A NEW OR IMPROVED CON- STRUCTION OF TYPE PRINTING PRESS OR MACHINE
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Ritchie, of Edinburgh, in the County of Midlothian,
North Britain, Engineer, for the Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED CON-
STRUCTION OF TYPE PRINTING PRESS OR MACHINE."
Sealed the 18th November 1879, and dated the 21st May 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Ritchie at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st May 1879.
ROBERT RITCHIE, of Edinburgh, in the County of Midlothian, North Britain,
Engineer. "A NEW OR IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF TYPE PRINTING PRESS OR
MACHINE."
This Invention relates to an improved general construction or combination of the
parts of a portable type printing machine suitable for small job work, to be actuated
by an arrangement of treadle mechanism by one person, who could also manage the
whole, and the laying on and removing the sheets of paper; but the machine might
if desired be driven by hand by a separate person or by motive power, through a
belt passed over a pulley on the first motion shaft, as for the larger sizes of this
printing machine; and the nature and novelty of the Invention or machine consist
all as follows:-The frame of the machine, which carries the whole in a self con-
tained manner, is preferably constructed of rectangular open sides or cheeks firmly
secured together by transverse stays below and frames above carrying the journal
bearing bushes of a first motion quick revolving shaft, with a fly wheel on it, and
crank in the middle or at one end, by which it is actuated by a connecting-rod
attached to the back lever of the treadle motion. This first motion shaft has a
pinion secured on its one end, geared into a large spur wheel keyed on the one end
of a second motion shaft outside the frame which carries this shaft in journal bush
bearings, near the top of the machine, which slow second motion shaft actuates or
reciprocates the whole working parts of the machine through tappet pins, with
anti-friction rollers, or by cams mounted on it or in the side of the said large spur
wheel. The type form carrying and printing frame is mounted to slide up and
down in guides within the frame at the opposite end of the machine to the said
driving shafts some inches below the horizontal table at the upper front end, where
the sheets are fed in, and just below the "platten or pressing block, which is
guided to work down through a hole formed in the table, and so press the paper on
the types when that is raised with its printing frame to the under side of the table
for that purpose. The type printing frame is raised as stated, and lowered suffi-
ciently to have the surface of the type inked, by a connecting-rod attached to the
"}

page_text: centre of the under-side, and to the longer arm of a beam or straight lever, carried
on fulcrom bearings at the other end of the frame, where the short arm of the lever
projects through the frame and as the lower end of a reciprocating bar attached to
it, guided above, and formed with a lateral curved or other T shaped actuating
crosshead on top end, just under the slow motion shaft, so as to be pressed down by
a pin and antifriction roller in the side of the large spur wheel, which raises the
type frame to the position under or up through the table to have the impression
taken from the upper surface of the type while the pin is holding it there; and as
the pin passes off the T head the type frame is lowered to its inking position,
resting on its guide frame where it is inked by a horizontal reciprocating frame
with the inking roller revolving in its front end, and carried in guides or slots in
the side frames of the machine with a T headed connecting-rod projecting back, so
as to be pressed forwards by another pin and anti-friction roller in the said wheel,
coming round at the proper time to press it forward and roll it one or more times
over the surface of the types when in their lowest position. This frame is brought
back out of the way of the rising of the type printing frame by the same antifriction
roller tappet pin which pressed the inking roller forward, or it might be by another
pin for the purpose, coming in contact with the short arm of a bell crank lever, the
long vertical or angled arm of which draws back the frame by a joint pin or other
equivalent connection, which backward motion brings the inking roller over or
against an ink distributing roller of an ordinary ink feeding and supplying arrange-
ment of feed roller and "doctor" after every impression. The distributing roller,
which is driven by a band from a pulley on the first motion shaft, gets its supply
of ink from an intermediate roller, which in turn gets its ink from the " doctor
after each impression by the depression of the "doctor" lever, which is actuated by
a pin on the side of the large spur wheel, and the same pin at another part of the
revolution of this wheel lifts the "doctor" lever, thus supplying the ink to the
