men of invention and industry-第38部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



and　he　also　proposed　to　use　continuous　rolls　of　paper；　which

Fourdrinier　and　Donkin　had　made　practicable　by　their　invention　of

the　paper…making　machine　about　the　year　1804；　but　both

Nicholson's　and　Hill's　patents　remained　a　dead　letter。＇2＇



It　may　be　easy　to　conceive　a　printing　machine；　or　even　to　make　a

model　of　one；　but　to　construct　an　actual　working　printing　press；

that　must　be　sure　and　unfailing　in　its　operations；　is　a　matter

surrounded　with　difficulties。　　At　every　step　fresh　contrivances

have　to　be　introduced；　they　have　to　be　tried　again　and　again；

perhaps　they　are　eventually　thrown　aside　to　give　place　to　new

arrangements。　　Thus　the　head　of　the　inventor　is　kept　in　a　state

of　constant　turmoil。　　Sometimes　the　whole　machine　has　to　be

remodelled　from　beginning　to　end。　　One　step　is　gained　by　degrees；

then　another；　and　at　last；　after　years　of　labour；　the　new

invention　comes　before　the　world　in　the　form　of　a　practical

working　machine。



In　1862　Mr。　Walter　began　in　The　Times　office；　with　tools　and

machinery　of　his　own；　experiments　for　constructing　a　perfecting

press　which　should　print　the　paper　from　rolls　of　paper　instead　of

from　sheets。　　Like　his　father；　Mr。　Walter　possessed　an　excellent

discrimination　of　character；　and　selected　the　best　men　to　aid　him

in　his　important　undertaking。　　Numerous　difficulties　had；　of

course；　to　be　surmounted。　　Plans　were　varied　from　time　to　time；

new　methods　were　tried；　altered；　and　improved；　simplification

being　aimed　at　throughout。　　Six　long　years　passed　in　this　pursuit

of　the　possible。　　At　length　the　clear　light　dawned。　　In　1868　Mr。

Walter　ventured　to　order　the　construction　of　three　machines　on

the　pattern　of　the　first　complete　one　which　had　been　made。　　By

the　end　of　1869　these　were　finished　and　placed　in　a　room　by

themselves；　and　a　　fourth　was　afterwards　added。　　There　the

printing　of　The　Times　is　now　done；　in　less　than　half　the　time　it

previously　occupied；　and　with　one…fifth　the　number　of　hands。



The　most　remarkable　feature　in　the　Walter　Press　is　its　wonderful

simplicity　of　construction。　　Simplicity　of　arrangement　is　always

the　beau　ideal　of　the　mechanical　engineer。　　This　printing　press

is　not　only　simple；　but　accurate；　compact；　rapid；　and　economical。



While　each　of　the　ten…feeder　Hoe　Machines　occupies　a　large　and

lofty　room；　and　requires　eighteen　men　to　feed　and　work　it；　the

new　Walter　Machine　occupies　a　space　of　only　about　l4　feet　by　5；

or　less　than　any　newspaper　machine　yet　introduced；　and　it

requires　only　three　lads　to　take　away；　with　half　the　attention　of

an　overseer；　who　easily　superintends　two　of　the　machines　while　at

work。　　The　Hoe　Machine　turns　out　7000　impressions　printed　on　both

sides　in　the　hour；　whereas　the　Walter　Machine　turns　out　12；000

impressions　completed　in　the　same　time。



The　new　Walter　Press　does　not　in　the　least　resemble　any　existing

printing　machine；　unless　it　be　the　calendering　machine　which

furnished　its　type。　　At　the　printing　end　it　looks　like　a

collection　of　small　cylinders　or　rollers。　　The　first　thing　to　be

observed　is　the　continuous　roll　of　paper　four　miles　long；　tightly

mounted　on　a　reel；　which；　when　the　machine　is　going；　flies　round

with　immense　rapidity。　　The　web　of　paper　taken　up　by　the　first

