Chapter 1032 Hand-cranked roller mimeograph machine

According to the previous experience of the Han tribe in the development of various machines, as well as the theory proposed by the leader, if you want to transform any craft from manual labor to mechanical operation, then the best way is to make it rotate. Only when it rotates can the power source be replaced with something else, such as animal power, water power, wind power, including the current steam power, which are all things that can rotate.

According to this idea, Bai Qi envisioned a new type of printing tool, which is to make a hand-cranked roller with a smooth surface, and then stick wax paper with hollow carvings on the roller, put an ink cartridge on the other side, and then install a paper feeding and peeling device, so that the paper can be quickly printed by shaking the roller.

However, although he is proficient in printing, he knows nothing about mechanical design. He has an idea in his mind, but he doesn't know whether it is suitable or whether it can be made. He doesn't understand manufacturing technology, so he can only ask for help.

But this thing is really difficult for ordinary people to handle. Those who can make machinery don't know printing, and those who know printing don't know machinery. To really make this thing, you need blacksmiths and carpenters, and even the resources of the research institute. After all, all the best craftsmen in the Han tribe are under the management of the research institute, so it is impossible to bypass them to make it yourself.

So after thinking about it, Bai Qi simply reported this idea to Luo Chong. In the field of mechanical research, Luo Chong is the recognized number one in the Han tribe. Moreover, as long as he gets Luo Chong's support, he can mobilize all the resources of the Han tribe. If there are no resources, he can even mobilize troops to develop resources. So as long as the leader approves, it must be feasible.

So, when reporting the progress of the work a few days later, Bai Qi also handed his design sketch and ideas to Luo Chong.

In the study of Luo Chong's house, Bai Qi stood opposite the desk, looking at the leader who was looking at the design sketch with some expectation.

But Luo Chong, who was sitting inside, was shocked when he saw the mechanical sketch. He was shocked.

Hand-cranked roller ink printing machine?

Stencil printing technology?

If he remembered correctly, this thing seemed to have been invented during the Republic of China in his previous life. It was used in conjunction with a Chinese typewriter invented by a Chinese student studying in the United States in 1918 during the late Qing Dynasty

. The two machines complemented each other, one for typing and the other for batch printing. In the era without computers, this thing dominated the Chinese printing industry until around 1990. Many people born in the 1970s and even the 1980s, including some relatively backward areas, used this thing to print their test papers for students. The earliest Chinese newspapers also used this technology to print in batches, and the efficiency was very high.

Luo Chong had even seen these antiques in the National University of Defense Technology's school history museum. According to those professors, Chinese typewriters were not affordable for every unit in that era because they were too complicated and could only be operated by professional typists. Most units simply could not afford typists. However, hand-cranked roller mimeograph machines were quite popular. Almost every school and government agency had one. They were the main mechanical equipment for office printing in that era, from the late Qing Dynasty to the founding of New China before the emergence of computers.

But Luo Chong never thought that someone would come up with this invention now, even though there was no physical object, just a similar idea. More importantly, Bai Qi's idea actually came from that book on textile printing and dyeing.

"Your idea is indeed good, and it is not particularly difficult to realize. How about this, let the comprehensive research institute be responsible for the research and development of this hand-cranked roller printing press. You are more familiar with various printing processes, so you will set various standards for them and let them do the research and development. The

funds for this research and development will be paid by the tribe. "As for wax paper, you will also propose technical indicators to the paper mill and let them develop it. In addition, regarding the problem of wax paper engraving that you mentioned, I have some other ideas about this. Since printing can be solved by machinery, can we also design a machine to replace manual labor for typesetting and typing, such as a typewriter? "

Hearing Luo Chong's arrangement, Bai Qi was very excited, very thrilled, very confused and very shocked.

He was excited because he did not expect the leader to support this matter so readily. He was confused because he thought that even if a research institute was involved, it would definitely be the Xingang County Power Research Institute that excels in the mechanical field. As a result, Luo Chong asked him to find a comprehensive research institute to cooperate.

