Improvements in Machines for Printing Measures of Length upon Woven Fabrics, Paper, and other Materials.
Year: 1896

page_text: Improvements in Machines for Printing Measures of Length upon
Woven Fabrics, Paper, and other Materials.
I, AUGUST MONFORTS, of Munchen-Gladbach, Germany, Manufacturer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Machines heretofore used for printing measures of length have comprised a
measuring drum the length of whose periphery is equal to the unit of length to
be printed, the arrangement being such that the printing is effected either from
inside the measuring drum against an abutment situate outside the drum, or from
outside the drum against an abutment situated inside the drum.
In those machines where the printing is effected from outside against the shell
of the measuring drum, the printing roller provided with type, rolls over the
fabric. When the type reaches the material to be printed, the forward edges of
said type are pressed deeply into the fabric, and when the type is leaving the fabric,
the rear edges of the said type are again pressed deeply into the fabric; and when
the peripheral velocities are different, the type slips on the fabric and the resuit
is an irregular and blurred impression.
Now a machine according to the present invention differs from previous machines
principally by the fact that it is not necessary that the length of the periphery
of the measuring drum should be equal to the unit of length to be printed, whilst
the same measuring drum may be employed for printing different measures of
length, such as the metre, the yard, the arschin, etc. The printing is effected
from outside against the measuring drum as an abutment, in such a manner that
the printing roll, that carries the counting mechanism, rolls on the measuring
drum, and whilst the numbering mechanism, which contains the type, executes,
as soon as it reaches the place where the fabric is to be printed, a rapid short
movement on to the fabric, and then a corresponding return movement away from
the same. Consequently, the printing type comes into contact with the fabric
fer a short period only with its entire surface, so that the rolling or slipping of the
type on the fabric is prevented, and a perfect and clean impression is produced.
A construction of the machine according to my invention is as follows:-
The fabric to be printed with the measure of length is guided by rollers around
the measuring drum, against which it is pressed firmly by another roller or rollers,
and is conveyed away by suitable devices. The measuring drum is provided with
a rough surface in order to prevent the fabric from slipping thereon. The onward

page_text: travel of the fabric to be printed imparts rotary motion to the measuring drum,
and this rotary motion is transmitted to the printing roller or disc (hereinafter
called a disc) by means of toothed wheels and is changed in direction thereby.
The printing disc is provided with numbering mechanism, the type of which is,
at every revolution of the disc, changed to the extent of one unit, by means of a
ller, which actuates the type-changing mechanism and which is itself actuated
The
hy a curved projection mounted on or formed in a fixed eccentric disc.
1:umbering mechanism is mounted in the printing disc so as to be capable of radial
motion therein, and is pressed outwards by a spring, the arrangement being such
that on another roller which is mounted on the numbering mechanism and moves
within a ring on the eccentric disc, entering recesses cut in the said ring, the
numbering mechanism executes a rapid short outward movement which is followed
by a return inward movement. The eccentric disc is adjusted so that one of the
seid recesses is situate at the place where the printing is to be effected and the
other of the said recesses is situate opposite an inking apparatus. This apparatus,
which may be operated by means of a belt from the shaft of the printing disc,
comprises an ink vessel or receptacle, a device for taking up the ink, and rollers
for transferring the ink to the type, the last of these rollers being covered with
roller composition.
When the fabric which is to be printed with the measures of length and which
is passed around the measuring drum and between the latter and the printing disc,
is moved in the proper direction, the measuring drum and the printing disc will
rotate, and the numbering mechanism will impress upon the fabric the number
of the units of length that have been measured, making at each impression a rapid
forward and backward movement in the corresponding recess.
In addition to the numbering mechanism already mentioned, the printing disc
may be provided with type which shall print in the same manner, fractions of the
unit of length.
If the length of the periphery of the measuring drum be 1 metre, the length of
the circumference of a circle described about the axis of the printing disc so as
just to touch the outside of the numbering mechanism be also 1 metre, and the
toothed wheels secured to the measuring drum and the printing disc have the same
number of teeth, the apparatus will print the measures of length in metres.
