 1877.
JOSEPH WILSON SWAN, of Newcastle-on-Tyne, in the County of the same Town,
Chemist, and ISAAC FREEMAN, of the same Place, Accountant.
66 IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MEANS OF PRINTING FROM PUNCTURED STENCILS."
Our Invention consists in improvements in presses for printing by means of
stencils, such as are produced by Edison's electric pen or by other means, impressions
of autographic writings, drawings, designs, &c.
Hitherto it has been customary to print impressions from the punctured stencils
produced by Edison's electric pen by rolling a detached hand roller charged with
ink upon the stencil so as to produce a print upon the paper placed beneath it, and
the pressure of the roller upon the stencil has been effected directly by the hand
without the aid of leverage or springs. Now the production of impressions in this
manner is slow and laborious, and the object of our Invention is to effect this
purpose in a much more rapid, easy, and regular manner. We obtain this result in
two ways:(1) by means of what we call our spring press, and (2) by what we call
our lever press. We preferably use the first of these ways or our spring press when
great rapidity and facility in printing are required, and the second or our lever

page_text: press when great simplicity of construction combined with ease in printing are
sought for rather than great rapidity.
Our Invention will be readily understood from the following detailed description,
and by reference to the accompanying Drawings, in which Figures 1 and 2 on
Sheet I. are respectively a side elevation and an end view of our spring press, while
Figures 3 and 4 on Sheet II. are respectively a side elevation and an end view of
our lever press.
We will first describe our spring press with the aid of Figures 1 and 2.
Two or
more inking rollers A, A, are fitted in stationary or fixed bearings B, B. A frame C,
on which the stencil is stretched, is hinged upon a block or bed piece D, which is
caused to travel backwards or forwards under the rollers A, A, by means of a
handle E fixed at one end of the block D, the rollers A, A, being held down by one
or more springs G, and their pressure being regulated by screws H, while the block
may or may not travel upon friction rollers F, F.
The automatic opening and closing of the stencil frame C is effected by attaching
two plates I, I, to the end of the said frame C, one at each side. These plates I, I,
are curved upwards, and so fixed that in passing under the friction wheels K, when
the block D is drawn forwards, the frame C is caused to rise up upon its hinge after
it has been drawn clear of the inking rollers A, A, so as to enable the printing sheet
to be removed from the block D, and a fresh sheet to be placed thereon ready to
receive the impression. The block is then pushed forward, thus causing the stencil
frame C to fall down upon its hinge into its original position.
We sometimes attach to the bed piece a pair of blades L, L, actuated by means of
a lever M so as to project slightly above the block D when the stencil frame C is
raised therefrom. The end of this lever M carries a pin N working in a sinuous
groove, so as to come into contact with and be pressed by a guide O, and thus cause
the blades L, L, to move in slots T, T, across the block D, and thereby the throw-off
of the printed sheet from the block D. These blades L, L, are then thrown back
by the spring P, and they act as guides in placing the sheet.
The stencil is held fast in its place in the stencil frame C by means of a plate Q
united to the frame by rods R, R, R, passed through projections S, S, S, on its under
side, or by other convenient means.
The automatic opening of the press by the plates I, I, and the throwing off the
printed sheet from the block by the blades L, L, may be dispensed with where the
cost of the mechanism effecting them renders them undesirable.
We now proceed to describe our lever press, which is shown as Figures 3 and 4,
Sheet II. of the Drawings. We ao form the press and the frame carrying the
inking rollers, as will be seen in the Drawing, as to enable the friction roller A to be
attached to the lower part of the inking roller frame B so as to work against the
bottom of the press, and thus constitute the frame which carries the inking roller C,
a lever, the fulcrum of which is the inking roller C, while the point of resistance is
the friction roller A working underneath the press. In this way the labour of
working the roller so as to communicate the required pressure to the stencil is
greatly reduced.
It will of course be understood that the precise details above described may be
varied so as to suit different circumstances without departing from the essential
features of our Invention.
And, having now described the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, we declare that we claim as our improvements in the
means of printing from punctured stencils,―
First. The construction and arrangement of our spring press as herein-before
described, and as shewn in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying Drawings, and
generally the application to presses for the purpose described of springs to produce
the pressure of the inking rollers upon the stencil.
Secondly. The construction and arrangement of our lever press as herein-before
described, and as shewn in Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying Drawings, and

page_text: generally the application to presses for the purpose described of the lever handle to
produce the pressure of the inking roller upon the stencil
And, Thirdly. The arrangements for effecting the automatic opening of the press,
and the throwing off the printed sheet from the block, substantially as herein-
before described, and as shewn in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said Joseph Wilson Swan and Isaac Freeman, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this Second day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.