IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING FELTED AND TEXTILE FABRICS SUITABLE FOR CARPETING, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George William Carr and George Butterworth,
Felt Manufacturers and Printers, and John Hamer, Designer and
Printer, all of Beeston Hill, Leeds, in the County of York, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING FELTED AND TEXTILE FABRICS
SUITABLE FOR CARPETING, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS TO BE
EMPLOYED THEREIN.'
"
Sealed the 9th May 1871, and dated the 3rd March 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William George Carr,
George Butterworth, and John Hamer at the Office of the Com-
missioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 3rd March 1871.
We, GEORGE WILLIAM CARR, and GEORGE BUTTERWORTH, Felt
Manufacturers and Printers, and JOHN HAMER, Designer and Printer,
all of Beeston Hill, Leeds, in the County of York, do hereby declare the
nature of our said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING FELTED AND
TEXTILE FABRICS SUITABLE FOR CARPETING, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the printing of felted carpeting, and textile
fabrics suitable for carpeting, and to the machinery or apparatus to be

page_text: employed therein, and the improved machinery consists of a large drum
or cylinder mounted in a strong fixed framing as used heretofore in the
printing of dress fabrics, but of larger dimensions to adapt it to the
requirements of the work to be performed. On the periphery of this
large drum or cylinder there is the usual covering of thick woollen cloth,
and above this cover and near to each edge of the drum we place
adjustable metallic hoops or bands, having on their inner edges a
number of tenter books or pins for the purpose of preventing the
carpet fabric from moving in a lateral direction during the operation of
printing. To one side of the large drum are fixed toothed segments
forming a large spur wheel having the same diameter of pitch line as
the large drum. Round tho periphery of the large drum or cylinder,
and in the same fixed framing there are mounted at convenient
distances apart, and in adjustable bearings, a number of printing
rollers or cylinders capable of unlimited axial or circumferential:
adjustment upon their centres by means of a train of spur and mitro
pinions, operating a worm working in a worm wheel fast upon the boss
of another wheel which is loose upon the axis of the printing cylinders,
but which is geared into the large spur driving wheel upon the edge of
the main drum. Within the general fixed framing of the machine we!
place a series of portable colour frames provided with adjustable radial
arms and adjusting worms for carrying and adjusting the angles of the
endless color cloths, which apply the color to the printing cylinders.
These portable color frames carry also the color rollers, trouglis, and
other appendages for supplying the printing surfaces with the respective
coloring matters to be printed on to the felted or carpet fabric.
When two or more colors are printed by the same cylinder we use
two color rollers in lieu of a color cloth, the smaller one of which is
carried by a bent lever arm made adjustable by a set screw. By this
arrangement the quantity of coloring matter applied to the surface of
the larger color roller is regulated, which roller has a thick clastic
covering of india-rubber or printers' composition or similar substance as
an clastic bed, and is provided with a waterproof cover to resist the
aqucous influence of the coloring matters, the larger roller which' dips
into the coloring matter contained in the color trough is provided with
a thick woollen cloth on its surface to carry the coloring matter to tho
printing surfaces in the usual manner. Heretofore in printing these
goods the color rollers and their accessorios have been mounted in the

