IMPROVEMENTS IN LITHOGRAPHIC PRINTING PRESSES
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in
the County of Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LITHOGRAPHIC PRINTING PRESSES."-
A communication from Pierre Désiré Vaté, of Paris, in the Empire
of France, Machinist.
Sealed the 27th March 1855, and dated the 31st October 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the o
· 31st October 1854.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LITHOGRAPHIC PRINTING
PRESSES," communicated to me from Pierre Désiré Vaté, of Paris; in the
Empire of France, Machinist, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in the general construction of litho-
graphic presses, such presses being driven by power in place of manual labor,
thereby effecting a great economy both of time and labor. In this improved
press the sheets to be printed are placed one by one upon a table, which
pre-
sents them to a roller as fast as the impressions are made; they are afterwards

page_text: withdrawn and deposited in a convenient situation. These two operations may
be attended to by children. "The pressing roller or cylinder is fitted with a
spur wheel at each end, and is actuated by two racks on a traversing table
running on anti-friction pulleys. The stone is carried on this table, and the
diameter of the cylinder will be regulated according to the size of stone.
The sliding table is driven backwards and forwards alternately by means of a
species of "mangle wheel" arrangement, motion being given to the actuating
pinion by a driving shaft and pulleys, the shaft carrying also a fly wheel. The
pinion is connected by a removal joint to the end of the driving shaft, so as to
admit of its adjusting itself to the upper or lower side of the rack pins in the
under side of the table. In order that the reciprocating movement of the table
shall not be communicated to the pressing cylinder, which should always turn
in one direction, the two spur wheels at each of its extremities are void of
teeth at those portions of their peripherys. which correspond to the extreme
end of the table. When the impression is made, the table returns again and
the roller is stationary; during this backward movement the stone passes under
spunging or damping rollers, which clean it and prepare it for the ink, which
it receives by passing under suitable inking rollers. The inking rollers are
slightly inclined, so as to produce a to and fro motion, by which the ink is
better laid on. These rollers receive their ink from an inking table, or the
sliding table which carries the stone, a suitable inking apparatus being em-
ployed. Two small catches take into the spaces on the wheels before referred
to when the table has completed its backward travel, by which means they are
brought into gear again with the racks ready for another impression. The
inking and damping rollers are now elevated by a cam and lever, so as not to
be in contact with the stone. The sheets are fed on to the cylinder from a
suitable table, and are thereby presented to the stone, being pressed thereon
by the aid of weighted levers which act upon the pressing cylinder. The
cylinder is kept stationary by a pin inserted into an opening in the periphery
of the spur wheels attached thereto, and which pins are removed when the
roller is to turn again. The sheets are laid hold of by a suitable nipping
apparatus carried in the periphery of the pressing cylinder; an apparatus is
also attached for pricking the sheets, whereby they are guaged or properly
placed in position on the stone by the attendant.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
30th April 1855.
.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
and of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Henry Johnson, Her special license that I, the said John Henry
Johnson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, or 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 PRINTING PRESSES," a communication from Pierré Désiré Vaté, of
Paris, in the Empire of France, Machinist, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said John Henry Johnson, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the samo was to be performed, and cause'
the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Henry Johnson, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying. Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
The said Invention relates to an improved construction and arrangement of
lithographic presses, such presses being worked continuously, and driven by
power in place of manual labour. In this improved lithographic press the
sheets to be printed are placed one by one upon a table, which presents them
to a roller as fast as the impressions are made; they are afterwards withdrawn
and deposited in any convenient situation. The pressing roller or cylinder is
fitted with a spur wheel at one end, and is actuated by a rack carried by n
traversing table which runs on anti-friction. pulleys. The stone is carried on

page_text: this table, and the diameter of the pressing cylinder will be regulated according
to the size of the stone. The traversing table is driven backwards and for-
wards alternately by means of a mangle wheel movement, motion being given
to the actuating pinion of the table by a driving shaft and pulleys, the shaft
carrying also a fly wheel. The pinion is connected by a universal joint to the
end of the driving shaft, so as to admit of it adjusting itself to the upper or
lower side of the rack pins in the under side of the table. In order that the
reciprocating movement of the table shall not be communicated to the pressing
cylinder, which should always turn in one direction, the spur wheel at its
extremity is void of teeth at that portion of its circumference which corre
sponds to the extreme end of the table. When the impression is made, the
table returns again and the pressing roller is stationary; during this back-
ward movement the stone passes under sponging or damping rollers, which
clean it and prepare it for the ink, which it receives by passing under suitable
inking rollers. The inking rollers are slightly inclined, by which means the
ink is better distributed. These rollers receive their ink from an inking table,
fitted to the main traversing table which carries the stone, a suitable inking
apparatus being employed for supplying the ink to the rollers. Two small
catches take into the vacant space in the partially toothed wheel, before referred
to, when the table has completed its backward traverse, and bring the wheel
into gear again with the rack, ready for another impression. The inking and
damping rollers are now elevated by a cam and lever, so as not to be in contact
with the stone. The sheets are fed on to the cylinder from a suitable table,
and the cylinder presents them to the stone, upon which it is pressed by the
aid of weighted levers. The cylinder is kept stationary by a stop pin, inserted
into an opening in the periphery of the spur wheel attached thereto, and which
pin is removed when the roller is to turn again. The sheets are held by a
suitable gripping apparatus carried by the pressing cylinder. An apparatus
is also attached for pricking the sheets, whereby they are guaged or properly
placed in position on the stone by the attendant; this will be found particularly
advantageous where chromo-lithographs are to be printed.
And in order that the said Invention may be more properly understood, I
shall now proceed to describe and refer to the several Figures on the Sheets of
Drawings hereunto annexed.
Fig. 1 of the Drawings represents a side elevation of an improved litho-
graphic printing machine complete; Fig. 2 is a corresponding plan of the
same; Fig. 3 represents a longitudinal section, taken along the line 1, 2, in
Fig. 2 and Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the machine, taken along the

