IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING MACHINES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Duncan and William Ashley Wilson,
of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, for the In-
vention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING MACHINES.”
Scaled the 29th July 1873, and dated the 31st January 1873.
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 31st January 1873.
WC, 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 PRINTING MACHINES," to be as
follows:-
Our Invention relates to novel arrangements of mechanism operating
in an entirely new manner for printing from type or stercotype, cither
on one or both sides of paper or other flexible material.
Instead of placing the type or stereotype on a flat table or on a
revolving cylinder as has been the practice heretofore, we secure the
type or stereotype on the internal surface of a fixed segmental plate, and

page_text: we employ one or more impression cylinders, to each of which two
motions are given to bring the sheets of paper in contact with and
receive impression from the type. The two motions referred to are a
motion of revolution around the carrying axle, and a motion of rotation
cach on its own axis. Inking is effected by rollers, a series being
employed for each impression cylinder. The original supply of ink is
from a stationary trough.
To ensure regularity of feed of paper or other material we use a web,
and employ feed and cut off rolls to sever the required length at the
instant the grippers of an impression cylinder have come round and laid
hold of it.
When perfecting is to be effected, that is to say, printing on both
sides, then we employ two segmental plates for type, and two sets of
revolving rotating impression cylinders, timing them with reference to
cach other in such manner that the grippers on the second set of
impression cylinders receive the sheet at the proper moment from the
first set, and thereafter carry it forward to the type whose outlines are to
be impressed on the other side.
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 31st July 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 Thirty-first day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, 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 timo and at all times there-

page_text: 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 Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst
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 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 Scal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately 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 tho
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
Our Invention relates to novel arrangements of mechanism operating
in an entirely new manner for printing from type or stereotype, either on
one or both sides of paper or other flexible material.
Instead of placing the type or stereotype on a flat table or on a
revolving cylinder as has been the practice heretofore, we secure the
type or stereotype on the internal surface of a fixed segmental plate, and
we employ one or more impression cylinders, to cach of which two
motions are given to bring the sheets of paper in contact with and
receive impression from the type. The two motions referred to are a
motion of revolution around the carrying axle, and a motion of rotation
each on its own axis. Inking is effected by rollers, a series being
employed for each impression cylinder. The original supply of ink is
from a stationary trough.
To ensure regularity of feed of paper or other material we use a web,
and employ feed and cut off rolls to sever the required length at the
instant the grippers of an impression cylinder have come round and laid
hold of it.
When perfecting is to be effected, that is to say, printing on both
sides, then we employ two segmental plates for type, and two sets of
revolving rotating impression cylinders, timing them with reference to

page_text: each other in such manner that the grippers on the second set of
impression cylinders receive the sheet at the proper moment from the
first set, and thereafter carry it forward to the type whose outlines arc
to be impressed on the other side.
On the Sheet of Drawings herewith four views are given of a per-
fecting or double printing machine with twelve impression cylinders and
adjuncts, all constructed in accordance with our Invention.
The machine shown has been devised for newspaper printing in con-
sequence of being enabled to use ordinary type, the latest news can be
inserted. Fig. 1 is a side clevation, the main wheel of one machine
being removed; Fig. 2, a sectional view of the lino A, B, looking on the
right hand machine; Fig. 3, a side clevation, the machine on the left
having the carrying frame removed, and the one on the right both the
carrying and cylinder frames removed; and Fig. 4, a transverse section
at the line C, D. In all the views like letters denote the same parts.
1, supporting frame; 2, cylinder frame; 3, driving pinion giving
motion to the intermediate driving pinion 4, and also to the main
wheel 5. The pinion 4 gives motion to the other main wheel 5'. Tho
shaft 6 of wheel 5 has secured thereon a wheel 7 which through the
pinion 8 gives motion to the intermediate inking rollers 9 hereafter
referred to. 10 arc bosses secured to the shafts G and 6', and 11 arc
revolving frames secured to the bosses 10. The impression cylinders 12
are supported in adjustable bearings in the revolving frames 11. By the
parts described a motion of revolution around the shafts G and 6' will be
imparted to the impression cylinders 12. To cause the said impression:
cylinders 12 to rotate each on its own axis, the stationary wheels 13
secured to the supporting frames 1 by bolts and nuts are geared with
the impression cylinder drivers 144 through the pinious 15.
In the example here delineated the impression cylinders 12 are cach
one-sixth the diameter of a circle of which the type face is a segment.
The pinions 15 make seven revolutions on their axes during one
revolution around the shaft G, but the drivers 14 make each only six
revolutions in consequence of moving in the opposite direction. The
intermediate inking roller 9 whose motion is obtained from the pinion S
as mentioned receives ink from the roller 10 through the roller 17, the
latter being caused to vibrate by the eccentrics and rods 19. The same
eccentrics give motion to the vibrating roller 20 through the rods 21.

