IMPROVEMENTS IN Lithographic and Type PRINTING MACHINES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Thomson, of the City and County of
Edinburgh, North Britain, Lithographer, for the Invention of
*** IMPROVEMENTS IN Lithographic and Type PRINTING MACHINES.”
"""
Sealed the 2nd July 1875, and dated the 19th February 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Thomson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 19th February 1875.
I, WILLIAM THOMSON, of the City and County of Edinburgh,
North Britain, Lithographer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LITHOGRAPHIC AND TYPE PRINTING MACHINES,"
to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention, which relates to improvements in lithographic and
type printing machines, has for its objects, simplicity in the mechanism,
greater certainty of action by being made more automatic, and capability
of turning out more work in the same time than those at present in use;
also economy in working and maintenance, and in efficiency. It consists

page_text: r
in providing in lieu of the vertical rack now employed in actuating the
reciprocating motion for working the carriage a lever pivoted at its
lower end in or near the floor or other convenient foundation at or near
the centre of 'the machine, and connected at its upper end by a link to
one end of the carriage. This lever is slotted nearly throughout its
entire lenth, and embraces and slides freely on a pin cast on or secured
to the side of a disc or wheel at or near its circumference. On the side
opposite to the connection of the slotted lever the said disc or wheel is
provided with teeth of circular form projecting at right angles there-
from, which are made to gear with the teeth of a small pinion carried on
a shaft projecting from the side frame of the machine, and having a
universal joint.
When the driving shaft of the machine is rotated the shaft carrying
the pinion also rotates by means of intermediate gearing, and the said
pinion gearing into the teeth of the disc or wheel to which the slotted
lever is connected as aforesaid causes it to revolve, and consequently
draws the carriage along horizontally, and the length of the travel is
regulated by the number of teeth in the side of the wheel or disc, for
when the pinion arrives at the point where the teeth cease it is moved
by a catch attached to the disc to the reverse side of the teeth on the
disc, and reverse the motion of the latter, and consequently that of the
carriage. The universal joint on the pinion shaft permits readily the
change of the pinion from the outer to the inner side of the teeth on the
disc, or vice versa. The same result may be obtained however by alter-
nately engaging and disengaging one of three or more small pinions with
the teeth on the disc, whereby the reversing motion is accomplished
without the necessity of a universal joint.
By the foregoing arrangement of mechanism the length of the travel
of the carriage may be easily varied, and may be made sufficient to
permit of the employment of two or more printing or impressing
cylinders at the same time, placed at a convenient distance apart to
receive the necessary damping and inking rollers between them, and so
especially adapting the machine for lithographing and rapid printing.
For the purpose of relieving the rails upon which the carriage travels
from the strain consequent on the pressure of the printing rollers at the
time of taking impressions the machine is provided with quadrants
radiating on transverse shafts or in brackets provided therefor, and
.

page_text: projecting upwards through the rails, which are slotted to receive them
immediately below the printing cylinders. The extent of the projection
of the said quadrants above the rails is just sufficient to allow them to
receive the carriage when passing underneath the printing rollers, and
the length of their circumferences is such as to support the carriage
during that time, and they are radiated on their pivots by the friction
consequent thereon. Two of these quadrants are provided for each
printing cylinder, one at each end, and it is obvious that the strain from
the printing rollers is transferred from the carriage rails to them.
When being used for lithographing the machine is provided with the
usual damping rollers, but the mode of supplying the moisture to the
stone is self-acting. In their normal position the damping rollers are
in contact with the surface of the stone when the latter passes under
them prior to receiving the ink, but on the return journey to make the
impression the rollers are by the action of a shoulder or check on the
end of the carriage on a clip or tappet attached to the side of the framing
underneath the damping rollers raised to a height sufficient to permit
the passage of the carriage without contact between the surface of the
stone and the undermost damping roller.
It is obvious that in type printing the raising and lowering arrange-
ment is not brought into use with the composition or other rollers used
in the place of the damping rollers.
The mode of supplying the ink to the printing surface, which is one
of the features of this Invention, is specially adapted for litho printing,
and is as follows:-Three or more transverse inking rollers are placed at
or near the centre of the machine, and are alternately raised and lowered
by the passage of the stone or other surface, as in existing machines,
and upon them are placed small riders, one or more of which have a
simultaneous transverso and rotary motion, and are worked from a con-
venient shaft actuated by gearing from the driving shaft or otherwise,
except when the stone enters into contact with them, when their motion
is maintained by the friction thereof, and the gearing which drives them
is disengaged by the action of the carriage on a check attached to the
framing at a convenient point, and re-engaged as soon as the contact
ceases. By this arrangement a more perfect distribution of the ink is
attained, and freedom from blotting or smudging ensured.
The rotary motion of the printing cylinder is imparted thereto by

