A Machine for Ruling Transparent Plates or Screens, for Colour Photographic Purposes.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 30th July, 1897-Accepted, 11th Sept.,
1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Machine for Ruling Transparent Plates or Screens, for Colour
Photographic Purposes.
I JOHN JOLY, of 39 Waterloo Road, Dublin, Ireland, Civil Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
-
This invention relates to a machine for ruling upon transparent plates or screens
certain colors in alternating fine lines and in close juxtaposition, said plates or
screens being intended for use in a certain process for producing photographic
representations of objects in natural colors.
Three several colors must alternate on one screen and owing to the extreme fine-
ness and closeness of juxtaposition of the lines, the operation of ruling is one of
great difficulty of accomplishment for which a special construction of ruling device
is requisite and this I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accom-
panying drawings forming part of this specification wherein
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the complete machine. Figure 2 is a plan of
5 the same. Figure 3 is a plan of the machine with the ruling table and mechanism
removed. Figures 4 to 25 represent details of the mechanism which will be
hereinafter described.
•
Referring to Figures 1 to 3:-
A is a sliding table upon which the plate to be ruled is fixed, this table being
fitted to slide upon flat and shaped guides bb carried by a bed plate B, and
being, after the completion of each ruling stroke, moved a distance equal to the
combined width of three lines by a leading screw C mounted on the bed B and
actuated intermittently as hereafter described. The ruling frame D which carries
the ruling pens E, slides upon flat and shaped guides f, f upon a bed plate F,
the guides f, f¹ of the ruling frame extending at right angles to the guides bb
of the plate carrying table. The bed plates B and are rigidly united and sup-
ported by leveling screws g upon pillars G rising from the base frame G¹. The
ruling frame D overhangs the ruling table A and at each reciprocation of the
ruling frame the pens E are carried by it transversely across the plate (or plates)
upon the ruling table and rule upon it (or them) as many sets of three lines as
there are sets of three pens carried by the ruling frame the ruling table being
shifted at the conclusion of each stroke a distance equal to the combined width
of three lines so that at the next return stroke each set of the pens will rule on a
fresh surface of the plate three more lines in accurate pitch with those ruled at the
previous stroke.
The mechanism whereby reciprocating motion is imparted to the ruling frame D
is as follows:-A downwardly projecting arm affixed to the frame 1) terminates
in a horizontal slotted link 11 (see Figures 4 and 5) in which engages a stud h
affixed to a driving belt H running on two pulleys H¹ H' mounted on vertical

page_text: spindles in such position that as the belt runs it will carry the link D' and frame D
to and fro along with it. The one pulley H2 is driven at a uniform velocity from
an electro-motor or suitable source of power through worm i and worm wheel I
as shewn in Figures 3, 6, and 7. This method of effecting the reciprocation of
the frame D ensures uniform velocity of the pens when ruling, provided that the
stroke of the pens whilst ruling does not exceed the distance from centre to centre
of the pulleys H H. It also ensures a relatively short pause of the pens at the
end of the stroke.
In order to provide for disengaging the worm gear and so bringing the pens
to rest at any moment, the spindle of the worm i is mounted in bearings in
a frame movable about a pivot and to which a spring J is connected whereby
the worm i is held in gear with the worm wheel I except when by turning a cam j
by means of its handle the worm spindle frame is moved away from the worm
wheel against the stress of the spring.
The mechanism. whereby the screw C is turned to the requisite extent at the
extremity of each single stroke of the ruling frame D, is illustrated in Figures 8,
9, 10, Figure 8 being a half end view half section, Figure 9 an axial section and
Figure 10 a detail view. The leading screw C is journalled in a bearing C¹ carried
by the bed B and has a winch handle C2 fast on its squared end. by which it may
be turned back to return the table to the starting point when commencing the
ruling operation. Fast upon the screw spindle is a ratchet wheel K with which
engages a pawl k carried by a pulley L loose on the hub of the ratchet wheel so
that, when the pawl is engaged with the ratchet wheel, motion of the pulley in
one direction is accompanied by corresponding angular motion of the screw,
pulley alone turning in the opposite direction.
