Koenig,
under the penalty of Six Thousand Pounds.
"(Signed) T. Bensley,
"Friederich Konig.
"Witness--J. Hunneman."
Koenig now proceeded to put his idea in execution. He prepared
his plans of the new printing machine. It seems, however, that
the progress made by him was very slow. Indeed, three years
passed before a working model could be got ready, to show his
idea in actual practice. In the meantime, Mr. Walter of The
Times had been seen by Bensley, and consulted on the subject of
the invention. On the 9th of August, 1809, more than two years
after the date of the above agreement, Bensley writes to Koenig:
"I made a point of calling upon Mr. Walter yesterday, who, I am
sorry to say, declines our proposition altogether, having (as he
says) so many engagements as to prevent him entering into more."
It may be mentioned that Koenig's original plan was confined to
an improved press, in which the operation of laying the ink on
the types was to be performed by an apparatus connected with the
motions of the coffin, in such a manner as that one hand could be
saved. As little could be gained in expedition by this plan, the
idea soon suggested itself of moving the press by machinery, or
to reduce the several operations to one rotary motion, to which
the first mover might be applied. Whilst Koenig was in the
throes of his invention, he was joined by his friend Andrew F.
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