Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 31st May, 1886
Complete Left, 25th Feb., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 25th Mar., 1887
We, GEORGE SONNENTHAL, Engineer, and WILLIAM MARTIN, Mechanic, both of
No. 85, Queen Victoria Street, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows
Our invention relates to an improved construction of copying presses, and consists
in making the upper plate of the press fixed, and the under one moveable in a vertical
direction guided by the pillars supporting the upper plate.
We provide a shaft to be moved, as far as is necessary, round its own axis by a
lever or equivalent device. This shaft carries two or more cams upon which the under
plate rests. The elevation of the eccentric surfaces of the cams raises the under plate,
thereby bringing the necessary pressure to bear upon the copying book laid
thereupon.
The under plate lies loosely upon the cams, and having play between the pillars,
can exert even pressure upon a book the covers of which are not in parallel planes.
Springs may be used under the bottom plate to steady it.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
Agents for the Applicants

page_text: We, GEORGE SONNENTHAL, Engineer, and WILLIAM MARTIN, Mechanic, both of
No. 85 Queen Victoria Street, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
Our invention relates to an improved construction of copying presses, and consists
in making the upper plate of the press fixed, and the under one moveable in a vertical
direction guided by the pillars supporting the upper plate.
In order that our invention and the means by which the same may be carried into
practical effect may be thoroughly understood we will describe the same in detail
referring in so doing to the accompanying drawings which are to be taken as part of
this specification and read therewith and in which like parts are marked throughout
the figures in which they occur with the same reference letter.
Figure 1 is a perspective view and Figure 2 is a transverse sectional elevation
illustrating our invention in the copying position.
A is the base of the press and a, à a series of pillars fixed to the base and carrying
the upper or counter plate B.
C is the under plate capable of an easy vertical motion in either direction upon the
pillars a which are embraced by the respective corners of said plate for the purpose of
guiding it in its up and down motions.
DD are cams fixed upon the shaft E opposite friction-surfaces d d formed on the'
under face of the plate C.
Both cams are fixed upon the shaft in such relative position that equal and opposite
radii in each are always in plane common thereto..
The shaft E has its bearings in the base A and F is a lever upon the end of
the shaft.
.
G is a ratchet ga stop; and its gravity pawl the ratchet fast to the base of the
press and the pawl pivotted upon the lever. Any other form of automatic or
non automatic detent may be applied.
H H are pendent projections from the under face of the plate C which are fitted
with spiral springs hh.
"A copying press constructed according to our invention is operated as follows
The copying book having been duly prepared in the ordinary way is laid upon
the plate and the shaft E is rotated by pulling or pushing the lever F until the
cams D D raise the plate C high enough to press the copying book between it and the
counter plate B with as much force as may be necessary for the purpose of securing a
good copy.
It is obvious that if the copying book be placed upon the plate C in any other than a
central position its weight would have a tendency to force the plate out of the
horizontal plane when it would bind against the pillars a a as soon as the cams D
were brought to bear upon the friction surfaces a a of said plate. But.now the

page_text: springs come into action and being compressed between the plate C and the base A
they keep the former in a state of equipoise and in so far contribute to its riding up
the pillars a without bending against any of them.
The number of springs is proportioned to the size of the press.
When the copying book has been in the press as long as may be considered
necessary the pawl g is released from the ratchet G and the cams D D lowered into
the position indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 2. The weight of the book and of
the plate C at once depress the latter and the book is removed from the press.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention.
and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we claim is
1. In a copying press the combination of cams upon a shaft with a plate free to be
raised to or lowered from a fixed and opposite plate substantially as and for the
purpose described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
2. In a copying press the combination with a base of a shaft upon which cams are
mounted a lever by which the said shaft can be rotated on its axis and an automatic
detent by which it can be held in a given position against the resistance of the pressed
copying book substantially as described in reference to the accompanying drawings.
3. In a copying press the combination of fixed counter plate loose under plate
spring and fixed base substantially as described with reference to the accompanying
drawings.