Bacon and Donkin

1813. Patent Printing Press by Bacon and Donkin.

of Norwich

Richard Mackenzie Bacon and Bryan Donkin

1813 The first rotary printing machine was made by Bacon and Donkin. Unfortunately the inking apparatus was defective. The machine was noteworthy for the roller which, for the first time, was to be clothed with glue prepared so as to lessen its tendency to become hard by exposure to the air.

1814 'A patent has been recently granted for a machine to facilitate the operations of printing — The objects the machine are — precision, speed, and the saving of skill, labour, and expense. It abrogrates almost all the former apparatus of the press and the preparations of the types, performs by its own action the several parts of furnishing, distributing, and communicating the ink, and giving the pressure. At its ordinary rate, sixteen sheets a minute are discharged by it; and indeed its velocity is only limited by the power placing and removing the sheet, which are all the manual assistances required. The machine has been exhibited the Syndics of the Press at Cambridge, and was examined during three days last week by most of the principal members of the university; and on receiving the report of their deputation, Dean Milner, Master of Queen's college, Mr. Wood, President of St. John's, and Mr. Kaye, Tutor Christ's, the Syndicate agreed with Messrs. Bacon and Donkin, of Norwich, the patentees, for its introduction the office the university.'

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