Improvements in Engraving Machines.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Oct., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 3rd July, 1891-Accepted, 8th Aug., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Engraving Machines.
1 AUGUSTIN SARTIRANA, of 3 Rue Visconti, Paris, France, Mechanical
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to the mechanical production, by means of a graver, of relief
and line engraving on metal or wood. The operation is performed with the aid of
a gelatine pattern in relief placed together with the plate to be engraved in the
machine which is provided with a sliding carriage capable of receiving in one
direction a regulated progressive movement and along a slide upon which two coupled
pieces are moved. Upon the face of one of these two coupled pieces movable in a
plane perpendicular to the table and parallel to the slide of the carriage, are fixed
a feeler or finger which follows the contour of the photographic gelatine relief
print, and a graver which incises a plate of metal or wood to an extent proportional
to the prominence of the reliefs of the pattern and engraves according to the position
given to it an exact reproduction of the original.
The machine for the mechanical production of relief and line engraving is con-
structed with great precision and may be operated by power or by hand by a handle
fixed to the slide, or by a winch handle.
In the drawings annexed,
Figure 1 is a plan, and Figure 2 a longitudinal elevation partly in section of the
inachine,
Figures 3 and 4 show perspective and side views of the graver.
A is the bed of the machine having at its ends transverse guides B B', their upper
Between the guides B B
edges being perfectly plane and parallel to the table.
and the outer ends D D¹ are mounted leading screws E E' parallel to the guides B B'.
Upon the squared ends U U¹ of screws E E¹ are fixed sprocket wheels S S¹
carrying an endless chain T by which the screws are geared together. N N¹ are
two shafts parallel to the screws E E. These shafts which would generally receive
constant rotary motion from a motor, are geared together by a belt running on
pulleys OO situated at one end of each shaft. Two other pulleys P P are
mounted loose on the hubs of clutches Q Q¹ which are connected to the shafts by a
groove and feather so as to turn therewith whilst they are free to be carried along
the whole length of the shafts by the sliding carriage. These pulleys are held by
springs R R in engagement with the clutches Q Q from which one or other may
be disconnected at a given moment by the bevelled end of the sliding rod M being
forced into the joint between the pulley and clutch.
Upon the guides B B' rests the slides Z Z connected by a cross bar K of the
sliding carriage, and to which are fixed cheek pieces G G H H¹ between which are
mounted the cam wheels F F which engage by their threaded part with the threads
of the screws E E' for the purpose of imparting the sliding motion to the carriage.
Upon a guide L formed on the front of the cross bar K the slide block a is mounted
and upon which it may be slowly moved to and fro from one side to the other by
the pulleys P P through the medium of straps r. Between vertical guides b
work two bars c d jointed together at e and supported horizontally or nearly so at a
short distance above the table A by the points g and f, and i disposed in trans-
versely aligned pairs. Upon the cross bar K of the carriage is mounted a longi-
tudinal sliding rod I having tappets xx¹ adapted to be struck by an arm carried by
the carriage slide block a, the slide rod I terminating in pawls J J' adapted to
engage with the cams for the purpose of imparting thereto the requisite rotary
motion. The slide rod M is similarly moved to and fro by the army striking its

page_text: .
tappet whereby to throw the clutches QQ₁ and pulleys P P alternately in
and out of gear, in order to alternately reverse the traversing motion of the slide
block a.
X is the photographic gelatine relief to be reproduced and Y is the plate
to be engraved, both supported upon table A. Upon the cross-bár z are fixed
abutments un corresponding to the width of the pattern X against which strikes
a tappet on the cam whereby to raise or lower the bar c at the proper moment.
A bridge piece having its upper surface parallel to the support of the gelatine
original and resting upon the margin left for this purpose participates in the move-
ment of the carriage and serves as a sliding support for the bar d which rests upon
it by the point g. Collars k k¹ fixed on the shaft N N', at distances corresponding
to the limits of the plate to be engraved, effect the stoppage of the mechanism by
forming stops for the hubs of the clutches Q Q to abut against.
