Improvements in Printing simultaneously in several Colours.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Printing simultaneously in several Colours.
I, PETER JOEL LIVSEY, of 24 and 25, Queens Chambers, 5, Market Street, in the
City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Patent Agent and Consulting
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention, which has been com-
municated to me from abroad by Edouard Ernest Lesigne, of 201, Boulevard Voltaire,
Paris, France, to be as follows:-
The invention communicated to me is for a method or system of printing on any
suitable material, a great number of different colours or tints as may be desired,
which are impressed upon the material which is to receive them, by one and the
same impression in the case of a flat printing press by a single impression, and in
the case of a rotary printing machine by a single cylindrical printing cylinder and
this by one impression only, whatever the number or variety of the colours or tints
required, without interfering with the working speed of the printing machine, the
speed of a flat machine remaining normal and the diameter of the rotary printing
cylinder not being increased.
This is effected by primary and intermediate rollers which are combined to print
and impart the colours received by them to one central final printing cylinder or
receiver of the same diameter in the case of a flat machine, but which rollers may be
of multiple diameter in the case of rotary printing machines.
The intermediate rollers or cylinders are each in contact with one or more colour
imparting rollers, each of which rollers transmits to the receiving rollers at the
required place or position one single tint or color according to the design which it
receives.
The supply of the colours to be transmitted to the rollers is made certain by
employing relief or embossed surfaces thereon at such points as will impress the
colour received on the single forme or printing block.
These relief or colour receiving surfaces may be formed either by the removal or
hollowing out of the peripheries of the rollers or by applying or securing thereto plates
of suitable material on the peripheries of the rollers of such extent and at such diameter
as to take up and give the required impression. The intermediate rollers may have
suitable application of colour, if at any time there should be any danger of the colours
mixing.
The intermediate rollers having received the colours, transmit them and imprint
them upon the central printing roller either directly or may act with other inter-
mediate receivers to transmit to the cylinder which is to finally print the complete
impression.
This cylinder deposits the colours on the forme or block in flat printing in passing
in contact with it, and the forme thus receiving the several colours, prints them
upon the paper or other material which is to receive it in the ordinary manner.

page_text: In the case of a flat printing machine the final receiving roller or cylinder and its
connected system of colour transmitting rollers have the to and fro motion of the flat
printing surface, and this movement may be continued during the whole time of
working so that rollers may continue to turn even after having each left the printing
forme as this insures a good distribution of the inks or colours. In the case of rotary
printing machines the final colour receiving roller or cylinder comes in contact
directly with the printing cylinder which may be of a multiple diameter of the latter
and its connected system of rollers, which thus allows in a comparatively simple
manner a great number of colours to be printed at the same impression.
To explain the invention more fully as to flat printing machines.
There is or may be say one cylinder which is to receive all the colours or tints that
are to be imprinted, and this central or final receiver is or may be in contact and may
receive imprinted colours from three other rollers each of which will receive imprints
of colours from two or three primary receiving rollers, and each of the primary
rollers receives colour from separate inking or colouring apparatus in like
manner.
In the case of rotary machines there is or may be one large central cylinder which
receives all the colour from the other cylinders of the system, and imparts them to
the paper or fabric against a suitable impression cylinder.
This central cylinder may have three intermediate cylinders working in contact
with it, and each intermediate cylinder may have three primary cylinders, each
primary being separately inked or coloured by a suitable ordinary colour applying
apparatus consequently the central or final receiving cylinder may thus receive nine
different colours or tints according to this example.
According to another example of a rotary machine, there is one large central
cylinder which is to receive all the colours, and round it there are arranged a series
of cylinders the peripheries of which touch and imprint upon the periphery of the
large central cylinder, these smaller cylinders being of some multiple of the diameter
of the large central cylinder.
It will thus be seen that each small cylinder in contact with the large central
cylinder may be an intermediate cylinder for other cylinders which may be
primary cylinders, or they may be intermediates for primary cylinders, each
primary receiving ink or colour from a suitable ordinary inking or colouring
apparatus.
The central large receiving cylinder imparts its colours to a printing cylinder
that prints upon the paper or fabric while passing against an impression
cylinder.
Rotary machines arranged for printing in many colours according to this invention
may be used for printing fewer colours by putting out of action such rollers or
connected systems of rollers as may not be required.
This invention is applicable in a general way to all kinds of printing machines, to
typographic or lithographic as well as for printing on paper, cloth or metal or any
surface that will take an impression.
Dated this Sixteenth day of June 1898.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Printing simultaneously in several Colours.
I, PETER JOEL LIVSEY, of 24 and 25, Queens Chambers, 5, Market Street, in the
City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Patent Agent and Consulting

