IMPROVED PRINTING MACHINE
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Michael Alissoff, of St. Petersburg, Russia, for
the Invention of an " IMPROVED PRINTING MACHINE."
Sealed the 21st December 1874, and dated the 14th October 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Michael Alissoff at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th October 1874.
I, MICHAEL ALISSOFF, of St. Petersburg, Russia, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED PRINTING MACHINE," to
be as follows:—
This Invention relates to apparatus for printing by the action of a
treadle or hand lever successive letters on a sheet, which may either
serve as a printed copy of a document, or which, when lithographic ink
is employed, may serve as a composed copy for the production of other
copies by lithographic printing.
A fluted cylinder is mounted in a sliding frame so that it can be
turned on its axis and slid to and fro longitudinally by means of a screw.

page_text: In the fluted grooves of this cylinder are fixed a number of types of
letters, figures, or other marks. For example, there may be in these
grooves a set of capital letters, next to them a set of small letters, or a
set of italics or of some other fount, the types being so arranged that
the same letter is repeated in its different founts in the same longitudinal
groove, and that the different letters of the same fount follow in the
same circle of the periphery of the cylinder, that is to say, in the same
transverse plane. Though the different letters vary in size, their
type blocks are made all of the size suited to the largest, and the letter
in each case is formed close to the one edge of the type block. The
type blocks being inserted into the grooves are secured therein by setting
screws at the ends of the grooves. Or the letters might be cast or
engraved in sets upon long blocks fitting the grooves, or on discs, which
being fitted side by side constitute the cylinder. The cylinder is turned
on its axis by a handle, which has an index and spring pawl, so that the
operator when he desires to print any particular letter, such as C, turns
the handle till the index comes to O, the pawl holding the cylinder in
the position to which he has turned it, in which case the C type will
be presented on the upper side of the cylinder, and so with any other
letter.
Furthermore, when the operator desires to print a particular fount he
turns by a handle a screw, which causes the cylinder to slide bodily in
the direction of its axis, and he thereby brings the circle of types of the
desired fount into the printing plane. The screw is of such pitch that
each turn or each known number of turns shifts the cylinder one division
or one width of type, and an index attached to the sliding frame shews
which fount has been brought into the printing plane. Thus by the
movement of the two handles, the one turning the cylinder on its axis
and the other moving it longitudinally, the operator can bring any letter
of any fount into the printing position, that is to say, to the uppermost
position in a fixed plane transverse to the cylinder.
At the lower part of the apparatus is mounted an inking roller, which
can be served with ink from an ink table and then placed in its bearings.
Against this presses a metal roller, which transfers the ink to a gelatine
disc that bears against the types, this disc being of such breadth as to
ink only the fount of types in use. Another gelatine roller applied to
the circle of types serves to equalise the ink upon them,

page_text: Above the type cylinder is mounted a roller with paper stretched
round it, the axis of that roller being transverse to the axis of the type
cylinder, and lying in what has been previously termed the printing
plane. This paper roller can also turn on its axis and slidė longitudinally,
and it is mounted in a frame which is kept up by springs to a certain
height, but which can be rapidly lowered by a treadle or hand lever, so
as to bring the paper on its surface in contact with the uppermost type,
and thereby take an impression.
From the relative arrangement of the type cylinder and the paper
roller, with the axis of the one crossing the axis of the other, it follows
that only the one type presented uppermost in the printing plane can
make an impression on the paper, none of the other types on the one
cylindrical surface coming in contact with the other cylindrical surface of
the paper on the depression of the latter. The paper roller can be turned
by hand so as to bring the required part of it round for the beginning of
a line of impression, as determined by an index, after which, during the
printing of that line, the roller is made to turn partially round at each
successive impression by apparatus which suits the extent of revolution
of the paper to the width of the letter printed, and which can be adjusted
so as to space the successive letters nearer together or farther apart as
may be desired. This is effected in the following manner :-On the axis
of the type cylinder is fixed a wheel with as many teeth or studs pro-
jecting from it as there are grooves in the cylinder, but these studs are of
different lengths, being longer for the narrower letters. A pawl is made
to act on a ratchet wheel so as to turn the paper roller partly round at
each impression stroke, but this pawl becomes disengaged by a lever con-
nected to it meeting one of the above-named studs, the sooner the longer
the stud which it meets, and thus the narrower the letter printed the
shorter is the travel of the paper roller. By this means the spacing of
the successive letters printed on the paper is kept uniform. The spacing
however may be varied by turning a screw in the end of the lever, which
butts against the studs so as to give the lever a longer or shorter travel
before it disengages the pawl, and thereby to space the letters more
widely or more closely together.
On the axis of the paper roller is set a wheel with a tooth or stud,
which at a certain adjustable point of each revolution causes ´a hammer
to strike a bell, thereby apprising the operator that the printing is
approaching the end of the line, whereupon he can adjust the spacing to

