IMPROVE- MENTS IN PRESSES FOR LETTER-PRESS PRINTING
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Carwood, of Queen Street, Finsbury, in
the County of Middlesex, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PRESSES FOR LETTER-PRESS PRINTING."
Sealed the 21st December 1872, and dated the 23rd August 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Carwood at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
23rd August 1872.
I, WILLIAM CARWOOD, of Queen Street, Finsbury, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESSES FOR LETTER-PRESS PRINTING," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to that class of printing presses which are
known in the trade as "jobbing presses." The object of the Invention
is to bring the platten up to the type by a perfectly parallel motion so
as to give a more perfect impression than heretofore. The type is
stationary in a vertical position, and is inked by means of rollers which

page_text: are mounted in a reciprocating frame and are carried up and down over
the face of the type. The axle of the platten is moved in or against
fixed guides, one on each end of the platten axle. Portions of these
guides are horizontal, straight, and parallel; while other portions are
curved so as to cause the platten at a certain part of its course to
assume an inclined position for the convenience of placing the paper
thereon. The axle of the platten turns in bearings at the upper end of
vertical rocking levers (one on each side), the lower ends of which are
made in the form of sectors, with or without teeth, and roll on their
supporting step or rail below so that by the combined action of the
horizontal guides above and the rails below the centre of motion of
the platten axle is at the advancing part of the stroke always in the
same horizontal plane. In order to give time to place the paper on the
platten the latter is made to dwell, to which end it is actuated by means
of a slotted link, which is connected to a crank pin on the main driving
wheel of the machine.
It will be occasionally required to prevent the platten from coming
up close to the type, and in order to effect this the ends of the shaft
which enter the slotted links are made excentric, so that by mercly
turning the shaft on its axis the platten will be prevented from reaching
the type, to the extent say of an eighth of an inch, and consequently
will not give any impression.
The inking apparatus is worked by means of links connected by means
of a book joint to a pin on the slotted links, and when it is required to
throw this part out of gear (and thereby stop its motion) it will only be
requisite to lift the hook links off the pin on the slotted links and then
the inking apparatus will be stopped.
In order to regulate and adjust the pressure of the platten on the type
a cranked lever is adapted to one end of the platten shaft and is pro-
vided with an adjusting screw or worm whereby the pressure may be
regulated to a nicety.
As a modification of the above the frame carrying the form of type
may have a parallel motion given to it by a similar arrangement of
mechanism as that above mentioned for producing the parallel motion of
the platten. When this arrangement is adopted the platten will not
require any advancing motion, but will simply be required to turn on its
axis or dead centre (which is in a line with the face of the platten) into

page_text: an inclined position to receive the paper, its centre of motion being
stationary. When the paper is placed on the platten the latter will be
brought into a vertical position, and the type will be brought up against
it and give the impression.
In order to regulate the pressure the bearings of the platten may be
made adjustable to the desired extent, or the link or connecting rod for
actuating the type frame may be made adjustable, or the ends of the
shafts of the type frame may be provided with an excentric, by turning
which in either direction the pressure may be adjusted to a nicety.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Carwood in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 22nd February 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CARWOOD, of Queen Street, Finsbury, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Carwood, Her special licence that I
the said William Carwood, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said William Carwood, 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 Ircland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESSES FOR LETTER-
PRESS PRINTING," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Carwood, 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: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Carwood, 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 Drawings hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say):
:-
This Invention relates to that class of printing presses which arc
known in the trade as "jobbing presses." The object of the Invention
is to bring the platten up to the type by a perfectly parallel motion so
as to give a more perfect impression than heretofore. The type is
stationary in a vertical position, and is inked by means of rollers which
arc mounted in a reciprocating frame, and are carried up and down over
the face of the type.
In the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 is a side clevation of my
improved press; Fig. 2 is a front clevation; and Fig. 3 is a vertical section
taken in the line 1, 2, of Fig. 2.
In these Figures A, A, is the main framing, supporting in bearings a
driving shaft B, which may be worked by a treadle B' or by a band from
any prime mover working over the band pulley B. Keyed to this
driving shaft B is a spur pinion 1, which gears into and drives a spur
whcel 2 on the main shaft C, which has its bearings at the back of the
frame A. This frame A carries within it standards D, D, to which is
affixed the vertical bed E of the press, and near the top of the standards
is mounted the ink distributor F. These standards D form guides for an
inking roller carriage G, the rollers of which take up ink from the dis-
tributor and passing down the standards impart ink to the type, which is
secured to the bed E by means of the type frame E'. Immediately
opposite the type frame is mounted the platten H, which is bolted to a
sliding tipping block H', provided at its rear with a pair of arms H².
These arms each carry a stud pin h, and mounted loosely on each stud
pin is a flanged bowle ¹ for the purpose to be presently explained. The
tipping block H' is made hollow to receive a horizontal shaft H³ which
is fitted therein so as to turn as in bearings. The ends of the shaft are
slightly excentric to the main body thereof, and they are supported in
bearings formed by sliding blocks which work between parallel horizontal
guides formed in the upper part of the framing A. The ends of the
shaft project through their bearings through the sliding blocks and

