Improvements in the Manufacture or Production of Floor Coverings or like Materials with Coloured Designs or Patterns, and Apparatus to be employed in the said Manufacture.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Jan., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 28th Nov., 1892-Accepted, 21st Jan., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture or Production of Floor Coverings
or like Materials with Coloured Designs or Patterns, and
Apparatus to be employed in the said Manufacture.
We, CHARLES FERDINAND DIETRICH of Cromwell Lodge, Feltham, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, and THOMAS JOHN PALMER of Hest Bank,
near Lancaster, in the County of Lancaster, Manufacturer do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object to provide means whereby materials such as are
suitable for floor coverings, or the like, can be provided with coloured designs, or
patterns which penetrate the substance of the material so that, as the material
wears, the pattern or design, is preserved.
The fabric to be provided with the pattern or desigu should be of a material
which will allow of the penetration of the colouring matter as hereinafter
described.
It may for instance consist of fabrics made according to our application for
Letters Patent of even date herewith, and when the said fabric is made on a
paper making machine its manufacture and the application of the design or
pattern and subsequent water proofing, if necessary, may be carried on as a
continuous process.
The application of the coloured design, or pattern, is effected by causing the
colouring matters to penetrate the fabric at parts corresponding to the pattern, or
design, to be produced, and may be done by means of a plate whose face is
provided with rim, or blade like projections standing out therefrom and taking the
shape of the design, or pattern, to be produced, the said projections being arranged
so that they form distinct and separate spaces corresponding to the places at which
the several colours of the design, or pattern, are to be applied. The several
colouring matters are supplied separately to the said distinct and separate spaces
there being, for instance, above the said plate, receiving spaces for each colour and
there being passages from each space only to the spaces enclosed by the aforesaid
rim, or blade-like projections which are to receive the particular colours. The
fabric to which the pattern, or design, is to be applied passes between the aforesaid
plate and a suction device so that when the plate is brought down on the fabric so
that it is enclosed air tightly between the edges of the said plate and suction
device and air is exhausted from the said suction device the several colouring
matters are drawn through to the spaces enclosed by the rim, or blade-like
projections and thence down through the fabric so as to penetrate the thickness
thereof.
We do not limit ourselves to precise details but a convenient arrangement is to
make the spaces above the plates by means of superposed plates with channels
formed therein so that each plate forms a receptacle for one colouring matter the
said receptacles leading to the various holes by which the colouring matters pass
through to the particular spaces between the rim, or blade like projections of the
lower plate to which the respective colouring matters are to be supplied. The
holes which lead from each space or receptacle above will pass, of course, from
that space, or receptacle, through all the plates which there may be beneath it,
and the holes from the several spaces being in positions different from the position
of the holes in the other plates, the respective spaces, or receptacles, and holes for
each colouring matter will be kept quite distinct from the other, or others, so that
when suction is applied, the several colouring matters will be simultaneously drawn
from the several receptacles and through the several holes into the spaces enclosed

page_text: by the rim or blade-like projections aforesaid and thence be drawn through the
fabric to impart the requisite coloured design or pattern thereto.
Dated this 28th day of January 1892.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture or Production of Floor Coverings
or like Materials with Coloured Designs or Patterns, and
Apparatus to be employed in the said Manufacture.
We CHARLES FERDINAND DIETRICH of Cromwell Lodge Feltham in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer and THOMAS JOHN PALMER late of Hest
Bank but now of 1 The Newlands Bare both near Lancaster in the County of
Lancaster Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement:-
This invention has for its object to provide practical and commercially available
means whereby materials such as are suitable for floor coverings, or the like can
be provided with coloured designs, or patterns, which penetrate the substance of
the material so that, as the material wears, the pattern, or design, is preserved.
The fabric to be provided with the pattern or design should be of a material which
will allow of the penetration of the colouring matter as hereinafter described. It
may for instance consist of fabrics made according to our application for Letters
Patent of even date herewith and when the said fabric is made on a paper
making machine its manufacture, and the application of the design, or pattern,
and subsequent water proofing, if necessary, may be carried on as a continuous
process.
