IMPROVEMENTS IN, my Invention of PRINTING CALICO AND OTHER FABRICS
Year: 1846

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
AUGUSTE DESIRE GUICHARD, of Rue de Jeneurs, Paris, in the Kingdom of
France, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Seventeenth day of February, in the ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Edward Auguste Desire Guichard, my exors, admors, and assigns,
Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the 'said
Edward Auguste Desire Guichard, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Edward Auguste Desire Guichard, my exors, admors,
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.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of
PRINTING CALICO AND OTHER FABRICS;" in which said Letters Patent is con-
tained a proviso that I, the said Edward Auguste Desire Guichard, shall cause
a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately

page_text: 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 Auguste Desire Guichard, do hereby declare the nature of my said
Invention, and 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 thereon, that is to say:-
In printing fabrics by blocks, it has been difficult up to the present time to
print more than one colour with the same block; the inconvenience of which
is very great, both with regard to the economy of the time occupied, and also
to the nature of the patterns that may be required to be printed, as many
designs requiring a great many colors to develop them would require a different
block for each color, and, consequently the designer of the patterns has to
make such as require the fewest number of colors. Now, by my Invention,
any numbers of colors may be produced on the fabric by a single action of the
block, the number being limited only by the size of the machine, which of course
could be constructed of any size required. Which Invention is carried out by
an exceedingly simple arrangement, by the employment of bars placed on the
same plane parallel to each other, receiving in this state the colors; then by an
arrangement of machinery these bars are pushed lengthways, the one to the
right the other to the left, or allowed to remain in their position according to
the nature of the design required.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1s a general plan of the machine. Figure 2 is a vertical section,
following the line 1, 2. Figure 3 is a vertical section, according to the line
3, 4. A is the framing of the machine, supported by the standards B. C is
a frame, bolted by small bolts a to the framing A. In this frame C are
openings, through which bars D pass; these bars are kept apart from each
other by forked pieces b, having at their under ends nuts to adjust them in a
groove made along the bars C, which are screwed against the sides of the
framing C by screws d. Figures 4, 5, and 6 shew a front and side view of
one of these forked pieces, also a plan, elevation, and section of the bars c.
The forked pieces are only retained in their position by the pressure of the
screw d against the framing C, their position is easily changed according to
the position required to be given to the bars D. Upon the upper part of the
sides of the framing C there are two channels
or grooves cut out to allow

page_text: for the passage of the rollers, the brush and frame of color takers, which is
placed at each end of the machine, as shewn in the Drawings, Figure 1.
This color taker is composed of two parts, the outer one e, to which is fixed in
opposite sides the support f, which carry the roller g which runs in the grooves
of the frames C. h, h, h, h, are the supports placed at the four corners, and
to which are attached four springs k, the object of which is to keep suspended
the box of colors. The second frame which carries the parts is formed of
two bars i, connected together by the cross piece j; there are slots in these
pieces to receive the supports 1, in which pass the square rods that support
the color taker m; the bars i are divided so as to facilitate the putting of the
rods of the color taker m into their places. Figures 8 and 9 shew an end
view and elevation of one of these supports l, half size. Figure 10 shews a
part of the frame, shewing in section. In the length of the rods near the
middle of the sides i are the handles n, by pressing which with the 'hand the
second part of the frame is caused to descend. When the color takers m are
required to be plunged into the colour box p, these color boxes are placed side
by side at a table G. In Figure 10 the color takers m are supposed to
have descended into the colour box, which effect is produced as before
explained, by pressing on the handle n. The Figures 11 and 12 represent
half size a front and side view of one of these color takers mi placed above
the color box, which color box is shewn in section shewing the colour théréin;
it is formed of thin metal screwed together in a socket of the same metal, so
as to adjust it as required to a square or round rod retained in its place by a
screw. These rods are also divided, in order that the color taker m may be
conveniently placed in. Below the framing are screws H, one right-handed
and the other left-handed; these screws work through boxes I bolted to the
supports of the cross piece J. These supports placed at each end of the
machine are adjusted upon the' triangular sliding pieces q fixed upon the
framing A; they serve to receive the pivot of the hollow bar K, to which are
adjusted the stops r, which keep the bars D in, one position whilst the
color is being deposited. Upon the shaft of the screw H is a bevilled
wheel S, which receives motion from another wheel t upon the axes u, on the
end of which is a handle, by turning which in one direction or the other the
screw His caused to approach or recede from the hollow bars K with their
stop rods. The principal of this Invention rests upon the employment' of
these bars D; I will therefore give a detailed description of their construction.
The first that we made' were wholly of copper, and of a single piece; but
with a view of economy we make them of two pieces of copper and cast iron
of a greater thickness than width, so as to obtain a great solidity, these are