page_text: through the upper ends of a rocking frame I, external of the framing A.
This rocking frame is supported on horizontal bracket pieces A¹ bolted
to the frame A, and furnished by preference with rack teeth, and the
lower ends of the framing I are segment shaped (the segment being
struck from the axis of the shaft H³), and furnished with teeth which
gear into the racks of the bracket pieces A¹. This arrangement ensures
that the axis of the platten shaft shall on the advance of the platten to
give the impress be always in the same horizontal planc.
For the proper operation of the machine it is requisite to give to the
platten H not only a traverse motion to and from the type but also a
tipping motion when it is withdrawn from the type in order that the
impressed sheet may be readily removed and a fresh sheet supplied
thereto. It is for this purpose that the block H' which carries the
platten is made free to rock on its shaft H³. To ensure this tipping
motion curved guides K, K, are provided. These guides are made fast
by means of bolts to corresponding projecting pieces on the frame A,
and in the curved grooves of these guides the before-mentioned flanged
rollers run. Thus as the platten is withdrawn from the type it will by
the running of these rollers down their curved guides be tipped into the
inclined position shewn at Fig. 3 ready to have the printed sheet
removed and to receive a fresh sheet of paper.
The traverse motion of the platten is obtained by the throw of a
pair of crank pins C acting on it through a pair of. link rods. One of
these crank pins projects from a cam C, keyed to the main shaft C, and
the other from the spur wheel 2. These crank pins C¹are embraced by
straps of the link rods L, the other ends of which embrace the ends of
the shaft H³, thus allowing the link rods to move a considerable
distance without acting upon that shaft. The object of this arrange-
ment is to give the platten a dwell when it has attained the position for
receiving the paper.
It will be occasionally required to prevent the platten from coming
up close to the type in order to protect the setting-off sheet from being
inked, and it is for the purpose of effecting this that the ends of the shaft
embraced by the slotted links are made excentric, as above mentioned.
By giving a slight axial motion to this shaft in one direction the platten
may be prevented from reaching the type to the extent, say, of an eighth
of an inch, and consequently will not give any impression, and by

