Typographic printing machines and machine printing. A practical guide to the selection of bookwork, two-colour, jobbing, and rotary machines, with remarks upon their construction, capabilities, and peculiarities. Also instructions in making ready, the preparation of engravings, etc.

Preface

|T the time this Handbook was originally planned and announced, no modern practical work on Printing-Machines or Machine-Printing existed. It w^as at first intended that the subject of Machine-Printing only should be treated of, but, after consideration, it was decided to include descriptions of the details and principal points of construction of all classes of typographic printing-machines.

When an apprentice is first put to machine, from press, it is as necessary that he should be acquainted with the mechanical movements of a machine, as to know how to patch a sheet or overlay a cut ; for a workman who has studied the construction of the machine which he has been trusted to manage will seldom, if ever, be without resources should an unforeseen difficulty arise. In the following pages, therefore, the different working parts and peculiar merits of bookwork and newspaper machines have been briefly described and illustrated by diagrams.

In treating of those matters which relate to the general management of machines, this manual does not pretend to teach a trade w^hich can be acquired only by practical experience ; it simply gives the general principles of Making Ready, which it is hoped will prove useful to the inexperienced, and points out the peculiarities of the machinery employed. Many workmen are trained in offices where but one or two machines are in use, and these perhaps vi PRINTING-MACHINES AND MACHINE-PRINTING.

of the old-fashioned kind ; they may, therefore, have lacked the opportunity of becoming acquainted with more modern and perfect inventions. To such, the following pages, in giving an idea of the improvements that have been introduced, will be of especial interest.

The work for which each class of machine is suited having been generally indicated, this Handbook may be useful as a guide to intending purchasers, who, however, will of course form their own opinion of the workmanship and the comparative merits of rival machines.

The important subject of Motive Power could not be omitted in a treatise like the present ; accordingly there will be found a short account of the various forms of steam and gas engines and other motors now employed in the printing business. A few remarks have also been offered upon the management and economy of the Warehouse, and the names and descriptions of various approved appliances mostly in use in that important department of a printing-office have been given.

To the Editor of the Printing Times and Lithographer^ — in which publication much of the matter contained in these pages originally appeared, — the author must acknowledge his indebtedness for valuable assistance throughout the progress of this work, which was begun at his instigation and has been sought to be carried out in accordance with his suggestions.

London : December^ i879'

Contents

I. —INVENTION OF THE PRINTING-MACHINE- MAKING READY.

Pa

CHAPTER I. — Introductory — The want of a Treatise on Letterpress Machinery — Distinction between a machine and a hand-press —Platen machines — Cyhnder machines — Rotary machines

Part II

PRINCIPLES OF PRINTING-MACHINE CONSTRUCTION. PERFECTING AND PLATEN MACHINES.

Page

CHAPTER IX.— Order of treatment of the subject— the Platen Machine, and its distinctive features —Class of work for which it is specially suited— Advantages and disadvantages of this machine — Capacity and dimensions — ^Arrangement of its working parts— The grooved drum and shde and their action — Platen head and beam — Frisket and tympan — Inking apparatus — Method of working— On covering the tympan and frisket — Centreing the form —Arrangement of the tympan 2,x\6.iT\^V^X..— Making 7-eady — Adjustment of the impression — General precautions — Prevention of creasing — Side and bottom marks — Avoidance of set-off- Proper method of driving 44

CHAPTER X.—m " Napier " Platen— Advantages— Capacity and dimensions — Speed — Arrangement of the working parts — The grooved drum — The platen-head and its motion — The knuckle-joint as the means of impression — Inking apparatus — Improved method for distribution — Impression — Method of working- Rollers and their treatment.— 7"/^^ AJiu" Platen for endless paper — Its invention — Arrangement of the working parts — Making ready- Inking apparatus— Capacity and speed — Amount of power required for driving purposes 53

CHAPTER XI. — The ordinary Perfecting Machine.— Advantages—Varieties — Peculiarities of the Web, Drop-bar, and Gripper — Capacity and speed — Arrangement of the working parts — The cylinders, tables, &c. — The working of the upright spindle and rack — Parallel motion — Broad and narrow racks — Rack ends — ^Intermediate and register drums — Travel of the sheet while printing— Taping the machine — Dryden and Foord's extra fast machine —Its distinctive features — Method of working — Inking up — Ductor bands — Rotary set-oif apparatus — Changing the set-off paper — Putting on the tapes — Regulation of impression — Lubrication 61

