describing the history of his invention" target="_blank" title="n.创造；发明；虚构">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" target="_blank" title="n.创造；发明；虚构">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 invention" target="_blank" title="n.创造；发明；虚构">inventions, have been

developed by the constantly succeeding improvements of a nation
of mechanical" target="_blank" title="a.机械的；力学的">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" target="_blank" title="n.创造；发明；虚构">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" target="_blank" title="n.创造；发明；虚构">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" target="_blank" title="n.创造；发明；虚构">invention, says that "sheet M of

Acton's 'Hortus Kewensis,' vol. v., will show the progress of
improvement in the use of the invention" target="_blank" title="n.创造；发明；虚构">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" target="_blank" title="n.创造；发明；虚构">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" target="_blank" title="n.创造；发明；虚构">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 of the endless tapes by
inner as well as outer friskets,--an improvement of the register

(that is, one page falling exactly on the back of another), by
which greater accuracy of impression was also secured; and

finally, an arrangement by which the sheet was thrown out of the
machine, printed by the revolving cylinder on both sides.

The partners in Koenig's Patents had established a manufactory in
Whitecross Street for the production of the new machines. The

workmen employed were sworn to secrecy. They entered into an
agreement by which they were liable to forfeit 100L. if they

communicated to others the secret of the machines, either by
drawings or description, or if they told by whom or for whom they

were constructed. This was to avoid the hostility of the
pressmen, who, having heard of the new invention" target="_blank" title="n.创造；发明；虚构">invention, were up in arms

against it, as likely to deprive them of their employment. And
yet, as stated by Johnson in his 'Typographia,' the manual labour

of the men who worked at the hand press, was so severe and
exhausting, "that the stoutest constitutions fell a sacrifice to

it in a few years." The number of sheets that could be thrown off
was also extremely limited.

With the improved press, perfected by Earl Stanhope, about 250
impressions could be taken, or l25 sheets printed on both sides

in an hour. Although a greater number was produced in newspaper
printing offices by excessive labour, yet it was necessary to

have duplicate presses, and to set up duplicate forms of type, to
carry on such extra work; and still the production of copies was

quite inadequate to satisfy the rapidly increasing demand for
newspapers. The time was thereforeevidently ripe for the

adoption of such a machine as that of Koenig. Attempts had been
made by many inventors, but every one of them had failed.

Printers generally regarded the steam-press as altogether
chimerical.

Such was the condition of affairs when Koenig finished his
improved printing machine in the manufactory in Whitecross

Street. The partners in the invention" target="_blank" title="n.创造；发明；虚构">invention were now in great hopes.
When the machine had been got ready for work, the proprietors of

several of the leading London newspapers were invited to witness
its performances. Amongst them were Mr. Perry of the Morning

chronicle, and Mr. Walter of The Times. Mr. Perry would have
nothing to do with the machine; he would not even go to see it,

for he regarded it as a gimcrack.[5] On the contrary, Mr.
Walter, though he had five years before declined to enter into