PRINTING, PROGRESS OF, IN RECENT YEARS. 



565 



and platen presses are the small machines, fre- 

 quently run by loot-power with a treadle, used 

 to print stationery, cards, and all sorts of small 

 sheets that are done in small quantities. Cylin- 

 der presses are characterized by a Hat bed for the 

 type, which reciprocates under a cylinder that 

 gives the pressure for printing. Perfecting presses 

 are those which perfect the sheet by printing it 

 on both sides at a single operation. Web presses 

 print from a roll or web of paper, which is cut up 

 into sheets after printing and before delivery from 

 the machine. In rotary presses the flat reciprocat- 

 ing type-beds are dispensed with, the form usually 

 being made of curved stereotype or electrotype 

 plates, mounted on cylinders. This renders it pos- 

 sible to make practically all the mechanism 

 rotary, thus permitting a printing speed about 

 ten times as fast as that obtained from recipro- 

 cating type-beds. Rotary presses are usually web 

 presses and also perfecting presses, though flat- 

 bed machines are made that print from the web 

 and that perfect the sheet. 



Platen Job-Presses. The father of the mod- 

 ern platen job-press was the late George P. Gor- 

 don, of New York, who received his first letters 

 patent in 1851. He obtained 50 patents, extending 

 over a period of twenty-three years, and brought 

 the machine to a high degree of accuracy, power, 

 and simplicity. In the earlier machines the platen 

 rocked from a horizontal position to receive the 

 impression from a vibrating bed. A simplifying 

 procedure was entered into, and in 1874 the rock- 

 ing platen was dispensed with, a vibrating platen 

 being substituted. A throw-off was also added, by 

 which an accidental impression was prevented. 

 Further, the adjustment of the parts was so se- 

 cured that a " dead dwell " or prolonged impres- 

 sion was given on the type before the platen re- 

 turned. In 1856 the double-disk ink distribution 

 was applied. The demand for cleanliness and 

 clearness in ink-work caused the attempt in 1879 

 to apply the ink distribution of the cylinder press 

 to the job-press. The system is known as the 

 Glastaeter distribution. The Gordon press has 

 been built in many forms, but that known as the 

 Gordon-Franklin has proved the most popular 



from small presses than could he h 

 of the Gordon type. Tin- (ionlon \\ 

 pie, and quick, but to meet ceiiiiin 

 ments heavier machines with more 

 tribution were required. Of llns 

 Globe, Universal, and Colt's Armory ; 

 Globe fell out of use in a few years. 



those 

 , .^irn- 



THE CHANDLEB & PEICE COMPANY'S GORDON PRESS. 



and outsold any other form of printing-press. 

 The machine as now made by Chandler & Price, 

 the largest manufacturers, is illustrated here- 

 with. 



The cylinder-distribution type of platen-jobber 

 was introduced to secure a higher grade of work 



THE GALLY UNIVERSAL JOB-PRESS. 



or Universal press was invented by Merritt Gaily, 

 of New York, and patented in 1809. The bed and 

 entire framework of the machine are in one solid 

 casting, thus making the bed rigid, and obviating 

 the possibility of shaking joints. The combina- 

 tion of the platen and crank movement is a special 

 feature, and causes three distinct stages of the 

 platen motion: first, a stop for feeding the sheet, 

 the platen standing at a slight angle; second, a 

 rolling action, bringing the platen parallel with 

 but standing away from the form; third, a for- 

 ward slide to the impression, where it meets the 

 type direct and square. The press has been suc- 

 cessfully used for heavy letterpress and illus- 

 trated work, paper-box cutting and creasing, in- 

 laying book-covers, stamping and embossing, 

 printing on tin, wood, etc. The adjustment pro- 

 vides for printing material of any thickness from 

 tissue-paper to 2 inches. In addition to the 

 corner-screws for setting the platen the press has 

 an impression-adjuster. There is a graduated arc 

 and slide, by means of which a latch may be set 

 to any position on the arc, thus adjusting the im- 



Eression to any degree of pressure without chang- 

 ag the tympan. 



The Thomson Colt's Armory press is of the 

 most solid and strong construction, being designed 

 to bring up the heaviest forms of half-tone or 

 other difficult work. The distribution-cylinder is 

 supplied with a great number of vibrating and 

 other rollers, so that the ink is cut up to the last 

 degree of fineness. The design of this press is 

 mechanically as accurate as any machine can be, 

 and so positive is the register, so firm the im- 

 pression, and so delicate are the adjustments that 

 the machine is commonly used for the highest 

 grade of three-color and other difficult work. 



The Golding jobber is of a type half-way 

 between the two classes described. It is designed 

 to have the speed and easy working of the 

 Gordon, with the capacity for ink distribution 

 and strong impression of the Universal type of 

 presses. It has convenient special devices, and 

 is admirably adapted to a wide range of commer- 