CHAPTER Xll.—The "Napier" Gripper Machine.— Origin- Speed —Arrangement of the working parts — Inking apparatus — Application of set-off motion — General remarks 73

CHAPTER XIII. — The Anglo-French Machine. — Its origin and advantages — Capacity and speed— Arrangement of the working parts — The action of the cylinders explained — Rocking frame- - Horizontal rack — ^^Quadrants — The travel of the tables— Dryden's Anglo-French machine fitted with upright spindle — Hopkinson & Cope's ditto— The turning of the sheet for perfecting — Grippers and their action— Tapes— Set-off apparatus — Inking arrangements — Roller lifts — Dryden's taking-off apparatus — Paul's improved ditto — Working of cut forms 76

X

PRINTING-MACHINES AND MACHINE-PRINTING.

Part III

JOBBING MACHINES.— SINGLE CYLINDER MACHINES. —TWO-COLOUR MACHINES.— MULTIPLE- COLOUR APPLIANCES.

Page

CHAPTER XIV. — Single-Cylinder Machines.— Their varieties, advantages, capacity, and speed — Making ready— Shirs and how to obviate same. — Ashley s Automatic Feeder — Need of proper foundation — Prevention of vibration 87

CHAPTER XV.— CoNiSBEE's " Main " or Tumbler Machine.— Origin — Arrangement of working parts — First symptoms of wearing, &c. — Messrs. Harrild's 90

CHAPTER XVI. — Harrild's Improved " Bremner " Machine. — Improvement on the original Belle Sauvage — Arrangement of the working parts — The cyhnder, driving-gear, traverse-wheels, connecting-rod, &c. — The grippers and their action — Stopping gear — The double-inking motion — The laying-on board — Inking arrangement— Taking-off motion and flyers — Modifications in the construction of smaller machines 92

CHAPTER XVII. — The Wharfedale Machine, b^c. — The ' Wharfedale and the Bremner — Capabilities of the Wharfedale — Payne's machine— Its inking arrangements — Dawson's Wharfedale— Taking-off motion — Payne's extra large Wharfedale— Fieldhouse &. Co.' s Reliance — Ingle's machine — Simplicity of its construction — UUmer's Standard machine— The Quadrant machine— " Beating-up " motion , 97

CHAPTER 'KVlll.— The "Graphic" Machine. — Distinctive features in its construction — Graphic Two-Feeder — Description — Capabihties — The Dutartre Single-Cylinder and the Franco - Bremner Machine — Its general construction and advantages — Increased inking facihties — Capabihties 106

CHAPTER XIX. — Two-CoLOUR Machines. — Their general principles of. construction — Advantages — Speed — Capabilities — Security of rollers in printing colour-work — Coloured inks and their effect upon rollers — How to warm the ink-slab — Conisbee's, Dawson's, Harrild's, and Payne's Tzvo-Colour Wharfedale — A leviathan two-colour, machine — Economy of two-colour machines. — Messrs. Newsum's ''Rotary" Two-Colour Machine — General description of its construction— Inking arrangements — Securing the form — Capacity and speed — Servante's Rotary Two- Colour and Perfecting Machine — Payne's Two- Colour Machine — Rutley's Two-Colour inking-table — Bacon's M%iUiple- Colour Apparatus — Capabilities — Advantage in broadside work — Economy iii

CONTENTS.

XI

Page

CHAPTER y^y^.—Platen Jobbing Machines.— ThQ original Gordon — Its introduction into Europe — General success — Simplicity of general construction — Average speed — Advantages and economy in vv^orking — Essentially platen machines — Th^Minerva ov Cropper — Description of working parts — Inking arrangements — The C/^^^'wrjia;/— Their advantages — Improved inking apparatus— Capabilities and speed — The Liberty, Br emner, Empire, and Caxton — General construction and speciah ties -Motive power for driving — Inking apparatus — The Model and SimpUssimus jobbing machines — Instructions in making ready on the above machines — Directions for fixing — General remarks 123

