CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PRINTING MACHINERY OR PRESSES
Year: 1835

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MILES
BERRY, of Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer and
Mechanical Draughtsman, 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 Ninth day of April, in the fifth year of His
reign, and in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
thirty-five, did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Miles Berry, His especial license, full power, sole privilege
and authority, that I, the said Miles Berry, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Miles Berry, my executors,
administrators, 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, an Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PRINTING MACHINERY OR PRESSES,"
being a communication made to mo by a certain foreigner residing abroad; in
which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that I, the said Miles
Berry, shall cause a particular description of the nature of the 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 six 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
Miles Berry, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, is particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being had
to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon (that is to say):-
These improvements in printing machines or presses apply to that descrip-
tion of machinery or presses used for taking impressions on to paper or other
articles from forms of types, which improvements, when combined with other
necessary parts, constitute an improved printing machine or press. The dis-
position, arrangement, and use of the several parts are fully described and set
forth in the following description and annexed Drawings. The principal dif-
ference between these improved printing machines or presses and others now in
use consists in supplying them with paper to be printed from one side of the
form of types by using two friskets; the sheet of paper in one of which is under
the operation of taking an impression from the type, while the sheet of paper last
printed is being removed from the second frisket, and another sheet supplied.
As soon as the frisket first mentioned has received an imprint from the types,
it is withdrawn by the operation of the machine from between the platten and
form, and the second frisket, with its sheet of paper, is caused to pass in between
the platten and form, there to be acted on in its turn, and so on in succession,
each frisket passing out from between the platten and form, with its printed
sheet, while the other, with the sheet to be printed, is made to pass in between
them. Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine or press complete, the
platten being up after giving an impression; Figure 2 is a vertical section
taken longitudinally through the same; Figures 5 and 6 are partial longitu-
dinal vertical sections of parts of the machine or press, and are drawn on a
larger scale, the better to shew the parts, Figure 6, shewing the toggle joints
in the act of giving an impression; and Figure 11 is a plan or horizontal view
of the machine complete; the other Figures in the Drawings being detached
representations of various parts; the same letters of reference being marked on
corresponding parts in all the Figures. A is the fly wheel of the press,
mounted on the driving shaft B. This shaft may be turned round by manual
labour with a crank C, or by a band leading from a steam engine or other first
mover to a drum or pulley affixed on its end. One end of the shaft B turns in a
proper bearing a, supported by the frame E and the arm D. The opposite end
bears on the periphery of an anti-friction roller b, supported by the other side of
the frame and the arm D'. A pinion c is mounted on the shaft B, the tecth of
which take into the links of an endless chain d, passing around it, and the

page_text: cogged wheel c on the main shaft F. The frame E of the press is of cast iron,
but may be constructed of wood or other suitable material. The main shaft F
turns in bearings f, f, on the part of the framework at 9. g. On the centre
part of the main shaft f is properly mounted a cam G (see Figures 2 and 5),
having an anti-friction roller h on its end or longest radius, which roller turns
partly round at every revolution of the cam, thereby presenting a fresh surface
to the roller i at the end of the bar or rod H, by which the abrasion of the
rollers is diminished. The smaller radius of the cam is concentric to the
shaft, and during the revolution of this part against the roller i, it produces no
motion to the bar H, but as soon as the side of the cam comes into contact
with the roller i, it forces that roller forward from the shaft F until it passes
the roller h; when the impression has been taken, the opposite side of the
cam permits the bar H to recede until its roller meets the concentric surface
of the cam, and again becomes stationary during its continued revolution.
The bar H is supported, during its forward and backward movement, by the
upright vibrating arm k, (shewn detached at Figure 8), to the top of which it
is attached by a joint. The lower end of the upright / turns on bearings 1, 1,
attached to a cross bar I. The opposite end of the bar H is connected to the
centre pin of the toggle joints K, L, by a notch (see Figures 2 and 5), and
causes them to be brought in a straight line with each other at the time an
impression is given; these parts may be disunited by lifting the bar H from
off the pin of the toggle joints. The lower end of the toggle K bears on a
pin or step in the cross beam M. The upper end of the toggle L works on a
similar pin or step in the lower side of the bed of the press N. The platten
O has a strong beam m cast or attached to its upper side, the ends of which
n, n, project over the sides of the frame E. Strong wrought-iron bolts o, o,
are secured to the projecting ends of the cross beam of the platten by keys
and nuts, and pass downward through guide boxes, and are secured at their
lower end to the cross beam M. The platten O, cross beam M, and connecting
bolts 0, 0, are consequently connected together, and all move up and down
when giving an impression, and the whole are balanced by springs P, P, the
tops of which are secured to the under side of the bed, and their lower ends
are attached to projections on a horizontal shaft p, turning in bearings on the
side frames E. On the extremities of the horizontal shaft p are fixed curved
arms q, q, to the ends of which a connecting link r is jointed. The upper end
of this link r is a ball, which turns in a hemispherical socket formed in the
lower end of the connecting bolts o, o. d is a long lever, having a fulcrum
pin at one end on the frame, the opposite end being attached by a joint to the
cross beam M; this bar is intended to prevent the lateral pressure of the

