recent Improvements in Printing, 185 



such letter " (he erroneously says) " may be imposed on a cylin- 

 drical surface; the disposition of types, plates, and blocks upon 

 a cylinder are parts of my invention." See Fig. 1. 



** In the second place, I apply the ink upon the surface of the 

 types, plates, &c. by causing the surface of a cylinder (smeared 

 with the colouring matter) to roll over, or successively apply itself 

 to the surface of the types, &c., or else I cause the types to apply 

 themselves to the said cyhnder, — it is absolutely necessary that the 

 colouring matter be evenly distributed over this cylinder, and for 

 this purpose I apply two, three, or more smaller cylinders, called 

 distributing rollers, longitudinally against the colouring cylinder, 

 so that they may be turned by the motion of the latter, — if this 

 colouring matter be very thin, I apply an even blunt edge of metal 

 or wood against the colouring cylinder. 



*' In the third place, I perform all my impressions by the action 

 of a cylinder, or cylindrical surface, that is, I cause the paper to 

 pass between two cylinders, one of which has the form of types 

 attached to it and forming part of its surface, and the other is 

 faced with cloth, and serves to press the paper so as to take off an 

 impression of the colour previously applied— -or otherwise, I cause 

 the form of types, previously coloured, to pass in close and suc- 

 cessive contact with the paper wrapped round a cylinder with 

 woollen.*' (Fig. 1 and 2.) He also describes a method of raising 

 the paper cylinder, to prevent the type from soiling the cloth. 



These words specify the principal parts of modern printing ma- 

 chines, and had Mr. Nicholson paid the same attention to any one 

 part of his invention which he fruitlessly devoted to attempting to 

 fix types on a cylinder, or had he known how to curve stereotype 

 plates, he would, in all probability, have been the first maker of a 

 printing machine, instead of merely suggesting the principles on 

 which they might be constructed. 



The first working printing machine was the invention of Mr. 

 Koenig, a native of Saxony. He submitted his plans to Mr. T. 

 Bensley, the celebrated printer, and to Mr. R. Taylor, the scientific 

 editor of the Philosophical Magazine. These gentlemen liberally 

 encouraged his exertions ; and in 1811 he took out a patent for im- 

 provements in the common press, which however produced no favour- 

 able result ; he then turned his attention to the use of a cylinder, in 

 order to obtain the impression, and two machines were erected for 

 printing the Times newspaper, the reader of which was told on the 

 38th of November, 1814, that he held in his hand » newspaper 

 printed by machinery, and by the power of steam, 



