John Jardine platen

[Pi]

We have acquired a John Jardine platen, from one of the local printers that passed on recently, Ron Woods, of Ron Woods Printing Co., Stratford, New Zealand. Ron was a fine gent and one of the old school when it came to skills in print. There was nothing he didn't know or couldn't figure out in print. Getting back to his machine, the John Jardine platen, I wondered if any of the members knew much more than I am about to write. I have seen a picture of a different model in a 1913 issue of British Printer I have at home, but I have not been able to find anything on the www. The details of the machine: Stamped on it, "British And Best, John Jardine Ltd, Nottingham,  Demy Folio, No. 21".
It weighs around half a ton, at a guess and stands close to 6 feet tall. The ink disk and roller took three of us to safely lift it off when we shifted the machine.
Hopefully, the picture I attach will reproduce well enough.
The curved spokes in the flywheel, makes me guess the press was built around 1890? Anyone got anything to offer about that?
Terry
TATATM

[Dave Hughes]

Hi Terry, looks like an interesting, and possibly rare,  press.

Found this in the Letpress archives:

The April 1952 British Printing Society Newsletter (then known as the ISPA 
Newsletter) reviewed the Dalton No. 3D Hand Platen machine, available for £40 
from Dalton Engineering in Blyth, Northumberland. The article ends "This
(press)  is one of the well-known range formerly produced by John Jardine Limited,
the  name "Jardine" having been a household word in the printing industry for
over  half a century."