page_text: bar II on the toggle joints from forcing the cross beam M from its right
position during its perpendicular motions with the platten. The fly wheel
being put in motion, turns the driving shaft B, thereby causing the cogged
pinion c, by means of the chain belt d, to turn round the cogged wheel e on
the main shaft F. The cam G revolving with the shaft acts on the bar H,
and communicates motion to the toggles, by which they are brought in a
straight line with each other, and at the same time draws downwards the
platten on to the sheet of paper between it and the form of types, thus giving
the impression. After the impression has taken place, the toggles are brought
back, as the platten rises, by a cam A" on the main shaft (of the form seen in
the Drawing, or otherwise, to answer the purpose). As the shaft revolves, this
cam presses down an arm B", attached to the upright k, and brings back the
bar H. On the main shaft F is fixed the grooved cam R, for the purpose of
operating on the friskets to produce their rectilinear forward and backward
motion in and out from between the platten and form. A steel roller, turning
on a pin in the end of the bent bar S, travels in the groove of the cam R.
The bar S, at its other extremity, is attached to the upright vibrating arm T
by a pin and joint, and is formed so as not to interfere with the movements
of the arm k. The vibrating lever T is formed as represented in Figure 3,
so as to permit the passage of the bar H, and its foot bears on steps similar to
the upright k. The top of the vibrating arm T is attached by a joint to
the connecting rod T', the opposite end of which is attached by another joint
to the projection q¹ of the frisket carriage U. The frisket carriage U is com-
The
posed of two side pieces s, t, united together at each end by a bar u, u.
sides of the frisket carriage are accurately fitted to traverse on rails v¹, v',
(similar to the bed and railway of the common hand-printing presses,) the
rails being of a proper length and size for the required motion in and out from
the form. The friskets are plain rectangular iron frames (as seen in Figure 9),
with ears or projections w", w", on each side, of suitable length to sustain
them in the grooves through which they move. They are covered and pre-
pared in the usual way for printing, with spaces cut out to allow of the
operation of the type on the paper in printing. The ears on the ends of the
friskets move backward and forward in two grooves x, y, (see Figure 6,) cut
in a plate of metal screwed or otherwise properly fixed to each of the sides of
the frame E, E. At (,) (a',) (see Figures 2, 6, and 11), are placed the appa-
ratus for changing the friskets from one of the grooves x, y, to the other, that
is, from the upper to the lower, or vice versa. The part (a) is composed of
metal, as represented in the front view of it, Figure 6, and more clearly shewn
in section, Figure 7. It consists at the top part of a plate 6', to which is

page_text: connected the shank c³, its lower end being attached by B joint to one end of
the lever D", its opposite end turning on a fulcrum pin in the frame. As the
main shaft revolves, a small cam E" (seen by dots in Figure 6), comes against
the top part of the lever D", and depresses it, and also the plate b¹. A
spring F draws the lever D" upwards when the action of the cam F" has
ceased. To the top of the plate 6' is attached a bar c', the lower side of
which forms the upper side of a groove f¹. The lower side of the groove f
is formed by the part g', attached at its lower end by joints to the sides of a
space cut in the plate 6'. A spring h¹ bears against the back of the piece g¹,
and tends to press it outward during its operation. The outer face of the
straight bar is on the same plane with the outer face of another straight
bar (see Figure 2), affixed to the sides of the frame E. When the plate b¹
is raised to the upper groove x, the lower side of the straight bar c' coincides
with the upper side of the groove a, the spring h¹ pushing the piece of metal g¹
outwards, and causing its top edge to coincide with the lower side of the
groove x, so as to form a continuation of this groove ready to receive the ears
tol of the friskets. While the plate b¹ is moving downwards with the frisket,
the straight bar ¹ causes the piece of metal g¹ to recede inwards, so as to de-
posit the ear of the frisket on to the upper face of the bar ¹ (see Figure 2), that
is, opposite the lower groove y, the top of the bar ¹ being a continuation of the
lower side of this lower groove. As the plate brises again to receive another
frisket, the piece g¹, by the pressure of the spring h¹, moves outwards to
receive the frisket from between the platten and form as it is brought out by
the frisket carriage. Having described the mechanism at (a'), I shall proceed
to describe the apparatus at (2), which consists of a plate of metal shaped
somewhat similar to that at (a), but without the curved piece 9' and spring h¹.
It has a simple groove k cut in it, and is guided in a perpendicular direction,
during its up and down movements, by the shank rod 1, sliding through a
guide formed in a bracket m, attached to the side frame E.
The proper
motions of the apparatus at (a) and (), and times of ascent and descent, are
regulated by the form and revolution of the frisket cam W, mounted on the
main shaft F. X is a lever formed of two arms l' and m³, projecting from a
horizontal shaft n', turning in bearings attached to the side frames E, and has
an anti-friction roller turning on a pin at the end of m', which roller travels in
the groove of the cam W. The opposite arm is connected by a joint to the
lower end of the upright rod n, the top of which is attached by a joint to the
shank rod 1. Supposing the plate to be up, so that its groove k shall coincide
with the groove x, the part of the cam W, from o' to p¹, (Figure 6,) while
revolving, then operates on the roller at the end of the arm m', and moves the