The plate Y, of metal wood or other material, to be engraved is bedded upon
table A by means of wax or otherwise beneath the graver i which is similar to that
employed by wood engravers and is temporarily held slightly raised by means of
the cam v; and under the feeler ; is similarly bedded the gelatine relief X printed
from a photographic negative of the subject to be engraved. The plate and the
gelatine print are arranged side by side, as shewn in Figure 1, so that whilst the
feeler passes over the whole surface of the gelatine the graver i will be constantly
situated above the plate to be engraved. The sliding carriage is then brought into
operative position by turning one of the screws E E by means of a winch handle
applied to its squared end until the feeler, which in the operation of engraving
supports the bar c, rests exactly at the angle a of the gelatine print. The graver
is then adjusted in the position it should occupy in order to produce the desired
effect. During these preliminary operations the shafts N N' and clutches QQ¹ may
be receiving rotary motion in opposite directions as required in the working of the
machine the other parts being inoperative.
In order to commence the engraving operation it is only necessary to act on the
rod M by hand at the point whereby it is slightly shortened so that one of its ends
is withdrawn from between the pulley and its clutch (P Q for example) which
being thrown into gear will pull the slide block a along its guides L by the strap r.
When the slide a has been thus moved a distance equal to the width of the gelatine
print, the lever c carrying the feeler is raised by the cam striking the abutment u
and remains raised until by the opposite motion of the slide a the cam strikes
against the other abutment u¹. In this first movement of the sliding block a the
arm q also strikes first the tappet and then the tappet y of the rods I and M, in
order to cause the former to act on the cams which produce the advancing move-
ment of the carriage and the latter to throw the pulley and clutch P Q out of gear.
The distance between the bevelled ends of the rod M is so adjusted that as soon
as the one clutch is thrown out of gear the other one Q' comes into gear and the
slide block a is drawn across in the opposite direction by the pulley P¹. During this
return movement, which takes place without loss of time, the arm q strikes the
tappets ay but in the inverse order, in order to re-engage the pawls in the cams
and disengage the pulley P¹ from the clutch Q' at the same time that the feeler
rests upon the gelatine in order to cause the traversing motion of the slide block a to be
repeated. During this movement the lever crises and falls by the action of the lever d
resting by its rollers on the plate to be engraved and by the feeler sliding over the
sinuosities of the gelatine. The graver fixed to lever c partakes in these motions
but in a reduced proportion, by reason of its proximity to the pivot e, and it incises
the metal by transforming the different heights of the reliefs on which it slides into
cuts of widths corresponding to the different heights of these reliefs. On the
completion of each course the carriage, and the engraving mechanism carried
thereby, is advanced the distance necessary to make a fresh cut and so on until, the
whole surface having been passed over, the action is stopped by the clutches being
thrown out of gear by striking the stops k kl.
The machine may be operated by hand by a winch handle applied to one of the
squared ends of the shafts N N' in which case the belts on the shafts driven by the

page_text: motor should be dispensed with and the pulleys OO connected by a belt. Or
the slide block a may at certain times be moved to and fro by the handle P.
C
It will be seen that if the angle of the graver has been properly determined and
suitably arranged on the lever and at the proper height which is easily ascertained
the interval between the cuts being known as well as the maximum height of the
reliefs of the gelatine, an exact reproduction of a photo-lithographic print will be
engraved in relief fit to be at once used in the printing press.
In order to produce line engraving the only difference necessary is that the
gelatine should be printed from a positive intead of a negative; or that the graver
should be shifted to the other side of the centre of suspension of its lever.
Milling rollers of special forms may be substituted for the graver for producing
aqua tint and other effects.
