IMPROVE- MENTS IN PRINTING MACHINERY
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Galloway Dawson and Jeremialı Dawson, of Otley,
in the County of York, Printing Engineers, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PRINTING MACHINERY."
ealed the 15th September 1877, and dated the 20th March 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Galloway Dawson
and Jeremiah Dawson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
20th March 1877.
THOMAS GALLOWAY DAWSON and JEREMIAH DAWSON, of Otley, in the County of
York, Printing Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING MACHINERY."
The Invention relates to a novel mode of mounting and operating the platten in
that class or description of printing machinery known as platten printing machines,
whereby without bringing the platten to a complete stand more time is given for
feeding and taking off the sheets. The type and type bed is made more accessible,
the machine capable of working at a much higher rate of speed and with greater
regularity of motion than heretofore. The platten is bolted to a bridge through
the barrel of which a shaft is fitted. This shaft is coupled to the driving part of the
machine by means of links or connecting rods in the usual way.
On the under side of the bridge, as near to the front as possible, and about equal
distance from each end, we fix a bowle or roller, and on each end of the shaft which
passes through the bridge between the ends of the barrel and the before-mentioned
links we place other bowles or rollers, or these latter may be fixed to the under
side of the bridge instead of on the shaft, at suitable distance behind the front
roller to insure the proper tilting of the platten. On the side frames we fix curved
inclines with their high parts towards the machine, and on the cross piece of the
frame in front of the type bed we fix another incline with its low parts towards the
machine.
The low part of the front incline and the high parts of the side inclines are planes
at right angles with the type bed. The low parts of the side inclines and the high
part of the centre incline are suitably shaped to cause a pause in the tilting of the

page_text: platten to enable the sheets to be fed. Thus, when the side rollers are on the lower
parts of the side inclines the front roller is on the high part of the centre incline,
and the platten in a suitable position for the sheets being fed.
When the platten is drawn forward towards the type, the side bowles move up
the side inclines, while the centre bowle moves down the front incline, until the
platten is thrown or tilted into a perpendicular position. It is then drawn forward
on the planes of the inclines in a straight line to the type. After giving the
impression, the platten is forced back on the planes, and while the front bowle
moves up the front incline the side bowles nove down the side inclines. The
platten is thus again tilted into a suitable position for the sheets to be taken off
and fed.
The fingers for holding the paper to the platten and the inking apparatus are
arranged in the best manner suitable for machines of this class.
The chief novelty in our improved machine is that by the above arrangement
we ensure a continuous rolling motion, and at the same time accomplish the neces
sary pause for feeding the sheets without any slots or cams hitherto in use which
produce a jerky motion. This regularity of motion also enables us to run the
machine at a much higher speed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Galloway Dawson and Jeremiah Dawson in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 19th September 1877.
THOMAS GALLOWAY DAWSON and JEREMIAH DAWSON, of Otley, in the County of
York, Printing Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING MACHINERY."
The Invention relates to a novel mode of mounting and operating the platten
in that class or description of printing machinery known as platten printing
machines, whereby, without bringing the platten to a complete stand, more time is
given for feeding and taking off the sheets. The type and type bed is made more
accessible, the machine capable of working at a much higher rate of speed and with
greater regularity of motion than heretofore. The platten is bolted to a bridge,
through the barrel of which a shaft is fitted. This shaft is coupled to the driving
part of the machine by means of links or connecting rods in the usual way.
On the under side of the bridge, as near to the front as possible, and about equal
distance from each end, we fix a bowl or roller, and on each end of the shaft which
passes through the bridge between the ends of the barrel and the before-mentioned
links we place other bowls or rollers, or these latter may be fixed to the under
side of the bridge instead of on the shaft, at suitable distance behind the front
roller to ensure the proper tilting of the platten. On the side frames we fix curved
inclines with their high parts towards the machine, and on the cross piece of the
frame in front of the type bed we fix another incline with its low part towards the
machine.
The low part of the front incline and the high parts of the side inclines are planes
at right angles with the type bed. The low part of the side inclines and the high
part of the centre incline are suitably shaped to cause a pause in the tilting of the
platten to enable the sheets to be fed. Thus, when the side rollers are on the lower
parts of the side inclines, the front roller is on the high part of the centre incline,
and the platten is in a suitable position for the sheets being fed.
When the platten is drawn forward towards the type, the side bowls move up
the side inclines, while the centre bowl moves down the front incline, until the
platten is thrown or tilted into a perpendicular position. It is then drawn forward
on the planes of the inclines in a straight line to the type. After giving the
impression the platten is forced back on the planes, and while the front bowl moves.

