IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SUPPLYING TYPE FORMS IN PRINTING PRESSES WITH VARIOUS COLOURED INKS FOR EACH IMPRESSION.
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the "International.
Patent Office," No. S, Sonthampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer, for the Invention
of IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SUPPLYING TYPE FORMS IN PRINTING
PRESSES WITH VARIOUS COLOURED INKS FOR EACH IMPRESSION. "A com-
munication from abroad by George Washington Wood, of Richmond,
Indiana. United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 22nd February 1868.
1, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office,"
No. S, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SUPPLYING TYPE FORMS
IN PRINTING PRESSES WITH VARIOUS COLOURED INKS FOR EACH IMPRESSION,"
communication, to be as follows:-
The said Invention consists partly in the mechanism for transferring
the colours from the ink fountains to segmental plates which transfer
Price 8d1

page_text: the said colours to the type roller, in the means for regulating the
position of the said plates upon their shaft, in the devices whereby each
set of plates is supplied only with its own proper colour, and in the
arrangement of the distributing rollers. The colours are transferred
from ink fountains corresponding in number with the variety of colours
to be employed through the instrumentality of sets of intermediate
distributing rollers. These rollers effect the requisite distribution of the
colours to sets of segmental or sector plates corresponding in number
with the colours to be printed. The said plates are attached to and
revolve with a central shaft, and are made adjustable in relation to each
other by intermediate reglets, so that each set of plates receiving their
own appropriate colour shall transfer the same to a type roller in bands
corresponding with the lines of type in the form intended to receive such
several colours. The central shaft has a number of sides corresponding
with the number of colours to be printed, and the adjustable segmental
plates are arranged upon the said shaft with the intermediate reglets
The latter are constructed to be readily adjusted so that plates of a
proper width may be arranged for each one to receive its proper colour
and transfer the same to the type roller in a band corresponding in width
and position with the line of type designed to be printed in that colour:
The last one of each of the several series of distributing rollers is
connected with the revolving plates by mechanism, whereby each set
of rollers is pushed towards the plates when the set of plates designed
to receive colour from such rollers is passing, and is retracted when the
said plates have passed, so that each consecutive series of sets of plates
shall receive only its own proper colour. The distributing rollers are
connected with each other and continually carry on the work of
distribution whether the last in the series is acting upon the segmental
plates or not.
SPECIFICATION filed in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters 3
Patent, and of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, by the said William
Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 4th September
1020

page_text: Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Consulting
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special
licence, that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as 1. the said William Robert
Lake, my executors, 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 "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SUPPLYING TYPE FORMS IN PRINTING PRESSES WITH
VARIOUS COLOURED INKS FOR EACH IMPRESSION," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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 Paten Office on or
before the Fifth day of September One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-eight.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, 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 following statement, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings forming a part of this Specification:-
The said Invention relates to an improved apparatus for inking forms
of type in several colours, so that a sheet may be printed therefrom in
several colours at one impression, or so that the number of printed sheets
shall correspond with the number of impressions. The feature which
distinguishes this machine or apparatus from all others heretofore known
or used is that the inks of several colours being first properly distributed
upon several distributing rollers are by the use of intermediate segments
sectors, or inking tablets severally transferred to a single type-iuking
roller, from which the several colours arranged in bands upon said type
rollers are simultaneously transferred to the form of type so that a sheet

page_text: may be printed in several colours at a single impression. In no other
apparatus is the distribution of the inks completed upon separate rollers
before being transferred to a common type-inking roller. The ordinary
mode of printing in colours is to print part of the work in one colour
and then changing the form to print another part in another colour, and
so on until all the colours are introduced. Where the attempt has been
made to print in several colours at one impression the machines have
failed, because there was no proper form of distribution of the inks
before being brought upon a common type-inking roller, so that
attempting to effect distribution on the type-inking rollers, the colours
becoming intermingled would render the working of the apparatus
imperfect.
I have shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 one arrangement of apparatus
illustrating the principle of my Invention as applied to printing in three
colours upon a cylinder press. Modifications of the construction will put
the apparatus into the form necessary to print in more colours. The
same principle may be applied to other styles of presses by such
modifications of construction as each case may require. It is un-
necessary as it would be impossible to fully set forth in this Specification
every possible variety of
arrangement.
A, A, are the side pieces of the frame of the apparatus upon or within
which the journals of the several rollers are supported: B, B, are hard
distributing rollers which receive their ink from ordinary inking
fountains not shown in the Drawings. The rollers B may be driven
by gearing or by belts passing around the pulleys B₁ on their shafts.
The number of these rollers must be determined by the number of
colours in which the sheets are to be printed. A corresponding number
of soft composition rollers C are so placed as to have their surfaces in
contact with those of the rollers B; they turn in bearings formed in
adjustable oscillating stirrups C₁ attached to the shafts of the rollers B.
These bearings are so constructed that by means of a set screw C2 or
other equivalent device, the two rollers may be so placed relatively that
their surfaces may be maintained in contact. Collars D having a
spiral
groove cut in their faces are attached to the shafts of the rollers C.
These grooves receiving the point of stationary pius D¹ give a longi-
tudinal reciprocating motion to the rollers C in the manner common in
ink-distributing rollers. As many sets of rollers may be used for each
colour as is necessary to give perfect distribution to the ink thereto