page_text: suit the proper division of words at the termination of a line. When
one line is printed the paper roller is moved longitudinally the distance
desired for the next line, such space being marked by an index on a screw
which serves to move the roller.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Michael Alissoff in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 6th April 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE, PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MICHAEL
ALISSOFF, of St. Petersburg, Russia, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of October, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in
the thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Michael Alissoff, Her
special license that I, the said Michael Alissoff, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Michael Alissoff,
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
"IMPROVED PRINTING MACHINE," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Michael Alissoff, 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.

page_text: Sheets of Drawings, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that
is to say:-
This Invention relates to apparatus for printing by the action of a
treadle or hand lever successive letters on a sheet, which may either
serve as a printed copy of a document, or which, when lithographic ink
is employed, may serve as a composed copy for the production of other
copies by lithographic printing.
A fluted cylinder is mounted in a sliding frame so that it can be
turned on its axis, and slid to and fro longitudinally by means of a
screw. In the fluted grooves of this cylinder are fixed a number of
types of letters, figures, or other marks. For example, there may be in
these grooves a set of capital letters, next to them a set of small letters,
or a set of italics, or of some other fount, the types being so arranged
that the same letter is repeated in its different founts in the same longi-
tudinal groove, and that the different letters of the same fount follow in
the same circle of the periphery of the cylinder, that is to say, in the
same transverse plane. Though the different letters vary in size their
type blocks are made all of the size suited to the largest, and the letter
in each case is formed close to the one edge of the type block. The
type blocks being inserted into the grooves are secured therein by setting
screws at the ends of the grooves; or the letters might be cast or
engraved in sets upon long blocks fitting the grooves, or on discs which
being fitted side by side constitute the cylinder. The cylinder is turned
on its axis by a handle which has an index and spring pawl, so that the
operator when he desires to print any particular letter, such as C, turns
the handle till the index comes to C, the pawl holding the cylinder in
the position to which he has turned it, in which case the C type will be
presented on the upper side of the cylinder, and so with any other
letter.
Furthermore, when the operator desires to print a particular fount, he
turns by a handle a screw, which causes the cylinder to slide bodily in
the direction of its axis, and he thereby brings the circle of types of the
desired fount into the printing plane. The screw is of such pitch that
cach turn or cach known number of turns shifts the cylinder one division
or one width of type, and an index attached to the sliding frame shews
which fount has been brought into the printing plane. Thus by the
movement of the two handles, the one turning the cylinder on its axis,

