Early American Power Printing Presses
by
Ralph Green
PRINTERS HAD LABORED AT THE OLD WOODEN hand press for three hundred and fifty years, and
it was time for someone to make improvements. The age of machinery was dawning.
Here and there—in Europe, England, and America—some inventive
mechanic would experiment, but the lack of sufficiently accurate machine tools,
and the disposition of printers to avoid change, served as a drawback.
In Hartford, Conn., Dr. Appolos Kinsley, in 1796 made a
machine press, entirely new in principle, which had a
predicted speed of 2000 sheets per hour, as compared to
200 or 250 for the hand press. From the description, it
must have looked like the modern Miehle Vertical, with
vertical bed but with two impression cylinders, and
arranged to print two sheets at once. It was hand fed, of
course, and not automatic. Only one press was built, and
we can guess why the work ended there, since facilities
for making accurate machinery just did not exist. Kinsley
must have been greatly handicapped without suitable inking
rollers. The composition roller did not reach this country
until almost 25 years later.
Benjamin Dearborn, John Sawin, Thomas Wait, Benjamin Metcalf,
W. Elliot, Zach Mills, D. Pearson, and probably a number
of others, during the following quarter century made or
patented improved presses. All showed considerable
ingenuity, but most of them were ahead of their times. The
first machine press to be regularly made in this country
was the invention of Daniel Treadwell, a young Boston
mechanic.
Treadwell was not a printer, and therefore not bound by
tradition. He had studied mechanical movements and their
possible application to ease the labor involved in certain
trades. The old
wooden press, he
decided, was wasteful of power and slow in operation. In
1818 he built, but did not patent, an improved press which
worked by a foot treadle instead of a hand lever. It
involved a very ingenious mechanism, which undoubtedly
would have saved labor, but its appearance was decidedly
against it. Today, it would have been called a Rube
Goldberg. It took up the space of three ordinary presses
and involved a number of long levers, braces, bearings,
and other parts.
Treadwell demonstrated the press to friends and a few
printers, who seemed sufficiently interested to warrant
his going ahead with the manufacture of the machine.
However, instead of attempting to push it further in this
country, the inventor decided that England offered a
larger field for the promotion of his press, and
accordingly he set out for London in November, 1819.
The decision to go to England might have been arrived at owing
to the experience of George Clymer, the first American to
manufacture an all-iron hand press. Clymer had completed
his experiments in 1813 and attempted to market his press.
When he did not achieve the success he expected, however,
he went to England in 1817, where his press was received
very favorably. British printers had become aware of the
advantages of the iron press, as the Stanhope, an all-iron
press, had appeared there in 1800.
Treadwell, after arriving in London, arranged to have one of
his presses built by Napier, a well-known English press
builder. This took time, however, and it was the late
spring of 1820 before he could demonstrate his treadle
press to London printers. Although his press received
favorable comment, and much interest was shown, the buyers
did not appear. Treadwell blamed the lack of sales on the
inability of the British printer to change his habits.
Possibly one or two additional presses were built and
sold, but this was not sufficient encouragement and
Treadwell returned to Boston in September, 1820.
His English visit, however, had changed his views. While
there, he had seen the new steam-driven newspaper presses,
just coming into use. Here was something bigger, something
far more revolutionary, which the American printers could
not do without. Probably on the voyage home, Treadwell
planned his power press.
The English steam-driven presses were of the cylinder type,
very much like the press now called the flat bed cylinder.
The platen or impression cylinder was mounted on a fixed
horizontal axis and the bed carrying the type form moved
back and forth under the cylinder. The inking was
accomplished automatically by rollers covered with roller
composition, which had been discovered or invented about
the time of the first successful use of the press in 1814.
At the time of Treadwell's visit, the power presses were
used almost exclusively for newspaper work, where speed
was of primary importance.
Surprisingly, Treadwell did not follow the English scheme
involving the use of the cylinder. There are no records
extant which explain why he adopted an entirely different
plan for his press, but enough has been left us so that we
may piece out an explanation. The press which he designed
and built was based on the old principle of the flat
platen pressing down on the type form below it. It was a
glorified hand press, with a lot of mechanism added to
move the bed in and out from under the platen—to
press down the platen automatically at the proper
time—and to ink the form. It was described as a mass
of levers, cranks, straps, cog wheels, and shafting.
