United labor bulletin., 1911-01-19
Printing Without Ink Need No Ink Makers
New Paper ProCess--New Papermakers

did not matter whether the pressure was
heavy or light, uniformly or unevenly
distributed; SO long as a clear contact
was established the imprint was OBJ
tanned. These experiments were ex
tremely crude for there was only a slab
of zinc, instead Of the original tin, laid
on the bench to serve as a bed, upon
which the moistened paper was laid,
while physical effort served to supply
the pressure. In these primitive trials
with two simple wires from a battery,
however, he discovered one or two vital
factors. Density of the impression var
led according to the strength of the cur
rent, while it was essential that the posi-
tive pole should be connected to the zinc
and the negative ito the type.
The first impressions with ordinary
paper slightly moistened SO as to i'm
prove conductivity always produced a
| brownish imprint, so he at once set to
work to devise ways and means of Sc
curing jet black impression. This
quest entailed dipping into exhaustive
chemical experiments in relation to the
action of the electric current, and it was
some time before he discovered what
chemical it was Necessary to add to the
paper to bring about the desired result.
Test after test was made, first with this
chemical and then with that, some mex
pensive and easily available. others very
costly and more difficult to procure. The
search was at first very elusive, for he
could not secure permanency, or if such
were gained the paper in course of time
blackened under the combined action of
the chemical and the electric current.
For ten years he has wrestled with the
problem and now complete success has
attended his efforts, and it has been
found that the most satisfactory results
are secured with lead type and paper
4 1T
small proportion OF one of the cheapest
| chemicals obtainable.
The type of pres designed for use
| with this remarkable discovery is, in
| comparison with the ordinary apparatus,
| quantity novel Ink rollers are conspicu-
Gus by their absence, as are also the
pigment ducts It merely comprises
large rollers constituting the metallic
platen sheathed with zinc well insulated,
over which the paper travels, and to
which the positive electric wires are
| connected The type, in the form of
stereo. is bent round another roller
which is similarly insulated and a suit
able connection effected with the mega
tive wire. A few other rollers are neces-
sary TO guide and feed the paper both
to and from the point of contact and so
on. But the most conspicuous feature
is the absence of the ink rolls, ducts and
their pertaining nechanism.
When the discovery was first an
nounced 1t was killed with i'll concealed
skepticism. II vas considered to be
modification of a Photographic process,
such as had been vainly attempted time
after time, and that the impression was
secured by actinic agency. When this
/ was conclusiVely refuted oy practical
| demonstration which showed that the
chemicals impregnated with the paper
were not Influenced by actinicism. but
were purely oXidized by the passage OF
/ the electric current at every point where
| the type was brought into contact with
the paper, and then only superdcially. 1t
was declared TO be but temporary i'm
! preston. and one that would disappear
| by chemical reaction or by the effluXion
OF time.
The invention like many others was
premature. and the critics refused to
realize that such an achievement was
possessed of any commercial value. True,
at that time it was somewhat primitive
and its possibilities were limited But
the inventor was not a whit dismayed.
He set quietly to work and has continued
his investigations necessarily for several
years past and has now achieved COM
plete sucess-one in which every re
quirement is fully met. and commercial
practicability is assured. To silence cap
tions critics as to deficiency in durability
/ a
| years ago with the type in brown and
1 the Illustrations in black by this means.
Today the type is as clear and as free
| from the slightest sign of fading as If it
had come red-hot from the machine. Nu-
merous subjects were printed on various
grades of paper and the only signs of
visible decay are those of the paper it
self. such as would attend imprints under
ordinary conditions at the same period,
and which are inseparable from wood
pulp.
however. the inventor has made great
strides. He has solved the question of
printing in colors from any subject in re
lief, whether II be type. stereos. halftone
blocks or what not both on paper and
textile fabrics in such way as to be
absolutely permanent and at far less eN-
pense than attends the same operations
on the ordinary machine. In the course
| of his investigations concerning conduct
i've oxydizable chemicals under the
action of the electric current he has
elaborated a wide range of formulae. of
simple character. for achieving the de-
sired end One can now have news
paper printed in all the colors of the
rainbow at a single impression. and any
combination OF colors that can possibly
be conceived is easily obtainabie.
| This phase OF the invention is obvious
| ly secret. but Il is a vital fact that the
color effects are obtained with the cheap
| est chemicals known. either individually
or in combination. This search was pos
sibly the most exasperating phase of the
whole quest. for it involved something
like 5000 experiments. 1t is essential
that printing should be carried out by