IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR."
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Walter MacLean, of Glasgow, in the County
of Lanark, North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PRINTING AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Walter MacLean at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 29th January 1869.
I, WALTER MACLEAN, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PRINTING AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR,"
to be as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention relates to the employment of cylinders formed of zinc
for the purpose of printing.
The design or object to be printed is transferred to the cylindrical zinc
surfaces by means of transfer paper in the ordinary manner; or the
design or object to be printed may be drawn or engraved on the zino
surface.

page_text: By means of using zinc cylinders arranged in the manner herein-after
described the printing or impression is produced in one or more colours
at one operation, in place of requiring a separate printing operation for
each colour used in the design or object being printed. The machine is
so arranged as to print upon paper or textile fabrics either in single
sheets, pieces, or continuous lengths. The machine consists of an
upright frame, in which the zinc cylinder is carried in bearings. Above
the zinc cylinder is a pressure roller. At the side or other convenient
part of the frame the trough for containing the printing ink is placed,
and a roller on a vibrating frame is situated near to it, so that the ink
may be carried to the ink distributing rollers and thence to the zinc
cylinder. Damping rollers revolve in contact with the zinc cylinder, and
the whole is put in motion by spur or toothed gearing. A lever and
adjustable weights are situated either beneath the floor or above the
framing of the machine, and these are so arranged as to force the zinc
cylinder with the necessary amount of pressure against the pressure
roller. The pressure roller is also made adjustable in the frame by
means of screws.
The machine now described is for printing in one colour only, but by
arranging more than one zinc cylinder to be acted upon by the pressure
roller each cylinder is then capable of having a separate colour put on
it, so that by passing the sheet, piece, or continuous length of paper or
textile fabric through the pressure roller and the requisite number of
zinc cylinders the necessary number of colours are printed at one and
the same operation. By means of the machine herein-before described
a design or other object may be printed simultaneously with type printing
on the same sheet or continuous length. This is effected by using in
combination a zinc cylinder with the design on it and another cylinder
with the stereotype on it. The paper or cloth to be printed is wound
upon a roller of suitable breadth placed at any convenient distance
relatively with the zinc cylinder. The paper or cloth is maintained in
tension by a counterweight, and as it is unwound it passes over stretching
bars, which are grooved diagonally from the centre towards the ends, so
as to stretch the textile fabric in the direction of its width. In printing
paper the grooving of the stretching bars is unnecessary. A further
stretching action may be given by means of a drum intermediate between
the roller last named and the zino cylinder.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Walter MacLean in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 24th July 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WALTER
MACLEAN, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of January, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine. in
the thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Walter MacLean, Her
special license that I, the said Walter MacLean, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Walter Mac-
Lean, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREFOR," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Walter
MacLean, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Walter MacLean, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that
is to say:
My said Invention relates to the employment of cylinders formed of
zinc for the purpose of zincographic printing.
The design or object to be printed is transferred to the cylindrical zinc
surfaces by means of transfer paper in the ordinary manner; or the

page_text: on the zinc surface.
By means of using zinc cylinders arranged in the manner herein-after
described the printing or impression is produced in one or more colours
at one operation, in place of requiring a separate printing operation for
each colour used in the design or object being printed. The machine is
so arranged as to print upon paper or textile fabrics either in single
sheets, pieces, or continuous lengths. The machine consists of an
upright frame, in which the zinc cylinder is carried in bearings. Above
the zinc cylinder is a pressure roller. At the side or sides or other con-
venient part of the frame the trough or troughs for containing the printing
ink is or are placed and a roller is situated near to it, so that the ink may
be carried to the ink distributing rollers, and thence to the zinc cylinder.
Damping rollers revolve in contact with the zinc cylinder, and the whole
is put in motion by spur or toothed gearing. A lever and adjustable
weights are situated either beneath the floor or above the framing of the
machine, and these are so arranged as to force the zinc cylinders with
the necessary amount of pressure against the pressure roller; or in lieu of
a lever and weights pressure screws may be employed. The pressure
roller is also made adjustable in the frame by means of screws.
.
The machine now described is for printing in one colour only, but by
arranging more than one zinc cylinder to be acted upon by the pressure
roller each cylinder is then capable of printing a separate colour, so that.
by passing the sheet, piece, or continuous length of paper or textile
fabric through the pressure roller and the requisite number of zinc
cylinders the necessary number of colours are printed at one and the
same operation. By means of the machine herein-before described,
a design or other object may be printed simultaneously with the type
printing on the same sheet or continuous length. This is effected by
using in combination a zinc cylinder with the design on it and another
cylinder with the stereotype on it. The paper or cloth to be printed
is wound upon a roller of suitable breadth placed at any convenient
distance relatively with the zinc cylinder. The paper or cloth is
maintained in tension by a counterweight, and as it is unwound it passes
over stretching bars, which are grooved diagonally from the centre
towards the ends, so as to stretch the textile fabric in the direction of its