page_text: means of the gearing of the teeth of a rack attached to the carriage,
with a pinion attached to one end of the cylinder, and which is so
arranged that on the return journey of the carriage, after the impression
is taken, a blank portion of the pinion is offered to the teeth of the rack,
which therefore passes beneath it without contact, and no motion is
imparted to the cylinder; but upon the forward journey of the carriage
it is caused to rotate to a sufficient degree to engage with the rack by a
moveable tongue attached to the carriage, being so actuated by a spring
as to engage with a stop preferably attached to the cylinder, which stop.
striking against one of the teeth of the pinion the latter is again set in
motion, which is maintained by the rack until the carriage commences
the return journey, when the blank space on the pinion is presented to
the rack as aforesaid.
The operator or attendant may at will cause the cylinder to be thrown.
out of gear by actuating a lever placed in a convenient position so as to
cause contact between the said moveable tongue attached to the carriage
and a quadrant or link, whereby the tongue is prevented from engaging
with the stop on the cylinder. The latter may also be stopped by means.
of spring levers fitting into grooves or notches cut in the circumference:
of the friction wheel of the cylinder, and holding the latter rigid on the
return journey of the carriage, but one of which is released from its
groove or notch by the action of the carriage on the forward journey,
while the other maintains the steadiness of the cylinder during the time
the grippers which grasp the paper on which the impression is to be taken
are closing, and on the motion of the cylinder it passes from its groove or
notch and rests on the surface of the friction wheel until its groove or
notch is brought round to it again, when it again enters the groove or
notch simultaneously with the first-named spring lever.
It will be obvious that in employing more than one printing cylinder
if will be necessary to supply corresponding racks, pinions, levers, stops, &
and tongues for each, as above described.
!.
The arrangement and construction of the grippers is the same as in
existing machines, and a set of these, together with corresponding
feeding tables, is provided for each cylinder, and they may be fed from
the extreme ends of the machine inwards, or from between the cylinders 3
outwards, either from above or below the cylinders.

page_text: mou by
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Deal
Office on the 18th August 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
THOMSON, of the City and County of Edinburgh, North Britain,
Lithographer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the 38
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said William Thomson, Her special license that
I, the said William Thomson, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Thomson, my executors,
administrators, or 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 " IMPROVEMENTS IN LITHO-
GRAPHIC AND TYPE PRINTING MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Thomson, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, 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.
.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Thomson, 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 accompanying
Drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say :-

page_text: or side of the carriage on a clip or tappet attached to the side of the
framing underneath the damping rollers) raised to a height sufficient to
permit the passage of the carriage without contact between the surface
of the stone and the undermost damping roller.
It is obvious that in type printing the raising and lowering arrange-
ment is not brought into use, with the composition or other rollers used
in the place of the damping rollers.
The mode of supplying the ink to the printing surface, which is one
of the features of my Invention, is specially adapted for litho-printing,
and is as follows:-Three or more transverse inking rollers are placed at
or near the centre of the machine, and are alternately raised and lowered
by the passage of the stone or other surface as in existing machines, and
upon them are placed "riders," one or more of which have a simul-
taneous transverse and rotary motion, and are worked from a rotating
shaft actuated by gearing from the driving shaft or otherwise, except
when the stone enters into contact with them, when their motion is main-
tained by the friction of the stone, and the gearing which drives them is
at the same time disengaged and re-engaged so soon as the contact ceases.
By this arrangement a more perfect distribution of the ink is attained
and freedom from blotting and "smudging" ensured.
The rotary motion of the printing cylinders is imparted thereto by
means of the teeth of a rack attached to the carriage, gearing with a
pinion attached to one end of the cylinder, and which is so arranged that
on the return journey of the carriage after the impression is taken a
blank portion of the pinion is offered to the teeth of the rack, which
therefore passes beneath it without contact, and no motion is imparted
to the cylinder; but upon the forward journey of the carriage the
cylinder is caused to rotate to a sufficient degree to engage with the rack
by a moveable tongue attached to the carriage, being so actuated by a
spring as to engage with a stop attached to the cylinder; the said
cylinder is thereby again set in motion, which motion is maintained by
the rack until the carriage commences the return journey, when the
blank space on the pinion is presented to the rack as aforesaid.
The cylinders are held steady after a revolution by means of spring
levers fitting into grooves or notches cut in the circumference of the
friction wheels thereof, and these hold the latter rigid on the return

