IMPROVEMENTS IN LITHOGRAPHIC AND OTHER PRINTING PRESSES
Year: 1844

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
NICHOL, Lithographer and Printer, in Edinburgh, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Sixteenth day of January, in the seventh year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Nichol, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said William Nichol, my executors, administrators, and assigns, and
such others as I, the said William Nichol, my executors, adñiors, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times during the term of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LITHOGRAPHIC AND
OTHER PRINTING PRESSES;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso
obliging me, the said William Nicholl, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of my
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, and to
cause the same to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being there-
unto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Nichol, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being had to
the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon 5
(that is to say):-
My Invention of Improvements in Lithographic and other Printing Presses
refers more particularly to those driven by steam or other power, and consists,
in the first place, in the application thereto of a self-acting presser bar, which
is brought to act upon the tympan and produce the required impression.
My Invention consists, secondly, in the application of a reversing motion to
lithographic and other presses, by which they are more advantageously adapted
to be worked by steam or other power.
My Invention consists, thirdly, in a novel construction and arrangement of
the parts of a press by which the operation of printing may be performed at
each end of the press alternately, thus obviating the necessity of drawing back
the tympan frame and carriage after each impression, and, consequently,
effecting a saving of time and labour.
My Invention consists, fourthly, in the application of what I term an elastic
presser or scraper in place of the ordinarily comparatively rigid wood
scraper."
"
And my Invention consists, fifthly, in the use of a self-acting apparatus for
lifting and lowering the tympan frame.
I proceed now to describe more particularly these several improvements,
referring in illustration thereof to the accompanying Drawings, in which
Sheet I. represents in three views a press constructed so as to embody my 'first
and second improvements; and Sheet 2 represents (also in three views) a
press constructed with a view to the attainment of the third, fourth, and fifth
objects of my Invention.
In Sheet 1, Fig. 1 is an end view, Fig. 2 a side view, and Fig. 3, a plan or
horizontal view of one of my improved presses, in all of which Figures the same
letters of reference indicate corresponding parts. A, A, is the framework,
which may be of cast iron. B, B, uprights or standards for supporting the
upper parts of the press. C, a cylinder or roller, having pins fitted around its
periphery entering corresponding holes in the under surface of the carriage D,
so as to propel it forward by a kind of rack and pinion motion. E is a wheel
in which are inserted moveable cogs or teeth, in the way represented. On this
wheel is also fixed the turning pláte E*, for reversing its motion when the
impression has been completed. F is a pinion taking into the cogs or teeth
1

page_text: of this wheel. G, a driving pulley revolving on the end of the pinion shaft.
H, a clutch sliding on a feather formed upon this shaft, to be thrown into or
out of gear with the driving pulley by means of a lever I. K is a cross-head
firmly secured to the tops of the uprights or standards B. L, a bar capable
of being raised or lowered by a vertical screw working through the cross-head K.
M, the presser bar jointed to the bar L, and capable of moving in the direc-
tion shown by dots in Fig. 2. To this bar may be affixed either a scraper or
roller for the purpose of pressing upon the tympan N, but for lithographic
printing I prefer the former. O is a bent lever, also jointed to the bar L, a.
weight on one end of which lever causes its other end to press against the
bar M, and keep it in the position shown in Fig. 2, when the press is out of
action. P is a lifter placed immediately behind the part at which the tympan
frame is jointed to the carriage. Q represents a lithographic stone.
I proceed now to describe the operation of the press. In the first instance
a sufficient number of cogs or teeth are inserted in the wheel E to enable it,
by means of the cylinder or roller C, to carry forward the carriage D such a
distance under and beyond the scraper or roller on the presser bar M as will
ensure a good impression from the stone or plate placed upon the carriage.
It is manifest this will depend upon the length of surface to be printed. This
being determined by passing the carriage once through the press, the turning
plate E is fixed at the ends of the cogs or teeth, so that the pinion F work-
ing outside the cogs or teeth, and arriving at the last cog or tooth, may be
guided round by the turning plate and made to act upon the inside of the cogs
or teeth, by which means the motion of the wheel E will become reversed.
It will be seen that this is merely an application of the ordinary mangle motion.
It should be here observed, that the pinion shaft must be mounted in a slot so
as to be capable of sliding a short distance to allow of the pinion passing in the
direction just described. The stone or plate being now laid upon the car-
riage D, and the tympan brought down, the workman throws the clutch H
into gear with the driving pulley G, by means of the lever I, so that the
pinion F will now receive motion, and through the connection shewn with the
wheel E and cylinder C, communicate it to the carriage D, which will thus
be carried forward towards the presser bar M. But it will be observed, that
the lifter P, by coming under the roller M* on the lower end of the bent
lever O, will raise that lever into the position shewn by dots in Fig. 2, and
will also allow the presser bar. M to assume the vertical position indicated
likewise by dots in the same Figure. The bar M is prevented from being
carried beyond this point by its flanges coming against the uprights or
standards B; and it will. be evident that in this position the full amount of