Part IV. Rotary Newspaper Machines

CHAPTER XXI. — Introduction — Necessary qualifications of newspaper machine-minders — Rapid improvement in the construction of the rotary machine — Average speed — Making ready — Roll of paper and regulation of the tension — Renewal of the reels — Method of wetting the roll of paper — Advantages over the Hoe feeders — The most successful rotary machines — Their various capabilities... 135

CHAPTER XXII.— 2"/^^ " Hoe" and "Northumbrian" Rotary Machines. — The Hoe — Distinctive features in construction — Position of the reel — Passage of the sheet — The switch — Inking arrangements — Mr. Lloyd's invention for dividing the quires after printing — Capabilities and speed— The Northumbrian — Its construction— Renewal of the paper — Flyers — Inking apparatus — Arrangement for preventing the "drag" of the paper — Capacity and speed 138

CHAPTER XXIII.— 7")^^ ''yih^mom'' and "Victory" Rotary Machines, —The Marinoni six-feeder and the introduction of the rotary — Description of the working parts — Inking apparatus —The gathering-drums — Smoothing rollers — Amount of manual labour required in the working — Later improvements — Speed — The Victory and its invention — Description of its working — The attached wetting apparatus — Inking arrangements — Distinctive features — The Victory cutting, folding, and binding machine combined — Dimensions and qapabilities , , 142

CHAPTER XXIV.— "Rulx^ock" and "Ingram" Rotary Machines, — Construction — Description of the working parts — Capabihties and speed— The - Ingram" Rotary Machine— Peculiarity — Inking arrangement — Passage of the paper — Folding-machine — Speed 147

Xll PRINTING-MACHINES AND MACHINE-PRINTING.

Page

CHAPTER XXV.— r/z^ "Walter" Press, the " Prestonian, " and " Farmer's " Web Machines. — The " Times " and gradual introduction of the rotary machine — The inventors — The Walter the first rotary machine — Its construction — General description — Arrangement for preventing set-off— The cutting cylinder— The divider — Flyers — Inking arrangements —Average speed and dimensions— The Prestonian — Arrangement of the working parts — Travel of the sheet— The inking apparatus — Speed and general remarks. — Farmer s" Web Machine — Its peculiarity — Working parts — Travel of the paper — Damping of the paper — Ink supply — Speed — Prevention of vibration 150

CHAPTER XXVI.— "Whitefriars" and " Wharfedale " Rotary Machines.— The Whitefriars—lis origin— Description of the working parts — The circular plates — Inking apparatus — Dimensions— Capabihties and speed — The Wharf edale — Its compactness — Inking arrangements — Perforating - knife — Folding-machine — Capabihties and speed — Facts as to the introduction of rotary machines , , 157

CHAPTER XXVII. — Taking-off Machines. —The Eclipse— Adapted to the Wharfedale — Working arrangements— Simphcity of construction — Cheapness — Dry den and Foord's apparatus — Applicable to perfecting-machines — Working arrangements — The ' ' stiffener ' ' — M ai'k Smith' s apparatus — No tapes — Simple action — Marinoni's Anglo-French taker-olT— Rotary knife. — Henderson's Roller-washing Machine— Working arrangements— Advantage of— Power required— Wetting Machines— Hand or steam power— Speed— Slop avoided— Shower-bath — Utihty 161

PART V. ENGINES, BOILERS, &c

Page

CHAPTER XXVIII.— Beam and Horizontal Engines.— Preference for the Beam-engine — Power required by various machines — The driving of platens— Table engines— Economy of— Consumption of fuel of beam and horizontal engines — Proximity of engine and boiler — Care of steam-pipes — Management of boilers— Water-heaters — HancocKs Inspirator— Covmsh. tubular boilers — Examination and cleaning of -boilers— Position for boilers — Draft of lurnaces.— Gas-Engines— the "Otto" silent engine— Speed and capabilities— the ''Eclipse" — Gas or steam employed — Construction— Advantages- -Size — T'he ' ' Bisschop " — Economical working of— Speed — Advantages of gas-engines— The ''Backus" Water Motor—Rival to gas-engines — Construction— Supply of water — Power — Speed— Cost per hour i6q

CONTENTS. Xlll

PART VL

THE WAREHOUSE.

