CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF CYLENDAR PRINTING MACHINES USED FOR PRINTING PAPER, CALICO, AND OTHER FABRICs
Year: 1835

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, JOHN BUCHANAN,
of Ramsbottom, in the County of Lancaster, Millwright, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Thirteenth day of May, in the fifth year of His reign, did,
for Himself, is heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said John
Buchanan, is especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that
I, the said John Buchanan, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said John Buchanan, my exors, adñiors, and 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, uso, exercise, and
vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my
Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF CYLENDAR
PRINTING MACHINES USED FOR PRINTING PAPER, CALICO, AND OTHER FABRICs;"
in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that I, the said John
Buchanan, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in
His 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 thereunto had, will more fully and at largo

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Buchanan, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention of certain
improvements in the construction of cylender printing machines used for
printing paper, calico, and other fabrics to consist in the new arrangement of
certain parts of an ordinary cylender printing machine, together with the con-
struction and adaptation of certain additional parts to such machine by means
of which I am enabled to print calicos and other fabrics usually printed in
such machines, without the intervention of the endless woollen cloth or blanket
required in ordinary machines of this nature, and also obtain other advantages
herein-after noticed, and the manner in which the same is to be performed
and carried into effect will be more clearly understood by reference to the
annexed Drawings and the following description thereof. It will be remarked
that the scale to which the Drawings are made is written on each Drawing,
and that various figures and letters of reference are used in the description, the
samo letters and figures of reference indicating similar parts throughout the
whole of the Drawings.
Fig. 1, Sheet 1, represents a front view, and Figure 2, Sheet 2, a side view
of a two-coloured cylender printing machine, to which my improvements are
applied; and Figure 3, Sheet 3, represents a side view of part of the machinery;
and the Figure on Sheet 4 represents a side view of a similar machine used
for-padding, as will be hereafter explained in Figure 1 and 2. A represents
the boll or cylender, round which the endless cloth or blanket is passed in
ordinary machines; and B, B, are the copper printing cylinders. The ordi-
nary parts of the machine, such as the movements for traversing the doctor or
straight edge together with the driving geering, are such as are common to all
machines of this description, and are introduced here for the purpose of
shewing more clearly the position and manner in which my improvements are
arranged. In these Drawings it will be remarked that the endless cloth or
blanket is taken away, and the cloth or piece C in the process of printing is
carried direct to the boll A, passing in the usual manner under and over the
rods a, a, a, a, a, for the purpose of keeping it'straight and giving the requisite
degree of tension for producing an uniform surface on the boll A, where it
receives the impression from the copper printing cylinder B, B. On referring
to Figure 2, Sheet 2, the arrows c, c, c, c, indicates the direction of the calico or
other goods C in the process in printing; and b, b, b, b, the course of a grey
piece of calico, which in some cases (when the pattern is very heavy, or a
greater amount of colour is placed on the goods) may be required. The gray
piece passes in the same direction as an ordinary blanket, that is, between

page_text: the piece to be printed C, and the boll A. In light patterns, or such as
contain a small amount of colour, the grey piece will require no drying; but
in some heavy patterns where the grey piece requires to be dried, I use the
arrangement represents at Figure 7, Sheet 1, in which W represent a small. tin
cylinder revolving freely over a case or steam chest, tinted, which drives the
cloth previous to its arrival at the a roller, where it is deposited. The printed
piece, after it has left tho printing cylinder, proceeds in the direction indicated
by the arrow at C, in Figuro 1, Sheet 1. But instead of passing over steam
chests or through a stove for the purpose of being dried, as in ordinary cases, it
proceeds through an opening in the floor above to a revolving steam cylinder,
as represented at D, in Figure 3, Sheet 3, and the relative position of which,
as regards the printing machine, is represented at Figure 1 and 2, Sheets 1
and 2. In Figure 3, Sheet 3, D represents this revolving steam cylinder, the
axes of which is hollow at each extremity, and provided with a flange d, which
compresses a conical seated tube in the opening, as shown in section at
Figure 4, Sheet 3, thereby forming a steam-tight joint at either extremity of
the axis without impeding the revolution of the cylinder from the further end
of the shaft or axis of the cylinder, (at which the steam enters from the supply
pipe e, e,) as seen in Figure 1, Sheet 1; it is conveyed by the tube E¹ (sec
Figure 3, Sheet 3, into the hollow circumference of the cylinder D, where
having circulated and given off its heat to the cylinder, it returns again into
the opposite end of the hollow axis by the tube E, and thence makes its escapo
at a similar tube or axis pipe F; see Sheet 1, along with any condensed water
which may arise. By this means the cylinder D is kept at a steam heat, and
the temperature regulated by the tap or cock f, see Figure 3, Sheet 3, which
governs the amount or flow of steam through the cylender D. The course or
direction of the cloth or goods C on this cylender is indicated by the small
arrows, by following the course of which it will be found that after passing
round the whoule circumference of the cylinder D, it returns by the guide
rollers g, 9, 9, 9, under the cylinder, and then rising in a perpendicular
direction, is passed forward above the cylender to the vibrating apparatus,
which ultimately lays it in folds on the floor at G, bearing in mind that the
revolution of the cylender D should be the same surface speed at the surface of
the printing cylender, or a little more, which may be gained from any con-
venient motion of the printing machine below. In this instance I effect it by
the strap h, which is passed over the reverse cones H and H, the former of
which can be put in gear with the printing machine, by means of a spur wheel
and clutch box, which are connected or disconnected at pleasure by the lever I
sec. Figure 1, Sheet 1, and when in motion the position of the strap h can be