page_text: pressure will be exerted upon the tympan by the scraper or roller affixed to
the bar. The carriage D having moved on until the whole surface to be
printed has passed under the scraper or roller, the turning plate E* on the
wheel E is reached, the returning motion of the carriage instantly removes the
pressure by again throwing forward into its former position the presser bar M,
which bar, as soon as the lifter P has passed from under the roller M*, is kept
in its place by the weighted lever O falling into its former position. As soon
as the carriage D has arrived at the end of the return motion the driving
pulley is thrown out of gear by the end of the carriage, and the operation is
complete.
I proceed now to describe another form or construction of press, in which
the third, fourth, and fifth objects of my Invention are attained. It is repre-
sented in three views in Sheet 2 of the accompanying Drawings; Fig. 1
being a side elevation, and Fig. 2 a somewhat irregular vertical section, and
In all
Fig. 3 a plan or horizontal view, the upper parts being removed.
these Figures the same letters indicate corresponding parts. This press being
designed to act at both ends, all the moving parts are confined within the
frame, that the workman may pass freely from one end to the other. A, A,
represents the ordinary cast-iron framework of the machine or press, the side
standards of which are firmly connected together by the cross-head B at top,
and by brackets and stretchers at the lower part. At D is shown what I term
the scraper bar, which is capable of being raised or lowered by the adjusting
screw E. This bar D is guided in its vertical motion by grooves in the side
standards. F is the carriage of the stone or plate, which is made to traverse
the press by means of a pinion w, acting upon a rack x, bolted to the lower
surface of the carriage F, as shewn in Fig. 1. The pinion w is mounted upon
a vertical shaft g, on the lower end of which shaft is keyed a bevel wheel m,
driven by one or other of the bevel pinions f, f, on the driving shaft t, as they
are alternately put into or out of connection with the shaft by means of the
clutch box S, and the lever h. The lever his composed of a horizontal arm
extending the whole length of the machine or press, and also jointed to it an
upright arm turning upon a pivot or axle H, fixed to the frame. On this
axle is a link or arm h¹ (seen in Fig. 2), one end of which works in the clutch
box S, so that when the horizontal arm of the lever h is moved either to or
fro, the axle H is turned, and the clutch box S is thereby made to receive a
slight horizontal motion sufficient to throw one of the pinions finto gear with it.
The pinions f, it should be observed, run loosely on the driving shaft t, and the
clutch box S slides horizontally on a feather formed upon that shaft, but is
made to turn with it. n, n, are plummer blocks or bearings for the driving