roller　is　led　into　a　series　of　small　hollow　cylinders　filled　with

water　and　steam；　perforated　with　thousands　of　minute　holes。　　By

this　means　the　paper　is　properly　damped　before　the　process　of

printing　is　begun。　　The　roll　of　paper；　drawn　by　nipping　rollers；

next　flies　through　to　the　cylinder　on　which　the　stereotype　plates

are　fixed；　so　as　to　form　the　four　pages　of　the　ordinary　sheet　of

The　Times；　there　it　is　lightly　pressed　against　the　type　and

printed；　then　it　passes　downwards　round　another　cylinder　covered

with　cloth；　and　reversed；　next　to　the　second　type…covered　roller；

where　it　takes　the　impression　exactly　on　the　other　side　of　the

remaining　four　pages。　　It　next　reaches　one　of　the　most　ingenious

contrivances　of　the　inventionthe　cutting　machinery；　by　means　of

which　the　paper　is　divided　by　a　quick　knife　into　the　5500　sheets

of　which　the　entire　web　consists。　　The　tapes　hurry　the　now

completely　printed　newspaper　up　an　inclined　plane；　from　which　the

divided　sheets　are　showered　down　in　a　continuous　stream　by　an

oscillating　frame；　where　they　are　met　by　two　boys；　who　adjust　the

sheets　as　they　fall。　　The　reel　of　four　miles　long　is　printed　and

divided　into　newspapers　complete　in　about　twenty…five　minutes。



The　machine　is　almost　entirely　self…acting；　from　the　pumping…up

of　the　ink　into　the　ink…box　out　of　the　cistern　below　stairs；　to

the　registering　of　the　numbers　as　they　are　printed　in　the

manager's　room　above。　　It　is　always　difficult　to　describe　a

machine　in　words。　　Nothing　but　a　series　of　sections　and　diagrams

could　give　the　reader　an　idea　of　the　construction　of　this

unrivalled　instrument。　　The　time　to　see　it　and　wonder　at　it　is

when　the　press　is　in　full　work。　　And　even　then　you　can　see　but

little　of　its　construction；　for　the　cylinders　are　wheeling　round

with　immense　velocity。　　The　rapidity　with　which　the　machine　works

may　be　inferred　from　the　fact　that　the　printing　cylinders　（round

which　the　stereotyped　plates　are　fixed）；　while　making　their

impressions　on　the　paper；　travel　at　the　surprising　speed　of　200

revolutions　a　minute；　or　at　the　rate　of　about　nine　miles　an　hour！



Contrast　this　speed　with　the　former　slowness。　　Go　back　to　the

beginning　of　the　century。　　Before　the　year　1814　the　turn…out　of

newspapers　was　only　about　300　single　impressions　in　an　hourthat

is；　impressions　printed　on　only　one　side　of　the　paper。　　Koenig　by

his　invention　increased　the　issue　to　1100　impressions。　　Applegath

and　Cowper　by　their　four…cylinder　machine　increased　the　issue　to

4000；　and　by　the　eight…cylinder　machine　to　10；000　an　hour。　　But

these　were　only　impressions　printed　on　one　side　of　the　paper。　

The　first　perfecting　pressthat　is；　printing　simultaneously　the

paper　on　both　sideswas　the　Walter；　the　speed　of　which　has　been

raised　to　12；000；　though；　if　necessary；　it　can　produce　excellent

work　at　the　rate　of　17；000　complete　copies　of　an　eight…page　paper

per　hour。　　Then；　with　the　new　method　of　stereotypingby　means　of

which　the　plates　can　be　infinitely　multiplied　and　by　the　aid　of　

additional　machines；　the　supply　of　additional　impressions　is

absolutely　unlimited。



The　Walter　Press　is　not　a　monopoly。　　It　is　manufactured　at　The

Times　office；　and　is　supplied　to　all　comers。　　Among　the　other

daily　papers　printed　by　its　means　in　this　country　are　the　Daily