page_text: plate downwards, so as to bring the groove k in a line with the lower
groove to receive the frisket from this last groove. During the time
the rollers at m¹ move over the curved surface of the cam W, from q' to
r, the plate is brought down still further, until it meets the form of type.
At this time the platten operates on the paper in the frisket, and produces an
impression, during which the roller at m¹ is moving over the space on the
cam W, from to s¹, which is concentric to the main shaft F. The impres-
sion having taken place, the platten moves a short distance upwards before
the frisket, in order to clear itself from the paper. The roller at m¹ then begins
to move over the curved surface of the cam W, from s¹ to t, which movement
through the levers X and rod n raises the frisket to the upper groove x,
through which it is moved with the printed sheet, by the frisket carriage, into
the other groove in the plate at (a¹), when the printed sheet is to be removed
and another sheet substituted. The plate at (a), having received the frisket with
a fresh sheet of paper, is carried downward by the next revolution of the cam,
and the curved pieces of metal g', g', on which the ears of the frisket rest,
recede and deposit the frisket on the top of the straight bars i, ¹, as before;
the frisket is then operated upon by the frisket carriage, and carried in between
tho platten and form for an impression, it being understood that there are
similar apparatus as at (a¹) on each side of the framework on one end of the
machine, and similar apparatus as at (a) on each side of the framework at the
other part of the machine, to receive the ears w¹, at each side of the friskets. The
part of the frisket carriage which produces the backward and forward movements
of the friskets in the groove x, y, is represented at t', u', and v', (see Figures 2
and 5); t is an upright projecting piece of iron, placed on the top of each side
of the frisket carriage U, its office is to push the frisket out from between the
platten and form, through the groove x, into the groove in the plate a¹; u' is a
small catch, connected to the frisket carriage by a joint at its end, and is
at all times pressed upward by a small spring v1. When the frisket carriage
passes outward from the platten with a frisket, the small catches u¹¹, are
pressed down by the ears of the frisket, the inclined planes of the catches
causing them to give way to them, and at this time the catches u¹ press
against the under surface of the ear on the lower frisket, they being pressed
down during its motions, and as soon as they leave the surface they rise
upward. When the frisket carriage has received a sheet of paper at (a') it
is carried inward, and the ends of the catches u', u', come in contact with the
ears or projections of the frisket, and push it along as the carriage travels
through the lower set of grooves y, y, into the groove in the plate, where it
is received and carried downward by the operation of the cam W, to receive an

