IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS TO BE USED IN PRINTING UPON UNEVEN, WAVY, AND OTHER SURFACES NOT IN TRUE PLANES
Year: 1884

page_text: I, FRANK BAKER, of 82, Vyse Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
die sinker and letter cutter, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for,
IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS TO BE USED IN PRINTING UPON UNEVEN,
WAVY, AND OTHER SURFACES NOT IN TRUE PLANES, to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to facilitate printing designs, wording etc: upon
uneven, curved, slanting, recessed, raised, and irregular surfaces, generally.
Large surfaces of sheet metal, earthenware ete: cannot readily be made perfectly
flat throughout. Attempts have been made to print upon such surfaces by means
of indiarubber and gelatine printing surfaces upon a rigid plate of metal forming
their base or backing, but it has been found extremely difficult, if not impossible,
to effect an even pressure over the entire surface to be printed, and thus the design
or wording etc: has not come out with a uniform appearance over the entire surfac
upon which it is printed.
Now, according to this invention, an even pressure is put over the entire printing
surface, whether the same is a large flat (approximately) surface or an intentionally
irregular, curved, slanting, recessed, enibossed, or other uneven surface of any
material or article, by means of a cushion of water or other liquid, or of gas or air
under pressure, the bearing face of such cushion being formed of sheet indiarubber
or other suitable flexible material strengthened, if desired, by means of wire cloth
or similar material to prevent undue stretching or bagging. The printing surface
of indiarubber gelatine or other suitable flexible material is placed under or upon
the flexible surface of the cushion, according to whether the cushion is above or
below the printing surface, and thus the fluid pressure within the cushion is exerted
evenly upon the printing surface, causing it to bear equally upon the surface to be
printed when brought in contact with it under proper pressure. If wire cloth or
similar material is required for the purpose, aforesaid, it may, if desired, be applied
to the material of the printing surface instead of to the flexible material of the
cushion.
The necessary pressure may be put upon the printing surface after the same,
with the cushion therefor, has been brought down upon or up against the surface
to be rinted, by simply depressing the cushion, or (if the cushion is upon the
underside of the surface to be printed) depressing such surface; or the pressure

page_text: within the cushion may be increased or decreased (thus increasing or decreasing the
pressure upon the printing surface) by means of a suitable pump connected with
the interior of the cushion; or the back of the cushion itself may be formed of
flexible material capable of being pressed upon to increase the pressure and of
being drawn back to reduce it. In the case of employing either the pump or the
flexible back it will be seen that the flexible part of the cushion for producing the
direct pressure upon the printing surface may be raised up to prevent bagging
until the cushion has been lowered down upon the printing surface, and that such
surface may be raised again after the printing has been accomplished, previously to
raising the entire cushion, as the drawing up of the pump or of the outer flexible
surface will of course draw inwards or upwards the lower or inner flexible surface.
A convenient form of cushion to be employed for the purpose of this invention
consists of a metal or other rigid frame with the indiarubber or flexible material
(for bearing upon the printing surface) forming the face side thereof and having,
consequently, its inner surface exposed to, the direct pressure of the fluid within
the cushion. This flexible face-side may be fixed around the edge of the frame or
may be part of a flexible bag contained within the frame.
The printing surface itself may be attached to the flexible face of the cushion,
or to a steel plate or other metal frame having an opening therethrough to admit
of the protrusion of the printing surface, the steel plate acting to prevent the
flexible face of the cushion from pressing down upon the surface to be printed
otherwise than through the medium of the printing surface.
Surfaces may of course be printed on both sides at once by means of two
cushions one above and one below.
In printing on one side only of a yielding surface, such as a thin sheet of metal,
a water cushion may be employed on the opposite side to that which is being
printed upon so as to back up equally such surface against the pressure of the
printing cushion.
Dated this twenty first day of May 1884.

