IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING AND IN THE PREPARATION OF SURFACES THEREFOR.
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Julius Sachs, of Barrow in Furness, in the County.
of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING AND IN THE
PREPARATION OF SURFACES THEREFOR.'
"
Sealed the 23rd September 1879, and dated the 4th July 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Julius Sachs at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th July 1879.
JOSEPH JULIUS SACHS, of Barrow in Furness, in the County of Lancaster. "Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN PRINTING AND IN THE PREPARATION OF SURFACES THEREFOR.'
"
My Invention relates to the process described in the Provisional Specification filed
by me with my application for Letters Patent the 25th day of March 1879, No.
1193, and it consists of improvements whereby the said process is rendered more.
effective, and whereby greater facility is afforded for carrying it out and adapting
it to the requirements of the varied cases occurring in practise.
According to one mode of carrying out my present Invention I render any open
or figured woven or other fabric adapted for use as a printing surface by galvanizing
such fabric, one or both surfaces thereof being first covered with black lead or any
other suitable conductor, and the fabric then immersed in the galvanic bath, so as
to become coated with a thin layer or film of metal, as will be well understood; or
in lieu of galvanizing the fabric I may prepare it by coating one or both of its
surfaces with chrome gelatine or other similar materials, or with solutions or com-
positions of india rubber; or I may tan the said fabric, and the fabric may in either
case be subsequently painted or varnished if desired; or I may coat the fabric with
paint or varnish direct without any preliminary treatment; or in lieu of the pre-
ceding method I may take any suitable fabric or material and cover the same with
chrome gelatine or albumen, and then reproduce by the aid of photography or by
the action of light the pattern of any required fabric, the portions of the coating
acted upon by the light being rendered insoluble, so as to admit of such portions
being washed off or removed, leaving a printing surface which is a fac simile of the
original pattern, and may be either the same size or enlarged or reduced as required.
The surface thus prepared may then be galvanized as before, or used without any
further preparation if desired. When it is required to produce printing patterns in

page_text: ==
imitation of lace or other open work, I may also obtain such patterns by the action
_of_light by steeping_the_fabric_which_is_to_be printed in chromic acid or other
r the same,
suitable liquid, and then placing the lace or other open worked fabric over
and causing the light to pass through the two, so as to act upon the parts of the
close fabric which are opposite the interstices of the lace or open worked fabric,
and.render such portions of a different color to the parts covered by the net work
of the lace or other open worked fabric. In some cases may obtain a like effect
-by-printing-from-any-lace-or-open-worked-or-figured-fabric-with-any--suitable
adhesive material on to any other suitable fabric, and then dusting over the fabric
with sawdust or any other powder or fibrous material adapted for the purpose,
which will be thus caused to adhere to the adhesive portions, and form the requisite
printing surface.
When it is required to print a concentric design in a number of colors I may
first take an impression from a fabric of the required pattern in gypsum or other
suitable material, and then take a cast therefrom by galvanic or other means, and
afterwards reproduce the same by taking another impression in gypsum or its equi-
valent, as before mentioned, and taking another cast from such second impression,
and so on in succession. I am thus enabled to obtain a series of impressions of a
gradually reducing scale, owing to the shrinkage of the gypsum or equivalent
material in the process of drying. This method may also be adopted for repro-
ducing a pattern to a different scale when it is not required to print in multiple
colors; and a similar result may be obtained by weaving or otherwise forming a
series of printing surfaces adapted the one to the other, and which may be used for
printing separate colors after the manner of calico printing.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Joseph Julius Sachs in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 2nd
January 1880.
JOSEPH JULIUS SACHS, of Barrow in Furness, in the County of Lancaster.
PROVEMENTS IN PRINTING AND IN THE PREPARATION OF SURFACES THEREFOR."
"IM-
My said Invention relates to the use as printing surfaces for printing upon fabrics
and other materials of open or figured woven, knitted, embroidered, crotchetted, or
other fabrics or non metallic substances or materials, and it consists of improved
modes or means of preparing such fabrics, substances, or materials in order to render
them better adapted for the purpose.to which they are to be applied.
