Improved Method of Printing, Embossing or Ornamenting Fabrios, Sheets and the like.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 9th June, 1898-Accepted, 3rd Sept., 1898
Improved Method of Printing, Embossing or Ornamenting Fabrios,
Sheets and the like.
A communication from LA SOCIETE MARINIER FILS, of Paris, and EUGENE LOUIS
NAVOIT, Embosser, of Paris, in the Republic of France.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 111, Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what maner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement.-
-
This invention relates chiefly to a combined process of simultaneously printing
in colours or otherwise and of embossing or stamping plates or sheets of any
material susceptible of being embossed or stamped This process can be carried
out either by means of the usual embossing or stamping machines or by specially
constructed machines
The accompanying drawing diagrammatically illustrates, by way of example,
several of the principal arrangements for carrying this invention into effect.
Fig 1 shows the application of the invention to an embossing machine.
A is a cylinder provided with intaglio and relief parts corresponding to the
design to be embossed
B is a counter cylinder serving as a support, the diameter of which is the same
as that of the cylinder A or double or a multiple thereof.
The machine illustrated 18 arranged for printing in three colours and has
three sets of inking rollers MM' Me each of them comprising an ink reservoir o,
an ink roller e taking off roller 2, two distributing rollera d, an inking roller T
and two contact rollers f It will be understood that the rollers G and I of the
sets MM will be supplied with ink from their respective ink reservoirs in the
same way as the rollers H of the set M.
These three sets of inking rollers, which do not touch one another, are all in
contact with a central collecting roller C which in the example illustrated has
the same diameter as the embossing cylinder A and receives on its surface, which
may be of any suitable material, the ink and colours at the desired places.
Owing to its contact with the embossing cylinder A, the collector C deposits said
inks and colours on the latter in predetermined places When the cylinders
are once arranged in their correct relative positions, the same points of the
cylinder C will always come in contact with the same corresponding points of the
embossing cylinder A
Each of the three rollers G, H, I receives from its inking device the colour
which said rollers are to transmit to the collector C, but as each roller has to
deposit its colour only in the places corresponding to those which said colour is
to occupy on the printed sheet, each of said distributing or transmitting
rollera G, H, I must be inked only in certain places on its surface which are in
relief, the rest of the surface being in intaglio so that it cannot be touched by the
inking rollers.

page_text: The position of the relief and intaglio portions is determined by the arrange-
ment of colour on the design, said arrangement being transferred to the roller
in the same way as transfer pictures, or in any other way.
Thus, for
These relief or intaglio surfaces can be produced in various ways
instance, the roller, the largest diameter of which (between the rehef surfaces)
must be equal to that of the collector, can be made first of said diameter
throughout, then the portions not to be coloured and indicated by transferring
the design on to it can be recessed by means of a suitable tool
Or, on the contrary, the roller may be constituted by a tube or cylinder of
suitable material, of a smaller diameter than that of the surfaces to be in relief
and to receive ink. In this case the relief surface is produced by adding to o1
forming on the roller relief portions made of suitable material which is adapted
to receive and transmit colours, said relief portions being formed according to
the desired design and the required distribution of colours.
These intaglio and relief portions can also be produced by moulding or casting
plates or portion of plates formed by a reverse impression or die of the block
to be inked and by securing said plates to the surface of the distributing roller,
so that the latter shall be of the necessary diameter the required intaglio portions
being left in the places desired.
Fig. 1 shows a simple instance of printing in three colours These may be
arranged round the collecting roller C as many as four groups of the printing
devices, each of said groups varying, if desired, in the number of contact and
distributing rollers, inking rollers, the number and arrangement of said groups
being independent of the present invention
Fig 2 shows the grouping (M-M³) of four colours 1ound a collector C of a
diameter equal to that of the embossing roller A
In order to obtain a greater number of colours, the distributing inking rollers
deposit their colour on intermediate collectors which receive it from each of said
inking rollers and transmit it to the central collector The central and the inter-
mediate collectors consist of metal, wooden or other cylinders provided with some
soft substance, such for instance as printing roller-paste, rubber, gutta-percha,
linoleum, gelatine or other substance adapted to receive ink and to transfer it
when brought in contact with a printing or transferring surface
Fig. 3 shows the arrangement according to this invention applied to a machine
for embossing and printing in eight colours (M-M) by means of intermediate
collecting rollers. In this case the central collector C receives two colours directly
from the inking devices G and H, and six colours from the intermediate
collector C, which in its turn receives two of the colours (N, O) from the
collector C, two (I, J) from the collector C and two (K, L) from the collector C.
By stopping or rendering inoperative in this arrangement one, two or any other
number of colour roller, the machine can be utilised for any less number of
colours, that may be required.
The number of intermediate collectors may be increased as desired, thus increas-
ing the number of colours
In the arrangements shown in Figs 1 to 3, it is assumed that the diameters
of the main collector C and of all intermediate collectors CCC etc, are
equal to that of the embossing roller A, but it is evident that their diameter could
be just as well double, triple or a multiple or a fraction of the diameter of the
embossing roller, which would allow of a much more convenient arrangement
of combinations which may be required to obtain a desired number of colours
Fig. 4 shows an arrangement of six (M-M³) colour rollers G, H, I, J, K, L
round a single collector Č the diameter of which is double that of the embossing
roller A.
Fig. 5 shows a modification of the arrangement represented in Fig. 4 Four
colour-rollers G-J are grouped round the collector C, and consequently supply
ink to the relief parts of the embossing roller A while a cylinder X directly in
contact with said embossing roller applies ink to the recesses of the latter. It

