Improvements in the Method of Imprinting Marks and Devices upon Folded Piece Goods and in Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Oct., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 3rd July, 1838
Complete Specification Accepted, 3rd Aug., 1888
Improvements in the Method of Imprinting Marks and Devices upon
Folded Piece Goods and in Apparatus therefor.
I, JAMES ARTHUR CUNDALL of 4 Gloucester Road Urmston Manchester in the County
of Lancaster, Designer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
.
This Invention relates to the method of and apparatus for imprinting Trade Marks
and other distinctive marks or devices or words upon folded cloths or piece goods and
it has for its object to reduce the cost and increase the facility and the excellence of
result of the operation.
Hitherto such marks have been imprinted by hand stamps or by engraved rollers
both of which are expensive to produce. These Improvements consist in imprinting
the marks or devices by means of blocks specially prepared, the operation being
effected through the agency of suitable printing mechanism or apparatus. The blocks
are prepared by a modification of the well known zincographic process.
In a section
of such blocks as ordinarily prepared for printing purposes it will be seen that each
line of the design is represented by or occupies the summit of a short truncated
conical section and that the spaces between the lines are comparatively shallow. In
preparing such blocks for use according to my present Improvements I etch the zinc
in such a manner that in a vertical section across any line thereon it will be found
that the line occupies the summit of a rectangular or nearly rectangular figure which
is very slightly if any broader at its junction with the body of the zinc plate than at
the printing surface. I also etch the spaces between the lines to a greater depth, the
amount of which will be determined by the closeness of the lines but which is in no
case less than about one twentieth of an inch.
I attach the block to the platen of a printing machine which is provided with an
adjustable bed plate, inking ducts and rollers, an endless web carrying gauge pieces
and capable of travelling intermittently over the adjustable table and with stops to
arrest the traverse of the web in definite positions. The gauge plates are so fixed

page_text: upon the web that they project beyond or above its edges and the stops are so placed
that the projecting parts of the gauge plates come in contact therewith just before
the platen carrying the printing block descends to make the impression. Immediately
after the impression is made the stops are momentarily withdrawn and the web moves
forward until the next gauge plate comes in contact with the stops.
The folded cloths or piece goods are placed upon the web in front of the machine
each piece having one edge in contact with one of the gauge plates; each piece is
thus successively carried over the bed plate where its motion is arrested by the
stoppage of the web while the impression is made by the descent of the platen, after
which it is conveyed by the motion of the web to the back of the machine where it is
delivered or from whence it may be removed.
Dated this 1st day of October A.D. 1887

page_text: Improvements in the Method of Imprinting Marks and Devices upon
Folded Piece Goods and in Apparatus therefor.
I JAMES ARTHUR CUNDALL of 4 Gloucester Road
County of Lancaster Designer do hereby declare the
in what manner the same is to be performed to
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Urmston, Manchester in the
nature of this invention and
be particularly described and
This Invention relates to the method of and apparatus for imprinting Trade Marks
and other distinctive marks devices or words and combinations thereof upon folded
cloths or textile piece goods, and it has for its object to reduce the cost and to increase
the facility of the operation and the excellence of the result.
Hitherto such marks and devices have been produced or imprinted by means of
hand stamps or by rollers, both of which are expensive to produce. These improve-
ments consist in imprinting the marks or devices by means of blocks specially
prepared, the operation being effected by the agency of suitable printing mechanism
or apparatus.
The printing blocks are formed with the grooves therein of a peculiar shape as
hereinafter explained and are prepared by a modification of the well known zincographic
process as hereinafter described.
The printing mechanism or apparatus includes a bed-plate, inking ducts and rollers,
a platen, a travelling table or web, a gauge plate or plates, and means and devices
for supporting adjusting and operating the mechanism.
The folded goods are placed upon the travelling table or web in front of the machine
with one edge in contact with the gauge plate or plates and the goods are then
carried by the travelling table or web to a position beneath the platten where the
motion of the said goods is temporarily arrested by the stoppage of the table or web
whilst. the impression is made by the descent of the platen carrying the printing
block, after which by the resumed motion of the table or web the goods are conveyed
from beneath the platen after which they may be removed by hand or by mechanical
devices.
In order that my invention may be more readily understood, I will proceed to more
particularly describe it with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1
illustrates part of a printing block as ordinarily produced. Fig. 2 shews part of one
as made according to my invention whilst Fig. 3 is an end elevation and Fig. 4 is a
side elevation of a machine suitable for printing with blocks according to this inven-
tion. Fig. 4 is a detail in plan of part of the machine.
For convenience of description I will first describe the machine for printing with
the block according to my invention and then 1 will describe the blocks themselves.
A is the framing of the machine; B B are .rollers carrying an endless table or
web B2 through one of which rollers B motion is imparted to the said table or web; Cis
the driving pulley mounted on the first motion shaft D; E is a spur wheel mounted on the