If the measures of length are to be printed with reference to a different unit of
length for instance, the yard-by means of the same measuring drum, there must
be substituted for the toothed wheel secured to the printing disc another wheel the
number of teeth of which is in the same ratio to the number of teeth of the
toothed wheel secured to the measuring drum as the yard is to the metre. Although
the circumference of the printing disc is 1 metre, and its peripheral velocity is
therefore in this case greater than the peripheral velocity of the measuring drum
yet the rapid intermittent movement of the numbering mechanism enables a clean
and sharp impression to be produced. If the printing were to be effected by the
rolling of the numbering mechanism on the measuring drum, it would not be
possible to avoid the blurring of the impression.
When a length or piece of material has been printed, the printing disc is raised
of the measuring drum by means of a hand lever, and is then rotated by means of
a hand wheel so as to cause the numbering mechanism to assume its lowest position.
By means of a small hand lever, the locking and feeding pawls of the numbering
mechanism are then thrown out of operation so as to cause the numbering
mechanism to return to zero.
After a fresh piece of fabric to be printed has been inserted in the machine,
the printing disc is lowered, and the machine is again set in operation.
1000
F. WISE HOWORTH,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Machines for Printing Measures of Length upon
Woven Fabrics, Paper, and other Materials.
I, AUGUST MONFORTS, of Munchen-Gladbach, Germany, 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:-
Machines heretofore used for printing measures of length have comprised a
measuring drum the length of whose periphery is equal to the unit of length to
be printed, the arrangement being such that the printing is effected either from
inside the measuring drum against an abutment situate outside the drum, or from
outside the drum against an abutment situated inside the drum.
In those machines where the printing is effected from outside against the shell
of the measuring drum, the printing roller provided with type, rolls over the
fabric. When the type reaches the material to be printed, the forward edges of
said type are pressed deeply into the fabric, and when the type is leaving the fabric,
the rear edges of the type are again pressed deeply into the fabric; and when
the peripheral velocities are different, the type slips on the fabric and the result
is an irregular and blurred impression.
Now a machine according to the present invention differs from previous machines
principally by the fact that it is not necessary that the length of the periphery
of the measuring drum should be equal to the unit of length to be printed, whilst
the same measuring drum may be employed for printing different measures of
length, such as the metre, the yard, the arschin, ete. The printing is effected
from outside against the measuring drum as an abutment, in such a manner that
the printing roller or disc that carries the numbering mechanism, rolls on the
measuring drum, and the numbering mechanism, which contains the type, executes,
as soon as it reaches the place where the fabric is to be printed, a rapid short move-
ment on to the fabric, and then a corresponding return movement away from the
same. Consequently, the printing type comes into contact with the fabric for a
short period only and with its entire surface, so that the rolling or slipping of the
type on the fabric is prevented, and a perfect and clean impression is produced.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings is a side elevation of the measuring drum
and the printing-mechanism of a machine constructed according to my invention,
and Fig. 2 shows a section parallel to the axis of the machine.
The fabric to be printed with the measure of length is guided by rollers R and R¹
around the measuring drum M, against which it is pressed firmly by another
roller D, and is conveyed away by suitable devices in the direction indicated by
the arrow in the left-hand side of Fig. 1. The measuring drum M is provided
with a rough surface in order to prevent the fabric from slipping thereon. The
onward travel of the fabric to be printed imparts rotary motion to the measuring
drum M, and this rotary motion is transmitted to the printing roller or disc D¹
(hereinafter called a disc) by means of toothed wheels z, z, 9, and 23 and is changed
in direction thereby.
