IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PRINTING IN SEVERAL COLOURS
Year: 1884

page_text: DIECIFICATION.
I, SAMUEL PEARCE WILDING, of the Firm of Fell and Wilding, of 23 Rood Lane,
in the City of London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said
invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PRINTING IN SEVERAL COLOURS"
A communication to me from abroad by Charles Capellani of 11 Boulevard Magenta
Paris Bank Employé, to be as follows:-
The said invention relates to machinery for producing lithographic or typhographic
impressions in many colours, and consists in the construction of a machine which
shall carry out the work in as many colours as are required, continuously, and on
the same machine..
The machine consists of a circular framework, between which are placed, radially
from the centre, as many beds to carry either formes of printing type or litho-
graphic stones, as correspond to the number of colours required in the impressions
to be produced upon the paper or other suitable material. Each of the formes or
stones carries a single colour, each forme or stone having its independent inking
rollers, which pass over the forme or stone before the passage of the paper.-The
paper or other suitable material, in its successive passage over the said series of
formes or stones, is impressed with the different colours in succession, and con-
tinuously, so that the paper is finally delivered by one complete revolution around
the circular frames, printed or colored in the required manner.
The paper or other suitable material is caused to pass successively over the
formes or stones, by a series of impression cylinders, which are also arranged
radially to the centre of the table, and are so coned as to give a uniformity of
circumferential speed as they travel over the surface of the forme or table.--The
paper is seized by the ordinary nippers on the surface of each of the said impression
cylinders and is finally taken off either by hand, or by any known automatio
deliverer, after the paper has made the complete circuit of the formes or stones.
The machine is built by tieing or bolting together one interior and one exterior
fixed circular concentric frame upon the outer of which is fixed a circular rack-
Upon these two concentric frames an upper frame, which carries suitable bearings
for the radially placed impression cylinders, is supported on rollers, and is fitted
with a circular rack, which gears into a cog wheel upon a driving shaft, carried

page_text: outwards beyond the exterior frame.-Power applied to this driving shaft, either by
the driving belt upon an ordinary fast and loose pulley, or in any other convenient
way, causes the upper frame which carries the impression cylinders to revolve
continuously around the centre-The upper frame is so pierced with suitable
apertures where the impression cylinders are fixed, that the said impression
cylinders project below the body of the revolving frame, and thus bear upon the
surface of the formes or stones, which are fixed at suitable intervals between the
two concentric frames-It is found convenient to omit one stone or forme out of
the uniformly placed series, so as to fit there any required form of deliverer-In the
machine described the hollow space in the centre of the inner frame may be
conveniently utilized for standing room for the attendant to watch the proper
working of the machine-Alternatively, should this not be desired, the revolving
frame may be fixed to a central axis fitted in a step.-The revolution of the upper
table driven by the first motion shaft as hereinbefore described, carries round the
impression cylinders, and by their movement upon the fixed rack of the exterior
frame, causes also the necessary rotation of the impression rollers upon their own
axes, each cylinder making one complete turn in passing from the centre of one
stone to the centre of the next.
In order to ink the formes or stones, the movement of the driving rack upon the
under surface of the revolving frame is utilized to drive a fixed train of wheels
attached to the usual series of distributing drum, and rollers, underneath each fixed
forme or stone, the ink being drawn in the usual way from troughs, one being
provided for each stone or colour.
The inking rollers those which apply the colour to the stone or forme, may be
carried either in a revolving slotted arm, guided in their travel by fixed guide slots,
so that they alternately, in their revolution, come over the distributing inking drum
and then the stone or forme; or these inking rollers may be carried in a chain or
band carried over suitable rollers and deriving their movement as before through a
train of wheels from the revolving upper table--The band or chain is so bent in its
course as to cause the inking rollers to first travel over the surface of the distributing
drum and then to pass over the forme or stone. This latter arrangement enables
a better support to be given to the bed of the stone or forme than in the first
instance.
The machine works as follows.-
Each of the formes or stones carries type or an impression corresponding to that
part which has to be distinctly coloured, and each of the impression rollers being
provided with a sheet of paper, the machine is set in motion-That drum which is
first after the delivery apparatus causes the paper printed to pass successively over
all the different formes or stones and it is thus completely printed, by the time it
has made a complete circuit, with as many different colours as correspond to the
number of formes or stones employed in the machine-The sheets upon the other
impression rollers will have some of the impressions missing by the time they reach
the delivering apparatus-The sheets are however delivered as the impression
rollers pass in succession the delivering point and the incomplete sheets are thrown
away. After the first, round each sheet will have passed over the whole series of
formes or stones and the work will be produced in a complete manner.
The inking
rollers are so timed in their movement by their driving gear that pass over each
forme or stone immediately.before the passage of each successive sheet of paper
held by the impression rollers, so that the work thus proceeds automatically and
with regularity.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, SAMUEL PEARCE WILDING, of the firm of Fell & Wilding, late of 23 Rood
Lane, but now of No 1 Queen Victoria Street, both in the City of London, Patent
agents, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR PRINTING IN SEVERAL COLOURS" a communication to me from:
abroad by Charles Capellani, of 11 Boulevard Magenta, Paris, Bank employé, and
in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:--
The said invention relates to machinery for producing lithographic or typo-
graphic impressions in many colours, and consists in the construction of a machine
which shall carry out the work in as many colours as are required continuously and
on the same machine. The machine consists of a circular frame-work, between
which are placed radially from the centre, as many beds to carry either "formes'
of printing type or lithographic stones, as correspond to the number of colours.
required in the impression to be produced upon the paper, or other suitable,
material, and I reserve to myself the right to vary the number of stones or
printing formes for each type of machine, as may be desired, without departing
from the principle of my invention.
Each of the formes or stones carries a single colour, each forme or stone having.
its independent inking rollers, which pass over the forme or stone before the passage
of the paper. The paper or other suitable material in its successive passage over the
said series of formes or stones is impressed in different colours in succession and,
continuously, so that the paper is finally delivered by one complete revolution
around the circular frames printed or coloured in any required manner.
The paper or other suitable material is caused to pass successively over the.
formes or stones by a series of impression cylinders which are also arranged
radially to the centre of the table, and are so coned as to give a uniformity of
circumferential speed as they travel over the surface of the forme or table. The
paper is seized by the ordinary nippers on the surface of each of the said impression
cylinders, and is finally taken off, either by hand or by any known automatic
delivery, after the paper has made the complete circuit of the formes or stones.
In order that my invention may be the better understood, I now proceed to.
describe the same, reference being had to the drawings hereto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon.
Figure 1 shows in plan my machine seen from above, this type of my machine
comprises five stones and is capable of printing in five different colours.
Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of my machine.
Figure 3 is a part section on a larger scale through the frame of the said
machine, showing the arrangement of the inking rollers.
Figure 4 is a part section between the frames of the said machines transversely:
through figure 3.
Figure 5 is a sectional elevation through the frames of a modified arrangement
of inking rollers.
Figure 6 is a transverse section through the same.
.
The machine consists of an exterior frame a, tied to an interior frame b, by,
means of bolts and suitable tie rods. These frames are circular and concentric,

