Most of the patents prior to 1836 were lost in the Dec. 1836 fire. Only about 2,000 of the almost 10,000 documents were recovered. Little is known about this patent. Only the patent drawing is available. This patent is in the database for reference only.

In 1858 Adams's business became the property of Hoe & Co., who continued to manufacture the machines with added improvements. In all more than a thousand, in no less than fifty-seven sizes, were sold for use in the United States, some being sent to other countries. In these machines, the type is placed upon an iron bed, after the usual manner of the hand press, and this bed is raised and lowered by straightening and bending a toggle joint by means of a cam, thus giving the impression upon the iron platen fixed above it, and firmly held in position by upright iron rods secured to the bottom bar, a strong cross-piece, at the base of the machine. The ink fountain is at one end of the press; the inking rollers travel twice over the form, in a movable frisket frame, while the bed is down; the paper is taken in by grippers on the frisket and carried over the form, when the bed rises and the impression is given; and finally the sheets pass forward from the frisket by tapes to a sheet flier, which delivers them on the fly board. One thousand sheets per hour is the maximum speed of the larger sizes of the Adams press. Although many of these machines were made and great numbers are still used, and notwithstanding the fact that it was thought by many experienced printers that fine book and cut work could be done.

A Short History of the Printing Press, 1902, pg. 11

(To be filled in.)

• USPTO pdf
• "Vintage Machinery" entry for R. Hoe & Co.