Improvements in or applicable to Machinery for Printing upon Fabrics.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Feb., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 19th Dec., 1896-Accepted, 16th Jan., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or applicable to Machinery for Printing
upon Fabrics.
We FRANK DANIEL HADDON of Hill Side, Romiley, in the County of Chester,
Calico Printer, and ALBERT ARTHUR KUENEMANN of 10 Acomb Street,
Greenheys, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Textile Designer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The principal object of this invention is to enable two or more colors to be
applied or printed simultaneously by one and the same engraved roller in machines
for printing upon calico or other fabrics, and to further enable those colors to be
varied, changed, or omitted when required.
For this purpose we provide an adjustable plate shelf or stand as usual which
can be raised, lowered and set as required beneath and parallel to the color roller
or furnishing roller working in one, or more than one, of the "nips" of the
ordinary printing machine.
This color or furnishing roller, which may be of any known description, is not
made in the usual manner but is made in sections upon a long rod or axle, and the
color trough in which it works (and which is supported by the above plate shelf
or stand) is not made as usual, but consists of a series of compartments each
supplied with a separate color in which one of the sections of the color roller or
furnishing roller works, the ends of each compartment being so formed that the
axle of the color or furnishing roller can pass through the same and yet not allow
the colors to pass from one compartment to another.
The color trough is made in one length with suitable ends and division plates.
forming the compartments, such ends and division plates being slotted to receive
suitably grooved brasses for carrying the axle of the color or furnishing roller, the
sides of the slots fitting in the grooves of the brasses, and the open part of the slot
being filled in with a cap or filling piece of suitable material grooved or provided
with a tongue (or both) at either edge to fit the sides of the slot in the end or
division plate of the color trough.
The axle of the color furnishing roller is reduced in diameter where it passes
through the ends or divisions and the ends of each section of the said roller are
provided with a suitable brass or other central plate or disc preferably let into the
wood and bearing against the brasses in the divisions and ends of the trough. Or
other means may be adopted to ensure that the color or furnishing roller may
revolve in the colors without leakage at the recessed or cut away ends or partitions
of the trough.
The trough with its series of compartments thus formed is adjustable end wise to
bring each compartment exactly opposite that part of the engraved roller to which
it is to supply color by means of its furnishing roller.
If preferred the color trough may consist of a series of short independent and
interchangeable compartiments, or the trough may be made with a series of
removable and adjustable divisions so that the length of each compartment may be
varied, and in this case we make the trough with a series of transverse internal
grooves of suitable depth say one inch apart and of a width corresponding with the
thickness of the removable divisions the edges of which are or may be provided

page_text: with an india rubber packing fitting into the: grooves. One side of the trough is
provided with a projecting ledge beneath which one extremity of the divisions fit,
and the other extremity of each division is provided with a plate, and a bolt passing
through a slot or hole in the trough side and fixed by a winged nut; or other
equivalent devices may be employed for fixing the division in the trough and
removing it readily. We form the axle of the furnishing roller with alternate
squared spaces and necks the latter corresponding in number and position with the
grooves in the trough, in order that sectional furnishing rollers of varying lengths
may be fitted thereon and two lengths if desired may revolve in one compartment
of the trough.
If preferred the color may be furnished to the engraved roller by a series of
bands or sieves passing round rollers revolving in the several compartments of the
trough, or furnished by such rollers.
It is found that the rotation of the furnishing roller and the engraved roller
causes a large volume or wave of color (especially if the color is at all thick) to
rise above the level of the sides of the color trough, and being arrested by the
ordinary doctor to fall back and mingle with the color supplied to the said engraved
roller by an adjacent compartment or trough, and thus spoil the colors and the
printed fabric.
We arrest this wave of color by a rod, bar, blade, or strip of suitable material,
or other equivalent device, between the furnishing roller and the color doctor (or
by a series of such rods, bars blades or strips) so formed and set at such a distance
from the engraved roller as to return the majority of each color to its respective
trough, and to allow only a thin layer or film of color to pass on the surface of the
said engraved roller to the doctor."
The rod, bar, blade, or strip (or series thereof) or other equivalent device, may
in some cases be applied to either side of the furnishing roller above the level of
the color in the trough.
