IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR MACHINERY FOR PRODUCING DESIGNS UPON SURFACES
Year: 1885

page_text: Designs upon surfaces.
I, EDWARD LEE, of 10, Midland Road, Hyde Park, Headingley, Leeds, in the
County of York, Art Tile Decorator, do hereby declare the nature of my invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR MACHINERY FOR PRODUCING DESIGNS UPON
SURFACES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object the effecting of Improvements in Apparatus or
Machinery for Decorating the Surfaces of Earthenware Tiles, and other articles of
Earthenware, of Slate, Glass, Wood, Metal and Fabrics, and of other materials or
substances having harsh or uneven, or flat, or nearly flat surfaces, for the purpose
of working more advantageously and of extending the application and utility of
my method or process of decorating such surfaces, as hereinafter described.
The Apparatus or Machine I employ consists of a Tympan-frame and a Frame-
work to which it is attached. Upon the Tympan-frame is stretched a covering of
India Rubber Webbing (Printer's blanket) or other suitable yielding material,
which, when thus covered, I call a Tympan adapted to my process as herein set
forth; and which without a Tympan thus formed, could not be so well carried into
effect; and I prefer to use a coating of Elastic Varnish upon the India Rubber
Webbing surface of the said Tympan, in order to protect such surface from the
gradual deterioration consequent upon its coming in direct contact with Printing
Inks, or oily matter contained therein; and also because I thus obtain an improved
surface.
The Tympan-frame is fixed by hinges to a Framework of wood, or metal, which
is constructed to carry a Table having a to-and-fro motion; at one end of which is
placed a Lithographic Stone, or other Printing Block, or Printing Surface, upon
which is the required Design: or, a Copper or Steel Plate, upon which is a sunk
design, which, when suitably heated, may be used instead; and at the other end is
placed the Earthenware Tile, or other surface, to be decorated.
After the Lithographic Stone, or other Printing Surface, is inked, in the usual
manner, the Tympan is lowered on to the Lithographic Stone, or other Printing
Surface, to receive the design; and for this purpose pressure is applied to the
Tympan either by aʼroller, having an elastic surface, and attached to ‘the wood or
metal Framework, passing over it, or by other suitable means. The Tympan,
having received the design, is raised, and the Table is moved forward until the

page_text: Tile, or other surface to be decorated, is brought to occupy the exact position, with
respect to the Tympan that was occupied by the Lithographic Stone, or other
Printing Surface; when the Tympan is lowered, and the impression upon it set off
on to the Tile, or other article to be decorated, by the application of pressure as
before.
Instead, however, of the Tympan being fixed, and the Table having a to-and-fro
motion, I may prefer to have the Table fixed; and to give to the Tympan a to-and-
fro motion; in which case a Lithographic Stone, or Printing Block, or other
Printing Surface, is placed at one end of the Table, and the Earthenware Tile, or
other surface to be decorated, at the other end, as before; but the Tympan is
moved to-and-fro as required. Or, a Copper or Steel Plate, with a sunk design,
when suitably heated, may be used, after the present manner, generally, in place of
the Lithographic Stone, or Printing Block, or other Printing Surface; in which
case the design is taken on to the Tympan from off such Plate, and then set off upon
the surface to be decorated. But the great advantages obtained by this my Inven-
tion are, that there is no limit to the number of colours that may be printed; and
the setting off of the design being done direct, and not by transfer, the decoration
is effected with much more certainty, efficiency, and rapidity, than is practicable by
the means at present employed.
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The Tympan may also be used, for. the purposes of this my Invention, when
detached from the said Framework, and separated from it; and the said Frame-
work may also be of a Circular Shape, in which case the Tympans may be fixed,
and the Table have a round, or Circular, motion, with a series of Printing Blocks,
or other Printing Surfaces upon it, when there are several colours in a design upon
such Printing Surfaces to be set off upon the article, or Surface to be printed, at one
time. Or, the Table in this case may be fixed, and the Tympans have a circular
motion instead thereof.

