men of invention and industry-第47章

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the　number　of　copies　of　a　newspaper　that　may　be　printed　within

the　time　which　the　process　now　usually　occupies。



This　new　method　of　newspaper　stereotyping　was　originally　employed

on　the　cylinders　of　the　Applegath　and　Hoe　Presses。　　But　it　is

equally　applicable　to　those　of　the　Walter　Press；　a　brief

description　of　which　we　now　subjoin。　　As　the　construction　of　the

first　steam　newspaper　machine　was　due　to　the　enterprise　of　the

late　Mr。　Walter；　so　the　construction　of　this　last　and　most

improved　machine　is　due　in　like　manner　to　the　enterprise　of　his

son。　　The　new　Walter　Press　is　not；　like　Applegath　and　Cowper's；

and　Hoe's；　the　improvement　of　an　existing　arrangement；　but　an

almost　entirely　original　invention。



In　the　Reports　of　the　Jurors　on　the　〃Plate；　Letterpress；　and

other　modes　of　Printing；〃　at　the　International　Exhibition　of

1862；　the　following　passage　occurs：　〃It　is　incumbent　on　the

reporters　to　point　out　that；　excellent　and　surprising　as　are　the

results　achieved　by　the　Hoe　and　Applegath　Machines；　they　cannot

be　considered　satisfactory　while　those　machines　themselves　are　so

liable　to　stoppages　in　working。　　No　true　mechanic　can　contrast

the　immense　American　ten…cylinder　presses　of　The　Times　with　the

simple　calico…printing　machine；　without　feeling　that　the　latter

furnishes　the　true　type　to　which　the　mechanism　for　newspaper

printing　should　as　much　as　possible　approximate。〃



On　this　principle；　so　clearly　put　forward；　the　Inventors　of　the

Walter　Press　proceeded　in　the　contrivance　of　the　new　machine。　　It

is　true　that　William　Nicholson；　in　his　patent　of　1790；　prefigured

the　possibility　of　printing　on　〃paper；　linen；　cotton；　woollen；

and　other　articles；〃　by　means　of　type　fixed　on　the　outer　surface

of　a　revolving　cylinder；　but　no　steps　were　taken　to　carry　　his

views　into　effect。　　Sir　Rowland　Hill　also；　before　he　became

connected　with　Post　Office　reform；　revived　the　contrivance　of

Nicholson；　and　referred　to　it　in　his　patent　of　1835　（No。　　6762）；

and　he　also　proposed　to　use　continuous　rolls　of　paper；　which

Fourdrinier　and　Donkin　had　made　practicable　by　their　invention　of

the　paper…making　machine　about　the　year　1804；　but　both

Nicholson's　and　Hill's　patents　remained　a　dead　letter。＇2＇



It　may　be　easy　to　conceive　a　printing　machine；　or　even　to　make　a

model　of　one；　but　to　construct　an　actual　working　printing　press；

that　must　be　sure　and　unfailing　in　its　operations；　is　a　matter

surrounded　with　difficulties。　　At　every　step　fresh　contrivances

have　to　be　introduced；　they　have　to　be　tried　again　and　again；

perhaps　they　are　eventually　thrown　aside　to　give　place　to　new

arrangements。　　Thus　the　head　of　the　inventor　is　kept　in　a　state

of　constant　turmoil。　　Sometimes　the　whole　machine　has　to　be

remodelled　from　beginning　to　end。　　One　step　is　gained　by　degrees；

then　another；　and　at　last；　after　years　of　labour；　the　new

invention　comes　before　the　world　in　the　form　of　a　practical

working　machine。



In　1862　Mr。　Walter　began　in　The　Times　office；　with　tools　and

machinery　of　his　own；　experiments　for　constructing　a　perfecting

press　which　should　print　the　paper　from　rolls　of　paper　instead　of

from　sheets。　　Like　his　father；　Mr。　Walter　possessed　an　excellent

discrimination　of　character；　and　selected　the　best　men　to　aid　him

in　his　important　undertaking。　　Numerous　difficulties　had；　of

course；　to　be　surmounted。　　Plans　were　varied　from　time　to　time；

new　methods　were　tried；　altered；　and　improved；　simplification

being　aimed　at　throughout。　　Six　long　years　passed　in　this　pursuit

of　the　possible。　　At　length　the　clear　light　dawned。　　In　1868　Mr。

Walter　ventured　to　order　the　construction　of　three　machines　on

the　pattern　of　the　first　complete　one　which　had　been　made。　　By

the　end　of　1869　these　were　finished　and　placed　in　a　room　by

themselves；　and　a　　fourth　was　afterwards　added。　　There　the

printing　of　The　Times　is　now　done；　in　less　than　half　the　time　it

previously　occupied；　and　with　one…fifth　the　number　of　hands。



