IMPROVE- MENTS IN PRINTING ON SILK AND OTHER FABRICS AND YARNS
Year: 1852

page_text: TO ALL
WHO
LESE PRESET
ILUDERT
REYBURN, of Greenock, Chemist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Twentieth day of April,
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the fifteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Robert Reyburn, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, Her especial licence, full
power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Robert Reyburn, my
exors, adiñors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert Reyburn, my
exors, adiñors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PRINTING ON SILK AND OTHER FABRICS AND YARNS;" in which said
Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that I, the said Robert Reyburn, shall
cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being there-
unto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Robert Reyburn, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say:-
My Invention consists of the material from which the blocks for printing on
silk and other fabrics, &c. are to be made. In the ordinary process of
printing, the blocks whether flat or cylindrical, are generally made of wood,
stone, or metal; the purpose of these blocks being to receive the color and
transfer it in the required pattern to the fabric which is to receive the impres-
sion. When the pattern is to consist of two or more colors it is usual to have
a separate block or cylinder for printing each colour, hence, the process
becomes tedious and complicated from the necessity of printing each colour
separately; and it is also difficult to obtain accuracy from the same cause; and
on account of the elasticity of most fabrics printing by means of cylinders is
much more expeditious than by that of blocks laid with the hands, but even
in this way the number of colors is limited,,and complete accuracy is seldom
attained.
The object of my Invention is to print two or more colours (any number)
with greater accuracy, and in many cases with much greater speed, than can be
done by the ordinary method. This I do by constructing any blocks with the
coloring matters which are to give the impressions in the following manner:-
I take the ordinary colours used for printing on silk or other fabric, taking
care to have them thickened with such gums, or other like substance com-
monly used by printers for thickening colours, as are readily soluble in water,
and make them into sheets by spreading the said colours so thickened. to dry
separately on level metal plates or stone slabs, covering a cistern or box filled
with hot water or steam, and maintained at a moderate temperature, say from
140° to 200° Fahrenheit, while the drying operation is continued. In order
that the sheets may be easily separated from the plate or slab when finished, I
spread as flat as possible a sheet of thin paper damped on the slab or plate,
and gum or paste it round the edges on the under side, so that it shall. adhere
firmly to the slab or plate before the paper has become dry, which will be in
two or three minutes if the slab or plate is of the proper temperature.) I
spread with a soft brush a thin coating of the color uniformly over it, taking
care to keep within the adhering edges. As soon as this coating is dry I
spread another coating over it, and repeat this until I have the sheet of the
requisite thickness.
As soon as the sheet is sufficiently firm I pass a knife
under the edge of the paper on which the sheet is spread, and separate it all
round from the slab or plate. I then lay this sheet on a table to cool; when

page_text: it is cool, I place it with the paper side up, and with a sponge or brush wet the
paper all over, repeating the wetting at intervals, till it is quite soaked and
softened; I then peel the paper all off the sheet, which is then ready. When
I have a sufficient number of sheets of colour prepared in this way I proceed to
form the blocks for printing with them thus :-Having prepared the sheets of
colour, each sheet of each colour of the thickness that I intend the printing.
block. to be when finished, I cut out each colour, as it is shewn in the design,
from which I make the pattern of the block, and place each in its proper
position, agreeably to the said design, after the manner of mosaic or inlaid
work, until the whole is finished. Or I proceed in the following way:-I
prepare the sheets of colour as before, each sheet of the thickness of one-
twentieth part of an inch, more or less, according to the fineness of the pattern.
I then lay before me the pattern drawn on design paper, such as is used for
carpet and other patterns, all the colours and shades of colour being placed
within the squares of the said design paper exactly as they are to appear when
printed. I then cut the sheets into square pieces of an uniform length, and
set up the pattern, arranging the colours in lines according to the design, much
in the same way as printing types are set up, moistening each line as it is set
up, in order that it may adhere to its neighbour; by this means when the
block is finished it becomes a solid mass. These two methods are what I
commonly practice, but I do not confine myself to them exclusively.
When the block is completed I use it for printing either in the form of a flat
block or by putting it round the circumference of a cylinder of wood or metal.
When I use it in the latter way I generally cut it into thin sheets across the
pattern.
In order to print from these blocks or cylinders it is necessary to moisten
the surface of them with water, or by blowing on steam, which becomes con-
densed thereon, and softens so much of the block or cylinder as serves for an
impression. The impression is taken by means of pressure in any way similar
to those in use for printing by ordinary blocks or cylinders.
I claim the making of printing blocks from colour thickened with gum or
other suitable substance, and printing on silk and other fabrics and yarns from
the said blocks.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Reyburn, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two.
ROBERT (1.s.) REYBURN.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Sixth day of October, in the year
of our Lord 1852, the aforesaid Robert Reyburn came before our said Lady
the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification aforesaid, and
all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the
Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Twentieth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-two.