page_text: Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention which has been communicated
to me from abroad by Edouard Ernest Lesigne, of 201, Boulevard Voltaire, Paris,
France, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The invention communicated to me is for a method or system of printing on any
suitable material, a great number of different colours or tints as may be desired,
which are impressed upon the material which is to receive them, by one and the same
impression in the case of a flat printing press by a single impression, and in the case
of a rotary printing machine by a single cylindrical printing cylinder, and this by one
impression only, whatever the number or variety of the colours or tints required,
without interfering with the working speed of the printing machine, the speed of a
flat machine remaining normal and the diameter of the rotary printing cylinder not
being increased.
This is effected by primary and intermediate rollers which are combined to print
and impart the colours received by them to one central final printing cylinder or
receiver of the same diameter in the case of a flat machine, but which rollers may be
of multiple diameter in the case of rotary printing machines.
The intermediate rollers or cylinders are each in contact with one or more colour
imparting rollers, each of which rollers transmits to the receiving roller at the
required place or position one single tint or color according to the design which it
receives.
The supply of the colours to be transmitted to the rollers is made certain by
employing relief or embossed surfaces thereon at such points as will impress the colour
received on the single forme or printing block.
These relief or colour receiving surfaces may be formed either by the removal or
hollowing out of the peripheries of the rollers or by applying or securing thereto plates
of suitable material on the peripheries of the rollers of such extent and at such
diameter as to take up and give the required impression. The intermediate rollers
may have suitable application of colour, if at any time there should be any danger of
the colours mixing.
The intermediate rollers having received the colors, transmit them and imprint
them upon the central printing roller either directly or may act with other inter-
mediate receivers to transmit to the cylinder which is to finally print the
complete impression.
This cylinder deposits the colours on the forme or block in flat printing in passing
in contact with it, and the forme thus receiving the several colors, prints then upon
the paper or other material which is to receive it in the ordinary manner.
In the case of a flat printing machine, the final receiving roller or cylinder and its
connected system of colour transmitting rollers have the to and fro motion of the
flat printing surface, and this movement may be continued during the whole time of
working so that rollers may continue to turn even after having each left the printing
forme as this insures a good distribution of the inks or colours.
In the case of rotary printing machines the final colour receiving roller or cylinder
comes in contact directly with the printing cylinder, which final colour receiving roller
may be of a multiple diameter of the latter and its connected system of rollers,
which thus allows in a comparatively simple manner an unlimited number of colours
to be printed at the same impression.
To explain the invention more fully as to flat printing machines :—
There is or may be say one cylinder which is to receive all the colours of
tints that are to be imprinted, and this central or final receiver is or may be in
contact and may receive imprinted colours from three other rollers each of which will
receive imprints of colours from two or three primary receiving rollers, each of
the primary rollers receives colour from separate inking or colouring apparatus in
like manner.
In the case of rotary machines there is or may be one large central cylinder which

page_text: receives an the colour from the other cylinders of the system, and imparts them to
the paper or fabric against a suitable impression cylinder.
This central cylinder may have three intermediate cylinders working in contact
with it, and each intermediate cylinder may have three primary cylinders, each
primary being separately inked or coloured by a suitable ordinary colour applying
apparatus, consequently the central or final receiving cylinder may thus receive nine
different colours or tints according to this example.
According to another example of a rotary machine, there is one large central
cylinder which is to receive all the colours and round it there are arranged a
series of cylinders, the peripheries of which touch and imprint upon the periphery
of the large central cylinder, these smaller cylinders being a sub-multiple of the
diameter of the large central cylinder. It will thus be seen that each small
cylinder in contact with the large central cylinder may be an intermediate
cylinder for other cylinders which may be primary cylinders, or they may be
intermediate for primary cylinders, each primary receiving ink or colour from a
suitable ordinary inking or colouring apparatus.
The central large receiving cylinder imparts its colours to a printing cylinder that
prints upon the paper or fabric while passing against an impression cylinder.
Rotary machines arranged for printing in many colours according to this invention
may be used for printing fewer colours by putting out of action such rollers or con-
nected systems of rollers as may not be required.
This invention is applicable in a general way to all kinds of printing machines, to
typographic or lithographic as well as for printing on paper, cloth or metal or any
surface that will take an impression.
Fig. 1, is a diagram illustrating one arrangement by which this invention may be
carried into effect more particularly applicable in the case of flat impression beds but
which may be used for rotary printing.
Fig. 2, is a diagram illustrating another arrangement by which this invention may
be carried into effect, applicable more particularly to rotary machines.
In the arrangement shown by Fig. 1, all the cylinders are of the same diameter
and they are rotated by gearing in any well known manner at the same surface
speed.
a, is the central receiving cylinder which is prepared to receive color or ink
impressions transmitted to it from all the other cylinders as hereinafter explained, and
this cylinder a, gives its impression upon the material or fabric to the forme or flat
block which is to give the impression, the forme being represented by the line x, or it
may impart its impression to another cylinder a', that prints it upon the material a¹,
passing between the printing cylinder a¹, and an impression cylinder 2. The
cylinder a, works in contact with three cylinders b, c and d and the cylinder
works
in contact with the cylinder e, while the cylinder d, works in contact with the
cylinder f. The cylinder b, works in contact with two cylinders 1 and 2, the
cylinder e, with three cylinders e¹, e² and e³, and the cylinder f, with three cylinders f',fƒ²
and f³.
Each of the cylinders and 62, and e¹, e² and e³; and ƒ³, f, and f³, are each
cylinders with designs or patterns in relief that receive ink or color from any ordinary
and suitable inking apparatus or rollers, a series of such inking or color applying
rollers as an example is indicated in Fig. 1, as applying ink or color to the cylinder e³,
in which t, represents the ink or color duct, and vibrating roller supplying color to the
roller t', which works in contact with a large roller t2, which gives ink to two rollers t³,
that impart it to the design or raised surface upon the cylinder e³.
As each of the cylinders 61, 62, and e¹, e², e³, and f, f, f³, bave or may have
different patterns or designs upon them and are or may be inked with a different
color, eight different colors are or may be transmitted to and finally imprinted upon
the cylinder a, which may imprint them upon another cylinder or flat-block which
imprints them upon the material or fabric which is to be printed upon.
It will be obvious that any convenient number of printing cylinders which first