page_text: shaft F and driven by a pinion G on the first motion shaft D H is a spur wheel
mounted on the shaft F and gearing with the similar wheel I mounted on the shaft J ;
K are the gauge plate cams mounted upon the shaft F; L are cams mounted upon
the shaft J and employed to operate the inking rollers; M are second cams on the
shaft J, through which cams the motion of the roller N which transfers the ink from
the ink ductor O, to the main inking roller P, and the motion of the ink duct
roller Ware derived; Q is the platen, on the under side of which the printing block
is secured, face downwards; R is a counter weight connected to the platen Q by
cords or chains passing over the pulleys 2; SS are the inking rollers which dis-
tribute the ink upon the face of the printing block, and which are mounted upon the
reciprocating carriage T; U is a gauge plate carried upon the slides V and having
an intermittent vertical motion; X is a roller having lateral motion to distribute the -
ink upon the main roller P; Y is a worm capable of being rotated by a hand wheely.
and engaging with a worm wheel upon the shaft Z.
The gauge plate U is operated from the cams K through forked levers 1 centred
at 14, the forked ends of which lever engage with pins upon the slides V which
carry the gauge plate. The motion is transmitted from the cams K to the levers 1
through the friction bowls 2 carried upon projections from the said levers. The cams K
are so timed that the gauge plate U descends upon or near to the endless table or
web B2 just before the down stroke of the platen Q and remains in that position until
just before the platen returns when the said gauge plate returns to the position shown
in Fig. 4. The gauge plate Q is adjustable by means of the bars 19 in the blocks 20
and fixed by the set screws 21. A sliding pointer 18, to indicate the proper position
of the end of the folded cloth may be carried and adjusted upon the gauge plate which
may be graduated to facilitate the adjustment of the pointer.
The gauge plate as herein before described and its operating mechanism
may be
omitted, and the substituted gauge plates may be permanently fixed to the endless
travelling web at regular intervals, but this arrangement does not lend itself to.variable
adjustment for different dimensions of cloth.
The platen is operated through the connecting rods 3, the crank pins 4, and the
counter-weight R. The lower part of these connecting rods are slotted and the crank
pins are included within the slots as represented. The counter-weight R tends at all
times to keep the platen' in its highest position, and the slots in the connecting rods 3
are formed so that when in this position, and when the crank pin 4 is also at its
highest position, the upper ends of the slots will be clear of the crank pins. The
total length of each slot is less than the diameter of the path of each crank pin, and
it-follows therefore that the crank pins will operate the platen during a part only of
their revolution, and that the stroke of the platen will equal the difference between
the length of the slot and the diameter of the path of the crank pin minus the diameter
of the crank pin. To enable the length of the connecting rods 3 to be adjusted,
they are divided at convenient. parts of their lengths, and the divided ends are .con-
nected by the couplings 5, each having at one end a right hand, and at the other end
a left band internal screw, which screws respectively engage with corresponding
external screw threads formed upon the divided ends of the rods 3.
I prefer to support the bearing for the crank pins in the bottom of each of the slots
in-the-connecting-rods-3-by-spiral-spring 24, Fig. 1. These-springs tend-to-prevent
shocks and cause a dwell or prolonged contact of the printing block with the cloth
in the act of printing.
The motion of the travelling endless web is derived from the crank pin 4 through
-the connecting rod 6, the arm 7, the pawl 8, the ratchet wheel 9, and the spur
wheel and pinion 10 and 10. This motion is arranged. so that the web roller B is
rotated, and movement of the endless web consequently takes place only when the
gauge plate U and the platen Qare in their most elevated positions.
The main inking roller P is driven by the crossed cord 11 from the pulley 12 on the
shaft J.
The reciprocating rollers S S are driven from the cams L by the slotted connecting
rods 13: the levers 14 and the rods 15