page_text: general fixed framing of the machine, thereby causing a great waste
of time when changing the colors from one part of the machine to
another, in changing the coloring of a design or in changing the desigu
altogether, as in that case the color rollers and their accessories have to
be separately taken from their bearings and removed to their respective
places in the altered design intended to be printed, necessarily occupying
much time. By the use of the portable color frame, the color rollers
and their accessories are removed and replaced at once by simply lifting
from one part of the machine to another, when it is necessary to alter
the coloring of any design, thereby economising time and rendering the
operation much more cleanly. It has been usual in printing these
goods to apply the coloring matters on to the upper surface of the
printing rollers or cylinders, thereby preventing the possibility of
applying more than a very limited quantity of coloring matter without
liability of the color flowing down into the carved or engraved parts of
the design and causing defects in the work. But by means of the
adjustable radial arms and adjusting worms carried in the color frames
the endless color cloths can be adjusted at various angles to the printing
surfaces. We find that the best results are produced by bringing the
color cloths into such a position or angle that the color shall be applied
from below or to the under side of the printing rollers whereby larger
quantities of color can be applied without danger of its flowing into the
carved parts of the design, thus obviating many defects in the printing,
and at the same time producing greater brilliancy of color.
Wo construct the printing cylinders of an internal barrel or core of a
cylindrical or polygonal form, having on their surfaces longitudinal
grooves for receiving projecting pieces on moveable pattern segmental
blocks, of a suitable shape for fixing to the surfaces of the internal
cylinder or core. These moveable segmental pattern blocks may be
cut or carved in the usual manner, or they may be constructed with
stereotype surfaces, as is well known and attached by dovetails and
grooves to the central cores, by which contrivance large and elaborate
designs can be obtained at less cost than by the usual method of forming
the printing cylinders. The felted or other carpet fabric intended to be
printed is entered into the machine by means of a feed apparatus con-
sisting of a series of guide bars which deliver the fabric to a pair of
angularly arranged hook bands for the purpose of distending the piece
laterally, these in their turn deliver the fabric to a pair of feed rollers

page_text: having their surfaces roughened or covered with plush or emery, the
last feed roller delivering the fabric to the tenter hooks or pins on the
adjustablo metallic bands on the periphery of the large drum by which
the fabric is securely held during the process of printing. By this
arrangement greater accuracy of register is secured and a much larger
amount of coloring matter can be applied to the printing surfaces, and
consequently greater brilliancy of design obtained than heretofore.
After the carpet fabric is printed it is detached from the aforesaid hooks
by means of a roller having longitudinal ribs or projections and is
withdrawn by a drawing roller and ribbed roller suitably placed for
that purpose.
The carpet fabric after having its printed surface
sprinkled with sawdust, bran, or similar material from a dredger is
conveyed away to be finished in the usual well-known manner.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George William Carr, George Butterworth, and
John Hamer in the Great Seal Patent Office, on the 2nd September
1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, George
WILLIAM CARR, and GEORGE BUTTERWORTH, Felt Manufacturers and
Printers, and JOHN HAMER, Designer and Printer, all of Beeston Hill,
Leeds, in the County of York, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs, and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said George William Carr, George Butter-
worth, and John Hamer, Her special license that we, the said George
William Carr, George Butterworth, and John Hamer, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said George
William Carr, George Butterworth, and John Hamer, our executors,
administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVÈMENTS IN

page_text: "
PRINTING FELTED AND TEXTILE FABRICS, SUITABLE FOR CARPETING, AND IN THE
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN,'
upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said George William Carr, George Butter-
worth, and John Hamer, our executors or administrators, by an
3 instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or under the hand
and seal of one of us, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to
be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said George William Carr, George
Butterworth, and John Hamer, do hereby declare the nature of our
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to
the letters and figures marked thercon, that is to say :—
Our said Invention relates to the printing of felted carpeting and
textile fabrics suitable for carpeting, and to the machinery or apparatus
to be employed therein.
The improved machinery consists of a large drum or cylinder mounted
in a strong fixed framing as used heretofore in the printing of dress
fabrics but of increased dimensions and strength to adapt it to the
requirements of the work to be performed. On the periphery of this
large drum or cylinder there is the usual covering of thick woollen
cloth and above this cover and near to each edge of the drum we place
adjustable metallic hoops or bands having on their inner edges a
number of tenter hooks or pins for the purpose of preventing the carpet
fabric from moving in a lateral direction during the operation of
printing. To one side of the large drum are fixed toothed segments
forming a large spur wheel having the same diameter of pitch line as
the large drum. Round the periphery of the large drum or cylinder
and in the same fixed framing there are mounted at convenient distances
apart and in adjustable bearings a number of printing rollers or cylinders
capable of unlimited axial or circumferential adjustment upon their
centres by means of a train of spur and mitre pinions operating a worm
working in a worm wheel fast upon the boss of another wheel which is
loose upon the axis of the printing cylinders, but which is geared into
the large spur driving wheel upon the edge of the main drum. Within

