IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRINTING COLOURS ON FIBRES AND FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John William Stringer, of Bradford, in the County of
York, Mélange Printer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR PRINTING COLOURS ON FIBRES AND FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John William Stringer at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd September 1881.
JOHN WILLIAM STRINGER, of Bradford, in the County of York, Mélange Printer.
“IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRINTING COLOURS ON FIBRES AND FIBROUS
SUBSTANCES."
The said Invention relates to a peculiar arrangement of the printing rollers
which allows of printing in one machine two or more colours on the sliver of
fibrous substances, and also on yarns or threads which are employed in the
manufacture of worsted and other fabrics, and also in hosiery.
For this purpose I employ an ordinary slubbing printing machine which delivers
the fibres to be operated on in a thin flat sliver through the gill box to the first
printing roller.
The colour to print with is placed in a wooden box in which is placed a roller
covered with felt; this roller supplies the colour to the printing roller and presses
with a regulated pressure on the printing roller. The printing roller is fluted and
the flutes or channels are cut at an angle on the roller the width required to be
printed on the sliver, slubbing yarns, or threads. On the top of the printing roller
and under pressure is placed an iron roller which is covered with india rubber;
the sliver coming from the gill box passes between the printing roller and top
roller covered with india-rubber, and passes from there over a small roller to a
tray; and to prevent the colour accumulating on the roller 1 employ an apron
which passes under the top roller and over a small roller placed above the apparatus.
A scraper is also employed to remove the colour from the apron.
The fibres or sliver having received the print of the first colour receives either
between the lines or figures or in any desired place another colour or colours, for
•

page_text: which purpose I fit in the apparatus a second or third printing fluted roller which
presses on the side of the roller covered with india-rubber, and to enable the
required pressure to be given the shaft of the printing roller is placed in bearers
which are actuated to and fro by screws, the screws being worked by a handle
which is placed on the square head of the screws; the screws work in blocks which
are secured to brackets formed or bolted on the side frames of the apparatus.
Under the second printing roller is fitted a wooden box in which is placed the
colour roller which is brought to bear against the bottom of the revolving printing
roller, and the wooden box and colour roller are set to the required position by
means of moveable brackets on which the wooden box is placed. The brackets
work on studs secured to the side frames of the apparatus or to a frame bolted to
the side frames. On the other ends of the brackets aro fitted jaws of screwed rods
which pass through guide plates secured to the frames; over the plates and on the
rods are screwed thumb screws to set the box and colour roller to the required
position to keep it at its work with the printing roller.
The second printing roller is driven by a spur wheel which is actuated by another
spur wheel secured on the first printing roller shaft.
For printing yarns I employ printing machines made without gill boxes; the
yarn can be wound on a beam or the yarn can be wound on bobbins which are
placed on spindles which are fitted in a frame; the yarns are delivered on an apron
to the printing rollers.
By these means with the same apparatus I can print different coloured lines or
figures and at the same time.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John William Stringer in the Great Seal Patent Office on tho
23rd March 1882.
JOHN WILLIAM STRINGER, of Bradford, in the County of York, Mélange Printer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRINTING COLOURS ON FIBRES AND FIBROUS
SUBSTANCES."
The said Invention relates to a peculiar arrangement of printing machine which
allows of printing two or more colours in one machine on the sliver of fibrous
substances, and also on yarns or threads which are employed in the manufacture of
worsted and other fabrics, and in hosiery.
For this purpose I employ an ordinary slubbing printing machine which delivers
the fibres to be operated on in a thin flat sliver through the gill box to the first
printing roller. The colour to print with is placed in a wooden box in which is
placed a roller covered with felt; this roller supplies the colour to the printing
roller, such supply being regulated by a scraper and the colour roller presses with
a regulated pressure on the printing roller. The printing roller is fluted, the flutes
being cut at an angle on the roller the width required to be printed on the sliver,
slubbing, yarn, or threads. On the top of the printing roller is placed under
pressure an iron cylinder covered with india-rubber. The sliver coming from the
gill box passes between the printing roller and top roller covered with india-rubber,
and from there over an apron and over a small rollor to a tray placed on a carriage.
The apron prevents the colour from accumulating on the roller; scrapers are also
employed to remove the colour from the apron.
The fibres (or sliver) having received the print of the first colour they receive
between the lines or figures or in any desired place another colour or colours, for
which purpose I fit in the apparatus a second or third printing fluted roller which
presses on the side of the rollor covered with india rubber, and to allow the
required pressure to be given the shaft of the printing roller is placed in bearers
actuated to and fro by screws, the screws being worked by a handle placed on the
square head of the screws, and the screws work in blocks secured to brackets formed
or bolted on the side frames of the apparatus.
Under the second printing roller is fitted a wooden box in which is placed the
colour roller which is brought to bear against the bottom of the revolving printing
roller, and the wooden box and colour roller are set to the required position by
means of moveable brackets on which the wooden box is placed. The brackets
work on studs secured to the side frames of the apparatus or to a frame bolted to
the side frame. On the other ends of the brackets are fitted jaws of screwed rods
which pass through guide plates secured to the frames; over the plates and on the
rods are screwed thumb screws to set the box and colour roller to the required
position to keep the colour roller to its work in contact with the printing
roller.
The second printing roller is driven by a spur wheel actuated by another spur
wheel secured on the first printing roller shaft.
For printing yarns I employ printing machines made without gills; the yarn
can be wound on a beam or it can be wound on bobbins which are placed on
spindles fitted in a frame; the yarns are delivered on an apron to the printing
rollers.
By these means with the same apparatus I can print different coloured lines or
figures at the same time.
In order to enable my improvements to be better understood I will proceed to

