Improvements in or Connected with Apparatus for Printing on Fabrics.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Sept., 1886.
Complete Left, 18th July, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 19th Aug., 1887.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or Connected with Apparatus for Printing
on Fabrics.
I, JAMES KERR, of the firm of F. Steiner and Company, of Church in the County
of Lancaster, Turkey-red Dyers and printers, do hereby declare the nature of this
Invention to be as follows:-
The object of my Invention is to operate the printing devices by electricity and to
render the operating devices adjustable in such manner that the intervals of printing
may be regulated as desired. The arrangements according to this Invention are
chiefly applicable to cases in which the printing is required at intervals throughout
the length of the fabric. I provide a generator of electricity and lead the current
through a switchboard and contacts or their equivalents by which the current can be
passed as required to energize at the requisite intervals electro-magnets or their
equivalents which will cause the movement of the printing rollers or blocks to print
or to leave their printing position. The switch may have its contacts so arranged
that the interval of movement may be altered as required by adjusting the contact
pieces. Thus the distance between patterns or between marks of measurement can be
made as required.
J. HENRY JOHNSON,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Agent for the said James Kerr.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or Connected with Apparatus for Printing
on Fabrics.
I JAMES KERR of the Firm of F. Steiner and Company of Church in the County of
Lancaster Turkey Red Dyers and printers, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of my Invention is to operate the printing devices of intermittent
printing apparatus by electricity and to render the operating devices adjustable in
such manner that the intervals of printing may be regulated as desired the arrange-
ments according to this Invention being applicable to cases in which the printing is
required at intervals throughout the length of the fabric. provide a generator of
electricity and lead the current through a switch board or current controlling device
by which the current can be passed as required to energize at the requisite intervals
electro-magnets or their equivalents which will cause the movement of the printing
rollers or blocks to print or to leave their printing position. The switch board or
equivalent device may have its contacts so arranged that the interval of movement
may be altered as required. Thus the distance between patterns or between marks of
measurement can be made as required.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
to further describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the several figures on
the annexed sheet of drawings the same letters of reference indicating corresponding
parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 is an end elevation of a printing machine fitted with my improvements.
Figure 2 is a sectional elevation (drawn to a larger scale) of my improved
mechanism for applying the pressure of the printing roller to the fabric being printed
and for removing the said pressure from the fabric as required, and Figures 3 and 4
are respectively a front elevation and a plan of the switch board for directing the
electric current to the electro magnets for effecting the release from and applying the
pressure of the printing rollers to the surface of the fabric. A is the cylinder or
surface over which the fabric to be printed is passed, and B are the printing rollers.
The rollers B are each mounted in bearings C fitted to slide in guides in the frame of
the machine to enable the rollers to be brought into contact with, and of removing
away from the surface being printed as required.
Each bearing is connected, as shewn, to a screw G by means of which the
pressure of the roller may be adjusted by compressing more or less the spring F. On
the opposite side to the bearing C, the axis of the roller B bears against the end of a
connecting rod or stem H of a piston I fitted to slide in one end of a cylinder or
box K, in the opposite end of which cylinder is another piston 12 and between these
two pistons is a spring L of greater strength than the spring F. The stem M of the
piston 12 carries at its outer end a friction bowl N acted upon by a snail cam or

page_text: tappet O, fast on the shaft A¹ upon which the cylinder A is loosely mounted, for
compressing the spring L at the required periods.
In the ends K2 of the cylinder K through which the stems H and M of the
pistons I I² pass is fitted respectively a pair of hinged levers or arms P P² which enter
slots or openings QQ in the said stems and are caused to bear against the opposite
sides of the said openings by springs R interposed between the arms of each pair.
Between the outer extremities of each pair of levers or arms is a rock shaft (S S²)
provided with a cam or detent (TT) for the purpose of retaining them open when
required as hereinafter described.
The rock shafts (S S²) each carries a weighted lever U and also another lever U²
(see figure 1) connected at its outer end to the armature V of the electro magnet W
so that when the spring L is compressed by the snail cam O the arms P open out and
the rock shaft S is then turned by the weighted lever U or equivalent means so as to
cause the cam or detent T to engage the outer ends of the said arms and maintain
them in their open position.
When however a current is sent through the electro magnet W so as to attract the
armature V the rock shaft is turned in the opposite direction thereby releasing the
detent from the arms P which will then be free to close.