The application of the coloured design, or pattern, is effected by causing the
colouring matters to penetrate the fabric at parts corresponding to the pattern or
design to be produced, and is done by means of a plate whose face is provided with
rim, or blade-like, projections standing out therefrom and taking the shape of the
design, or pattern, to be produced, the said projections being arranged so that they
form distinct and separate spaces corresponding to the places at which the several
colours of the design, or pattern are to be applied. The several colouring matters
are supplied separately to the said distinct and separate spaces, there being above
the said plate, receiving spaces for each colour and there being passages from each
space only to the spaces enclosed by the aforesaid rim, or blade-like projections,
which are to receive the particular colours. The fabric to which the pattern, or
design, is to be applied passes between the aforesaid plate and a suction device and
when the plate is brought down on the fabric so that it is enclosed air tightly
between the edges of the said plate and suction device and on air being exhausted
from the said suction device the several colouring matters are drawn through to
the spaces enclosed by the rim, or blade-like projections and thence down through
the fabric so as to penetrate the thickness thereof. The spaces above the plates
are constituted by superposed plates with channels formed therein so that each
plate forms a receptacle for one colouring matter the said receptacles leading to the
various passages by which the colouring matters pass through to the particular
spaces between the rim, or blade-like projections, of the lower plate to which the
respective colouring matters are to be supplied. The passages which lead from
each space or receptacle above will pass, of course, from that space or receptacle,
through all the plates which there may be beneath it, and, the passages from the
several spaces being in positions different from the position of the passages in the
other plates, the respective spaces, or receptacles, and passages for each colouring
matter will be kept quite distinct from the other or others so that when suction is
applied, the several colouring matters will be simultaneously drawn from the several

page_text: receptacles and through the several passages into the spaces enclosed by the rim or
blade-like projections aforesaid and thence be drawn through the fabric to impart
the requisite coloured design, or pattern, thereto.
And in order that the said invention may be fully understood we shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to
the several figures of the annexed drawings the same letters of reference indicating
corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the block by which the colours are applied
to the fabric and which we will call the printing block.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same and Figure 3 is a face view partly in horizontal
section shewing some of the passages and grooves or recesses in the plate.
Figures 4 and 5 are elevations at right angles to each other of a machine through
which the fabric is traversed to receive the colours from the printing block and
which we will call the printing machine.
Figure 6 is a detail of the cams for operating the printing block and
Figures 7 and 8 are respectively a sectional elevation and a plan of the exhaust
box in connection with an exhausting device by means of which the colours are
drawn from the printing block, into and through the fabric, a portion of the top
plate of the box being broken away in Figure 8 to shew more clearly the con-
struction of the interior.
The printing block shewn in Figures 1, 2 and 3 consists of a combination of
plates A. B. C. D and E connected together one above another by bolts F with
india rubber or other suitable packing G interposed between the plates near
their outer edges to ensure air tight joints.
The block shewn in the drawing
is constructed to supply simultaneously four different colours to the fabric but
any other number of different colours may be simultaneously supplied to the
fabric by providing the printing block with a corresponding number of plates.
The uppermost plate E is that by which the block is connected to the printing
machine and the lowermost plate A contains on its face the pattern or design
to be applied to the fabric. The pattern or design may be formed in the face
of the plate A by casting engraving or in any other suitable manner, for example
grooves may be cut in the surface of the plate corresponding to the outline of the
design and in these grooves metal strips may be secured by soldering or otherwise
the said strips standing above the surface of the plate and being connected together
so as to form separate recesses corresponding in shape to the various parts of the
design required to be of different colours. The backs or upper surfaces of the
plates A. B. C. D are grooved or have recesses or channels formed therein as
shewn at a bed in Figure 1 the said grooves or channels in the respective plates
being in communication by pipes A B C D' and suitable flexible connections
Two sets of
with separate colour reservoirs not shewn in the drawings.
