Part 4

_MECHANICK EXERCISES:_ Or, the Doctrine of =Handy-works.= Applied to the Art of =Printing.=

§. 10. _Of the_ Press.

THere are two sorts of _Presses_ in use, _viz._ the old fashion and the new fashion; The old fashion is generally used here in _England_; but I think for no other reason, than because many _Press-men_ have scarce Reason enough to distinguish between an excellently improved Invention, and a make-shift slovenly contrivance, practiced in the minority of this Art.

The New-fashion’d _Presses_ are used generally throughout all the _Low-Countries_; yet because the Old-fashion’d _Presses_ are used here in _England_ (and for no other Reason) I have in Plate 3. given you a delineation of them; But though I give you a draft of them; yet the demensions of every particular Member I shall omit, referring those that think it worth their while, to the _Joyners_ and _Smiths_ that work to _Printers_: But I shall give a full description of the New-fashion’d _Press_, because it is not well known here in _England_; and if possible, I would for Publick benefit introduce it.

But before I proceed, I think it not amiss to let you know who was the Inventer of this New-fashion’d _Press_, accounting my self so much oblig’d to his Ingeniety for the curiosity of this contrivance, that should I pass by this oppertunity without nameing him, I should be injurious to his Memory.

It was _Willem Jansen Blaew_ of _Amsterdam_: a Man as well famous for good and great _Printing_, as for his many _Astronomical_ and _Geographical_ exhibitions to the World. In his Youth he was bred up to _Joynery_, and having learn’d his Trade, betook himself (according to the mode of _Holland_) to Travel, and his fortune leading him to _Denmark_, when the noble _Tycho Brahe_ was about setting up his _Astronomical Observatory_, was entertain’d into his service for the making his Mathematical-Instruments to Observe withal; in which Instrument-making he shew’d himself so intelligent and curious, that according to the general report of many of his personal acquaintance, all or most of the _Syderal Observations_ set forth in _Tycho’s_ name, he was intrusted to make, as well as the Instruments.

And before these Observations were publish’d to the World, _Tycho_, to gratify _Blaew_, gave him the Copies of them, with which he came away to _Amsterdam_, and betook himself to the making of _Globes_, according to those Observations. But as his Trade increased, he found it necessary to deal in _Geographical Maps_ and _Books_ also, and grew so curious in _Engraving_, that many of his best _Globes_ and _Maps_ were _Engraved_ by his own Hands; and by his conversation in _Printing_ of Books at other _Printing-houses_, got such insight in this Art, that he set up a _Printing-house_ of his own. And now finding inconveniencies in the obsolete Invention of the _Press_, He contrived a remedy to every inconvenience, and fabricated nine of these New-fashioned _Presses_, set them all on a row in his _Printing-house_, and call’d each _Press_ by the name of one of the _Muses_.

This short History of this excellent Man is, I confess forraign to my Title; But I hope my Reader will excuse the digression, considering it tends only to the commemoration of a Person that hath deserved well of Posterity, and whose worth without this small Monument, might else perhaps have slid into Oblivion.

The _Press_ is a Machine consisting of many Members; it is delineated in Plate 4.

_a a_ The _Feet_. _b b_ The _Cheeks_. _c_ The _Cap_. _d_ The _Winter_. _e_ The _Head_. _f_ The _Till_. _g g_ The _Hose_. In the Cross-Iron of which, encompassing the _Spindle_, is the _Garter_. _h h h h_ The _Hooks_ on the _Hose_ the _Plattin_ hangs on. _i k l m n_ The _Spindle_. _i_ Part of the _Worm_ below the _Head_, whose upper part lies in the _Nut_ in the _Head_. _k l_ The _Eye_ of the _Spindle_. _m_ The _Shank_ of the _Spindle_. _n_ The Toe of the Spindle. _o o o o_ The _Plattin_ tyed on the _Hooks_ of the _Hose_. _p_ The _Bar_. _q_ The _Handle_ of the _Bar_. _r r_ The _Hind-Posts_. _s s_ The _Hind-Rails_. _t t_ The _Wedges_ of the _Till_. _u u_ The _Mortesses_ of the _Cheeks_, in which the _Tennants_ of the _Head_ plays. _x x x x y y_ The _Carriage_. _x x x x_ The outer _Frame_ of the _Carriage_. _y y_ The _Wooden-Ribs_ on which the _Iron-Ribs_ are fastned. _z_ The _Stay_ of the _Carriage_, or the _Stay_. 1. The _Coffin_. 2. The _Gutter_. 3. The _Planck_. 4. The _Gallows_. 5. The _Tinpans_. 6. The _Frisket_. 7. The _Points_. 8. The _Point-Screws_.

