A NEW AND USEFUL MACHINE FOR DAMPENING AND WETTING PAPER, ETC
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Levi Lincoln Tower, of the State of Massachusetts,
of the United States of America, for the Invention of "A NEW AND
USEFUL MACHINE FOR DAMPENING AND WETTING PAPER, ETC."-A communi-
cation from John A. Lynch, a resident of Boston, of the said State of
Massachusetts.
Sealed the 31st August 1859, and dated the 30th June 1859.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Levi Lincoln Tower at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and Declara-
tion, on the 30th June 1859, pursuant to the 9th Section of the Patent
Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, BE IT
KNOWN, that I, LEVI LINCOLN TOWER, of the State of Massachusetts, of the
United States of America, am in possession of "A NEW AND USEFUL MACHINE
FOR DAMPENING AND WETTING PAPER, ETC.," (the same was communicated to me
by John A. Lynch, a resident of Boston, of the said State of Massachusetts,)
and I do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, or in other words its construction and

page_text: mode of operation, are fully described and represented in the following
Specification and the accompanying Drawings, of which Figure 1 is a top
view; Figure 2 is a sectional view taken through the lines A, B, of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is also a sectional view taken through the lines C, D, of Figure 1.
The present Invention consists in a new implement or machine to be used
in copying letters, &c., into copying books, in lieu of the usual process of first
wetting the sheet by a brush, or otherwise, and then absorbing the superfluous
water with a sheet of blotting paper. My new apparatus for this purpose
consists of a hollow perforated cylinder, covered with cloth and containing
water, and a second cylinder covered with blotting paper, the two cylinders
being connected by a handle and revolving in a frame, whereby the sheet upon
which the impression is to be made will be dampened by the water cylinder,
and the superfluous moisture absorbed by the second cylinder at one operation
by passing the machine once over the sheet.
The wetting cylinder E, (revolves in the frame G), it is composed of thin
metal and perforated with small holes a, a, a; it is supplied with water through
the opening in the end, which is closed by a screw cap. The cylinder is
covered with cloth or other porous and absorbing substance. Care must be
taken to cover the cylinder in proportion to the size and number of the holes,
the object being to have this absorbing covering always wet enough to impart
sufficient dampness to the sheets which it may be rolled over, but not to leak
or drop the water when stationary, resting on a non-conducting substance. If
properly supplied with holes and carefully covered, the draft of water from the
cylinder will be in exact proportion to the use, and a sufficient quantity of air
will find its way into the cylinder through the covering to take the place of
the water exhausted. H is a wooden roller with blotting paper covering
revolving in the frame G, which may be passed over to remove any superfluous
moisture; I is a handle attached to the frame G, G, which serves to connect
the cylinder E and roller H, so that they can be revolved together.
From the foregoing description it will be seen that by combining the wetting
cylinder E and roller H with the handle I, connecting the two in the manner
described, a new implement or machine is obtained, which performs the
different operations of wetting the sheet and absorbing the superfluous moisture
by taking hold of the handle, and passing the apparatus once over the sheet.
Having thus described my improvement, I shall state my claim as follows:-
1 do not claim a hollow perforated cylinder through which water oozes, as a
similar device has been used for coating the inking roller of a printing press;
but what I do claim as my Invention, and desire to have secured to me by

page_text: Letters Patent is, the combination of the wetting cylinder E, handle I, and
roller H, as described, the whole constituting a new implement or machine by
which the sheet on which the impression is to be taken can be dampened,
and its superfluous moisture absorbed by passing the apparatus once over
the sheet.
In testimony whereof. I have hereunto set my signature and seal, this
LEVI LINCOLN TOWER. (L.S.)