page_text: varied so as to vary the speed of revolution of the cylender D. The vibrating
apparatus which ultimately deposits the printed fabric on the floor at G, is
driven by means of the strap i, see Figure 3, Sheet 3, which passes over a
pulley K, placed on the revolving shaft, which carries the cone H, and over a
similar pulley on the small shaft, which carries the spur wheel R. The spur
wheel R geers into a small pinion placed on a shaft parallel to that which
carries the spur wheel R; at the opposite end of this latter shaft is keyed a
small arm or crank n, the extremity of which is held by the horizontal lever
L, which moves freely on its stationary fulcrums at m, so that each revolution
of the pinion and crank or arm n necessarily vibrates the pinion / along with
the carriage, in which it is supported, together with the perpendicular lever m,
back and forth in the direction indicated by the dotted lines at Figure 3,
Sheet 3. Thus the piece of printed goods is received from the cylinder
machine below, dried by the contact with the revolving steam eylender D,
and deposited in folds on the floor at the point G, at the same time that the
grey piece of calico, (when it is used,) is conveyed forward in the direction of
the arrows b, b, b, b, on to the roller x, see Sheet 2, Figure 2, but when dried
by the arrangement already described at Figure 7, Sheet 2, it is, as soon as the
whole is dried and placed on a roller, raised in the slot which carries it, and
passes forward to the position shewn at a², ready to be used again, and a fresh
roller placed in its former position. These revolving rollers a are driven
from the surface motion of a roller on which they rest, which is driven by the
strap o passing round the pullies o³, and o³, sec Sheet 2, Figure 2, the former of
which is placed on the same shaft, which carries the roller or cylinder P over
which the grey piece passes previous to its going over the boll or main cylinder
of the printing machine. Thus the traverse of the grey piece gives motion
to the taking up cylinder a, but in ordinary patterns, or in printing a stouter
or thicker quality of material than muslins the grey piece, here described,
may be entirely dispensed with. And I find it only necessary to place the
piece to be printed in folds on the table Q, represented at Figure 2, Sheet 2,
without being at the trouble or expenco of putting it on a roller, or callendering
it before it comes to the printing machine, which is an important improvement.
Where the goods have to be subsequently block-printed after leaving the
cylinder machine:-In such cases I have only found it necessary to use narrow
tapes under each edge of the selvage of the cloth to defend the boll from any
colour which might overrun the selvage. After what has been explained, this
arrangement will be sufficiently understood by reference to Figure 5, Sheet 1,
which represents the back of the printing machine; r, r, representing the coils
or rolls of tapes, and r³, 21, the small pullies over which the tape passes pre-