CHAPTER XXIX. — Folding-Machines.— Mechanism— Arrangement of the warehouse — Cleanhness — Quahfications of warehouseman—Drying of work— Drying-room temperature — Pressing and roUing — Apphcation of pressure — Screw-presses — HydrauMc press — Hawkins's hydrauhc gauge — the Boomer and Boschert press —Cleaning work — Filhng glazed boards — Rolling- machines — Zinc plates — Gill's hot-rolhng machine — Heim's roUing-machine — Glazed boards — Their sizes — Cutting - machines — Furnival's — Harrild's— The Diamond — The " Trial Knife "—Lawrence's cutting machine— Its economy— The " Victory " cutting-machine— Howe's gathering-machine — Operations i86

XIV

PRINTING-MACHINES AND MACHINE-PRINTING.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS,

Fig. _ Pa^e I to 3. Diagrams illustrating the principles of Platen, Cylinder,

and Rotary Machines ... ... ... ... 3, 4

4. Nicholson's Arrangement for Arched Type ... ... ... 5

5. Nicholson's Arrangement for Common Type ... ... ... 5

6. Koenig's Single Cylinder for one side of sheet ... ... ... 6

7. Koenig's Double Cylinder for both sides of sheet ... ... 7

8. .Donkin & Bacon's Rotating Prism arrangement ... ... 7

9. Cowper's Single Cylindef for Curved Stereotype 7

10. Cowper's Double Cylinder for both sides of sheet ... ... 8

11. Applegath & Cowper's Single Cylinder Machine 9

12. Applegath & Cowper's Double Cylinder Machine ... ... 10

13. Vibrator — Composition partially cut away for ordinary Letter-

18 to 21. Diagrams illustrating the Working Parts of the Double

Platen Machine 47

22. The Napier Platen ... face 53

23 to 26. Diagrams illustrating the Working Parts of the Napier

Platen 54

27. The '^Miu" Platen 58

28. " The Webb " Laying-on Motion 62

29. Dryden's Drop-bar Machine 63

30 to 35. Diagrams illustrating the W^orking Parts of the Drop-bar

Machine 66

36. The Napier Gripper Machine ... ... 74

37. Hopkinson & Cope's Anglo-French Machine 77

38 to 40. Diagrams illustrating the Working Parts of the Anglo- French Machine ... • 78

41. Anglo-French Machine with upright Spindle face 82

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. XV

42. Roller-lift ... ^4

43. Ashley's Automatic Feeder ^9

44. Conisbee's Improved Main " Machine face 91

45. Harrild's Stopping-Cylinder " Bremner " Machine ... face 94

46. Diagrams showing the Working of the Grippers and Taking-

47. Messrs. Dawson's Wharfedale 99

48. Messrs. Payne's Wharfedale ... 100

49. Messrs. Fieldhouse, Elliott, & Co.'s Wharfedale 102

50. Ullmer's Standard " Machine 103

51. Ingle's Improved Machine ... ... •• •••

52. Powell's Quadrant Machine 105

53. The Graphic" Machine ... ... • 107

54. The ''Graphic" Two-feeder I09

55. Conisbee's Two-colour Machine ••• 112

56. Harrild's Two-colour "Bremner" Machine face 114

57. Newsum's Patent Two-colour Machine 115

58. The Leeds " Patent Two-colour Machine ... 116

59. Servante's Two-colour and Perfecting Machine 1 18

60. Rutley's Two-colour Inking-table II9

61. 62. Details of Bacon's Multiple-colour Appliance * 121

66. The Bremner Treadle 128

67. The Empire Platen 129

68. The Caxton Treadle 131

70. The Simplissimus ... *^33

71. The Hoe " Webb " Perfecting Machine face 139

72. The Northumbrian Rotary Machine 140

73. Marinoni's original Six-feeder Perfecting Machine ... ... I43

74. The Marinoni Rotary Machine • face 143

75. The Victory Rotary Printing and Folding Machine ... face 145

76. The Bullock Rotary Machine

■77. The Ingram Rotary Printing and Folding Machine ... face 149

78. The Walter Press ^53

79. The Prestonian Rotary Machine f^f^^ 1 54

80. Sectional view of the Prestonian Rotary Machine .. face \^\

XVI Fig.

83. 84.

85- 86.