In order to prevent the mingling of one color with an adjacent color at the edges
of the stripes, and to ensure the return of all superfluous color to its proper
compartment, we arrange above each division a suitable guide, which we fix to the
color doctor or other part moving therewith; this guide ends in the form of a
point close to the surface of the engraved roller, and immediately beneath the
color doctor, and is provided with depending edges and widened out at its lower
end to allow of the motion of its edges at either side of the division or end of the
compartment to which it is applied.
The point is preferably adjustable to the upper end of the guide and the latter
is preferably hinged or pivotted at the centre to allow for variation in the form of
the doctor, especially where the latter is provided with a "cape". for directing the
flow of color back into the trough.
It is further found necessary in applying color to an engraved roller to cool or
lubricate and so to clean the surface of the engraved roller.
For this purpose we fix on the "lint-doctor-shears" a long trough, or the shears
and lint-doctor may be used as the under side of the trough, or the trough may be
used independently of the "doctor." In this is mounted (so as to be capable of
revolving) a roller of iron or other metal coated with a soft pliable material or
con.position, and so fixed at each end of the trough as to be partly within the
said trough and parallel with the surface thereof, and partly projecting and in
contact with the said engraved roller just above the line of meeting of the doctor
with the engraved surface, so that the said covered or coated roller will revolve by
-friction of contact with the engraved printing roller. The covered roller may be
parallel throughout its length so as to touch the printing roller from end to end, or
it may be cut away at parts (especially when used with the divided color trough
above described) so as only to be in contact with the engraved roller at those parts
where the color furnishing rollers do not touch, or at such other parts as may be
required, so as to clean and cool the whole printing roller or only certain portions
thereof.
13

page_text: The trough is to contain water or other suitable liquid and will be kept full to
such a level that the lower portion of the covered roller will dip therein and
constantly feed such moisture to the surface of the printing roller in contact with
which it revolves; or if preferred the covered roller may revolve above the level.
of the water or liquid in the trough and be supplied therewith by means of a small
furnishing roller revolving in the water or liquid and in contact with the soft
coated roller, or in any other convenient manner; for example the roller may be
supplied at the desired points with liquid by means of a pipe or trough having
suitable perforations therein.
In place of the soft coated roller above described we may in some cases use
a fixed bar provided with a strip or a series of strips of some soft or spongy
material, one edge of which slightly presses on the surface of the engraved printing
roller, and water or liquid may be supplied to such strip by a revolving roller, or
otherwise, so as to damp and clean the printing roller as it revolves in contact
with the strip.
By thus damping and cleaning the printing rollers we believe that we shall be
able to dispense with the "drag-rollers" usually placed between the "nips" when
thick or cloggy coloring matters are employed for printing.
The series of strips of soft or spongy material above referred to may also be
supplied in some cases with color and act as furnishers of stripes of color between
the stripes furnished by the rollers as above described.
Dated this 20th day of February 1896
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in or applicable to Machinery for Printing
upon Fabrics.
We FRANK DANIEL HADDON, of Hill Side, Romiley, in the County of Chester,
Calico Printer, and ALBERT ARTHUR KUENEMANN, of 10 Acomb Street,
Greenheys, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Textile Designer, 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 principal object of this invention is to enable two or more colours to be
applied or printed simultaneously by one and the same engraved roller in machines
for printing upon calico or other fabrics and to further enable those colours to be
varied changed or omitted when required, and our improvements may be applied
to one, or more than one of the "nips" of the ordinary printing machine.
The invention relates to such apparatus wherein a single engraved roller is
combined with a series of furnishers of any known form taking their colour from a
series of troughs wherein different colours may be placed.
Fig. 1 is a front view, Fig. 2 a plan and Fig. 3 a transverse section provided
with sectional furnishers (shewn in the form of rollers) and colour troughs and of
an engraved printing roller with our improvements applied thereto.
Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are respectively similar views illustrative of a modification
thereof, and Figs. 34, 3B, 64 and 7 are detached sectional views shewing slight
modifications hereafter more particularly referred to.