pipes A B C D' are preferably arranged on opposite sides of the printing
block and connected together by pipes A³ B² C² D² extending transversely across
the top of the block. From these pipes are branch pipes a
leading to
the grooves or channels in the plates at several parts thereof so that the colours
conducted thereto by the pipes A'B'C' D' may be well distributed throughout
the said channels. These grooves or channels a. b. c. d. also communicate by
passages a b c d with the recesses a³ ³ ³ in the face of the plate A, the
colour from the channels in the plate D passing through the passages d into the
recesses in the face of the plate A forming the portion of the design to be
coloured with the colour supplied to the said plate and in like manner the
passages cand a² respectively conduct the colours supplied to the plates C. B. A.
into the recesses ca³ in the face of the plate A forming those parts of the design
to be coloured with the separate colours supplied to the channels in the said plates.
Felt or other suitable absorbent material is placed in the recesses a³ ³ ³ (which
felt or the like covers the passages a³ ³ c² d² and serves to spread the colours
uniformly over the area of the said recesses. Near the edges of the face of the
plate A is secured a strip or rim of india rubber or other suitable material

page_text: which normally projects above the strips e forming the design but which strip H
under pressure yields to admit of the strips e, coming into contact with the
fabric and at the same time forms an air tight joint between the fabric and the
plate A.
The printing block is secured in position in the printing machine as shewn in
Figures 4 and 5 by means of plates arranged beneath the projecting ends of the
plate E of the block, the said plates being provided with screwed studs which
enter slots in the said projecting edges of the block and pass through holes in the
frames or hangers I and secured therein by nuts. The frames or hangers I are
mounted on horizontal rods K and are capable of being adjusted in position thereon
to accommodate blocks of different sizes and fixed in their adjusted position by
screws. The rods K are connected at their ends to crossheads "L carried on the
lower screw threaded ends of rods M fitted to slide in guides in the frame N of
the machine, the height of the said crossheads on the rods being adjustable by
means of nuts O to suit printing blocks of different thicknesses. To the upper end
of each of the rods M is secured an open frame or saddle piece P on which cams Q
and R act to elevate and depress the printing block as hereinafter described. From
the top of each of the frames or saddle pieces P' projects a rod S having a rib or
feather m thereon which enters a corresponding groove in a socket n in the frame N
to prevent the frame or saddle pieces P from twisting out of position, whilst the
rods S and sockets n in combination with the guides l'ensure a true vertical move-
ment being given to the rods M and the parts carried thereby. The cams Q and R
by which the printing block is raised and lowered are fast on a shaft T mounted
in bearings in the frame N of the machine on which shaft is keyed a spur wheel U
in gear with a pinion V fast on a shaft W mounted in bearings W2 and provided
with fast and loose pulleys X X driven by means of a strap from any suitable
prime mover. Mounted in bearings at opposite ends of the machine are two
drums YY carrying an endless band or web Z of woven wire or other suitable
reticuled material by which the fabric which is to receive the design and which
enters the machine between the drum Y.and a pressing roller is traversed
beneath the printing block. An intermittent traversing motion is given to the
endless web Z equal to the length of the design on the printing block; the said
intermittent motions being obtained by means of a pawl and ratchet motion
actuated from the wheel U. On the spindle of the drum Y' is a ratchet wheel
or disc p having on its periphery four teeth or projections with which a spring
pawl carried on a levers mounted loosely on the drum spindle engages.
The lever s, is connected by a rod t to another lever or arm
plate v.
centred to a base
During a portion of each revolution of the wheel U, the lever u is moved
forward by a stud or projection w, on the wheel pressing against the upper end of
the lever thereby imparting through the rod t and pawl ra partial revolution to
the disc p, and the drums YY whereby the fabric is traversed beneath the printing
block to the extent required.
The stud is adjustable on the wheel U as are also the points of connection of
the rod with the levers s and u so that by this means the extent of motion
imparted to the fabric at each revolution of the wheel U may be correctly adjusted
to suit the length of the design on the printing block.