page_text: impression from the platten, as before stated; after this it is raised by the action
of the cam to the upper groove a. The frisket carriage then moving outward, the
projections t¹, t, on each of the sides of the carriage, come against the ears of the
frisket and push it through the upper groove's a into the groove in the plate a¹.
The above described arrangement of machinery for changing the friskets at
(a) may be found fully sufficient for the operation, but to guard against any
accident which might happen by the pieces 9' catching against and lifting the
ear of the frisket during their upward movement, two stop pieces w, w¹, (see
Figures 2 and 6,) are suspended so that their gravity will always cause them
to project outward to prevent the ear of the frisket rising, which ears,.
during their downward motion, press the catch pieces w', w', into their
recesses in the plate of the grooves y; but as soon as the frisket is depo-
sited on the top edge of the bár i, (that is, the lower edge of the lower
groove y,) the catches w¹ are relieved and move outward, thereby rendering
it impossible for the piece g¹ to raise the frisket so as to prevent its being
pushed through the lower set of grooves y.
Furthermore, should the
frisket, after the carriage has left it on the top of the pieces g', g', by a
jar of the machinery or any other cause, be made to slide forward in the
upper groove x, or out of its proper position, there would be danger, when
the plate b goes down, of injuring the ears of the frisket. In order to
prevent this, a small spring x (see Figure 6) is affixed to either the upper or
lower side of the end of the groove a, so that when the ear of the frisket moves
through the groove it shall pass over the spring, and as soon as the ear leaves
the spring it expands, and closes the end of the groove a, against a receding
motion of the frisket. The grooved cam R, shewn by dots in Figure 5, and
detached in Figure 12), is so formed and placed on the main shaft, that while
the roller in the end of the bars is moving from a to 6, it produces no
motion of the vibrating lever T, that is, during the time the platten is giving
the impression to the slicet of paper; but when the impression is given, the
roller travels in that part of the groove from 6 to c, which brings the
frisket carriage out from between the platten and form of type, with the
frisket and the printed sheet, and the cam returns the carriage while it revolves
from c¹ to a, with the other frisket carrying the sheet of paper to be printed.
Having now described the machinery or apparatus for producing the impres-
sion and changing the friskets from one set of grooves to the other, together
with the situation and arrangement of the several. parts in and about the
frame, I shall proceed to explain that part of the machine or press for distri-
buting the ink, and imparting it to the form of type on the bed N. In many
respects, the number of inking rollers, and general arrangement of them, are

page_text: shown as heretofore known and used; but the construction of the ink trough
or fountain is varied. Figures 4, 5, and 10 represent different views of the
ink fountain or trough; Figure 4 is a detached plan view on a larger scale;
Figure 5 shews a transverse section; and Figure 10 is a detached end view.
m", m, is the trough; a" is the space for the reception of the ink, in which
the ink roller bu is immersed, and turning in bearings c¹, placed in oblong
spaces in the ends of the trough, so as to allow of sufficient movement of the
ink roller for adjustment by the pins d", d", one of the ends of which abut
against springs 1, 2, and the other ends against the short arm of the
levers e¹¹, e¹¹, whose fulcrums are at f", f"; 9" is an adjusting screw, on the
ends of the long arms of the levers e, e¹¹, which being turned one way, forces
outwards the levers e", e¹¹, thereby causing the ink roller to be carried to the
edge of the ductor plate h". The springs,, pressing on the pins k", k¹¹,
cause the inking roller to depart from the edge of the plate h¹¹, when the
screw g is turned the reverse way. The object of the above is to regulate the
thickness of the surface of the ink in the ink roller. The breadth of ink on
the surface may be obtained by screws 1", ", ", at suitable distances apart,
which, when screwed up by their pressure on any particular part of the side n
of the ductor plate, spring that part of it on which they press sufficiently to pre-
vent the ink adhering to the surface of the ink roller; o" is the roller
for receiving the ink from the ink roller, and imparting it to the main distri-
buting roller p; q" is the roller, commonly called the traveller, for lateral dis-
tribution, as in common. The roller p" is turned round by a band passing over
a pulley, under the guide pulleys s¹¹, s¹¹, and over the pulley t", on the
axis of the driving shaft; ", u", are the rollers for applying the ink to the types;
and revolving bearings, attached to the frisket carriage, which, when it goes
out from the form and returns, passes these rollers over the surface of the types,
and deposits them on the main distributing cylinder p", as seen in Figure 5;
all the above parts of the inking apparatus, with the exception of the
ink trough, are constructed and act as in common. M", M", are rollers for
supporting the platten or rails N", N", when it is required to be removed from
out of the machine or press. Two shafts o", o, see Figure 2, revolve
in bearings on the platten. On the ends of these shafts are cranks, which
carry the rollers M", M". During the time the press is in action these
cranks, with the rollers, are turned up in the position in Figures 1 and 2; but
when it is necessary to remove the platten, they are turned downwards,
so that their circumferences touch the rails N", N"; a circular plate p",
with two notches opposite one another, is fixed on each shaft, into which,
when the rollers M", M", are turned up or down, a catch spring R¹ enters

