Bronzing, or Printing.
Year: 1885

page_text: Bronzing, or Printing.
I ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the county of Middlesex,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication from
Mark A. Heath, Manufacturer, and George R. Heath, Engraver, of Providence
Rhode Island, United States) and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to an improvement in machines for embossing and
bronzing or gilding certain fabrics; which are coated with a material capable of
being rendered soft or plastic by means of heat, and also, for printing the same in
colors; and it consists in an improved combination of steam-heated embossing or
printing rolls, with their accessory rolls and appliances, whereby a great variety of
work may be done on the same machine; and in the improved construction of the
steam-heated embossing or printing rolls, as hereinafter fully set forth.
Figure 1 is a plan view of this improved machine.
Figure 2 is an end elevation of the same showing the gearing of the rolls.
Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section taken through the rolls and illustrating
the operation of the machine when embossing and gilding the fabric.
Figure 4 is a similar section illustrating the action of the machine when printing
in bronze.
Figure 5 is a similar section illustrating the action of the machine when simply
embossing the fabric without bronzing or printing.
Figure 6 is a longitudinal section of the embossing or printing roll adapted for
steam-heating.
Figure 7 is a transverse section of the same taken in the line x x of Figure 6.
In the accompanying drawings A is the frame of the machine provided at its
opposite upright sides with the openings a which are adapted to receive the
sliding boxes which serve to form the bearings for the rolls B C and D the upper.
end of the said openings in the frame A being covered by the caps g g which are
suitably secured by screws.
The screws h, h,.h, which are threaded into the caps g, and loosely attached to
the said sliding boxes are adapted to cause the desired elevation or depression of
any one of the rolls B C and D as desired.
j

page_text: The opposite upright sides of the machine, are also provided with slot openings i,
adapted to receive the sliding boxes j, which are supported in proper working
position by means of the adjusting screws k.
The sliding boxes j serve to support the hollow steam heated roll E which is
adapted for surface engagement with either one or both of the rolls B and C
according as the machine is being employed on different kinds of work.
The embossing roll B is provided with a suitably cut figure, in order to impart
an embossed surface to one side of a fabric coated with a heat softened material,
when being passed between the steam heated rolls B and E. The roll C is so cut
or engraved as to register with the surface of the roll B, and is so geared with
the rolls B and E as to register with the depression made in the fabric in its
passage between the rolls B and E and serves to imprint the impressed fabric with
ink, bronze, or size, as in any case required.
The hollow steam heated rolis B C and E are constructed as shown in Figures 6
and 7 in which a' is the driving gear, secured to the roll shaft b¹ which is provided
at its opposite ends with the steam passages c c¹ one of which is for the inlet and
the other for the outlet or exhaust of the heating, steam. The shaft b¹ is also
provided with a fixed collar d', which is circularly grooved at its inner circum-
ferential edge, to receive one end of the cylindrical shell e¹, upon which the
required embossing or printing figure is cut or engraved; the opposite end of the
said shell being supported by means of a moveable collar f¹ which is secured to
the roll shaft b¹ by means of one or more holding blocks g' which are inserted into
holes or mortices h¹ made in the shaft b¹ of the roll, as shown in the transverse
section Figure 7, and which are secured to the movable collar f¹ by means of
screws v.
Within the annular chamber formed between the roll shaft b¹ and the
cylindrical shell e¹ and resting against the collars d' and f' are placed the india
rubber packing rings rr which upon the entrance of steam into the chamber i¹ will
pack the joint at the ends of the shell e¹.
Steam connection is made with the chambers ¹, of the rolls B C and E, by means
of the steam pipes F, which are provided with the stop cocks 8, 81, 8³, by means of
which the passage of the steam into either of the rolls may be suitably controlled.
The shell of the roll E is ordinarily made plain and a suitable pattern k¹ in alto-
relievo, is formed upon the surface of the shells el e¹ of the rolls B and C, by
means of which the required embossing and printing is performed.
G is the fountain provided at one side with the doctor plate which serves to
prevent too great a quantity of the material within the fountain from passing out
with the moving surface of the fountain roll H.
Intermediate between the rolls H and C is placed the elastic roll D, which is
adapted to transfer the ink, size, or other material from the surface of the roll E to
the raised figures upon the surface of the shell e¹ of the roll C.
The frame A is provided with the opposite downwardly inclined slote m, m,
which are adapted to receive the shaft n of the removable roller I, the surface of
which will rest against the surface of the elastic roll J which presses in a yielding
manner against the surface of the roll E..
The rolls B, C, D, E, H and J are operatively connected to each other by means
of the equal spur gears a', the driving pulley K being located upon the projecting
end of the shaft b¹ of the roll E.
Figure 3 shows the machine when employed for embossing the fabric, and for
gilding the depressed portions of the embossed surface, and in this case the steam is
admitted to the rolls B, C and E, the surfaces of which are brought into contact as
shown in the drawing, and the fountain G filled with the size required to cause the
proper adhesion of the gilding material.
t
Upon the loose removable roll I is rolled a suitable.elongated sheet of paper
coated upon one side with the required transferable gilding material, and upon
starting the machine so that the properly coated web L is fed between the rolls B
and E, the upper or coated surface of the web will receive the impression of the