page_text: Motion is given to the roller 16 by pinion 22 gearing with pinion 8.
The vibration of the roller 20 is so timed that when at the top of its
stroke it comes successively into contact with cach pair of type inking
rollers 23, moving with the revolving frames. The type inking rollers
on the right hand machine are adjusted so as to freely pass the corrc-
sponding rollers of the left hand machine. For properly distributing
the ink the rollers 23 are moved by surface contact with 24, to which
latter positive motion is given by pinions 25 driven by pinions 15. Tho
rollers 23 move in contact with free axis rollers 24, and these in their
turn in contact with the large roller 26. The said large roller 26 is
made to rotate in the same direction, but at a greater speed than the
cylinder frames by the pinions 27, driven by pinions 28 secured to the
shaft carrying one of the pinions 15.
The whole of the cylinders and rollers above described move with
relation to each other at the same surface speed, the speed being such
that the impression cylinders and inking rollers 23 movo over the type
by rolling contact without slip.
29 Segmental plates, for type or stereotype, supported on pins 30, and
held in position by retaining pieces 31. By preference we use stereotypes
produced by truing and bending under an Invention for which we havo
obtained Her Majesty's Letters Patent, No. 3939, of the year 1872.
When a web of paper is used, and this we prefer, feeding and cut off
rollers of ordinary kinds are employed, but the cut off rollers are so
timed as to deliver a sheet to the impression cylinders as they come
round; grippers actuated by cams or other means in any convenient
manner being employed to catch the sheet at the proper time, and retain
it in position wound around the impression cylinder. When the paper
on an impression cylinder has been printed in the left hand machine it
is carried round and delivered to the corresponding impression cylinder
on the right hand machine. At this time the grippers of the left hand
machine release their hold whilst like grippers in the impression cylinder
of the right hand machine aided by a push piece or tongue scize the
released sheet, and carry it round to the type on the right hand machine
to receive impression therefrom.
Immediately after being perfected the grippers release their hold, and
the sheet is delivered either directly or indirectly to a folding machine,

page_text: Wire or other guards should be placed around the impression cylinders
to prevent the sheets of paper from coming into contact with the inking
rollers.
It will be obvious that a set of impression cylinders with inking
apparatus or about one half of the above described perfecting machine 5
would answer for printing newspapers and like work by passing the paper
twice through.
It will also be obvious that sheets of paper may be fed by hand,
between tapes, and in other ways.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and par- 1
ticularized the same by practical details, we claim,—
First. Placing type or stereotype on the internal surface of a
segmental plate, and employing in combination therewith impression
cylinders having each the two motions herein described.
Second. The type or stereotype impression cylinders and inking 1
appliances operating in the manner and for the purposes set forth.
Third. The combination and arrangement of parts forming the
perfecting, or as regards one part a single machine, substantially as set
forth.
In witness whereof, we, the said George Duncan and William 2
Ashley Wilson, have hereunto set our hands and seals, the
Twenty-third day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand
cight hundred and seventy-three.
In the presence of
JOHN LING,
GEORGE DUNCAN.
(L.S.)
WILLIAM ASHLEY WILSON. (L.s.)
Clerk to J. T. King,
Liverpool.