We provide a plate shelf or stand a as usual which can be raised, and lowered as
required by any known means not shewn on the drawings, beneath and parallel to
the colour roller or furnishing roller b.

page_text: This colour or furnishing roller b which may be of any other well known
description than that shewn, such as a rotary brush, is made in sections (as seen at
Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 5) mounted upon a long rod or axle 61 and the colour trough c in
which it works (and which is supported by the above plate shelf or stand a) is not
made as usual, but consists of a series of compartments each supplied with a
separate colour in which one of the sections of the colour roller or furnishing
roller b works, the ends of each compartment being so formed that the axle 6' of
the colour or furnishing roller b can pass through the same and yet not allow the
colours to pass from one compartment to another.
The colour trough e may be made in one length with suitable ends c¹ and
división plates c2 forming the compartments, such ends c¹ and division plates
being slotted to receive suitably grooved brasses 62 for carrying the axle of the
colour or furnishing roller b, the sides of the slots fitting in the grooves of the
brasses 6 and the open part of the slot being filled in with a cap or filling
piece of suitable material grooved or provided with a tongue (or both) at
either edge to fit the sides of the slot in the end c¹ or division plate c² of the colour
trough c.
The axle b¹ of the colour furnishing roller b is preferably reduced in diameter
where it passes through the ends c¹ or divisions and the ends of each section of
the said roller bare provided with a suitable brass or other central plate or
disc shewn dotted at 6x (Fig. 1) preferably let into the said roller 6 and bearing
against the brasses 62 in the divisions c and ends c¹ of the trough c.
means may be adopted to ensure that the colour or furnishing roller b may revolve
in the colours without leakage at the recesses or cut away ends c¹ or partitions c² of
the trough c.
Or other
We make the trough c with its series of compartments thus formed adjustable
end wise (for example upon strips a¹ on the shelf a) so as to bring each com-
partment exactly opposite that part of the engraved roller d to which it is to supply
colour by means of the furnishing roller b.
If preferred the colour trough c may consist of a series of short independent and
interchangeable compartments, as will be readily understood without illustration, or
the trough c may be made with a series of removable and adjustable divisions c² as
seen at Figs. 4, 5 and 6, so that the length of each compartment may be varied,
and in this case we make the trough c with a series of transverse internal grooves.c
of suitable depth say one inch or more apart and of a width corresponding with
the thickness of the removable divisions c the edges of which are or may be
provided with an india rubber or other suitable packing fitting into the grooves.co.
One side of the trough c is provided with a projecting ledge beneath which one
extremity of the divisions c²fits, and the other extremities of each division
is provided with a plate and bolt passing through a slot or hole in
the trough side (or in a bracket e fast to the trough side) and fixed by a winged
nute; or other equivalent devices may be employed for fixing the division c² in
the trough and removing it readily. We form the axle 6 of the furnishing roller
with alternate squared spaces 63 and necks 6, the latter corresponding in number
and position with the grooves c in the trough in order that sectional furnishing
rollers 6 of varying lengths may be fitted thereon, and two lengths if desired may
revolve in one compartment of the trough, as will be readily understood without
illustration.
The form of each separate furnisher may be varied; for example, each furnisher
may consist of a band or sieve e (see Fig. 7) passing round a roller f revolving in
its colour trough, or furnished by such rollers, as shewn dotted on Fig. 7; or the
colour may be furnished by other known means.
It is found that the rotation of the furnishing roller b and the engraved roller d
causes a large volume of colour (especially if the colour is at all thick) to rise
above the level of the sides of the colour trough c, and being arrested by the
ordinary colour doctor 9 to accumulate in a wave which, as it falls back, mingles
with the colour supplied to the said engraved roller d from an adjacent

page_text: compartment or trough, and thus spoils the colours and the printed fabric. One
of the principal objects of our invention is to prevent this action from taking
place.
In the first place, where suitable, we arrest this wave of colour by a rol, bar,
blade, or strip of suitable material (or other equivalent device) between the
furnishing roller and the colour doctor g (or by a series of such rols, bars blades or
strips one to each colour compartment) so formed and set nearer to the engraved:
roller d than the furnisher is set so as to return the majority of each colour to its
respective trough, and to allow only a thin layer or film of colour to pass on the
surface of the said engraved roller d to the colour doctor g.
