IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING ROLLERS AND BLANKETS USED BY PRINTERS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Muir, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING ROLLERS
AND BLANKETS USED BY PRINTERS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
EMPLOYED THEREFOR."
Sealed the 17th March 1868, and dated the 21st September 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Muir at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 21st September
1867.
I, THOMAS MUIR, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
do hereby declare the nature of the said "IMPROVEMENTS. IN WASHING ROLLERS
AND BLANKETS, USED BY PRINTERS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREFOR," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention, which relates to an improved mode of washing the rollers
and blankets used by letter-press printers, consists as follows:-The rollers to
be washed. are placed with their journals resting in brackets projecting
upwards from a trough; in the trough a large revolving can or drum is
placed, the can or drum being covered with blanket. The rollers to be
washed are, so disposed that when placed in the brackets their surfaces rest or
bear. upon the flannel covered surface of the large revolving can or drum, and
when the latter is revolved its frictional contact with the printing, rollers causes
them also. to revolve. Across the top of the washing machine a perforated

page_text: pipe extends, and it is connected at the centre or thereabouts with a vessel or
reservoir containing the washing fluid, which as the machine is in action drops
through the perforations on to the rollers, and these being rubbed by the action
of the blanket on their surfaces during the time that the washing liquid is
falling causes the ink and other matter adhering to them to be removed. The
washing is finished by running pure clean water over the rollers after the
washing liquid has been used.
In connection with this Invention it is preferred to use any one or more of
the ordinary printers' washes at present in use. In using this apparatus for
washing printers' blankets the blankets are placed within the large revolving
drum, some parts of which are perforated so that the liquid contained in the
trough may pass therein, and the interior of the drum being fluted, or corru-
gated, or formed with bars the rubbing action produced by these surfaces and
balls placed therein as the drum is revolved causes the ink and dirt to 'be
washed out.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Muir in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th
March 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
MUIR, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of
Her reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Thomas Muir, Her special license that I, the said Thomas Muir, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas
Muir, my executors, administrators, or 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 WASHING
ROLLERS AND BLANKETS USED BY PRINTERS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
EMPLOYED THEREFOR," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Thomas Muir, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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

page_text: 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 Thomas Muir, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My said Invention, which relates to an improved mode of washing the
rollers and blankets used by letter-press printers, consists as follows:-The
rollers to be washed are placed with their journals resting in brackets pro-
jecting upwards from a trough. In the trough a large revolving can'or drum
is placed, the can or drum being covered with blanket. The rollers to be
washed are so disposed that when placed on the blankets their surfaces rest or,
bear upon the flannel covered surface of the large revolving can or drum,
and when the latter is revolved its frictional contact with the printing rollers
causes them also to revolve. Across the top of the washing machine a per-
forated pipe extends, and it is connected at the centre or thereabouts with a
vessel or reservoir containing the washing fluid, which as the machine is in.
action drops through the perforations on to the rollers, and these being rubbed.
by the action of the blanket on their surfaces during the time that the washing
liquid is falling causes the ink and other matter adhering to them to be
removed. The washing is finished by running clean water over the rollers
after the washing liquid has been used.
In connection with this Invention it is preferred to use any one or more of
the ordinary printers' washers at present in use. In using this apparatus for
washing printers' blankets the blankets are placed within the large revolving
drum, and the interior of the drum being fluted, or corrugated, or formed with
bars the rubbing action produced by the surfaces and balls placed therein,
as the drum is revolved causes the ink and dirt to be washed out.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood I now
proceed more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner in or
under which the same is or may be used or practically carried into effect,
reference being had to the explanatory Sheet of Drawings which I have
bereunto appended, that is to say:-
Figure 1 is a side elevation, Figure 2 an end elevation, Figure 3. a plan,
and Figure 4 a transverse section taken through the centre of a roller and
blanket washing machine constructed according to my Invention, and arranged
so that it may either be driven by hand labour or other motive power.
The machine, as shown in the annexed Sheet of Drawings, consists of a

page_text: drum A constructed by preference of wood and built up in staves on cast-iron
or other ends, as shown in Figure 4. In order to provide a soft surface for
washing the printing rollers a the drum A is covered with blanket, which is
again covered with "Macintosh" cloth or other suitable material. A recipro-
cating motion is given to the drum A by cutting the boss 6 which is formed
on each end of the drum at a suitable angle in different directions, which act
against pins fixed in the standards S. Bis the can for holding the "lye,"
which is conveyed to the rollers a through the perforated pipe c. After the
ink on the printing rollers has been thoroughly softened by the application of
the "lye," and the reciprocating rubbing motion of the revolving cylinder A, a
stream of water is admitted to the pipe D and ejected through perforations in
the pipe for the purpose of washing the ink from the drum. To effect this more
quickly a rubber or scraper is provided which consists of a light bar of T-iron c,
Figures 3 and 4, to the rib of which there is attached a strip of vulcanized
india-rubber. To each end of the bar c a lever d is attached, which is carried
upon a rod e, Figures 3 and 4. The scraper is prevented from coming into con-
tact with the drum A by holding the lever f in a suitable catch, but when rollers
are being washed the lever f is relieved from the catch, the india-rubber spring
pulls back the lever f, and the scraper c is pressed against the surface of the
drum A, which prevents the water from being carried round by and also dries
the surface of the drum. The waste water and "lye" are caught in the
trough F, which is provided with a cock h to run off the water; or the "lye"
may be saved for future use by fitting a water-tight division in the bottom
of the trough F, as shown dotted in Figure 4. The rod e is fitted in the
centre of the bottom of the trough F, and a scraper fitted in each compart-
ment, so that the water is caught in one compartment and the "lye" in the
other. i, i, are brackets in which the rollers a which are to be washed are
carried. The "thin" printing rollers are preferred to be washed on the top
of the drum A, whilst the "thick" rollers are placed at the sides; these
brackets are supported on the pipes D, E, and may be shifted to suit any
length of rollers which are to be cleaned. The machine may be driven by
the handle G, or with other motive power by means of the belt passing over
the pulleys H, the centre pulley being fast, and the two side pulleys loose, one
of which is driven with an open belt, and the other with a cross belt to give a
reverse motion when washing blankets. The blanket washing is effected
inside of the drum A, the blankets are put into the drum by the doors m, and by
means of the flutes k formed on the inner surface of the drum and a number
of wooden balls which are put in the blankets are effectually cleaned by
revolving the drum in alternately reverse directions.

page_text: Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in
or under which the same is or may be used or practically carried into effect,
I would observe in conclusion that what I do consider as novel and original and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The general arrangement and construction of machinery or appa-
ratus for washing printing rollers and blankets, substantially as herein-before
described.
Second. Giving a horizontal reciprocating motion to the washing drum as
it revolves, thereby cleaning the printing rollers more quickly.
Third. Removing the waste water and "lye" from the washing drum by
means of a scraper, at the same time effecting the removal of all the water
from the printing rollers, which prevents them from being damaged by drops
of water being left on them.
Fourth. The effecting a saving in the cost of cleaning printing rollers by
using the "lye" for repeated cleaning operations instead of letting it run to
waste after being once used as at present practised.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Muir, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of March, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-eight.
THOMAS MUIR. (L.S.)