Brandtjen and Kluge
Encyclopedia
Brandtjen and Kluge is manufacturer of both platen
and web
foil stamping, embossing & diecutting presses, and folder-gluers. They also distribute blanking systems & cutters. Together John and Henry Brandtjen and the Kluge brothers developed the world's first successful automatic feeder for open platen (Gordon
) printing presses (such as those manufactured by Chandler & Price
), and in November of 1919, Brandtjen & Kluge was formed in St. Paul, Minnesota to manufacture and sell the feeder. It supposedly had a Rube Goldberg machine
reputation, and was "temperamental, subject to frequent breakdowns, and devilishly difficult to repair — but oh, so clever!" This may be the origin of the word kludge
, meaning a quick-and-dirty solution, inelegant, yet effective, solution to a problem.
Platen
A platen is typically a flat metal plate pressed against a medium to cause an impression in letterpress printing...
and web
Web (manufacturing)
A web is a long, thin, and flexible material. Common webs include foil, metal, paper, textile, plastic, and wire. Common processes carried out on webs include coating, plating, and laminating....
foil stamping, embossing & diecutting presses, and folder-gluers. They also distribute blanking systems & cutters. Together John and Henry Brandtjen and the Kluge brothers developed the world's first successful automatic feeder for open platen (Gordon
George Phineas Gordon
George Phineas Gordon was an American inventor, printer and businessman who developed the basic design of the most common printing press ever, the Gordon Letterpress....
) printing presses (such as those manufactured by Chandler & Price
Chandler & Price
Chandler and Price was founded in 1881 in Cleveland, Ohio, by Harrison T. Chandler and William H. Price. They manufactured machinery for printers including a series of hand-fed platen jobbing presses, as well as an automatic feeder for these presses , paper cutters, book presses, and assorted...
), and in November of 1919, Brandtjen & Kluge was formed in St. Paul, Minnesota to manufacture and sell the feeder. It supposedly had a Rube Goldberg machine
Rube Goldberg machine
A Rube Goldberg machine, contraption, device, or apparatus is a deliberately over-engineered or overdone machine that performs a very simple task in a very complex fashion, usually including a chain reaction...
reputation, and was "temperamental, subject to frequent breakdowns, and devilishly difficult to repair — but oh, so clever!" This may be the origin of the word kludge
Kludge
A kludge is a workaround, a quick-and-dirty solution, a clumsy or inelegant, yet effective, solution to a problem, typically using parts that are cobbled together...
, meaning a quick-and-dirty solution, inelegant, yet effective, solution to a problem.