IMPROVEMENTS IN LITHOGRAPHIC, ZINCOGRAPHIC, AND OTHER PRINTING PRESSES
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Thomas Hughes, of the Firm of
•
Hughes & Son, Patent Agents, 123, Chancery Lane, London, for
the Invention of “IMPROVEMENTS IN LITHOGRAPHIC, ZINCOGRAPHIC, AND
OTHER PRINTING PRESSES."-A communication from abroad by Charles
Parker, of Meriden, in the County of New Haven, United States of
America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Thomas
Hughes at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 17th March 1870.
I, EDWARD THOMAS HUGHES, of the Firm of Hughes & Son, Patent
Agents, 123, Chancery Lane, London, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LITHOGRAPHIC, ZINCOGRAPHIC, AND
OTHER PRINTING PRESSES," (a communication to me from abroad by Charles
Parker, of Meriden, in the County of New Haven, United States of
America, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in lithographic printing presses,
but the said improvements are also applicable to zincographic or plate

page_text: printing, the object being the construction of a rotary press for this class
of printing, and the Invention consists,-
First. In the construction of the bed to receive the stone so that while
the stone is securely clamped in position all liability of breaking the
stone in the act of clamping is avoided.
Second. In arranging the stone holder in the cylinder so that it
may be adjusted to raise or lower the surface of the stone as the case
may be.
Third. In an adjustable weight combined with the cylinder so as to
counterbalance the stone.
Also in the manner of distributing the ink and damping the surface so
that both are performed while the cylinder is revolving.
Also in a device for raising the inking rolls to prevent their contact
with the stone when such operation is desirable.
On the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 is a side view; and Fig. 2 a
vertical central section.
A is the frame of the machine; B, the shaft of the printing cylinder
supported in adjustable bearings B¹, and caused to revolve by the
application of power to the pulley B2 on the driving shaft B³, power at
the same time being communicated to the shaft B for the impression
cylinder C, the cylinders and driving shaft being geared together and
timed in the usual manner for common rotary pressure. D is the bed,
upon which the stone D¹ is arranged and is formed with an inclined
ledge d upon one edge and with a similar clamp at the other edge so
that the stone, its edges being first beviled, is placed upon the bed D, one
of the beviled edges lying under the ledge d, and the clamp & bearing
upon the other edge binds the stone by means of a screw 2, as seen in
Fig. 2. To prevent the chipping or breaking of the stone by thus
clamping or by use I arrange upon one edge between the stone and ledge
or clamping device an elastic or flexible material, such as india-rubber,
leather, or their equivalents, so that the surface of the stone does not
bear directly against a metal surface. The substance introduced being of
a slightly yielding character prevents all difficulties which might arise
from clamping the stone rigidly between the metal surfaces. The bed D
which supports the stone is adjusted to such relative position to the
periphery of the cylinder that the face of the stone may be dressed to
present a surface corresponding to and making a part of the periphery of

page_text: the cylinder, and this surface may be turned, finished, or ground off by
the revolution of the cylinder without removing the stone from its bed,
but to do this an adjustment of the stone is necessary to throw it out
beyond the natural surface of the cylinder, and this adjustment I accom-
plish by arranging the bed D upon a cylindrical or other suitably
formed holder E extending radially across the cylinder, and this holder
is supported in a frame F formed within the cylinder in which are
arranged adjusting screws f,f, so that by turning the said screws the
bed D may be thrown out or in as may be required for different
thicknesses of stone or for grinding off the surface.
To counterbalance the weight of the stone and its bed I arrange within
the holder E a weight G upon a shaft G, the said weight being fitted
with a thread corresponding to the thread on the shaft, so that by turning
the said shaft (which is done by means of the head g) the weight G is moved
towards or from the centre until it fully counterbalances the stone and its
bed. His the inking or first table, H' a distributing or second table, I the
ink fountain, I' the fountain roll, I the ductor roll, the said ductor roll ope-
rated so that when the first table H is presented at that point it will taking
the ink from the fountain roll carry it to the inking table H and adjusted
so as to deposit upon the table the requisite quantity of ink, then the ductor
roll drops away from the inking table. The cylinder revolving carries
the inking table past the several rolls 3 and 3¹ more or less in number
which distributes the ink over the several rolls, then the second table H'
in order to ensure a more perfect distribution over the rolls 3' in its turn
passes, the said rolls 3¹ causing them to revolve over its surface, the last
rolls 3' being the rolls employed for inking the stone, the other rolls being
arranged so as not to come in contact with the second table or stone.
The rolls 3 and 3' are made light by forming them from wood or hollow
cylinders of metal, and they are pressed against the table and stone by
secondary rollers 4. All the rollers are arranged in slotted bearings S
inclined so that the rollers 4 by their own gravity rest and bear upon the
inking rollers, and this pressure may be adjusted by making the secondary
rollers heavier or lighter by adding to or taking from the said secondary
rollers the temporary weights. These secondary rollers serve as additional
distributors, their surface rolling upon the surface of the inking rolls.
Both the inking and distributing cylinders may if desirable be given a
transverse movement to more equally distribute the ink.
Upon opposite sides of the machine in bearings similar to the bearings