Dated this 20th day of atoho 1800
A. SARTIRANA.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Engraving Machines.
I, AUGUSTIN SARTIRANA of 3, Rue Visconti, Paris, France, Mechanical
Engineer, 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 :-
My invention relates to the mechanical production, by means of a graver, of
relief and line engraving on metal or wood. The operation is performed with the
aid of a gelatine pattern in relief placed, together with the plate to be engraved,
in the machine which is provided with a sliding carriage capable of receiving in one
direction a regulated progressive movement and along a slide upon which two
coupled pieces are moved. Upon the face of one of these two coupled pieces
movable in a plane perpendicular to the table and parallel to the slide of the
carriage, are fixed a feeler or finger which follows the contour of the photographic
gelatine relief print, and a graver which incises a plate of metal or wood to an
extent proportional to the prominence of the reliefs of the pattern and engraves
according to the position given to it an exact reproduction of the original.
The machine for the mechanical production of relief and line engraving is con-
structed with great precision and may be operated by power or by hand by a handle
fixed to the slide, or by a winch handle.
In the drawings annexed to my Provisional Specification Figure 1 is a plan, and
Figure 2 a longitudinal elevation partly in section of the machine. Figures 3 and 4
show perspective and side views of the graver.
A is the bed of the machine having at its ends transverse guides B B', their
upper edges being perfectly plane and parallel to the table. Between the
guides B B₁ and the outer ends D 'D' are mounted in lateral exten-
sions C, C¹ of the table leading screws E E¹ parallel to the guides B B'.
Upon the squared ends U U' of screws E E' are fixed sprocket wheels S S¹ carry-
ing an endless chain T by which the screws are geared together. N N are two
shafts parallel to the screws E E. These shafts which would generally receive
constant rotary motion from a motor, are geared together by a belt running on
pulleys O O situated at one end of each shaft. Two other pulleys P P are
mounted loose on the hubs of clutches Q Q' which are connected to the shafts by
a groove and feather so as to turn therewith whilst they are free to be carried along
the whole length of the shafts by the sliding carriage. These pulleys are held by
springs R R in engagement with the clutches QQ from which one or other may

page_text: be disconnected at a given moment by the bevelled end of the sliding rod M being
forced into the joint between the pulley and clutch.
Upon the guides B B₁ rest the slides Z Z¹ connected by a cross bar K of the
sliding carriage, and to which are fixed cheek pieces G G H H¹ between
which are mounted the cam wheels F F which engage by their threaded
part with the threads of the screws E E¹ for the purpose of imparting the
sliding motion to the carriage. Upon a guide L formed on the front of the cross
bar K the slide block a is mounted and upon which it may be slowly moved to
and fro from one side to the other by the pulleys P P through the medium of
straps Between vertical guides work two bars ed jointed together at e and
supported horizontally or nearly so at a short distance above the table A by the
points and f, and i disposed in transversely aligned pairs. s is a stud on the
slide block a which is received in a slot in bar d for traversing the latter with it.
Upon the cross bar K of the carriage is mounted a longitudinal sliding rod I having
tappets a adapted to be struck by an arm carried by the carriage slide lock a,
the slide rod I terminating in pawls J J adapted to engage with the cams for the
purpose of imparting thereto the requisite rotary motion. The slide rod M is
similarly moved to and fro by the army striking its tappets y, y whereby to throw
the clutches QQ and pulleys P P alternately in and out of gear, in order to
alternately reverse the traversing motion of the slide block a. X is the photo-
graphic gelatine relief to be reproduced and Y is the plate to be engraved, both
supported upon table A. Upon the cross-bar z are fixed abutments u u¹ correspond-
ing to the width of the pattern X against which strikes a tappet on the cam v
whereby to raise or lower the bar e at the proper moment. A bridge piece
carried by lugs m, m' having its upper surface parallel to the support of the
gelatine original and resting upon the margin left for this purpose participates in
the movement of the carriage and serves as a sliding support for the bar d which
rests upon it by the point the pressure of which upon the bridge piece his
regulated by a spring o provided with an adjusting screw t. Collars k k¹ fixed on
the shaft N N', at distances corresponding to the limits of the plate to be engraved,
effect the stoppage of the mechanism by forming stops for the hubs of the
clutches QQ to abut against.