page_text: and the other moving it longitudinally, the operator can bring any letter
of any fount into the printing position, that is to say, to the uppermost
position in a fixed plane transverse to the cylinder.
At the lower part of the apparatus is mounted an inking roller, which
can be served with ink from an ink table, and then placed in its bearings.
Against this presses a metal roller, which transfers the ink to a gelatine
disc that bears against the types, this disc being of such breadth as to
ink only the fount of types in use. Another gelatine roller applied to
the circle of types serves to equalise the ink upon them.
Above the type cylinder is mounted a roller with paper stretched
round it, the axis of that roller being transverse to the axis of the type
cylinder, and lying in what has been previously termed the printing
plane. This paper roller can also turn on its axis, and slide longitu-
dinally, and it is mounted in a frame which is kept up by springs to a
certain height, but which can be rapidly lowered by a treadle or hand
lever, so as to bring the paper on its surface in contact with the upper-
most type, and thereby take an impression.
From the relative arrangement of the type cylinder and the paper
roller with the axis of the one crossing the axis of the other it follows
that only the one type presented uppermost in the printing plane can
make an impression on the paper, none of the other types on the one
cylindrical surface coming in contact with the other cylindrical surface
of the paper on the depression of the latter. The paper roller can be
turned by hand, so as to bring the required part of it round for the
beginning of a line of impression, as determined by an index, after
which during the printing of that line the roller is made to turn partially
round at each successive impression by apparatus which suits the extent
of revolution of the paper to the width of the letter printed, and which
can be adjusted so as to space the successive letters nearer together or
farther apart as may be desired.
This is effected in the following
manner-On the axis of the type cylinder is fixed a wheel with as
many teeth or studs projecting from it as there are grooves in the
cylinder, but these studs are of different lengths, being longer for the
narrower letters. A pawl is made to act on a ratchet wheel so as to turn
the paper roller partly round at each impression stroke, but this pawl
becomes disengaged by a lever connected to it meeting one of the above
named studs, the sooner the longer the stud which it meets, and thus

page_text: the narrower the letter printed the shorter is the travel of the paper
roller. By this means the spacing of the successive letters printed on
the paper is kept uniform. The spacing may however be varied by
turning a screw in the end of the lever which butts against the studs, so
as to give the lever a longer or shorter travel before it disengages the
pawl, and thereby to space the letters more widely or more closely
together.
On the axis of the paper roller is set a wheel with a tooth or stud,
which at a certain adjustable point of each revolution causes a hammer
to strike a bell, thereby apprising the operator that the printing is
approaching the end of the line, whereupon he can adjust the spacing to
suit the proper division of words at the termination of a line. When
one line is printed the paper roller is moved longitudinally the distance
required for the next line, such space being marked by an index on a
screw which serves to move the roller.
Fig. 1 represents an end view partly in transverse section; Fig. 2, a
side view partly in longitudinal section, and Fig. 3, a sectional plan of
the printing apparatus according to my Invention; Figs. 4 and 5
shewing separately certain details which will be more particularly
referred to in the following description:-
A is the base plate on which is fitted a sliding frame B between
guides C and D, so that it can be moved to and fro longitudinally by
means of a handle I working a screw J through a nut K attached to the
slide B. In the upward brackets of the frame B is mounted an axis E
which can be turned by means of a handle F, when it is engaged with
ratchet teeth of a wheel G fixed on the axis E. The handle F is jointed
to an arm which turns freely on the axis E, and it is kept by a spring
out of gear with the ratchet teeth of G, so that it only acts to turn that
wheel when it is pressed into gear with its teeth in opposition to the
spring. On the face of the wheel G is a dial plate marked with the
letters of the alphabet, numerals, points, or other symbols which it
may be desired to print, one corresponding to each ratchet tooth. On the
axis E is fixed a drum H which is fluted longitudinally with as many
grooves as there are teeth in G, and in each groove is fixed a row of types
which all present the same letter or symbol as that which corresponds

page_text: on the dial with the position of the groove, but are of different founts or
character, as for example, capital letters, small letters, italics, and so on
arranged in succession in each row, but arranged in the same order in
the successive rows, so that all the capitals round the drum are in one
transverse plane, all the small letters in the next plane, and so on.
When the types are all separate they may be fixed and adjusted in their
respective grooves by set screws at the ends of the drum. Each row of
types may however be made in one piece which is fixed in.its proper
groove. Also the drum H instead of being made with grooves as above
described may be made up of a number of discs or rings with the types
projecting from them all round, these types however being arranged
relatively to the marks on the dial in the manner set forth above. Thus
when it is desired to print a particular letter the drum is turned by the
handle F so as to bring the groove or row containing the required letter
to the highest point vertically under a cylinder W, which is mounted as
will hereafter be described on an axis Z transversely to the axis E.
Further, when it is desired to print the required letter of a particular
fount, as for example a capital, the slide B carrying with it the drum H
is moved longitudinally by the screw handle I until the desired circle of
type comes immediately under the axis of W. This is shewn to the
operator by an index L moving with the drum along a fixed scale marked
with the successive founts of one of the letters, as for example, M, shewn
in Fig. 3.
To prevent the drum from moving longitudinally during operation,
the screw handle I is provided with a notched disc into the notch of
which a spring snaps at every turn, holding the screw till it is again
turned by hand. The pitch of the screw J is conveniently made equal
to the spacing of the types of the drum longitudinally, so that each turn
of the screw shifts the drum over one circle of type. Thus by means of
the handles F and I the desired type of the desired fount is brought to
the point of contact of the cylinders H and W, so that when the latter
is pressed down on the former impression will be made by that particular
type and no other.
Although the characters employed vary in dimensions they are all
formed on bodies of equal size and placed thereon, each close to the one
edge of the body, this construction being necessary for the equal spacing
of the printed matter as I will now explain. On the axis E is fixed
besides the type drum H a boss M from which project pegs of variou

