What is it??

Updated. It looks like some sort of multi-color platen press. I think a second chase goes up above the drum between the uppermost two roller sets. The platen appears to have a mechanism that allows it to make an impression on a lower forme (chase shown) inked by the drum like a Colt’s Armory and then another impression on an upper forme (chase not currently in the upper bed) which is inked from the ink disk above it like a Gordon.

That would be pretty strange, but I have seen some pretty odd platen press patent drawings for two color presses. Am I seeing it wrong?

Daniel Morris
The Arm Letterpress
Brooklyn, NY

It is a single color press with 1 chase. The upper rollers just bring the ink from the fountain and ink disc to the ink drum. It might be an engraving press but nobody at the Bureau of Printing and Enraving can identify it.

So let me get this straight- one set of rollers get ink from the top disk and transfer it to the plate below. Another set of rollers get ink from the plate and take them to the steel drum. Another set of rollers take the ink from the drum to the form. That seems like some pretty serious overkill in the inking department! Whatever it was for must have required very even ink coverage.

It is certainly an odd duck. Have you asked Steve Saxe?

Daniel Morris
The Arm Letterpress
Brooklyn, NY