IMPROVEMENTS IN AND ADAPTATION OF CYLINDER PRINTING MACHINES TO THE DOUBLE PURPOSE OF LETTER-PRESS AND LITHOGRAPHY; ALSO A NEW MODE OF DAMPING LITHO STONES, AND A NEW MODE OF REGISTERING AND POINTING IN SUCH MACHINES
Year: 1867

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas William Nicholson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th February 1867.
I, THOMAS WILLIAM NICHOLSON, of No. 3, Bell Yard, Gracechurch Street,
in the City of London, Lithographer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND ADAPTATION OF CYLINDER PRINTING
MACHINES TO THE DOUBLE PURPOSE OF LETTER-PRESS AND LITHOGRAPHY; ALSO A
NEW MODE OF DAMPING LITHO STONES, AND A NEW MODE OF REGISTERING AND
POINTING IN SUCH MACHINES," to be as follows:-
1. My Invention may be added or applied to any cylinder printing machine
that moves with a reciprocating horizontal motion, which has a feed or
laying-on board so elevated that rollers may be placed and used on either side
of the cylinder. A machine with a laying-on board close down in front which
will not admit of rollers under is inefficient to my mode of damping, as the

page_text: take should be on the front of the machine table and the cylinder have a
retrograde motion imparted to it that the damping rollers may pass over one
part of the stone while the impression is being taken off the other, the
damping roller next the cylinder being a vibrator, and passing over the stone
immediately the impression is taken off. The damping rollers on the front of
the cylinder being vibrators and passing twice over the stone before the
drying rollers, which are placed at the back, gives an evenly damped surface
of water in the same manner that the ink distributors and vibrators do the
ink, the water being as in the ink duct the ink is perfectly and completely
under the control of the operator, as herein-after detailed.
My new mode of constructing a bed or table.-2. I first construct an
oblong frame of some five inches in depth by six inches wide (or suitable to
the size of the printing capacity of the cylinder), on the inside of which I
place three or more sloping pieces of gun metal, (cambs having failed to lift to
so great a nicety, at an angle of 45 degrees, on which I slip the table;
corresponding slopes are affixed to the right and left sides of the table to gear
into the angles of the frame. At the end of the frame I insert one or more
powerful screws, according to the size of the machines, with a stop nut on the
inside and outside of the frame, the nuts being loosened and the screw driven
in the bed plate descends to any requisite height to allow for the variations of
thickness of stone used in lithography; having attained the requisite height
and pressure the check nuts being adjusted stop the downward action of the
bed plate or table; the bed being fitted exactly to the square of the sides
cannot move laterally, but may be driven up to type high; thus the table is
formed for type printing, and by being driven back, as before shown, a bed is
formed for litho stones.
My new mode of damping litho stones is as follows:-3. I construct a
lamper of any suitable material, such as a tube of brass or zinc, soldering up
ach end air-tight, and in a direct line along its entire length make a series of
mall perforations; at the end insert a tap in a line with the perforations, S
fill the tube with water, the perforations being kept uppermost the water
es not run out; being filled I turn off the tap, the atmosphere being
cluded from the tube the water does not run out; but by placing a syphon
the reverse side to the perforated one this syphon upon being pressed
e atmospheric air rushes in and the water flows out of the perforations 3
tirely at the will of the operator upon a roller coated with chamois leather
other suitable material. This roller should be soft enough to damp the
ges of the stone to prevent the necessity of wiping the edges of the stone,

page_text: as is now the case in every machine that I have seen, and three or four
other harder rollers made in the same way to run over the stone to clear off
and distribute any superabundance of water on the stone in the same way as
the ink is distributed by the ink-distributing rollers. The damping tube may
5 also be constructed to damp larger stones; thus the tube being made air-tight,
and the perforations being made, say, half an inch apart, they are to be
covered with solder, and in each side of the nipple so made a perforation is to
be made that the water may flow on each side of the damping rollers to
facilitate the wetting of a larger surface than the first; the syphon being
used as in the first; I have also made small tubes inserted in the perforations,
placing them at such an angle to just cover the surface of the damping
roller, but I prefer the plain hole for small stones and the two-hole nipple
for larger.
4th. My process of pointing or registering is as follows:-In the feed tables
is a slot, under which I place an ordinary crank (a bell crank), which being
attached by the ordinary spider-leg motion to the cylinder when the cylinder
is in action this kicks or slowly pushes the sheets into the desired position
for the gripper to clutch them; this operation is repeated with each preceding
color or printing, and as the feed does not move this position is safely secured
to all the formes, and the cylinder being fixed in unshifting or unadjusting plain
blocks the exact parallel of cylinder gripper and feed valve being always alike
renders a deviation in this respect impossible; I have also two small tubes
inserted in the perforations, placing them at an angle to just cover the surface
of the damping roller, but prefer the plain hole for small work and the two-
hole nipple for larger.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas William Nicholson in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 14th August 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
0 WILLIAM NICHOLSON, of No. 3, Bell Yard, Gracechurch Street, in the City of
London, Lithographer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her
5 reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,