page_text: journey of the carriage, but one of them is released from its groove or
notch by the action of the carriage on the forward journey, while the
other maintains the steadiness of the cylinder during the time the
grippers which grasp the paper on which the impression is to be taken
are closing, and on the motion of the cylinders being renewed or again
taking place those spring levers which hold them during the time-the
grippers are closing upon the paper pass from their groove or notch and
rest on the surface of the friction wheels until the grooves or notches
are brought round or presented. to them again, when they re-enter the
grooves or notches simultaneously with the first-named spring levers.
-
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood I
now proceed more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner
in or under which the same is or may be used or practically carried into
effect, reference being had to the annexed Sheet of Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:
-
Figure 1 on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings represents a side
elevation of a litlio and typographic machine, constructed in accordance
with my Invention; Figures 2 and 3 are respectively a plan and end
view of the same. The frame is constructed of cast-iron standards A
held together and stiffened by the transverse stretchers B, upon which
latter are borne the rails C on which the roller c supporting the carriage D
traverse backwards or forwards, according to the direction in which the
driving spur wheel E gearing into the pinion e is actuated by the driving
shaft E¹, and a corresponding motion is imparted through the medium
of the connecting rod f to the travelling spur wheel F gearing with the
racks G and G¹, the former situated underneath the carriage D to which
it is attached or of which it forms a part, and the latter carried on the
stretchers B and situate at the bottom of the machine. By this means
the carriage D is worked to and fro in the manner necessary for
printing. The standards A support in bearings the impression cylinders
H and H' placed at such a distance apart as to contain between them
the necessary rollers; and as the machine arranged according to my
improvements is more especially adapted for lithography the various
rollers requisite for this description of printing are shown on the
Drawings.

page_text: t
are placed on a uniform plane and are in contact with the surface of
the stone when inking. They are surmounted by the rollers or
"riders" 6' which are again surmounted by the "rider" 6' carried in a
bearing / sliding vertically in the guide or jaw h¹. The pinions of the
cylinders H and Hare formed with the usual blank portion whereby
the rack K, more particularly shown at Figures 2 and 3, may pass
underneath without engaging with these pinions when passing in the
direction shewn on the Drawings and indicated by the arrow. The
machine is represented at half stroke, and in arriving at this position
the stone (not shewn on the Drawings) has received the usual damping.
from the rollers a and is passing under the inking rollers 6, but in order
that the motion between these latter and the carriage D be uniform, the
inking rollers 6 are raised from their bearings by the contact of the bearers i
attached to the sides of the carriage D with the runners or washers k of
the inking rollers, which raises the bevel wheel j keyed to the shaft or
journal of the centre inking roller from contact with the bevel wheel j¹
keyed on the shaft / carried in a bracket attached to the outer side of
the standard A, as shewn. It will be obvious that prior to this contact
the inking rollers derive their rotatory motion from the bevel
worked from the driving shaft E¹.
gear j, j
In order that the ink may be uniformly distributed among the rollers
the uppermost rider 6 is furnished with a grooved journal, as seen more
particularly at Figure 2, whereby it travels transversely when rotating,
which combined motion effects the desired distribution. Below the
journals of the damping rollers a and a¹ are pivoted tappets or clips n, n³,
which are so arranged that in the passage of the carriage D in the
direction indicated by the arrow the damping rollers à effect the usual
damping of the stone, but the rollers a¹ are raised to permit the passage
of the inked stone. This result is achieved by the different effects of the
contact of the tappets n, n³, with the metal strips m attached to or
forming part of the side of the carriage D, as shown. To the inner side
of the rack K is pivoted a tongue K³ so acted upon by a flat spring o,
attached to the carriage, as to tend to maintain the position shewn on
the Drawing, but which is drawn down during the passage of the
carriage under the rollers by the contact of the antifriction roller O
carried by the arm O' attached to the tongue K' with the guide or
guard O', but upon reaching the end thereof it springs up, and on
completion of the forward journey (that indicated by the arrows)

