Improvements in and connected with the Application of Colours to Fabrics by Printing and in Apparatus to be Employed therein.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Jan., 1898-Accepted, 7th May, 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with the Application of Colours to
Fabrics by Printing and in Apparatus to be Employed therein.
I, HENRY GIESLER, of Molsheim, Alsace, in, the Empire of Germany, Dyer, 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:-
For effecting simultaneous printing upon both sides of textile fabric the so called
duplex printing machine is generally employed. It consists of the combination of
two cylinder printing machines in such a manner that the cylinders against which,
during the printing operation, the fabric is applied under pressure by the engraved
rollers are either arranged closely beside or closely on top of one another and are
accurately geared together and regulated so that they act in proper unison.
If the object in view be to evenly distribute colours without any pronounced
design or pattern upon the fabric by means of pressure and in such a manner that
the ground colour remains visible, then, in employing the machine referred to,
the side of the fabric which had been lastly printed upon, namely by the second
printing cylinder exhibits an effect which is altogether different from that
exhibited by the side first printed.
The reason for this is that the moisture in connection with the colour applied
during the printing of the first side penetrates the fabric and thus renders the other
side more capable of receiving colour, with the result that during the second
printing far more colouring matter is absorbed than is the case during the first
printing.
In the object I have in view I need not of course take into consideration the
otherwise indispensable requirement in the printing of woven fabric that the
whole pattern should come into proper register and therefore I may dispense with
the coupling and gearing to work in unison of the printing cylinders and there-
fore I am enabled to obviate the defect as to the inequality of colour on either side
of the fabric in the following manner.
I
I separate the two printing cylinders to such an extent as to gain sufficient space
between them for placing therein a drying apparatus of any suitable kind (with or
without a device for creating a current of air) the action of which is to remove
from the fabric the surplus of moisture which had soaked through the fabric in;
connection with the colour applied during the first printing of the one side, so
that the degree of moisture possessed by the fabric on having its second side
exposed to the printing apparatus is the same as the degree of moisture possessed
thereby when the first side received its impression. In this manner a perfect
equality of colour is imparted to both sides of the fabric.
Hitherto where duplex printing machines were employed, the printing cylinders
were each surrounded by fabric such as linen, cotton or the like, in order to thus
obtain an elastic base or cushion for the fabric to be printed upon.
This layer of elastic material causes great trouble and inconvenience, because
it renders it extremely difficult to gain access to the printing cylinders; I therefore,

page_text: instead of applying the elastic cushion below the endless cloth, arrange upon each
printing cylinder an endless layer or band of felt or like material in connection
with stretching and guide rollers, this said layer or band being carried along by the
printing cylinders.
In order to render the fabric, to be printed upon, smoother, more pliable and more
suitable for absorbing the colour, I expose it after it has been treated with a pre-
paration of tin, chlorine or by any other means employed preparatory to the
printing, in damp condition to a jet of steam. This may be effected in a variety
of ways, for instance by either winding the said fabric over a perforated cylinder
and causing steam to flow through it, or by placing it in superposed folds, upon a
hollow perforated plate, traversed by the steam.
The method heretofore employed, in order to produce lighter or darker shades
of one and the same colour, has been to either add colour or to vary its density.
I employ a colour of one and the same shade or tint and of a uniform consistency
and obtain darker or lighter shades or tints by employing a greater or smaller
number of rollers, always distributing one and the same quality of colour in
succession upon one and the same fabric under treatment.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is: :-
1. In printing colours upon both sides of fabrics first effecting the printing on
one side then removing excess of moisture over that possessed by the fabric when
submitted to the first operation and afterwards effecting printing on the other side
of the fabric substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. In apparatus for printing colours upon the two sides of fabrics, the arrange-
ment of the pressure cylinders by which the respective sides are printed with a
space between them in which space a drying or moisture removing device is placed
substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. In duplex printing machines, the use of an endless felt or cloth below the
endless apron or band, instead of fabric coverings surrounding the printing
cylinders.
4. The method of and apparatus for exposing the fabric, to be printed upon, to
a jet of steam, while in moist condition, the said fabric having previously been
treated with a preparation of tin, chlorine or the like.
5. The method of obtaining various shades or tints from one and the same
colouring material by using a number of printing or inking rollers so as to
repeatedly apply one and the same colouring material to the fabric.
Dated this 27th day of January 1898.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.