page_text: vious to arriving at the main cylinder A. The pullies r', ', slide freely on the
shaft R, so that although the distance of the rolls of tape r, r, are made to
correspond with the average width of the cloth to be printed, any small
variation can be allowed for and accomodated to by the hand or operative who
attends the back of the machine, by sliding the pullies ¹, r', either nearer to
each other, or the reverse, as occasion may require. In applying my Invention
to what is known in the trade by the name of padding, or covering the whole
surface of the piece with colouring matter, by means of two cylinders, I use a
D cylinder of larger dimensions, as seen at Sheet 4; and in addition to the heat
of the cylinder, I also add an exterior case or steam box to the lower part of
the periphery, as seen at T, T, leaving a space of about one inch between it and
the cylinder, by which anditional heat I am enabled to dry padded goods.of
any description. Having described the operation and manner of working
my improved construction of cylinder printing machines, together with the
arrangement required for padding as before described, I shall proceed
to describe the means by which I supersede the necessity of the ordinary
blanket or endless woollen cloth now in common use, together with the other
advantages arising from my improvements. It is well known to printers and
persons conversant with such machinery, that the texture or fineness of the
blanket or endless woollen cloth used in cylender printing machines, greatly
governs the quality of the pattern produced, inasmuch as a finer and more
uniform surface, will produce a more uniform pattern. Now, one of my
improvements consists in lapping the boll or cylinder A much thinner than is
usual in ordinary printing machines, and with a much finer quality of woollen
or other clastic material than is generally used for that purpose, at the same
time that the edges or extremity of the lapping or cloth is arranged or care-
fully cut, so as not much to exceed the average width of the cloth to be
printed. For it is obvious that no impression that can take place on the
surface of the goods or fabric to be printed where the pressure does not exist,
and equally so that the pressure must cease where the lapping is removed;
thus by making the lapping the exact width of the cloth or nearly so, the
width of the impression is dependent of the width of the lapping, which
obviates the great expenditure of colour which heretofore was wasted on
the blanket; and also by providing a less elastic and finer surface, greatly
diminishes the pressure required to produce any given amount of pattern or
effect, which reduction of pressure renders the mandrill less liable to heat
or spring, and in every way lessens the strain on the machine. The further
advantages arising from my improvements are the economising of space,
the superceeding the danger, expence, and necessity of a drying stove, or if

page_text: steam boxes are used in the ordinary manner, the great waste and expenditure
of steam in that process. The power required in driving the machines is
amazingly lessened, inasmuch as the blanket with its appendages now in use
takes far more power than the goods which are printing, at the same time
that the impression is much better without it with one half the pressure,
and much less colour is required, none being carried away by the blanket
or wasted by washing the lapping on the furnishing roller, and less oil
is wanted to the machine, at the same time that oil is entirely done
away with in the stove (which has always been a serious expenditure.)
In addition to these advantages, I find that the goods dried by this process
are much improved in many of the colours by the sudden steam heat, and
the economy of heat is such as to enable me in many cases to run the
cylinder D, after being once heated for many hours together, without the
admission of any fresh steam whatever; and, lastly, the dispensing with the
blanket enables me to apply more printing cylinders to the same boll, which is
known to be an important advantage in work of this nature.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed and carried into effect, together with some
of the advantages arising from its adoption, I hereby declare that I do not
claim any of the ordinary or well-known parts of such machinery separately or
individually, all which may be varied both in construction and material, accord-
ing to the nature of the work or fabric to be printed, which modifications and
variations are well known to mechanics and persons fit to be entrusted with
work of this nature; but I do claim as my Invention the application and
adaptation of a revolving drying cylinder as herein-before described, to a
cylinder printing or padding machine. Also the most accurate arrangement
of the lapping on the boll or cylinder a, and the appendages for governing the
course of the tapes 1, r, as already described in cylinder printing machines
by means of which I am enabled to dispense with the ordinary blanket or
endless cloth. And I am well aware that the various apparatus which I do
claim as my Invention is applied to cylinder printing and padding machines,
may be varied and modified; yet I claim all such modifications or constructions
or imitations by which the ordinary blanket used in cylinder printing machines,
shall or may be dispensed with, for although a similar effect may be produced
by varying the means which I have used for this purpose; nevertheless the
dispensing with the the blanket or endless woollen cloth in cylinder printing
machines being of itself a discovery and Invention at which I have arrived by
long experiment and labour, and having never before been effected or practised
in this kingdom, I claim it as my Invention, and herewith deliver this as a.

page_text: true and faithful Specification of the manner in which the same is to be
performed and carried into effect.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Buchanan, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Tenth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and thirty-five.
Inrolled the Twelfth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and thirty-five.