the
A pin L projects from the face of pulley L and in its path are two stops m¹
and m² capable of being adjustably clamped by means of binding screw studs m³
and nuts at any desired angular distance upon a stationary divided face plate M
provided with a circular dove-tail slot m in which the dovetail ends of the binding
screws are received the stops m² m² extending radially across the face plate so as
to be accurately set in relation to the graduations thereon. By means of these stops
the extent of the angular motion of the pulley L and consequently of the feed of
the screw C can be accurately determined, the extent of such motion being further-
more denoted by a stationary index n having a line engraved upon it wherefrom
to read off the motion of a divided circle N attached spring tight to the ratchet
wheel K so as to turn therewith. The pulley L is driven by a cord which when
drawn in one direction sets the pawl back upon the ratchet wheel and when
drawn in the other direction causes the pawl to drive the ratchet wheel K and
screw C round by an amount determined by the angular distance apart of the
stops m¹ m².
To facilitate initial adjustment of the screw a cam ¹ is mounted on the pulley L
so as when turned by a handle 2 to raise the pawl out of engagement with the
ratchet K. To prevent return movement of the ratchet wheel and screw a friction
pad bears with screw adjusted pressure against the hub of the ratchet wheel K,
as shown in Figure 8. The driving motion of the cord which passes over pulley L
is derived from a pendent weight attached to one end of the cord and the return
motion of the pulley and pawl is produced by a second pendent weight lighter than
the first and attached to the other end of the cord and which comes into operation
when the first mentioned weight is raised by mechanism hereafter described.
To the link D operated by belt H (Figures 1, 3, 4, 5) is attached a cord O
Figure 1 which passes between two guide pulleys oo and makes one complete turn
round a pulley P Figures 1, 3, and 11 and thence passes over a vertical guide
pulley o to a weight 0 pendent from the end of the cord. The pulley P is in
one with a disc P and the two turn on a stationary axis Q. Upon the same axis,
turns a second pulley R in one with a ratchet wheel R¹ with which engages a pawl p
mounted on disc Pi when the pulley P is rotated to the right in Figure 12. A
pin
is carried by a stationary arm clamped on the pillar carrying the axis Q
.

page_text: and projects upwards in the path of the tail of the pawl p so that the pawl will be
tripped and disengaged from the ratchet wheel when its tail end comes in contact
with the pin p'. Another armr fixed to the axis Q stands in the path of a stop
pin fixed to the pulley R for the purpose of limiting the back rotation of that
pulley. To the pulley R is attached a cord S, Figure 3, which passes over a
vertical guide pulley s to a table S working up and down along vertical guides
on the frame upon which table rests the heavier of the two weights above referred
to as actuating the feed screw mechanism. To the under side of this table is
attached a piston which works loosely in a dash-pot containing a thick liquid by
which the descent of the table and weiglit is retarded and in order to ensure that
the velocity of descent of the table shall gradually diminish towards the end of
its descent the dash-pot is made of lesser diameter at its lower end so that the
piston more nearly fits it and the escape of the liquid past the piston is more
estricted as the piston approaches the bottom of the dash-pot. The pull on the
cord O produced by the motion of the ruling frame I turns the pulley 1 which by
pawl and ratchet R' carries round with it the pulley R causing the cord S to raise
table S and the weight upon it and allowing the other and lighter weight above
mentioned to give the return movement to the screw feed pulley L and pawl k.
This occurs during the movement of the link D' by the belt H through the second
half of its stroke from the mid-stroke position opposite pulleys oo to the end of
the stroke whereupon the pawl p meets the tripper 2 whereby it is disengaged
from ratchet R. The weight on table S' is then free to act and as the pawl k has
then run bck its full course and the pulley L carrying it has come to rest
against the stop m² the weight on the table now rotates the pulley L forwards to
cause the pawl by its engagement with ratchet K to rotate the feed screw C the
pulley R at same time turning freely backwards to an extent limited by stop pin r¹.
This back rotation is however sufficient to allow the table S¹ to descend so far
that it no longer completely supports the weight upon it this weight now partly
depending from the pulley L and so keeping it pressed against the stop m¹ which
limits its forward motion.
