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Typo: A Monthly Newspaper and Literary Review, Volume 5

Inventions, Processes, and Wrinkles

page 96

Inventions, Processes, and Wrinkles.

Engraving on Glass by Electricity.—Plante's new process of engraving on glasss and crystal by electricity is found capable of producing results of marvellous delicacy. The plate to be engraved is covered with a concentrated solution of nitrate of potash, and put in connexion with one of the poles of the battery, the design being traced out with a fine platinum point connected with the other pole. —American Bookmaker.

Engine-Ruling—Professor M. D. Ewell, of the Northwestern University, Chicago, has for several years past devoted much of his time to the production of fine-ruled plates for microscopical purposes, but has until a very late date declined to employ his engine for other purposes. He has now, however, turned his attention to the production of engine-ruled plates for half-tone printing. He has two engines, each capable of ruling, with the greatest accuracy, a plate twenty inches long. One of these has ruled as many as 60,000 perfect lines to the inch.

Stereotyping Wood Letter.—In stereotyping from wooden types it is a frequent complaint that the first tissue-sheet of the flong sticks to the wood. A correspondent, writing to the British Printer, tells how to-avoid this. Lay a piece of tissue-paper on the wood-letter, placing the flong on top of it, having previously cleaned the wood-letter with turps, and then oiled it. After beating, put the form direct into the drying press for ten minutes; then take it out and pull off the tissue, being careful to remove all of it, or the face of the matrix will be uneven. Plates of a quality equal to metal type may thus be secured.

An Electric Record.—The Elgin (Ill.) Daily News states that a publisher has had a series of ten electric lamps fitted in a frame in his office, covered with colored glass, each one connected with the counter of one of the machines in his press-room. Every sheet printed is recorded by a flash of light. In the case of the fast perfecting-press every second sheet is thus recorded, and the flashes are almost continuous. This is considered a valuable idea. For our own part, we could imagine no speedier route to the madhouse than an office in which one of these instruments of exquisite torture had been installed. Imagine having to work hour by hour in front of a constant succession of flashes of ten different colors. Ugh!!

Copyable Printing Ink.—Mr G. Stokes writes to the Effective Advertiser:—The secret in obtaining good copies depends on the care exercised in the printing almost as much as on the ink itself. Use rather firm and perfectly clean rollers; the Durable I find the best for all water inks, as the moisture does not affect them so much as the ordinary sort; but once having started, do not on any account wash your rollers. Should the ink not distribute properly at first, wash your slab, spread a little glycerine over it, and run up color again. Washing the roller increases rather than diminishes the difficulty, as it makes it sticky, the face comes off and mixes with the ink; the result, bad copies. By carefully observing these rules you will obtain good copies, and what is quite as important in a machine-room, will be able to run day after day with no more trouble than the ordinary printing-ink would give you.

Eucalyptus Fluid for Boilers.—According to an Indian paper, the use of eucalyptus fluid in boilers is likely to become general on the railways in India. Trials have already been made on the Bengal and North-Western Railway, with good results. This patent liquor is now sold in the Bombay market at B·8 (7s 6d) per gallon. The Bengal and North-Western Railway at present purchase their leaves from the Horticultural Garden at Lucknow; but there is reason to believe that two years hence they will have their own supply from young plants raised from seed. One thousand gallons of strong liquor are extracted from one maund (28lb.) of leaves, which cost in Gorakhpur R2·8. Adding R5 for fuel and nothing for labor, the cost per gallon is 1½ pie (1/5d.). On the Bombay and North-Western Railway they put into a dirty boiler 12 gallons of the fluid, and repeat the operation every 300 or 450 miles. The action begins after the first trip, and takes the scales clean off the copper box in a month; but during this time the fluid acts more slowly in softening and loosening scale from the iron shell, and still more slowly from the brass tubes. It is estimated that it takes six months to remove all the objectionable scale from a boiler, at a cost of R5 and R3 per half-year per boiler afterwards. The scale is said to come off both softened and in large pieces, and in great quantities. When the fluid is first put into the dirty boilers great care is needed to see that the water spaces do not become solid, as the scale will block them if allowed to remain too long without a wash-out.