What shocked him even more was that Luo Chong actually learned from his example. He had just proposed to invent a printing press, and before he even started, Luo Chong proposed to build a typewriter. But he had no idea what a typewriter was.

"Chief, what is the principle of this typewriter? How is it made?" "Bai Qi racked his brains to figure it out, so he just asked.

"A typewriter also has a roller at the back, and wax paper is pasted on the roller, and a wooden box is made underneath to put all the metal type in it, and then a grabbing and striking device is placed on top that can move in all directions to pick out the type. After the type is selected, the type is clamped and struck on the roller at the back to achieve the mechanical needs of typing or engraving. "

Luo Chong described the structure of the Chinese typewriter according to his memory, but Bai Qi couldn't imagine it at all, because it is really hard for people who have never seen it to imagine it, not only for ancient people, but also for modern people who have been exposed to keyboards since childhood, because the Chinese typewriters of that era did not have keyboards. Although it was called typing, its shape was more like a telegraph machine, and its operation was like typing a telegram.

Moreover, this typewriter was very inefficient. Its main principle was actually no different from that of a type picker, which was to fill a wooden plate with thousands of commonly used metal movable types, and then rely on the eyes to quickly find the position of the movable type, and then operate the metal clamps to clamp the movable type (seal) and print it on paper.

Therefore, the typist who operated this machine, even a skilled typist, could only type about 20 words a minute, which was a world of difference from the modern code farmers who type 200 words a minute on the computer. It can be said to be very backward.

But No matter how backward it is, you have to compare it with whom. Compared with the current typesetting technology of the Han tribe, the typewriter is the one in the sky. No matter how much you compare, picking up words manually is not as good as picking up words mechanically. This is still comparing movable type printing technology. If it is woodblock printing, it is even more incomparable. A typewriter can type twenty words in a minute. How long will it take you to carve twenty words with a knife? This is obviously not a comparison.

To be frank, if a typewriter can be made now, it is equivalent to the existence of black technology.

And as far as Luo Chong knows, the previous typewriters actually have shortcomings. The shortcomings are not in the mechanical structure, but in the arrangement of movable type. At that time, the typewriters in newspapers, schools and other units were used to arrange in the order of radicals and components. So when you pick up a word, you must first recall in your mind how to write this word, what the radical is, and what the rest is. This undoubtedly increases the difficulty of picking up words and slows down the speed.

But if the Han tribe changed the arrangement of movable type to arrange according to pinyin, this tedious step could be omitted. They could be arranged according to horizontal and vertical coordinates, with the vertical coordinate arranged according to the first letter of pinyin and the horizontal coordinate arranged according to the finals. In this way, when the typist needed to find the character, he did not need to remember how to write the character. He only needed to silently recite the pronunciation of the character in his mind, and he could quickly find the movable type through the horizontal and vertical coordinates.

According to this method, if a skilled worker is familiar with the arrangement of movable type, it is possible to improve the typing efficiency from 20 words per minute to 50 words per minute.

The speed of 50 words per minute is already better than most people who type on computer keyboards today, and it can be called the black technology of this era.

Therefore, when Luo Chong drew a sketch of the typewriter on paper and explained its principle, Bai Qi's eyes suddenly lit up, and his admiration for Luo Chong was simply incomparable. This was too amazing. He just proposed a printing press idea, and the leader could immediately associate it with a typewriter, and it sounded very operational and could really be made.

"The leader is really amazing. The idea of ​​this typewriter is really great. If this thing really exists, then our printing department's type pickers will have an easier time.

"Also, the invention of this thing is not only for its own use. Even if a typewriter cannot be made, the pinyin arrangement method of movable type proposed by the leader alone can greatly improve the typesetting efficiency as long as it is taken back and used in the typesetting room.

"But I still don't understand why the leader didn't let me go to Xingang County to ask for the participation of the Power Research Institute for mechanical problems, but went to the Comprehensive Research Institute instead. Aren't they all researching alternative tools, such as lamps, cameras, rubber wheels, etc." Bai Qi first admired Luo Chong's wisdom, and then asked about his doubts.

