saroglia platen?

http://www.briarpress.org/29174

That’s a freakin’ beast.

Thanks, I have red this previous post… the pictures at the end of that are taken from one the two links I have attached…

there is no ID/model sign, no serial or anything close to a piece of info on the press :(

I can’t remember ever seeing this particular press, so keep that in mind when reading my comments.

It looks to me like a nice, well made, heavy press. I know that the Italians are good press builders, and that there are a lot of large Italian flexo and gravure presses in North America.

The little lever on the left side of the platen is undoubtedly the throwoff (takes it off impression). It looks like the rails might be adjustable. It has a full length fountain. It looks like it has 4 form rollers (which ink the plate) which is good, it has gripper bars, and it has a treadle. And as an added bonus, there’s no rust!

I think that most any pressperson with letterpress experience, and who is “handy,” could figure out how to run this press.

I don’t know if there are any cracks, breaks or welds in any of the castings, but this should be checked very carefully. Also, it is hard to tell if it is excessively worn unless it can be seen running, especially if it is a somewhat unfamiliar design. (Another thing: when viewing it, one should try to determine if anything is missing. Are there any mounting holes or machined surfaces with nothing attached to them? If so, try to come up with what could have been there, and whether it is essential to the press’s operation).

I’m not sure what the little mechanism under the platen is.

Well, that’s my impression, for what its worth……..

Thanks a lot Geoffrey for your impression and all your comments… Your analysis confirm to me that the “freaking beast” looks in great conditions from the pictures and I am going to see the machine soon to check for cracks and do some printing test.
Also I think that I could check some old letterpress machine book/catalogue to find some information… I will post any piece of news I will have to solve the mistery. But in the meantime if anybody else have any other clue on model/brand of the press it will be really appreciate!

I’m glad to find out, that am not alone with the problem.
This year i bought this press in Nederlands (vide images). Can anyone say at the moment, what manufacturer comes it from? There is no serial on mine too. Nor ID, model sign, so i wanted to ask You, dear BriarPress-Community, for help. Hopefully my pictures will help…

Interesting, that @nellorusso found the same in Italy ;)
Everything is o.k, press is in perfect condition, working fine since i have it. I was told, that rollers can be replaced with these from Heidelberg “windmill”.

9060.jpg

9061.jpg

9048.jpg

Off the topic a bit - but I’m nervous about all that weight resting on just two cross-pieces of the pallet!

Thanks @Circut5, but pics were taken after unpacking in May, fortunately nothing happened during the shipment…

M. I. A.T. museum in Ghent has an extensive collection of letterpress presses etc it might be worth contacting directly in case they have catalogues etc, and/or try this link to various museums in Europe
http://www.aepm.eu/

kind of? reminds me of a Belgian press manufacturer

Just 2 or 3 possible extra pointers, the Little Device under the platen looks very much like the micro adjuster as found on Auto Vics and Vickobolds for final impression adjustments? As stated no discernable identification marks, but normally somewhere on the main frame, or one of the main castings was the reference marks, from the forge that cast the parts, incorporated in the forging. Possibly a red herring, but if that were found, may start the quest off. One more, the extent of the shaft sticking out beyond the flywheel, possibly indicates that it may originally have had a fixed pulley and a free one, implying that it was driven from overhead shafting, If in its original form it only had one fixed pulley/flywheel would expect to see the fly wheel slightly convex to keep the belt running true, where as this may be irrelevant up to a point, access to old literature or archives might just prove to may a connection. Good Luck Mick.

second thought-have you looked under the foot pedal inside that casting there(use a mirror???!!!!!! rather than tip it up!)-very nice press anyways have lots of fun

I found no id marks, but on the left side of the frame, under the wheel, there is empty space - for id plate or maybe an engine mounting?
However, there were some numbers found at almost every part (examples attached) - it will not be easy to find which manufacturer/forge marked these parts with specific numbers… i think ;) Oh, and there is no signs under the pedal.
Thanks for all the tips!
/ws

036.jpg

030.jpg

028.jpg

empty.jpg

Does anyone here know, how many years may it have..
In some printing museum I was told, that “it comes from the turn of the 19th and 20th century…”
Any more accurate suggestion?

