IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING CALICO AND OTHER FABRICS
Year: 1849

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
CARTER, of Merton Abbey, Surrey, Machinist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Fifth day of December,
One thousand eight hundred and forty-nine, in the thirteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Edward Carter, my exors, adiñors, and assigns, Her especial licence,
full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Edward Carter,
my exors, adiiors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edward
Carter, my exors, aditiors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING CALICO AND OTHER FABRICS;" in which said Letters
Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said Edward Carter, shall cause
a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of

page_text: Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference
being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Edward Carter, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and 5
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to
the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thercon,
that is to say:-
My Invention consists, first, of improvements in apparatus for applying 1
color to blocks used in printing calico and other fabrics by hand.
Secondly, my Invention consists of printing calico and other fabrics on both
sides by placing corresponding colors on either side of a fabric by means of
blocks.
And, thirdly, my Invention consists of improvements in machinery used in 1
printing calico and other fabrics, whereby a fabric may be printed on both
sides by the aid of rollers suitably formed to place the same colors on the
corresponding points of the two sides of a fabric.
And in order that my Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the means pursued by me.
Figure 1 shows a plan of part of a printing table, and Figure 2 shows part
of an end view of a printing table and apparatus arranged according to my
Invention.
The object of this part of my Invention is to supply color to blocks used in
printing calico and other fabrics; and the apparatus consists of a carriage
moving on four wheels a, a, the frames b, b, at the ends of the carriage being
capable of moving on axes c, c, so as to set the carriage somewhat inclined
across the printing table, in place of at right angles, according as the printer
may prefer to have the carriage in one position or the other; and in using
this apparatus the printer pushes it progressively along the table as he pro-
ceeds with his work. d, d, are two rollers covered with blanketting which
revolve in color troughs, and the color is equalized on and the excess removed
from the surfaces of the rollers d, d, by means of a doctor or pressing rollers
e, e, which can be made to press more or less on the surfaces of the rollers d, d,
as hereafter explained. On the ends of the axes of the rollers d, d, are
wheels ff, which are covered with vulcanized india rubber and they receive
notion by means of the bar g (which is rough on the under side), which, when
the printing block is placed on the carriage, descends and comes in contact
5

page_text: with the wheels f,f; hence, when the workman pushes the block along with
its carriage the color rollers will receive motion and communicate color to the
block as it passes over those rollers. The printer's block is shown by red lines
in the position in which the printer places it as soon as he takes it from the
fabric, and the four projections of the block will rest on the bars h, h, of what
I call a block carriage, which is carried on four wheels i, i, which move on the
side rails or frames of the lower carriage; and there are buffers j,j, to prevent
the prejudicial effects of concussion when the workman pushes the carriage
across the table in order to apply color to his block, and also to prevent con-
cussion when the carriage moves back after the block has been taken off.
The side frames on which the wheels i run are slightly inclined, so that
immediately the block is removed the block carriage runs down the incline
into the position shown in the Drawing. In placing the block on to the bars
h, h, (which are covered with vulcanized india rubber where the block rests
on) the projections come on to the bar g, by which it is pressed down on to
the wheels of the color rollers, hence, when the block carriage is pushed by
the printer across the table, the color rollers will revolve and impart color to
the block, when the printer will immediately take off the block and the block
carriage will run back. The pressure of the doctor rollers is regulated by
means of the screws I, I, acting on the levers m, which cause the doctor rollers
to press more or less against their color rollers, as will more cleary appear by
reference to Figure 3, where an end view of these parts are shewn on a
larger scale. Figure 4 shows an enlarged section of the color trough and
rollers working therein, and Figure 5 shows two views on an enlarged scale
of the bars h, h, and the means employed for adjusting their positions.
I will now describe the second part of my Invention, for which it is
necessary to prepare two sets of blocks, one set being the reverse of the other
set of blocks; and it is of importance that the surfaces of the reverse blocks
should agree with the others with exactness, otherwise the colors on one side.
of a fabric would overlap the colors on the other side, and thus injure the
otherwise beautiful effect which may be produced by printing on both sides of
a fabric where each color and each part of a pattern hit each other, and
occupy on the other side exactly the same point and the same extent of surface
as those on the first side. In making the blocks I proceed as follows:-
Having prepared a set of blocks in the ordinary manner, as if for printing on
only one side of a fabric, I then proceed to make another set of blocks the
reverse of the first set, and suitable for laying on colors on the other side of a
fabric to that on which the first set is used. I have color applied to each

