IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING ON CALICO AND OTHER SIMILAR WOVEN FABRICS
Year: 1885

page_text: I ALEXANDER STEVENSON YOUNG of the firm of William Rumney and Company
of Stubbins Print Works, Ramsbottom in the County of Lancaster Calico printers
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING ON
CALICO AND OTHER SIMILAR WOVEN FABRICS to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is principally to print the same pattern upon both
sides of a fabric at one time and upon exactly the same spot by means of the
ordinary cylinder printing machine, without the use of the additional cylinder and
other apparatus usually employed for this purpose.
"
I engrave two copper rollers exactly alike one for the face, and one for the back,
for example a single color pattern; but any number of colours can be printed in by
means of surface rollers, working along with the engraved copper roller. In the
first instance I print from the engraved roller onto a bump," grey cloth, or any
suitable material that allows the colour to leave it easily. I then enter the white
cloth or other material past the rollers that have printed on the "bump" or grey
or other material, in front of a plain copper roller which gives it a "nip," and
takes an impression or transfer onto the back of the white cloth. This cloth then
passes on to be printed on the face side by the other rollers in the ordinary way.
The colours on both sides may be alike, or otherwise, i,e, olive on one side and red
on the other.
To print four colours I take one copper engraved roller and three surface rollers,
these print the transfer or back,-while the face side is printed with four engraved
copper rollers in the ordinary way, fitting the pattern exactly on top of the transfer
which when finished is equal in appearance to cloth printed on a double cylinder
printing machine.
The essential novel feature of my invention is the transferring of the printed
pattern from the grey or other material to the back of the cloth, then printing on
the face on the top of the transfer, the same being performed by a single operation
in a single cylinder or common printing machine.
By another modification of this process I can dispense with the "bump" or
other fabric and at the same time print a second piece of calico or other material.

page_text: This I do by passing a piece of printing calico or other similar fabric between
the "bump " and the first printing roller, so that this piece of calico receives the
first pattern instead of the bump, and transfers it to the back of the cloth as in
the first instance-And it will be found that this additional piece of calico
transfers only a portion of the colour, forming the pattern to the back of the other
piece and retaining the rest, and by this means I print two pieces of calico at once,
one on both sides and the other on one side only.
In cases where the additional pieces of calico or other fabric is of sufficient
thickness it may be substituted for the "bump," entirely and thus the latter may
be dispensed with.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Printing on Calico and other similar Woven
Fabrics.
I ALEXANDER STEVENSON YOUNG of the firm of William Rumney & Co. of
Stubbins Print Works Ramsbottom in the County of Lancaster Calico Printer
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING
ON CALICO AND OTHER SIMILAR WOVEN FABRICS" and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
The object of this invention is principally to print the same pattern upon both
sides of a fabric at one time and upon exactly the same spot by means of the
ordinary cylinder printing machine, without the use of the additional cylinder and
other apparatus usually employed for this purpose; but it will also be seen from
the following description that I am enabled without departing from my principle
to print upon two or even three pieces at one time.
My invention will be clearly understood upon reference to the annexed diagram
of my improvements.
In carrying out my invention I engrave two (or three) copper rollers exactly
alike to suit the face and back of the cloth.
For example a single colored pattern is engraved; but any number of colors
can be printed on the cloth by means of surface raised copper rollers, whereby the
depressions in the raised copper rollers pass over the printed parts of the cloth
without bruising those wished to be preserved.
I mount the said printing rollers A¹, A³, A³, on an ordinary single cylinder
machine the bowl of which is shown in the diagram and marked B.
In the first place I may print from one of the said rollers A¹ onto a piece of
grey cloth or similar material which has previously been rendered sufficiently
absorbent to take the color or mordant and to allow the said color to leave it easily
and cleanly.
<
I prefer however to print from the above named roller A', onto a piece of white
bleached cloth marked 1, on the diagram, and passing from its roller R round the
bowl or cylinder of the machine in the direction indicated by the arrows.
I then enter a second piece of white bleached cloth 2, similar in texture and
width to the cloth 1 and coming from its roller S, beyond the roller A¹, which has
printed on the said cloth 1 and in front of a plain copper roller C which gives it a
nip" and causes an impression to be taken or transferred from the cloth 1 onto
the back of the cloth 2, which then passes on to be printed on the face side by a
second roller A' in the ordinary manner.
The colors on both sides may be alike and thus two pieces of cloth will be
printed simultaneously; the cloth 1, being printed on one side only and the cloth 2
on both sides, or two colors may be employed and then the cloth 1, would be
printed in one color and the cloth 2 in different colors, say olive on one side and
red on the other.
It will be seen from the diagram, that this arrangement may readily be modified
so as to print three pieces of similar material simultaneously, as all that is necessay

page_text: to effect this is to enter another piece of white bleached cloth 3 of similar texture
and width from the roller T beyond the printing roller A³ and in front of a second
plain copper roller C which causes an impression to be taken or transferred from
the face of cloth 2 to the back of cloth 3, which then passes on to be printed on its
face by a third engraved roller A³. And I thus obtain two cloths 2 and 3. printed
on both sides and one cloth 1. printed one side only.
It is evident that a great variety of effects may be obtained by these means by
the use of different colors, and I would here remark that the colors or mordants
used on the transferring cloth or cloths should be mixed to the proper consistency
or strength so that the impression given thereby and left thereon may not
be weak.
As the printing rollers A¹ A² A³ can be adjusted with the utmost nicety the
cloths 2 and 3. (or alone as the case may be) can be printed upon both sides at
exactly the same parts and thus I obtain double faced fabrics such as are known as
reversible blinds very economically and at the same time perfectly printed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is-
First. Printing upon a previously prepared grey cloth or similar material with
colors or mordants of suitable consistency and strength and transferring the pattern
from the face of such fabric to the back of a piece of bleached cloth or calico upon
the face of which a pattern is then printed substantially as hereinbefore.described
and shown on the annexed diagram.
Secondly. The transfer of the superfluous color or colors from one printed piece
of cloth or calico to one side of another piece of similar material which is after-
wards printed upon the other side in such a manner as to produce a reversible.
fabric as hereinbefore set forth.
Thirdly. The simultaneous printing of three pieces of calico or other fabric of
uniform width and texture by transferring to one side of a piece of cloth or calico
(which is afterwards suitably printed on the other side) a pattern from one side of
a similar piece of cloth or fabric which has previously been printed for that purpose
and has also received upon its other side or surface an impression or pattern
transferred from the face of another similar piece of cloth substantially as herein.'
before set forth and illustrated by the annexed diagram.
Dated thin 6th day of Santambar 1886