Improvements in Multi-colour Printing Machines.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Nov., 1890-Accepted, 31st Jan., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Multi-colour Printing Machines.
We, ARCHIE MCNICOL of Norwich, New London County, Connecticut, United
States of America, Printer, and JACOB SIMON BERNHEIMER of 31 White Street,
in the City and County of New York, State of New York, United States of America,
Commission Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :—
This invention, is in that class of machinery used for printing on fabrics and has
for its immediate object the production of a machine by means of which a multiple
of colours may be applied to one or both faces of a web or fabric. Said machine
also embodies certain details of construction hereinafter fully described, by which
some of the objections now existing in fabric printing machinery are overcome.
In operating muli-colour machines in which an impression cylinder common to the
whole series of printing rollers has been used the pressure of the printing rollers
against said impression cylinder varies and, as a consequence, some of said rollers, on
account of great pressure, "spring" in their length and thus throw their circum-
ference out of alignment with that of the impression cylinder. This necessitates
the "blanketing" or building up of the middle portion of said impression cylinder
but, in blanketing" for one or two of the series of rollers the others of the series
are correspondingly thrown out of parallel contact with the cylinder and it becomes
frequently a long and therefore expensive task to adjust the several rollers to each
other and to their common impression cylinder.
With mechanism of the described new construction both sides of the fabric may
be printed at a single passage of the web through the machine and, as each printing
roller is supplied with a separate impression cylinder, the annoyance and hindrance
of "blanketing" for the series of rollers as above described is fully avoided.
To more clearly illustrate said invention three sheets of drawings are annexed
hereto in which
Figure 1 is an end elevation of a printing machine, embodying said invention
showing the manner of driving the several printing rollers.
Figure 2 is a cross section of a similar machine and
Figure 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view of one of the printing rollers and its
impression cylinder and also shows the mechanism for supplying and distributing
the colour, and on said printing roller, and
Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view of the cylinders, printing rolls, blanket and
gray cloth, on a reduced scale, showing the arrangement of said parts with each
series operating on a separate web of cloth.
Referring to the drawings, the letter a denotes one of the pair of frames in and
between which the operative portions of the machine are supported. Said frames
are formed with two sets, or series of projecting wings bone set on each side of the
vertical centre of the machine and all arranged for convenience in an arc of a circle
whose centre is at or near the centre of the frames a.
Each of the wings bis formed with a rectangular opening b¹ having seated therein,
and adapted to be moved toward or from the common centre of the series of wings
a journal bearing c. These journal bearings are provided to receive and support
the journals of the printing rollers A, which rollers are of the ordinary construction.
To facilitate the entrance and removal of the printing roller the upper side of each
of the wings is cut through, as at 3.
Adjacent to, and in the rear of each printing roller is an impression cylinder B,
that may be journaled immediately in frames a or in a bearing d that is arranged to

page_text: slide in the opening in which case said opening is considerably elongated as
at Figure 1. When so journaled, adjusting screw e is provided, said screw being
tapped into a lug e forming a part of frame a.
Similar adjusting screws are tapped into the outer ends of wings band abut
the movable bearings c.
By means of the described screws independent adjustment of the printing rollers,
relative to the impression cylinders, may be readily attained and, when movable
bearings for the impression cylinders are provided, as above explained each pair
of rollers may also be moved outward from, or inward toward, the centre of the
machine.
In Figure 3 is shown an impression cylinder B, a printing roller A and a colour
distributing apparatus of ordinary construction. E indicates the colour box and G
a roll the lower portion of whose circumference revolves in the colouring material
and the upper portion engages the printing roller A. and supplies the colour to said
roller. No claim is made to said colour distributing mechanism and it is thought
unnecessary to illustrate it in Figures 1 and 2, as it is old and well known in this
class of machinery. The driving mechanism by means of which the several rollers
are driven simultaneously, and in the desired directions, consists of trains of gearing
which are
now described, particular reference being asked to Figure 1 of the
drawings. Near the top of the machine is a gear whose shaft also carries a
pulley that is indicated by a dotted circle in said Figure 1. This pulley and
gear y are driven by a belt ' connecting with the line shaft or a suitable counter
shaft.
Below gear y and at one side of the vertical centre of the machine, is a large
spur gear that meshes with said gear g and connects in turn a gear H which
latter meshes with smaller gears k secured to the projecting journals of the two
lowest printing rollers e of the left hand series as vied in Figure 1. The journals
of the companion printing rollers in the same series carry similar gears k² k³ and
motion in the same direction is communicated to and through said left hand series
by inserting an idle gear m between gears and 4 and a similiar idle gear between
gears and 3. It will now be understood that motion and power applied to the
first gear g will be communicated from gear to gear through the described train
causing the four printing rollers to rotate in unison and in the direction shown by
The printing rollers of the right hand series are actuated in a similar
manner but are caused to rotate in the opposite direction, or in other words,
the motion of the rollers of each series at their contact points is in a direction
away from a point common to both series, which, in this case is the bottom of
the press.
the arrows.
Meshing with the gear H is a similar gear that in turn meshes with gears 4.6
on the shafts of the two lowest printing rollers of the right hand series. The other
printing rollers of this series carry similar gears. An idle gear n is placed
intermediate with gears and also an idle gear between gears kk.
The described system of gears serve to rotate the printing rollers of both series
and also cause the rollers of one series to rotate in a direction opposite to that
taken by those of the companion series.
Assuming that an eight roller machine of the construction described is in position
and it is desired .to print a web of cloth on both sides, with a pattern requiring
four colours, the usual gray cloth o and blanket p are entered between the lowest
printing roller of our series and its impression cylinder and are carried upward
in like manner between the other rollers and cylinders of the same series, as shown
at the right hand in Figure 2. Said gray cloth and blanket are then carried
inward (toward the centre of the machine) around an idle roll 10, thence down-
ward around idle rolls 11-12 suitably located, and finally back to their starting
point, said gray cloth and blanket being formed as endless aprons, or of strips of
fabric of considerable length. Similar strips of gray cloth and blanket are passed
between the left hand series of rollers and cylinders but instead of entering from