page_text: engages with a stop or check p¹ formed on the under side of the
cylinder H¹, which is now consequently rotated on the return journey,
and the rack K is caused to gear with the pinion of the cylinder H².
An impression is now taken, the paper having been fed from the
inclined board or table P¹, the damping rollers a¹ come into contact with
the stone, which passes on and receives the ink from the rollers 6; the
damping rollers a are now raised, the tongue K¹ engages with the
check p on the cylinder H, which is in its turn rotated, and a second
impression is taken from the table P. Two impressions are thus taken
in one double journey of the carriage.
It is to be understood that I do not confine myself to the particular
mode of feeding the cylinders shown at Figure 1 on the Sheet of
Drawings, as they may be fed from the top of the cylinders or inwards
from the extreme ends. To prevent the aforesaid tongue K¹ from
engaging with either of the stops p, p', and so maintain the cylinders
stationary, the machine is provided with triangular or other suitably
shaped cams R, R¹, so actuated by levers 7, ¹, as to draw down the
tongue K¹, as before described with reference to the guide or guard O*
and seen at Figure 1. The position necessary for contact between the
said antifriction roller O and the cam is shown at R, and for clearing
at R¹. On completion of a revolution the cylinders H. and H' are held
steady by means of the spring levers or stops S, S¹, conveniently fixed
inside the framing for that purpose and projecting into cavities formed
in the friction wheels and t¹ of the cylinders. The innermost levers or
stops S are depressed by the contact therewith of the projecting arm s of
the carriage D, which takes place immediately before the engagement of
the rack K with the pinions of the cylinders, while the levers or stops S¹
glide readily from their cavities in the friction wheel t and # of the
cylinders, and both the levers or stops S and S¹ thereafter rest on the
aforesaid friction wheel, until at the end of a revolution the cavities
therein are again presented to them, when they are again forced home
by the action of the springs u, u¹. The outermost levers or stops S
serve the purpose of keeping the cylinders steady during the time the
grippers M are closing. The spring levers or stops S, S', may be also
made to work into the sides of the friction wheel in lieu of the bottom.
The mode of working the grippers being the same as at present used is
not shown on the Drawings.
the shook coonsioned he the contant of the tonove Kland

page_text: the stop p of the cylinder H a spring may be attached to the said stop,
or it
may be applied to the rear of the tongue to act as a buffer.
In using the machine for typography the damping rollers and raising
tappets are removed, the necessary composition rollers applied, and the
usual adaptations made.
:
In lieu of limiting the adoption of the improvements constituting this
Invention to cases wherein two cylinders only are used, I desire it to be
understood that by making the travel of the carriage sufficiently long
more than two such cylinders may be employed, each such cylinder
being provided with the requisite sets of rollers.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the system, mode, or manner in or under which the
same is or may be used or carried into practical effect, I would observe
in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original, and there-
fore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent is,―
First. Two or more cylinders, with complete roller apparatus placed
in connexion with them, whereby two or more impressions are obtained
for one double journey of the carriage, as herein-before described and
shown on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
"
Second. One or more riders," having both a rotatory and transverse
motion and actuated by any convenient means, to produce an even dis-
tribution of ink among the under rollers, substantially as herein-before
described and shown on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
Third. Raising the damping rollers for lithographic purposes by
means of tappets or clips acted on by "bearers" at the ends or sides of
the carriage, as herein-before described and shewn on the annexed Sheet
of Drawings.
Fourth. Placing the spring levers or stops for holding the cylinders
steady after revolution either underneath the friction wheels of the latter
or at the side thereof, as herein-before described and shewn on the
annexed Sheet of Drawings.
Fifth. Starting the cylinders so as to cause the pinions thereof to gear
with the rack by means of the tongue attached to the carriage and the

page_text: check on the under sides of the cylinders, as herein-before described and
shown on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Thomson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of August, One thou-
sand eight hundred and seventy-five.