Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Heating for Blocking or Embossing.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Heating for
Blocking or Embossing.
We, WILLIAM CULLEN HORNE, of No. 5, Torrens Street, City Road, London,
Engineer, and JOHN GILMOUR FERGUSON, of No. 82, Bedford Road, Ilford, Com-
mercial Traveller, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows;
27
In the process of impressing a design on book covers, show cards, price or
other tickets either with or without gold or other metal leaf, technically termed
blocking' or in producing an embossed design on paper, card, leather or
cloth or other material--more or less in relief-technically termed "embossing
it is necessary to apply heat to the engraved plate or die-to produce, along
with pressure the desired result and the usual method is to perform such work
on a specially constructed press or machine in which the platten or bed on which
the engraved die is fixed, is perforated or chambered to allow of gas jets, or live
steam being introduced therin, for the purpose of making the said platten or
bed hot, and consequently heating the engraved plate or die, and our invention
relates to a convenient means of securing the same result on any ordinary
printing machine or other press not specially constructed for the purpose as just
described. Our apparatus consists of a plate of iron or brass of about three
quarters of an inch in thickness-which together with the engraved plate or die
to be fixed to it will make up a thickness equal to the height of ordinary
printing types the other dimensions of this plate may be such as are suitable
for the job in hand or of suitable size for the press on which it is to be used―
this plate must be planed true on both faces, so as to give an even impression,
& one face is channeled out in semicircular grooves, both in the length of it,
and also crosswise, such grooves being about one inch in diameter & about a
quarter of an inch apart. In one of the grooves nearest the edge (the lowest
when the plate is to be used in a perpendicular position) or in a groove at both
edges of the plate when it has to be used in a horizontal position, we place a
small iron or brass tube, perforated with suitable holes, or fitted with suitable
burners, and connecting it with the gas supply by an india rubber or flexible
tube, and fixing the complete apparatus as described, into the ordinary "chase"
or frame used on the printing or other press (in the same manner as a steriotype
block is usually fixed) & having attached the engraved plate or die on to the
upper or plain face of the block-the gas is then lighted at the perforations
or burners and in a few minutes the engraved plate or die is heated enough for
the work of blocking or embossing to proceed, the heated gasses circulating
throughout the grooves, & escaping at the opposite edges. By constructing the
plate with all the grooves or channels closed at the ends, or by forming the
channel in one continuous zig zag line from one point of the plate to the oppo-
site, and admitting live steam, the same heating result may be obtained as by

page_text: the use of gas of course substituting a brass or iron supply tube for the india
rubber one.
Dated this Thirtieth day of July 1898.
WILLIAM CULLEN HORNE.
JOHN GILMOUR FERGUSON.
Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Heating for
Blocking or Embossing.
We, WILLIAM CULLEN HORNE, of No. 5, Torrens Street, City Road, London,
Engineer, and JOHN GILMOUR FERGUSON, of No. 82, Bedford Road, Ilford, Com-
mercial Traveller, 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:―
In the process of impressing, a design on book covers, show cards, price and
other tickets either with or without gold or other metal leaf technically termed
blocking" or in producing an embossed design on paper, card, leather or
cloth, or other material more or less in relief technically termed "embossing,”
it is necessary to apply heat to the engraved plate or die-to produce along
with pressure the desired result and the usual method is to perform such work
on a specially constructed press or machine in which the platen or bed on which
the engraved die is fixed, is perforated or chambered to allow of gas jets or live
steam being introduced therein for the purpose of making the said platen or
bed hot, & consequently heating the engraved plate or die, and our invention
relates to a convenient means of securing the same result on any ordinary
printing machine or other press not specially constructed for the purpose as just
described. Our apparatus consists of a plate of iron or brass of about three
quarters of an inch in thickness--which together with the engraved plate or die
to be fixed to it-will make up a thickness equal to the height of ordinary
printing types the other dimensions of this plate may be such as are suitable
for the job in hand, or of suitable size for the press on which it is to be used.
This plate must be planed true on both faces so as to give an even impression,
and one face is chanelled out in semicircular grooves both in the length of it,
and also crosswise, such grooves being about one inch in diameter and about a
quarter of an inch apart. In one of the grooves nearest the edge (the lowest
when the plate is to be used in a perpendicular position) or in a groove at both
edges of the plate when it has to be used in a horizontal position, we place a
small iron or brass tube, perforated with suitable holes, or fitted with suitable
burners, and connecting it with the gas supply by an india rubber or flexible
tube, and fixing the complete apparatus as described, into the ordinary "chase "
or typeholder used in the printing or other press, in the same manner as a
stereotype block is usually fixed, and having attached the engraved plate or die
on to the upper or plain surface of our heating plate. The gas is then lighted
at the perforations or burners and in a few minutes the engraved plate or die
is heated enough for the work of blocking or embossing to proceed the heated
gas circulating throughout the grooves and escaping at the opposite edges. In
the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1 represents a plan of a portion of the back or grooved side of our
apparatus.
Fig. 2 represents a section of the same,

page_text: Fig. 3 represents a perspective view of a portion of the back or grooved side
of our apparatus, shewing the intersecting grooves or chanells.
Fig. 4 represents on a reduced scale our apparatus as it is fixed in the chase
or typeholder with gas tubes in position indicated by dotted lines.
By constructing our apparatus with all the grooves or channels closed at the
ends and back or by forming the channel in one continuous zig-zag line from
one point to the opposite, and admitting live steam, the same heating result
may be obtained as by the use of gas-of course substituting a brass or iron
supply tube for the india rubber one.
Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion & in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:-
(1) In an apparatus for blocking or embossing by means of heat, a movable
heater plate grooved out at the back to allow gas or steam to be introduced and
which may be readily fixed in the ordinary chase or typeholder or secured direct
on to a printing machine or other press.
(2) A movable heater plate substantially as described with the grooves or
channels closed at the back and edges with an inlet & outlet for use with steam
at a pressure.
Dated this 14th day of April 1899.
WILLIAM CULLEN HORNE.
JOHN GILMOUR FERGUSON.