In the Specification to former Letters Patent granted to me, dated the Twenty
fifth March, One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine, No. 1193, I have stated
that I by preference first prepare fabrics to be used for the purpose before men-
tioned in order to impart to them the requisite rigidity, and render them not liable
to be affected by the colour or other matter to be subsequently applied to them. In
carrying out my said former Invention it has been customary to employ solutions or
compositions of india rubber or paint or varnish, with which to coat the fabric in
order to prepare it for use as a printing surface or medium, but the results obtained
with this treatment have not been found completely satisfacory. Now according to
my present Invention I prepare open or figured woven, knitted, embroidered,
crotchetted, or other fabrics or non metallic substances or materials in the following
manner-
The fabric or material is coated or covered either wholly or partly on one or both
surfaces with a film or layer of metal or metals by galvanic agency by what is known
as the electro type process, or by any other suitable process in which metallic solu-
tions and electricity are used. This operation may be conveniently performed by
first coating the fabric or material with black lead or other conducting substance,
and then immercing the fabric or material thus treated in a galvanic bath, so that
it may receive a film or layer of metal, or into two or more galvanic baths in suc-
cession, so that it may receive a series of layers of different metals.
Or in lieu of employing a metallic coating or covering I prepare the fabric or
material by coating one or both of its surfaces with chrome gelatine, or I tan the
fabric or material by any one of the usual processes of tanning leather.
Or in lieu of the preceding methods I take any suitable fabric or material and
cover the same with chrome gelatine, albumen, asphalte, or other suitable substance
which is sensitive to luminous agency, and I then reproduce thereon by the action
of light the pattern of any required fabric or material, the portions of the coating
acted upon by the light being rendered more or less insoluble, so as to admit of
the soluble portions being washed off or removed, leaving a surface which is a fac-
simile of the original pattern, and may be galvanized as before, or used without any
preparation if desired.
According to the method lastly hereinbefore described, the reproduction of the
original pattern is effected simply by the passage of light therethrough. When
however the usual photographic apparatus is employed, the reproduced design may
either be the same size as the original design or enlarged or reduced as required.
When it is required to print a design consisting of a number of outlines of the
same configuration but of sufficient sizes, and arranged concentrically or the one
within the other, and in a number of colors, the following method may be adopted :-
A figured fabric or material is prepared by one of the means herein before described,
and if necessary secured to a flat or other surface; a cast is then taken therefrom
by the electrotype process, and from this electro cast or stereotype is taken a cast
in gypsum (for example); the latter cast, having been allowed to dry and shrink so
as to reduce the scale of the pattern, is made conducting in the manner herein before
described, and galvanised, and a gypsum cast (for example) is taken therefrom,

page_text: which when dry and contracted may be used for the preparation of another stereo-
_type_as_before, and so on in succession, according to the number of copies of a
graduated scale that are required. These several stereotypes may then be used-for-
--printing in-separate-colors, the one over the other in succession, thus producing a
pattern which_is_formed_of_a_series of similar outlines arranged concentrically or
_the_one_within the other, and filled in with different colors. This method of
obtaining a series of impressions of a gradually reducing scale may also be employed
-when-it-is-not-required-to-print.in multiple.colors.
It is obvious that in all cases, in lieu of using the prepared fabrics, substances, or
materials as printing surfaces, casts may be taken therefrom to form the actual
printing surfaces.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect, I
would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the hereinbefore in part recited
Letters Patent is,―
First. The preparation of open or figured woven, knitted, embroidered, crotchetted,
or other fabrics or non metallic substances or materials in order to render the same
more adapted for use in printing surfaces or in the production of printing surfaces
by galvanizing such fabrics, substances, or materials, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
Second. The preparation of open or figured woven, knitted, embroidered, crot-
chetted, or other fabrics or non metallic substances or materials by tanning the
same, or by treating the same with chrome gelatine, in order to render them more
adapted for use as printing surfaces or in the production of printing surfaces, sub-
stantially as herein before described.
Third. The system or mode of preparing printing surfaces or surfaces to be used
in the production of printing surfaces by coating or covering a fabric or material
with chrome gelatine, albumen, asphalte, or other suitable substance which is sen-
sitive to luminous agency, and reproducing thereon by the aid of photography or
by the action of light the pattern of any required fabric, the soluble portions of the
coating or covering being then washed off or removed, leaving a surface which is a
facsimile of the original pattern, substantially as hereinbefore described.
Fourth. The system or mode of reproducing the pattern of a fabric to a reduced
or graduated scale by means of a succession of casts, substantially as and for the
purposes hereinbefore described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Julius Sachs, have to this my Specifi-
cation set my hand and seal, this Twenty sixth day of December, One
thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
JOSEPH JULIUS SACHS. (L.S.)