After each intermittent forward movement of the fabric the levers s and
returned into position for the next operation by a counterweight a
equivalent.
are
or its
The teeth 9 on the disc p are preferably arranged as shewn in the drawing at
such a distance apart that each tooth will be engaged in succession by the pawl
to give the required extent of motion to the fabric, in which case a different disc
will be required to be provided for each variation in length of design on the
printing block but if desired the disc may be provided with teeth like an ordinary
ratchet wheel so that the pawl r may engage a tooth at any portion of the
periphery of the disc according to the extent of motion given to the lever u to

page_text: suit the length of the design on the printing block in which case the same disc may
serve for designs of different lengths.
78
In the accompanying drawings the design on the printing block is supposed to
be equal in length to one fourth of the circumference of the drum Y' and
consequently the stud wo is adjusted in position on the wheel U to act on the lever u
during a suthcient portion of the revolution of the wheel to impart one fourth of a
revolution to the disc p and drumns Y Y and thereby traverse the fabric to the
correct distance at each revolution of the wheel U to receive repetitions of the
design. The cams QR are timed so that before the stul to comes into contact with
the lever the cams Q will by acting on the projections y on the frames or saddle
pieces Praise the printing block from the fabric and maintain it in its raised
position during the time that the stud to is acting on the lever to move the fabric
forward after which the cams Q will leave the projections y and allow the printing
blocks to descend by gravity onto the fabric. The cams R then come into contact
with the projections on the frame and depress the printing block air tightly
against the fabric and in which position it is retained while the wheel U is completing
its revolution. The endless band Z of wire gauze is preferably provided at its
edges with ribs which may be formed by securing to the said edges cords or
ropes enclosed in canvas lined rubber or in any other suitable manner.
sides of these ribs bear against guide rollers y which ensure the band Z and the
fabric carried thereon being traversed in a straight direction.
The inner
The band Z is maintained taut on the drums Y Y by a tension roller Y³. On
the spindles of the drums Y Y are pulleys X carrying an endless band or belt X³
to prevent the woven wire band Z from being unduly strained when the machine is
in operation.
Beneath the upper part of the endless band and secured by bolts or otherwise
to the framing N of the machine is a box or chamber 1 which supports the band
when pressed upon by the printing block. This box as shewn in Figures 7 and 8
is perforated on its upper surface 2 and is divided in the interior into a number of
divisions or compartments by longitudinal and transverse partitions 3 notched or
grooved on their upper and lower edges so that the whole of the divisions or
compartments are in communication. Connected to the bottom of the box 1 and
communicating with the interior thereof are two tubes 4 and 5 one of which
(4) is hermetically connected to a closed vessel 6 from which vessel another
tube 6 leads to a valve box 7 communicating by a tube 8 with the vacuum chamber
of any air exhausting device whilst the tube 5 is connected to a valve box 9 from
which another tube 10 leads to an air forcing device or a vessel containing compressed
air. The air exhausting device and also the air compressing or forcing device
should be operated independently of the mechanism for driving the printing
machine and the compressed air chamber should be provided with a manometer and
also a safety valve suitably weighted to the pressure required and the vacuum
chamber should be provided with a vacuum gauge and a valve for regulating as
required the amount of vacuum. The suction box is provided with a rim H2 of
india rubber or other flexible material to bear on the fabric and form a tight closure
thereon in conjunction with the rim H of the printing block bearing upon the other
side of the fabric so that the portion of fabric to which the colours are to be applied
is enclosed air tightly between the rims H and H³.
The valves 11 and 12 in the boxes 7 and 9 respectively are operated at the
required periods to open communication between the box 1 and the vacuum chamber
and compressed air chamber by cams 13 and 14 mounted on the shaft T the said
valves being acted on to close the communications by springs 15 and 16 surrounding
the valve stems 17, 18.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-
The fabric to receive the design is fed into the machine between the drum Y and
the pressing roller and the end thereof placed in position beneath the printing
block the said block being in its elevated position supported by the projections y on
the frames 'resting on the cams Q as shewn in Figure 6.