page_text: the general fixed framing of the machine we place a series of portable
coloured frames provided with adjustable radial arms and adjusting
worms for carrying and adjusting the angles of the endless colour cloths
which apply the colour to the printing cylinders. These portable color
frames carry also the colour rollers, troughs, and other appendages for
supplying the printing surfaces with the respective coloring matters to
be printed on to the felted or carpet fabric.
When two or more colours are printed by the same cylinder we use
two colour rollers in lieu of a colour cloth the smaller one of which
is carried by a bent lever arm made adjustable by a set screw. By
this arrangement the quantity of coloring matter applied to the surface
of the larger colour roller is regulated, which roller has a thick clastic
covering of india-rubber or printers' composition or similar substance, as
an elastic bed, and is provided with a waterproof cover to resist the
aqueous influence of the colouring matters, the larger roller which
dips into the coloring matter contained in the colour trough is pro-
vided with a thick woollen cloth on its surface to carry the colouring
Heretofore in
matter to the printing surfaces in the usual manner.
printing these goods the color rollers and their accessories have been
mounted in the general fixed framing of the machine, thereby causing
a great waste of time when changing the colors from one part of the
machine to another, in changing the coloring of a design, or in changing
the design altogether, as in that case the color rollers and their
accessories have to be separately taken from their bearings and removed
to their respective places in the altered design intended to be printed
necessarily occupying much time. By the use of the portable color
frame, the color rollers and their accessories are removed and, replaced
at once by simply lifting from one part of the machine to another when
it is necessary to alter the coloring of any design, thereby economising
time and rendering the operation much moro cleanly. It has been
usual in printing these goods to apply the coloring matters on to the
upper surface of the printing rollers or cylinders, thereby preventing the
possibility of applying more than a very limited quantity of colouring
matter without liability of the color flowing down into the carved or
engraved parts of the design and causing defects in the work. But by
means of the adjustable radial arms and adjusting worms carried in the
color frames the endless color cloths can be adjusted at various angles to
the printing surfaces. Wo find that the best results are produced by

page_text: bringing the color cloths into such a position or angle that the color
shall be applied from below or to the under side of the printing rollers,
whereby larger quantititics of color can be applied without danger of its
flowing into the carved parts of the design, thus obviating many
defects in the printing and at the same time producing greater brilliancy
of color.
We construct the printing cylinders of an internal barrel or core of
a cylindrical or polygonal form, having on their surfaces longitudinal
grooves for receiving projecting pieces on moveable pattern segmental
blocks of a suitable shape for fixing to the surfaces of the internal
cylinder or core. These moveable segmental pattern blocks may be
cut or carved in the usual manner or they may be constructed with
stereotype surfaces, as is well known, and attached by dovetails and
grooves to the central cores, by which contrivance large and claborate
designs can be obtained at less cost than by the usual method of forming
the printing cylinders. The felted or other carpet fabric intended to be
printed is entered into the machine by means of a feed apparatus con-
sisting of a series of guide bars which deliver the fabric to a pair of
angularly arranged hook bands for the purpose of distending the piece
laterally, these in their turn deliver the fabric to a pair of feed rollers
having their surfaces roughened or covered with plush or emery, the
last feed roller delivering the fabric to the tenter hooks or pins on the
adjustable metallic bands on the periphery of the large drum by which
the fabric is securely held during the process of printing. By this
arrangement greater accuracy of register is secured and a much larger
amount of colouring matter can be applied to the printing surfaces and
consequently greater brilliancy of design obtained than heretofore.
After the carpet fabric is printed it is detached from the aforesaid hooks
by means of a roller having longitudinal ribs or projections and is
withdrawn by a drawing roller and ribbed roller suitably placed for that
purpose. The carpet fabric after having its printed surface sprinkled
with sawdust, bran, or similar material from a dredger is conveyed away
to be finished in the usual well-known manner.
And in order that our said Invention may be fully understood we
shall now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that
purpose shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheets of
Drawings, the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in
all the Figures.

