IMPROVEMENTS IN THE APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD OF APPLYING SEVERAL COLORS TO ANY SURFACE AT THE SAME TIME
Year: 1880

page_text: "
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Daniel Thomas Powell at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th February 1880.
DANIEL THOMAS POWELL, of 11 & 13, St. Bride St., in the City of London.
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD OF APPLYING SEVERAL
COLORS TO ANY SURFACE AT THE SAME TIME."
"
This Invention consists of improvements in the apparatus for and method of
applying two, three, or more colors to any surface, and is particularly applicable to
letterpress printing. The apparatus consists of an ink table divided into two, three,
or more channels, and is attached to the bed of the printing machine in like manner
as an ordinary inktable. Moveable strips of wood, iron, stone, or any other suitable
material are so arranged in the channels that they correspond with the lines of
type or surface to be inked or colored. At the end of the machine where the ink
duct is generally placed I affix two, three, or more ink ducts at distances from each
other equal with the widths of the channels in the ink table, and below each of
these ink ducts, having its axis in the side frames, is a distributing cylinder or
'mouse," to which is imparted, in addition to a continuous revolutionary motion,
a lateral or oscillating motion for the more even distribution of the color or ink.
Between each ink duct and each mouse is a composition roller called a vibrator,
which takes a supply of color from the ink duct and imparts the same to the
mouse, at the same time assisting in the even distribution of the color. There are also
other rollers beneath cach mouse whose duty it is to distribute the ink well around
the mouse, and then impart the ink to the strips in their own particular division
or channel of the ink table. In order to effect this it is necessary that these rollers
shall rise & fall exactly when the inktable shall have reached the centre of the
said "mice," and which I arrange for by cambs and levers connected with the
main driving shaft.
It is also necessary that the forme rollers or inking rollers should travel
backwards and forwards in order that they may pass thoroughly over both
the type and the ink table, that they may receive the ink or color which has
been deposited on the strips in the channels, and transfer the same to the types
or surface to be colored; and this is arranged for by the roller forks, which instead
of being stationary, as in ordinary machines, are connected by means of levers
and rods to discs at either end of the driving shaft.
I claim as my Invention, the arrangements of the ink ducts, distributing cylinders,
and vibrating rollers, as above described, together with the ink table divided into

page_text: channels, and the strips as applied to cylinder printing machines; and I further
claim, the travelling motion of the inking rollers over the forme and the ink table.
This Invention is applicable to other purposes than letterpress printing, though
in this Specification I have described it for that purpose, and I claim it as an
Invention for all purposes of applying various colors to any surface.