Although Stephen Ruggles was technically the inventor of the platen press, George Phineas Gordon’s presses had a much further reach. The platen presses Gordon marketed went on to be the industry standard until the 1960s and can still be seen in print shops today. Gordon himself did not give much credit to Ruggles invention. Rather, Gordon, an avid spiritualist, claimed that his ideas came from a dream where he was visited by Benjamin Franklin and offered inspiration to create a new printing press. As thanks for this divine inspiration, Gordon called his jobbing press the Franklin Press.

Another name for this press is the Brass Arm Gordon, which refers to the brass arms on the side of the press that hold the rollers.