AN INKING APPARATUS TO BE USED WITH CERTAIN DESCRIPTIONS OF PRINTING PRESSES
Year: 1831

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
WOOD, of New York, in the United States of America, but now of Bishopsgate
Street Without the City of London, being one of the people called Quakers,
send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-fourth day of May, in the first year of His reign,
did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Richard Wood, His especial licence, sole privilege and authority, that I, the
said Richard Wood, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Richard Wood, my exors, adiñors, 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 "AN INKING APPARATUS TO BE USED WITH CERTAIN DESCRIPTIONS OF
PRINTING PRESSES;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that
I, the said Richard Wood, shall cause a particular description of the nature
of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
inrolled in His said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within four calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited
Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will
more fully and at large appear!

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Richard Wood, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being had
to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention consists in an apparatus for inking forms of type used in that
description of typographic printing presses called flat-surface presses; and in
order that my said Invention may be fully understood and carried into effect
I will proceed to describe the Drawing hereunto annexed, in which Figure 1
is a side view, Figure 2 a plan, and Figure 3 a front view of an apparatus
constructed according to my Invention; and in each of these Figures similar
letters of reference indicate similar parts, and this is the case also with regard
to the other Figures shewn in the Drawing. a is the main axis or shaft which
gives motion to various parts of the apparatus. b', b, are two bevelled toothed
wheels placed on the end of the axis or shaft a, in such manner that the revo-
lution of the bevelled toothed wheel c, turning first in one direction and then
in the other, shall give motion to the axis or shaft a in only one direction, as
will be more fully described hereafter. On the axis a there are two ratchet
wheels affixed, one at the back of each of the wheels b, and on the wheels b
there are spring clicks or catches which take into the ratchet wheels, the
teeth of the ratchet wheels being placed in opposite directions; one of
the wheels will turn the axis a, whilst the other wheel 6 turns loosely
on that axis, they being alternately held by their respective clicks or catches.
The wheel c is affixed to the axis of the press which gives motion to
the table on which the form of type is placed. d is a toothed wheel affixed
to the other end of the axis or shaft a. e is an intermediate wheel
having an axis affixed in a curved slot formed in the frame of the apparatus
for the purpose of adjustment. This intermediate wheel c gives motion
to the wheel f, which is affixed to the axis of the roller g, which roller
receives ink, and has it distributed over its surface as hereafter described, and
also supplies ink to the inking roller h. i is the ink trough, the construction
of which is well known by printing-press makers, and consists of a roller
revolving in the trough i, the bottom edge of the trough being pressed against
the roller by means of the levers and weights j, j, and thus forming a ductor
in the usual manner. k, k, are the pivots by which the trough is suspended
in the projecting parts of the frame 1. m is a ratchet wheel affixed to the
axis of the roller of the ink trough; this ratchet wheel is caused to turn a
short distance at cach revolution of the intermediate wheel c, there being

page_text: this axis x is
a tooth or catch affixed in the inner side of that wheel which comes in con-
tact with one of the teeth of the ratchet wheel m, and thus is a fresh surface
continually brought up for the supply of the other rollers. n is another roller
which is suspended in a swinging frame o, which swings on pivots working in
bearings on each side of the apparatus; this frame is caused to oscilate and
thereby raise and lower the roller n first against the roller in the ink trough
and then up against the roller g, and thereby gives off the ink taken upon its
surface to the roller g. p is a roller also suspended in the frame o, and is
raised up by it against the inking roller h, and removed therefrom alternately.
These rollers n and p have a lateral motion given to them by means of pins
passing through their bearings and into screws on their axes, the threads of
which screws cross each other, as is well understood by mechanics, for the
purpose of spreading or distributing the ink on their respective rollers. q is a
roller placed in front of the roller g, and has a lateral motion similar to those
above described; this roller q is suspended on each side in the bearing r, and
the degree of pressure given to it is regulated by the adjusting screws 8, s. On
the axis a there is a drum wheel t, which is permitted to slide on that axis,
excepting when retained by the clutch box v. n is a strap or band affixed to
the drum wheel t, and also to the drum wheel w on the axis x;
supported by and turns in the bearings y, y, which form part of
the apparatus. On each end of the axis a there is a fly wheel
circular plates affixed on the axis a, between which the drum wheel w turns;
and on one of the plates A there is a spring catch or click, which takes into the
ratchet wheel affixed on the drum wheel w, and thus prevents the drum wheel
being turned other than in one direction. B is a strap or cord affixed to the
drum wheel w, and by means of the weight C attached thereto has a tendency
to turn the drum wheel w in an opposite direction to that which is caused by
the strap u.
D, D, are two connecting rods affixed by moveable joints to the
swinging levers E, E, which levers turn on pivots F, F; and I would here
observe that these levers E, E, may be suspended from above the apparatus
or placed below, as here represented, their object being to move the inking
roller over the form of type by means of the connecting rods D, D. G, G,
are two friction rollers turning on pivots affixed to the outer edge of the fly
wheels,; these friction rollers work in the slots or guides in the levers
E, E, whereby the turning of the wheels,, causes the levers to swing back-
wards and forwards, and thus drive the inking roller over the table of the
press. H, H, are two wheels turning on axes or pivots affixed to the ends of
the connecting rods D, D. I, I, are two plates affixed to the ends of the
rods D, D; these plates are turned down at top at right angles, through which
.
the frame of
A, A, are

