IMPROVEMENTS IN COLOUR PRINTING AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1862

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by George Waldio at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 29th July
1862.
I, GEORGE WALDIE, of Linlithgow, in the County of Linlithgow, North
Britain, Printer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN COLOUR PRINTING AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to a new system of colour printing, which is
applicable to letter-press printing, lithography, calico printing, and to the
printing of paper hangings. Under one modification, as applied to letter-press
printing, as, for example, show bills or other work printed in straight lines, the
several lines of type or ornament may be inked at one operation with inks.
of various colours, and so produce with one printing an impression in several
colours, which in the ordinary way would require several impressions in
succession to produce. According to this modification the inking table
over which the inking roller is passed, is divided into longitudinal divisions, and
the roller is guided by end flanges, so that the same part of the periphery of the
inking roller always passes over the same division of the table. The divisions
of the table are made to correspond to the width of the surfaces of the
lines to be printed, or any other convenient width, and they are separated
by grooves or spaces so that the different colours cannot get mixed on the table

page_text: "
or
or run together. The division of the inking table may be made by cutting
grooves or spaces in it; but it is much more convenient to form the table with
pieces of wood or metal, keeping them separate by means of "leads"
quadrats," or anything else of a less height than the pieces themselves, and
lock them up in a frame or other suitable contrivance, with pieces to form
the side guides for the flanges for the inking roller to work on. Slips of
wood or other material, which should be a little less in height than the type
or other matters to be printed from, so that they may not be impressed on the
paper in printing, should be locked up with the type at the top and bottom
for the flanges of the inking roller to work on, and guide the roller, so that
the various inks may fall on the lines they are intended for. The ease of
distribution of the inks on the table depends on the distance allowed between
the lines or pieces, as the greater the distance the more lateral play can be
allowed to the guided roller. The guiding of the roller in any of the styles
of working may be done otherwise than by flanges. The inks are laid on the
ends of the pieces of the table, which ends may be roughened or grooved
to hold a supply of ink for distribution by the roller, or the colours may be
supplied from "ductor" rollers, or in any other way. In the second style
of printing, according to these improvements, the flange guides on the roller,
and the guide pieces on the table and on the type or other work to be
printed from, are so arranged that the same spots or parts of the roller
can be brought down on the corresponding parts of the table and of
the type or other thing to be printed from. The pieces of the table may
thus be made or grooves may be cut to divide the table into any forms
and figured surfaces in various colours produced at one operation, either
at press or by the direct application of the roller to the surface to be
coloured. The roller and table may be made of any size to suit the work
to be done. The distribution of the ink requires more attention in this style
than in the first, but with sufficient space between the pieces of the table con-
siderable facility may be obtained for this purpose, and by repeating the process
with other tables coloured pictures and works of art may be readily produced.
Further, the surfaces of the divisions of the table, in either style, may be
roughened or grooved in any direction to facilitate the distribution of the colours.
This mode of printing in various colours at one operation is applicable
to all kinds of machine and hand work, with the necessary modifications
for the due supply of the inks to the table, and guiding of the rollers. These
improvements may with slight modifications be applied also to the purposes of
lithographic printing, printing on textile fabrics, and to the printing of paper

page_text: bangings, or any other generally similar purpose. In this way the process
of colour printing may be accomplished in a far more simple and rapid manner
than has hitherto been done, by admitting of a number of colours being
impressed at one operation, and without slurring or blending one with
5 another.