men of invention and industry-第38章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



his　plans　of　the　new　printing　machine。　　It　seems；　however；　that

the　progress　made　by　him　was　very　slow。　　Indeed；　three　years

passed　before　a　working　model　could　be　got　ready；　to　show　his

idea　in　actual　practice。　　In　the　meantime；　Mr。　Walter　of　The

Times　had　been　seen　by　Bensley；　and　consulted　on　the　subject　of

the　invention。　　On　the　9th　of　August；　1809；　more　than　two　years

after　the　date　of　the　above　agreement；　Bensley　writes　to　Koenig：

〃I　made　a　point　of　calling　upon　Mr。　Walter　yesterday；　who；　I　am

sorry　to　say；　declines　our　proposition　altogether；　having　（as　he

says）　so　many　engagements　as　to　prevent　him　entering　into　more。〃



It　may　be　mentioned　that　Koenig's　original　plan　was　confined　to

an　improved　press；　in　which　the　operation　of　laying　the　ink　on

the　types　was　to　be　performed　by　an　apparatus　connected　with　the

motions　of　the　coffin；　in　such　a　manner　as　that　one　hand　could　be

saved。　　As　little　could　be　gained　in　expedition　by　this　plan；　the

idea　soon　suggested　itself　of　moving　the　press　by　machinery；　or

to　reduce　the　several　operations　to　one　rotary　motion；　to　which

the　first　mover　might　be　applied。　　Whilst　Koenig　was　in　the

throes　of　his　invention；　he　was　joined　by　his　friend　Andrew　F。

Bauer；　a　native　of　Stuttgart；　who　possessed　considerable

mechanical　power；　in　which　the　inventor　himself　was　probably

somewhat　deficient。　　At　all　events；　these　two　together　proceeded

to　work　out　the　idea；　and　to　construct　the　first　actual　working

printing　machine。



A　patent　was　taken　out；　dated　the　29th　of　March；　1810；　which

describes　the　details　of　the　invention。　　The　arrangement　was

somewhat　similar　to　that　known　as　the　platen　machine；　the

printing　being　produced　by　two　flat　plates；　as　in　the　common

hand…press。　　It　also　embodied　an　ingenious　arrangement　for　inking

the　type。　　Instead　of　the　old…fashioned　inking　balls；　which　were

beaten　on　the　type　by　hand　labour；　several　cylinders　covered　with

felt　and　leather　were　used；　and　formed　part　of　the　machine

itself。　　Two　of　the　cylinders　revolved　in　opposite　directions；　so

as　to　spread　the　ink；　which　was　then　transferred　by　two　other

inking　cylinders　alternately　applied　to　the　〃forme〃　by　the　action

of　spiral　springs。　　The　movement　of　all　the　parts　of　the　machine

were　to　be　derived　from　a　steam…engine；　or　other　first　mover。



〃After　many　obstructions　and　delays；〃　says　Koenig　himself；　in

describing　the　history　of　his　invention；　〃the　first　printing

machine　was　completed　exactly　upon　the　plan　which　I　have

described　in　the　specification　of　my　first　patent。　　It　was　set　to

Work　in　April；　1811。　　The　sheet　（H）　of　the　new　Annual　Register

for　1810；　'Principal　Occurrences；'　3000　copies；　was　printed　with

it；　and　is；　I　have　no　doubt；　the　first　part　of　a　book　ever

printed　with　a　machine。　　The　actual　use　of　it；　however；　soon

suggested　new　ideas；　and　led　to　the　rendering　it　less　complicated

and　more　powerful〃＇2＇



Of　course！　　No　great　invention　was　ever　completed　at　one　effort。　

It　would　have　been　strange　if　Koenig　had　been　satisfied　with　his

first　attempt。　　It　was　only　a　beginning；　and　he　naturally

proceeded　with　the　improvement　of　his　machine。　　It　took　Watt　more

than　twenty　years　to　elaborate　his　condensing　steam…engine；　and

since　his　day；　owing　to　the　perfection　of　self…acting　tools；　it

has　been　greatly　improved。　　The　power　of　the　Steamboat　and　the

Locomotive　also；　as　well　as　of　all　other　inventions；　have　been

developed　by　the　constantly　succeeding　improvements　of　a　nation

of　mechanical　engineers。



Koenig's　experiment　was　only　a　beginning；　and　he　naturally

proceeded　with　the　improvement　of　his　machine。　　Although　the

platen　machine　of　Koenig's　has　since　been　taken　up　a　new；　and

perfected；　it　was　not　considered　by　him　sufficiently　simple　in

its　arrangements　as　to　be　adapted　for　common　use；　and　he　had

scarcely　completed　it；　when　he　was　already　revolving　in　his　mind

a　plan　of　a　second　machine　on　a　new　principle；　with　the　object　of

