IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION OF STEREOTYPES FOR ROTARY PRINTING MACHINES, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Duncan and William Ashley Wilson, of
Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION OF STEREOTYPES FOR ROTARY PRINTING
MACHINES, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN."-Partly a commu-
nication from abroad by George Lauder, of Pittsburgh, in the
State of Pennsylvania, one of the United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Duncan and
William Ashley Wilson at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 18th December 1872.
We, GEORGE DUNCAN, and WILLIAM ASHLEY WILSON, of Liverpool,
in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION OF STEREOTYPES
FOR ROTARY PRINTING MACHINES, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," the
same being the result partly of a communication made to us from
abroad by George Lauder, of Pittsburgh, in the State of Pennsylvania,
) one of the United States of America, and partly of our own Invention,
to be as follows :-
1

page_text: Stereotypes for rotary printing machines have heretofore been cast in
segments, so curved as to fit the cylinders. Now this Invention
consists, first, in casting stereotypes by any ordinary process as flat
plates, afterwards in planing or truly levelling the back, and finally, in
pressing such plates into the required segmental form.
The apparatus consists of a curved pressure piece and die, the surfaces
of which are so arranged as to give the required form to the said flat
stereotypes. The surface of the die is covered by paper or similar
material, so as to preserve the sharp outlines of the stereotype. The
curved pressure piece is actuated by a screw, lever, or equivalent
mechanical means, by hand or power.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Duncan and William Ashley Wilson in
the Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th June 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, GEORGE
DUNCAN, and WILLIAM ASHLEY WILSON, of Liverpool, in the County
of Lancaster, Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of December, 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 us, the said George Duncan and William Ashley
Wilson Her special licence that we, the said George Duncan and
William Ashley Wilson, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as we, the said George Duncan and William Ashley
Wilson, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 In-
vention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION OF STEREOTYPES FOR ROTARY
PRINTING MACHINES, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," the result partly
of a communication made to us from abroad by George Lauder, of
Pittsburgh, in the State of Pennsylvania, one of the United States of
America, & partly of our own Invention, upon the condition (amongst

page_text: others) that we, the said George Duncan and William Ashley Wilson,"
our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
our, or their, or one of our or their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 we, the said George Duncan and William
Ashley Wilson, do hereby declare the nature of our 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 Sheet of illustrative Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :—
Stereotypes for rotary printing machines have heretoforo been cast in
segments, so curved as to fit the cylinders. Now this Invention
consists, first, in casting stereotypes by any ordinary process as flat
plates, afterwards in planing or truly levelling'the back, and finally, in
pressing such plates into the required segmental form.
The apparatus consists of a curved pressure piece and die, the surfaces
of which are so arranged as to give the required form to the said flat
stereotypes. The surface of the die is covered by paper or similar
material, so as to preserve the sharp outlines of the stereotype. The
curved pressure piece is actuated by a screw, lever, or equivalent.
mechanical means, by hand or power.
On the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation,
and Fig. 2 an end elevation of apparatus for curving stereotypes in
accordance with our Invention, the actuating mechanism being hand
wheel and screw. Like letters indicate the same parts in both views.
a is the frame work, the upper portion a¹ of which form the die, upon
which paper or other thin soft material is placed previous to curving the
stereo plate; b, upright attached to a and to the bow or cross piece c;
d, hand wheel; e, screw working through a nut in c; f, pressure piece
guided by the upright guides b; the said pressure piece has its face
curved preferably so as to leave uniform distance between it and the die a¹
when the stereotype has acquired the desired outline. It will be obvious
that the die al may be convex on its face, and the pressure piece f

page_text: concave; we however prefer the arrangement shown. It will also be
evident that levers or mechanical equivalents may be employed to give
the desired curve to the stereotype, and that the curved surfaces may be
moved in a horizontal or other direction.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and particu-
larized the same in such manner that others will be enabled to carry the
improvements into practice, we claim,―
First. Planing or turning the backs of stereotype plates, and after-
wards pressing them into the required form for the purposes set forth.
Second. The curved pressure piece and die for giving the desired
outline to stereotypes, for the purpose set forth.
Third. Covering the face of the stereotype or the die with paper or
thin soft material, for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Duncan, have hereunto set.
my hand and seal, the Sixteenth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
In the presence of,
JAMES JOHNSON,
Clerk to J. T. King,
Liverpool.
GEORGE DUNCAN. (L.S.)