page_text: turning the shaft in the opposite direction the pressure of the platten
may be increased as desired. This movement of the shaft is effected by
means of an arm M made fast thereto. This arm carries a spring bolt M',
which enters a notch in an adjustable segment-shaped plate I' through
which the shaft passes, and which forms virtually a part of a rocking
frame I. This plato is furnished on its lower edge with teeth which
gear into a worm M³ mounted on the rocking frame I, and capable of
being rotated by a winch handle M*. The segment-shaped plate is made
fast to the frame I by a clamping nut, but when this is slackened it may
be adjusted axially by the worm M³ so as to bring the notch into which
the spring bolt enters into any desired position for locking the excentric
platten shaft. By disengaging the spring bolt and pulling back the
lever M, which the attendant can do in an instant, the platten will be
prevented from reaching the type at the greatest back throw of the
crank pins C, and the platten may as quickly be readjusted for work.
To prevent the link rods from striking the shaft H³ when making their
return stroke an independent means of moving back the platten is pro-
vided. This consists of a rock lever N having its fulcrum on the frame A,
and connected at its free end by a link rod N¹ to the rocking frame I.
This rock lever is fitted with an antifriction bowle, against which a
cam C2 works. The cut of this cam (see Fig. 1) is such as to press
forward the rocking frame I in advance of the return motion of the link
rods L, and thus prevent the link rods from coming suddenly into action
on the platten shaft.
The traverse motion of the inking roller carriage G is obtained by
means of its connection by links O with a pair of rocking arms O¹, keyed
to a transverse rock shaft O mounted in brackets at the back of the
framing A. Keyed also to this rock shaft is a weighted lever O³, which
acting as a counterweight tends to return the carriage to or maintain it
at the clevated position of Fig. 1. P is an arm keyed to one end of the
rock shaft O, carrying a stud pin for receiving a connecting rod P¹.
This rod has at its free end an elongated slot for receiving a pin L', which
is carried by an extension of one of the connecting link rods L. The
rod P¹ is provided with a tumbling claw P³ which is intended to drop
over the stud pin L' and thereby connect the rods Land P¹ together.
Through this connection the throw of this crank pin C, Fig. 1, will cause
the rod P¹ to pull over the rocking arms O' as the platton recedes from
the type and thereby to move down the inking roller carriage over the
type and ink the surface thereof.

page_text: On the return motion of the platten the crank pin C¹ will through the
link rod L and stud pin force back the rocking arms O¹ to the position
of Fig. 1, and thereby lift the inking roller carriage and pass it over the
ink distributing roller. The carriage in returning to its quiescent position
will strike a rocking frame Q mounted on the standard D and carrying
the vibrator inking roller. This action will throw that roller into
contact with the fountain roller R and cause the latter to impart a fresh
supply of ink thereto. The rocking frame Q connects by a link Q' with
an arm R' that carries a pawle for operating through a ratchet wheel the
fountain roller in the usual manner.
It will be understood that on the return motion of the carriage G the
rocking frame Q will be free to fall back to its depressed position and
bring its roller now charged with ink into contact with the distributor F
which will then in due course impart the same to the rollers of the
inking carriage.
When it is desired to increase the supply to the inking rollers they
may be left in contact with the distributor while that is still rotating
(so as to accumulate ink on their surfaces) by simply tripping up the
tumbling claw P³ which will disconnect rods Land P¹ and thus leave tho
latter quiescent while the former is being moved by its crank pin, the
pin L' being left free to slide in the elongated slot of the rod P¹. In
like manner if it is required to pass the inking rollers two or more times
over the type before taking off an impression, that can be readily done by
maintaining the connection between the rods L and P¹ and turning the
platten shaft H³ so as to keep the platten out of action by the means
above explained.
In Fig. 1 I have shewn by dotted circles the gearing for. transmitting
rotary motion from the main shaft O to the distributor roller F, which
drives as is well understood the other rollers which are brought in contact
therewith by friction of contact.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of improvements in
presses for letter-press printing, and explained the manner of carrying.
the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in
part recited Letters Patent I claim,-
First. Mounting the platten in a rocking frame having a rolling.
fulcrum, and controlling its motion by guides, in the manner and for the
purpose above described.

page_text: Secondly. The mode of adjusting the pressure of the platten, and of
keeping the platten out of action when required.
Thirdly. The means above described for incrcasing the supply of ink
to the rollers of the carriage G, and also of increasing the supply of ink
to the type when the same is required.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Carwood, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Twenty-second day of February, in tho
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.