Improvements in Apparatus for Chromographic Printing.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Apr., 1899-Accepted, 22nd July, 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Chromographic Printing.
We, MICHAEL DANILOWITSCH VON RUDOMETOFF, of 14, Tschermischeffgasse,
St. Petersburg, in the Empire of Russia, Editor of the Graphic News, and EWGENIY
ANTONOWITSCHI EWDOKIMOFF, of 18, Troitzkaja, St. Petersburg, in the Empire of
Russia, Councillor of State, 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:-
-
This invention relates to means for the printing of two or more colours simul-
taneously. The machine for carrying out this method may be constructed as a
platen printing machine or as a rotary printing machine.
In order that this invention may be the better understood, I now proceed to
describe the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the
letters and figures marked thereon.
Figure 1 shows a rotary printing machine, one side being removed.
Figure 2 is a plan thereof, the rollers for distributing the colours being
removed.
Figures 3, 4 and 5 are details relating to the operation of the colour transfer
rollers by the printing cylinder.
Figure 6 is a plan of a platen printing machine.
The method for producing chromographs by printing according to this invention
is as follows:-
To the printing cylinder are fixed as many stereoplates (autotypes, phototypes and
the like) as colours are required for the finished print. A further plate is provided
without impression having only a plain dull polished surface and which is in front
of the first plate or in the rear of the plates. This plain plate is of the same size as
the other plates which may be of any suitable size, and is designed to receive the
various colours from the stereoplates etc. For this purpose a separate colouring
device is provided for each stereoplate, such colouring device being pressed against
the corresponding stereoplate at the proper time. Behind each colouring device
is arranged a roller to receive the coloured reproduction from the stereoplate
coloured by the preceding colouring device. Those of these rollers which have
been already coloured or impressed by other stereo-plates remain out of contact
with those stereoplates which transfer their picture to other rollers, so that only one
colouring device, and subsequently one transfer roller are in operation, the other
stereo plates and transfer rollers being lifted off the printing cylinder. When all
transfer rollers have received a part picture in the before mentioned manner,
they transfer these part pictures successively to the dull polished metal plate of the
printing cylinder by which the printing on to sheets or bands of paper is then effected.
in known manner with the difference, that all colours previously received by the
plain plate from the transfer rollers are here reproduced or printed simultaneously.
We now proceed to describe a rotary printing machine and afterwards a hand
platen printing machine constructed to carry out the described method.
A cylinder a is connected to another cylinder 6 by cog wheels ab which are
mounted on the same axles c d as the cylinders. The machine shown is designed

page_text: for simultaneously printing three colours. For this purpose there are arranged
three stereoplates or the like, e, f, g on the upper cylinder, each of which stereo-
plates occupies one quadrant, and a plain metal plate i which occupies the fourth
quadrant. As shown in Figure 1 the lower cylinder is constructed so that the radius
of about three fourths of the circumference is somewhat smaller than that of the
upper cylinder so as to make its diameter for those parts about 2 cm. smaller than
would be the normal diameter. The fourth quadrant has the same radius as the
cylinder a. In consequence during each complete revolution of the two cylinders a
and b the face h works in contact with the plate i of the upper cylinder once so that
the paper between the two cylinders is pressed against the surface i and is printed
by the latter. The cylinder has two rods k on which is wound the fabric forming
the cover.
The autotypes produced by a photo-mechanical process on copper or
zinc are filled at the back with type metal to the height of the cone of the cicero
type and are fixed by small tacks on the cylinder a in grooves formed thereon.
Each stereoplate is exactly adjusted as regards its position.
A separate colouring device, l m n is provided for each of the three stereoplates,
similar to those used for ordinary printing presses. The two outer rollers of each
colouring device distribute the colour taken up and deliver it to the rollers which lie
direct against the surface of the cylinder a. The latter rollers are provided with
small guiding rollers at the ends of their axes, which rollers run in small grooves on
the cylinder. These grooves are in three rows on the surface of the cylinder a.
Each row regulates the raising and lowering of the rollers for one colour By this
arrangement each pair of rollers comes only in contact with the stereoplate which
is intended to be coloured with the colour adhering to those rollers. The rollers which
are over the two other stereoplates and over the plain metal plate remain removed
from the cylinder a during this period, and are in contact with the rollers which
rub or distribute the colours and therefore take up fresh colour. After the three
stereoplates have been coloured in this manner each with a distinct colour, each
stereoplate transfers its colour as a coloured part picture or design to one of the
transfer rollers o p q which is nearest to it. These transfer rollers have at each
end of their axes a cog wheel or pinion r which engages with the cog-wheels stu
on the axis of the cylinder a as soon as the corresponding stereo-plate which
has already received its colour passes under the corresponding roller o
Por 9. The
cog wheels stu, see Figures 3, 4, 5, have different radii for several different parts
of their circumference: therefore during the rotation of the cylinder a, the transfer
roller lifted by a segments passes the stereo plates f and gaud comes into contact only
with the stereo-plate e and the plate i. The roller o receives colour from the stereo
plate e and transfers it as coloured part picture or design to the plate i. In
similar manner the roller p receives a coloured part picture or design from the
stereo plate f and transfers it to the plate i, and the roller q from the stereo plate g
and transfers it also to the plate i. The diameter of the rollers o p q is such that
the circumference of the same is as large as that of the fourth quadrant of the cir-
cumference of the cylinder a. By the engagement of the several cog-wheels stu
with the pinions of the transfer rollers opq, the latter will print accurately the
corresponding parts of the plate i so that exact register of the three colours is
ensured.
The rollers og are cast of suitable roller material and are covered for some
classes of work with rubber or leather. When it is desired to print with photo-
type plates, the surfaces of the rollers og must be grooved or rifled in several
directions to produce the required grounds.
The paper lies on a table which shortly before each period of printing is lifted
by the roller of the lower cylinder b until its surface can come into contact
with the plate i.
This movement is produced by a roller y situated on the lower cylinder b. The
roller 31 acts on a crank lever w pivotted to the frame at the crank lever w
operates by means of the connecting rods zz the levers 1 and 2, whereby the table
is raised or lowered. The ends of the levers 1 and 2 carry rollers to reduce friction