distributing roller. The sheets of paper to be printed are laid on the front part of
the table, and laid one at a time on a frame of thin sheet brass as a tympan'
frame, with a hole the size of the "platten" of the machine covered by a piece of stiff
paper or thin cardboard, and having a hole through the paper or cardboard the
size of job or type that may be on the machine for the time being; a light hinged
frame is folded down over. the paper, and does the duty of the "frisket
"tympan" in an ordinary printing press. Another pin with anti-friction pulley on
the side of the large spur wheel strikes a beam lever carried on a middle fulcrum
below the axis of the wheel, and by a connecting-rod attached to its one arm closes
the frame and pulls the "tympan" frame with the paper to be printed between
them under the "platten" so as to be impressed or printed, while the type frame is
raised as before stated by the depression of the "platten," which is actuated by a
connecting-rod attached to the short arm of its powerful actuating lever fulcrumed
on a strong centre in the upper part of the side frame, the longer arm of the lever
being carried back over and so as to be raised by a tuppet pin or cam on the axle
of the large wheel, or in the side thereof; the raising of this end of the lever
depressing the "platten " at the other end, and giving the impression of the type on
the sheet of paper interposed between these printing surfaces, which then return to
their normal position by gravitation or the power of a spring, after which another
pin on the side of the large spur wheel strikes the opposite arm of the "tympan
tympan
lever, and by its connecting-rod pushes the frame or
"with the paper
forwards, when the upper frame opens up or rises off the sheet of paper, which may
then be removed by hand and a new sheet inserted, to be drawn in and printed,
all as hereinbefore described. And it will be understood that this machine, although
described for type printing only, is equally applicable for printing from wood-
engravings, or their stereotypes or electro-types, either inserted in the "forms"
along with the type, or separately, as for printing ornamental covers of books and
pamphlets in black or colour printing.
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page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Robert Ritchie in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th
November 1879.
ROBERT RITCHIE, of Edinburgh, in the County of Midlothian, North Britain,
Engineer. "A NEW OR IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF TYPE PRINTING PRESS OR
MACHINE."
My said Invention relates to an improved general construction or combination
of the parts of 'a portable type printing machine, suitable for small job work, to
be actuated by an arrangement of treadle mechanism by one person, who could also
manage the whole and the laying on and removing the sheets of paper; but the
machine might if desired be driven by hand by a separate person or by motive
power, through a belt passed over a pulley on the first motion shaft as for the larger
sizes of this printing machine.
Figures 1 and 2 of the Sheet of Drawings hereunto appended show a side and
front elevation, and Figure 3 a corresponding plan of a type printing machine
constructed in accordance with the improvements of this my said Invention; and
Figures 4 and 5 are detached side and end views of the arm and gripping lever
mechanism for removing the sheets of paper after they are printed, to show their
construction and action more clearly than can be seen in the general views of the
machine shown in Figures 1 to 3; in all which Figures the same reference letters
and numerals indicate the same parts where shown.
Referring to these Figures, 1 to 3, the nature, novelty, and mode of performing
my said Invention, or making and working my new or improved printing press or
machine consist as follows:-The main frame of the machine, which carries the
whole in a portable and self contained manner, consists of two open nearly rectan-
gular sides or cheeks 1, 1, rounding at the top into flat plates in the middle 1',
and firmly screwed together by two transverse stay frames 1" below, and by a
strong special open double jaw or ☐ shaped frame 2, 21, bolted at 11 above, and
which carries the journal bearing or bush bracket 2 of the first motion quick
revolving shaft 5 at the back, with a fly wheel 5 on it at one end and a revolving
crank 5 at the other end (or it might be in the middle), so as to be actuated
through a connecting rod 6 above, and jointed below at 6¹ to the back arm 7 of
the treadle lever or motion 7, 7', fulcrumed on or by the rocking spindle 7"
working in the stay frames 1", 1". The first motion shaft 5 has a pinion 8 keyed
or secured on it at one side of its bearing bracket 211, which pinion gears into a
large spur wheel 81 keyed on the one end of the second motion shaft 8, carried in
long journal bearings 2111 outside of an open part of the frame 2 which carries this
shaft near the top back end of the machine.