page_text: describe the same by reference to the accompanying Drawing, in which Figure 1
represents a sectional side view of the printing and colour rollers with wooden
colour box, Figure 2 represents a front view of my improved arrangement of
printing rollers, and Figure 3, side view of the same.
Similar letters of reference are used to represent similar parts in all the
Figures.
A represents part of the frame-work of an ordinary slubbing printing machine
which delivers the fibres to be operated on through the machine and apron B in a
thin flat sliver to the first or ordinary printing roller C, and from there to a second
printing roller D to print between the lines or figures printed by the first printing
roller, and which lines or figures may be of a different colour; it is obvious that
a third roller or four or more printing rollers may be employed, in which case a
cylinder of larger diameter is employed, the size depending on the number of
printing rollers employed. The printing rollers are fluted, the flutes in the same
being cut obliquely the width required to be printed on the sliver, slubbing, yarn,
or threads.
Over the first or ordinary roller, under pressure, is placed an iron cylinder E
which is covered with india-rubber. The sliver having received the printing passes
on over an apron F which works over rollers G and G³, and from thence over
rollers H and I; between theso rollers are fitted scrapers J under which is placed
a colour receiving box K which receives the colour removed from the apron. The
apron travels from the roller I under a roller L fitted in a box M in which is placed
water to clean the apron, and the apron travels on over rollers N and O to tlio iron
cylinder E. At the end and over the roller G² are fitted wires to lift up the
sliver P operated on from the apron. The sliver passes over a revolving drum Q,
and from there onto a tray placed on a carriage. The printing rollers press on the
india-rubber fitted on the iron cylinder E to give the required pressure. The
shafts R of the printing rollers are placed in bearers S which are actuated by
screws E worked by a handle placed on the square heads T. The screws work
in blocks U secured to brackets formed or bolted to the side frames V of the
apparatus.
Under the printing rollers are fitted wooden boxes W and X in which are placed
colour rollers Y and Z covered with felt. In the boxes are placed the colours for
printing. The colour rollers Y and Z are brought to bear against the printing
rollers and are lifted into position by raising the wooden boxes. The box W is
raised by a screw A' actuated by a hand wheel B¹, and the wooden box X is raised
by means of moveable brackets C on which the box rests. The brackets work on
studs D' secured to the side frames of the apparatus or to frames bolted to the
side frames. The ends of the brackets are secured to jaws F' of rods G' made with
screws H¹. The rods G¹ pass through guides I¹ secured to the frames. Over the
guides and on the rods are screwed thumb screws J to set the box and colour
roller to the required position to keep the colour roller to its work with the
printing roller.
The printing rollers are actuated by wheel gear K' which receives motion from
a strap L' working over a drum.
Only two printing rollers are shewn in the Drawing; if more printing rollers are
required so as to give different coloured lines or figures, they are placed in different
positions on the iron cylinder E covered with india-rubber, which cylinder is made
larger in diameter according to the number of printing rollers employed, and each
printing roller is provided with a colour roller and with a wooden box in which
the colour is placed.
For printing yarns I employ printing machines without gills; the yarn can be
wound on a beam or on bobbins placed on spindles fitted in a frame; the yarns are
delivered by an apron to the printing rollers.
By these means with one iron cylinder covered with india-rubber I am enabled to
print different coloured lines or figures at the same time.

page_text: Having thus described my improvements and the best means I am acquainted
with for carrying the samne into effect, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the preciso details shewn and described, as they may be varied
without departing from the peculiar character of the Invention, but what I do
claim is,-
Firstly. The arrangement, combination, and construction of the several parts
constituting the improvements, whereby different coloured stripes or figures can be
printed at the same time on the sliver of fibrous substances, yarns, or threads with
a slubbing printing machine of ordinary construction, substantially as and for the
purpose herein set forth and represented by the annexed Drawing.
Secondly. The employment of two, three, or more printing rollers working on a
cast iron cylinder covered with india-rubber, substantially as heroin described and
represented in the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said John William Stringor, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty first day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
Witness,
WALTER JAS. TURNER, C.E.,
Patent Agent,
Bradford.
JOHN WILLIAM STRINGER. (L.S.)