The　most　remarkable　feature　in　the　Walter　Press　is　its　wonderful

simplicity　of　construction。　　Simplicity　of　arrangement　is　always

the　beau　ideal　of　the　mechanical　engineer。　　This　printing　press

is　not　only　simple；　but　accurate；　compact；　rapid；　and　economical。



While　each　of　the　ten…feeder　Hoe　Machines　occupies　a　large　and

lofty　room；　and　requires　eighteen　men　to　feed　and　work　it；　the

new　Walter　Machine　occupies　a　space　of　only　about　l4　feet　by　5；

or　less　than　any　newspaper　machine　yet　introduced；　and　it

requires　only　three　lads　to　take　away；　with　half　the　attention　of

an　overseer；　who　easily　superintends　two　of　the　machines　while　at

work。　　The　Hoe　Machine　turns　out　7000　impressions　printed　on　both

sides　in　the　hour；　whereas　the　Walter　Machine　turns　out　12；000

impressions　completed　in　the　same　time。



The　new　Walter　Press　does　not　in　the　least　resemble　any　existing

printing　machine；　unless　it　be　the　calendering　machine　which

furnished　its　type。　　At　the　printing　end　it　looks　like　a

collection　of　small　cylinders　or　rollers。　　The　first　thing　to　be

observed　is　the　continuous　roll　of　paper　four　miles　long；　tightly

mounted　on　a　reel；　which；　when　the　machine　is　going；　flies　round

with　immense　rapidity。　　The　web　of　paper　taken　up　by　the　first

roller　is　led　into　a　series　of　small　hollow　cylinders　filled　with

water　and　steam；　perforated　with　thousands　of　minute　holes。　　By

this　means　the　paper　is　properly　damped　before　the　process　of

printing　is　begun。　　The　roll　of　paper；　drawn　by　nipping　rollers；

next　flies　through　to　the　cylinder　on　which　the　stereotype　plates

are　fixed；　so　as　to　form　the　four　pages　of　the　ordinary　sheet　of

The　Times；　there　it　is　lightly　pressed　against　the　type　and

printed；　then　it　passes　downwards　round　another　cylinder　covered

with　cloth；　and　reversed；　next　to　the　second　type…covered　roller；

where　it　takes　the　impression　exactly　on　the　other　side　of　the

remaining　four　pages。　　It　next　reaches　one　of　the　most　ingenious

contrivances　of　the　inventionthe　cutting　machinery；　by　means　of

which　the　paper　is　divided　by　a　quick　knife　into　the　5500　sheets

of　which　the　entire　web　consists。　　The　tapes　hurry　the　now

completely　printed　newspaper　up　an　inclined　plane；　from　which　the

divided　sheets　are　showered　down　in　a　continuous　stream　by　an

oscillating　frame；　where　they　are　met　by　two　boys；　who　adjust　the

sheets　as　they　fall。　　The　reel　of　four　miles　long　is　printed　and

divided　into　newspapers　complete　in　about　twenty…five　minutes。



The　machine　is　almost　entirely　self…acting；　from　the　pumping…up

of　the　ink　into　the　ink…box　out　of　the　cistern　below　stairs；　to

the　registering　of　the　numbers　as　they　are　printed　in　the

manager's　room　above。　　It　is　always　difficult　to　describe　a

machine　in　words。　　Nothing　but　a　series　of　sections　and　diagrams

could　give　the　reader　an　idea　of　the　construction　of　this

unrivalled　instrument。　　The　time　to　see　it　and　wonder　at　it　is

when　the　press　is　in　full　work。　　And　even　then　you　can　see　but

little　of　its　construction；　for　the　cylinders　are　wheeling　round

with　immense　velocity。　　The　rapidity　with　which　the　machine　works

may　be　inferred　from　the　fact　that　the　printing　cylinders　（round

which　the　stereotyped　plates　are　fixed）；　while　making　their

impressions　on　the　paper；　travel　at　the　surprising　speed　of　200

revolutions　a　minute；　or　at　the　rate　of　about　nine　miles　an　hour！



Contrast　this　speed　with　the　former　slowness。　　Go　back　to　the

beginning　of　the　century。　　Before　the　year　1814　the　turn…out　of

newspapers　was　only　about　300　single　impressions　in　an　hourthat

is；　impressions　printed　on　only　one　side　of　the　paper。　　Koenig　by

his　invention　increased　the　issue　to　1100　impressions。　　Applegath

and　Cowper　by　their　four…cylinder　machine　increased　the　issue　to

4000；　and　by　the　eight…cylinder　machine　to　10；000　an　hour。　　But

these　were　only　impressions　printed　on　one　side　of　the　paper。　

The　first　perfecting　pressthat　is；　printing　simultaneously　the

paper　on　both　sideswas　the