page_text: lines 3, 4, 5, 6, in Fig. 1. A is the pressing roller, the diameter and length
of which will of course vary according to the length and breadth of the litho-
graphics stones used in connection therewith. This roller carries at one end a
spur wheel B, which receives its motion from a rack C, fixed on the moveable.
carriage D. This carriage runs freely on the anti-friction rollers E, and is in
its turn driven by the rack F, fixed to the under side of the carriage D. A
pinion F is placed on a short spindle, which is connected by a universal joint
to the shaft of the driving pulleys G, which receive their motion from any
suitable prime mover. This pinion transmits a reciprocating motion to the
carriage D, by travelling alternately on the upper and under side of the
rack F. In order that this reciprocating motion may not be transmitted
to the roller A, which should always turn in the same direction, the wheel B
is formed without any teeth at one portion of its circumference, such space
corresponding to the end of the rack C. When the impression has been
taken off, the carriage returns by itself, the rack C being no longer in gear
with the wheel B, leaving the roller A stationary. During this motion of the
carriage, the lithographic stone H, which it carries, passes under the sponging
rollers I, which damp and clean it, and render it fit to receive a supply of ink
from the inking rollers L and M, with which it comes in contact in its
backward traverse. The rollers M are slightly inclined, for the purpose of
more evenly distributing the ink over the stone. These rollers are supplied
with ink by means of an inking table N, attached to the carriage D.
In order to obtain a regular and constant supply of ink, a box or ink trough
Y is fixed at the end of the machine, and a roller X, turned by the grooved
pulleys C, distributes the ink over the roller V. This roller comes in contact
with the roller X, and takes a certain amount of ink from it, which it conveys
to the table N. For this purpose the roller V receives a reciprocating
motion from an eccentric or cam X', on the end of the axis of the roller X;
the ink thus supplied to the table N is equally distributed over its surface
by the rollers at Q.
When the carriage D has completed its retrograde motion, a stud a, placed
at the end of the rack c, and which is continually forced upwards by the spiral
spring a', enters a notch formed in the circumference of the wheel B, and gives
a certain movement to it, which allows it to gear again with the rack c. The
cleaning and sponging rollers, which should not at this moment be in contact
with the stone, are raised therefrom by means of the lever which is actuated
by the cam P.
The stone H, on passing under the pressing cylinder A, receives the sheet

page_text: .
which the cylinder carries with it, and, through the great pressure to which it
is subjected, by an arrangement of compound levers R, the weight S receives
the impression from the stone. The movements of the pressing cylinder are
now completed, and it remains stationary during the retrograde motion of the
carriage. In order to avoid any accidental movement in the machine, and
prevent the wheel B from being thrown into gear with the rack before the
proper time, two studs or pins e, e, connected to the ends of the arms, are
fixed into corresponding holes in the circumference of the cylinder, and
effectually prevents any undue motion therein.
When the cylinder A is to be again put into motion, the studs or pins e, e,
are lifted from their places, by the pulley 9 (which is fitted underneath the
carriage) coming in contact with. the levers U and T, and thereby actuating
the system of levers and rods h, 1, f. These levers also, by means of a bell
crank lever d, fixed at the back. of the frame, actuate the spindle t, which
carries two projecting pieces; the object of which is to keep open the grippers
m, fixed to the cylinder A. The effect of this is to allow the grippers, which
are continually drawn inwards by a spiral spring, to close upon the sheet of
paper which has just been placed on the cylinder. The sheet is at the same
time perforated by a needle n', fixed on on the end of a spindle n, receiving
its motion from the rod and lever hand. The perforation thus made serves
to indicate to the workman the exact required portion of the sheet when it is
necessary to print on both sides of it, or to print in various colors. All
these operations take place immediately before movement of the pressing
cylinder, so that when the cylinder begins to move, the whole of the obstacles
which held it fixed a moment before are removed.
..
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or.may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict myself
to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to describe or
refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without deviating from
the principles or main features of the said Invention ; but what I consider to be
novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the general construction and arrangement of lithographic printing
presses, as herein-before described.
Second, the system or mode of supplying the unprinted sheets to lithographic
printing presses.
Third, the application and use of the pressing cylinder or roller, as herein-
before described.

page_text: Fourth, the system or mode of actuating or traversing the stone beneath the
pressing cylinder, as herein-before described.
Fifth, the system or mode of wetting, sponging, cleaning, and inking the
stone, as herein-before described.
Sixth, the system or mode of perforating the sheets for obtaining an accurate
register, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Thirtieth day of April, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-five.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)