IMPROVIMENTS IN INTAGLIO PLATE PRINTING MACHINERY
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Janes Murdoch Napier, of York Road, Lambeth,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVIMENTS IN INTAGLIO PLATE PRINTING
MACHINERY."
Sealed the 12th November 1867, and dated the 16th May 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Murdoch Napier
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 16th May 1867.
I, JAMES MURDOCH NAPIER, of York Road, Lambeth, Engineer. do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN INTAGLIO PLATE
PRINTING MACHINERY," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for what is
commonly called copper-plate printing, but which may be more correctly
termed intaglio printing. In this kind of printing the matter or design is
engraved, impressed, or otherwise sunk into the surface of the printing plate,
which is of copper, steel, or other suitable metal.
In the process of printing the ink is rolled or beaten into the sunk design,
the surface of the plate becoming necessarily covered with ink, this surface is
then wiped clean, after which the paper to be printed is placed upon the plate,
and they are passed together under a pressure cylinder clothed with a soft
material, such as blanket cloth, the paper is thus forced into the sunk design,

page_text: and receives the ink left in it, when the surface of the plate was wiped clean.
and so becomes printed.
My improvements consist of certain arrangements of machinery whereby I
am enabled to economize skilled labour in the above process, and to increase
production, and thereby place intaglio printing more nearly on a level for
speed and cheapness with raised surface or letter-press printing.
The arrangements of machinery to which I have referred admit of variations
to suit the class of work and the quantity which is to be produced, as well as
to accord with the number of plates which it may be convenient to furnish for
use in the machine. To give the necessary pressure in printing I use a platen.
or flat surface instead of a cylinder, but I do not confine myself to the use of
flat surface pressure, as cylindrical pressure may be used when it is preferred.
When flat surface pressure is used (to obtain the required power with as
little friction as possible) I actuate the platen by a suitable toggle or knuckle
joint arrangement in conjunction with a crank, excentric, or cam movement,
and by preference I employ one pair of such joints placed on either side of
the machine, and arranged to act upon guide bars fixed on either end of the
platen. 1 attach the toggle joints by connecting rods to cranks upon a shaft
which receives its motion from the driving power through a toothed wheel
fixed upon it. I provide a weight to counterbalance the weight of the platen
and its appendages.
In my improved intaglio printing machines the plates (of which there
should be several) are attached to carrying tables, their printing face being
upwards: these tables are moved in succession under the pressure platen (or
pressure cylinder as the case may be), and after the impression is taken,
onwards out at the other side of the platen, where the printed sheet is taken
off; they are then moved to the right or to the left as may be preferred, and
are brought round again to their first position after having described. a
rectangular or other convenient figure; during their circuit (in which they
may have times of motion and times of rest) the plates are inked and wiped
and made ready to receive the paper before passing again under the impression
surface. When a large rate of production is required I extend the above form
of machine, increasing the number of carrying tables and printing plates, and
1 employ a second pressure platen (or cylinder, as the case may be), placed at
the opposite side of the figure described by the plates in their journey, so that
the plates will give off an impression every half circuit, or twice in cacl
complete circuit, the means used for inking and wiping the plates (whether they
be those which I shall herein-after describe, or other suitable means) must i
this machine be duplicated in order to ink and wipe each plate in its passage

page_text: from each pressure platen to the other. The white paper will be fed on one
side of each pressure platen. (or cylinder, as the case may be.) and when
printed will be received at the other side. I employ the usual ink duct with
metal roller and adjustable edge acting against it to regulate the quantity of
ink, and a soft roller to receive the ink from. the duct roller and transmit it to
the printing plate; and I further provide one or more additional soft rollers
arranged to roll the plate crosswise, by which the ink is more perfectly dis-
tributed and more completely worked into the sunk parts of the plate. To
wipe the plate after inking I provide wiping rollers, which I prefer to make
with a leather surface based upon vulcanized india-rubber: these rollers while
acting on the plates furn upon their axis, 30 as to gather the ink from off the
surface of the plate on to their own surface. To clean the wiping rollers I place
each of them in contact with a hard smooth cleaning roller, which may be
made of any suitable metal or material: this roller is made true and smooth.
and is caused to turn in the opposite sense to the wiping roller at the point
where it is in contact therewith, so that it gathers the ink off the wiping
roller. The hard smooth cleaning roller may be cleaned by means of a
scraper or rubber applied against the surface of the roller as, it rotates, so as
to collect the ink and leave the roller comparatively clean. The cleaned
portion of the hard cleaning roller as it comes round meets with the dirty
part of the wiping roller, and so the ink is taken from it on to the cleaning
roller, and finally is gathered up for removal by the scraper or rubber, as
before described.
It will be understood that when a printing plate is acted upon in succession
by several wiping rollers such as I have described, the first will take off the
most ink, the second less, and so on until the last, which will leave the
surface of the plate clean. Should it be desired more perfectly to clean
the hard cleaning rollers which are in contact with the last of the wiping
rollers which act upon the plate, instead of simply employing scrapers or
rubbers for that purpose the surface of the cleaning roller may be allowed to
come into contact with a suitable substance for absorbing moisture and
cleaning the roller, such as powdered whiting, which may be contained in a
segmental trough, and prevented by an additional scraper or rubber from
passing round with the cleaning roller.
When it is desired. I employ, in conjunction with or instead of the wiping
apparatus just described, a series of non-rotating wipers forming an endless
horizontal chain or belt of wipers, which is passed round two rollers lying
across the track of the printing plates, which are wiped by the lower wipers
s the plates pass beneath them; a slow motion is given to this chain of