87. 88.

89. 90. 91.

95. 96.

97. 98.

100,

PRINTING-MACHINES AND MACHINE-PRINTING.

The Farmer Rotary Machine

The Whitefriars Rotary Machine

Side view of the Whitefriars Machine

Dawson's New Web Rotary Wharfedale The ' ' Eclipse " Taking-off Apparatus Dryden & Foord's Taking-off Apparatus

Mark Smith's Taking-off Apparatus

Marinoni's Anglo-French Machine, with Patent

Apparatus

Beam Engine

Horizontal Engine Engine and Boilers combined Hancock Inspirator

Table Engine

The Otto " Silent Gas-Engine

Side view of the " Eclipse " Gas-Engine Sectional view of the Eclipse " Gas-Engine The " Bisschop " Gas-Engine The " Backus " Water-Motor Folding-Machine 10 1. Screw or Standing Press Hydraulic Press and Pumps Boomer and Boschert Press for Steam-power The same, with Lever for Hand-power

Gill's Hot-rolling Machine

The Diamond Cutting Machine Howe's Gathering Machine

Page

face r

jace r

face

• • •

lot

• • • g-off

face

...

...

...

. • .

face

loo face

■rQ /I

• • • face

TYPOGRAPHIC PRINTING-MACHINES AND MACHINE-PRINTING.

Chapter I

want of a Treatise on Letterpress Machinery — Distinction between a Machine and a Hand- Press— Platen Machines— Cylinder Machines— Rotary Machines.

LTHOUGH many excellent treatises on Presswork have been written, there has not, up to the present time, appeared, in this country at least, any practical guide to Machine-work. Nearly every printing-office now possesses a machine, and every printer is called upon to know at least something of its working.

Therefore, if technical hand-books are of any use at all, they are surely required for this branch of industry. The want that exists is rendered additionally unfortunate from the fact that in machine-work, more than perhaps any other kind of work in the printing-office, it is necessary to have a knowledge of " first principles • of the mechanical motions that actuate the apparatus ; the nature and uses of the different parts ; the methods of ensuring, as far as possible, immunity from accidents, and of meeting them when they occur ; and, above all, of the different modes of getting the whole to produce the best kind of work of which it is capable.

B

With the view of supplying this desideratum, the following chapters, which appeared originally in the pages of the Printing Times and Lithographer^ have been compiled. We propose to begin with some purely elementary instruction for the benefit of those who are entirely unacquainted with the subject, and then to proceed to matters of technical detail, which are of importance alike to the employer and his workman.

Difference between a Machine and a Press. — In the United States every kind of apparatus that prints from type and relief surfaces is termed a " press " ; we make a distinction, calling one apparatus a machine, and the other a press. Strictly speaking, however, both are machines ; and, to be technically accurate, both machines are presses. It is the automatic or self-acting character of a press that, amongst English printers, entitles it to be called a machine, in contradistinction to a hand-press.

In press-work the following operations are requisite to print a sheet : —

1. Inking the form.

2. Laying the sheet on the tympan.

3. Turning down the frisket and tympan.

4. Running-in the carriage.

5. Pulling home the impression.

6. Releasing the handle.

7. Running-out the carriage.

8. Raising the tympan and frisket together, and then

the frisket alone.

9. Taking off the sheet.

In machine-work only three of these operations are generally necessary : —

1. Applying the power to the machine (which may be

by a hand-wheel or treadle, or by steam, gas, or water power).

2. Laying-on the sheet, or feeding.

3. Removing or taking-ofif the sheet.

At least two of these operations may be performed by boys, or by unskilled labour, whereas, in the case of the hand-

THE HAND-PRESS AND THE MACHINE.

press, thoroughly experienced workmen should perform the whole of the work.

Some machines are still more completely automatic, for appliances are fitted which deliver the sheets evenly on the taking-off board ; and an apparatus has recently been devised for laying-on, or feeding, single sheets mechanically. Some of the American rotary machines printing from the web, or continuous roll of paper, are absolutely automatic ; — they feed and take off the sheets, which they also cut, fold, count, and bind, as well as print.

In the press the mechanical appliances generally adopted to obtain the impression are the knuckle-joint and the lever ; in the machine (the platen machine excepted) these may be said to be exchanged for the wheel, or the principle of rotation. Hence the possibility of rendering so many movements automatic.