page_text: width. In printing on paper the grooving of the stretching bars is
unnecessary. A further stretching action may be given by means of
a drum intermediate between the roller last named and the zinc
cylinder.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood
I now proceed more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner
in or under which the same is or may be used or practically carried
into effect, reference being had to the Figures upon the explanatory
Sheet of Drawings which I have hereunto appended, that is to say:-
two-colour zincographic and
for operating on continuous
paper; Figure 2 is a front
The framing of the machine is
Figure 1 is an end elevation of a
stereotype cylinder printing machine
lengths of textile or other fabrics or
elevation corresponding to Figure 1.
in both Figures marked A. At the upper part it carries two screws B,
one of which is seen at Figure 1, and neither of them are shown
at Figure 2. These screws B are for the purpose of adjusting
the pressure throughout the machine, and they act directly upon
the bearings C of the pressure roller or cylinder D, which is
covered with a vulcanite tympan. On one of the journals of the
pressure roller D is fitted a spur driving wheel E which gears into spur
pinions F and F, and these actuate the two printing cylinders G and G,
and of which G is the zinc cylinder with the design to be printed
transferred to it, and G' a stereotype cylinder in relief for printing letter-
press. A damping roller H revolves in contact with the zinc cylinder G.
The holders I for carrying the four inking rollers K are also adjustable
in position by means of screws and by which they are also held in place
as required. Two large inking cylinders L are situated near the rollers,
and below these the ink distributing rollers M and N on both sides of
the machine, the ink being transferred to them from the ink boxes O
by the transfer rollers P and P¹. Q is a large roller on which the
fabric to be printed is wound, and it has a counterweight R to keep the
fabric in a state of tension. When the fabric is unwound it passes over
the stretching bars S, T, which are grooved diagonally from the middle
towards the ends, so as to stretch the cloth in the direction of its
width as it passes over them. To the fabric a further stretching in
the same direction is given by the drum U, to which it is delivered by
the roller V, and from which it passes along with the endless web

page_text: between the pressure cylinder D and the printing cylinders G, G',
receiving a zincographic impression from the one and a surface or type
impression from the other. In order to adapt the machine for printing
single sheets or short pieces it is necessary to add to the pressure
cylinder a gripper worked by a cam and also a self delivering cylinder
or apparatus; these are required in order to receive, carry round, and
deliver the printed impression as in other self-delivering sheet printing
machines at present in use.
It is obvious that as the machine is set in motion by means of a
driving strap actuating the pressure roller or cylinder D that the other
cylinders and rollers are correspondingly moved by the toothed gearing
by which they are engaged.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the
system, mode, or manner in or under which the same is or may be used
or practically carried into effect, I wish to observe in conclusion that
what I consider novel and original, and therefore claim as the Inven-
tion secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent
is,-
First. The application of zinc cylinders having designs and writings
of all kinds drawn, lithographed, etched, engraved, or transferred to
them, and the zincographic printing of such in one or more colours by
one operation upon paper or textile fabrics in single sheets, pieces, or
continuous lengths.
Second. The application of zinc cylinders in union with stereotyped,
electrotyped, engraved copper or wooden cylinders for zincographic and
type or surface printing in one or more colours at one operation upon
paper or textile fabrics in single sheets, pieces, or continuous lengths.
Third. The application of zinc cylinders in union with engraved,
copper or wooden cylinders for zincographic and calico machine printing
together in one or more colours upon paper or textile fabrics in single
sheets, pieces, or continuous lengths.
Fourth. The application of the herein-before mentioned printing
cylinders and their respective inking and damping rollers, in combination
with the pressure cylinders and action of a double cylinder printing

page_text: machine, for the purpose of printing the fabric on both sides at one
operation in single sheets, pieces, or continuous lengths.
2
In witness whereof, I, the said Walter MacLean, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this First day of July One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-nine.
WALTER MACLEAN. (L.B.)