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This press first appeared in 1899, seven years after the company was founded. It was designed to eliminate the tedium of hand delivery, common to earlier platens and so allow the operator more control, less motion and thus greater productivity! The sheet was fed to guides (lays) on a fixed horizontal feed-board from whence it was taken by grippers to the platen, held whilst printed and then passed on to another set of grippers which passed underneath the platen and deposited the sheet to a delivery table situated at the rear of the press. E. A. Hutchings 'Printing by Letterpress' (1964) states the idea was developed by Frederick Waite in 1904 (note this date conflicts with the Otley Museum booklet 'Otley & The Wharfedale Printing Machine' by Paul Wood, which states 1899) and was based on Godfrey's Gripper Platen of 1883.
The Falcon was a strongly constructed heavy duty clamshell-type, pivoted at the base of the platen, with impression throw-off, full width ink fountain and equipped with four good sized inkers.
Automatic feeders were introduced sometime around 1913. They could be wheeled away when desired to allow the operator to hand-feed.
Many Falcons were manufactured over the years, the last in 1966 when the company was absorbed by Crabtree-Vickers.
Photo courtesy Herwig Kempenears.
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