The two principal kinds of machines in use are the Platen and the Cylinder.

To elucidate the subject, we shall intersperse our remarks with diagrams of the mechanism of which we treat. In these diagrams —

The black parts represent the inking apparatus ;

The diagonal lines the cylinders which give the impression ;

The perpendicular lines the types or plates ; The arrows the track of the sheet of paper.

The Flaten machifte is that which most nearly resembles the hand-press, the form being laid on a flat bed, and a flat platen being brought down upon it.

Fig. I.

The above diagram will illustrate the principle of the platen machine. When the bed containing the form {b) is brought into its proper position, the platen {a) descends upon it, and gives the impression.

B 2

In the second class of machines a cylinder is substituted for the platen, thus —

Fig. 2.

The bed {b) is flat, and the surface of the cylinder {c) moves at the same speed as the bed, or " cofBn."

The rotary machine is a further development of the same principle. The impressing surface is cylindrical, but so also is the bed, and consequently the form or platen, thus — a

Fig. 3-

Here c is the cylinder which exerts the pressure, and b is the type-form on a cylindrical bed. The paper {a) passes between the two, and so receives the impression, i.e. becomes printed. Many newspaper-machines are constructed which work from a long roll of paper, which is cut into separate sheets before being delivered to the taking-off board.

It may be necessary for present purposes merely to say that platen machines are chiefly used for fine bookwork, and rotary machines for fast newspaper work. Ordinary bookwork and periodical publications are generally done on cylinder machines, and to matters in connection with these alone we shall first of all address ourselves.

INTRODUCTION OF THE CYLINDRICAL IMPRESSION. 5

Chapter II

Introduction of the Cylindrical Impression — The Composition Roller- Tapes — The Ink-duct — The Perfecting Apparatus and the Vibrators.

IN order to understand the characteristics of modern printing machinery, it is necessary to go back to the origin of the apparatus, and to point out the successive improvements which have been introduced into it. We intend, therefore, to begin at the invention of the machine, and to follow the subject up to the latest modifications which have been effected. We must discard, for our present purpose, all matter of an exclusively historical interest, and all reference to the character, achievements, and merit of the inventors. Indeed, our review will only adopt the chronological order, because that happens to be essential to presenting an intelligible account of the improvements and alterations which have from time to time been introduced.

The first suggestion of a machine for printing was made by Nicholson in 1790. He took out a patent for certain improvements, which really formed the basis of all subsequent machines. His specification (No. 1748, A.D. 1790) described all the essential parts of a modern cylindrical machine, and had he only been able to curve the typesurface, in order to fasten it round a cylinder, he might have enjoyed the distinction of being the first actual maker of a printing-machine. . As he could not actually accomplish this, he can only be regarded as the suggester of the invention. Nicholson's proposal was as follows : —

Fig. 4. — Nicholson's Arrangement Fig. 5. — Nicholson's Arrangement for Arched Type.

for Common Type.

PRINTING-MACHINES AND MACHINE-PRINTING.

Had Nicholson known how to cast a plate from the types and to bend it round the second cylinder, or how to fasten the types upon it in the manner that was adopted by Hoe, he would have made a practicable machine. Failing this knowledge, he devised tapering types, which were altogether I /?^/^. ^ impracticable.

3 2 l-/c%s J^ ^^^^ working printing-machine was the invention of a German named Koenig, who took out a patent in i8io, and another in i8ti, for improvements in the common l^Ii^ct^) press, but they produced no satisfactory result. He then u,| turned his attention to the use of cylinders in order to ' obtain the impression. Two machines on this principle were constructed for the Times, and were set to work in November, 1814.

^ Fig. 6.— Koenig's Single Cylinder for One Side of Sheet.

In this machine the type was made to pass under the ' V cylinder, on which was wrapped a sheet of paper, this paper , bemg firmly held to the cylinder by means of tapes. The ; ; ^ , (.r^ ink was placed in a cylindrical box, from which it was :) ' ^ forced by a powerfiil screw depressing a tightly - fitted piston ; thence it fell between two iron rollers. Below these were placed several inking-rollers, two of which had, m addition to their rotatory motion, an end motion, — that is to say, a motion in the direction of their length."^ The whole system of rollers terminated in two, which applied the ink to the type. In order to obtain a great number of impressions from the same form, a cylinder on which the paper was wrapped was placed on each side of the inking apparatus, the form passing under both. This machine produced 1,100 impressions per hour, but by subsequent improvements the speed was raised to 1,800, the sheet being printed on one side only.