All these several Members, by their Matter, Form and Position, do particularly contribute such an assistance to the whole Machine, that it becomes an Engine managable and proper for its intended purpose.

But because the smallness of this altogether-Draft may obscure the plain appearance of many of these Parts; Therefore I shall give you a more particular description, and large delineation of every Member in the _Press_: And first of the Wooden-work: Where, _Note_, that all the Fram’d Wooden-work of a _Press_ is made of Good, Fine, Clean, Well-season’d _Oak_.

¶. 1. _Of the_ Feet.

The _Feet_ (marked _a a_ in Plate 5.) are two Foot nine Inches and an half long, five Inches deep; and six Inches broad, and have their outsides Tryed to a true square, as was taught, _Numb._ 5. §. 15. It hath (for ornament sake) its two ends bevil’d away in a Molding, from its upper-side to its lower, about four Inches within the ends; about four Inches and three quarters within each end of each Foot is made in the middle of the Breadth of the upper-side of the Foot a Mortess two Inches wide, to receive the _Tennants_ of the lower end of the _Cheek_, and the _Tennant_ of the lower end of the _Hind-Post_: The Mortess for the _Cheek_ is eight Inches long, _viz._ the Breadth of the _Cheek_: And the Mortess for the Hind-Post is four Inches long, _viz._ the square of the _Hind-Post_.

¶. 2. _Of the_ Cheeks.

The _Cheeks_ (marked _b b_ in Plate 5.) are five Foot and ten Inches long (besides the _Tennants_ of the top and bottom) eight Inches broad, and four Inches and an half thick. All its Sides are tryed square to one another. It hath a _Tennant_ at either end, its lower _Tennant_ marked _a_ to enter the Fore-end of the Foot, runs through the middle of the Breadth of the _Cheek_, which therefore is made to fit the Mortess in the _Foot_, and is about four Inches long, and therefore reaches within an Inch of the bottom of the _Foot_; But the _Tennant_ at the upper end of the _Cheek_ marked _a_, is cut athwart the breadth of the _Cheek_, and therefore can have but four Inches and an half of Breadth, and its thickness is two Inches, Its length is four Inches; so that it reaches into the Mortess in the _Cap_, within half an Inch of the Top.

In the lower end-_Tennant_ is two holes bored, within an Inch and an half of either side, and within an Inch and an half of the Sholder, with a three quarter Inch _Augure_, to be pin’d into the _Feet_ with an Iron Pin.

In the middle of the upper _Tennant_, and within an Inch and an half of the Sholder, is bored another hole, to Pin the _Tennant_ into the _Cap_, also with an Iron Pin.

Between _b c_ two Foot and half an Inch, and three Foot seven Inches of the Bottom-Sholder of the _Tennant_, _viz._ from the top of the _Winter_ to the under Sholder the _Till_ rests upon, is cut flat away into the thickness of the _Cheek_, three Inches in the Inside of the _Cheek_; so that in that place the _Cheek_ remains but an Inch and an half thick: And the _Cheeks_ are thus widened in this place, as well because the Duftail _Tennants_ of the _Winter_ may go in between them, as also that the _Carriage_ and _Coffin_ may be made the wider.

Even with the lower Sholder of this flat cutting-in, is made a Duftail Mortess as at _d_, to reach eight Inches and an half, _viz._ the depth of the _Winter_ below the said Sholder. This Mortess is three Inches wide on the inside the _Cheek_, and three Inches deep; But towards the inside the _Cheek_, the Mortess widens in a straight line from the said three Inches to five Inches, and so becomes a Duftail Mortess. Into this Duftail Mortess is fitted a Duftail _Tennant_, made at each end of the _Winter_.

Two Inches above the aforesaid Cutting-in, is another cutting-in of the same depth, from the Inside the _Cheek_ as at _e_. This cutting-in is but one Inch broad at the farther side the _Cheek_, and an Inch and a quarter on the hither-side the _Cheek_. The under-side of this Cutting-in, is straight through the _Cheek_, _viz._ Square to the sides of the _Cheek_: But the upper-side of this Cutting-in, is not square through the _Cheeks_, But (as aforesaid) is one quarter of an Inch higher on the fore-side the _Cheek_ than it is on the further side; So that a Wedge of an Inch at one end, and an Inch and a quarter at the other end may fill this Cutting-in.

