IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRINTING WOVEN AND OTHER FABRICS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Christie, of the Firm of John Orr Ewing and
Company, and George Izatt, Foreman Mechanic to the same Firm, both of
Alexandria, in the County of Dumbarton, North Britain, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRINTING WOVEN AND OTHER
FABRICS."
Sealed the 26th November 1878, and dated the 5th June 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Christie and George
Izatt at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th June 1878.
JOHN CHRISTIE, of the Firm of John Orr Ewing and Company, and GEORGE
IZATT, Foreman Mechanic to the same Firm, both of Alexandria, in the County
of Dumbarton, North Britain. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRINTING
WOVEN AND OTHER FABRICS."
This Invention relates to the printing of woven and other fabrics with com-
binations of patterns, comprising centres or fillings with borders by means of
engraved plates when the end borders require to be at distances greater than can
be conveniently managed with a single plate, as in the cases, for example, of scarfs,
dress pieces, and the like, and it comprises improved, simple, and convenient
apparatus satisfactorily, applicable in cases not involving many different colors.
"
In the case of scarfs or dresses " centre or "filling" portion of the pattern
(with or without side borders) is engraved on one plate, and the end borders are
engraved on one, or in some cases, two other plates, as is ordinarily done, but
instead of first printing all the centering on a piece of the fabric with spaces left
for the end borders or "tails," and then secondly printing all the end borders, as is
commonly done, the several centres and end borders are, by this Invention, printed
on the piece in their proper order, and in consequence a much better fitting
together of the centres and end borders is obtainable.
In carrying out the Invention two, or, in some cases, three separate sliding
frames or carriages are provided for the two or three plates, and at the back of the

page_text: machine there is placed a frame fitted with a movable frame, which can be raised
and lowered in vertical guides, and which is connected by chains or racks to sector
pulleys or toothed sectors, on a horizontal shaft, having oppositely placed sector
pulleys on it, with chains connected to counterweights, so as to counterbalance, or
partly counterbalance, the weight of the movable frame and of the plate carriages
and plates.
The movable frame is fitted with bearing rollers for the plate carriages at two
or three different levels, and the counterbalancing shaft is provided with a hand
lever for raising or lowering the movable frame, so as to put one of the plate
carriages at the level for being run into position on the rollers or guides of the
printing machine.
"
In printing with this apparatus one, two, or more impressions of the "centre" or
filling" plate are made in order on the fabric in the usual way, according to the
length between the end borders; that plate is then, on its carriage, run into the
movable frame at the back, and this movable frame having been raised or lowered,
as the case may be, to bring an end border or "tail" plate to the proper level, such
border plate is run forward into the printing machine to give an impression in its
turn, after which it is returned to the movable frame at the back, and in the case
of a single border plate the "centre" or "filling" plate is brought forward again.
When there are two border plates they are both printed from before bringing the
"centre" or "filling" plate into operation again.
In some cases two plates may be used containing respectively reversed halves of
the complete pattern.
The apparatus may be modified in various ways, as for example, by placing the
fixed frame with the vertically movable frame at the front of the printing machine,
and by using hydraulic apparatus to raise and lower the movable frame where
water under pressure is conveniently available.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Christie and George Izatt in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 3rd December 1878.
JOHN CHRISTIE, of the Firm of John Orr Ewing and Company, and GEORGE
IZATT, Foreman Mechanic to the same Firm, both of Alexandria, in the County of
Dumbarton, North Britain. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRINTING WOVEN
AND OTHER FABRICS."
Our said Invention relates to the printing of woven and other fabrics with com-
binations of patterns, comprising centres or fillings with borders by means of
engraved plates when the end borders require to be at distances apart greater than
can bo conveniently managed with a single plate, as in the cases, for example, of
scarfs, dress pieces, and the like, and it comprises improved, simple, and convenient
apparatus satisfactorily, applicable in cases not involving many different colors.
"
In the case of scarfs or dresses the "centre" or filling" portion of the pattern
(with or without side borders) is engraved on one plate, and the end borders are
engraved on another plate (or in some cases on two other plates), as is ordinarily
donc, but instead of first printing all the centering on a piece of the fabric with
spaces left for the end borders or "tails," and then, secondly, printing all the end
borders, as is commonly done, the several centres and end borders are, by our
Invention, printed on the piece in their proper order, and in consequence much
better fitting together of the centres and end borders is obtainable.
In carrying out our Invention two, or in some cases, three separate sliding
frames or carriages are provided for the two or three plates, and at the back of the
machine there is placed a stationary frame fitted with a movable frame, which can
be raised and lowered on vertical guides.