The printing disc D₁ is provided with numbering mechanism N, the type of
which is, at every revolution of the disc D', changed to the extent of one unit,
ly means of a roller r, which actuates the type-changing mechanism and which
is itself actuated by a curved projection C mounted on or formed in a fixed eccentric
disc E. The numbering mechanism N is mounted in the printing disc 1 so as to
he capable of radial motion therein and is pressed outwards by spring f, the
arrangement being such that another roller r2, which is mounted on the numbering
mechanism and moves within a ring r on the eccentric disc E, enters recesses v

page_text: and cut in the ring and the numbering mechanism N executes at each of
these recesses a rapid short outward movement which is followed by a return
inward movement. The eccentric disc E is adjusted so that the recess v¹ is situate
at the place where the printing is to be effected and the recess vis situate opposite
an inking apparatus 1. This apparatus, which may be operated, as indicated in
Fig. 1, by means of a belt from the shaft of the printing disc D', comprises an ink
vessel or receptacle T, a device for taking up the ink, and rollers w, w¹ and for
transferring the ink to the type, the last of these rollers cit. e, being covered with
roller-composition.
When the fabric which is to he printed with the measures of length and which
is passed around the measuring drum M and between the latter and the printing
dise D', is moved in the direction indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1, the measuring
drum M and the printing disc 1 will rotate, and the numbering mechanism will
impress upon the fabric the number of the units of length that have heen measured,
making at each impression a rapid forward and backward movement in the
rocess v¹.
In addition to the numbering mechanism N, the printing dise D may be pro-
vided with type which shall print in the same manner, fractions of the unit of
length.
If the length of the periphery of the measuring drum M be 1 metre, the length
of the circumference of a circle described about the axis of the printing disc D
So as just to touch the outside of the numbering mechanism N be also 1 metre and
the toothed wheels and secured to the measuring drum M and the printing
disc 1) have the same number of teeth, the apparatus will print the measures of
length in metres.
If the measures of length are to be printed with reference to a different unit of
length-for instance, the yard-by means of the same measuring drum, there must
be substituted for the toothed wheel secured to the printing disc D another
wheel the number of teeth of which is in the same ratio to the number of teeth
of the toothed wheel z secured to the measuring drum as the yard is to the metre.
Instead of this the toothed wheel z might, of course, be charged with the same
result. In some cases it may be necessary to change both the wheel z and the
wheel for this purpose.
Although the circumference of the printing disc D' is 1 metre, and its peripheral
velocity is therefore, in this case greater than the peripheral velocity of the
measuring drum M, yet the rapid intermittent movement of the numbering
mechanism N enables a clean and sharp impression to be produced. If the printing
were to be effected by the rolling of the numbering mechanism on the measuring
drum, it would not be possible to avoid the blurring of the impressions.
When a length or piece of material has been printed, the printing disc is raised
off the measuring drum by means of a hand-lever H, and is then rotated by means
of a hand wheel H2 so as to cause the numbering mechanism N to assume its lowest
position. By means of a small hand-lever H, the locking and feeding pawls of
the numbering mechanism are then thrown out of operation so as to cause the
numbering mechanism to return to zero.
After a fresh piece of fabric to be printed has been inserted in the machine, the
printing disc 1 is lowered, and the machine is again set in operation.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
1. A machine for printing measures of length upon woven fabrics, paper, and
other materials having a rotary printing disc D provided with a numbering
mechanism N that is capable of movement thereon in such a manner that at each
revolution of the printing disc the numbering mechanism will make a short rapid
movement towards the material that is being moved past it on a drum M, and will
print upon the said material.

page_text: 2. A machine for imprinting measures of length upon textile fabrics and the
like, of the kind specified in claim 1, in which the ratio of the gearing for driving
the printing disc D' can be altered by changing one or other or both of two toothed
wheels, for the purpose of printing any desired measure of length upon the fabric.
3. For measure-imprinting machines, a printing wheel with radially moved
numbering mechanism, which enables various measures of length to be neatly
imprinted upon material in consequence of the fact that its peripheral speed can
be varied at will in relation to the speed of travel of the said material whilst the
movement of the numbering mechanism towards the latter always takes place
suddenly.
4. A machine for printing measures of length upon woven fabrics, paper, or other
material, constructed, arranged, and operating substantially as hereinbefore
described with reference to and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 14th day of Tune 1807
F. WISE HOWORTH,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.