Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Oct., 1887
Complete Left, 1st Feb., 1888
Complete Accepted, 2nd Mar., 1888
I THOMAS HENRY REES of Royville Balham Park Road Balham in the county of
Surrey Merchant do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
The object of my invention is to provide a simple and very efficient means for and
method of decorating or printing on tin plates and other sheets which shall have many
excellences over the usual methods especially in the results obtained and the speed
with which the operation is effected.
To carry out this object I take a piece of millboard cardboard or other similar
material or it may be a metal or wooden plate of the desired size and shape and when
made of a material that requires treatment to render it waterproof I rub the same
over with hydrocarbon oil preferably holding in solution paraffine wax or other similar
substance and on this board or plate I secure a piece of varnished cloth leather cloth
vellum parchment skin or other material having an impervious surface which covers
the board or plate either wholly or in part the surface of which material is then made
perfectly smooth and level and is treated with hydrocarbon oil in such wise that a
thin film of the same covers the entire surface of this material the surplus if any being
removed. The required design or pattern or lettering is formed and made in the
usual manner upon stone or a metal plate or a wood block or other ordinary material
and is inked over as is customary and the prepared surface of the board or plate is
pressed thereon in the usual manner taking off the impression. This treated surface
of the board or plate is then similarly pressed on the surface of the tin plate or other
sheet to be decorated and the design or pattern or lettering is properly imprinted
thereon being taken off the surface of the board or plate which is then lightly rubbed
over with fresh hydrocarbon oil and is ready to take another impression from the stone
or other printing block and transfer it in a similar manner to another tin plate or
other sheet.
To save time and labour in thus decorating or printing on the tin plates or other
sheets I preferably form the aforesaid prepared surface on both sides of the board or
plate and when one of these surfaces has been pressed as aforesaid on the stone or

page_text: other printing block the board or plate is reversed in position and the other surface is
presented to the stone or block and the tin plate or other sheet is placed on the treated
surface thereof and on pressure being applied the tin plate or other sheet is properly
decorated or printed as aforesaid while the other surface receives the impression from
the stone or other block. The tin plate or other sheet is then removed the exposed
surface of the board or plate is treated as aforesaid with hydrocarbon oil and the
board or plate is again reversed in position and the aforesaid procedure is repeated.
In the same manner two or more colors can be worked into the same design care
being taken that the several parts are always placed in the same positions relatively to
each other by using any of the usual registering appliances.
This invention can also obviously be used with the ordinary lithographic machines
with cylinders in the same manner.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Decorating or Printing on Tin Plates and other
Sheets.
I THOMAS HENRY REES of Royville Balham Park Road Balham in the County
of Surrey Merchant 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:—
The object of my invention is to provide a simple and very efficient means for
and method of decorating or printing on tin plates and other sheets which shall
have many excellences over the usual methods especially in the results obtained
and in the speed and economy of material and labour with which the operation is
effected.
In the ordinary methods of decorating or printing on tin plates and other sheets
as at present usually employed the following evils are generally experienced. In
the direct system the two hard surfaces of the plate or sheet and the stone or other
printing block are brought into direct contact whereby one or both of these surfaces
is or are very quickly injured and therefore although this is the speediest method
the expense caused by this injury is so great that the most common method is
the transfer system. In this transfer system on the other hand the impression is often-
times spoilt by the necessary subsequent operation of removing the paper or other
transferring material which also is wasted after being once used and fresh paper or
material has to be prepared for each impression whereby also increased expense is
incurred and when this system is employed the plate or sheet has to be coated with a
film of transfer varnish by which the lustre of the plate or sheet and of the impression
thereon is diminished. By this my invention these and other evils are obviated and
removed and the operation is or may be effected as quickly as by the direct system
without injury to the surfaces of the plate or sheet and the stone or block while the
increased labour and expense of the transfer system are saved the results are
improved and there is no danger that the impression will afterwards be spoilt in
manner as aforesaid.
To carry out this object and to perform my invention I take a piece of inillboard
cardboard or other similar material preferably an hard rolled and glazed millboard or
it may be a metal or wooden plate of the required size and shape for the tin plate or
other sheet that is to be decorated and when made of a material such as millboard
that requires treatment to render it waterproof as is desired I rub the same over
with hydrocarbon oil wbich if desired may hold in solution paraffin wax or other
similar substance and on this board or plate I secure a piece of varnished cloth or
canvas or vellum or parchment or skin or other material having an impervious
surface preferably leather cloth or oil baize which covers the board or plate either
wholly or in part in accordance with the size of the design or pattern or lettering to
be printed and the surface of this material is then in any convenient manner made

page_text: perfectly smooth and level and is treated with hydrocarbon oil or turpentine or a
mixture of the same in such wise that a thin film thereof covers the entire surface of
this material or so much of the same as will receive the design or pattern or lettering
the surplus oil or turpentine or mixture if any being removed.
The required design or pattern or lettering is created in the usual manner upon a
stone or a metal plate or a wood block or other ordinary material and is inked over as
is customary and the aforesaid prepared surface of the board or plate is pressed
thereon in any usual manner taking off the impression. This so treated surface of
the board or plate is then similarly pressed on the surface of the tin plate or other
sheet that is to be decorated and the design or pattern or lettering is properly imprinted
thereon being taken off the prepared surface of the board or plate which is then lightly
rubbed over with fresh hydrocarbon oil or turpentine or a mixture of the same to
ensure that the aforesaid film is duly in position and is ready to take another impression
from the stone or other printing block which if required has again been inked and to
transfer this impression in the same manner to the same or to another tin plate or
other sheet.
To save time and labour and expense in thus decorating or printing on the tin plates
and other sheets I preferably form the prepared surface as hereinbefore described on
both sides of the board or plate and when one of these surfaces has been pressed as
aforesaid on the stone or other printing block the board or plate is reversed in position
thereon and the stone or other printing block having if required been again inked the
other prepared surface of the board or plate is presented thereto and the tinplate or
other sheet is placed on the treated surface of the board or plate and on pressure
being applied in any usual manner the tin plate or other sheet is properly decorated
or printed on as hereinbefore described while at the same time the other prepared
surface of the board or plate receives the impression from the stone or other printing
block. The tin plate or other sheet is then removed this so exposed prepared surface
of the board or plate is treated as hereinbefore described with fresh hydrocarbon oil
or turpentine or a mixture of the same and the board or plate is again reversed in
position on the stone or other printing block and the aforesaid procedure is repeated
and so on.
In the same manner two or more colors can be worked into the same design or
pattern or lettering in and by the usual course of procedure care of course being
taken that the several parts are always placed in the same positions in respect of each
other by using any of the ordinary registering appliances.
It is obvious that this my invention can be used and performed as hereinbefore
described in any of the usual machines such for example as the ordinary hand working
lithographic press or the ordinary lithographic machine with cylinders or rollers or
otherwise.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
The means for and method of decorating or printing on tin plates and other sheets
substantially as hereinbefore set forth.