page_text: of the distributing rolls I arrange damping cylinders 5, 5, more or less
in number. These damping cylinders are formed hollow so as to receive
a quantity of water, and are perforated upon their surface and the surface
wound or covered with linen or other similar porous material so that the
water within the cylinder will permeate entirely through the whole
body of the covering and give to the surface the requisite moisture for
damping the stone. Secondary cylinders 6 corresponding to the primary
cylinders 5 are applied in like manner as the secondary cylinders upon
the inking rolls, and these secondary cylinders may be made hollow and
perforated so as to contain a supply of water and thus damp the primary
rolls from the surface, or both may be used in combination, damping the
primary cylinders from the inside and out. Therefore the stone starting
from the position in Fig. 2 passes the damping cylinders receiving upon
its surface the necessary moisture, at the same time the inking table H
has been supplied with ink and passes on the second table H¹ thoroughly.
distributing the ink, the stone then comes in contact with the inking
roll 3¹ and receives the ink (the impression having been previously
made or taken upon the stone), and is prepared for printing.
The impression cylinder C is constructed with gripers / so as at the
proper time to receive the paper from the table L and draw it down
between the surface of the impression cylinder and the stone; the gripers
still holding the paper carry it around after it has received the impression
and delivers it to the fly L, by which it is taken and carried on to the
receiving table L². The impression cylinder is half the diameter of the
printing cylinder, hence at one revolution the paper is taken in, printed, 2
and thrown out, at the next revolution a second sheet is taken, and
so on. It should be observed that the damping rolls are arranged so
that while they bear against the surface of the stone they are thrown out.
so as to pass the inking table without coming in contact with it. It is
often desirable to prevent the inking cylinders coming in contact with 3
the stone. To do this I arrange the said inking rolls 3' so that their
shafts rest upon a bar N, see Fig. 1, a similar bar being arranged upon
both sides and connected to a rock shaft N' near the operator, so that
by turning the said shaft the bar N will be raised to throw up the said
inking rolls which rest thereon.
To take impressions upon the stone pass the copy between the
impression cylinder and the stones (the copy having being first
prepared in the usual manner) in like manner as for printing.
3

page_text: It will be understood that for transferring both the inking and damping
rolls are removed from contact with the stone, while this will give a
most perfect transfer, it may in some cases be preferable to transfer by the
scraping process. To do this I arrange a tympan T strained in a frame T',
to which a movement is imparted corresponding to the cylinder, and upon
this tympan the copy is placed and passes over a scraper T to which the
required impression is given by a toggle R, it being understood that the
cylinder is turned so that the stone will be properly presented to receive
the copy.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edward Thomas Hughes in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 16th September 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
THOMAS HUGHES, of the Firm of Hughes and Son, Patent Agents,
123, Chancery Lane, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, givo
and grant unto me, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, Her special
licence that I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes,
my executors, administrators, 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, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LITHOGRAPHIC, ZINCOGRAPHIC, AND OTHER PRINTING PRESSES," a
communication to me from abroad by Charles Parker, of Meriden, in the
County of New Haven, United States of America, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, 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

