IMPROVEMENTS IN LITHOGRAPHIC PRESSES
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Medworth, of 9, Claremont Cottages,
Campden Hill, Kensington, and Lawrence Lee, of 498, New
Oxford Street, both in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention
of IMPROVEMENTS IN LITHOGRAPHIC PRESSES
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Medworth
and Lawrence Lee at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 22nd January 1853.
We, JOHN MEDWORTH, of 9, Claremont Cottages, Campden Hill,
Kensington, and LAWRENCE LEE, of 498, New Oxford Street, both in
the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LITHOGRAPHIC PRESSES"
follows:
This Invention consists of causing the presser or scraper to be
mounted in a moving frame in such manner that in moving in one
direction the presser or scraper will be upright and perform its pressing
or 'scraping action, whilst on moving back the scraper or presser goes
out of action by readily assuming an inclined position. The frame.

page_text: carrying the scraper is caused to move to and fro by means of a rack
and pinion; and the tympan is caused to rise from off the stone (when
the scraper has passed back) by means of a weight, and it assumes its
proper position over the stone when an impression is to be taken by the
movement of the scraper or presser frame. In order that the tympan
may be in the most convenient position for the passage of the scraper
a second bar, somewhat higher than the ordinary one,.is, placed under
it, which keeps the tympan raised to the proper level of the stone, the
bar to which the other is fixed being below that level. In order to
regulate the point-where-the-pressure of the scraper shall take place a
support is fixed to the bed or framing of the press, which upholds the
scraper till it arrives at the part where the pressing or scraping is to
commence; and in order to keep the presser or scraper up to the
regulating screw the scraper is upheld by a spring at each end.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Medworth and Lawrence Lee in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 21st July 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we,
JOHN MEDWORTH, of 9, Claremont Cottages, Campden Hill, Ken-
sington, and LAURENCE LEE, of 498, New Oxford Street, both in the
County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said John Medworth and Laurence Lee,
Her special licence that we, the said John Medworth and Laurence
Lee, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we,
the said John Medworth and Laurence Lee, our executors, administra-
tors, and 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,

page_text: within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LITHOGRAPHIC PRESSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we,
the said John Medworth and Laurence Lee, or one of us, by an instru-
ment in writing under our hands and seals, or under the hand and seal
of one of us, 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 we, the said
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say:
This Invention consists of causing the presser or scraper to be
mounted in a moving frame in such manner that in moving in one
direction the presser or scraper will be upright and performs its pressing
or scraping action, whilst on moving back the scraper or presser goes
out of action by readily assuming an inclined position. The frame
carrying the scraper is caused to move to and fro by means of a rack
and piuion; and the tympan is caused to rise from off the stone (when
the scraper has passed back) by means of a weight, and it assumes its
proper position over the stone when an impression is to be taken by
the movement of the scraper or presser frame. In order that the
tympan may be in the most convenient position for the passage of the
scraper a second bar, somewhat higher than the ordinary one, is placed
under it, which keeps the tympan raised to the proper level of the stone,
the bar to which the leather is fixed being below that level. In order
to regulate the point where the pressure of the scraper shall take place
a support is fixed to the bed or framing of the press, which upholds the
scraper till it arrives at the part where the pressing or scraping is to
commence; and in order to keep the presser or scraper up to the regu-
lating screw the scraper is upheld by a spring at each end. And in
order that our said Invention may be more fully understood, and readily
carried into effect, we will proceed to describe the means pursued by us.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1, represents a side view of the press. Figure 2, a front
view thereof. Figure 8, shews a horizontal view or plan. Figures
4, and 5, a scraper bearer. Figure 6, shews the supporting screws for
the scraper bearers. Figure 7, show guide wheels which are adjusted
to the scraper bearer. Figure 8, shows an adjustable plane on which
the guide wheels run. Figures 9, and 10, show sections of head.
Figure 11, shows a friction wheel running on a bar placed immediately
under the rack to support and guide it. Figure 12, shows a tympan
frame with the tympan sewn on. Figure 13, shews the rising bed; and
Figure 14, shews a front view of the bed; by the use of this bed the
stone may be raised to the scraper, and will adnit of the use of stones
of different thickness, and when used the regulating screw to the head
may be dispensed with. A, is the moving head which passes over
the stone, and is held down by friction rollers L, attached to each side,
and moving under a flange or rail M.; on the side of frame B, is the
rack and pinion by which motion is given. D, is an iron scraper
bearer (supporting a wooden scraper) made to swing forward only.
When the head is moved forward the scraper is supported in an
upright position by the back of the head forming a stop; immediately
the motion is reversed the stone is relieved from the pressure by the
scraper inclining forward. For the better adjusting the pressure to
any particular point on the stone a guide wheel E is attached to each
side of the scraper, which runs upon an adjustable raised plane F, upon
passing over the end of which the scraper attains the upright position
and gives the pressure. The scraper is supported against the screw G,
which regulates the pressure by means of the bearings F, upon which
are also regulating screws and nuts which are supported by springs I,
attached to the moving head, or by a collar and connecting rod on the
pressure screw. The rack is guided by a friction roller K, with
V shaped collar in the centre running in a groove under the rack.
The improvements in the tympan consist in having two bars N, O,
one raised above the other; the leather is sewn upon the first (N), it
passes over the second bar O, and is then sewn to the straining bar P;

page_text: thus the tympan at the top presents an uniform surface to the action
of the scraper; it is raised by a balance weight R by a hook and eye
latch or other contrivance. S, T, V, Figures 13, and 14, shew the
mode of arranging the rising bed to adjust the machine for receiving
different thicknesses of stone; S, is the iron bed; T', a fixed frame;
and V, V, four screws to adjust the bed.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, we would have it understood that wo
make no claim to the mechanical parts separately, and the details may
be varied without departing from our Invention. But what we claim
is, the mode herein described of combining and working the parts con-
stituting the swinging head (which carries the scraper), the self-acting
tympan, the regulating point at which the pressure is to commence, and
the adjustment of the pressure, as herein explained.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Medworth and Lawrence
Lee, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-first
day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-three.
0
Witness.
J. G. TONGUE.
JOHN MEDWORTH. (L.S.)
LAWRENCE LEE. (L.S.)