page_text: The frame a has upon its upper part at a¹ a circular rack. The frame b is arranged
at its upper part so as to serve as a path, by which the circular frame o rotates,
being supported thereon by rollers d in a sufficient number, to reduce friction, and
to render easy the rotation of the frame c. The frame c is provided with a circular
rack c' placed underneath, which enables a rotative movement around the axis of
the machine to be communicated to it. The frame c supports by means of bearing
blocks d d the conical impression cylinders e, which are six in number in the
machine shown. These cylinders e are provided with a toothed wheel e¹ upon their
largest end, which gears with the corresponding teeth of the fixed circular rack a'.
The cylinders e are provided upon their circumference with a suitable nipper or
nippers e¹¹ disposed in such a manner as to seize a sheet of paper of any shape and
thus to present it to the different formes or stones f which carry the characters
or type.
In the machine shown, the blank space unoccupied by a forme or stone, in the
frame of the machine, is left free to allow the application of any known deliverer
or feed apparatus.
The centre of the machine is shown hollow, so that the workman can place
himself there, to superintend the movement of the different operations common to
printing or lithographic machines, but the machine can equally as well be closed
by a vertical axis which will provide a support for the annular frame c, and the
workman can then stand outside. A cylindrical shield g which is attached to the
fixed part of the frame b protects the workman when standing in the centre from
the different parts of the machine which are in movement.
The upper movable frame a receives its movement through the medium of the
circular rack c', by means of the cogged wheel o" keyed upon the shaft h, which is
driven by the fixed pulley h¹, mounted upon the said shaft. The movement may
be alternatively communicated to the shaft h below the machine, by a train of
wheels placed in a line or at an angle with the said shaft. The movement may be
equivalently given to the frame c by providing a rack upon the exterior periphery
of the said frame. This frame, being set in movement, carries with it the system
of the six impression cylinders e, which roll upon the circular rack a¹ and thus ench
cylinder makes a complete turn in passing from the centre of the interval between
each stone to the centre of the following interval. In that part of the machine
unprovided with a stone, a circular rack is omitted for a distance equal to that
between the centres of the stones, in order that the impression cylinders shall
always present the sheets in the same way.
To ink the forms f carried by the beds k, I utilize the movement of the frame c,
by gearing into the rack cl a cog wheel 7 (Figure 3), which communicates movement
to the wheel . The shaft of the wheel traverses a standard m, fixed to the
interior frame, and communicates movement to a toothed wheel n, which drives two
other cog wheels P and q, one being above and the other below. The toothed
wheel p is mounted upon a cylindrical portion of a square bearer r, which is carried
on one side by the standard m and on the other part by the exterior frame a. This
square bearer carries the bed k, and also has fixed to it the arm s, to support the
inking rollers v, which are four in number in the machine shown. Upon the other
extremity of the bearer arm, and upon a cylindrical part, is mounted another cog
wheel p the shaft carrying (also fixed to it) the arm 8', supporting the other end
of the inking rollers. This toothed wheel p¹ receives its movement from the toothed
wheel q, by means of the pinion n' mounted upon a shaft carried by the frame a.
Upon the shaft of the cog wheels q and q¹ is mounted an inking drum, receiving
the ink from the rollers u, which are fed from the inking trought which is
constantly in contact with one of the inking rollers.
The arms 8 and 8¹, fixed upon the axles of the cog wheels p and p', are formed of
a flat surface with a series of slots corresponding in number to that of the inking
rollers v, the axes of the rollers being free to move in the said slots, and being drawn
constantly towards the centre by springs. The action of the springs is neutralized
by a race plate 2, which obliges the rollers v to mount upon the formes, and come