page_text: Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of
the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, 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 5
the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
The Invention relates to an improvement in lithographic printing
presses, but it is also applicable to zincographic or plate printing, the
object being the construction of a rotary press for this class of printing,
parts of which are applicable to other printing presses, and the Invention 1
consists,―
.
First. In the construction of the bed to receive the stone so that
while the stone is securely clamped in position all liability of breaking the
stone in the act of clamping is avoided.
Second. In arranging the stone holder in the cylinder so that it 1
may be adjusted to raise or lower the surface of the stone as the case
may be.
Third. In an adjustable weight combined with the cylinder so as to
counterbalance the stone.
Fourth. In the manner of distributing the ink and dampening the
surface so that both are performed while the cylinder is revolving.
Fifth. In a device for raising the inking rolls to prevent their contact
with the stone when such operation is desirable.
Sixth. In a mechanism for operating the gripers so that at onc
revolution of the impression cylinder the gripers operate to grasp the 2
paper and at the next revolution to discharge the paper.
Seventh. In the construction of the ink fountain so that the plate or
blade which supports the ink may be turned away from the roller for
the purpose of cleaning the fountain.
On the accompanying Drawings Figure 1 is a side view, Figure 2 the 3
reverse side, Figure 3 the front or delivery side, Figure 4 a transverse
central section, Figures 5 to 11 inclusive, detached views illusting the
operation of the gripers.
A is the frame of the machine; B, the shaft of the printing cylinder
supported in adjustable bearings B₁and caused to revolve by the appli- 3
cation of power to the pulley B² on the driving shaft B³, power at the

page_text: same time being communicated to the shaft B' for the impression
cylinder C, the cylinder and driving shaft being geared together and
timed in the usual manner for common rotary presses, the impression
cylinder making two revolutions to each revolution of the printing
cylinder. D is the bed, upon which the stone D¹ is arranged and is
formed with an inclined ledge d upon one edge and with a similar
shaped clamp d' at the other edge so that the stone (its edges being first
bevilled) is placed upon the bed D, one of the bevilled edges lying under
the ledge d, and the clamp & bearing upon the other edge binds the
stone by means of a set screw 2, as seen in Figure 2. To prevent the
chipping or breaking of the stone by thus clamping, or by use, I arrange
upon one edge between the stone and ledge or clamping device an
elastic or flexible material, as india-rubber, leather, or their equivalents,
so that the surface of the stone does not bear directly against a metal
surface. The substance introduced being of a slightly yielding character
prevents all difficulties which might arise from clamping the stone
rigidly between the metal surfaces. The bed D which supports the stone
is adjusted to such relative position to the periphery of the cylinder that
the face of the stone may be dressed to present a surface corresponding
to and making a part of the periphery of the cylinder, and this surface
may be turned, finished, or ground off by the revolution of the cylinder
without removing the stone from its bed, but to do this an adjustment
of the stone is necessary to throw it out beyond the natural surface of
the cylinder, and this adjustment I accomplish by arranging the bed D
upon a cylinder or other suitably formed holder E extending radially
across the cylinder, and this holder is supported in a frame F formed
within the cylinder, in which are arranged adjusting screws f, f, so that
by turning the said screws the bed D may be thrown out or in as may
be required for different thicknesses of stone or for grinding off the
surface or for adjustment of the stone for any purpose.
To counterbalance the weight of the stone and its bed I arrange
within the holder E a weight G upon a shaft G', the said weight being
fitted with a thread corresponding to the thread on the shaft, so that by
turning the said shaft (which is done by means of the head g) the
weight is moved toward or from the centre until it fully counterbalances
the stone and its bed. H is the inking or first table, H¹ a distributing
or second table, I is the ink fountain, I' the fountain roll, and I the
ductor roll, the said ductor roll operated by the cam 13 through the

page_text: lever I turning the rock shaft I³, to which by means of the rod I the
ductor roll is adjustably attached, as seen in Figures 2 and 4, so that
when the first table H is presented at that point it will taking the ink
from the fountain roll carry it to the inking table H and adjusted so as
to deposit upon the table the requisite quantity of ink, then the ductor
roll drops away from the inking table. The cylinder revolving carries
the inking table past the several rolls 3 and 3' more or less in number,
which distributes the ink over the several rolls, then the second table H
in order to insure a more perfect distribution over the rolls 3' in its
turn passes the said rolls 3³, causing them to revolve over its surface, the
last rolls 3 being the rolls employed for inking the stone, the other rolls
being arranged so as not to come in contact with the second table or
stone. This is done by forming a cam upon the head of the printing
cylinder, as denoted in broken lines Figure 4, so that the raised portion
of the cam will at the proper time operate upon and so as to slightly
raise the rolls. The rolls 3 and 3¹ are made light by forming them from
wood or hollow cylinders of metal, and they are pressed against the
table and stone by secondary or gravitation rollers 4. All the rollers
are arranged in slotted bearings S inclined so that the rollers 4 by their
own gravity rest and bear upon the inking rollers, and this pressure may
be adjusted by making the secondary rollers heavier or lighter by adding
to or taking from the said secondary rollers the temporary weights,
The secondary rollers serve as additional distributors, their surface
rolling upon the surface of the inking rolls. Both the inking and
distributing cylinders may if desirable be given a transverse movement
to more equally distribute the ink.
Upon opposite sides of the machine in bearings similar to the bearings
of the distributing rolls I arrange dampening cylinders 5, 5, more or
less in number. These dampening cylinders are formed hollow so as to
receive a quantity of water, and are perforated upon their surface and a
the surface wound or covered with linen or other similar fibrous or
textile material, so that the water within the cylinder will permeate
entirely through the whole body of the covering and give to the surface
the requisite moisture for dampening the stone. Secondary cylinders 6
corresponding to the primary cylinders 5 are applied in like manner as a
the secondary cylinders upon the inking rolls, and these secondary
cylinders may be made hollow and perforated so as to contain a supply
of water, and thus dampen the primary rolls from the surface, or both