This reduced speed or slow second motion shaft 8" actuates or reciprocates the
whole working parts of the machine in proper sequential time through cam move-
ments and tappet pins, with anti-friction rollers in the sides of the large spur
wheel S¹, as will hereinafter be described.
"
The type carrying and pressure sustaining printing frame or table 9, having the
set up
"form or "chase" 9¹ of type secured on its upper surface, is mounted to
slide up and down by corner guides within the front lower part 2¹ of the frame
2, 2, and at the opposite side or end of the machine from that of the driving shafts
5 and 81, and some inches below where the horizontal open sliding table 3, 31, is
fitted for feeding in the sheets of paper to be printed, at the upper front end of the
frame 1 of the machine, and close under the "platten" or pressing block 4, fitted
with corner guides 4¹ to work down through a hole in the upper front end 2 of

page_text: :
the frame 2, 21, formed over the table 3 so as to press the paper on to the "form"
of type 91. When that is raised with its printing bed frame 9 to the underside of
the table, or tympan frame, or frisket 3' for that purpose, the type carrying and
printing frame 9 is raised as stated, and lowered (sufficiently to have the surface
of the type inked) by connecting links 9" attached to the centre of its under-side
and to the longer arm 10 of a strong beam or straight lever 10, 10¹, carried and
oscillating on a fulcrum bearing centre 1011, secured on the under back end 2¹¹ of
the frame 2, where the short arm 10' of the lever projects through and beyond the
back frame 1, 1', so as to be jointed to the lower end of a vertically reciprocating
bar 11, guided by a slot in it above on a pin 21111 in the back end of the frame 2¹
and formed with a lateral actuating flat cross-head 111, and made of a cam or other
curved shape on the top end nearly under the axes of the second motion shaft 8",
and a pin with an anti-friction roller a secured on the inside face of the large spur
wheel 8', which as it comes round depresses the bar 11 and back end of the lever
10, 10', so as to raise the front arm 10 of this lever and the type frame 9, 9¹, to
the position close under, or up through the frame 3' of the slide table 3, to have
the impression taken on to the paper from the upper surface of the type, while the
pin with the roller a is holding it there, and as the roller a passes or glides off the
front curved end of the head 11'; the type frame 9, 91, is gently lowered to its
inking position, resting on its guide frame 2', as seen in this position in Figure 1.
The top surface of the type is inked by the roller, or it might be rollers 12, 12,
carried in the front end of a horizontal reciprocating frame 12' carried on guide
rollers 12 in front, running on guides at the sides of the type frame or fixed
guide rods 12111 behind, secured by brackets 12 projecting from the frame 2 of
the machine, and having a T bével headed connecting rod or pusher 13 projecting
back, so as to be pressed forward by a pin b with anti-friction roller in the same
side of the wheel 8', as it comes round at the proper time to pass or roll the inking
roller 12 over the surface of the types 911 when in their lowest position, and as
shown in this position in Figure 1.
This frame 12 with its inking rollers 12 is brought back out of the way of the
type printing frame 9, 9', before it is raised by the same, or an equivalent anti-
friction roller tappet pin b' to that b, which pressed it forward) coming in contact with
the short arm 14 of a bell-crank lever 14, 141, fulcrumed at 14" in the frame 2; the
long vertical or angled arm 14' of this lever draws back the frame 12' by a slot and
joint pin, as seen at 13¹ or other equivalent connection. This backward motion
brings the inking roller 12 over and against ink distributing rollers 15 of a some-
what ordinary arrangement of feeding and supplying or "doctor" rollers 15, 16,
and 16 after every impression. The distributing roller 15 is driven by a
groove pulley 17 and band 17' from a pulley 17" on the slow motion shaft 811,
and gets its supply of ink from an intermediate reciprocated roller 16, which in
turn gets its supply of ink from the "doctor" ink roller 161, revolving or turned
slowly by a ratchet wheel and spring pawl C on the "doctor" cam lever C¹ after
each impression and revolution of the spur wheel 81. A pin c, with an anti-
friction roller secured on the outside of the wheel 8' each time it comes round acts
on the raised cam surface of the lever C¹, and depresses it so as to turn the roller 16',
slightly round in its ink trough, and by the same downward motion depresses the
spring.tilting arın lever d of the oscillating frame D, carrying the feeding roller 16
back against the "doctor" or supply roller 161, but as soon as this is effected the
pin c in the wheel 81 comes round against the short projecting arm C" of the