The plate Y, of metal wood or other material, to be engraved is bedded
upon table A by means of wax or otherwise beneath the graver i which is similar
to that employed by wood engravers and is temporarily held slightly raised by
means of the cam v; and under the feeler j is similarly bedded the gelatine
relief X printed from a photographic negative of the subject to be engraved.
The plate and the gelatine print are arranged side by side, as shewn in Figure 1,
so that whilst the feeler passes over the whole surface of the gelatine the graver i
will be constantly situated above the plate to be engraved. The sliding carriage
is then brought into operative position by turning one of the screws E E' by
means of a winch handle applied to its squared end until the feeler j, which in the
operation of engraving supports the bar c, rests exactly at the angle a of the
gelatine print. The graver is then adjusted in the position it should occupy in
order to produce the desired effect. During these preliminary operations the
shafts N N and clutches QQ' may be receiving rotary motion in opposite
directions as required in the working of the machine the other parts being
inoperative.
In order to commence the engraving operation it is only necessary to act on the
rod M by hand at the point whereby it is slightly shortened so that one of its ends
is withdrawn from between the pulley and its clutch (PQ for example) which being
thrown into gear will pull the slide block a along its guides L by the strap r.
When the slide a has been thus moved a distance equal to the width of the gelatine
print, the lever c carrying the feeler is raised by the cam striking the abutment u
and remains raised until by the opposite motion of the slide a the cam strikes against
the other abutment . In this first movement of the sliding block a the arm also
q

page_text: strikes first the tappet x and then the tappet y of the rods I and M, in order to
cause the former to act on the cams which produce the advancing movement of the
carriage and the latter to throw the pulley and clutch PQ out of gear.
The distance between the bevelled ends of the rod M is so adjusted that as soon
as the one clutch is thrown out of gear the other one Q' comes into gear and the
slide block a is drawn across in the opposite direction by the pulley P. During
this return movement, which takes place without loss of time, the arm g
strikes the tappets
y but in the inverse order, in order to re-engage the pawls in
the cams and disengage the pulley P¹ from the clutch Qat the same time that
the feeler rests upon the gelatine in order to cause the traversing motion of the
slide block a to be repeated. During this movement the lever crises and falls by
the action of the lever d resting by its rollers f on the plate to be engraved and by
the feeler sliding over the sinuosities of the gelatine. The graver fixed to lever c
partakes in these motions but in a reduced proportion, by reason of its proximity to
the pivot e, and it incises the metal by transforming the different heights of the
reliefs on which it slides into cuts of widths corresponding to the different heights
of these reliefs. On the completion of each course the carriage, and the engraving
mechanism carried thereby, is advanced the distance necessary to make a fresh cut
and so on until, the whole surface having been passed over, the action is stopped by
the clutches being thrown out of gear by striking the stops k k¹.
The machine may be operated by hand by a winch handle applied to one of the
squared ends of the shafts N N¹ in which case the belts on the shafts driven by the
motor should be dispensed with and the pulleys 0 0¹ connected by a belt. Or the
slide block a may at certain times be moved to and fro by the handle p.
It will be seen that if the angle of the graver has been properly determined and
suitably arranged on the lever c and at the proper height which is easily ascertained
the interval between the cats being known as well as the maximum height of the
reliefs of the gelatine, an exact reproduction of a photo-lithographic print will be
engraved in relief fit to be at once used in the printing press.
In order to produce line engraving the only difference necessary is that the
gelatine should be printed from a positive instead of a negative; or that the
graver should be shifted to the other side of the centre of suspension of
its lever.
Milling rollers of special forms may be substituted for the graver, for producing
aqua tint and other effects.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is-
The herein described machine for the production of relief and line engraving
with the aid of a pattern in relief and characterized more particularly by the
levers cd the former carrying the graver and feeler, the whole combined and
arranged to operate in the manner specified and as illustrated in the drawings.
Dated this 3rd day of July 1891,
ADMIDT A
Dated this 3rd day of July 1891.
A. SARTIRANA.
ANTA
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.