Poco Proof Press

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The cotter pins holding the casters on the axles are 3/32" x 1.5"

 

The taper pins are all #5.  I found them in stock at my local Ace Hardware.


In the pictures above and below, you can see the brass galley plate I've added to the bed of my press.  It's 0.05" of brass, about 12.5" x 18.5".  Galley plates were originally provided with the presses, but mine seems to have gone astray over the years.  Cold-rolled steel is the economical alternative.


It's easy to pop the taper pins out, and since the galley plate is the same thickness as a galley, this gives us a nice way to slide a form between a galley and the bed.






The serial number on my press was on top one of the bed rails, near one end, by the gear train.  Other people have reported that their presses have no visible serial number.


There are several 5/16-18 bolts holding things together.  Eight are 1" long and six are 1.25" long. The head of these bolts should take a 9/16" socket.  Indeed, all but two of mine did; the two oddballs were slightly too large.  Pretty surprising.  I got them out using a 15mm socket, then replaced them all with grade-8 flange head bolts.  Below you can see one of the originals (silver) and the replacement.



The tympan on my Poco when it arrived was old and torn.  Measuring it, it was 12.5" wide and 27" long.

The packing under the tympan is 18" long.

Poco's are designed to be used with a galley, so the space between the bed and the cylinder is 0.968", or galley high.  To reduce it to 0.918", or type high, either a galley must be used or a 0.05" galley plate can be added on top of the bed (but see the discussion on adjusting.  You'll need packing too).
 
Comparing this picture (serial #1124, from http://www.garloo.com/poco_proof_press.htm) to mine, I see several differences.
 
 
  • There are ears at the 4 corners of the frame for mounting bolts.  Mine has nothing comparable  (well, maybe it used to and they were cut off).
  • There are many (perhaps 12) bolts holding the gear onto the cylinder.  Mine has only 6.
  • There are 3 long axles, 1 for each pair of casters.  Mine has 6 short axles, 1 per caster (see below).


    His has an earlier serial number, so it may be that the differences reflect changes through the years.  I'll have to examine more presses to learn how things evolved.
     
    I've also seen pictures of Poco's where the cylinder is supported by six spokes (for example, Philip Gallo's #1534).  My cylinder has only 4 spokes.
     


    The Poco #1 above belongs to Neil Peck.  Comparing to my Poco #0, I see several differences:
    • The inking table (supported by the red parts above the cylinder) has 2 supports, one on either side of the cylinder.  Looks like it would swing up and out of the way.
    • The cylinder is supported by ball bearings, versus the plain bearings on the Poco 0.
    • There are gear tracks on both ends of the bed, surely making for smoother operation.
    • The center structure under the bed is quite a bit different, probably more robust.
    • The cylinder has 4 spokes, the gear ring is attached to the cylinder with 6 bolts.
    • The spindle rod on the cylinder is more complex than the one on a Poco #0, with some sort of spring mechanism (I need to inspect one in person to understand it).
    • It has some sort of spring-loaded shock absorbers to limit the table travel.
    • And, of course, it has a bigger bed.


    The Poco #2 above belongs to Mirabel Press.  These seem quite similar to the Poco #1, with the exception of a still larger bed.