page_text: in contact with the inking drum i. The movement of the aforesaid inking rollers v
can be produced by means of the circular exterior rack, placed upon the periphery
of the annular frame c, in that instance in which this method of driving the said
frame c is adopted.
The arrangement of the inking apparatus may be modified, as shown in figures 5
and 6, as follows:-The bed k is supported upon two square bearers r, fixed at one
end in the frame a and at the other end in the standard m. The movement of the
inking drum i is obtained by means of the geared wheel l, which receives rotation
from the circular rack c¹ mounted underneath the movable frame c.
The wheel gears with a pinion A, upon the shaft of which is keyed the inking
dram i. Upon the same shaft l, and to the right and left of the inking drum i,
placed immediately under the bed k, are the geared wheels q q¹, carrying an endless
chain. These wheels by their rotation drive the chains 7 71 which carry jointed
bearings in which the axes of the inking rollers vv run. The chains pass above
the formes f, after having passed over the toothed wheels p p¹. The inking of the
drum i is effected upon its upper side by means of the inking rollers uuu, and
the inking trough t.
This arrangement allows the bed k to be better supported than in the first
instance, and dispenses with the two trains of gearing p n q, and p¹ n' q' as well as
the arms 8.
The machine operates in the following manner:-
Each of the formes f being provided with a stone or type forme, corresponding
to the coloured print to be produced, and each of the printing rollers being
provided with a sheet to be printed, the machine is set in movement. The first
impression cylinder 1 which is immediately after the delivery board, passes
successively over the different formes, and the sheet of paper, after having passed
round the entire circumference of the machine, is completely printed, and with the
different colours corresponding to the number of stones employed in the machine.
The impression cylinder 2 receives only the 4 last impressions in the first
revolution, but the sheet so partially printed is thrown away to waste, the sheets
on the next round receiving all the impressions. Similarly all the first sheets upon
the impression cylinders 3, 4, 5 and 6 which are only partially printed are thrown
to waste at the first round.
Over each forme pass the inking rollers, carrying inks of various colours, one
colour to each stone or forme. As soon as the impression cylinder has passed over
the forme, the arms s, which support the inking rollers, carry them over the forme
and oblige them to deposit a suitable quantity of colour to effect the necessary
printing.
The moistening of the stones in the case of lithographic work is obtained by
any known system of damping, placed at the side of the impression cylinder. The
workmen from the centre of the machine can superintend the moistening of the
stones or all the different operations required in similar machines.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1st. The method of printing lithographically or typographically in many colours
by means of a horizontal machine, comprising a series of fixed horizontal beds,
carrying stones or formes, with an annular revolving frame carrying impression
rollers, provided with suitable nippers to seize the paper to be printed, each of the
formes being inked by inking rollers taking their ink from an inking drum, placed
immediately under each bed, the said inking drum being fed by an ordinary
ink trough and distributing rollers, substantially as and for the purpose herein
specified.
2nd In such a circular horizontal machine for printing lithographically and
typographically in many colours, the combination with the fixed annular frame,
composed of two concentric parts united by ties, of a series of horizontal beds, to
receive the formes or stones, with a corresponding number of impression cylinders

page_text: mounted upon the horizontal frame, revolving upon the upper part of the fixed
frame, the said impression cylinders being driven over the formes by a circular rack
on the exterior frame, and with any known delivery and damping apparatus,
substantially as described.
3rd The construction as shown at figures 3 and 4 of an inking apparatus to each
of the formes, consisting of a train of gearing, receiving movement from a circular
rack, mounted on the end side of the revolving frame, or upon the periphery of the
said frame, with another pair of geared trains of wheels, driving the inking drum,
and carrying arms or slotted cranks as supports and guides for the inking rollers,
substantially as described.
4th The construction, as shown at figures 4 and 5, of an inking apparatus to ink
each of the formes, consisting of a train of gearing, receiving its movement from
the rack below the movable frame or at its periphery, with a pair of sprocket
wheels and chain gear, carrying the inking rollers successively against the inking
drum, and over the forme or stone, substantially as described.
FELL & WILDING,
Agents for the Applicant.