ensuring　greater　speed；　economy；　and　simplicity。



By　this　time；　other　well…known　London　printers；　Messrs。　Taylor

and　Woodfall；　had　joined　Koenig　and　Bensley　in　their　partnership

for　the　manufacture　and　sale　of　printing　machines。　　The　idea

which　now　occurred　to　Koenig　was；　to　employ　a　cylinder　instead　of

a　flat　Platen　machine；　for　taking　the　impressions　off　the　type；

and　to　place　the　sheet　round　the　cylinder；　thereby　making　it；　as

it　were；　part　of　the　periphery。　　As　early　as　the　year　1790；　one

William　Nicholson　had　taken　out　a　patent　for　a　machine　for

printing　〃on　paper；　linen；　cotton；　woollen；　and　other　articles；〃

by　means　of　〃blocks；　forms；　types；　plates；　and　originals；〃　which

were　to　be　〃firmly　imposed　upon　a　cylindrical　surface　in　the　same

manner　as　common　letter　is　imposed　upon　a　flat　stone。〃＇3＇　　From

the　mention　of　〃colouring　cylinder；〃　and　〃paper…hangings；

floor…cloths；　cottons；　linens；　woollens；　leather；　skin；　and　every

other　flexible　material；〃　mentioned　in　the　specification；　it

would　appear　as　if　Nicholson's　invention　were　adapted　for

calico…printing　and　paper…hangings；　as　well　as　for　the　printing

of　books。　　But　it　was　never　used　for　any　of　these　purposes。　　It

contained　merely　the　register　of　an　idea；　and　that　was　all。　　It

was　left　for　Adam　Parkinson；　of　Manchester；　to　invent　and　make

practical　use　of　the　cylinder　printing　machine　for　calico　in　the

year　1805；　and　this　was　still　further　advanced　by　the　invention

of　James　Thompson；　of　Clitheroe；　in　1813；　while　it　was　left　for

Frederick　Koenig　to　invent　and　carry　into　practical　operation　the

cylinder　printing　press　for　newspapers。



After　some　promising　experiments；　the　plans　for　a　new　machine　on

the　cylindrical　principle　were　proceeded　with。　　Koenig　admitted

throughout　the　great　benefit　he　derived　from　the　assistance　of

his　friend　Bauer。　　〃By　the　judgment　and　precision；〃　he　said；

〃with　which　he　executed　my　plans；　he　greatly　contributed　to　my

success。〃　　A　patent　was　taken　out　on　October　30th；　1811；　and　the

new　machine　was　completed　in　December；　1812。　　The　first　sheets

ever　printed　with　an　entirely　cylindrical　press；　were　sheets　G

and　X　of　Clarkson's　'Life　of　Penn。'　The　papers　of　the　Protestant

Union　were　also　printed　with　it　in　February　and　March；　1813。　　Mr。

Koenig；　in　his　account　of　the　invention；　says　that　〃sheet　M　of

Acton's　'Hortus　Kewensis；'　vol。　v。；　will　show　the　progress　of

improvement　in　the　use　of　the　invention。　　Altogether；　there　are

about　160；000　sheets　now　in　the　hands　of　the　public；　printed　with

this　machine；　which；　with　the　aid　of　two　hands；　takes　off　800

impressions　in　the　hour〃＇4＇



Koenig　took　out　a　further　patent　on　July　23rd；　1813；　and　a　fourth

（the　last）　on　the　14th　of　March；　1814。　　The　contrivance　of　these

various　arrangements　cost　the　inventor　many　anxious　days　and

nights　of　study　and　labour。　　But　he　saw　before　him　only　the　end

he　wished　to　compass；　and　thought　but　little　of　himself　and　his

toils。　　It　may　be　mentioned　that　the　principal　feature　of　the

invention　was　the　printing　cylinder　in　the　centre　of　the　machine；

by　which　the　impression　was　taken　from　the　types；　instead　of　by

flat　plates　as　in　the　first　arrangement。　　The　forme　was　fixed　in

a　cast…iron　plate　which　was　carried　to　and　fro　on　a　table；　being

received　at　either　end　by　strong　spiral　springs。　　A　double

machine；　on　the　same　principle；the　forme　alternately　passing

under　and　giving　an　impression　at　one　of　two　cylinders　at　either

end　of　the　press；was　also　included　in　the　patent　of　1811。



How　diligently　Koenig　continued　to　elaborate　the　details　of　his

invention　will　be　obvious　from　the　two　last　patents　which　he　took

out；　in　1813　and　1814。　　In　the　first　he　introduced　an　important

improvement　in　the　inking　arrangement；　and　a　contrivance　for

holding　and　carrying　on　the　sheet；　keeping　it　close　to　the

printing　cylinder　by　means　of　endless　tapes；　while　in　the　second；

he　added　the　following　new　expedients：　a　feeder；　consisting　of　an

endless　web；an　improved　arrangement