page_text: receive ink or color from inking apparatus may be used arranged in a manner equiva-
lent to those illustrated by Fig. 1.
Fig. 2, shows another arrangement in which a¹, is a printing cylinder to which all
the impressions from the cylinder u, have been imparted and it imprints upon the
fabric x, which is to be printed upon that passes between it and the impression
cylinder a².
The main feature of the arrangement shown by Fig. 2, is in the use of one
cylinder a, of large diameter around which and working in contact with it are smaller
cylinders, which are all of the same diameter as the final printing cylinder a¹, the
diameter of the large cylinder a, being some multiple of the diameter of the small
cylinders round it marked b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k and l.
Each of the cylinders b¹, 62, c, d, e, f, y¹, y², h, i, j, k and l, have designs or patterns
upon them in relief, and each are inked or have color applied to them from a separate
set of ordinary inking apparatus or rollers similar to that referred to in reference to
Fig. 1, as applying color to the cylinder e³, Fig. 1, and these said cylinders working
in contact with the large cylinder a, give their impressions to its peripheral surface
which transmits such impressions to the final cylinder a¹, for printing upon the fabric
or material.
The cylinders round the large cylinder u, may be arranged as transmitting cylinders
to any required extent.
For example, the cylinder b, may have two cylinders b¹ and 6², working in contact
with it, thus receiving their impressions and conveying or transmitting them to the
large cylinder a, and also as for example, cylinder g, receiving impressions from
cylinders y¹ and g², to which latter cylinder, the inking apparatus is indicated and
referred to in describing Fig. 1. The number of cylinders to receive color from
inking or color apparatus may be multiplied to any desired extent; for instance if
the cylinder g, Fig. 2, took the place of c, Fig. 1, then there might be a
cylinder e, e¹, e and e³, (as in Fig. 1) transmitting impressions to g, Fig. 2, which
would thus impart three colors to the large cylinder a, and the other cylinders
b, c, d, e, f, h, i, j, k and l, or some of them might be arranged in like manner so
that any desired number of colors or shades of color might be imparted to the
large cylinder a, and finally to the printing cylinder a¹, which gives its impression to
the fabric or material to be printed upon.
in the example illustrated by Fig. 1, and also in that illustrated by Fig. 2, all the
cylinders which receive ink or color from the inking apparatus have the design or
pattern which they are to print upon their surfaces in relief, these cylinders being
those marked 61 and 6²; el, e² and e³; f¹, f² and f³, in Fig. 1, and 61 and 62,
c, d, e, f, g, g², h, i, j, k and l, in Fig. 2.
The cylinders b, e, c and d, Fig. 1, and band g, Fig. 2, may have the design or
pattern on their surfaces in relief in agreement with the design or pattern to be
transmitted to them or they may be plaiu smooth surfaced cylinders.
The cylinders a, in both Figs. 1 and 2 are in all cases plain and smooth.
The cylinders are the same as above described when used for lithographic printing,
the cylinder a, in such case being lithographic cylinders of stone, zinc or other
suitable material capable of taking and transmitting ink or color, as in lithographic
printing.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion communicated to me, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I
declare that what I claim is :-
1. The system or mode of printing any desired number of colors or shades of color
by a series of cylinders which each receive a single color or shade of color and impart
their impressions to a central cylinder through or by means of intermediary cylinders
of any required number, which central cylinder imprints upon the forme, or upon the
printing cylinder substantially as hereinbefore described.

page_text: 2. The combination and arrangement of inking and printing cylinders for
printing any desired number of colors or shades of color upon the material or
fabric which is to be printed upon by one impression substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated by Figures 1 and 2.