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"stem of one letter only," several letters are cast at once in ordinary moulds communicating" by a common groove at top." Besides the ordinary finishing, the type is scraped on one or more sides in a finishing stick," whose hollowed part is less deep at the inner than the outer side. The purpose accomplished by "this method of scraping is that of rendering the tail of the letter gradually smaller the more remote it is from the face. Such "letter may be firmly imposed upon a cylindrical surface in the 66 same manner as common letter is imposed upon a flat stone.” These types, imposed in chases of wood or metal adapted to the surface of a cylinder, are fastened "to the said surface by screws or wedges, or in grooves, or by other means well known to work"men." "Blocks, forms, types, plates, and originals" are likewise fastened on the surface of cylinders “for other kinds of work.”

2. The ink is furnished to the printing surface by a "colouring "cylinder," covered with "leather, or the dressed skins which "printers call pelts or with woollen or linen or cotton cloth," "and stuffed with horsehair, wool, or woollen cloth, "defended by leather or oilskin.” Distribution is effected by two or three small rollers applied "longitudinallly against the coloring cylinder, so that they may be turned by the motion of "the latter." If the color be thin, a ductor of wood or metal, or a strait brush, or both of these last," are applied to the colouring cylinder. Color is applied "to an engraved plate or cylin"der or thro' the interstices of a perforated pattern (or "cylinder)" by "a cylinder entirely covered with hair or bristles "in the manner of a brush."

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3. The material to be printed (damped if necessary) is passed "between two cylinders or segments of cylinders in equal motion," one having the printing surface imposed and the other " faced "with cloth or leather, . so as to take off an impres"sion of the colour previously applied." . . Or the printing surface previously colored is passed in contact with the material wrapped round a clothed cylinder, or the clothed cylinder with the material round it rolls over the printing surface "previously coloured." Or the printing surface coloured by a colouring cylinder, rolls along the material "spread out upon an " even plane." The process is applicable to books, paper-hangings, floor-cloths, cottons, linens, woollens, silks, ribbands, laces, leather, skin, and every other flexible material.

The drawings represent:-I. A press in which which the typetable passes between an upper and lower cylinder, the former (clothed), acting upon the "table by means of cog-wheels or straps "so as to draw it backwards or forwards by the motion of its "handle." A box containing the inking roller, with its distributors above it, is supported by an arm from the press-head. On the end of the type-table is an "ink block," and upon it a vibrating roller, which, by the action of a bent lever, "dabbs against one of the "distributing rollers and gives it a small quantity of ink." The tympan (which opens sideways) with paper on it, is laid upon the form when it arrives between the inking roller and press-head. After the impression, the workman on the other side of the cylinders "takes off the sheet and leaves the tympan up."

II. A printing cylinder has (gearing with it) a pressing cylinder below and a coloring cylinder above, the latter being provided with distributors as in I., and furnished by a vibrator from a trough. A sheet of paper is applied to the surface of the pressing cylinder, where it is retained by points "in the usual manner,” or by the apparatus in IV. The machine is uniformly driven in one direction by hand power applied to the printing cylinder.

III. Press for cottons, silks, paper-hangings, and other fabrios of considerable length. In this instance, the pressing cylinder is uppermost, and has the power applied to it. Coloring is effected by an intermediate roller from a trough roller below. The fabric runs off a reel on one side of the cylinder, and after the impression comes upon an endless web above the reel, which carries it away and deposits it. For printing in colors, the fabric is passed several times through the machine, or where the materials are liable to change dimensions, by applying at once to the printing cylinder several color boxes, "with their respective cylinders."

IV. A pressing cylinder and inking roller, with distributors as above, are rigidly united, and gear into a rack on a long table divided lengthwise into four parts. The sheet is laid on the former (two modes "by which the paper is taken up and laid down" are specified,) at 1; gives it the impression at 2; discharges the sheet at 3, and then returns (clearing the form by a peculiar contrivance) to 1.

V. "An instrument for printing floor-cloths, paper-hangings, " and the like, with stiff paint and a brush." The pattern is perforated on the surface of a cylinder, on the axis of which is a color

box with a hair-covered roller, which, as the cylinder revolves, sweeps in the perforated parts of it.

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Lastly, I must take notice that in these and every other of my "machines, as well as in every machine whatever, the power may "be wind, water, steam, animal strength, or any other natural change capable of producing motion."

[Printed, 7d. Drawings. Repertory of Arts, vol. 5, p. 145; Mechanics' Magazine, vol. 6, p. 258; Engineers' and Mechanics' Encyclopædia, vol. 2, p. 343; Practical Mechanics' Journal, vol. 1, p. 248. Petty Bag.]

A.D. 1790, July 26.-No 1766 (one).

BARCLAY, ROBERT.-" A method of making punches for "stamping and punching the matrices of printing types for letters "and devices, and for impressing on copper cuts or other printing

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plates, and on dies, and on various metals, and on any other "substances, which letters, devices, and marks cannot be counter"feited."

