Patent Model of a Multicolor Rotary Printing Press
This patent model demonstrates an invention for a multi-color rotary printing press which was granted patent number 75394. Five color plates were arranged around a cylinder, each with its own inking apparatus. The impression cylinder, of equal diameter, had five platen areas. Six sets of sheet grippers were mounted around a third rotating frame geared to the other two. But the gripper frame was one fifth larger in diameter than the two cylinders, so each sheet of paper was shifted one step for each revolution. The sheet would be printed at the first plate on the first revolution, at the second plate on the next revolution and so on. When the sheet had collected all the impressions, it was released, one fully printed sheet for every revolution of the press.
c. 1868
GA.89797.075394
Image and text © National Museum of American History, 2021
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