page_text: up the front incline the side bowls move down the side inclines. The platten is
thus again tilted into a suitable position for the sheets to be taken off and fed.
The fingers for holding the paper to the platten and the inking apparatus are
arranged in the best manner suitable for machines of this class.
The chief novelty in our improved machine is that by the above arrangement
we ensure a continuous rolling motion, and at the same time accomplish the neces-
sary pause for feeding the sheets without any slots or cams hitherto in use which
produce a jerky motion. This regularity of motion also enables us to run the
inachine at a much higher speed.
In order that our said Invention and manner of performing the same may be
better understood, we have hitherto appended one Sheet of Drawings to be herein-
after referred to, and all parts of the machine not necessary for the clucidation of
these improvements are omitted in the Drawings, being the same as an ordinary
machine.
Figure 1 is a front view of a platten printing machine with our improvements
attached; the platten is shown near a perpendicular position ready for the paper to
receive the impression from the type.
Figure 2 is a side view of the platten and connecting links; the platten is in an
angular position ready to be fed with the paper for printing.
Figure 3 is a side view of a machine which shows the platten near a perpendicular
position and the rollers or bowls on the flat parts of the inclines.
The corresponding letters and figures on the Drawings indicate the same parts on
all the Figures.
A indicates the main framework of the machine; B is a projecting bracket; the
top and bottom faces at C and C are truly planed; motion to the machine is
obtained by a revolving strap passing over pulley D, which is secured on the main
shaft E; the fly wheel D₁ is also secured to the main shaft and is for giving
uniformity of motion to the machine; the pinion F on shaft E gears into the spur
wheel F which is secured on the crank shaft G mounted in suitable journals formed
in the side frames A; the disc cranks H are keyed one on to each end of shaft G+,
and are fitted with pins H¹ at the requisite distance from the centre to give the
platten the proper amount of travel; the side links J connect the crank pins to the
bridge shaft K, and aro kept in position on the shaft by the collars K¹; on to each
end of the last-named shaft, close to the side links towards the centre of the machine,
we mount bowls or rollers K³ which rest upon the side inclines L that are secured
to the projecting bracket B; the bridge M is mounted on the shaft K, and has two
arms M², extending down; these arms have projecting Hanges N and N', which fit
against the planed surfaces C and C¹; the platten O is bolted to lugs P on the
bridge; these lugs extend down towards the bracket B, and between these said
lugs or flanges P we fit another bowl or roller P¹, which rests and rolls upon the
centre incline R, bolted to bracket B; the high part of this incline at R¹ is towards
the front of the machine, and the high part of the side inclines are towards the type
bed which is fixed in the usual manner at A¹.
It will be easily understood that when the machine is in motion the action of the
cranks will cause the bowls or rollers K³ to revolve down the inclines L, and the
centre roller P¹ will revolve and travel up the centre incline R, and bring the platten
into the position, as shown in Figure 2, when the attendant can take off the printed
sheet and feed the platten with another sheet of paper, the cranks still revolving will
draw the rollers up the side inclines L to the top at L, and the centre roller will
revolve down the centre incline R to the bottom, when the said rollers will travel
on the stright plains at right angles to the type, and thus bring the platten into a
perpendicular or other position parallel to the type bed. When the rollers are on
the before-named stright plains the projecting flanges N and N' are tight against
the before-named planed surfaces C and C; the flanges N passes under the notches
formed in the slides S, and thus the platten is quite firm and secure when receiving
the impression from the typo.

page_text: Having thus described our said Invention and the manner in which the same is
or may be performed, we have to state that we do not restrict ourselves to the
precise details herein described and delineated, but that what we believe to be novel
and original and claim as the Invention secured to us by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent is, the arranging and combining of the various parts for pro-
ducing a smooth continuous motion which brings the platten into an angular
position, and effects the necessary pause for taking off and feeding the same with
sheets, substantially as herein-before described and represented by the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Galloway Dawson, of and on behalf
of myself and the said Jeremiah Dawson, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Fifteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-seven.
Witness,
JOHN WAUGH,
Engineer & Patent Agent,
Bradford,
Yorks'.
THO³. G. DAWSON. (L.S.)