One press manufacturer, F. M. Weiler, stamped the ID and SN info on the main drive shaft or gear axle of the press. Have you looked there, rotating the shaft as you look? Not that this is a Weiler press, but maybe the idea got copied.

Bob

One more may be silly potential clue, (as on one of our english built platens) when you remove the chase, stamped into the bed, top right/top left outside the actual printing area, with hand struck number and letter punches, prefix code and serial number, stamped just prior to leaving the factory of origin and recorded. If such were the case and the numbers were there (BIG IF) maybe filled in under operating conditions, as do the machining marks on the bed, which give the appearence of hundreds of tiny tramlines. Apologies if its fruitless but it wont consume many seconds, even if you resort to a magnifying glass. Mick.

@mick
Indeed! Number “3352” is stamped next to the chase holder, but no further signs or letters…

@adiLibPress
Both, main drive shaft and gear axle are built-up, so no marks there too.

@jonathanjeclipse
“the Little Device under the platen” - did You mean the 5th screw in the middle? That works for final impression adjustment.

Thanks for all Your clues and tips!
/ws

Thanks for checking me out, 3352 is almost certainly the stamped in serial number in the production run, and I feel sure that way back the makers would have started at 0001, not 1001 as now, to create the impression (no pun intended) that they were keeping up with the big boys. Therefore if the detective work continues, and it were possible to trawl the archives of european foundries before “Krupps” became king, might shine a tiny light on the subject. In the meantime now with your picture in front of me, and with some of my own tattered books on hand will do a little searching, I inherited/bought a large collection 250+ of books on print, given a lot away, donated many, but kept the ones with illustrations of many early print machines including pictures of steam driven, double feed two story multi cylinder 4 hand fed machines producing less than 1500 copies per hour etc. So it will be about 10% chance of finding such a machine as under discussion. And I would suspect that the makers would also have produced many other types of machines, which would possibly be evident in unrelated (but connectable) archives. Your own Colt Armoury is a perfect example in point, and may even be instrumental in confirming, Yes we could confirm that company “XYZ” in europe was (in competition with us) were producing printing presses as well as armaments. Silly suggestions maybe but as Sherlock Holmes would have said “Elementary my dear Watson” Mick.

I have the same press as the photos posted above. Text below taken from original sales brochure. Hope this is some help.

La Triomphante’
Pedal or Power Operated
HAND-FED PLATEN
(Clam-Shell Type)
Circa 1906

” This new platen press that we now offer Belgian printers is unrivalled in the rigidity of its construction, ease of operation and reliability. The impression arms are wrought iron, the frame is cast in one piece and the gears milled with precision enabling the full surface area of the platen to be utilized with ease. The action is well balanced and quiet. A simple impression regulator is located next to the impression throw-off lever. The press has three forme rollers and a duct roller which roll on adjustable tracks.”

Manufactured by
Carabin-Schildknecht
Rue Herry, 46, - Bruxelles-Nord.
(BELGIUM)

On this site under press gallery you can find more info and pictures http://www.letterpressprinting.com.au/

hey , I guessed right-Belgian press,I have amazed myself…….and Briar continually amazes me too( I just need to cheer up myself this morning and to convince myself I can…).!

The picture called ‘empty’ shows the position for a brake bracket. Often these presses had a brake attached on the flywheel side. You can just make it out on the photo.

brake.jpg

Amazing, indeed :) Thank You very much, Chris kerb, for these information and link!

I cant believe you guys found all this information. I´m looking for a hand fed platen press and have so many problems to find one in Europe, even names of similar presses to the C&P. Does anyone have advice where I could get such presses?

Celinele, I would get the phone book, find all the printers in your area and go and talk to them don’t ring go and see them in person if you are lucky one of them will know someone who has one they are willing to part with.

Celinele- I will keep looking for you, and adding to the information you already have recieved from me re dealers in UK and Europe as best I can-your original post said press with motor but now? you want a treadle?and that I post on Briar, eg Golding in Oxford for restoration and Peerless on ebay that sold for £205 at a bargain price, but not much else is coming up in Uk :maybe it is better to contact letterpress printers where you eventually will locate too(an example is the British Printing Society in Uk) where there is more chance of locating presses-we hear very little from EU countries here, such as the recent posts from Portugal.