page_text: The slots in the connecting rods 13 and 16 are for the purpose of clearing the
shaft.J and they may be cranked instead of being slotted for the same purpose.
The roller N which transfers the ink from the ductor roller W to the main roller P.
is driven from the cams M on the shaft J by the connecting rods 16, and the bell-
crank levers 17.
.
The rotation of the ink duct roller W is obtained from one of the cams M on the.
shaft J through the rod 22 and the pawl and ratchet wheel 23.
The motion of the ink distributing roller X upon the roller P is obtained from the
cam and fixed stud 18 Figure 4".
The platen is carried by the shaft Z in eccentric bearings. The true vertical motion
of the platen is secured by means of the blocks 25.each of which slides in a vertical
slot in the framing at opposite ends of the platen. These blocks are connected to the
platen by means of the pins 26 which are withdrawn when it is desired to tilt the
platen for the attachment or removal of a printing block.
Upon the platen shaft Z there is mounted a worm wheel which is in gear with the
worm Y capable of being rotated by a hand-wheel. This worm and worm wheel in
combination with the eccentric bearings of the shaft Z afford a means of secondary
adjustment for the platen independently of the adjustment by the couplings 5.
The operation of the machine is as follows: The gauge U being in its lowest
position with its lower edge near to the travelling table or web the folded piece of
cloth is laid upon the table with its edge in contact with the guage and with one end
in contact with or near to the adjustable pointer 18. The gauge is now lifted and
the travelling table moves forward until the folded cloth is below the platen which
then descends and imprints the desired mark or device the travelling web being again
stationary during this operation. Meanwhile the gauge again descends and another
piece of cloth is placed against it on the travelling web. After being printed the
folded cloth is carried forward by the travelling web clear of the platen and it may be
removed by hand or by any suitable means. Between each descent of the platen the
inking rollers S. S. move forwards and backwards under the platen inking the printing
block and come to rest clear of the platen. These inking rollers are mounted in their
carriage at such a distance above the endless web that they will clear the pieces of
folded cloth over which they have to pass.
I desire it to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction of
the apparatus to be used with my printing block as this may be varied in many ways
as will be well understood by those acquainted with printing machinery.
The printing blocks constructed and employed according to this invention are made
as shewn in Figure 2 and are etched from zine plates by a modification of the well
known process employed in producing "zinco" blocks for typographic printing but
such blocks produced by any process at present in use are unsuitable for the purposes
of this Invention. To produce printing blocks suitable for the purposes of this
Invention I proceed in the ordinary manner to get a transfer or a line photograph in
resisting ink (such as bitumen or the like) upon the surface of the zinc. I then
commence the etching and proceed in the ordinary manner for the first two or three
baths. On removing the block from the bath after the second or third immersion I do
not roll it with a fresh supply of ink but merely dry it, sprinkle it with rosin and
warm it. This causes a less amount of protective material than usual to flow down
the sides of the etched parts. The block is then re-immersed in the bath and after
etching as far as possible without risk of biting under the lines or undercutting it is
again removed and may this time be rolled with ink as well as sprinkled with the
powdered rosin. Each immersion of the block after the second or third bath is
prolonged to about double the time occupied in the ordinary process and the total
time occupied is about four times longer than is required in the production of ordinary
"zincos." Towards the end of the operation the inking of the block is effected at
more frequent intervals and in the last two or three baths it may be inked twice for
each bath. Very precise details of the etching process cannot be set forth because
they will differ with the character of the block. The chief differences from the
ordinary process are that a longer immersion in each bath after the second or third is

page_text: required that at the beginning of the process fewer inkings are required while towards
the end of the process the inkings are more frequent that more immersions or more
baths are required. The diagrams Figures 1 and 2 represent the difference between
an ordinary "zinco" and a block prepared according to and for the purpose of this
Invention. In the ordinary block the sides of the lines slope considerably from the
printing surface as shown in Figure 1. each line occupying the summit of a short
truncated conical section the spaces between the lines being shallow, whilst in the
blocks produced according to my invention the sides of the lines are nearly vertical or
even slightly undercut as shown in Figure 2 so that each line occupies the summit of
a rectangular or nearly rectangular figure which is little if any broader at its junction
with the main body of the block than it is at the printing surface. I also prefer to
etch the grooves between the lines to a greater depth than hitherto say to not less than
the one twentieth of an inch. It will generally be found more advantageous to print
from electros of the blocks than from the blocks themselves such electros may be
prepared in the ordinary manner without difficulty.
I have described my blocks as prepared by the zinc. etching process because that is
the cheapest and best mode of producing them known to me but it will be evident
that the advantages they possess might be secured by constructing them of the
same shape as herein before described but by a different process. All blocks so made
I claim as being within my Invention.
If blocks or zincos prepared in the ordinary manner were used for the printing of
the folded goods it would be found that the fabric would "bottom the whites" and
that the spaces between the lines would be speedily filled with fluff and sizing material
and that therefore they would be practically useless. These defects are entirely
obviated with blocks prepared as hereinbefore described.
In printing folded piece goods according to these improvements, a larger quantity of
ink is required than is employed in ordinary. typographic printing. The precise
quantity of ink must be determined in each case by the absorbent and other qualities
of the cloth to be printed upon.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. Printing blocks for printing Trade Marks, distinctive devices, words and
combinations thereof, said blocks having the mark device words, or the like in relief
and being made with the grooves or recesses therein substantially as herein before
described with reference to Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.
2. The method of imprinting, Trade Marks, distinctive devices words and com-
binations thereof by means of blocks having the mark or device in relief as herein before
described in an apparatus, having an intermittently travelling web or table, a platen to
which the printing block is secured, inking devices, a bed plate, a gauge plate or plates,
and means and devices for adjusting and operating the apparatus at the proper times
substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated by the accompanying
drawings.
3. The arrangement and combination of parts constituting the apparatus for
-printing-marks or devices on-piece-goods-as-herein before-described-and-illustrated-by
the accompanying drawings.
D
"
1
WILLIAM E. HEYS,
Agent.