AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR ENGRAVING THE SURFACE OF A CALICO PRINTER'S ROLLER PREPARATORY TO ITS BEING ETCHED
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Hope and Thomas Hope, of the State of Rhode
Island, of the United States of America, for the Invention of "AN
IMPROVED MACHINE FOR ENGRAVING THE SURFACE OF A CALICO PRINTER'S
ROLLER PREPARATORY TO ITS BEING ETCHED."
Sealed the 5th February 1856, and dated the 31st August 1855.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said John Hope and Thomas
Hope at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition
and Declaration, on the 81st August 1855, pursuant to the 9th Section
of the Patent Law Amendment Act 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME,
BE IT KNOWN that we, JOHN HOPE and THOMAS HOPE, of the State of
Rhode Island, of the United States of America, have invented "AN IMPROVED
MACHINE FOR ENGRAVING THE SURFACE OF A CALICO PRINTER'S ROLLER PREPARATORY
TO ITS BEING ETCHED ;" and we do hereby declare that the same is fully
described and represented in the following Specification, and the accompanying
Drawings, letters, figures, and references thereof :-
Of said Drawings, Figure 1 denotes a top view of the said machine;
Figure 2 is a front elevation of it; and Figure 3 is a vertical, central, and
transverse section of it.
A in the Drawings is its frame, such having applied to it a plane table or
platform B, and two horizontal and parallel V rails C, C, as seen in Figures 1

page_text: 2, and 8. Below the said rails there is supported in the frame a large roller
or drum D, around which the sheet of pattern cloth or paper on which the
design is drawn is to be wound, it being extended therefrom upwards to the
adjacent edge of the table B, thence over the top of said table and down
between the front edge of the table and the hold-back or rod E, arranged
along said front edge of the table, as seen in the Drawings, wherein the said
pattern cloth is represented by red lines at P. Another such hold-back or
rod F is applied to the rear edge of the table, each of said rods being made
to carry two posts or uprights G, G, which slide freely upon them in longitu-
dinal directions. Above the table are two rods H, H, which extend horizon-
tally over and transversely across it, and are respectively supported by said
posts. These rods carry measuring points or markers i, there being two of
such points or markers to each of the rods, and each being adapted to it, so as
to be capable of being slid and turned thereupon. If desirable, a clamping
screw may be applied to each of the markers and posts, in order to confine
such in its position on the rod.
On the rails C, C, there is a carriage K, formed of two parallel bars a, a,
connected by means of a long rail or bar 6, said carriage being supported on
rollers or wheels, as seen at c, c. A cord or band L, connected at its two ends
to two standards d, d, of the carriage K, passes around a large grooved wheel
or pulley M, which is fixed upon a tubular shaft N, supported on a shaft O.
Said shaft O has an index arm R affixed to it, and extended outward from it
toward the grooved wheel M. Another such index arm Q is attached to the
shaft N, and extends outward, and to the side of the rim of the wheel M.
Figure 4 is a section, taken through the shafts O, N, the wheel M, and the
arms Q, R. The wheel M may turn with friction upon the shaft N, or it may
have a set screw a' applied to it, by which it may be affixed thereto if necessary.
So, in regard to the shaft N, it should turn with friction upon the shaft O, or
have a set screw b', applied to it, by which it may be clamped to the shaft.
The object of the index arms or indices Q, R, so applied to the shafts O, N,
and wheel M, will be herein-after explained.
The shell or cylinder to be engraved is shown at S as supported on two sets
of rollers e, f, and g, h, one of which, viz., h, is fixed upon the shaft O.
In Figure 5 is represented a transverse section of the shell S and the
rollers g, h, while in Figure 6 is exhibited a similar section taken through
the rollers e, f. A set, comprising two of these rollers, supports each end of the
shell or cylinder S, the rollers e, f, extending into a groove i', formed around
the surface of the cylinder close to its left end, such groove serving to prevent
endwise or longitudinal movement of the cylinder. When the driving wheel h