Luo Chong shook his head and replied, "You are wrong. There are two main reasons why you were asked to go to the No. 1 Institute on Huxin Island instead of the No. 2 Institute in Xingang County. First, the No. 2 Institute is too busy now. They don't have time to develop new projects. They haven't completed many of the research and development projects I have arranged now, so how can they have time to do this.

"The second is that the No. 1 Institute is not ignorant of machinery. On the contrary, they have taken a different path from the No. 2 Institute. The No. 2 Institute is committed to the research and development and manufacturing of large-scale power machinery, while the No. 1 Mechanical Department is now specializing in small and sophisticated equipment, such as the mechanical clock and scales that were produced during the New Year's Day last year. Their current strength in developing small precision machinery is actually not weaker than that of the No. 2 Institute.

"So if you let the first institute make things like printing presses and typewriters, they will be better than the second institute. On the contrary, if you want to build an automated printing production line, I will definitely suggest you go to the second institute, because that is the second institute's strength."

"So that's how it is. Then the rice transplanter that is currently on pre-sale in the market is also made by the second institute?" Bai Qi nodded in sudden realization, and then asked another question casually.

"That's right, but that was not made by the second institute itself, but by a carpenter at the Liuyang County shipyard, but it was placed in the second institute for improvement and mass production." Luo Chong explained, and then said no more.

"Oh, it seems that the second institute is indeed not good at small machinery, but chief, our printing press and typewriter, when do you think it would be appropriate to start working on it?" Bai Qi asked again.

"Go as soon as possible. When you have time in the next few days, go to the island in the middle of the lake and tell them about the printing press, typewriter, and wax paper. Arrange the tasks first, but don't rush them. Anyway, this thing is not very urgent. It's not too late to start research and development after the new year."

Luo Chong immediately arranged it for Bai Qi. Bai Qi kept nodding, indicating that he understood. After the matter was explained, he said goodbye.

At this time, Xiaodie also brought a pot of freshly cooked sweet tofu pudding over. These days, Luo Chong soaked in the study every day, sitting all day. Sweets can keep the brain excited, so it's appropriate to have some.

Seeing Xiaodie coming in, Luo Chong immediately smiled and said, "Did you see Bai Qi who just came?"

"Yes, I saw him. What's wrong with him?" Xiaodie asked in confusion.

She knew Bai Qi. He was the head of the printing department of the Han tribe. Even her own books were typed and printed by this person. Recently, because of the essay collection activities, he often went home. How could Xiaodie not know him?

"You also said that no one reads your book. Do you know how much knowledge Bai Qi gained from reading your book?" Luo Chong asked Xiaodie with a smile.

Xiaodie was even more confused after hearing this, "Him? What can he learn? He is a text printer. I write about the history of the development of the textile industry. There is no connection between them. Could it be that he is also interested in weaving? He wants you to find him a new job?" Xiaodie asked with a burst of imagination.

Luo Chong rolled his eyes and said speechlessly, "What are you thinking about? He is too busy with his own things to have time to think about weaving. He learned about the batik technology of cloth from your book and thought that the hollow batik technology of cloth is very similar to printing, so he designed a hand-cranked roller printing machine specifically for printing. Today he came to ask me if it is feasible.

"Of course I agreed. His idea is very good. Once it can be realized, our text printing efficiency will be higher and the printing cost will be lower. Only when books that carry knowledge are cheaper can it be more conducive to our comprehensive implementation of the policy of universal education. "

Xiao Die opened her mouth in surprise and stared at Luo Chong in shock. After a while, she asked, "This works too? ! Can hollow batik be used on printing paper?"

Luo Chong then told Bai Qi about the idea of ​​using wax paper to make hollow plates and then using ink rollers for rapid printing. Xiao Die was amazed and immediately became happy. It turned out that the book she wrote was also useful, and it could play such a huge role after others read it. It even indirectly accelerated the development of printing technology in the Han tribe. How could this not make people excited?

On the other hand, she also began to be interested in this so-called roller printing technology. Since the same technology can be used in printing, can it also be used in the printing and dyeing of cloth? If possible, can the printing technology be used to feed back the textile printing and dyeing industry?

(End of this chapter)