Fortunately, we have a diagram which explains the working.
(All sketches reproduced here are by the author.)
Undoubtedly, Treadwell realized that a cylinder press,
following the English style, could not be built in this
country. The machine shops were limited to a few lathes
and drill presses, and even these were of small size and
not too accurate. In making his first power press,
Treadwell reported that there was not a lathe in Boston
large enough to face the underside of the platen. It was
necessary, therefore, to follow the form of construction
of the old wooden press and to use a slab of stone for the
bed, and a platen
made of wood. This
must have limited the size and capacity of the press.
Later, iron was used for these important parts.
Treadwell's friend and neighbor, Phineas Dow, deserves
considerable credit for the development of the press. Dow
had a machine shop in Boston, and had the reputation of
making excellent fire engines and other machines of the
period.
The first power press was completed, with some difficulties,
in 1821. Since a steam engine was not available, a horse
was used as motive power. A large vertical shaft, which
drove the press, extended down through the pressroom
floor, to a basement below. A horizontal lever extended
out from the lower end of the shaft and to this the horse
was hitched, thus limiting the travel of the beast to a
circular path. The first press was without a flywheel. At
the moment just before the impression was made,
considerable extra power was required to keep the entire
mechanism in motion. At this particular point in the
cycle, the horse was always at one place in his path, and
he came to know just when this extra power was required.
If unattended, he took the course of least resistance, and
stopped. It was soon found necessary to provide a boy with
a stick, who was stationed at the proper point to keep the
motive power going.
In addition to the boy, an experienced pressman and a woman
feeder were required, making a total of three hands
employed at the press. The speed was 500 to 600 sheets per
hour, which was somewhat faster than twice the speed of
the hand press. The latter, however, required both the
puller (feeder) and the beater (inker) to be skilled
workmen.
Later, and more improved models, were made as double presses;
that is, they consisted of two presses set back to back,
and driven by one common shaft. The total labor bill was
somewhat reduced by this arrangement.
As was the case with his treadle press, Treadwell found
printers only lukewarm in their interest. Not finding a
buyer, he determined to become a printer himself. With the
backing of two Boston men, he set up a complete
establishment for book printing. A second press was added
in 1822, and contracts were made with Boston publishers
for the printing of a number of books. After having been
in successful operation for about a year, the printing
office was sold to a Boston printer, who, later, purchased
two more presses. A total of four presses were purchased
by another Boston office, which a short time later burned
to the ground with total destruction of all equipment. It
was thought, although not proved, that the fire had been
started by printers who feared the machine would
ultimately take away their livelihood.
Daniel Fanshaw was probably Treadwell's best customer. He
conducted one of the largest offices in New York, since he
handled the printing for the American Bible Society. At
one time, twenty Treadwell presses were operating in
Fanshaw's office. Isaac Ashmead of Philadelphia had at
least eight Treadwell presses—all double
machines—and there were similar presses in Baltimore
and Washington. Probably as many as fifty Treadwell
presses were built up to 1830. Eventually they were all
operated by steam power.
Apparently, after the business was well started, Treadwell
handled only the sale of the rights to purchase or make
the press, and his friend Dow contracted for the actual
manufacture. There is some evidence to indicate that not
all the presses were made in Boston. A few may have been
made in southern cities.
Although the first press was put in operation in 1821, a
patent was not obtained until 1826. By delaying the issue
of the patent,
Treadwell hoped to extend
its life and hence earn protection for as many years as
possible.
As early as 1825, Treadwell became interested in other
ventures. He developed a number of other machines, and in
1829 disposed of his interest in the power press.
Evidently, no improvements were made in the press; as a
consequence, the field became wide open for other
inventors. In 1830, the R. Hoe & Co. advertisement
indicated they were makers of the Treadwell press, but
their later advertisements omitted mention of the
press.
In 1835, Treadwell became a professor at Harvard, where he
remained for many years. He died in 1872, at the age of 81
years.
By modern standards, the Treadwell presses were crude
machines, the main framework consisting of heavy wooden
timbers. They were not efficient in their use of power.
For each impression the entire bed carrying the type form
had to be moved out from under the platen, inked, and then
returned to its place. At first, the leather straps, which
performed this office, jerked the bed back and forth
without a gradual application of power. Later, cam wheels
were employed to make the motion smoother, and to ease the
shock on the frame.