page_text: The driving strap is then shifted from the loose pulley X' onto the fast pulley X
thereby transmitting through the gearing V, U rotation to the shaft T and cams Q
and R the cams Q then leaving the projections y and allowing the printing block to
descend by gravity onto the fabric. The cams R then come into contact with the
projections on the frames P and depress the printing block so as to ensure an air-
tight joint between the said block and the fabric and also between the fabric and
the top 2 of the box 1.
C
At the same time or immediately after the cam R comes into contact with the
projection the cam 13 on the shaft T comes into contact with the stem 17 of the
valve 11 and moves the said valve into position to open the passage to the tube 8
leading to the vacuum chamber of the exhausting device. A communication is
thus established through the tube 8, valve box 7 tube 6" vessel 6 tube 4 and
exhaust box between the vacuum chamber and the recesses in the plates of the
printing block whereupon the colours are drawn from the recesses in the several
plates of the printing block onto and through the fabric covered by the design on
the face of the said block.
The cam 13 then leaves the stem 17 whereupon the valve 11 under the action of
the spring 15 will move so as to close the communication with the vacuum chamber
and the cam 14 then comes into contact with the stem 18 of the valve 12 and
moves the said valve into position to open the passage to the tube 10 leading to
the compressed air chamber of an air compressing device thereby establishing a
communication by the tube 10 valve box 9 and tube 5 between the compressed air
chamber and the box 1 whereby any excess or surplus colour that may have been
drawn through the fabric by the vacuum will be forced by the compressed air back
into the colour reservoirs. Should any colour be drawn through the fabric into
the box owing to the vacuum being too strong it will pass through the tube 4
into the vessel 6 and may be discharged therefrom through a cock or valve 19
near the bottom of the vessel air being admitted to the vessel by a tube 20 fitted
with a suitable stop cock or valve to render the vessel air tight when closed.
During the time the cams 13 and 14 are operating on the valves 11 and 12 the
cam R is also acting on the projection z to maintain air tight joints between the
printing block and the fabric and between the fabric and the box 1 but by the time
or immediately after the cam 14 leaves the stem 18 of the valve 12 the cam R
leaves the projection and the cam Q comes into contact with the projection y on
the frame P so as to raise the printing block from the fabric. The stud t on the
wheel U then comes into contact with the lever u and imparts to the fabric a
traversing motion, as herein before described to an extent equal to the length of
the design on the printing block so that at the next descent of the said printing
block the pattern will correctly register. The operations herein before described
are then repeated until the desired length of fabric has received the design.
A supply of water or other suitable liquid may be spread by a perforated
pipe 21 onto the band Z which liquid in combination with a brush 22 caused to
rotate in contact with the band will prevent the said band from becoming clogged
with the colour and will keep the surface of the band clean.
The brush 22 may
be rotated from the shaft W by a strap passing round the pulleys 23 or by any
other suitable means.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is
-
1. In the manufacture of floor coverings and like materials the application of
coloured designs thereto by gripping the fabric between a block having rim or
blade like projections forming spaces corresponding to the pattern and supplied
with the several colours as described and a suction device provided with means
for drawing the colours through the fabric substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. For applying colours throughout the thickness of floor coverings or other
materials a pattern block with means for supplying colours separately to the parts

page_text: of the pattern substantially as hereinbefore described and shown in Figures 1, 2
and 3 of the accompanying drawings.
3. For applying colours throughout the thickness of floor coverings or other
materials the combination of a pattern block such as is hereinbefore described
and shewn in Figures 1, and 3 with a suction device such as is shewn in
Figures 7 and 8 of the accompanying drawings.
4. For manufacturing floor coverings or the like with coloured designs a
pattern block and means for closing it in air tightly against the fabric and means
for drawing the colours through the fabric from the said block the whole being
arranged and combined with means for operating them substantially as herein-
before described and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 28th day of November 1892.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.