page_text: may be used in combination, dampening the primary cylinders from the
inside and out. Therefore at the commencement of the operation the
stone passes the dampening cylinders, receiving upon its surface the
necessary moisture, at the same time the inking table H has been
supplied with ink and passes on coating the inking rolls, the second
table H following thoroughly distributes the ink, the stone then comes
in contact with the inking rolls 3¹, and receives the ink (the impression
having been previously made or taken upon the stone), and is prepared
for printing, the dampening rolls being raised as the distributing and
inking rolls pass so as not to come in contact, and the distributing roller 3
also raised as the stone passes.
The impression cylinder c is constructed with grippers h so as at the
proper time to receive the paper from the table L and draw it down
between the surface of the impression cylinder and the stone; the
grippers still holding the paper carry it around after it has received
the impression, and deliver it to the fly L'. The said fly L' is brought
into position at the proper time to receive the printed paper and carry
it on to the receiving table L². This table L³, which must necessarily
be at the front of the machine, comes in such position as to interfere_
with the operator getting at the rolls in front. It is therefore necessary
that the table be removed, and to do this I pivot the table by an arm l
to a stud l, so that it may be turned around the said pivot to take it
away from the front of the press, the said pivot insuring its return to
the
proper position. The impression cylinder is half the diameter of
the printing cylinder, hence at one revolution of the printing cylinder
the paper is taken in, printed, and thrown out, at the next revolution
a second sheet is taken, and so on. The arrangement of the grippers h
in the cylinder C and their operation is shewn in Figures 5 to 11
inclusive. The grippers are arranged upon a shaft longitudinally in
a recess in the cylinder C, as seen in Figures 5 and 6, and at the end of
the cylinder on the said shaft h¹ is arranged a slotted shoe 7, see Figures 7
and 8. The cylinder revolves in the direction denoted by the arrows,
and when the grippers are open the shoe is in the position seen in
Figure 7, but when closed is in the position seen in Figure 8.
back of the shoe I form projections 8, 8, corresponding to a ledge or
flange upon the head of the cylinder so that the said projections in either
direction striking against the ledge, as seen in Figures 7 and 8, forms
stops to arrest the throw of the shoc. AV shaped cam, as denoted in
On the

page_text: broken lines, is formed upon the back of the shoe resting upon a lever. q,
the said lever supported by a spring 10, so that when the shoe is in the
position seen in Figure 7 the lever will bear against one side of the cam,
and when turned past the centre in the other direction the spring
operating upon the lever will throw the shoe to the other extreme, and
vice versa.
In this movement of the shoe the lever is depressed, as
denoted in broken lines Figure 7.
To thus operate the shoe two studs 11 and 12 are arranged through
the frame of the machine so as to alternately stand in the path of the
said shoe, and are operated by a double-acting cam 13, as seen in
Figures 9, 10, and 11. Starting then with the shoe in the position seen
in Figure 7, the grippers open and ready to receive the paper, the
stud 11 is thrown in, as seen in Figure 10. The shoe strikes the said
stud 11 as seen in Figure 7, and passing on throws the shoe over into
the position seen in Figure 8, that is, closed on the paper, as denoted in
Figure 5; at the next revolution the stud 11 is withdrawn, and the
stud 12 advanced as seen in Figures 8 and 11, so that the other end of
the shoe passes on to the stud 12, the shoe returning to the first position
and opening the grippers, whereby at the first revolution the paper is
taken in and at the next discharged.
To ensure the throwing of the paper from the grippers on to the fly
I arrange auxiliary fingers 13 which lie below the paper so that the
paper rests between the grippers and the auxiliary fingers, and these are
arranged upon the shaft h¹, as seen in Figure 5, and are formed of wire
or similar material bent around the shaft h', so that they are retained
upon the shaft by their friction thereon to turn with the said shaft.
A tail piece 14 is formed on the said fingers 13 extending below the
shaft. The fingers operate with the gripper to take the paper as seen
in Figure 6 when the grippers commence to rise and carry it forward
toward the fly L' so as to insure the passage of the paper on to the
fly, being the position about as denoted in Figure 6. Then the tail
piece 14 of the fingers striking a suitable stop arrests their further
movement and the gripper is turned away as the cylinder advances,
leaving the fingers as denoted in broken lines Figure 6. Suitable guages
for adjustment of the paper are properly presented to the cylinders and
are arranged in the usual manner. The fly is operated by a cam L'
through the lever L' and segment L³.
It is often desirable to prevent the inking cylinders coming in contact