* This was the origin of what are now called " wavers."

THE FIRST PERFECTING MACHINE.

The next step was the invention of a machine, also by Koenig, for perfecting the sheets. It resembled two single machines placed with their cylinders towards each other, at a distance of two or three feet. The sheet was conveyed' from one cylinder to the other by means of tapes, as shown in the diagram annexed. At the first impression- cylinder

Fig. 7. — Koenig's Double Cylinder for Both Sides of Sh.eet.

it received the impression from the first form, and at the second impression-cylinder it received the impression from the second forme. This machine printed, on both sides,, 750 sheets per hour.

Fig. 8.— Donkin & Bacon's Rotating Prism Arrangement.

About this time Donkin and Bacon were also experimenting on printing machinery, the result being that they took out a patent in 18 13 for a machine in which the types were placed on a revolving prism. The ink was applied by a roller which rose and fell in accordance with the irregularities of the prism. The sheet to be printed was carried on to another prism, so formed as to meet the irregularities of the type-prism. ^ The machine after several trials was found to be too complicated, and the plan was abandoned.

Fig. 9.— Cowper's Single Cylinder for Curved Stereotype. Donkin and Bacon, however, made one great improve-

L M iTTi I 1 1

"II I nient, which has been retained in all subsequent machines. They introduced composition rollers, made of treacle and glue. In Koenig's machine the rollers were covered with leather, which never satisfactorily answered the purpose.

Fig. lo.— Cowper's Double Cylinder for Both-Sides of Sheet.

In j8^5 Cowper obtained a patent for curving stereo plates in order to fix them on the cylinder. Machines I partly on the principle introduced by him are at work at

the present day. ^' /' It will be seen that the same principle engaged the atten- ' /tion of Nicholson, Donkin and Bacon, and Cowper — viz. the / arrangement of the type on revolving cylinders. It is only within the last few years that this has been accomplished by Hoe, with his conical column-rules, and by curving the stereo plates. The latter system, although, as we have said, introduced by Cowper, was not carried to anything like perfection until the Times experiments of i860 and succeeding years demonstrated its entire practicability.

As Cowper's machine is virtually the model upon which the perfecting machines of the present day are constructed, we may devote to* it a little more attention than to its now obsolete predecessors. Our account is taken from a careful article in the edition for 1876 of Brande's Dictionary of Science and Arts," written by the late Mr. Courtney, formerly overseer at the printing-office of Messrs. Spottiswoode & Co. : —

In this machine two paper [impression] cylinders are placed side by side, and against each of them is placed a cylinder for holding the plates. Each of these four cylinders is about two feet in diameter; on the surface of the plate-cylinder are placed four or five inking-rollers, about three inches in diameter ; they are kept in their position by a frame at each end of the plate-cylinder, the spindles of the rollers lying in the notches of the frame ; thus allowing perfect freedom of motion, and requiring no adjustment.

INTRODUCTION OF WAVERS.

The frame which supports the inking-rollers, called 2i7vavmgframe, is attached by hinges to the general frame of the machine ; and the edge of the plate-cylinder is indented, and rubs against the waving-frame, causing it to wave or vibrate to and fro, and consequently to carry the inking-rollers with it, thus giving them a motion in the direction of their length, called the end motion. These rollers distribute the ink on three-quarters of the surface of the plate-cyHnder, the other quarter being occupied by the curved stereo plates. The ink is held in a trough ; it stands parallel to the plate-cylinder, and is formed by a metal roller revolving against the edge of a plate of iron. On the plate-cylinder the ink becomes distributed as before described, and as the plates pass under the inking-rollers they become charged with colour. As the . cylinder continues to revolve, the plates come in contact with a sheet of paper on the first paper-cylinder, when it is carried by means of tapes to the second paper-cylinder, where it receives an impression on its other side from the plates on the second plate-cylinder, and thus the sheet is perfected."