Printing press developments

The first steam powered printing press was invented in 1810 by Fredrich König, a German who had moved to England to develop his ideas. This press also was the first to incorporate a roller into the printing process, the paper was rolled over the type, greatly speeding up the process. One of the patent drawings is shown above, The illustration below is of a 1833 machine of his design made by Richard Marsh Hoe, an Englishman working in New York.

 The artist seems to be having having trouble with his ellipses.

 In 1847 the roller idea was improved upon by Hoe, who moved the type from the plate to the roller. His next advance was multiple rollers, and in 1847 the Philadelphia Daily Ledger was being printed on one of his four roller presses. Bottom image is a Hoe six roller press built in 1852. By adding rollers, output went up and a ten roller Hoe press could print 10,000 sheets per hour.