Columbian press

A press invented by Mr. George Clymer, of Philadelphia, and completed about 1817. The first press of this kind constructed in London was put up in 1818; Mr. Clymer died in 1834, but the manufacture of the presses was continued by Mr. Dixon, under the name of Clymer & Dixon.

The Columbian press is an iron press, without a screw. The head is a powerful lever, acted on by other levers, to which the bar is attached, and produces the pressure. The platen is attached to the head by a strong iron bar, and the descent is made steady and regular by two iron girders which project from the cheeks. The power of this press is very great, and its construction is extremely simple.

The mode of setting up this press is as follows:—

Put the feet in their respective places on the staple, as marked, and raise it upon them; then place the bar-handle, with the bolt belonging to it, as marked: put the principal lever into its place, and then the bolt which connects it to the staple; next put the angular or crooked part which has one square and three round holes, through it, into the mortice, which is in the projecting part of the long side of the staple, and place the bolt that attaches it to the staple. In the extremity of the edges of the heads of those two before-mentioned bolts you will observe marks, and corresponding marks over the holes through which they pass; put in the bolts so that the said marks meet together and correspond, and so on until you have all the remaining parts in their respective places.

The four platen screws, which have heads on one side, are intended to attach the platen to the piston, being placed in their respective places, and are secured by the four small blocks of iron which accompany them.

To increase the power turn the nut in the rod so as to shorten it; to decrease it, turn it the contrary way. By the nut on the iron screw which connects the main and top counterpoise levers, you are to regulate the ascent and descent of the platen so as to clear the headbands of the tympan, which is done by screwing the iron nut as far up as it is necessary.

In adjusting the platen so as to approach the forme exactly parallel, you must, after hanging on the platen and having a forme on the table, square it to your tympans; then make a pull, and hold the bar-handle home until some other person screws the four platen-screws tight alike.

The small holes which communicate with the respective bolts require a small quantity of machine oil occasionally.

The impression may be increased by placing thin pieces of tin, or sheet iron, cut to the size of the plate of iron which lies between the platen and the piston, secured by the four screws on the top of the platen, and placing it under the piston.

You may easily judge whether everything is in its proper place by the perfect ease with which the bar-handle moves.

Pressmen should take all the bolts out of their places once a week.