William Bullock (inventor)

William Bullock (* 1813 in Greenville, New York, † April 12, 1867 ) was an American inventor. Its improved web-fed rotary printing press revolutionized with their high speed and efficiency of the printing industry.

Life

William Bullock was 1813 in Greenville ( New York) born. Together with his brother, who raised him after his parents' death, he worked as a mechanic and iron founder. As an avid reader Bullock earned an autodidact extensive knowledge of mechanics and engineering. After various inventions (including a cotton and hay press, as well as a seeder ) he constructed in 1853 a hand-operated printing press with automatic paper feed.

From 1860 perfected William Bullock developed by Richard March Hoe rotary printing machine by connecting a roll paper feed. Condition was the invention of endless paper - ie a paper web from a roll - in 1858 by Alois Ritter Auer von Welsbach, since 1841 director of the Court and State Printing Office at Vienna. On April 14, 1863 Bullock for this construction was granted a patent.

1865 was the first rotary machine Bullocks to the Philadelphia Public Ledger. American newspapers, they celebrated as the " simplest and most robust machine that has ever printed paper." The current of the roll paper is high, then printed on the front by a second cylinder on the rear side is separated and supplied to the boom. The hourly output stood at 12,000 on both sides of printed sheets an eight-page newspaper.

William Bullock died in a tragic accident at his own invention: On April 3, 1867 he tried in setting up one of his new presses the Philadelphia Public Ledger, to bring a kick a driving belt to a drive wheel. Here, his leg fell into the machine and was broken. After a few days, gangrene formed. On April 12, 1867 Bullock died during an operation to amputation of the leg.