The movable frame is fitted with bearing rollers for the plate carriages at two or
three different levels, and a hand lever is provided for raising or lowering the
movable frame, so as to put one of the plate carriages at the level for being run
into position on the rollers or guides of the printing machine.
"tail"
In printing with this apparatus one, two, or more impressions of the "centre"
or "filling" plate are made in order on the fabric in the usual way, according to
the length between the end borders or "tails," that plate is then, on its carriage,
run into the movable frame at the back, and this movable frame having thereafter
been raised or lowered, as the case may be, to bring an "end border" or "
plate to the proper level, such "tail" plate is run forward into the printing
machine to give an impression in its turn, after which it is returned to the
movable frame at the back, and (in the case of a single border or "tail" plate)
the "centre" or "filling" plate is brought forward again.
When there are two border or "tail" plates they are both printed from before
bringing the "centre" or "filling" plate into operation again.
In some cases two plates may be used containing respectively reversed halves of
the complete pattern.
Or two plates may be used for the "centre" or "filling," each printing a different
color, and a third plate being used for the end borders or "tails."
Our improved apparatus may be modified in various ways, as for example, by
placing the fixed frame with the vertically movable frame at the front of the
printing machine, and by using hydraulic apparatus to raise and lower the movable
frame where water under pressure is conveniently available.
And in order that our said Invention, and the manner of performing the same,
may be properly understood, we hereunto append a Sheet of explanatory Drawings
to be herein-after referred to, and representing a simple modification of our appa-
ratus as constructed for two plates.
In these Drawings the same reference numerals are used to mark the same or
like parts wherever they are repeated.

page_text: Figure 1, on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, is a plan of the fixed and
movable frames; Figure 2 is a sectional side elevation; and Figure 3 is an end
elevation.
At the left-hand side of Figure 2 there is shown a part 1 of the lower portion
of the framing of the printing machine, in connection with which the improved
apparatus is to be used, some of the rollers or wheels 2 being also shown, on
which the plate carriage 3 moves in the printing machine. At a short distance
from the printing machine 1 there is a light open rectangular stationary frame 4,
the side of which is supposed to be removed in Figure 2, and within this stationary
framing 4 there is a vertically movable frame 5, consisting of two side frames (5)
connected by tie rods 6 and by rods 7, which latter also serve as axles to two sets
of rollers 8, 9. The side frames 5 have staples 10 formed on them near their ends
to slide on vertical guide bars 11, which are fixed to the flooring (or it might be to
the stationary framing 4), and the middle parts of the side frames are made with
bars 12, projecting downwards, and having attached at their lower ends chains,
which pass up to and are fixed to pulleys 13 fast on a transverse horizontal
shaft 14, carried in pedestal bearings 15. The shaft 14 has also fast on it pulleys 16,
to which are attached chains connected to counterweights 17, and these counter-
weights being on the opposite side of the shaft 14 to the frame bars 12, counter-
balance the weight of the movable frame 5.
On each end of the shaft 14 there is fixed a band lever 18, so that the shaft can
be turned at either side of the machine for raising or lowering the movable frame,
and catch plates 19, 20, are fixed to the stationary framing 4 in suitable places for
retaining the hand levers 18 in the two required positions.
In Figures 2 and 3 the movable frame 5 is shown in its highest position, and its
lower set of rollers 8 are at the same level as the rollers 2 of the printing machine,
so that the carriage 3 bearing the printing plate 21 can be run from the movable
frame into the printing machine, and vice versa.
When the plate 21 is to be changed for the other plate 22 the plate 21 on its
carriage 3 is run into the movable frame 5, and this frame 5 is then lowered to
bring the upper rollers 9, bearing the upper carriage 23 and its plate 22, down to
the level of the rollers 2 of the printing machine, so that the carriage 23 with its
plate 22 can be run into the printing machine. At the next change the carriage 23
with its plate 22 is run from the printing machine into the movable frame 5, and
this frame is then raised again to bring the other carriage 3 and its plate to the
level for being run into the printing machine.
Having thus particularly described our said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, we have to state that we do not restrict ourselves to the
precise details herein described or delineated, but that what we believe to be
novel and original, and claim as the Invention secured to us by and in terms of
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the combination with apparatus
for printing woven and other fabrics by means of engraved plates, of a frame fitted
with rollers or equivalent guides at different levels to receive two or more plates
with their carriages, and arranged to be movable vertically, so that any plate can
be set at the level for being moved into the printing machine, substantially as
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Christie and George Izatt, have here-
unto set our hands and seals, this Thirtieth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.