page_text: the said Thomas William Nicholson, Her special license that 1, the said
Thomas William Nicholson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Thomas William Nicholson, my executors, admini-
strators, or 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AND ADAPTATION OF CYLINDER
Man, an Invention for
PRINTING MACHINES TO THE DOUBLE PURPOSE OF LETTER-PRESS AND LITHOGRAPHY;
ALSO A NEW MODE OF DAMPING LITHO STONES, AND A NEW MODE OF REGISTERING
AND POINTING IN SUCH MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Thomas William Nicholson, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 Thomas William Nicholson, 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 Drawings, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My said Invention may be added or applied to any cylinder printing
machine that moves with a reciprocating horizontal motion which has a feed
or laying-on board, so elevated that rollers may be placed and used on either
side of the cylinder. A machine with a laying-on board close down in front
which will not admit of rollers under is inefficient to my mode of damping, as
the take should be on the front of the machine table, and the cylinder have a
retrograde motion imparted to it that the damping rollers may pass over one
part of the stone while the impression is being taken off the other. The
damping roller next the cylinder being a vibrator, and passing over the stone
before the drying rollers (which are placed at the back) gives an evenly
damped surface of water in the same manner that the ink distributors and
vibrators do the ink, the water being as in the ink duct the ink is perfectly
and completely under the control of the operator, as herein-after detailed.
According to my new mode of constructing the bed or table I first construct
an oblong frame of some fine inches in depth by six inches wide (or suitable
o the size of the printing capacity of the cylinder, on the inside of which I

page_text: place three or more sloping pieces of gun metal) cambs having failed to lift
to so great a nicety at an angle of 45 degrees, on which I slip the table;
corresponding slopes are affixed to the right and left sides of the table to gear
into the angle of the frame. At the end of the frame I insert one or more
5 powerful screws, according to the size of the machine, with a stop nut on the
inside and outside of the frame, the nuts being loosened and the screw driven
in the bed plate ascends to any requisite height to allow for the variations in
thickness of stone used in lithography; having obtained the requisite height
and pressure the check nuts being adjusted stop the downward action of the
0 bed plate or table; the bed being fitted exactly to the square of the sides
cannot move laterally, but may be driven up to type high, thus the table is
formed for type printing, and by being driven back, as before shown, a bed is
formed for litho stones.
5 of
My new mode of damping litho stones is as follows:-I construct a damper
any suitable material, such as a tube of brass or zinc, soldering up each
end air-tight, and in a direct line along its entire length make a series of
small perforations; at the end insert a tap in a line with the perforations to
fill the tube with water, the perforations being kept uppermost the water
does not run out; but by placing a syphon on the reverse side to the perforated
one, this syphon upon being pressed the atmospheric air rushes in and the
water flows out of the perforations entirely at the will of the operator upon a
roller coated with chamois leather or other suitable material; this roller should
be soft enough to damp the edges of the stone to prevent the necessity of
wiping the edges of the stone, as is now the case in every machine that I have
seen, and three or four other harder rollers made in the same way to run over
the stone, to clear off and distribute any superabundance of water on the stone
in the same way as the ink is distributed by the ink-distributing rollers. The
damping tube may also be constructed to damp larger stones; thus the tube
being made air-tight, and the perforations being made, say, half an inch apart,
they are to be covered with solder, and in each side of the nipple so made a
perforation is to be made that the water may flow on each side of the damping
roller to facilitate the wetting of a larger surface than the first, the syphon
being used as in the first. I have also made small tubes inserted in the
perforations, placing than at such an angle to just cover the surface of the
damping roller, but I prefer the plain hole for small stones and the two-hole
nipple for larger.
My mode of registering and pointing is as follows:-In the feed table is a
slot, under which I place an ordinary crank (a bell crank), which being

