What was this machine used for?

Early laminating machine?Either thru the rollers for larger pcs, or flat bed for smaller?

Etching press without the bed, best james

Looks like the bed is lying on the floor under the press.

I think some presses for rolling stereotype mats had a similar form. What’s curious is the second press under the main mechanism.

Its a small etching press with a book press below. Cool unit!

What we call today “book presses” were mostly copy presses, just repurposed. I can’t see any original reason for a book press below an etching press, but it does make an intersectional Book Arts machine.

It’s a press for flattening the damp prints with the use of blotters and boards.

wringing out the washing!

Actually, there was a bookbinder’s machine just like a laundry-wringer, with wooden rollers. It was used to flatten folded signatures before sewing or stitching. Not many survive, but there was one at the Blue Ox Historic Village in Arcata CA.