The method of making these punches is said to "consist of the "following principles:

"1. That there is an infinite variety in all the works of nature, "whence it will follow that any hard brittle substance broken into "two parts will exhibit certain irregular figures, which in infinite repetitions of the experiment will never be exactly imitated, and "this principle I call the accidental part of the invention. Small "bars of steel drawn to the proper size of the punch required, and "then broken off, will without more form a punch to punch or stamp "matrices for types for devices, and no ingenuity will ever be able "to imitate them with a tool so as to deceive upon a careful inspec❝tion, and a punch so formed will serve for marking copper or any "other printing plate or cut, or a die for milling of coin or medals, or for stamping paper or parchment, or for stamps for an assay "office, or for any other private mark on any substance capable of an impression.

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The second" principle is to combine art with nature." "Thus, "when the grain of the steel is very fine, and the light and "shade to be produced will not be sufficiently distinct, it may be "rendered more so by enlarging the hollow parts with counter punches of a smaller size. . cutting or grinding down the and varying them with or other tool untill a device is

prominent parts

"of a graver

cuts

produced

"that pleases the eye and satisfies the artist, that it is inimitable, "and this may be infinitely varied.

The third "principle" is, that "regular, accidental, and irregular "cuts with a graver. . or other tool. . cut or struck on a plain "surface of either wood. or other substance, may also produce "an inimitable device. Drilling holes and bending the periphery of "one into another by punches, &c. will increase the difficulty of "imitation. This combination of art and accident may be continued "to any given length, as punches for letter-press types may be formed "of steel broken as above, by cutting, drilling, punching, bending (and all their varieties upon the same principle) parts of the letters, “and leaving the grain of the steel, &c. to form the lines or strokes, "with all its accidental irregularities, and in this way title letters "and two-line letters, facs, and complex founts of types, might be cast, every letter of which would vary in its lines from every other, "and in larger letters a little art might be combin'd with accident, 66 so as to make the distinctions from all others obvious to a common "observer."

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[Printed, 3d. No Drawing. Repertory of Arts, vol. 2, p. 4; Rolls Chapel Reports, 6th Report, p. 183. Rolls Chapel.]

A.D. 1793, April 30.-N° 1953 (one).

ECKHARDT, FRANCIS FREDERICK.-" Invention and method of preparing and printing paper in different paterns, and to silver "it over with fine silver leaves, so as to resemble damask, lace, "and various silk stuffs, to be used for hangings and other furni"ture for rooms."

The invention is performed as follows:-" When the paper is "coloured in the ordinary course, size it properly with a size of "ising glass, parchment, or common size, so as to bear an oil or a "varnish gold size. This being dry, lay, with a printing block or "a brush, on those parts where the ornaments are intended to ap“pear, gold size, or any of the other compositions that will answer "the same purpose; when the gold size or composition is nearly dry, lay on real fine silver leaves, and then size the paper well two or three times, and when dry varnish it over with any of the "various sorts of varnish that will resist damp."

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[Printed, 3d. No Drawing. Repertory of Arts, vol. 2, p. 87; Rolls Chapel Reports, 6th Report, p. 187. Rolls Chapel.]

A.D. 1794, December 9.-No 2027.

PROSSER, THOMAS.-" Machine for printing of letter-press." An ordinary hand-press, with platens, worked by a bar-handle and

screw. Two springs are introduced; the one above the presshead, the other below the winter or base. Each spring is furnished with "regulators" at each end fixed in grooves. “By

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shifting these regulators nearer to or farther from the centre of the "head of the press the pull is made either harder or softer." . . . "These two springs are made to act in concert with each other, " and thereby the impression is materially increased, and the "labour considerably reduced, as well as the wear of the letter 66 greatly saved."

[Printed, 5d. Drawing. Repertory of Arts, vol. 8, p. 368. Petty Bag.]

A.D. 1798, April 11.--No 2305 (one).

BRUNEL, MARC ISAMBARD." A certain new and useful writing and drawing machine, by which two or more writings or drawings resembling each other may be made by the same person at the same time."

The apparatus consists of a double-motion travelling-frame, mounted on standards fitting on to the upper part of a desk, and carrying sockets, into which are fitted any required number of pens, which move in a precisely similar manner by the exercise of one manual operation. The apparatus can be folded up when not in use, and contained within the desk.

[Printed, 10d. Drawings. Repertory of Arts, vol. 7, p. 145. Petty Bag.]

A.D. 1800, June 17.-N° 2414 (one).

WELLER, WILLIAM.-" Manufacturing, forming, making, and engraving copper plates for printing policies to secure persons "from loss of property of certain descriptions."

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This appears to be merely an advertisement of an Insurance Office, "which Mr. Weller intends (if patronized by the nobility, gentry, "and the public) establishing, .. to ensure and secure by "these patent policies His Majesty's subjects from loss of property," and from which the following advantages were "most evidently" to result:-1. Indemnification for the loss of insured property; 2. The assistance of the office in bringing offenders to justice; 3. Gratuities to the widows and orphans of those killed in the defence of insured property; and 4. "A constant reward of five guineas, over and above the usual "rewards (upon conviction), to any watchman, patrol, or other person or persons who shall take into custody any one or more "who may have robbed or shall attempt to rob any one ensured

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