The details of the means by which the leading screw C engages with the ruling
table A are shewn in Figures 13, 14, 15, 16.
To the forked ends of a pair of brackets t fixed to the underside of a block t¹
(which is let into a gap in the table A so as to permit of removal of the table
without disturbing the screw) are connected by ball and socket joints t² a pair of
draw-links whose rear ends engage by other ball and socket joints with a
ring which bears against a pair of pointed pins to the links and the points to
being on diameters at right angles to each other in order to ensure centrality of
pull and avoid straining the nut or varying the driving connection of the nut and
screw. The nut is preferably formed of two screwed bushes T¹ T2 placed end to
end within a cylindrical casing T in which they are fixed by set screws, as shewn,
so as to ensure a uniform bearing on the screw the links 3 passing freely through
holes in the end flanges and the nut being prevented from turning by a lever
arm Tattached to the casing T and held down by a weight upon the flat rail b
upon which the ruling table A is traversed. To the other end of the table A is
attached a cord a passing over a guide pulley a¹ and supporting a pendent weight A'
by which a constant back pull is maintained on the table.
The ruling frame D is counterpoised at its back end and supports at its front end
a tubular cross bar D2 upon which are fixed pairs of brackets E¹ on which the pens
are hung, five such pairs of brackets (carrying as many sets of pens) being shown
in Figure 2 for ruling simultaneously (if desired) five separate plates fixed on
the table A.
Each set of pens comprises three pens similarly hung, one only of the pens being
shown in Figure 19.
The blades of each pen resemble those of an ordinary mechanical drawing pen
and are fixed in a head piece e which is adjustably attached to a horizontal axis el
hung in notches e² in the pair of bracket arms E¹ so that the points of the pen

page_text: blades trail across the surface being ruled upon which they merely rest, the ruling
being performed by the trailing motion of the pen in both directions of the recip-
rocation of the ruling frame D.
The three pens of a set are adjusted in three different vertical planes corre-
sponding to the pitch of the lines to be ruled in order to enable this accurate
adjustment to be made to permit of the pen swinging freely and yet prevent it from
deviating from the plane in which it is set the axis e¹ is caused to bear by its
coned end against the flat hardened end of an adjusting screw e screwing through
a flange of the bracket E whereby the lateral adjustment of the pen is effected
the point of the axis being held up to its bearing by the attraction of a fixed 1
magnet U for a soft iron disc u screwed adjustably upon the axis el so as to be close
to but not touching the poles of the magnet.
The use of the magnet is convenient for permitting the ready removal of the
pen which on being replaced finds its old position accurately but a spring pressing
the axis longitudinally against the adjusting screw might be substituted for the
magnet.
J
In order that the pen shall rule accurately equidistant lines when trailing alter-
nately backwards and forwards it is essential that lines drawn experimentally in
opposite directions without intermediate feed of the ruling table should fall
accurately the one upon the other. As the point of contact of the pen with the
plate being ruled is at the one side of the pen when trailing in the one direction
and in the opposite side of the pen when trailing in the other direction it is
essential in order that the action of the pen shall bear the above mentioned test
that the median plane of the pen blades that is to say the vertical plane common
to the two points of contact of the pen with the plate, should be truly perpendicular
to the axis el on which the pen swings and that the axes e¹ of all the pens of the set
should be truly at right angles to the direction of motion of the ruling frame D.
The adjustment of the pen relatively to the axis is provided for by lodging the
axis el in a groove in the head e as shown in Figures 20 to 23 in which groove the
axis is pressed by a spring against the points of two set screws e entering
the groove from behind so that by screwing in or out the one or other of these screws
the required independent adjustment of the pen about a vertical axis can be made.
The collective adjustment of all the pens of the set, is provided for as shown
in Figures 17 18 19 by making the pen carrying bracket in two parts E¹ E
whereof the horizontal member E is pivoted to the member E about a vertical
axis and the adjustment is effected by means of an adjusting screw V passing
through a lateral lug on the one member and screwing in to a lug on the other
member and acting in opposition to a spring between the two lugs.