page_text: attached by the ordinary spider-leg motions to the cylinder, when the cynnder
is in action this kicks or slowly pushes the sheets into the desired position for
the gripper to clutch them; this operation is repeated with each succeeding
colour or pointing, and as the feed does not move this position is safely secured
to all the "formes," and the cylinder being fixed in unshifting or unadjusting
plummer blocks the exact parallel of cylinder gripper and feed table being
always alike, renders a deviation in this respect impossible. I have also two
small tubes inserted in the perforations, placing them at an angle to just cover
the surface of the damping roller, but prefer the plain hole for small work,
and the two-hole nipple for larger.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall
refer to the several Figures on the Sheets of Drawings hereunto annexed, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts all the corresponding
Figures.
Figure 1 (on Sheet 1) of my Drawings represents a side elevation of a
printing machine with my improvements applied thereto; Figure 2 (Sheet 2)
is a similar view of the opposite side of the machine; Figures 3 and 4 (Sheet 3)
are elevations of the two opposite ends of the said machine, and the rest of
the Figures are details, which I shall herein-after more fully refer to.
The cylinder A being at rest the retrograde motion is given by the con-
necting rod B, actuated by the cam C by a stud working in a groove in such
cam. The rod B on being moved forward by means of the cam catches on a
stud at a attached to the cylinder, and moves the spur wheel on the cylinder
so as to cause it to gear into a rack D on the face of the table E. When the
lever F is depressed and the cylinder locked (as shown in Figure 1) the rod B
is released, so that the table is free to work to-and-fro horizontally without its
rack touching the stud attached to the cylinder. The main plummer or pillar
block of the cylinder is fixed to the frame of the machine, and is fitted with
half brasses and a cap, and in the division or space between the cap and the
brasses I insert a piece of india-rubber or other elastic material in order to
soften the bite on the stone or "forme." The mode of adjusting or regulating
pressure is herein-after detailed in reference to the bed or table, there being
no adjustment of the cylinder, and consequently the adjusting screws in the
plummer blocks are dispensed with. The rod G is connected to a lever I on
a rocking shaft I, which carries two other short lever arms K connected to
vertical rods L, provided at their upper extremities with slides M, on which
the spindles of the damping and drying rollers N, N', rest; this rod G is
the

page_text: connected with the cam C, and upon the outward motion of the cam, and
whilst the stone is running out in the direction of the arrow, Figure 1, the
rod G is so moved as to cause the damping and drying rollers to be depressed
and to pass over or in contact with the face of the stone, but on the inward
motion when the stone returns to be inked by passing and repassing under the
inking rollers W, W, as shown by the arrow in Figure 2, the reverse action
of the cam C on the rod G causes the damping and drying rollers to be
elevated so as not to touch the stone. As the inking rollers W when the
machine is at work always remain depressed it follows that the printing
surface receives a double inking, videlicit, when the surface runs in, and when
it runs out again, the three operations of damping, inking, and printing all
going on at one time when the stone is being run out or is moving in the
direction of the arrow in Figure 1.
My mode of constructing the bed or table is illustrated by the sectional
detail and half plan, Figures 5 and 5ª (Sheet 1). I construct an oblong
frame O of a depth suited to the printing capacity of the machine (as large
stones are usually thicker than small ones); on the inside of this frame I
place three or more inclined planes b, b, at an angle of forty-five degrees, or any
suitable angle, by which an inclined plane can be formed that can be regularly
and evenly driven up or down by the elevating or adjusting screw P fitted
into the outer end of the frame, and pressing against the end of the adjustable
bed plate Q (see Figure 5). Against the inclines b, b, on the under side of the
frame bear other inclines c, c, formed on the bottom of bed plate Q, which is
made to rise or fall in order to allow of variations of thickness of stones by
turning the screw P in the proper direction. R is the stop or jamb nut
for fixing screw P when the requisite printing pressure has been obtained.
S is the hand wheel for turning the screw P. By these means the usual
tedious justification of set screws in the plummer block of the cylinder is
entirely dispensed with, and a "job" made ready with the greatest dispatch,
the cylinder maintaining a true level to the bed and feed table or board T,
which is highly important in registering color work accurately. Although
I prefer to adjust the pressure by the use of inclined surfaces on the bed plate
and frame respectively, it is obvious that cams or eccentrics might be employed
for the same purpose.
of
My damping apparatus consists of an air-tight tube or closed reservoir U
any suitable material, such as brass or zinc. In a direct line along its
entire length I make a series of small perforations about half an inch apart
and at one end in a line with these perforations I insert a mouth-piece and