page_text: applied. Distribution having been thoroughly effected the inks are
transferred from the rollers C to the faces of a corresponding number
of sets of segments, sectors, or tablets represented at F. The segments F
may be fastened to a central core E, as shown in Figure 2; they are
arranged in series, as shown. The said segments are intended to receive
in each set one colour, and the width of their faces must be adapted to
correspond with the length of the type or breadth of the band of colour
in which it is intended in the general design to print. The spaces
between the inking segments must be filled by intermediate reglets of
less diameter and so holding each segment in position that it shall be
in exact line with the line of type in the form it is intended to ink.
The segments when properly placed may be secured by compressing
screws, or in any other convenient manner. As the surfaces of the
inking segments are in the same circle it is necessary to so arrange
the ink-distributing rollers C that each roller shall be allowed to come
in contact with the face of only its own set of segments. This is
effected by the following means --Wheels G are attached under the
bearings C to each end of the rollers C, as clearly shown in Figure 3.
These wheels run each over its own cam track H on the revolving
cylinders E¹ placed on each end of the segment shaft. These tracks are
arranged at different radial distances from the centre in the different
parts of their circumference so that when, say, the red ink-distributing
roller C is passing the set of segments intended to receive the red ink,
the roller may fall upon the face of the said segments, and as soon as
this set of segments has passed, the roller will be raised so as not to
touch the other sets of segments. In this manner each set of inking
segments will be successively brought into contact with the several
nk-distributing rollers and receive its own peculiar colour. The several
segments having been properly inked, each set in its own proper and
peculiar colour, the faces of all the segments are brought into contact
with the soft composition type-inking rollers I, upon which the ink will
be carried in bands corresponding with the colours intended to be given
to the form of type and completed impression. The form of type
arranged in lines at right angles to the axis of the inking rollers is
then brought into contact with the inking rollers, and the several colours
are transferred to the type, from which the impression is then made in
the ordinary manner. The type may be either on a cylinder or a
platen press. Instead of segments F sector plates may be used attached

page_text: to a central shaft, and in all other respects arranged upon the same
principle.
Figures 5, 6, 7, and 8 illustrate a modification of construction adapted
to platen presses. B is the bed of the press; B', the form of type;
C, adjustable cam tracks for raising the rollers G; D, D', D2, arc sets
of tablets arranged on the same principle as already explained for the
segments; E, E¹, E2, are inking tables from which the respective colours
are taken up and distributed by the rollers G, H. The ink is applied
to the respective sets of tablets upon the same principle' as already
explained, and when taken in bands upon the type-inking rollers 1, L,
is carried to the form B¹. The whole operation is upon the same
principle as already explained, the parts being the same but differently
arranged.
In Figure 9 there is shown a modification in the mode of attaching
the segments. They are formed with hooks on the ends and are
fastened by means of the radial clamping bars or in other convenient
manner, so that each segment may be confined in place without the use
of intermediate reglets.
Figures 10, 11, and 12 show another modification designed for the
arrangement of the apparatus to use upon a job press in which the
inking rollers are made to oscillate upon radial arms F carrying the
colours from the tablets a, a, b, b, to the form of type a', a¹, b1, b¹.
In Figures 13, 14, and 15 another modification is shown designed
for printing sheets with the border of one colour and the letter press in
several colours. In this case two forms are necessary; the latter press
form is shown at C and the border form at D. The rollers E arranged
on the same principle as already set forth transfer the several colours in
bands to the type-inking roller E'; all these rollers are in one sliding
frame F. The rollers G, G¹, are for transfering one colour only to the
border form; these rollers are attached in a sliding frame H. The
adjustable cam tracks I on the bed B are so arranged as to bring each
type-inking roller into contact with only its own form, so that one form
shall be inked in one colour and the other in several colours. A sheet
of double the size of the intended work is now printed; the sheets or
forms are then reversed, and the sheets again run through the press
and cut in two, so that the same number of sheets may be printed as

page_text: there are impressions taken, the borders being in one colour and the
letter press in stripes of several colours.
Having thus fully described the nature of the said Invention as
communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and shown an
advantageous manner of carrying the same into effect, I claim,-
First. An inking apparatus in which several colours after being
properly distributed upon distinct rollers are brought into bands upon, a
common type-inking roller to be thence transferred to the form of type
by an arrangement of mechanism, substantially as set forth.
Second. The combination of the ink-distributing rollers, intermediate
segments, sectors, or tablets, and a type-inking roller or rollers, so
arranged that the several colours passing over their respective sets of
distributing rollers and segments, sectors, or tablets may be transmitted
in bands to the type-inking rollers, substantially as set forth.
Third. The combination of the distributing rollers, the oscillating
bearings for the same, the cam tracks and the inking segments, sectors,
or tablets arranged in relation to each other, substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of September, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
eight.
5
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE. (L.S.)
Witness,
THO. N. PALMER,
Clerk to Messrs. Haseltine, Lake, and Co.,
S, Southampton Buildings, W.C.