page_text: will be understood that by using instead of the single roller X a suitable collector,
it will be possible to apply any number of colours to the recesses of the embossing
cylinder A, in order to colour the relief portions of the embossed material.
Fig. 6 shows another arrangement (M-") for printing in twelve colours
(G, H, I, J, K, L, N, O, P, Q, R, S,) four collecting rollers CC CƠ being
employed in a similar manner to that already described
Fig 7 shows an arrangement for printing in twelve colours with a collecting
roller C of a diameter four times that of the embossing roller A.
Fig 8 shows an arrangement of collectors C C C whereby the recesses of the
embossing roller A may be inked by the roller C at the same time as its relief
portions are inked by the roller C.
All the arrangements herein before described by way of example, show the
manner of applying colours either to the relief or to intaglio portions of the
embossing roller A.
This embossing roller A may be made of or surfaced with copper, steel, cast
iron or any other metal, stone, celluloid, wood, bichromated gelatine, rubber,
gutta-percha, in short of any material or composition capable of being cut or
moulded in relief and intaglio and withstanding the necessary pressure required
in embossing the material operated upon
It will be easily understood that the various effects herembefore described can
be obtained by placing the counter-roller B in the place of the embossing roiler A
The printing amangements described can be also combined so as to ink at
the same time both the embossing roller and the counter-roller, the result always
being that the embossing and printing are effected simultaneously
.
The diameter of the counter roller B may be either equal to, or a fraction or a
multiple of that of the embossing roller A and, like the latter, may be made of
the same material In certain cases the counter-roller B may be of a smooth
surface and of any desired diameter
Fig 9 shows the application of the described method of printing to a stamping
machine
A 18 the engraved plate which is to receive the impression in several colours,
B is the counter-plate. The material to be embossed which is to receive, at the
same time as being stamped, the polychrome impression 18 placed on this counter-
plate, then the table S rises and presses the material against the plate A It will
be understood that as the plate A has received the colours from the collector C, the
material will be simultaneously stamped and printed in different colours
The inking of the plate A can be obtained in various ways, thus for instance,
by the horizontal movement of the roller C, so that it rolls on said plate and
colours it with the various inks previously deposited on its surface by the com-
bination inking devices
It is obvious that the counter plate B may be used in place of the plate A
and may have the colours applied to it instead of 'to the latter.
It is also possible as shown in Fig 10 to apply the colours either to the plate A
or on the counter plate B, which is secured to the lower portion S, which rises
to effect the impression
According to Fig 11, it is possible to apply colours to the plate A and to the
counter plate B by means of two rollers and C Each of these rollers which
reciprocate, receives ink from inking devices M, the combination of which may
be varied as demred, according to the number of colours required, by means of
one or more collectors, central and intermediate, of such diameter as to afford a
surface equal to the maximum surface of that part of the plates A or B which
is to be inked, or an exact multiple or fraction thereof.
The number of the inking groups and their arrangement may also vary in the
manner shown in Figs 1 to 7, the collectors and C¹ of Figs. 9, 10 and 11
taking the place of the collectors C of Figs 1 to 7
In the arrangement shown in Figs. 9 to 11 the collectors are assumed to
have a reciprocating motion and to transmit their ink either to the plate A or

page_text: to the counter-plate B respectively, or to both at the same time. It will be under-
stood that by a slight rearrangement the collector or collectors CC could remain
stationary as regards horizontal movement, while the paits A and B could have
a reciprocating motion so as to pass under said collectors in order to take off
the ink with which the latter are charged
The plate A and the counter plate B may be of copper, steel or other metal,
stone, glass, wood, bichromated gelatine etc. in short of any material or composi-
tion adapted to be engraved upon or moulded in relief or in intaglio and capable
of withstanding the pressure required for stamping
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, as communicated to me by my foreign corespondents, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:-
1 The process of simultaneously printing in colours and embossing fabrics
or other materials, consisting in applying the required number of colours to corre-
sponding transfer rollers, and by them to one or more collecting rollers gearing
with the embossing roller, and passing the material to be printed and embossed
between said embossing roller and a counter-roller substantially as described
2. A modification of the process described consisting in the substitution of a
moulded or engraved printing and embossing plate and a counter-plate for the
embossing roller and counter-roller, one of said plates receiving the colours from
a collecting roller, the plate and roller being adapted to reciprocate relatively
one to the other so as to transfer the colour from the roller to the plate, and
passing the material to be printed and embossed between said plates substantially
as described.
3 A modification of the process described consisting in the substitution of a
moulded or engraved printing and embossing plate and a counter-plate for the
embossing roller and counter-roller, each of said plates receiving colours from
a set of ink transferring rollers, the plates and collecting rollers being adapted
to reciprocate relatively so as to transfer the colours to the plates, and passing
the material to be printed and embossed between said plates substantially as
described.
4. Apparatus for carrying out the process described comprising an embosang
surface (A) and counter-surface (B) in combination with a collecting roller (C)
receiving the whole impression either directly from the inking devices or through
intermediate collectors, and transmitting colour to the embossing surface or to
the counter surface or to both the embossing surface and 'the collecting roller
being either relatively stationary, or movable one to the other, and the surface
of the one being an exact multiple or fraction of the other, substantially as
described.
5 The combination and arrangement of parts for embossing and printing
substantially as described and illustrated diagrammatically in Figure 1, or in
Figure 2, or in Figure 3, or in Figure 4, or in Figure 5, or in Figure 6, or in
Figure 7, or in Figure 8, or in Figure 9, or in Figure 10, or in Figure 11 of the
accompanying drawings
Dated this 6th day of June 1898