page_text: with the stone. To do this I arrange the said inking rolls 3¹ so that
their shafts rest upon a bar N, as seen in the detached view Figure 12, a
similar being being arranged upon both sides and connected to a rock
shaft N' from which a lever N' extends to a position convenient for the
operator, as seen in Figure 12, so that by depressing the said lever from
the position in Figure 12 to that in Figure 13 the box N is thrown
forward, and the cams n upon the under side of the bar N in such move-
ment pass on to studs n² and raise the inking rolls, as seen in Figure 13.
The rolls are lowered by withdrawing the bar N.
The ink fountain is formed by a plate i and cylinder I'. In order to
clean the fountain or remove any foreign substance therefrom it has
heretofore been necessary to remove the knife or plate entirely from the
machine, which necessitates a re-adjustment when it is replaced, a
difficult operation and one requiring great skill and no inconsiderable
amount of time. To overcome these difficulties I arrange the blade i
upon a shaft t, as seen in Figure 4, the said shaft being parallel with the
axis of the cylinder I' and so that the blade may be turned down and
up into the position denoted in broken lines, and to adjust the blade I
arrange a bar i¹, see Figures 3 and 4, the said bar pivotted so as to be
turned out and down to the position denoted in Figure 4, and in the bar
I arrange adjusting screws S, see Figure 3, so that when the blade
is turned against the cylinder and the bar & under the blade, the blade
Then when it is
may be adjusted by means of the said set screws.
necessary to open the fountain turn out the bar without changing the
set screws and turn up the plate to the position denoted in broken lines,
and when the purpose for which the fountain is opened is accomplished
return the blade and press the bar back into position, and the same
relative position of the blade is again insured.
To take impressions upon the stone pass the copy between the im-
pression cylinder and the stones (the copy having been first prepared in
the usual manner) in like manner as for printing. It will be under-
stood that for transferring both the inking and dampening rolls are
removed from contact with the stone. While this will give a most
perfect transfer it may in some cases be preferable to transfer by the
scraping process. To do this I arrange a tympan strained upon a
carriage beneath the cylinder, to which a movement is imparted corre-
sponding to the cylinder, and upon this tympan the copy is placed.
Then when the stone is presented the copy passes over a scraper of the

page_text: Eighth. The arrangement of the shoe 7 on the griper shaft in com-
bination with the two studs 11 and 12 operating in the manner described
so as to turn and return the gripers, substantially as set forth.
Ninth. In combination with the subject matter of the eighth clause of
claim I claim the projections 8, 8, to arrest the throw of the shoe in the
manner described.
Tenth. In combination with the subject matter of the eighth clause of
claim I claim the lever 9 arranged upon the cylinder and provided with
a spring to aid in throwing the gripers, substantially as specified.
Eleventh. In combination with the gripers I claim the auxiliary
fingers 13 arranged and operating substantially as and for the purpose
described.
Twelfth. The arrangement of the cam 14 by which the gripers are
operated directly upon the shaft of the impression cylinder so that the
said cam revolves with the said impression cylinder, as described.
Thirteenth. The arrangement of the plate or blade i of the ink fountain
so as to be turned away from the cylinder I' in the manner substantially
as described.
Fourteenth. In combination with the plate or blade i arranged and
operating as described I claim the bar ¹ provided with screws to adjust
the said plate i and operating to support and release the said plate,
substantially as described.
Fifteenth. In combination with the inking or dampening rolls I claim
the auxiliary or gravitation rolls 4 arranged so as to bear upon the
inking or dampening rolls, substantially in the manner described.
Sixteenth. The arrangement of the table L² pivotted to the press so
as to be swung away from or returned to position in front of the press,
substantially in the manner described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of September, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.