page_text: block (composing the first set of blocks), and by means of any suitable press
I cause an impression to be printed off on to other blocks, and these
impressions serve to direct the workman in producing printing surfaces on the
second series of blocks corresponding with the first blocks, but reversed, so as
to make them suitable for printing on the other side of a fabric to that
whereon the first set of blocks is used. The workman then proceeds to make
the printing surface on each of the second series of blocks, being guided by the
printed impression thereon; but as it is difficult, even with the aid of the
impression, for the workman to make his work to correspond with exactness, it
is desirable to have a means of correction, and for this purpose I take an
impression, on a transparent fabric (such as oiled silk or tracing paper) placed
and kept distended in a rectangular frame, which I hinge to a second frame
in which I place the block, which second frame has set screws to adjust the
block correctly to correspond with the marks produced by the "pitch pins or
points" of the first block, so that when the impression on the transparent fabric
is shut down on the printing surface of the second block the workman will
readily detect on inspection whother any parts of the printing surface of the
second block are incorrect or do not fall on the exact spots or points of the
opposite surface of the transparent fabric to those on which the first block has
produced its impression, and the workman will by this means go on ascer-
taining, and then will correct any inaccuracies till he has made the second or
reverse block correct, when it will be ready for use. The object of placing the
frame of the transparent impression on hinges is, that it may be repeatedly
folded down on to the printing surface, in order, after having corrected one
error, the workman may ascertain where other errors require correcting, and
in this manner all the blocks of any pattern are to be prepared, the reverse or
second blocks not only corresponding in regard to the pattern, but they are
also to have "pitch pins or points" to correspond, so that such pins or points
may by the workman be placed on the spots produced by the first blocks, and
which can be seen through the fabric which has been printed on one side. In
place of fixing the fabric to the printing table I fix it in a frame separate from
or independent of the table; and I prefer to have the table covered with a
white oilcloth, in order that the impression which has been printed on one
side of a fabric may be the more readily seen through when the fabric
has been turned over with its printed surface downwards. The frame in
which I stretch the fabric to be printed is rectangular, of somewhat larger
dimensions than the fabric, and at two or more sides I employ bars (parallel
to the sides and ends of the frame, which can be moved by screws or

page_text: otherwise, to stretch the fabric within the frame, the fabric being held to
the frame and to the bars by hooks or points, as is well understood when
keeping the fabrics distended for other purposes. I would state that it is
important to this process of printing on both sides that the fabric should be
kept stretched or distended in all directions, and yet allow of its being dried in
the frame away from the table after one side has been printed, and also to
allow of the fabric being readily turned over so as to bring the printed surface
on to the table, and this could not with convenience be done if the fabric were
fastened to the table, as is usual in printing fabrics by hand, but the means of
keeping the fabrics distended in frames may be varied. The fabrics before
being put into the frames are to be stiffened with gum, or other suitable
matter, and whilst still damp they are to be put into the frames so that they
may dry in the frame, and in that state be printed. The printing of one side
having been done by one set of the blocks in the same manner as heretofore when
printing only on one side of a fabric, the workman removes the frame with
the fabric away from the table, and when the fabric is again dry he places it
with the printed surface downwards on to the table, and by the reservo or
second set of blocks he proceeds to print the other side, and this he will readily
be able to do by reason of the exactness of the correspondence of these blocks
with the first set, and the impressions of the "pitch pins" or "points" being
seen through, and the fabric remaining in the same stretched or distondod
state as when receiving the impression on the other side from the first set
of blocks.
I will now describe the third part of my Invention. Figure 6 shews a plan
and Figure 7 a side view of a machine arranged with seven pairs of surface
rollers for printing a fabric with seven colors on each side. a is the main or
driving shaft, receiving motion from a steam engine or other power. On this
shaft are several screws b, which give motion to the screw wheels c, c, on the
axes of the several printing rollers d, d, and also to the screw wheels on the axes
of the pressing rollers e, e, between which the fabric to be printed first passes.
The printing rollers by their axes and cog wheel ƒ give motion to the rollers
which apply color to the printing rollers. The rollers 9, 9, which apply color
to the upper printing rollers, receive color from the rollers g', g', which revolve
in the color trough, there being doctors to remove the excess of color from the
rollers g'. The colors are supplied to the lower printing rollers by means of
the rollers h, h, which revolve in their color troughs, and have press or doctor
rollers i, i, by which an excess of color is prevented being carried up. The
color troughs and rollers working therein have suitable means of adjustment,
which are shewn in Figures 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 18, and 14, on a larger scale.

page_text: And
The fabric to be printed is wound on either of the rollers j, j, which are pro-
vided with cords and weights to offer friction to the unwinding. The fabric is
kept distended by means of revolving self-acting temples k, k, (enlarged views
of which are shewn in Figures 15 and 16) or by other suitable means.
the fabric in passing through the machine is first pressed by the rollers e, e,
thence through between the printing rollers in succession, and is then conveyed
away and dried by suitable means.
I would remark that when this machine is not required to print one fabric
on both sides, then, by passing two fabrics between the rollers with a backing
between them, as indicated by a red line and arrow, two fabrics may be
printed with one pattern.
In order that the printing surfaces of each pair of rollers may coincide in
the parts of their pattern, and be suitable to apply color correctly on either
side of a fabric, I pursue a somewhat similar means to that above described
when preparing blocks for a similar purpose. I cause one set of surface
printing rollers to be prepared as heretofore, and then I cause the plain roller
(which is to work with any one of them, but on the other side of the fabric,)
to be pressed on to by that roller, so that the two being simultaneously driven
(and color'applied to the one with the pattern on it), an impression will be
printed on to the plain roller, which will guide the workman in producing the
pattern correctly thereon.
..
.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that I make
no claim to the separate mechanical parts herein shown and described, nor do I
confine myself to the details as herein explained, so long as the peculiar
character of any part of my Invention be retained; but what I claim is,-
First, the arrangement of apparatus herein described for applying color to
blocks used for block printing.
Secondly, I claim the printing of fabrics on both sides by the aid of blocks,
as herein explained; and,
Thirdly, I claim the improvements in machinery for printing calico and
other fabrics, whereby one fabric may be printed on both sides, or two fabrics
cach on one side, as explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Carter, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifth day of June, One thousand eight hundred
and fifty.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Fifth day of June, in the year
of our Lord 1850, the aforesaid Edward Carter came before our said Lady
the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification aforesaid,
and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of
the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Fifth day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and fifty.