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it was deemed practicable to extend the general principles to a more powerful machine. To print a newspaper was considered highly derirable — and on exhibiting to Mr. Walters the machine already erected, and showing what further im- proTements were contemplated, an agreement was entered into with that gentleman for the erection of two large machines for printing the nmet newspaper. So secret had been the ope- rations of me patentees, that but few persons knew of any attempt going on for the attain- ment of the above object ; whilst among those connected with printing, it had often been talked of, but treated as chimerical.
The next advance in improvement was the manofiu^uie of a machine for Messrs. Bensley, disdng^hed from the above by the mode of perfecting, or printing on both sides of the paper, and causing the pages to fall precisely on the back of one another. Deficiences were now de- tected in the inking ; and, after many attempts, an elastic preparation of glue, treacle, i&c. was at length ducovered and brought to perfection.*
By this time the invention nad attracted the attention of various individuals, who thought the manufacture of printing-machines an easier task than they afterwards found it to be ; and far the greater number of attempts failed almost as soon as undertaken. A machine, much more simple in it construction, was brought out under die direction of some eminent English engineers.! These gentlemen were requested to apply their inking apparatus to Messrs. Bensley's machine ; and at one stroke, as it were, forty wheels were removed — so great was the simplification : and at the same time the defects of the former system of communicating the ink to the types were most effectually remedied. Another important point respecting the new machine was,thatitoccumed scarcely half the space of the original one. The press of Konig, like most first attempts, was ex- tremely complicated. It possessed sixty wheels. Applegath and Cowper's machine has sixteen only.t The inking apparatus of this machine is by far the most complete and economical that ever was invented. Nothing can be more perfect than the distribution of the ink, and its applica- tion to the types, while the exceeding accuracy and elegance of the workmanship, (since solely made by Messra. E. and E. Cowper, now of Lon- don and Manchester,) can never be surpassed. The machines of these gentlemen have, therefore, not only entirely superseded Konig's machine,
- So sanguine were the patentees of having now arrived
at the ne plus ultra of their labours, that they issued a prospectus, dated Match 18, 1817—offering three different sorts of machines at a high scale of prices, and, besides demanding a large sum to be paid as purchase money for them, requiring a considerable annual premium, calculated upon a principle most effectually to prevent any one from venturing to erect a machine. It need scarcely be added, that after the issuing of this prospectus, the original patentees never sold a single machine!!
t Executed by Mr. Dryden, a very clever and ingenious engineer, who managed the extensive concern of Mr. IJoyd, under the instructions of Applegath and Cowper.
t Messrs. Applegath and Cowper commenced business as printers, in London, and with their machines pro-duced work of such a description as surpassed every thing deemed practicable.
but almost those of every other manulacturer ; and their use has rapidly extended, not only in Great Britain, but throughout Europe. By repeated improvements they have reduced the number of wheels to six.
The following is a brief notice of fonr difiEerent machines, calculated to produce r^:ister and non-register sheets, under various modifications and rate of ^eed :
1 . A machme with one cylinder, called a single, or hand machine, generally used for printmg newspapers ; it throws off from 900 to 1200 in the hour on (me side, requiring two boys, one to lay on the paper, and the other to receive it when printed.* The power of one man is sufficient to turn these single cylinder machines ; but two or three are kept, who relieve each other at intervals.
2. A machine with two cylinders, called a double machine, but only printing from one form of types at the rate of from 1600 to 2200 in the hour, requiring two boys to lay on the sheets, and two to take them off, exclusively used for newspapers.f
3. A machine with four printing cylinders,! requiring the attendance 01 eight boys, and throwing off about 4,000 sheets within the hour.
4. This is called a book or perfecting machine, printing both sides of the sheet in register before it leaves the machine, and throwing off from 750 to 900 in the hour, requiring the attendance of one man and two boys. The printing machines of Konig, Walters, Bensley, Applegath and Cow. per, Bacon,§ Donkin, Brightley, Winch, Cooper and Millar, sir William Congreve, Wood, Napier, Rutt, Bold, Spottiswoode, Parkins, and Hansard, all possess one and the same general principle, applied in a variety of forms; and the curious inquirer has only to investigate the vari-
- The proprietors of the Nan, Sunday-paper, in an
article addressed to their readers. Dee. 8, issi, pabUdy declare, " that now they are enabled, without any extra exertion. In work oir from 1,S00 to ),S00 in the hour i" and the Courier, of Not. 14, 1 893, says, " wc think it right to announce to oar readers, that the Ciwricr Is now printed by a machine of such extraonUoary mechanical power, that it is capable of throwing off oonalderably above (wo tlu»uand papers per hour; it has. Indeed, on one occasion, produced at the rats of 1,8m Impression s within the hour." Both of these speak of the single machine, and reckon by one side only i so that in each case, a second machine must be employed to perfect, or print on the other side.
tin I8ag, B machine, with two cylinders, called a double machine, but only printing on one side, at the rate of flrom 1,300 to 8,400 sheets an hour, and made by Applegath and Cowper, for Messrs. Otay, Edinburgh, proprietors and publishers of the North BritiMh Adverliier.
t The invention of Augustas Applegath, in 1888, for the London TfsMs, The Inking anpwatns was the invention of Mr. Cowper.
Mr. HeUiuth,a'prlntcrBtErfiirt,ln Germany, invented a press to print eight sheets at a time. This machine, whldi may be made of any size, snppUea 7,000 copies of each sheet in twelve hours, making &fi,000 sheets printed on both sides. The machine is put in motion by one horse : and three men are sufficient to stmply it with sheets and take them away. Each sheet perfects itself.
i Id the Normch Uereurf of Nov. 30, 1814, published by Mr. Bacon, there is a prospectus of his machine, and the progress which it had then made. See also Rees's CyclopxHa, art. Primtbtg.
Hie first printing machine set up in Ireland was made by Napier, for the Dublin Evening Pott 1 and the first by steam was erected by Mr. Gunn, for P. D. Hardy, printer, Dublin, In July, 1833 ; and soon afterwards the VubHn Enning Mail was worked by amachlne.
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