page_text: Designs upon Surfaces.
I, EDWARD LEE, of 10, Midland Road, Hyde Park, Headingley, Leeds, in the
County of York, Art Tile Decorator do hereby declare the nature of my inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR MACHINERY FOR PRODUCING DESIGNS
UPON SURFACES," and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be parti-
cularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:—―
This Invention has for its object the effecting of Improvements in Apparatus or
Machinery, for Decorating the Surfaces of Earthenware Tiles and other articles of
Earthenware, of Slate, Glass, Wood, Metal, and Fabrics; and of other materials or
substances having harsh or uneven, or flat or nearly flat surfaces, for the purpose
of working more advantageously and of extending the application and utility of
my method or process of decorating such surfaces, as hereinafter described.
The Apparatus or Machine I employ consists of a Tympan and a Framework to
which it is attached. Upon a suitable wood or other frame is stretched a covering
of India Rubber Webbing (Printer's blanket), or other suitable yielding material,
which, when thus covered, I call a Tympan adapted to my process as herein set
forth; and which, without a Tympan thus formed, could not be so well carried into
effect; and I prefer to use a coating of Elastic Varnish upon the India Rubber
Webbing surface of the said Tympan, in order to protect such surface from the
gradual deterioration consequent upon its coming in direct contact with printing
inks, or oily matter contained therein; and also because I thus obtain an improved
surface.
The Tympan thus formed is fixed by hinges to a wood or metal Framework,
which is constructed to carry a Table having a to-and-fro motion; at one end of
which is placed a Lithographic Stone, or other Printing Block, or Printing Surface,
upon which is the required Design; or a Copper or Steel Plate, having a sunk
design, when suitably heated, may be used instead; and at the other end is placed
the Earthenware Tile, or other Surface, to be decorated.
After the Lithographic Stone, or other Printing Surface containing a design,
is inked, in the usual manner, the Tympan is lowered on to such Lithographic
Stone, or other Printing Surface, to receive the design therefrom; and for this
purpose pressure is applied to the Tympan, either by a roller having an elastic
surface, and attached to the Tympan frame, or to the wood or metal Framework,
passing over it, or by other suitable means. The Tympan, having received the
design, is raised, and the Table is moved forward until the Tile, or other surface to
be decorated, is brought to occupy the exact position with respect to the Tympan,
that was occupied by the Lithographic Stone, or other Printing Surface; when the
Tympan is lowered, and the impression upon it set off on to the Tile, or other
article to be decorated, by the application of pressure as before.
Instead, however, of the Tympan being fixed, and the Table having a to-and-fro
motion, I may prefer to have the Table fixed, and to give to the Tympan a to-and-
fro motion; in which case a Lithographic Stone, or Printing Block, or other
printing surface, is placed at one end of the Table, and the Earthenware Tile, or
other surfaced to be decorated, at the other end as before; but the Tympan is
moved to-and-fro to receive and set off the Design as required. Or, a Copper or

page_text: Steel plate, having a sunk design, when suitably heated, may be used, after the present
manner, generally, in place of the Lithographic Stone, or Printing Block, or other
Printing Surface; in which case the Design is taken on to the Tympan from off such
plate, and then set off upon the surface to be decorated. But the great advantages
obtained by this my Invention are, that there is no limit to the number of colours
that may be printed; and the setting off of the Design being direct, and not by
transfer, the decoration is effected with much more certainty, efficiency, and
rapidity, than is practicable by the means at present employed.
The Tympan may also be used for the purposes of this my Invention when
detached from the said wood or metal Framework, and separately from it; and
the said wood or metal Framework may also be of a circular shape; in which case
the Tympans may be fixed, and the Table have a round or circular motion, with
a series of Printing Blocks, or other Printing Surfaces, in position upon it; that is,
when there are several colours in a Design upon such Printing Surfaces to be set
off upon the article or surface to be printed at one time. Or the Table in this
case may be fixed, and the Tympans have a circular motion instead, to realise the
same results.
To further illustrate the nature of my Invention, I have attached hereunto a
Sheet of Drawings, which I will now explain.
Figure 1. is a plan of the. wood or metal Framework A, with the Table having a
to-and-fro motion B, the Lithographic Stone, or Printing Surface, showing the
required design O, the Tile, or surface, to be decorated D, the frame portion of
the Tympan E; and the Pressure Roller F, with the handles by which it is
worked H.
Figure 2. is a front elevation of the wood and metal Framework A, and of the
Tympan G having taken the design from the Printing Surface C shown in
Figure 1.
Figure 3. is the same plan as in Figure 1. but showing the Tympan. G in
position setting off the design under the Pressure Roller F upon the Tile, or
surface to be decorated D in Figure 1.
Figure 4. is the Tympan G detached for working separately.
Figures 5 and 6 are an arrangement of a wood or metal Framework to which
the detached Tympan may be hinged for setting off designs upon a large or long
surface to be decorated.
Figures 7 and 8 are plans of the Framework, Tables, and Tympans arranged for
many coloured printing; the Tables or Tympans respectively having a circular
motion, as may be desired. Figure 7, is an arrangement of five Blocks, or Printing
Surfaces, 1 to 5, of as many different colours to be set off upon the surface to be
decorated 6; and Figure 8, is the same plan but showing the Tympan in position
both receiving and setting off the design under the Pressure Roller.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. The Tympan formed as herein described, and employed for decorative purposes,
whether in connection with a wood or metal Framework, as herein stated, or in
any other connection or manner, or separately.
2. The general construction of Apparatus or Machinery for producing designs
upon surfaces as herein described.
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