At an Inch within either side the _Cheek_, and an Inch below this Cutting-in, as at _f f_, is made a small Mortess an Inch and an half wide, to which two _Tennants_ must be fitted at the ends of the _Till_, so that the _Tennants_ of the _Till_ being slid in through the Cutting-in aforesaid, may fall into these Mortesses, and a Wedge being made fit to the Cutting-in, may press upon the _Tennants_ of the _Till_, and force it down to keep it steddy in its place.

Here we see remains a square Sholder or substance of Wood between two Cuttings-in; But the under corner of this square Sholder is for Ornament sake Bevil’d away and wrought into an _Ogee_.

At two Inches above the last Cutting-in, is another Cutting-in, but this Cutting-in goes not quite through the breadth of the _Cheek_, but stops at an Inch and an half within the further side the _Cheek_; So that above the _Till_ and its _Wedge_ is another Sholder or substance of Wood, whose upper Corner is also Bevil’d away, and wrought to a Molding as the former.

The last Cutting-in is marked _g_, and is eight Inches and a quarter above the Sholder of the _Till_, that it may easily contain the depth of the _Head_; The substance remaining is marked _h_. This Cutting-in is made as deep into the thickness of the _Cheek_ as the former Cuttings-in are, _viz._ three Inches; and the reason the _Cheek_ is cut in here, is, that the _Cheeks_ may be wide enough in this place to receive the _Head_, and its _Tennants_, without un-doing the _Cap_ and _Winter_.

Just above this Cutting-in is made a square Mortess in the middle of the _Cheek_, as at _i_, it is eight Inches long, and two Inches and an half wide, for the _Tennant_ of the _Head_ to play in.

Upon the fore-side of the _Cheek_ is (for Ornament sake) laid a Molding through the whole length of the _Cheek_ (a square at the Top and Bottom an Inch deep excepted) it is laid on the outer side, and therefore can be but an Inch broad; Because the Cuttings-in on the inside leaves the substance of Stuff but an Inch and an half thick, and should the Moldings be made broader, it would be interrupted in the several Cuttings in, or else a square of a quarter of an Inch on either side the Molding could not be allowed, which would be ungraceful.

¶. 3. _Of the_ Cap _marked_ c _in Plate_ 5.

The _Cap_ is three Foot and one Inch long, four Inches and an half deep, and nine Inches and an half broad; But its fore-side is cut away underneath to eight Inches, _Viz._ the breadth of the _Cheeks_. Three quarters of an Inch above the bottom of the _Cap_, is a small _Facia_, which stands even with the thickness of the _Cheeks_; Half an Inch above that a Bead-Molding, projecting half an Inch over the _Facia_. Two Inches above that a broad _Facia_, also even with the thickness of the _Cheeks_; and an Inch and a quarter above that is the upper Molding made projecting an Inch and an half over the two _Facia_’s aforesaid, and the thickness of the _Cheeks_.

Each end of the _Cap_ projects three Inches quarter and half quarter over the _Cheeks_, partly for Ornament, but more especially that substance may be left on either end beyond the Mortesses in the Cap; and these two ends have the same Molding laid on them that the fore-side of the _Cap_ hath.

Within two Inches and half quarter of either end, on the under-side the _Cap_ is made a square Mortess two Inches wide, and four Inches and an half long, _viz._ the thickness of the _Cheek_ inwards, as at _a a_, to receive the Top _Tennants_ of the _Cheeks_; which Top _Tennants_ are with an Iron Pin (made tapering of about three quarters of an Inch thick) pin’d into the Mortess of the _Cap_, to keep the _Cheeks_ steddy in their position.

¶. 4. _Of the_ Winter _marked_ d _in_ Plate 5.

The Length of the _Winter_ besides the _Tennants_, is one Foot nine Inches and one quarter of an Inch; The Breadth of the _Winter_ eight Inches, _viz._ the Breadth of the _Cheek_, and its depth nine Inches; all its sides are tryed square; But its two ends hath each a Duftail-_Tennant_ made through the whole depth of the _Winter_, to fit and fall into the Duftail Mortesses made in the _Cheeks_: These Duftail-_Tennants_ are intended to do the Office of a _Summer_, Because the spreading of the ends of these two _Tennants_ into the spreading of the Mortesses in the _Cheeks_, keeps the two _Cheeks_ in a due distance, and hinders them from flying assunder.

But yet I think it very convenient to have a _Summer_ also, the more firmly and surer to keep the _Cheeks_ together; This _Summer_ is only a Rail _Tennanted_, and let into Mortesses made in the inside of the _Cheeks_, and Screwed to them as the Rails described, _Numb._ 15. §. 4. are Screwed into the Stiles of the _Case-Frame_; Its depth four Inches and an half, and its breadth eight Inches, _viz._ the breadth of the _Cheeks_.