page_text: below, said latter strips are brought from a point overhead and an idle roll 12,
thence between the lowest pair of rollers in said left hand series and on between
the other rollers and cylinders of said series. On leaving the last cylinder said
gray cloth and blanket are led upward around idle rolls 13 14 and thence to their
starting point.
The web of fabric is entered between the gray cloth o and the first (lower)
roller e of the right hand series, following the course of said gray cloth until the
idle roll 10 is reached when said web (which is now printed on one side) leaves
the gray cloth and passes between the lowest printing roller and cylinder of the
left hand series and continues through the entire left hand series, following the
course of the gray cloth and blanket until the idle roll 13 is reached when said web
passes upward through the floor to receive the usual finishing &c. When the
fabric passes from the idle roll 10 to the left hand series it presents to the printing
rollers of that series its imprinted side and it will be readily seen, by following the
course of said web, that a single passage through the machine brings one face or
side into printing contact with four of the printing rollers and the opposite face into
similar contact with the other four printing rollers, so that said web leaves the
machine printed on both faces. The same design or pattern may be printed on
both faces or said pattern may differ in colour or design as desired. The same
machine may be readily arranged for printing with eight colours on one face only
of the fabric by providing single strips of gray cloth and blanket that shall pass
entirely through the two series of rollers and cylinders, instead of using two
separate pieces of gray cloth and blanket as above described.
The double form of machine has many advantages over those now in use,
among which may be cited the fact that by using two half parts or series separately
it takes the place of two four colour machines. One half may be employed to
print wide goods while the other half is run on narrow goods. When used in this
way, one of the pieces of cloth, 1, may enter the press in the same manner as
described for the single piece of cloth, but instead of its following the web over the
idle roll, 10, it is passed out of the top of the press, as shown in Figure 4; and the
other piece of cloth, 2, may be passed into the press over the idle roll 12, under
the gray cloth and blanket o', and p', and from there it is passed down through the
second series of printing rolls and then up and out in the same manner as described
for the single piece of cloth.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:
1. In combination with frames a, and supported therein, right and left hand
series of printing rollers and corresponding series of impression cylinders, as set
forth, and mechanism consisting of trains of gearing substantially as described for
rotating said printing rollers, for the purpose specified.
2. In combination with and in frames a right and left hand series of printing
rollers and corresponding series of impression cylinders as set forth, and mechanism
consisting of trains of gearing substantially as described for rotating said printing
rollers so that the motion of the rollers of each series at their contact points is in a
direction away from a point common to both series.
3. In combination in and with frames a, two independent series of printing rollers
and corresponding series of impression cylinders as set forth, and mechanism for
rotating said printing rollers consisting of trains of gearing substantially as described,
and a driving train of gearing common to both of said series of gearing said series
being independent of each other whereby each set may be operating upon a separate
piece at the same time as and for the purpose specified.
4. In combination with the end frame a, two independent series of printing
rollers, the motion of the rollers of each series at their contact points being in a
direction away from a point common to both series, and means substantially as

page_text: described for reversing the piece of cloth as it passed from one series to the other,
substantially as described.
Dated this 3rd day November 1890.
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agents.