page_text: lengths a peg corresponding to each type, but the peg is the longer the
narrower the type, and it is the shorter the broader the type to which it
corresponds. These pegs by acting as stops to a set screw on an
oscillating lever, which, as will be presently described, effects the advance
of the impression cylinder W, determine the amount of such advance by
allowing that lever to make the longer stroke the shorter the peg, and the
broader the corresponding letter and vice versa. It will be seen from
Fig. 1 that the pegs on M do not range each in line with the type to
which it corresponds, but are so placed that when the type is in printing
position, that is to say, at the highest point of the circle H, the peg
corresponding to it faces the setting screw v.
Upon the base plate A are fixed two brackets N, N, provided at the
top with screwed centre pins O, O, on which is pivotted a rocking
frame P. To this frame are affixed a couple of springs, one of which
marked R is shewn in Fig. 2. The points of these springs bear against
adjusting screws S, by which more or less flexure can be given to them,
their purpose being to support and raise the rocking frame P. On the
under side of the frame P are two studs c, c, which when the frame is
pulled down in opposition to the springs R strike on the summits of two
columns U, U, which act as stops to prevent the frame from being
pulled down too far. The studs c, c, are preferably secured into the
frame, so that their projecting length can be adjusted as desired. To
prevent the frame P from being raised too far by the springs R two set
screws d (one of which is seen in Fig. 2) are provided in brackets
projecting down from the frame P, so as to bear against studs e projecting
from the columns U. Thus by means of the screw studs c and the set
screws & the up-and-down stroke of the frame P on its pivots O can be
adjusted. On the frame P is mounted an axis Z, which is held in
position by a thumbscrew Y. On slacking this screw the axis Z can be
readily removed from the rocking frame to take off paper or place paper
on the impression cylinder W, which is fitted on the axis Z, so that it
can slide longitudinally on it, but must turn with it.
by forming a V groove 6 along the axis Z, and mounting at one end of
the cylinder W a spring catch a, which engages in this groove. A
screw T mounted in the frame P parallel to Z has a nut V. To this nut
is hinged an arm f, which is hollowed in the middle at i to fit into a
groove g at the end of the cylinder W. The outer end of the arm fis
made as a hook to embrace a tube h, which can slide freely on a fixed
b
This is effected