Treadwell employed a revolving disk as the distributing table
for the inking rollers. This is of interest, as its use
seems to have been forgotten until some twenty-five years
later, when George P. Gordon suddenly re-discovered the
idea and found it admirably suited for his later
well-known job press.
The Treadwell press could handle a sheet about 18 inches by 23
inches. This sheet was too small for the requirements of
the next decade, but this drawback was only one of the
reasons for the later unpopularity of the press.
Jonas Booth, of New York, the next builder of power presses,
followed soon after Treadwell. His first press was built
in 1822, and, in principle, was much like Treadwell's,
with the exception that it was a "double feeder." One type
form only, was used, and there was a frisket frame at each
end to carry the paper under the platen. The paper was
placed on the exposed frisket at one end of the press,
while the other frisket was under the platen, receiving
the impression. Since the bed, containing the type form,
moved out from under the platen to be inked, it was
reported that the wooden
frame was not
strong enough to resist the continued stopping and
starting of the heavily loaded bed.
Booth did not obtain a patent until 1829, when the names of
Jonas Booth, Sr., as well as his five sons, appear on the
patent papers. His last presses were probably an
improvement on his early ventures. The bed was stationary,
which was a step in the right direction. Since Booth seems
to disappear from the history of printing presses soon
after this time, we may infer that the competition forced
him out of business. In all, Booth's business was confined
to New York or its vicinity, and it does not appear that
he made many presses.
Both Isaac Adams and Otis Tufts, at one time or another,
assisted in making Treadwell presses in Phineas Dow's
machine shop in Boston. Tufts later established his own
shop and made presses himself. Part of Isaac Adams's work
was to help set up new presses and make them work
properly: he was what is now known as a "trouble shooter."
He saw the disadvantages of the Treadwell press and
thought about correcting them. His brother Seth was a
machinist in Boston, and it was in Seth's shop that Isaac
worked out his ideas for a better press. After obtaining a
patent in 1830, he put his press on the market. It was a
double ended press, with feeders laying on the sheets at
both ends. There was but one form and one platen, but the
form was stationary so that the press did not have to
withstand the shock of the moving bed. Wood was used for
the construction of the main frames. Although in
appearance it was not a great improvement on Treadwell's
or Booth's presses, it was faster and proved its
superiority to the older styles. Adams guaranteed a speed
of 1000 sheets per hour, but two feeders were required at
the press. The original patent model for this press is now
on exhibition at the Smithsonian.
Shortly after, Tufts produced a somewhat similar press, but of
heavier construction and better finish. A few years later
he improved it considerably by discarding the wooden
frames and using iron throughout, at the same time
shortening the length by placing both frisket frames at
the same end of the press. One frisket was placed under
the other, so that when one was moving in, under the
platen, the other was moving out. Two hands, however,
were required for the
feeding—one man to take off the sheet and the other
to place the unprinted sheet in position.
Tufts's patent on this press was obtained in 1834. Printers
who saw the press in action were most enthusiastic in
their praise, as the machine was excellently constructed
and much smoother in operation than its clumsy
forerunners.
Tufts's success was short-lived, however. A year or two later,
the Adams brothers brought forth their final
attempt—a press which was to hold its popularity for
the next fifty years, and which was destined to handle all
the best book and magazine work for many decades. The
patent granted to Isaac Adams was dated March 2, 1836.
The improved press required only one person to feed the
sheets. The delivery was automatic. Adams had worked out a
device for successfully removing the sheets from the type
form and frisket by means of a blower, and a device known
later as a fly. This consisted of a number of long wooden
fingers placed parallel, like a fork with many prongs,
which flapped the printed sheet from the frisket frame
over on to the delivery table.
Although the speed by later standards was slow, from 600 to
900 sheets per hour, the press required a minimum of
attention and did perfect work. This press proved that for
runs of any length, the power press was definitely more
economical than the iron hand press. Harper Brothers, who
used hand presses until 1837,
were
forced to adopt the Adams press. Theirs was probably the
last large establishment to change over.
In America, the development of the power press had followed
along different lines from those in England. Over there,
the first power press employed a cylinder for the
impression; whereas, here, the early presses were all of
the platen type, involving a flat impression between two
plane surfaces. The cylinder press was faster and required
less power, but unless the machine work was most carefully
done, the quality of its output was inferior. Probably,
England was ahead of this country in the early days of the
last century, in its ability to produce larger and better
machine tools. The cylinders of their presses had to be
very accurately made and geared perfectly to the moving
bed, or a slurred impression would result. Treadwell,
early, had undoubtedly realized that the facilities to
make a satisfactory cylinder press could not be found in
America.