page_text: screwed cap d to facilitate the filling of the tube with water, the perforations
being kept uppermost the water does not run out. A self-closing vent or air
inlet V (Figure 3) is placed on the reverse side of the tube to the perforations,
so that by opening this vent by depressing the tail of the spring lever, or
otherwise allowing air to enter the reservoir, atmospheric air is admitted,
and the water trickles through the perforations into the damping roller
beneath entirely at the will of the operator. If preferred the perforated tube
may be provided with two or more vents, one of such vents consisting of a
tap or cock with a wire from it connecting it with the lever of the spring
vent so as to open both simultaneously or turning the plug of the cock; but
I have found the spring vent V the most simple and efficient as the moment
the operator removes his finger from the lever the vent closes and the water
ceases to flow whilst the tap or cock is liable to be left open and allow an
excess of water to flow into the damping roller. The damping tube may also
be constructed to damp larger stones in the following manner :-The tube
being made air-tight, and the perforations being made about half an inch
apart, I cover them with solder in order to form a nipple, and on each side of
each nipple so made I make a perforation so that the water may flow on each side
of the damping roller to facilitate the wetting of large stones; I also sometimes
employ small tubes inserted into the water in lieu of the solder, but I prefer
the plain hole for small stones, and the two hole nipple for large stones. I
construct my damping rollers of iron steam tubing two inches in diameter (or
suitable in length and diameter to the size of the machine), in the end of which
I fix a spindle similar to the inking rollers in common use; I prefer to have
them galvanized in order to prevent rust, I then cover them with felt, flannel,
and hemp or any suitable soft and absorbent material, by which a soft even face
can be obtained for the even distribution of the water upon the face of the stone
to be printed from.
Figure 6 (Sheet 2) is a sectional detail of the cylinder and gripper. I
construct a bar d' running through the cylinder A, on which I screw a blade
of brass e, such blade having a thick slip f on its inner face which bears
against the outer edge of a fixed bar or stop piece g secured to the cylinder,
but so as to leave the edge of the fixed bar g slightly sunk below the surface
or circumference of the cylinder as shown clearly in Figure 6. The sheet to
be fed and printed is pushed along the feed board T to the stop piece g which is
fitted and screwed in its place after the blanket has been stretched on the
cylinder; this aided by the ordinary guido on the feed table secures a regular
and even feed of sheets; and as the lay on or feed board is fixed this mode

page_text: of feeding may be soon acquired by a layer on, and the feed kept with the
greatest precision; this may be assisted by a point rod or apparatus attached
to the levers which raise the damp rollers by the aid of a bell crank passing
under and through the feed board, but which I have not shewn in my Drawings.
5 The inking duct is provided with a simple contrivance for altering the level
or position of the blade, and is illustrated by the sectional detail Figure 7
(Sheet 2). I employ two or more milled headed screws h, h, according to
the size of the machine, which turn freely in the fixed bar i or back of the
trough and work in tapped holes in the blade k. By simply turning these
O milled headed screws in one direction or the other the blade may be adjusted
so as to regulate the supply of ink to any desired extent, and when adjusted
will always remain stationary or fixed. By this means I am enabled to
dispense with what is known as the "tommy head" and loose "tommy."
When using this machine for letter-press printing the damping rollers are
lifted into their higher notches so as to be quite clear of the "forme," and the
bed or table is elevated to the proper height for type.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, 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 recited Letters Patent is,-
1st, the general construction, arrangement, and combination of machinery
or apparatus for effecting the operations of letter-press and lithographic
printing, substantially as herein-before described.
2nd, the imparting a reverse or retrograde motion to the cylinders of
printing machines, and effecting the "take" on the opposite edge of the
"forme" or stone to that on which the "take" has hitherto been effected,
whereby the operations of damping, inking, and printing, when the machine is
used for lithographic printing, are effected simultaneously.
3rd, the placing the inking rollers on one side of the cylinder, and the
damping and drying rollers on the opposite side thereof in lithographic printing
machines, as and for the purpose herein-before described.
4th, the peculiar construction of the bed or table of cylinder printing
machines, and the mode of adjusting the pressure by raising or lowering the
table, as herein-before described.
5th, the application and use to and in lithographic printing machines of
an air-tight tubular or other shaped water reservoir provided with perforations
for the supply of water at the will of the operator on to the damping roller, and

page_text: with one or more air vents closed by a spring or otherwise, substantially as
herein-before described.
6th, the peculiar construction of nipples having one or more perforations
therein for the purpose of supplying water to the damping roller from the
air-tight reservoir, as herein-before described.
7th, the mode of registering and pointing, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas William Nicholson, have to this
my Specification set my hand and seal, the Eighth day of August, One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
THOS. W. NICHOLSON. (L.S.)