354 Mr J. Clerk Maxwcll'ti Plan for combining 



calling attention to what is felt to be wanting to improve any 

 art, — for if my humble endeavours contribute any thing to the 

 art of printing, it is owing to Mr Frascr''s paper that my thoughts 

 were turned to the subject. 



In inquiring into what had been done by others in regard to 

 inking, I learned that there have been contrivances for this pur- 

 pose, but that they had not answered expectations, and for this 

 cause, besides others, that, although the inking was done by ma- 

 chinery, the constant pulling the press was too severe labour for 

 the workman, if the usual number of impressions in a given time 

 were demanded. In the common way, two men work together, 

 and relieve each other, by taking in turns the duties of inking 

 and of pulling. I have therefore attempted a plan to save the 

 labour of the pull, as well as to ink the types by machinery. 



Explanation of the Sketch. (Plate V.) 



In this sketch, which is intended merely to give a general notion of the 

 I)lan without details, no part of the necessary frame-work is represented, ex- 

 cept the cheeks of the press, and the range of the frame-work of the inking 

 apparatus, which are slightly shaded. The inking apparatus is arranged on 

 the plan of Messrs Cowper and Applegath, with an inking table, which is 

 vmderetood to produce the best work. 



The drawing represents the press in a state of rest. A the coffin and f()rme, 

 with tympan open, B the inking table, C the inking rollers, D the distri- 

 buting rollers, E the ink-trough, with its rollers, to be put in motion by the 

 pulleys and bands (both dotted in the sketch) ; but the proper rates of motion 

 are not attempted to be shown, — only the mode of communication, and where 

 an alternate motion is improper, the pulleys would be furnished with a ratchet 

 and spring, so that they would revolve in one way only. V is the supplying 

 roller, which is raised to touch the ink.trough rollers, on the advance of the 

 ink-table by the wedge H, on the carriage of the ink-table acting on G. 

 Under these parts is an oblong rack-work, connected by a hinge with the 

 under side of the iiik-table ; at the right hand end of this there is a wheel 

 supposed to be in constant motion, connected with the moving power. On 

 the end of the rack is a projecting pin I, intended to slide along the bar K, and 

 fall over the end of it, when the lower comer of the rack would rest on tlie 

 bar L, on its return. 



The tympan has a carriage of its own, separate from the coffin and fc/rme, 

 (which might be called an outer coffin), which is made ./ith three sides, the true 

 coffin and forme in it being intended to slide out, in order to be carried to be ink- 

 ed. This is shewn at fig. 2, where the shaded part maiks the outer coffin, with 

 marks for the hinges of the tympan, and within it the true coffin and forme ; be- 

 side these, is drawn the ink-tablc ; this has two pegs with notches, which go 

 into corresponding holes in the coffin, attaching and locking them together 

 in the same way as the fastcmug of the bit in a carjHjnter's brace. On th<? 