R. Hoe & Co., of New York, who had been making iron hand
presses and other equipment for printers, became
interested in the cylinder press in the late twenties. The
concern sent a man to England to obtain as much
information as possible, with the result that in 1832 they
offered to build cylinder presses for printers in America.
The type they chose to make was similar to the press made
by Napier in England, although the Hoe Company did not
apply the Napier name to their press. However, for a
number of years, all cylinder presses made in this country
were called Napiers.
Hoe, and later other concerns, built a great many cylinder
presses, but before 1860 their use was confined to
newspapers and the cheaper kinds of printing. The cylinder
had the bad habit of wearing down the type rapidly,
particularly the first few lines at the bottom of the
page, where the cylinder first hit the form in its rapid
movement. The register was not good, and it was impossible
to "back up" the work properly; that is, the impression on
the reverse side of a sheet would not fall exactly even
with the impression on the front.
In the early seventies, improved and better-made cylinder
presses appeared, and it was found possible to do a better
grade of work on these presses. Moreover, they grew in
size, whereas, the
Adams had reached its
maximum practical limit of platen area. Slowly, the
cylinder press became more commonly used for the better
grade of work.
The Hoe Company, which had assumed the leadership in this
country in the manufacture of large presses for fast
newspaper printing, had for some time attempted to make a
press which would compete in quality of work with the
Adams. In the forties, a few large platen presses were
built which infringed certain features of the Adams
patents. A long drawn out controversy ensued, which
resulted in the Hoe people buying out the Adams business
in 1859. Isaac retired to his boyhood home in Sandwich,
Mass., with a considerable fortune, where he died in 1883.
His brother Seth had died in 1873.
The Hoe Company continued the manufacture of the Adams press
until the late eighties, but a smaller number was made
each year. Compared to the more modern cylinders, the
press was too slow, but a few were still in operation in
New York City in the early years of this century.
It has been estimated that over one thousand of the improved
Adams presses were made. For almost fifty years these
presses handled the bulk of the better printing in this
country. The smaller shops of a hundred years ago, doing
book and newspaper work, would have one Adams press. When
such a press was used for newspaper work, it left its
distinguishing mark on the make-up of the page. In order
to lift the sheet from the form after printing, the
frisket frame contained one or more longitudinal wires,
which supported the center of the sheet. As these wires
came right down on the form during the printing operation,
it was necessary to provide a groove or channel along one
side of a column rule, about one-eighth to
three-sixteenths inch wide, and to cut the same opening
through the head rules and heading. Six-column papers had
one supporting wire and eight-column papers had two. If
one should ever come across a small-town newspaper of the
middle of the nineteenth century, with a narrow white
strip right down the middle, it was printed on an
Adams.
REFERENCES
- American Bookmaker, The Evolution
of the Printing Press, Volume XI, September,
1890-June, 1892, Volume XIII.
-
American Dictionary of Printing
& Bookmaking, New York, 1894.
- Green, Ralph, The Iron Hand Press
in America, 1948.
- Hansard, T. C., Typographia,
London, 1825.
- Hoe, Robert, A Short History of
the Printing Press, New York, 1902.
- Journal of the Franklin Institute, Abstracts of U. S. Patents Issued, Volume 1
to Volume 13, 1826-32.
- McNamara, Stephen, The Printing
Press, Inland Printer, Volume 1, June, 1884,
to Volume 4, June, 1887.
- Moore, John W., Historical Notes
on Printers and Printing, Concord, N. H.,
1886.
- Printers Circular, Phineas
Dow, Volume 4, May 1869, p. 91.
- Tucker, Stephen D., History of R.
Hoe & Co., unpublished, 1885.
- U. S. Patent Office Records.
- Van Winkle, C. S., The Printers
Guide, 3rd Edition, New York, 1836.
- Wilson, F. J. F., and Grey, Douglas, Modern Printing Machinery,
London, 1888.
- Wyman, Morrill M.D., Memoir of
Daniel Treadwell, Memoirs of the Academy of
Arts & Sciences, Volume XI, Part, VI, No. VII,
1888.