page_text: I, FRANK BAKER, of 82 Vyse Street, Birmingham in the County of Warwick,
die-sinker and letter cutter do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS TO BE USED IN PRINTING UPON UNEVEN,
WAVY, AND OTHER SURFACES NOT IN TRUE PLANES 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 accompanying drawings and the
letters of reference marked thereon -
The object of this invention is to facilitate printing designs wording etc. upon
uneven, curved, slanting, recessed, raised, and irregular surfaces, generally.
Large surfaces of sheet metal, earthenware etc. cannot readily be made perfectly
flat throughout. Attempts have been made to print upon such surfaces by means
of indiarubber and gelatine printing surfaces carried by rigid plates of metal
forming their bases or backings, but it has been found extremely difficult, if not
impossible, to effect an even pressure over the entire surface to be printed, and
thus the design or wording etc. has not come out with a uniform appearance over
the entire surface upon which it is printed.
Now, according to this invention, an even pressure is put over the entire printing
surface, whether the same is a large flat (approximately) surface, or an intentionally
irregular, curved, slanting, recessed, embossed, or other uneven surface of any
material, by means of a cushion of water or other liquid, or of gas or air under
pressure, the bearing face of such cushion being formed of sheet indiarubber,
waterproof leather, or other suitable flexible material having a sufficiently soft and
yielding surface of an analogous nature impervious to the fluid within the cushion,
strengthened, if desired, by means of wire-cloth or similar material to prevent
undue stretching or bagging. A printing surface of indiarubber gelatine or other
suitable flexible material is placed under or upon the flexible surface of the cushion,
according to whether the cushion is employed to print downwards or upwards, and
thus the fluid pressure within the cushion is exerted evenly upon the printing
surface, causing it to bear equally upon the surface to be printed when brought in
contact with it under proper pressure,
The necessary pressure may be put upon the printing surface after the same,
with the cushion therefor, has been brought down upon or up against the surface to
be printed, by simply depressing the cushion, or (if the cushion is upon the under-
side of the surface to be printed) depressing such surface; or the pressure within
the cushion may be increased or decreased (thus increasing or decreasing the
pressure upon the printing surface) by means of a suitable pump connected with
the interior of the cushion.
A convenient form of cushion to be employed for the purpose of this invention
consists of a metal or other rigid frame with the indiarubber or flexible material
(for bearing upon the printing surface) forming the face side thereof and having,
consequently, its inner surface exposed to the direct pressure of the fluid within
'the cushion. This flexible face-side may be fixed around the edge of the frame, or
may be part of a flexible bag contained within the frame.

page_text: The printing surface itself may be composed of any suitable material, but I find
that a composition consisting of about three parts of glue to one part of glycerine
answers the purpose very conveniently, and I would remark that good qualities of
materials should be used for the purpose. This composition is first poured into
a mould so as to form the desired device, wording etc. upon its lower surface, and
rubber cloth or other flexible material, forming the bearing surface of the cushion,
may be laid upon the composition while still liquid causing it to adhere thereto as
it sets; or the moulded printing surface may be fixed to the surface of the cushion
by means of a hot iron. Or the printing surface itself instead of being fixed to
the face of the cushion may be attached to a steel plate or other metal frame
having an opening therethrough to admit of the protrusion of the printing surface,
the plate acting to prevent the flexible face of the cushion from pressing down
upon the surface to be printed otherwise than through the medium of the printing
surface.
Surfaces may of course be printed on both sides at once by means of two
cushions, one above and one below.
In printing on one side only of a yielding surface, such as a sheet of metal,
a cushion may be employed on the opposite side to that which is being printed
upon so as to back up equally such surface against the pressure of the printing
cushion.
I will now proceed to describe my invention as applied to printing upon surfaces
of sheet metal and (approximately) flat surfaces generally, and in doing so will
refer to the accompanying drawings, of which figure 1 is a longitudinal section
through apparatus constructed and arranged for this purpose, and figure 2 a plan
thereof. In both these views only sufficient of the apparatus is shewn to make the
invention clear, and in figure 2 the upper cushion and inking-plate are supposed to
be removed so as to clearly shew the parts below. A is a printing-machine frame,
and BB V-slides therealong. C is the head or plattin of the machine.
D is a
water-cushion fixed to the head C, and E a water-cushion fixed upon the bed A.
a a etc. are a set of inking and distributing rollers for inking the under surface of
the inking-plate F. F is the inking-plate shewn in position between the
cushions D and E. G is a light frame supported on springs bb around studs fixed
to a carriage H running in the V-slides B B. The inking-plate F is also supported
in a corresponding manner upon a carriage J (not shewn in plan) running in the
V-slides B B. The sheet or article to be printed is laid upon strips cc etc. carried
by the frame G. d is a printing surface upon the face of the cushion E.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-The inking-plate F passes into
the position shewn by F, between the cushions D and E, and is then drawn down
by suitable clutch or other mechanism so as to ink the printing surface d, or it may
be pressed down upon such surface by the head C and cushion D descending upon
it. The inking-plate is then raised, by means of the springs upon which it rests,
and moves back with the carriage J into the position shewn at F figure 1, during
which operation the carriage H with the frame G, and consequently with the sheet
or other article to be printed upon, is drawn forwards into position so as to bring
the sheet or article to be printed upon between the cushion D and E. The head Č
descending causes the lower surface of the cushion D to press upon the sheet or
article, as aforesaid, and to force it and the frame G downwards against the upward
pressure of the springs bb etc. and thus the underside of such sheet or article is
brought down upon the printing surface d, and the design or wording is printed.
The head C then rises and allows the sheet or article, with the frame upon which it
is carried, to rise clear of the surface d, when the carriage H moves back again
into the position shewn upon the drawing. The studs b b and corresponding studs
of the carriage J act in guiding the frame G and inking-plate F, respectively,
during their changes of level.
I will describe the construction of the cushions with reference to the cushion D.
e is a metal plate, and ff a projection or flange therearound constructed so as to
form a rebate at its outer edge so as to receive a rectangular frame gg (see also

