IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PRINTING UPON CALICOES AND OTHER FABRICS."
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Rumney, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND
APPARATUS FOR PRINTING UPON CALICOES AND OTHER FABRICS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Rumney at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th April 1879.
WILLIAM RUMNEY, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PRINTING UPON CALICOES AND OTHER
FABRICS."
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"
This Invention relates to a novel method of printing designs on calicoes or other
woven fabrics, felted fabrics, paper, and other materials, and consists principally in
'padding" or printing the color on to the calico or other material through figured
net, lace, leno, muslin, or other similarly open figured fabric, the color being
padded" or printed through the interstices of the figured net or other fabric, so as
to reproduce the pattern or design of the same on the face of the calico or other
material without the use of engraved cylinders or blocks I prepare the figured
net (say a window curtain for example) by coating it on one or both sides with a
solution of india rubber, or with varnish or such other material or composition as
will give it increased strength and rigidity, and at the same time render it water-
proof. I then connect the two ends together so as to form an endless band of the
figured material, or in some cases I use it in detached pieces. I employ an
ordinary plain printing cylinder and an ordinary roller, known to calico printers
as a "pad roller," the latter running in the color trough in the usual way.
The calico or other material to be printed passes between the printing roller and
the "pad roller," and the endless band of figured fabric passes between the " pad
roller" and the material to be printed, so that the colour from the "pad roller" is
padded or printed on to the calico or other material through the interstices of the
figured fabric, and thus the design is impressed on to the calico or other material
which then passes over steam heated drying cylinders.
The endless band of figured material after leaving the " Ipad roller" passes in
contact with a brush or brushes for cleaning the same, and thence over a steam
Povice 6dı

page_text: heated roller which dries it before it comes again into contact with the pad
roller.
The calico or other material may be thus padded or printed on either one side
only or on both sides, and in the latter case each side may be printed of a different
pattern or color, or both, so long as the principal feature of my Invention is
retained, which is the "padding" or printing of colors by means of plain rollers
through an open or perforated figured fabric or material which is interposed
between the "padding roller" and the calico or other material to be printed.
In some cases I also propose to use the prepared lace, net, or other similar fabric
as a printing surface so as to produce a negative effect by the ordinary surface-
printing process instead of "padding" the color through the interstices.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Rumney in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd
October 1879.
WILLIAM RUMNEY, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster.
"IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PRINTING UPON CALICOES AND OTHER
FABRICS."
This Invention relates to a novel mode of printing designs on calicoes or other
woven fabrics, felted fabrics, paper, and other materials, and consists principally in
a method of "padding" or printing the color on to the calico or other material
through figured net, laco, leno, muslin, or other similarly open-figured fabric, the
color being "padded" or printed through the interstices of the figured net or other
fabric (previously prepared as hereinafter described) so as to reproduce the pattern
or design of the saine on the face of the calico or other material without the use of
engraved cylinders or blocks.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention I will now proceed to
describe in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or
carried into practical effect, and in order that the same may be clearly understood
I have annexed hereunto a Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof, and have marked
the same with letters of reference corresponding with those in the following
explanation.
The Drawing represents a vertical section of an apparatus suitable for the pur-
poses of my Invention, a, a, being the framing, and b, b, the roll of calico or other
fabric to be printed.
I prepare the figured net (say a window curtain for example) by conting it on
one or both sides with a solution of india-rubber or with varnish, or such other
material or composition as will give it increased strength and rigidity, and at the
same time render it waterproof or non absorbent of the color. And I may here
remark that this treatment of the lace or other open material so as to render it
waterproof or non absorbent is an important feature of my Invention, inasmuch as
without such treatment the printed impressions are apt to be smudged or wanting
in definition.
I connect the two ends together so as to form an endless band of any length or
width to suit the design of the figured material as represented by the dotted line c, c,
or in some cases I use it in detached pieces.
"
I employ an ordinary plain printing cylinder d, d, and an ordinary roller or
rollers e, e, known to calico printers as "pad rollers or "pin pad rollers," the latter
running in the color trough f,f, in the usual way.
"}
The calico or other material bx, bx, to be printed passes between the printing
cylinder d, d, and the "pad roller" or rollers e, e, and the endless band of figured
fabric c, c, passes between the "pad roller or rollers e, c, and the material b*, b*, to
be printed, so that the color from the "pad roller" or rollers e, e, is padded or printed
on to the calico or other material bx, bx, through the interstices of the figured
fabric c, c, and thus the design is impressed on to the calico or other material b*, b*,
which then passes over steam heated drying cylinders g, g, above.
The endless band c, c, of figured material after leaving the "pad roller" e, e,
passes in contact with jets of high pressure steam as at h, which blows through the
Lace or other material and clears the interstices of the lace from superfluous color..
A circular brush i, i, is made to revolve against or with the lace to further clear
it, and it is then passed over hot cylinders or round other suitable drying and
taking up rollers k, k, to regulate the tension before coming in contact again with
the pad rollers e, c.
By means of my Invention the fabric (through the interstices of which the colour
is to be padded) being duly prepared as above described, the calico or other

page_text: material may be thus padded or printed on either one side only, or on both sides,
and in the latter case each side may be printed of a different pattern or color, or
both.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention, together with
the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into prac-
tical effect, I would remark in conclusion that I am aware that it has been pro-
posed to print designs upon calicoes and other fabrics by pressing the color through
the interstices of the lace or other open fabric by means of blocks or cylinders of
india rubber or other soft and yielding material, and also that it has been proposed
to print from lace, net, or other open fabric by saturating the same with color, or
by charging the same with colour on the surface, and then transferring the design
by pressure as in ordinary surface printing, and therefore I make no claim what-
ever to either of these processes, but what I claim as my Invention is,-
First. The method of preparing figured net, lace, leno, muslin, or other similarly
open figured fabric as above described by coating or saturating it with india
rubber or varnish, or other such material or composition as will give it increased
strength and rigidity, and at the same time render it waterproof or non absorbent,
to be used in the place of embossed or engraved rollers or blocks as a means or
apparatus for printing upon calico or other woven fabrics, felted fabrics, paper, and
other materials.
Secondly. I claim the novel art or method of printing designs upon calico or
other materials by "padding" the color through the interstices of such prepared
figured net, lace, or other fabric by means of an inclastic "pad roller" or "pin pad
roller," or more than one such roller, substantially as described, and
Thirdly. The general construction and arrangement of apparatus for the above
purposes as exhibited on the Drawings annexed and hereinbefore described, and
the apparatus for drying and cleansing the prepared lace after the impression has
been given and before it returns to give a fresh impression, or any analogous
apparatus for producing the same effect.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Rumney, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty first day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
Witnessed by,
JOHN HUGHES,
Clerk to George Davies, C.E.,
Patent Office,
4, St. Ann's Square,
Manchester,
WILLIAM RUMNEY. (L.S.)