page_text: nearly of the same width, in order that as the copper ones are varied in their
width the length of them are the same, and it is only the width of the
copper part that is varied according to the pattern that is required. The
portion of the bar which receives the color is covered with cloth fixed or
cemented on the upper part of it, or the cloth may be covered with gummed
silk and covered over the cloth, by which an elasticity is obtained sufficient.
In most cases it is upon the upper cloth that the color is placed. When a
greater elasticity is required, we employ small boxes of india rubber, formed
with their ends open, and place one on each of the bars. Into the
interior of these boxes we introduce powder, and by means of a plug and
screw e the quantity of powder therein may be decreased or encreased so as to
regulate the elasticity of the upper sides of the box or case upon which the
color is placed. One of these cases is shewn at Figure 13 and transverse
section at Figure 14.
At Figure 15 I have shewn another description of longitudinal case, into
which powder is introduced for the same purpose; the upper part of it is
covered with an impermeable material, and upon that the color is placed:
y, y, are screws placed at each end for regulating the elasticity as before
described. The mode in which the machine works is as follows:-Suppose
that all the color boxes p are filled with color and placed in proper order, and
that the colour takers m are also placed above in the number required, and that
the bars occupy the position that they should, that is those given in the
Drawing, Figure 1. In that state they should be kept by their two ends by
the stops r; the brush E which is intended to spread the color is placed at
the back end of the frame, then all will be arranged and indicated in the
Figures 1, 2, and 3, by means of the handle, or pressure is exercised with the
hands upon the color-taker holder; the takers m, which remain in their.
original state suspended above the color boxes by the effect of the four.
springs, will descend into these boxes, and the pressure ceasing, they will rise
by the action of the springs charged with color. In this state the handle is
to cause the color holder to roll on, until it arrives above the bars in the
position determined for the character of the design, and which position is
regulated by a stop, in order that the color-taker holder at all times presents
the same position and without above the bars, from whence it happens that in
pressing the handle n the color taker m descends and deposits the color upon
the fabric with which the bars D are covered. The frame is afterwards
brought back into its former position above the color boxes, and the brush E
is caused to slide over the surface of the bars D to spread over. the color.
These operations are to be repeated until a sufficient quantity of color is

page_text: placed upon the bars, by which is obtained, as shewn in the Drawing, Figure 1,
rows of colors corresponding to those contained in the color boxes p. When
it is required to vary the pattern by having several compartments of different
colors, which should correspond with the parts of the same design, in order to
produce one, two, or three, a certain number of colors at once, corresponding
at each blow to the number of small squares, which is obtained by changing
the position of the bars D. In order to vary these rows of colors the work-
man will press with his foot upon the pedal L, shewn in Figures 2 and 3,
which turns on an axis at a'. The lever or pedal is kept raised, as shewn in
Figure 3, by a spring affixed to the cross piece that connects the standards B.
Below this lever L is affixed a small pulley c', over which passes a cord d', the
ends of which are fastened to the pieces e', which are hinged to the washers f¹,.
through which the screw H passes. These washers are also adjusted to the
small supports g' fixed near the hollow bar K. From the arrangements of
the pieces just described, it results that if the workman presses with his foot
upon the pedal L it will be depressed, and consequently will stretch the
cords d', which will cause the levers g' to cause the bars K to turn upon
their axes, and they will move the stop bars r which are thus drawn away
from the ends of the bars D, and these stops will then occupy the position
shewn at Figure 16. As soon as this effect is produced the workman, will
turn the handle h¹, and thus by means of the wheels s and t give a rotary
movement to the screw H, and as the sockets I are fixed near the sliding
supports
J which carry the hollow bar K, it results that these will move the
one and the other from the sides of the bars in their inclined position, such as
is shown at Figure 16. They will soon meet the ends of the bars by their
internal faces in such manner that some will be pushed from right to left
and others from left to right, until they are all on a right line, as shewn in
Figure 17 in plan. The movement will thence cease, and the previously
regular form of the colors is broken, and the colors which have been arranged
on the bars will assume the aspect shewn in Figure 17,-that is to say, a series
of small compartments of colors arranged in an order which may be varied;
thus, if in the actual state of the bars shewn I apply a flat block, it is evident
that I take in this instance, and at a single blow, as many colors as I have
obtained compartments; and as I cannot be limited otherwise than by the
size of my machine and the size of my compartments, it will readily be
understood that by the application of my bars, the number and size of which
can be varied, that any description of pattern can be produced, whatever may
be the nature of it. Although we have spoken of these bars as being of the
same width throughout the whole length, yet I reserve the right of varying