page_text: plan of corresponding frame for cushion E, figure 2, lettered g¹g¹). h is a sheet of
indiarubber cloth or other suitable flexible material, and is fixed, so as to form the
lower face of the cushion, by being passed into the rebate so as to be securely held
by the frame gg which is screwed to the flange ff as shewn. The cushion is filled
with water or other fluid through the opening k into which a screw is inserted
when the cushion is filled. This opening k is preferably formed through one corner
of the cushion, and forms the highest point of the interior when liquid is being
supplied to the cushion, so that all the air may be driven out.
If it is desired to print on both sides of a sheet or other article at one operation,
a printing surface, corresponding to that shewn at d, is fixed to or worked in
connection with the cushion D, in addition to the surface d upon the cushion E;
and of course, if desired, the sheet or article may be printed upon the top side only,
by means of the cushion D, in which case of course no printing surface is required
on the face of the cushion E.
In the case of printing upon strong sheet metal, one of the cushions may be
dispensed with, if desired, and a surface of gelatine or other analogous material
suitably backed with metal be employed in lieu thereof, and this may form the
printing surface, if desired, for the side of the sheet on which it is used.
If both cushions are employed to print at one operation the inking-plate must
be charged on both sides, and the printing surface of the upper cushion will descend
upon such plate and receive its coating of ink.
Instead of inking the printing surface or surfaces by means of an inking-plate,
a set of rollers may be run across each printing surface in the usual manner, and
in such case a perforated plate j is carried in each cushion, against which the
flexible surface is drawn by means of a pump or other exhauster connected with
a pipe (see K figure 1) so as to give a firm flat surface against the pressure of the
inking rollers, during the operation of inking, after which the fluid drawn out by
the pump is returned thereby so as to fill out the cushion for printing.
When it is desired to print upon a surface which is otherwise than approximately
flat, the flexible surface of the printing cushion may be formed and set, by vulcan-
izing or in any convenient manner, to approximately the formation of the surface
which is to be printed upon; but a moderate departure of the surface to be printed
upon from that of a true plane may be followed by means of a cushion constructed
as illustrated, as the surface may be caused to bulge somewhat by increasing the
fluid pressure within the cushion.
I should state that though gas and air have been referred to as applicable for the
cushion, I prefer to use water or other liquid for this purpose.
I am
aware that it has been proposed to construct cushions having elastic
metallic faces, backed up with flexible diaphragms of waterproof cloth or leather
pressed against the inside of such metallic faces by means of water or other
liquid or gas or air, for the purpose of pressing articles against a printing surface;
but I do not consider a metallic face suitable for such a purpose, and I make no
claim for the construction or employment of elastic metallic faces as the bearing
faces of the cushions.
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
1. For the purpose of facilitating printing designs, wording etc. upon uneven,
curved, slanting, recessed, raised and other irregular surfaces, a cushion or cushions
having the bearing face or faces formed of sheet india-rubber, waterproof leather,
or other flexible material having a sufficiently soft or yielding surface of an
analogous nature impervious to fluids, such cushion or cushions being filled with
water or other liquid, or gas or air under pressure, substantially as and for the
purpose herein described and shewn by the drawings.
2. Forming a printing surface upon the bearing face of a cushion of the descrip-
tion referred to in the foregoing claim, substantially as and for the purpose herein
described, and shewn by the drawings.

page_text: 3. For the purpose of printing designs, wording etc. upon two opposite surfaces
at one operation, two cushions of the description referred to in claim 1, operating
substantially as herein described.
4. Carrying the printing surface herein-before described by means of a metal
frame, having an opening therethrough, in combination with a cushion of the
description referred to in claim 1, substantially as and for the purpose herein
described.
5. Constructing a cushion of the description and for the purpose referred to in
claim 1, by fixing the flexible material thereof to a rabbeted frame, substantially
as herein described and shewn by the drawings.
6. The perforated plate j, substantially as and for the purpose herein described
and shewn by the drawings.