page_text: 9.
shaft t. G are rollers upon which the carriage F travels. These rollers turn
on axes mounted in the bearings b, securely fixed to the frame. The centre
part of the bearings b, serves also for a socket for the vertical shaft There
are four projections on the carriage, in which are formed square holes to
receive the parts J, which form sockets for the tympan frame to rest in. Lare
pinching screws for regulating the height at which the parts J may be fixed.
The tympan frame M is connected by two transverse bars N, which rest in the
parts J. These bars are formed large at O, to prevent any lateral movement
of the frame. The enlarged part O also serves to receive the screws P for
tightening the tympans. Q, Q, are friction rollers on the ends of the bars N,
which, by passing under the inverted rail k (shown by dots in Fig. 2), keep
that end of the tympan frame in the sockets. s, s, are what may be termed
lower end of which catch hold
double hooks suspended loosely on pivots s', the
of the studs T, projecting from the tympan frame, and raise the end of the
frame as the carriage F advances from under it. U are bars or stretchers
round which the tympan leather is attached. These bars are screwed to
receive the tightening screws P at their ends, as shewn. Y are friction
rollers for keeping the carriage I steady in its forward or backward motion.
Z is the plate (connected as shown with the bar D), which I apply instead of
the usual scraper. It should be of steel or other elastic metal, and fixed at
an angle such as is seen in the Drawing. The angle I prefer is that of about
thirty degrees with the plane of the surface to be printed from. The thickness
or strength of the plate or scraper is regulated by the distance at which it is
fixed from the edge. I find, when composed of steel "at a spring temper,"
about one eighth of an inch to be a convenient thickness when held at a
distance not exceeding one inch and three quarters (see Fig. 4). The edge
of the plate or scraper must be rounded so as not to injure the tympan
leather. The action of this press is as follows:-The stone or plate, with the
surface to receive the impression, being suitably laid on the carriage F, the
workman throws one of the pinions f into gear with the clutch box S, by
which means motion is communicated to the bevel wheel m, and thence to the
pinion w and rack x, so that the carriage F is propelled forward in the direc-
tion of the plate or scraper Z. As the carriage advances into the position
shewn in Fig. 2, and with it the tympan frame M, the hinder end of the frame
having a tendency to fall, is prevented from so doing by the studs T on the
frame coming within the forked end of the double hooks s. The end of the
frame is thus gently lowered into the sockets in the parts J
front rollers Q have passed from under the inverted rail k.
by the time the
The hooks s,
being liberated from the studs T, have now assumed a vertical position and

page_text: remain so until by the progress of the cariage and tympan under the presser
or scraper Z, the hinder studs T advance into their forked end and carry them
forward. The continued progress of the carriage and frame will soon have
carried the hooks forward to the extreme of their race, when, by the former
still advancing (the hinder rollers Q being now confined under the inverted
rail ), the front end of the tympan frame will be lifted out of its sockets and
raised from the stone or plate so as to leave it ready to be prepared for yield-
ing another impression. The carriage F having arrived so far as to bring the
parts into the position just described, strikes against a projection on the end of
the lever h, and by carrying that lever forward throws the pinion f out of
The carriage thus remains stationary until the workman pulls the handle
of the lever h, and throws the other pinion f into gear, when the carriage is
again passed under the presser or scraper, and the operation of printing is
repeated.
gear.
It will be evident that I have in the above description used the words
"front" and "hinder" merely by way of distinction in reference to the motion
of the carriage during one operation, but there is in reality no front and back
of the press, inasmuch as it works at each end alike. I would here remark,
in further explanation of the presser or scraper Z, that its edge should be so
formed as to present to the surface of the tympan the same angle in one
direction horizontally as the length of the presser or scraper does in the other,
and then rounded so as to prevent injury to the tympan. This form is shewn in
full size in the detached Figure 4. The object of giving this form to the edge
of the presser or scraper is, that the passage of the tympan, either to or fro,
may have the same tendency to lift it from its surface, and thus uniformly
call into play the elasticity of the metal in the production of each impression.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I would remark that I do not mean or
intend to confine myself to the precise forms of all the parts shewn and
described, but I claim as secured to me by the above in part recited Letters
Patent,―
Firstly, the self-acting presser bar represented in Sheet 1 of the accom-
panying Drawings, and marked M.
Secondly, the application of a reversing motion to lithographic or zinco-
graphic presses.
Thirdly, the general arrangement and construction of the lithographic or
zincographic press represented in Sheet 2, admitting of the operation of printing
at both ends.
Fourthly, the application of the clastic presser or scraper marked Z..

page_text: WILLIAM NICHOL. (L.S.)
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twelfth day of July, in the eighth
year of the reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, the said William Nichol
came before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged
the Instrument aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and spe-
cified, in form above written. And also the Instrument aforesaid was stamped
according to the tenor of the Statute made in the fifty-fifth year of the reign
of His late Majesty King George the Third.
Inrolled the Sixteenth day of July, One thousand eight hundred and
forty-four.