page_text: and retains them. The strength of the impression is regulated by dividing the
circular parts of the nuts on the tops of the connecting bolts o, o, into equal
distances, and forming holes at each division, into which a spring index pointer
(see Figs. 1, 2, & 11); enters, and confines the nut to any position in which
it may be placed. The nuts of both rods are divided alike, so that by turning
them round the same number of divisional distances, the face of the platten
will always be parallel to the form of type on the bed. In most printing machines
the tympan sheet is moved outward from under the platten with the printed
sheet of paper; but one advantage in the machine consists in making the
tympan sheet stationary, it being stretched over the blanket on the under side
of the platten in any convenient manner. When the impression has been
given, the platten rises a short distance before the frisket begins to ascend, in
order that the tympan sheet shall be quite clear from the paper. This is
effected by a proper form of the cam W, so that while the roller is moving
over a certain part of it, it shall produce no motion of the frisket. The diffi-
culty generally experienced in other presses of the adhesion of the sheet of
paper to the tympan sheet, whereby it becomes necessary they should be
brought out from between the platten and form at the same time, is obviated
in this machine by raising the platten before the frisket.
I have above described several improvements in printing machinery which
I believe are new and useful; but those to which I shall confine my claim are
as follows, viz. :-
First, arranging and moving two friskets, on which sheets of paper are placed,
in such a manner that they will pass over, under, and by one another without
interference with each other, and also that one of the two shall remain out
from between the platten and form, ready for a sheet of paper to be placed
thereon, while the other is carried in between the platten and form to receive
an impression, and is returned out from the platten and form, as before, and so
on in succession; the first remains out from between the platten and form
while the machinery employed to produce the motion of the friskets has acted
on the second frisket in its turn in the same manner, by carrying it in between
the platten and form, and returning it out the same distance it was before.
Second, the use of two friskets at one end of the form, to move in grooves
parallel with the face of the types in such a manner that on the arrival of
either frisket at the extreme ends of one set of the grooves, it shall be received
in grooves in plates of metal (moving in a perpendicular direction to the face
of the types, and raise to another set of grooves above and parallel to the first-
mentioned set of grooves, to be moved in an opposite direction, either in between
the platten and form, or out from the same.

page_text: Third, the combination of the whole machinery herein described for pro-
ducing the above motions of two friskets applied to the same side of a form;
and separately and singly I claim as parts of this combination,--1, the mode
of alternately changing a frisket from one set of the long grooves to the other
set, by short grooves in moveable plates, a¹. 24, the construction of the plate
a¹ with pieces of metal 9', 9', and springs h', h', to press the said curved pieces
outward. 34, the small gravitating pieces w¹¹, w¹¹, and spring a¹, a¹, for the object
and action herein-above mentioned. Or, instead of sets of long grooves x, y,
for supporting the ears or projections of the friskets, I substitute long ledges,
situated, in regard to each other, as the different sets of grooves above described.
Short ledges are also attached to the plates a &, in the situation of the
grooves in each, and to the sides at the tops of the curved pieces of metal g', g'.
The ears of the friskets are to be made of suitable thickness to have grooves
cut or formed in the ends of the same, so as to rest and be sustained and work
on the ledges or projections afore-mentioned. In other respects the action
and relative motions of the friskets would be the same as those above men-
tioned, this being a vice versa application of the parts or forming of grooves in
the ends of the friskets and the projections or ledges that enter into the grooves
on the inside of the frame of the press.
Fourth, the manner of supporting the end of the bar II on an arm k, the
lower end of which rocks in fixed bearings or chairs, while the other end, which
supports the end of the bar H and friction roller, moves in the arc of a circle.
Fifth, the application of the rods d', d', to prevent the lateral motion of the
bottom beam M, which would otherwise take place by the movement of the
bar while moving the toggle joints to give an impression.
Sixth, in the arrangement or combination of the parts for producing the
motions of the frisket carriage by a vibrating arm T, connected by a joint to
one end of a connecting rod S, the other end of this rod being supported on a
pin in the top of a small vibrating arm U, the pin also carrying a roller
which travels in a grooved cam R on the main shaft.
Seventh, the general arrangement of the several parts for producing the
impression as I have above described, together with the disposition and adapta-
tion of the other parts of my improvements, so as to constitute a printing
machine or press.
In witness whereof, I, the said Miles Berry, have hereunto set my
hand and scal, this Ninth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and thirty-five.
MILES (1.s.) BERRY.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Ninth day of October, in the
sixth year of the reign of His Majesty King William the Fourth, the said
Miles Berry came before our said Lord the King in His Chancery, and
acknowledged the instrument aforesaid, and all and every thing therein
contained and specified, in form above written. And also the instrument
aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made in the fifty-
fifth year of the reign of His late Majesty King George the Third.