¶. 5. _Of the_ Head _marked_ e _in_ Plate 5.

The length of the _Head_ besides the _Tennant_ at either end, is one Foot nine Inches and one quarter of an Inch; The breadth eight Inches and an half, and its depth eight Inches. The Top, Bottom and Hind-sides are tryed Square, but the fore-side projects half an Inch over the Range of the fore-sides of the _Cheeks_; in which Projecture is cut a Table with a hollow Molding about it, two Inches distant from all the sides of the fore-side of the _Head_: Its _Tennants_ are three Inches Broad, and are cut down at either end, from the top to the bottom of the _Head_, and made fit to the Mortesses in the _Cheeks_, that they may slide tight, and yet play in them.

In the under-side of the _Head_ is cut a square Hole, (as at _a_,) about four Inches square, and three Inches and an half deep, into which the _Brass-Nut_ is to be fitted: And to keep this _Nut_ in its place (lest the weight of it should make it fall out) is made on either side the square hole, at about half an Inch distance from it, (as at _b b_) a square Hole quite through the Top and Bottom of the _Head_ about three quarters of an Inch wide; and into this square Hole is fitted a square piece of Iron to reach quite through the _Head_, having at its under-end a Hook turned square to claspe upon the under-side of the _Nut_; and on its upper end a Male-Screw reaching about an Inch above the upper-side of the _Head_, which by the help of a Female-screw made in an Iron _Nut_, with Ears to it to turn it about draws the _Clasp_ at the bottom of the Iron _Shank_ close against the _Nut_, and so keeps it from falling out.

In the middle of the wide square Hole that the _Nut_ is let into, is bored a round Hole through the top of the _Head_, of about three quarters of an Inch wide, for the _Press-man_ to pour _Oyl_ in at so oft as the _Nut_ and _Spindle_ shall want _Oyling_.

At three Inches from either end of the _Head_ (as at _c c_) is bored a Hole quite through the top and bottom of the _Head_, which holes have their under ends squar’d about two Inches upwards, and these squares are made so wide as to receive a square Bar of Iron three quarters of an Inch square; But the other part of these Holes remain round: Into these Holes two Irons are fitted called the _Screws_.

The Shanks of these _Screws_ are made so long as to reach through the _Head_ and through the _Cap_: At the upper end of these Shanks is made Male-screws, and to these Male-screws, Iron Female-screws are fitted with two Ears to twist them the easier about.

So much of these Iron-Shanks as are to lye in the square Hole of the _Head_ aforesaid, are also squared to fit those square Holes, that when they are fitted and put into the Holes in the _Head_; they may not twist about.

To the lower ends of these Iron-Shanks are made two Square, Flat Heads, which are let into and buried in the under-side of the _Head_; And upon the Sholders of those two Flat Heads, rests the weight of the _Head_ of the _Press_; And by the _Screws_ at the upper end of the Shanks are hung upon the upper-side of the _Cap_, and Screwed up or let down as occasion requires.

¶. 6. _Of the_ Till, _marked_ f _in_ Plate 5.

The _Till_ is a Board about one Inch thick, and is as the _Head_ and _Winter_, one Foot nine Inches and a quarter long, besides the _Tennants_ at either end; Its Breadth is the Breadth of the _Cheeks_, _viz._ eight Inches; It hath two _Tennants_ at either end as at _a a a a_, each of them about an Inch and an half long, and an Inch and an half broad, and are made at an Inch distance from the fore and Back-side, so that a space of two Inches is contained in the middle of the ends between the two _Tennants_; these _Tennants_ are to be laid in the Mortesses in the _Cheeks_ delineated at _f f_ in Plate 5. and described in this §. 10. ¶. 2.

In its middle it hath a round Hole about two Inches and an half wide, as at _b_, for the Shank of the _Spindle_ to pass through.

At seven Inches and a quarter from either end, and in the middle between the fore and Back-side, is made two square Holes through the _Till_, as at _c c_, for the Iron _Hose_ to pass through.

¶. 7. _Of the_ Hind-Posts _marked_ a a _in_ Plate 6.

At one Foot distance from the Hind-sides of the _Cheeks_ are placed upright two _Hind-Posts_, they are three Foot and four Inches long besides the _Tennants_, which _Tennants_ are to be placed in the Mortesses in the hinder-ends of the _Feet_; Their thickness is four Inches on every side, and every side is tryed square; But within eight Inches of the top is turned a round Ball with a Button on it, and a Neck under it, and under that Neck a straight Plinth or Base: This turn’d work on the top is only for Ornament sake.