lever C, and lifts it, leaving it ready for the next action, and allows the spring d to
bring back the roller 16 against the distributing roller 15, and thus supply fresh
ink to the distributing roller, which in turn supplies the inking rollers 12, as before
stated. A to and fro longitudinal motion is given to the distributing roller 15 by
a simple automatic arrangement of fork or bow headed swivelling stem e working
in a small standard E, under a double right and left handed screw or scroll groove
on a small boss e¹, into which the bow-arms e work, on the one end of the spindle

page_text: of the roller 15, so that as this revolves it is traversed to and fro by the joint action
of the screws and the swivelling or reversing of the swivelling bow arms e, thus
distributing the ink on the rollers 12, which, as well as the feeding rollers 16, are
made of the ordinary soft or elastic composition, while the distributing roller 15
and "doctor" roller 16', which give the ink to all the others are preferred to be
made of smooth turned iron or other metal. The ratchet spring cam of lever C¹ of
the "doctor" roller 16 may be held in its upper normal position described ready
for the next action or depression by the pin c through friction or the action of a
light spring.
The sheets of paper to be printed, indicated by the dotted lines z in Figure 3,
are laid one sheet at a time on to the front part of the travelling table or tympan
frame 3, fitted with the hinged frisket or frame 311, made of thin sheet brass, slides
on the bevilled or double open guide frame or table 3', and has a hole 3111 through
it the size of the "platten" of machine, or largest size of job. to be printed, covered
over by a piece of stiff paper or thin cardboard below the paper to support it, also
having a hole through this paper or cardboard the size of the particular job or type,
that may be on the machine for the time being. A side and end guide plate z, z",
is fitted to set the sheets in proper position, and the light hinged frisket frame 311
is automatically raised and folded down over the paper to receive the pressure of
the "platten" 4 as it comes down.
"
The thin metal tympan frame 3 is oscillated to and fro on its guides 3' to its
outermost position seen in Figures 1 and 3 to insert and remove the paper, & to
its inner position under the platten" 4 to be printed by the connecting-rod f,
jointed to it at the front end and to the rocking levers f¹, f, at its rear end,
this lever oscillating on a pin centre F in the strong standard F", secured to and
projecting up from the lower part 2 of the main frame 2, 2', so that the lever f¹‚ƒ",
works, and is oscillated close under the axis 811 and outside of the wheel 8' by the
pin g with anti-friction pulley in the side of the large spur wheel 81.
This pin g as it comes round strikes the upper curved arm f' of the lever f', fll,
so as to push the tympan frame 3 out to the position shown in Figures 1 and 3,
while after allowing plenty of time for the removal of the printed sheet auto-
matically, as will hereinafter be described, and the insertion of a fresh sheet,
another pin c comes round and acting on a stud roller in the lower arm f" of the
said tilting lever draws the tympan frame 3 with the paper to be printed under the
platten 4 so as to be impressed or printed (while the type frame 9, 91, is raised
close under the paper, and open hole 31, in the tympan frame, all as before
stated) by the depression of the "platten" 4, which is effected or actuated by the
forked link connecting-rod jointed to it below, and attached by regulating
screws and nuts above 411 to the short arm 18 of its powerful actuating lever 18, 18',
fulcrumed on a strong centre 181, in the upper part 2 of the main frame 2, 21. The
longer arm 18 of this lever is carried back over the front end of the lever 19, fulcrumed
in the back open end of the frame 2 over a small cain 20, keyed on the shaft 8" of
the wheel 81, all as seen dotted in in Figure 1, with a one armed bow spring 21
above, acting on the upper free end of the lever 18¹, all so as to give a quick
powerful upward action to the lever 18 at each revolution of the wheel and
shaft 81, 8, by the cam 20 acting on an anti-friction roller 19¹ on the under side of
the lever 19, which rises this end 181 of the lever, depressing the platten" 4 at
the other end 18, and thus gives the impression of the type on the under side of
the sheet of paper interposed within the tympan frame 3, between these and the
lower pressing surface of the " platten" 4. The platten 4 and its lever 18, 18¹,
as well as the type frame 9, 9', and its levers 10 & 11 are returned to their
normal position by the power of the spring 21 and their gravitation as soon as
the cain 20 and pin a, has passed on, after which the pin g, in the side of the
wheel 81, as before stated, acts on the opposite arm fl of the tympan frame
5. lever f, f, and by its connecting rod pushes this frame 3 with the paper
6.