page_text: When the frame P is raised, as shewn in Fig. 1, the arm 1, 1, with the
arc p, p¹, being down, the pawl r engages with the teeth of the ratchet
wheel m, and then as the frame P is lowered, the arm ɩ, l', being rela-
tively raised, the pawl turns the wheel m partly round. The amount
of turn thus given to the worm A¹ is determined so as to suit the width
of the letter in the following manner :-The arc p, p¹, is connected by a
rod p, t, to the lever v, u, t, pivotted at u, and having the setting screw v
at its farther end. This lever is drawn by a spring so as to press the
screw at v against the peg on M presented towards it. During the
descent of P the screw rises till it is arrested by the peg on M, and as
the lever v, u, t, cannot move farther the continued descent of P has the
effect of relatively raising the arc p, p¹, to the position shewn in Fig. 5,
when the stud S throws the pawl out of gear with the ratchet, and
consequently stops the farther revolution of the wheel m and worm A¹.
It is obvious that the longer is the peg on M the sooner will this disen-
gagement of the pawl occur; and as the longer pegs on M are made to
correspond with the narrower types so the amount of turn given to the
cylinder W through the gearing above described is less the narrower the,
letter printed, and thus the spacing of the letters is equalised. In any
case the pegs on M and the lever and its connections to the arc p, p¹, are
so adjusted that the pawl r is disengaged before the cylinder W bears on
the type, and thus the width to be occupied by a letter on the paper of
W is adjusted before the letter is actually impressed, and there is no
movement of the paper cylinder such as might blurr the impression
while the impression is being effected. By adjusting the screw the
spacing of the letters may be varied. On the worm A¹ is tightly fitted
an index, which moves round a dial plate C¹ with the worm, but which
can be moved by hand without turning the worm. On first starting the
printing the cylinder W is moved round by turning the worm A¹ till the
part where the line is to begin is brought into the printing position. The
index on C¹ being then set to O, fresh lines can always be begun in the
same range by turning the worm till the index comes again to O.
For properly ending the lines of impression the following signalling
arrangement is used:-On the axis Z close to the worm wheel k is fixed
a wheel d' with one tooth. This wheel is fixed where desired on the
axis Z by a pinching screw, and its tooth at each revolution works a
hammer, which gives a stroke to a small bell E¹. Thus by setting the
wheel d¹ so as to give the stroke to the bell some time before the ending.

page_text: of the line the operator can for the remainder of the line vary the spacing
so as properly to divide words.
The inking of the types on H is effected in the following manner :—
A roller y is mounted on arms x, x, pivotted in a small slide q. The
roller y is in the first place served with lithographic or other ink by
running it on an ink table or otherwise, and is then put into its position
so as to bear against a disc z, which receives ink from y, and transmits
it to another roller w, which in its turn transmits it to a gelatine roller q¹.
The two rollers w and q¹àre mounted on arms n¹ on a spindle m¹ mounted
in the slide B, so that they move longitudinally with that slide and with
the type drum H. The pressure of the roller q' against the types, and
of the roller w against q¹ and z, can be adjusted by screws a¹ and d¹. On
each end of the axis of q' are fixed toothed wheels 8', which bear against
caoutchouc or other impressible rings on the type drum H, so that as
the latter is turned the inking rollers and disc z are caused also to turn.
As the disc z is narrow, being made to suit in its width the line of type,
the ink is transmitted through w and q¹ in a narrow strip so as to ink
only the row of types which is in use. It is preferred to apply another
gelatine roller q' to the opposite side of the type drum for the purpose
of distributing the ink more equally on the types.
From the above description it will be understood that the apparatus is
applicable in many cases where single printed copies of documents are
required instead of manuscript, the operation of printing with it requiring
but little skill or dexterity, and being effected with rapidity and with
comparatively little labour. When several copies are required by the
use of suitable ink the printed copy can be made to serve for reproducing
copies by lithography or anastatic processes.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I claim,―
First. The use of printing apparatus in which a cylinder or drum
containing types arranged in rows on its periphery can be turned round
or moved longitudinally so as to bring any desired type immediately
under a cylinder covered with paper, the said cylinder having also
longitudinal and rotary movement on an axis transverse to that of the
type cylinder, and being mounted in an oscillating frame, so that a point 3
in its surface can be impressed by the type presented below it, substan-
tially as herein described.
.

page_text: Second. In apparatus, such as is referred to above, forming the types
in blocks of equal size with the character close to the one edge for the
purpose of equalising the spacing of the printed impression, substantially
as herein described.
Third. The use, for the spacing above referred to, of pegs of various
lengths on the axis of the type cylinder operating in combination with
mechanism for turning the paper cylinder, so that the distance moved
by the latter for each impression is proportioned to the width of the
character to be impressed, substantially as herein described.
Fourth. The use of alarum apparatus, consisting of a bell struck at
an adjustable point in the revolution of the paper cylinder for the
purpose of notifying to the operator that the termination of a line of
impression is approaching, substantially as herein described.
Fifth. The use for inking the types of an intermediate inking disc so
as to confine the supply of ink to the one circular row of types, sub-
stantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Michael Alissoff, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Tenth day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
MICHAEL ALISSOFF. (L.S.)