To Preserve Rubber Articles.—Articles made of rubber in time generally become dry, crack, grow brittle, and lose their elasticity. Dr. Pol recommends the following simple mixture: Water of ammonia, one part; water, two parts; in which the articles should be immersed for a length of time, varying from a few minutes to one-half or one hour, until they resume their former elasticity, smoothness, and softness.

Nicking Brass-Rule.—Mr A. Hurst, in the British Printer, finds fault with the system of stamped numbers on brass-rule, the stamp becoming illegible, and suggests a system of indicating length by nicking. His scheme is to nick the end of the rule with from one to five nicks, each nick representing an em. Thus a rule with three nicks would represent one of the following series, 3, 8, 13, 18, 23, &c.,
4½ Rule. 8-em Rule

4½ Rule. 8-em Rule

one with five would belong to the series 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, &c., and the distinction in the length would be sufficient to prevent confusion. Half-ems to be distinguished by an extra nick near the face. The system is worth a trial. It would be of advantage in readily distinguishing graduated rule from ordinary stock, and in the case of thick-faced rule would prevent the mistake we have sometimes seen made of putting in a rule about 5½ ems long on its side.

Rubber Varnish for Bookbinding.—We note in a trade contemporary that binding by means of rubber varnish is recommended for certain kinds of books. We ourselves have some paper-covered publications, containing plates, with a publisher's note directing the binder to use rubber varnish, in order that the books may open flat. Our advice is: Never, under any consideration, permit a book to be bound in this manner. Next to the cheap and horrid process of wiring, or the slovenly and destructive method of overcasting, the rubber-varnish system is the most obnoxious to the book-lover. At first, it seems superior to any other method. The book opens with delightful freedom, and lies perfectly flat. But the hinge is a mere film of rubber; its elasticity is weakened every time the book is opened and closed, and at last it breaks just as a sheet of metal would do under similar conditions. Apart from destruction by wear, the binding will not stand. The atmosphere gradually decomposes the rubber, which perishes and falls to powder. After a short time, the volume becomes a wreck—a broken-down portfolio of loose and damaged leaves. In binding a volume of plates or single leaves of any kind, if the work is worth binding at all, the binder should be instructed not on any account to overcast, to wire, or to use rubber. There is only one legitimate method, which is more troublesome, and therefore more costly, but which ensures an entirely satisfactory result. That is, to carefully mount each plate or single sheet separately upon a linen guard, and bind in sections, as in the case of ordinary printed sheets. A book so treated will open perfectly, will stand proper usage, and will hold together as long as the covers last.

The Carty Press.—A new treadle platen is illustrated and described under this name in our American exchanges. For this press fourteen special features are claimed. (1) New motion to platen, sets low, well balanced; therefore requires but small power, and can be run quicker than any other. (2) New tympan clamps, stretching the sheet instead of allowing it to bulge. (3) New fingers, suited for close margins or odd-shaped work; rest against platen by their own weight while being adjusted. (4) New movement of form rollers, ensuring equal pressure on the form throughout. (5) Adjustable roller-ways, regulating pressure of rollers against the form. (6) New fountain, ensuring thorough distribution of ink before it reaches the disk. (7) Perfect control of ink-fountain from front of press by means of small hand-lever. (8) Full control of rollers by means of lever under feed-table. Rollers may be stopped; ink distributed without rolling form; or impression taken without rolling type. Rollers can thus be suspended, while paper or dust is picked off, without stopping machine. (9) New movement of impression throw-off by which entire action of fountain, form-rollers, and impression is suspended without stopping machine. New supply of paper can be obtained &c., without delaying the work. (10) Form-rollers and fingers out of the way when form is being lifted into press. (11) Ink-disk removable without interfering with fountain. (12) Platen has a dwell at point of feeding. No jar in movement. (13) Platen has a square movement against form when impression is taken. (14) Impression regulated by one motion. Inventor and patentee, Alton B. Carty, 523, New Jersey Avenue, Washington, D.C.