page_text: parts screws pass, which screws form part of the adjusting bars J, J, which
slide up and down, and are retained in any position by the thumb screws J,
and kept firm by the screws K, K, passing through slots and screwing into the
plates I, I. The axes of the inking roller h are placed in slits L, L, formed
in the bars J, J, and retained therein by pins. M is a lever having its axis or
fulcrum at N, in bearings affixed to the frame. O is a friction roller turning
on a pin affixed at right angles on the top of the lever M. P (see Figure 3)
is a bar connected to the lower end of the lever M, and is suspended to the
axes a by means of the ring P¹. The axis or fulcrum N, which carries the
lever M, is continued to the point Q, where there is another lever R affixed
thereto, so that when the lever M is pressed back, as hereafter described, tho
lever R will be turned upward and strike against the projecting piece S of the
bar T, which connects the two guides or rails V, V, on which the wheels H
are supported and travel. Under the projecting piece S the projecting piece
W of the swinging frame o rests, and the rollers places in this frame are pre-
vented moving till the projecting piece S is raised by the lever R. U is an
adjusting screw passing through the piece S, and bearing upon the piece W, by
which the position and pressure of the rollers n and p are regulated. X is a
lever having its fulcrum at Y and Z; there is a mortice in it for the purpose
of receiving the ends of the catches 1, 1; these catches take hold of studs 2, 2,
affixed on the wheels,, and retain them in their proper position. At the end
3 of the lever X there is an eye or slit, through which the strap or band
passes. 4 is a wedge-shaped plate affixed to the strap u, shewn separately in
plan at Figure 4. Figure 5 shews some of the parts on a larger scale, and
their position will be seen in Figure 1, 5 being a standard affixed to one of the
cross framings which connect the two side frames of the apparatus. 6 is a
spring catch which passes through a mortice in the lever X, which spring catch
moves on a pin or axis 7, affixed to the upright standard 5. 8 is a forked
lever having its fulcrum or axis at 9. 10 is one of the forked ends of the
lever 8, which strikes against the spring catch 6, and forces it from under the
lever X, and thereby releases it. 11 is the other forked end of the lever 8,
which comes in contact with the lever X as soon as the spring catch is
forced back, and should the lever not fall by its own weight will depress it.
The forcing down of the lever X will depress the ends of the catches 1, 1,
(which turn on pins 12, 12, passed through bearings on the framing) and
thus set the wheels,, free, that they may be turned by the descent of the
weight c, which will cause the inking roller to be passed over the form of
type. The upper end of the forked lever 8 is forced outward by an inclined
plane 13, formed on the lever R; when that lever is turned upwards the