page_text: and to guide, the table ... The latter carries also a rack 3 which when the table vis
raised, engages with a toothed segment 4 of the cylinder b, corresponding to the
part of the latter, and thus reciprocates absolutely the table and the paper
attached thereto through the two cylinders a and b at the circumferential speed of
the cylinders, for the purpose of obtaining the printing impression on the paper.
By the rise of the table the paper is clamped thereto at the points 5 and 6.
When the printing has been effected the table is lowered again because the crank
lever no longer acts on the levers zz 1 and 2. In consequence of the descent
of the table the paper does not remain clamped to the table v, which latter is
returned by the pull of the weight J into its original position, because the toothed
segment has been simultaneously disengaged from the rack 3. The rod 8 is now
moved sideways by the crank lever w, whereby a frame 9, guided vertically in a
straight line is lifted by connecting pieces 10. and clamps the paper at the points 11
and 12. A lever 13, operated by a lever 14 from the printing cylinder a by a
pin 15 arranged on the latter causes the formation of a loop in the band of paper
by a roller 16 situated on the upper end of the lever 13. This loop is sufficient
to allow of the passage of the paper for the required size of print through the two
cylinders a and b during the next printing operation.
The action of the before described construction of machine is therefore shortly
as follows:-
Each pair of colour feeding rollers covers the corresponding stereo or other plate
with the desired colour: this plate transfers the colour to the corresponding
transfer roller o p or 7. which transfers it to the plain plate i. The latter prints
all colours simultaneously on the paper fed under it, the paper being fed forwards
to the desired extent at each printing by the table v.
Figure 6 illustrates another construction of machine to carry out the desired
method, which is a platen machine operated by hand and designed for ordinary
flat blocks or plates. The platen is provided with two pairs of racks m² o q
arranged at right angles to each other. Tables A B C connected to the machine
are provided with racks in a similar manner. Between the racks are placed three
blocks or plates D E F also a smooth plate G. Transfer rollers a band el fl
nass over the racks and take up the colours from the three blocks or plates.
These rollers, provided at their ends with cog-wheels which engage with the racks,
retain their position unaltered relatively to the blocks or plates D E F and the
smooth plate G. The rollers having received the coloured part prints or designs
from the blocks or plates transfer them to the plate G. The latter prints the whole
multi-coloured picture or design on to the paper. The "tympan" which is usually
arranged at a¹¹ is in this machine arranged on the opposite side at o¹ m³ so that
the roller alb can pass over the plate G without being disengaged from the rack.
Rollers hd c¹³n serve to feed the colours to the blocks or plates such colours
having been received from the colouring plates P, R, Q.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is: —
1st. A. machine for the production of chromographs by printing all colours
simultaneously consisting of blocks, photo-types, stereoplates or the like carrying
the part pictures or designs, coloured as desired arranged on the cylinder or
platen of the machine and adapted to transfer their coloured part pictures or
designs to a common printing surface which prints the same simultaneously in
register on the paper or equivalent material substantially as described.
2nd. A rotary printing machine as claimed in Claim 1 having a pair of
cvlinders a b, of which the upper cylinder a carries as many stereo-plates or the
like as there are colours in the finished picture, and a plain printing plate i and
the lower cylinder b has a larger radius for that part of its circumference which
corresponds with the printing plate than for the other parts of its circumference.
and is geared absolutely with the cylinder a by cng wheels of the same size; the

page_text: several stereo-plates or the like being each coloured by a colouring device 1 m n
and transfer such coloured part, picture or design to transfer rollers o p q which
transfer the same successively to the printing surface i substantially as described.
3rd. A platen printing machine as claimed in Claim 1 having tables A B C
combined with the machine to receive the blocks or plates, tables and platen
being provided with two pairs of racks arranged at right angles to each other,
between which are situated the blocks or plates D E F and on which roll the
transfer rollers (i¹ k¹ a¹ b¹) and (e¹ f¹); and provided with a plate G which receives
all the coloured part pictures or designs from the blocks or plates through the
transfer rollers.
4th. In a printing machine as claimed in Claim 1, the means by which during
one rotation of the printing cylinder the several colouring rollers are depressed
only at the passage of the partial design to be coloured, and recede at the passage
of the other partial designs, substantially as described.
Dated this 8th day of April 1899.
FELL & JAMES,
Agents for the Applicants.