In order to adjust the height of the axes of suspension of the pens so that the
pens are inclined at the proper angle when trailing across the plate being ruled,
the member of the pen carrying bracket is fitted to slide vertically in
a slide rest w formed on the ring W clamped on the cross head 12
of the ruling frame, the adjustment being effected by a vertical adjusting
screw screwing through a lug on the part E2 and bearing on the side
rest, the parts being secured after adjustment by a clamping screw w³ passing
through a slot in the moveable part 2 and screwing into the fixed part w.
split clamping ring W is adjustable along the cross head D2 and is secured by a
clamping screw w³.
T'he
Each pen is provided with its own ink fountain for holding a reserve of the
pigment or ink which is continuously supplied to the pen when ruling. In
Figures 22 and 24 this ink fountain X is a box attached to the back blade of the
pen and communicating with the inter space of the pen blade through a perforated
nipple or through a fine orifice in the pen blade.
Instead however of mounting the ink fountain on the pen the three separate
fountains XX2 X3 may be supported on a bracket Y screwed to the adjustable
member E of the pen carrier the pens being free to swing independently of the

page_text: fountains and each being connected with its respective fountain by a capillary
nipple on the pen blade entering a groove in a nipple on the end of the
fountain into which groove a capillary orifice leads from the fountain through
which the ink flows. At the end of each stroke of the machine the pen swings
into a vertical position the nipple a enters the groove and by capillarity takes
therefrom a fresh supply of ink which is thus kept at a sensibly constant height
in the pen.
To guard against the ink flowing too freely into the groove and gathering
until a drop is formed thin folded plates 3 of platinum or copper foil are inserted
vertically in the fountain box so as by the close juxtaposition of their surfaces to
render the surface tension of the ink sufficient to retain the ink in the box.
In the process of ruling plates it is often found desirable to maintain the ruling
table A warm during the ruling operation. For this purpose tubes 7 Figure 2
heated by hot water or air circulating through them may be provided beneath the
table. Or the heating may be effected by an electric incandescence lamp the light
from which passing up through slot in the table and the plate being ruled
enables the progress of the ruling to be observed.
To protect the whole operation of ruling from the injurious effects of dust the
upper part of the machine may be enclosed by a glass case.
Having now particularly. described and ascertained the nature of the said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed. I declare that what I
claim is:-
―:
1. The herein described machine for ruling transparent screens, constructed
and operating substantially as specified.
2. In the herein described ruling machine for ruling the combination of
mechanism for effecting the reciprocation of the ruling frame substantially as
specified.
3. In the herein described ruling machine the combination of mechanism for
effecting the intermittent rotation of the feed screw by which the ruling table is
traversed to a definite and regulated extent by the action of a weight raised and
allowed to fall at each stroke of the ruling frame substantially as described.
4. In the herein described ruling machine the combination of mechanism whereby
during each stroke of the ruling frame a weight is raised and is allowed to fall at
the termination of the stroke for the purpose of actuating the screw feed mechanism
previous to the commencement of the next stroke substantially as specified.
5. In the herein described ruling machine mounting each pen to swing on a
horizontal axis so as to rule by trailing to and fro in both directions as specified.
6. In the herein described ruling machine making each pen independently
adjustable about an axis perpendicular to the horizontal axis on which the pen
swings substantially as specified.
7. In the herein described ruling machine the combination with each pen
mounted to swing on a horizontal axis of an adjustment consisting of a magnet
an armature on the pen axis and a screw adjusted end bearing for the axis opposing
the pull of the magnet as specified.
8. In the herein described ruling machine the construction of the bracket in.
which the pens are hung with provision for horizontal and vertical adjustment as
specified.
9. In the herein described ruling machine the combination with each pen of an
ink fountain or reservoir mounted on the pen blade and in capillary connection
with the interspace of the blades as specified.
10. In the herein described ruling machine the combination with each pen hung
to swing on a horizontal axis, of an ink fountain or reservoir separately supported
by the pen carrier, the pen and fountain being provided with nipples having
capillary ducts adapted to make temporary connection for the supply of ink to the

page_text: pen when the latter assumes the vertical position at the end of the stroke as
specified.
Dated this 30th day of July 189i.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.