page_text: the form of them; thus, for instance, in some printing I make the surfaces D
with inclined sides, as shewn at Figure 18. Their combination is otherwise
the same as those described. The brush E used by me is somewhat similar to
what is generally used; but to prevent the colors from mixing, each row is
separated by a small copper peg i, which penetrates into the wood, as shewn
in the Drawings, Figures 2 and 3. At the two ends of the brush are screwed
sliding supports j¹, which carry at their lower parts small rollers, to roll in the
channels or grooves of the frame c; these supports are made to slide, so as to
allow the brush to be raised or lowered when it is required to press upon the
bars D less or more. When it is required to make shades of patterns, I
place the bars M in the positions shewn in Figure 1, following the length of
the frame; only they are placed at the end, so as not to interfere with the
other bars; in this case, to spread the color, I employ a rectangular frame,
constructed in a similar manner to that shewn at Figures 21 and 22, the first
of which is a plan, and the other a cross section. It is composed of two
wooden bars P, tied together at their end by cross pieces, to which are fixed
blades of copper or other suitable material placed apart from each other,
according to the arrangement of the bars M. The object of these blades is to
separate each bar in such a manner that the colors do not mix with each
other.
Figure 19 shews a vertical section of another kind of color box, more
especially intended for printing the ground. The taker of color is in this case
of a different construction from that we have already described. It is
composed of teeth or projections, which may be regulated as required,
according to the nature of the drawing; and although shewn in the Drawing
as made of a single piece, it is evident there would be no difficulty in making
it of detached pieces. The lower part of these teeth or projections are shewn
in the form of points, and the colour box or trough is formed in corresponding
channels.
Figure 23 shews a plan of a new arrangement of machinery for printing
immediately above the bars.
Figure 24 is a longitudinal section, following the line 7 and 8. The
machine is shewn in the proper position for printing. The rectangular
frame before spoken of is represented at the letter c, supplied with the bars D
of the same width. The bars D are supported from each side of the machine
by the rollers Q, and they are kept apart by means of small forked pieces;
as already described. At one end of the machine is placed a roller R,
around which is wound the fabric to be printed, which passes between the two
bars m³, n¹, connected at their ends by screws. The upper bar m¹ is of a

page_text: under part of the bars are two projecting stops C, which support the rods d
upon which are adjusted the moveable cleats f, to each of which is a set screw
to allow of its being fixed in the position required, according to the longitu-
dinal movement which each bar should receive as soon as they are charged
with color. At the right and left of these parts are the metal supports D, one
of which is shewn separately in plan at Figure 30, and a longitudinal section
at Figure 31. They are fixed by their ends near the sides of the framing A;
they support the shaft E, upon which are adjusted pinions q, placed between
the cheeks of these supports. Upon the same supports, and parallel to the
shaft E, will be seen small shafts i, on which are pinions h, h, which receive
movement from the wheel g taking into it. These pinions should be sufficiently
large so that each pair of wheels in taking into each other at one end may
give motion by the other to the racks k, k. These pieces k, k, are connected
together by the cross pieces m, which is curved so as to allow it to pass under
the rods d; and the pieces 1, 1, are also connected by another cross piece n
similar to the first. This arrangement presumes that we are going to
produce a. drawing that would require the bars to be placed as shown
in the Figure 26, all the moveable cleats fare to be placed upon the same
line which is shown in dotted lines; the pieces k are so arranged that the
cross pieces m and n are brought against the moveable cleats f, in this
position it will easily be understood that by placing a click or catch upon the
main shaft E so as to prevent it from turning, all the bars will be kept in
their places and the colors can be deposited and spread, as described in the
former machine. When it is considered that they are sufficiently charged with
color, the handle F is to be turned in such suitable manner as to cause the
cross pieces m, n, to separate the one from the other, which cannot fail to take
place; as the pinions g, h, in turning have reverse movement of rotation they
soon come in contact successively with the fixed projections c, and the bars
will be pushed from right to left until all the projections c are brought into a
straight line and pressed by the cross pieces, m, n, as shewn in the Drawings,
Figure 29.
Figure 29 shows the cross rods m, n, after having pushed the bars B into
their proper position for the printing block to take color, and the moving
bars are moving back towards the centre in order to get the bars B into
the position Figure 26 for receiving color. When the bars are placed in
the position shewn at Figure 29, the line of color will be broken, they then
represent the form shewn in Figure 17, the previous Drawing, which is the
time when the block-is applied to take the color.
....Figure. 32 shows an edge view of the bars separate, with the moveable

page_text: piece f and the rod d. Figure 33 is an under side view. Figure 34 is a front
and side view of one of the moveable pieces f drawn full size, the other Figures
are one sixth of the natural size. The cross pieces p, q, are intended to support
the bars B when making stripes as described in respect to the previous Drawing.
The machine may be placed on a table or any other convenient position.
From this foregoing description it will be evident that the principle of
this Invention consists in the employment of the bars placed in a fixed
position in the first instance, but capable of being changed when required
to change the patterns, the mode of giving off the color and the mode of
passing the brush over the bars by which rows of colors are obtained, and the
mode of changing the position of these bars from right to left, so as to obtain
a division of them into small compartments enclosing different colors so
distributed that they may correspond with the patterns produced on the flat
block or printing surfaces.
And I also claim the mode of arranging the bars M, m, N, when producing
stripes.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Auguste Desire Guichard,
have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of August,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-six.