page_text: Figure 1 (Sheet 1) of our Drawings is a side elevation of our improved
carpet printing machine. Figure 2 (Sheet 2) is a partial front elevation
the feed and withdrawing apparatus
Figure 4 is a detail of one of the
of the same. Figure 3 is a plan of
with a portion of the main drum.
color frames slewing the mechanism by which the parts are operated.
Figure 5 is a partial section of the adjusting apparatus for regulating
the accurate register of the printing cylinders. Figures 6 and 7 are
sections of our improved printing cylinders with one of the moveable
pattern blocks shewn separately in each case. Figure 8 (Sheet 1) is an
enlarged sectional detail of a portion of the adjustable metallic hoop
on the periphery of the large drum, and Figure 9 is a section of a
special color apparatus intended to be used where two or more colours
are to be applied by the same printing cylinder.
The felted or other carpet fabric intended to be printed (shown by a
full red line in our Drawings) is placed behind the machine as shewn
at A, Figure 1, and is conducted as indicated by the arrow over the
friction roller a through the guide piece b, over a second friction roller c,
and then passes under and over the respective tension bars d, d', which
are adjusted for longitudinal tension by means of the set screws e, c.
The carpet fabric thieu passes between a pair of guide plates, the top
plate of which is slightly bent down and forces the fabric on to the
tenter hooks or pius in the angularly placed hook bands 9, 9, carried by
the pullics h, h, the positions of which are best seen in Figure 3. These
hook bands have their angular positions adjusted by means of the middle
bar 2 indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 3. The carpet fabric
having been brought to an uniform state of tension is now delivered by
the hook bands g to the feed rollers k, k³, the roller delivering the
fabric to the tenter hooks B on the adjustable metallic hoop C carried
on the periphery of the main drum 1 (Figure 3), 1 are slotted pieces
attached to the hoop and through which the screws which secure the
hoop to the drum pass so as to allow for adjustment of the hoops, as
will be clearly seen on referring to Figure 2. The carpit fabric is now
ready to be printed by the printing cylinders F, F, which are supplied
with the requisite coloring matter from endless color cloths G, G, the
quantity of coloring matter supplied to the printing cylinders being
regulated by means of the colour roller IL which runs in the colour
trough I, shewn in section in Figure 2. The colour roller H is
adjustable by means of the lover K and screw L as shown more clearly

page_text: on an enlarged scale in Figure 4, M (Figures 2 and 4) is the portable color
frame; N is a worm quadrant upon the arm O which is actuated by
the worm P to bring the color cloth (which is carried by a roller on
the arm into position for obtaining the best results in the finished
work which we find to be in such a position that the color shall be
supplied to the surface of the printing rollers or cylinders on the under
side and adjustable up to the centre as may be desired and not wholly
on the upper side as practised heretofore in printing these goods. It
will be seen by reference to Figure 4 that the arm O can be moved by
means of the worm P and quadrant N along the dotted arc 1-2,
thereby bringing the color cloth into any desired intermediate position
from the under side to the horizontal centre inclusive, with facility, as
shewn at G, G, and G', G', (Figure 1). We find however that the
best possible position for applying the coloring matter to the several
printing rollers is on the under side as shown at G, G. In this position
the printing surfaces are caused to dip into the coloring matter upon
the color cloth G whereby a larger amount of coloring matter can be
imparted to the printing surfaces than in any other position without
fear of the color flowing into the engraved or recessed portions of the
designs upon the printing surfaces or cylinders, thus preventing those
defects that arise from the application of the coloring matter to the
upper sides of the printing cylinders as practised heretofore in printing
these goods unless the precaution be taken to spread upon the color cloth
a very limited quantity of coloring matter. The accuracy of register of
the several printing cylinders is effected by means of an adjusting bracket
or frame Q (Figure 2) fixed upon the shaft R of the printing cylinder F
and a wheel S having axial motion upon the shaft R. Upon the boss
of this wheel S there is fixed a worm wheel T in which works the
worm U carried in the bracket or framing Q and actuated by means
of the hand wheel V through the spindle W and train of spur and
mitre pinions X and Y. This part of the apparatus is shewn enlarged
and partly in section in Figure 5. By this arrangement we get an
amount of circular or circumferential adjustment equal to the whole
circumference of the printing cylinders F, as the wheels S have axial
motion on the printing cylinder shafts R. and are all geared into the
large spur wheel Z fixed on the shaft of the main drum D, it follows
that on turning the hand wheel V and spindle W (which passes through
the centre of the printing cylinder shaft K) motion will be communicated
by the spur pinions and mitre wheels Y to the worm U, and as this