page_text: is turned around on its axis, it will produce a transverse rotary motion of the
shell or cylinder upon it. Sustained by the main frame A are two shelves T, U,
which are arranged as seen in the Drawings. The shelf U supports the
saddles W, W, of the rollers e, f, g, h. A projection m from the shelf U
sustains one end of a shaft k of a grooved pulley X, the opposite end of the
shaft being supported on a similar projection c¹. Underneath the said grooved
pulley is a carriage Y, whose wheels rest and turn upon the shelf T, or on
suitable guides or rails applied thereto. A band m¹ extending around the
pulley X has its ends fastened to arms o, o, extended in opposite directions from
the carriage Y, as seen in Figure 2. V is a tracer, which projects from. a
carriage W (supported on the rail 6 of the carriago K), and rests in the
grooved periphery of a wheel X', sustained by the carriage Y. The point of
the tracer projects over the table and upon the design carried thereby. On
the shaft there is a small gear or wheel p, upon which rests a horizontal bar
or rack r, affixed to the carriage C¹, which is supported on rollers, as denoted
by dotted lines at 8, s, in Figure 2, one of said rollers being seen at s in
Figure 3. The said carriage C¹ serves to support the internal levers Z, Z, Z,
of the gravers t, t, the rear arms or tails of such levers extending underneath
a rocker bar A', operated in the usual way by a foot treadle B¹. The object
of the said rocker bar is to press downward the tails of the graver levers or
carriers, so as to cause the several gravers to be lifted off the varnished surface
of the shell or cylinder S. By laying hold of the tracer V and moving it
forward and backward, or in other words, transversely of the machine, the
carriage K will be put in motion on its rails, and by means of the band L will
communicate motion to the wheel M, so as to rotate the shaft O, and of
course produce a rotary movement of the cylinder or roller S, the extent of
movement of the surface of the cylinder S in comparison to that of the carriage
K being in the ratio of the circumferences of the wheels h and M. When
the tracer is moved longitudinally of the table it will produce a corresponding
motion of the carriage Y, and of course an equal rotary movement of the peri-
phery of the grooved wheel X², and consequently effect a longitudinal move-
ment of the carriage C¹, so as to move the several gravers in a longitudinal
direction on the surface of the cylinder S, such movement with respect to the
movement of the tracers being in the proportion which the diameter of the
wheel p bears to that of the wheel X2.
In constructing the machine, we make the diameters of the wheels p and X²
in the same proportion to each other as those of the wheels and M, such
proportions being those which exist between the dimensions of the pattern to
be traced and those of the engraving on the surface of the cylinder.

page_text: In arranging the machine for operation, the two index arms Q and R are
disposed at an angle to each other equal to that measured by the arc through
which the surface of the cylinder is moved while a section of the pattern is
being engraved. Having effected the engraving of such section, it beconies
necessary to draw forward the pattern sheet, a distance equal to another' such
section, which distance corresponds with that between either two marking
points i, i, of each set thereof. Before this has been accomplished, the mark-
ing points should be pressed downward upon the pattern cloth, so as to mark
it, or marks may be made on it where they touch it. This having been
done, the pattern cloth should be moved forward, so as to bring those marks
which were previously under the rear markers directly underneath the front
markers. Next, with a piece of chalk make marks on the side of the rim
of the wheel M. where the index points Q, R, cross it; next loosen the
set screw of the wheel M, so that it can revolve freely upon the shaft N; and
draw the tracer forward to that part of the design upon which it rested pre-
viously to the pattern being moved, as described. While doing this, although
the wheel M will be rotated upon its shaft, it will produce no rotation of the
shaft O. Next, the foot is to be taken from the treadle so as to throw the
gravers off the cylinder. This having been done, the attendant takes hold of
the arm R, and turns the shaft O until the arm comes up to the mark which
was previously made, where the arm Qrested against the wheel M. This
movement of the shaft will have rotated the cylinder S the distance necessary
for the engraving, corresponding to the section of the pattern or design over
which the tracer is next to be carried. After clamping the wheel M to the
shaft N, and letting the gravers down upon the surface of the cylinder S,
the machine will be ready for the tracer to be moved over a fresh section
of the pattern.
While the markers or pointers serve as a ready means of
determining the distance to which the pattern is to be moved after a section
of it has been engraved, the rods E, F, with the roller D operate as hold-
backs, or means of keeping the pattern cloth firmly or properly strained upon
the top surface of the table.
Although the machine above described for engraving the varnished surface of
a roller is in many respects similar to other engraving or pantographic machines
in use, it differs in several essential particulars therefrom, and especially in
the general arrangement of its operative members or parts. By means of it
any number of similar figures may be engraved on a cylinder by the use of
a single pattern or corresponding figure, the number of such engravings
depending upon the number of gravers employed.
Having thus described our Invention, we claim the combination and arrange-

page_text: ment of the two sets of measuring markers, the hold-back, rods, and roller,
with the plane surface table, the same being not only to enable the design to
be transferred, it being brought forward in regular sections, but to be main-
tained flatly upon the table, as described.
We also claim the two measuring indices Q, R, in combination with the
large pulley M and the shaft of the driving roller of the cylinder to be
engraved.
We also claim the means of holding and moving the cylinder so that it
shall not only be rotated by pressure against its external surface, but may
be either removed from or applied to its supports; the same consisting in
employing a driving roller and a bearing roller at one end of the cylinder,
in combination with two sets of bearing rollers made to extend into a groove
around the cylinder, and to support such cylinder both laterally and longi-
tudinally, as described.
We also claim the arrangement of the pattern table, the tracer, and its
carriage, the several other carriages, the mechanism for operating each, the
wheel M, its shaft, and the supports of the roller to be engraved; the whole
constituting an important improvement in engraving machinery, and securing
to it important advantages in operation as well as construction.
In testimony whercof, we have hereunto set our signatures and seals,
this Tenth day of August, in the year of our Lord 1855.
TADA