page_text: inclined plane 13 comes against the inner lower edge of the projection 14,
formed on the upper end of the forked lever 8, and when the lever R descends
the inclined plane 13 strikes against the outer upper edge of the projection 14,
and forcing it inwards and passing down below it the weight of the lower end
of the forked lever 8 brings it to its former position.
way.
Having now described the several parts of which the apparatus is composed,
I will describe the manner of their action. Having observed that my apparatus
is intended to supersede the mode of inking a form of type by hand, hereto-
fore practised, it is represented as attached to the bed of a printing press,
which is indicated by dotted lines. The apparatus is shewn in the position
it would be in at the time that the tympan and the frisket have been thrown
down on the surface of the form of type, and ready to be run under the
plattin, and the turning of the rounce for that purpose will give motion to
the wheel c, which will drive one of the wheels b, and with it the axis or
shaft a, whilst the other wheel 6 will turn loosely upon that axis the reverse
The turning of the axis or shaft a will; by means of the drum t, wind
the strap u from off the drum w, which turns loosely on the axis r, which will
wind up the weight c; and after the pressure has been given, by the plattin,
by the turning of the rounce in the opposite direction for running out the
table, the axis a will continue to turn in the same direction in consequence
of the other wheel 6 being held fast by the ratchet wheel affixed thereto by
its click or catch, whilst the first wheel b will turn loosely on the axis a. This
continued motion to the axis a will continue to wind up the weight c, and by
means of the wheels d, e, and f, motion will be given to the roller g, which,
in turning, will give off the ink on its surface to the inking roller h, and by
the friction caused by these rollers to the rollers n and p, they will be turned,
and at the same time receive a lateral motion as above described. In throwing
back the tympan it will strike against the friction roller O, and force back
the lever M, which will, by the bar or rod P, force open and disconnect the
drum from the clutch box v, and thereby release the strap u, and the forcing
back of the lever M will raise the lever R against the projecting piece S,
which will cause the rails or guides V (which are hinged at front to the
frame) to take an inclined position, and the lever R will at the sanie time
release the spring catch 6, and depress the lever X, and thus remove the
catches 1, 1, and set the wheels,, at liberty, when by the descent of the
weight C, the drum w will be turned, and in consequence of the click on the
plate A taking into the ratchet wheel on the drum w, the axis will be
turned with it, and thus cause the wheels z, z, to revolve, whereby the inking
roller h will be made to pass over the form of type twice backwards and

page_text: forwards in consequence of the drums and w being so proportioned that tho
motion given to the axis a by the running in and out of the table of the press
shall cause the drum w to turn twice round by the strap u being wound from
off it on to the drum t. If it be desired to pass the inking roller backwards
and forwards over the form of type only once, or more than twice, the same
may be accomplished by proportioning the drums t and w accordingly; at
the time the wheels, z, have made nearly two revolutions, the catch 4, affixed
to the strap u, will have been brought against the eye or slit in the lever X,
and will have raised it to its highest position, where it will be retained by the
spring catch 6, and the continued revolution of the wheels a, a, will bring the
studs 2, 2, into the catches 1, 1, which will retain them in that position
till the table and form of type have been again run in and out, and the
tympan thrown back. In case the pressman should accidentally partially run
in the table, and then reverse the action, which would cause the axis a to
make a greater length of motion than is proper or is allowed by the strap u,
that extent of extra motion would bring the wedge-shaped plate 4 between
the plates at the ends of the drum t, and cause them to be forced apart, by
which the clutch box and drum would be disconnected, and the strap u would
be released, and accident prevented. The motions and construction of this
apparatus may be varied, if desired, in the following manner, viz:-The
lateral motion of the rollers p, q, n, may be supersided and dispensed with,
by giving a lateral motion to the roller g, which may be done either by the
same means applied to those rollers, or by some of the other well known
means used in mechanics for that purpose. This alteration will render roller
p unnecessary, and two rollers might be used instead of roller h for ioking
the form of type. The apparatus may be further varied so that the weight C,
which propels the inking roller over the form, may be wound up by the
running in of the table of the press, and the motion necessary for distribution
given to the rollers by the running of it out. This may be done by making
the bevelle: toothed wheel 61 fast upon the axis a, dispensing with the
bevelled toothed wheel b, and substituting a fixed drum for the moveable
drum and clutch box on the same axis, and dispensing with the lever P,
and by making the wheel d loose on its axis, but having a click upon it which
shall take into a ratchet wheel fixed on the axis a in such manner as to be
driven by it upon the running out of the table. In making this alteration it
will be necessary, if the same quantity of distribution be desired, to enlarge
roller f to double its present diameter.
Now whereas I claim as my Invention the peculiar arrangement of the
rullers for distributing the ink, and the inking movement as obtained by the

page_text: connecting rod and swinging levers acted upon by the fly wheels moved by
the weight herein-before described, and which said arrangement, rods, levers,
wheel, and weight, together constitute my said apparatus.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Wood, have hereunto set my
band and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty-one.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-fourth day of Sep-
tember, in the year of our Lord 1881, the aforesaid Richard Wood came
before our said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the
Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified,
in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped
according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Twenty-fourth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and thirty-one.