I have shewn in my drawing a machine having only four printing rollers B but of
course any other desired number may be employed. For each printing Roller two
pairs of electro magnets are required at each end of the machine the magnets of each
roller at the opposite ends of the machine being electrically connected, and the inagnets
of each roller are connected by terminals Z to the contacts X of the switchboard
illustrated by Figures 3 and 4. The contacts X are fitted so as to be capable of
adjustment in grooves Y and may be fixed in their adjusted positions by wing nuts
as shewn in Figure 3 or otherwise.
a b are two arms adjustably mounted on a hollow spindle c and carrying at their
outer ends contact screws d which when the spindle c is rotated make contact con-
secutively with the pieces X so as to excite the electro magnets to effect the release of
the arms P P at the required periods. One of the poles of the battery or source of
electricity in connection with the electro magnets is connected to the hollow spindle c
so that when contact is made by the screws d with one or other of the contact pieces X
the electric current will be conducted through the hollow spindle c arms ab and
contact pieces d and X to the electro magnet connected therewith and thereby cause
the corresponding printing roller to be drawn out of contact with the surface being
printed or cause it to be released so as to admit of it coming into contact therewith as
the case may be. The spindle c receives motion from the printing machine by means
of gearing e and the speed thereof may be varied by means of change wheels as is
well understood.
The apparatus operates in the following manner. The necessary pressure of the
roller B is adjusted by means of the screw G whereby the spring F will be slightly
compressed and the opening Q2 in the stem H brought into position to admit of the
ends of the arms or levers P2 opening out and engaging the projections f² in the
stem H, in which position they will be maintained by the cam or detent T2 on
the rock shaft S2 which is brought into position to engage with the ends of the
arms P2 by means of the weighted lever U. The printing of the fabric will then
proceed. By the rotation of the shaft A the snail cam or tappet O is caused to act
upon the friction bowl N on the stem M so as to compress the spring L until the outer
ends of the levers or arms P engage the projections in the opening Q in the stem M
in which compressed position it is maintained by the cam or detent T on the rock
shaft S which is caused, by the counter weight thereon, to engage with the ends of
the arms P so as to prevent them closing. Thus power is stored up in the spring L
to be employed for forcing the roller B from the fabric when the detent T2 is released
by the electric current, the time for which releasing is regulated by the position of the
contact pieces X on the switch board.
When the printing has been continued the required time one of the arms a or 6 will
make contact with one of the contact pieces X on the switch board in connection with

page_text: the magnet W2 thereby sending a current through the said electro magnet so as to
release the arms P² whereupon the roller B will be forced away from the fabric by
the partial expansion of the spring L and consequently the printing will be dis-
continued. When a certain predetermined length of the fabric has passed the roller
without being printed one of the arms a or b will make contact with another of the
contact pieces X on the switch board connected with the electro magnet W thereby
sending a current through the said electro magnet so as to release the arms P where-
upon the spring L will expand to its full extent and then by the expansion of the
spring F the roller B will be again brought into contact with the fabric and the
printing proceeded with until the detent T is again released as herein before described.
It will thus be seen that printing and cessations from printing on the fabric is
regulated by the position of the contacts X in combination with the rate of speed at
which the arms a and b on the spindle c of the switch board are caused to rotate.
I have described the operation of the apparatus with respect to one of the printing
rollers only it being understood that each printing roller is similarly acted upon so
that the printing of the fabric by the several rollers is suspended at certain pre-
determined intervals regulated by adjusting the positions of the contact pieces X and
the rate of rotation of the arms a b. Although I have described the detents T T² as
being released by means of the electric current it is to be understood that I do not
confine myself to that arrangement in as much that they may be maintained in their
locking position by the electric current and be released by breaking the said current.
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
First. In apparatus for intermittent printing on fabrics the use of electrical means
for effecting the movement of the printing devices to print at the requisite times
substantially as described.
Second. In apparatus for intermittent printing on fabrics the arrangement of
springs and locking devices for the purpose herein before described and illustrated by
Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.
Third. In intermittent apparatus for printing on fabrics at predetermined intervals
the combination with electrical apparatus of a switch board or equivalent device
provided with adjustable contacts or means for controlling the current as required
substantially as and for the purpose herein before described with reference to Figures 3
and 4 of the accompanying drawings.
Fourth. The general combination and arrangement of apparatus for effecting inter-
mittent printing on fabrics as herein before described and illustrated by the
accompanying drawings.