There are six _Rails_ fitted into these _Hind-Posts_, two behind marked _a b_, one of them standing with its upper-side at two Inches below the turned Work, the other having its upper-side lying level with the upper-side of the _Winter_.

These two _Rails_ are each of them _Tennanted_ at either end, and are made so long, that the outsides of the _Hind-Posts_ may stand Range or even with the outer-sides of the _Cheeks_; These _Tennants_ at either end are let into Mortesses made in the insides of the _Hind-Posts_, and Pin’d up with half Inch wooden Pins, Glewed in, as was shewn Vol. 1. _Numb._ 5. §. 17. Because the two _Hind-Posts_ need not be separated for any alteration of the _Press_.

The two _Side-Rails_ on either side the _Press_ are _Tennanted_ at each end, and let into Mortesses made in the _Cheeks_ and _Hind-Posts_, so as they may stand Range with the outer-sides of the _Cheeks_ and _Hind-Posts_; But the _Tennants_ that enter the Mortesses in the _Cheeks_ are not pin’d in with Wooden Pins, and Glewed, because they may be taken assunder if need be; But are Pin’d in with Iron Pins, made a little tapering towards the entring end, so as they may be driven back when occasion serves to alter the _Press_: And the _Tennants_ that enter the Mortesses in the _Hind-Posts_ are fastned in by a Female-screw, let in near the end of the _Rail_, which receives a Male-screw thrust through the _Hind-Posts_, even as I shew’d in §. 4. the _Fore_ and _Back-Rails_ of the _Case-Frames_ was.

¶. 8. _Of the_ Ribs _marked_ b _in_ Plate 6.

The _Ribs_ lye within a Frame of four Foot five Inches long, one Foot eleven Inches broad; its two _End-Rails_ one Inch and an half thick, its _Side-Rails_ two Inches and an half thick; and the breadth of the _Side_ and _End-Rails_ two Inches and an half. But the _Side-Rails_ are cut away in the inside an Inch and an half towards the outer-sides of the _Rails_, and an Inch deep towards the Bottom sides of the _Rails_, so that a square _Cheek_ on either _Side-Rail_ remains. This cutting down of the _Outer-Rails_ of the _Frame_ is made, because the Planck of the _Carriage_ being but one Foot eight Inches and an half broad, may easily slide, and yet be gaged between these _Cheeks_ of the _Rail_, that the _Cramp-Irons_ Nailed under the _Carriage Planck_ joggle not on either side off the _Ribs_, as shall more fully be shewn in the next §.

Between the two _Side-Rails_ are framed into the two _End-Rails_ the two _Wooden-Ribs_ two Inches and an half broad, and an Inch and an half thick; they are placed each at an equal distance from each _Side-Rail_, and also at the same distance between themselves. Upon these two _Ribs_ are fast Nailed down the _Iron-Ribs_, of which more shall be said when I come to speak of the Iron-work.

¶. 9. _Of the_ Carriage, Coffin _and its_ Planck, _marked_ a _in_ Plate 7.

The _Planck_ of the _Carriage_ is an Elm-Planck an Inch and an half thick, four Foot long, and one Foot eight Inches and three quarters broad; upon this _Planck_ at its fore-end is firmly Nailed down a square Frame two Foot four Inches long, one Foot ten Inches broad, and the thickness of its Sides two Inches and an half square; This Frame is called the _Coffin_, and in it the _Stone_ is _Bedded_.

Upon each of the four Corners of this _Coffin_ is let in and fastned down a square Iron Plate as at _a a a a_, with Return Sides about six Inches long each side, half a quarter of an Inch thick, and two Inches and a quarter broad; upon the upper outer-sides of each of these Plates is fastned down to them with two or three Rivets through each side, another strong Iron half an Inch deep, and whose outer Angles only are square, but the Inner-Angles are obtuse, as being sloped away from the Inner-Angle towards the farther end of each inner-side, so as the _Quoins_ may do the Office of a Wedge between each inner-side and the _Chase_.

The Plates of these Corners (as I said) are let in on the outer Angles of the upper-side of the Frame of the _Coffin_, so as the upper-sides of the Plates lye even with it, and are Nailed down, or indeed rather Rivetted down through the bottom and top-sides of the Frame of the _Coffin_, because then the upper-sides of the Holes in the Iron Plates being square Bored (that is, made wider on the upper-side of the Plate, as I shall shew when I come to the making of _Mathematical Instruments_) the ends of the Shanks of the Iron Pins may be so battered into the Square-boring, that the whole Superficies of the Plate when thus Rivetted shall be smooth, which else with the exturberancies of Nail-heads would hinder the free sliding of the _Quoins_.