News；　the　Scotsmam；　and　the　Birmingham　Daily　Post。　　The　first

Walter　Press　was　sent　to　America　in　1872；　where　it　was　employed

to　print　the　Missouri　Republican　at　St。　　Louis；　the　leading

newspaper　of　the　Mississippi　Valley。　　An　engineer　and　a　skilled

workman　from　The　Times　office　accompanied　the　machinery。　　On

arriving　at　St。　　Louisthe　materials　were　unpacked；　lowered　into

the　machine…room；　where　they　were　erected　and　ready　for　work　in

the　short　space　of　five　days。



The　Walter　Press　was　an　object　of　great　interest　at　the

Centennial　Exhibition　held　at　Philadelphia　in　1876；　where　it　was

shown　printing　the　New　Fork　Times　one　of　the　most　influential

journals　in　America。　　The　press　was　surrounded　with　crowds　of

visitors　intently　watching　its　perfect　and　regular　action；　〃like

a　thing　of　life。〃　　The　New　York　Times　said　of　it：　〃The　Walter

Press　is　the　most　perfect　printing　press　yet　known　to　man；

invented　by　the　most　powerful　journal　of　the　Old　World；　and

adopted　as　the　very　best　press　to　be　had　for　its　purposes　by　the

most　influential　journal　of　the　New　World。。。。　　It　is　an　honour　to

Great　Britain　to　have　such　an　exhibit　in　her　display；　and　a

lasting　benefit　to　the　printing　business；　especially　to

newspapers。。。。　　The　first　printing　press　run　by　steam　was　erected

in　the　year　1814　in　the　office　of　The　Times　by　the　father　of　him

who　is　the　present　proprietor　of　that　world…famous　journal。　　The

machine　of　1814　was　described　in　The　Times　of　the　29th　November

in　that　year；　and　the　account　given　of　it　closed　in　these　words：

'The　whole　of　these　complicated　acts　is　performed　with　such　a

velocity　and　simultaneonsness　of　movement　that　no　less　than　1100

sheets　are　impressed　in　one　hour。'　Mirabile　dictu！　　And　the

Walter　Press　of　to…day　can　run　off　17；000　copies　an　hour　printed

on　both　sides。　　This　is　not　bad　work　for　one　man's　lifetime。〃



It　is　unnecessary　to　say　more　about　this　marvellous　machine。　　Its

completion　forms　the　crown　of　the　industry　which　it　represents；

and　of　the　enterprise　of　the　journal　which　it　prints。





Footnotes　for　Chapter　VII。



＇1＇　Diary；　Reminiscences；　and　Correspondence　of　Henry　Crabb

Robinson；　Barrister…at…Law；　F。S。A。；　i。　231。



＇2＇　After　the　appearance　of　my　article　on　the　Koenig　and　Walter

Presses　in　Macmillan's　Magazine　for　December；　1869；　I　received

the　following　letter　from　Sir　Rowland　Hill：…　



〃Hampstead〃　　January　5th；　1870。



〃My　dear　sir；　



〃In　your　very　interesting　article　in　Macmillan's　Magazine　on　the

subject　of　the　printing　machine；　you　have　unconsciously　done　me

some　injustice。　　To　convince　yourself　of　this；　you　have　only　to

read　the　enclosed　paper。　　The　case；　however；　will　be　strengthened

when　I　tell　you　that　as　far　back　as　the　year　1856；　that　is；　seven

years　after　the　expiry　of　my　patent；　I　pointed　out　to　Mr。　Mowbray

Morris；　the　manager　of　The　Times；　the　fitness　of　my　machine　for

the　printing　of　that　journal；　and　the　fact　that　serious

difficulties　to　its　adoption　had　been　removed。　　I　also；　at　his

request；　furnished　him　with　a　copy　of　the　document　with　which　I

now　trouble　you。　　Feeling　sure　that　you　would　like　to　know　the

truth　on　any　subject　of　which　you　may　treat；　I　should　be　glad　to

explain　the　matter　more　fully；　and　for　this　purpose　will；　with

your　permission；　call　upon　you　at　any　time　you　may　do　me　the

favour　to　appoint。　　

〃Faithfully　yours；