IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRO- DUCTION OF COPPER ROLLERS FOR PRINTING CALICO AND OTHER FABRICS."
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Conway, of the Margam Copper Works,
Taibach, South Wales, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRO-
DUCTION OF COPPER ROLLERS FOR PRINTING CALICO AND OTHER FABRICS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Conway at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 20th
July 1857.
I, JOSEPH CONWAY, of the Margam Copper Works, Taibach, South Wales,
do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PRODUCTION OF COPPER ROLLERS FOR PRINTING CALICO AND OTHER FABRICS," to be
as follows:-
Heretofore the copper rollers used for printing calico and other fabrics have
usually been produced by rolling blocks of copper into a round bar, which
were subsequently bored and turned, whereby the requisite internal and
external diameters were produced. Now, according to this Invention, after
boring the copper cylinder is heated, a mandril, the ends of which project
beyond the cylinder, is introduced; these ends are dropped into bearings fixed
on a sliding carriage which is advanced by screws until the copper cylinder is
strongly pressed against an iron roll revolving by engine power. This exterior

page_text: roll is slightly flattened on one side, and at each revolution when this flattened
part comes in the line of the axes of the two rollers the screws are tightened,
and thus the copper cylinder is nipped between the mandril and roll and
expanded. By repeating this process cylinders of any diameter may be
produced without the loss of copper consequent on the process of boring, the
cylinder is then turned and finished in the ordinary manner.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Conway in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
19th January 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
CONWAY, of the Margam Copper Works, Taibach, South Wales, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto n:c,
the said Joseph Conway, Her special licence that I, the said Joseph
Conway, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Joseph Conway, my exccutors, administrators and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION OF COPPER ROLLERS FOR PRINTING CALICO
AND OTHER FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Joseph Conway, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Joseph Conway, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the fol-
Jowing statement thereof, that is to say :-

page_text: Heretofore the copper rollers used for printing calico and other fabrics
have usually been produced by rolling blocks of copper into a round bar,
which were subsequently bored and turned, whereby the requisite internal and
external diameters were produced.
Now, according to this Invention, after boring, the copper cylinder is heated,
a mandril, the ends of which project beyond the cylinder, is introduced; these
ends are dropped into bearings fixed on a sliding carriage which is advanced
by screws until the copper cylinder is strongly pressed against an iron roll
revolving by engine power. This exterior roll is slightly flattened on one side,
and at each revolution when this flattened part comes in the line of the axes
of the two rollers the screws are tightened, and thus the copper cylinder is
nipped between the mandril and roll and expanded. By repeating this
process cylinders of any diameter may be produced without the loss of copper
consequent on the process of boring. The cylinder is then turned and finished
in the ordinary manner.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention I will proceed
more fully to describe the manner of performing the same. A hollow
cylinder of copper having been cast and made true by boring the interior, it is
heated and placed on a mandril, which is of greater length than the copper
cylinder, in order that the ends of the mandril may be supported in suitablo
bearings, and act as one of two rollers. The bearings of this mandril are
arranged to move to and from each other, so that when the mandril is of
comparatively small diameter, the distance of the bearings apart may be only
sufficient simply to allow of space for the copper cylinder to extend in length
as it is rolled between the mandril and a second roller with which it works.
This movement of the bearings will not be necessary where the diameter of
the first mandril is such as to support the copper cylinder without such
provision.
The second roller I prefer to be about three feet diameter, though this may
be varied, and on one side it is made flat for a few inches. This second roller
turns in suitable bearings and is driven by steam or other power. The
bearings of the mandril or inner roller are made capable of being moved by
screws towards the larger roller. After having subjected a copper cylinder to
the pressure of the two rollers, the smaller one is set up to the larger one;
when the flat portion of the larger one is opposite to the smaller roller, and
the copper cylinder is again subjected to a further rolling, when the diameter
of the copper cylinder has been extended and the length increased, another
mandril or inner roller of greater strength may be introduced and the distance

page_text: of the bearings increased if necessary. When the copper cylinder is to be
largely extended in diameter it is to be heated more than once, as will readily
be understood by a workman. The copper cylinder having been rolled to the
size desired it is to be rolled when cold to give it hardness, and the outer
surface is to be turned as heretofore.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Conway, have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Nineteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
GEO. PITT.
JOSEPH CONWAY. (L.S.)