In some cases it may be necessary to have this bar touching the roller din
places or to affix small plates h¹ on to this bar h, see dotted lines Fig. 6, so as just
to touch the printing roller d over the divisions and thus stop all colour from passing
up the roller."
The rod, bar, blade or strip h (or series thereof) or other equivalent device, may
in some cases be fixed to the colour doctor g as seen at Fig. 3B.
In the next place in order to prevent the mingling of any one colour with the
adjacent colours, and to ensure the return of all superfluous colour to its proper
compartment, we arrange above each colour trough suitable guides i which we fix
to the colour doctor g or other pait moving therewith; this guide i is made or
provided with a piece ¹ in a suitable form to act as a cleaner bearing upon the
surface of the engraved roller b, and immediately beneath the colour doctor g; and
this guide i, for certain nips in the machine where the colour runs down the doctor
and so back to the trough, is provided with depending edges (see detached view
Fig. 6A) widened out at the lower end to allow of the motion of the edges i on each
side of the divisions or ends of the compartments.
Thus the colour running off the lower end of these edges will always fall into its
proper compartment or trough, in all positions of the doctor g.
The point is preferably adjustable to the upper end of the guide i and the
latter is preferably hinged or pivotted at the centre at i to allow for variation in
the form of the colour doctor g especially where the latter is provided with a
"cape" gl for directing the flow of colour back into the trough c.
In some cases we may fix in this guide i a plate or piece of india rubber, xylonite,
or other suitable material 3, as shewn dotted on Fig. 6A, in such a way that it
may bear slightly on the engraved roller d commencing at the point of contact of
the roller d and colour doctor blade g and extending downwards as shewn.
In some cases we may use a piece of felt or similar material of suitable width
instead of the piece, see Figs. 3A, 3B, and in those nips of the machine where all
the colour removed by the doctor runs down the surface of the engraved roller, we
may dispense with the depending edges of the guides i.
is further found necessary, in applying several colours which have a tendency
to dry on the rollers and make ridges of dried colour, to moisten and so to keep
clean the surface of the engraved roller; this we effect by the means described in
the Specification of Letters Patent No. 1105, dated 16th January 1896.
For example we fix on the "lint-doctor-shears k a long trough in which is
mounted (so as to be capable of revolving) a roller m of iron or other metal or
material coated with a soft pliable material or composition, and so fixed at each
end of the trough 7 as to be partly within the said trough and parallel with the
surface thereof, aud partly projecting and in contact with the said engraved roller d'
just above the line of meeting of the lint doctor k with the engraved surface, so
that the said covered or coated roller m will revolve by friction of contact with
the engraved printing roller d. The covered roller may be parallel throughout
its length so as to touch the printing roller from end to end, or it may be cut
away at parts so as only to be in contact with the engraved roller d'at those
parts not kept moist by the colour furnishing rollers b, as described in the above
specification.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we desire it to be understood
that we are aware that attempts have been made to print from several furnishing
rollers running in different colours and we make no claim to doing so generally, but
we declare that what we claim is :-
1. In the combination of an engraved printing roller and a series of narrow
furnishers supplied from separate compartments containing colour, the use of guide
pieces moving with the doctor and co-operating with the printing roller for keeping
the colours pure and separate upon the said printing roller substantially as
herein before set forth.
2. The combination with an engraved printing roller of a series of narrow
furnishers supplied from separate compartments containing colour and supplying
such colour directly to the print roller, guides moving with the doctor, and a
strip between each furnisher and the colour doctor so as to prevent the colours
from rising in too great volume upon the engraved roller and mingling thereupon
substantially as and for the purposes described.
3. The combination with an engraved printing roller, a series of colour
compartments, and of corresponding colour furnishers of means for keeping the
colours separate on the engraved roller and returning each to its proper colour
trough, and of means for ensuring a proper supply of moisture or colour to the
engraved roller at parts corresponding to the ends or divisions of the colour
compartments substantially as herein before set forth.
Dated this 18th day of December 1896.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicants.