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Men of Invention and Industry-Part29_Samuel Smiles(1812-1904)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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mechanical inventors. Numerous patents were taken out for the

mechanicalimprovement of printing. Donkin and Bacon contrived a



machine in 1813, in which the types were placed on a revolving

prism. One of them was made for the University of Cambridge, but



it was found too complicated; the inking was defective; and the

project was abandoned.



In 1816, Mr. Cowper obtained a patent (No.3974) entitled," A

Method of Printing Paper for Paper Hangings, and Other Purposes."



The principal feature of this invention consisted in the curving

or bending of stereotype plates for the purpose of being printed



in that form. A number of machines for printing in two colours,

in exact register, was made for the Bank of England, and four



millions of One Pound notes were printed before the Bank

Directors determined to abolish their further issue. The regular



mode of producing stereotype plates, from plaster of Paris

moulds, took so much time, that they could not then be used for



newspaper printing.

Two years later, in 1818, Mr. Cowper invented and patented (No.



4194) his great improvements in printing. It may be mentioned

that he was then himself a printer, in partnership with Mr.



Applegath, his brother-in-law. His invention consisted in the

perfect distribution of the ink, by giving end motion to the



rollers, so as to get a distribution crossways, as well as

lengthways. This principle is at the very foundation of good



printing, and has been adopted in every machine since made. The

very first experiment proved that the principle was right. Mr.



Cowper was asked by Mr. Walter to alter Koenig's machine at The

Times office, so as to obtain good distribution. He adopted two



of Nicholson's single cylinders and flat formes of type. Two

"drums" were placed betwixt the cylinders to ensure accuracy in



the register,--over and under which the sheet was conveyed in it

s progress from one cylinder to the other,--the sheet being at



all times firmly held between two tapes, which bound it to the

cylinders and drums. This is commonly called, in the trade, a



"perfecting machine;" that is, it printed the paper on both sides

simultaneously, and is still much used for "book-work," whilst



single cylinder machines are often used for provincial

newspapers.



After this, Mr. Cowper designed the four cylinder machine for The

Times,--by means of which from 4000 to 5000 sheets could be



printed from one forme in the hour. In 1823, Mr. Applegath

invented an improvement in the inking apparatus, by placing the



distributing rollers at an angle across the distributing table,

instead of forcing them endways by other means.



Mr. Walter continued to devote the same unremitting attention to

his business as before. He looked into all the details, was



familiar with every department, and, on an emergency, was willing

to lend a hand in any work requiring more than ordinary despatch.



Thus, it is related of him that, in the spring of 1833, shortly

after his return to Parliament as Member for Berkshire, he was at



The Times office one day, when an express arrived from Paris,

bringing the speech of the King of the French on the opening of



the Chambers. The express arrived at 10 A.M., after the day's

impression of the paper had been published, and the editors and



compositors had left the office. It was important that the

speech should be published at once; and Mr. Walter immediately



set to work upon it. He first translated the document; then,

assisted by one compositor, he took his place at the type-case,



and set it up. To the amazement of one of the staff, who dropped

in about noon, he "found Mr. Walter, M.P. for Berks, working in



his shirt-sleeves!" The speech was set and printed, and the

second edition was in the City by one o'clock. Had he not



"turned to" as he did, the whole expense of the express service

would have been lost. And it is probable that there was not



another man in the whole establishment who could have performed

the double work--intellectual and physical--which he that day



executed with his own head and hands.

Such an incidentcuriously illustrates his eminent success in






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