page_text: roll B, and as the web passes forward over the roll E the pattern projecting portion
of the roll C, will register with the depression of the embossed surface of the fabric,
and thus deposit the proper configuration of size upon the same, and as the
embossed and sized web passes forward over the roll E, it will come in contact with
the gilding material held upon the surface of the elongated paper sheet t which is
being unwound from the roller I, by passing between the rolls E and J in contact
with the embossed surface of the web L, the gilded surface of the paper being
forcibly pressed into contact with the sized portions of the fabric, by means of the
yielding elastic pressure exerted by the elastic roll J, thus causing the gilding
material to separate from the paper, and be secured to the sized portions of the
embossed fabric and as the web continues its forward movement, it can be wound
upon a roller, as usual in such machines, and the overlying paper sheet and unused
gilding material may be separated therefrom.
Figure 4 shows the machine when employed for printing in bronze without
embossing the fabric, the fountain G being in this case filled with bronze powder,
the surface of the roll H being suitably knurled or roughened so as to retain the
bronze powder and carry it forward under the edge of the doctor plate to the
transferring elastic roll D from whence the same is taken up by the steam heated
figured surface of the roll C, and transferred to the upper surface of the web, upon
its passage between the rolls C and E; the roll B being raised from contact with
the roll E as shown in the drawing. The bronze powder will be caused to adhere
to the fabric through the softening of the coating of the same by the beat of the
printing roll O.
Figure 5 shows a machine when employed for the purpose of embossing the
fabric or without printing, and in this case the roll C is raised away from the
surface of the roll E, and the fabric passed between the steam heated rolls B and E
by means of which the desired embossed surface will be secured.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondents I declare that what I claim is
1st In a machine for embossing, and gilding or printing fabrics, the combination
of the fountain G, fountain roll H, elastic transmitting roll D; steam heated
figured roll C; steam heated impression roll E; steam heated figured roll B;
elastic pressure roll J; gears a¹ for operating the rolls at an equal rate of surface
speed; and the gilding roller I substantially as described.
2nd In a machine for embossing gilding or printing fabrics the combination of
the fountain G adapted for holding dry bronze powder, surface roughened fountain
roll H elastic transmitting roll D, steam heated figured roll Ō steam heated
impression roll E and the connecting gears a' substantially as described.
3rd In a steam heated roll for an embossing and gilding or printing machine, the
combination of the driving gear a¹ roll shaft b', provided with the steam
passages c. c and fixed collar d' figured shell e moveable collar f¹ holding
blocks gl attaching screws v and elastic packing rings r, substantially as described.
Dated this 26th day of September 1885.