page_text: now printed forward, which action also lifts or opens up the top frame or frisket 311
off the sheet of paper by the short lever f2 on its binge joint coming in contact with
the pin f, and falls down again over the paper as soon as the frame 3 is drawn in
again. The sheets of paper are inserted by hand against the guides ¹, 11,
to be drawn in and printed as herein before described, and although the
paper might also be removed by hand as in most other presses I prefer
by a further improvement, to remove the sheets as printed by an automatically
acting arrangement shown in detached side and end elevations in Figures 4 and 5, and
in the general plan in Figure 3. The arrangement or mechanism for so removing
each sheet of paper as printed while the traversing frame 3 is standing in its outer
position with the frisket 3" kept up, as shown in Figure 3, consists of a long
adjustable lever 22, 22', fulcrumed near its back end on a bracket F secured to the
upper part of the strong standard F' and having a swivelling fork 22" in its short
arm behind the fulcrum working on a curvelineal projecting cam boss h on the outer
end of the shaft 8" of the wheel 8'. The long arm 22 of the lever is jointed and
screwed together in two parts at 22111 for adjustment, and is angled downwards at
the front free end 22¹ where the lateral duplex spring gripping arms 23 are secured
by a slotted and screw joint, and also set at an angle downwards at the gripping"
points 231 for gripping the near edge of each sheet 2, when the lever and gripping
fingers 221, 23, are carried by the cam h to the inward position shown in dotted
lines in Figure 3; at which time a small spindle 24 carried on a boss at one side of
the grippers 23 is turned so as to close the grippers by a “spanner" 24¹ on it
coming in contact with a stop tappet 24" secured to the one side of the guide
frame 2 of the "platten" 4. Then the grippers 23, which are made of roughened
emery, pads of india-rubber or other soft material, would grip and remove the
printed sheets each time the lever 22, 221, is drawn out by the cam h to the
position shown in sharp lines in Figure 3, where the grippers would be opened
by the "spanner" 24¹¹ coming in contact with the fixed outer tappet 25 secured
and adjusted by the screws and slotted brackets 251, 25, projecting out from and
fixed to the frame 2, as seen in Figures 3 and 5, so as to drop the sheets of paper
into a box or other receptacle placed at the side of the machine for their reception
below the grippers 23.
It will be understood that this machine, although described for type printing only,
is equally applicable for printing from wood engravings or their stereotypes or
electro-types, either inserted in the forms along with the type, or separately, as
for printing ornamental covers of books and pamphlets in black or colour
printing.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I have to state that I do not confine myself to the precise details
herein described or delineated, but that what I consider to be novel and original,
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the hereinbefore in part
recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The general construction, arrangement, and action of the parts of a printing
press or machine, all substantially as herein described in reference to and shown in
the accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
Second. The actuating of the principal mechanical movements by tappets or
cams on the side of a single spur wheel on the second or slow motion shaft of such
presses, substantially as herein described in reference to and shown in the accom-
panying Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
Third. The arrangement of depressing sliding bar 11 and lever 10 for raising
the printing bed table and holding it in position while printing by a tappet on the
said spur wheel, substantially as herein described in reference to and shown in the
accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
Fourth. The arrangement of rods and levers f, f', f", for reciprocating the feed
table or plate 3 carrying the sheets of paper to be printed; and also the arrange-

page_text: ment of cam h and levers 22, 22¹, and grippers 23, for removing the sheets of paper
from the said table, all substantially as herein described in reference to and shown
in the accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Ritchie, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Seventeenth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.
חגA IAT
DIMAN In
ROBERT RITCHIE. (LS)