Report on J. H. Cooper' s Hand Printing .Machine. 213

machine, and, express their high approbation of the great beauty of its mechanical arrangements, particularly the simplificalion of the impress- ing apparatus by the substitution of the crank for the toggle-joint.

It may be well to stale that the greatest number of cards hitherto printed on the best constructed hand presses is about 1~00 per hour.

By order of the Committee,

Philadelphia, July 9th, 1857. WILLIAM HAMILTON, .&tuary,

Report on J. H. Cooper's Hand Prinlin~ .Machine. The Committee on Science and the Arts constituted by the Franklin Institute of the

State of Pennsylvania, for the promotion of the Mechanic Arts, to whom was referred for examination a Hand Print ing Press, Invented by Mr. Jons H. [3OOPEIt, of Phila- delphia, Penna. ,

REPOaT:--That the instrument as exhibited in the model submitted and described in the accompanying paper, consists essentially in a hori- zontal wheel, upon whose circumference the type are mounted, and whose axle is capable of a sliding motion in a vertical direction inde- pendent of the wheel. The rotation of the axle is effected by a handle attached to it by an intermediate horizontal axis, around which the han- dle is capable of moving in a vertical plane ; but this motion is limited by a point on the projection, attached and opposite to the handle, which when the handle is depressed, rises under the upper rim of the casting, and affords a fulcrum, so that any farther pressure upon the handle will depress the axle of the type-wheel. The letters of the alphabet~ and other typographical signs, arc arranged around the upper rim, so that when the handle is turned to any one of them, the corresponding type is opposite to the printing apparatus, and the under surface of the rim is drilled with conical holes, into which the projection of the handle fits, so that the type shall be brought exactly opposite to the press, although the index should not be brought exactly to the middle of the corresponding letter. The printing is accomplished as follows :--The axle of the type-wheel, when it is depressed, operates upon the end of a lever which turns a horizontal axis, to which is attached by arms at its ends a horizontal bar, so that as the axis is turned, the bar is rocked forward towards the type-wheel, and the hammer or press being fixed upon this bar, the paper which is carried by properly adjusted rollers, is by it pressed against the type and takes the impres.~ion , the type bring inked by rollers so placed ast() press against their surface at every motion of the type-wheel. Another arm upon the horizontal axis carries a click which falls into the teeth of a raehet wheel, moving this wheel forward one tooth at each depression of the type-wheel axle. This wheel carries a cord attached to a stud on the frame carrying the paper rollers, so that whenever the axle of the type-wheel is depressed and a letter printed, the paper is moved forward sutticiently to space the next letter properly. The various parts are controlled and returned by ap- propriate springs.

214 Franklin Institute.

In the opinion of the Committee the apparatus, as arranged by Mr. Cooper, is ingenious, and deserving of praise. In the machine shown to the Committee, the type-wheel carries only capital letters, and in order to make the apparatus praetieally useful, exeept in a very limited degree, it will be neeessary either to enlarge the wheel to an inconve- nient degree, or to add to it a second type-wheel, with adjustments by which the paper may be brought opposite to either of them at pleasure. In the present machine, too, when the tine of printing is finished, the frame must be slid back, and the paper advanced for the new line by hand; but it seems to the Committee that it would not be diffieult to the ingenious inventor to perform these operations by the machinery. In praetiee, too, some modifieations would be necessary to render the machine more stable and certain in its action than the one exhibited, which is understood to be only the first experimental model.

The Committee therefore deem the machine of Mr. Cooper worthy of commendation for its ingenuity.

By order of the Committee, Philadelphia, July 9th, 1857. WILLIAM HAMILTON, ,Octuary.

Description by the Inventor.

The type-wheel H, revolves on anti-friction rollers on the sliding axis E, within the ease.*, and any type desired is brought to the printing place by the hand lever and handle D, pivoted on a cross-pin near the top of r. ; the pointed end of lever under handle D, indicating the letter desired to be printed. The opposite end of lever has a conical point, whieh strikes into a countersink on under side of letter circle c, which adjusts the type-wheel ezactly to the proper place for printing. The paper is stretched between three wires at bottom of frame s s, and rolls R, near but not touching the type. i is a rocking axis in the middle of which a lever is secured, projeeting to the sliding axis E, which rests on its end. On the extremities of axis i are two upward curved levers, connected at their ends by a stout wire K, on its middle and right oppo- site the type to be printed, a presser bar, faced with a cushion s, is se- cured :--now it is evident that if the sliding axis E be depressed, the presser bar z will approach the paper and press it against the type and receive an impression; removing the pressure from E, a spring inside of base 3, forces lever upwards and s backwards from paper, at the same time aetuating mechanism in base n not seen, which draws carriage and paper along for next letter. When the line is printed, the paper frame is adjusted for a new line by turning hand wheel M one " notch," which moves rolls ~a, and draws the paper through, and pushing frame back to its place of starting.--The type receives ink from two rollers, one F, on near side, and the other on opposite side of machine.

Operation.--To insert the paper : remove the brass wire in the paper frame, by pushing it against the spiral spring on one end of it ; introduce one end of paper downwards, between presser bar J and type-wheel and in front of wires--insert the other end between rolls R, and turn them a little to fasten the paper, then put the brass wire in its place again, and by turning rolls a a little more, stretch the paper, allowing the click to rest in its appropriated noteh in hand wheel M.