page_text: worm is geared into the worm wheel T fast upon the boss of the wheel S
it also necessarily follows that so long as the hand wheel V is kept in
motion the worm will travel round the wheel T and carry round the
printing cylinder which is keyed upon the shaft R to any extent of the
circumference of the printing cylinders, and by this means the printing
cylinders can be brought into accurate register with each other without
-stopping the machine, as is frequently the case by the use of the limited
adjusting screws heretofore employed. The color rollers and color cloth
are driven at the surface speed of the printing cylinders by means of
spur wheels on their spindles geared in the usual manner, and the
printing cylinders F are brought up or withdrawn from the drum D by
the ordinary adjusting screws F'.
Figure 6 is a section of one of our improved printing cylinders and
a detached printing block. The cylinder is composed of a central
cylindrical core having suitable grooves cut in its surface to receive
projecting pieces on the inner surfaces of the moveable printing
blocks m, m; Figure 7 shews a section of polygonal coro and the
arrangement of moveable printing blocks me on its surfaces in a similar
manner to the blocks in Figure 6. These blocks m can be spaced out
when necessary and locked in position or prevented from being detached
'from their places during the process of printing by a plate or ring at
each end of the central corc. When two or more colors are printed by
the same cylinder we use a contrivance for supplying the color to the
printing cylinders as shewn in section at Figure 9 and at H³, H',
(Figure 1); D represents the main drum or cylinder of the machine F,
thic printing cylinder H, H, the color rollers, the smaller roller being
carried by the lover arm K made adjustable by the set screw L, by
which arrangement the quantity of coloring matter applied to the surface
of the larger color roller H is regulated. This roller has a thick clastic
covering of india-rubber or printers' composition or similar substance
as an clastic bed, and is provided with a waterproof cover to resist the
aqueous influence of the colouring matters. The larger roller which
dips into the coloring matter contained in the color trough is provided
with a thick woollen cloth on its surface to carry the coloring matter to
the printing surfaces in the usual manner. The carpet fabric after
having its surface printed with any desired ornamental design is detached
from the tenter hooks B by the ribbed roller n (Figure 1) and passes
along over the friction roller a, drawing roller p, and ribbed roller q. A

page_text: cylindrical dredger r, or a cradle with a vibrating motion, discharges a
sprinkling of sawdust, bran, or similar substance upon the printed
surface of the fabric which is then ready to be conveyed away to be
finished in the ordinary manner.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our
said Invention and the manner in which the same is or may be used
or carried into effect, we would observe in conclusion that what we con-
sider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to us by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The application and use of the portable color frames with
provision for adjusting the endless color cloths carried thereby to any
desired angle substantially as and for the purpose herein-before
described.
Second. The mode of circumferentially adjusting the printing cylinders
to any required extent substantially as and for the purpose herein-before
described.
Third. The construction and use of printing cylinders composed of
a central core and a number of circumferential moveable segments
or pattern blocks substantially as and for the purpose herein-beforo
described.
Fourth. The application to the main drum of a carpet printing
machine of adjustable holding or retaining hooked bands or hoops as
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, we, the said George Butterworth and John
Hamer, on behalf of ourselves and the said George William
Carr, have to this our Specification set our hands and scals, this
Thirtieth day of August, One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-onc.