What is "cyclostyle"

Cyclostyle \Cy"clo*style\ (s?"kl?-st?l), n. [Cyclo + style.] A contrivance for producing manifold copies of writing or drawing. The writing or drawing is done with a style carrying a small wheel at the end which makes minute punctures in the paper, thus converting it into a stencil. Copies are transferred with an inked roller.

n. 1 (context architecture English) A circular group of columns without a core. 2 A device used to make copy of a drawing or writing, via small punctures made in the outline vb. To use such a wheel and puncture device to make copies.

1. n. a writing implement with a small toothed wheel that cuts small holes in a stencil

2. v. print with an implement with small toothed wheels that cuts small holes in a stencil

A cyclostyle (from the Greek words for "circle" and "column") is a term used in architecture. A structure composed of a circular range of columns without a core is cyclostylar; with a core the range would be peristyle. This is the species of edifice called "monopteral" by Vitruvius.

The Cyclostyle duplicating process is a form of stencil copying. A stencil is cut by small toothed wheels on waxed or glazed paper. A large number of small dots are cut out in the glazed paper, removing the glaze at the dots, then ink is applied. It was invented in the later 19th century by David Gestetner, who named it "cyclostyle" after a drawing tool he used. Its name incorporates " stylus", classical Latin word for a pen.

In year 1893 Francis Galton gave the following brief description of a cyclostyle:

"The cyclostyle, which is an instrument used for multiple writing, makes about 140 dots to the inch. The style has a minute spur-wheel or roller, instead of a [pen] point ; the writing is made on stencil paper, whose surface is covered with a brittle glaze. This is perforated by the teeth of the spur-wheel wherever they press against it. The half perforated sheet is then laid on writing paper, and an inked roller is worked over the glaze. The ink passes through the perforations and soaks through them on to the paper below ; consequently the impression consists entirely of short and irregular cross bars or dots."

In 1875 Thomas Edison received a patent for the " electric pen", which a decade later was superseded by the mimeograph machine. The cyclostyle was a more automated type of mimeograph machine that produced reproductions faster. See stencil duplicator and Gestetner Cyclograph Company.

In 1893 Francis Galton described a system for sending line drawings through the widely established telegraph system, using simple numeric codes, and printing out the line drawings at the other end from the codes. He referred to this printer as a "Cyclostyle". It contained elements of Gestetner's system, and also elements in common with modern computer graphics printing of line drawings.