page_text: wipers in the direction opposed to. that in which the plates move, so as to
bring that part of the belt or chain of wipers which has been underneath and
operating upon the printing plates successively uppermost, and in such a
position as that it may be readily cleaned by hand by an unskilled workman.
and when cleaned it passes on to come again in contact with the passing
plates. The length of this band of wipers and the distance between them
may be regulated to suit the requirements of the case. More than one series
of such wipers may be employed if desired. Any suitable material may be
used for these wipers, but I prefer to make
vulcanized india-rubber to form an elastic basis; they may be weighted so as
to give the desired pressure upon the plate under treatment.
them of leather placed upon
In some cases
Y cross wipe the plates with similar wiping rollers to those already described.
The wiping roller is in this instance mounted upon a moving frame, and is
made to pass to and fro over the plate (which at the time is stationary).
wiping the plate in one passage only, and coming afterwards in contact with a
hard cleaning roller, such as I have before described, by which it is cleaned.
The endless bands or chains of non-rotating wipers before referred to may
also be mounted on moving frames and used for cross wiping, motion being
given so as to bring the dirty wipers uppermost, that they may be cleaned by
hand when brought to rest. The pressure platens used in my machines are
covered with soft material, such as the blanket cloth which is employed to
cover pressure cylinders used in intaglio printing.
I wish it to be understood that the hard smooth cleaning rollers which I
have described as used by me for cleaning the wiping rollers are not necessarily
placed in direct contact with the wiping rollers, but will serve the same
purpose if desired through the intermediation of other rollers or suitable
apparatus for carrying, the ink from the wiping rollers to the hard smooth
cleaning rollers.
I also desire it to be known that I do not confine myself to the use of my
hard smooth clearing rollers in combination with wiping rollers such as
have described, as they may be used in conjunction with other modes o
wiping nor do I confine myself to the cylindrical form for the hard smoot
cleaning surface upon which I gather the ink from the wipers in order to it
easy concentration and removal, as instead of hard smooth roller surfaces fla
surfaces and surfaces in other forms of hard material made smooth may b
employed when preferred, and when suitable to the general design of th
machine. I therefore use hard smooth cleaning surfaces of any convenien
form in conjunction not only with the wiping rollers described, but with othe
suitable wining apparatus.

page_text: Those portions of my Invention which refer to the processes of inking and
wiping may be applied to other kinds of intaglio printing machines as well as
to the improved machines herein described. If preferred a scraper may be
used to act directly upon the surface of the wiping roller which first operates
upon the plate, the other wiping roller or rollers being cleaned in the manner
before described.
Heat may be applied to the ink duct and to the printing plates when it is
desired to render the ink more fluid, and to make it work more freely. I also
apply heat to my hard smooth cleaning surfaces when it is desired to render
ile ink more fluid and more easily treated.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Murdoch Napier in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 16th November 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I. JAMES
MURDOCH NAPIER, of York Road, Lambeth, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself.. Her heirs and successors. give and grant unto me,
the said James Murdoch Napier. Her special licence that I, the said James
Murdoch Napier, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as 1. the said James Murdoch Napier, my executors. administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man. an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN INTAGLIO PLATE PRINTING MACHINERY," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said James Murdoch Napier, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their. or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and inmediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Murdoch Napier, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is

page_text: to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
following statement thereof, that is to say:--
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for what is
commonly called copper-plate printing, but which may be more correctly
termed intaglio printing. In this kind of printing the matter or design is
engraved, impressed, or otherwise sunk into the surface of the printing plate,
which is of copper. steel, or other suitable metal.
In the process of printing the ink is rolled or beaten into the sunk design,
the surface of the plate becoming necessarily covered with ink; this surface
is then wiped clean, after which the paper to be printed is placed upon the
plate, and they are passed together under a pressure cylinder clothed with a
soft material, such as blanket cloth, the paper is thus forced into the sunk
design, and receives the ink left in it when the surface of the plate was
wiped clean and so becomes printed.
My improvements consist of certain arrangements of machinery whereby
I am enabled to economize skilled labour in the above process, and to
increase production, and thereby place intaglio printing more nearly on a
level for speed and cheapness with raised surface or letter-press printing.
The arrangements of machinery to which I have referred admit of
variations to suit the class of work, and the quantity which is to be produced.
as well as to accord with the number of plates which it may be convenient to
furnish for use in the machine. To give the necessary pressure in printing
I use a platen or flat surface instead of a cylinder, but I do not confine
myself to the use of flat surface pressure, as cylindrical pressure may be used
when it is preferred. When flat surface pressure is used (to obtain the
required power with as little friction as possible) I actuate the platen by a
suitable toggle or knuckle joint arrangement in conjunction with a crank,
excentric, or cam movement, and by preference I employ one pair of such
joints placed on either side of the machine and arranged to act upon guide
bars fixed in either end of the platen. I attach the toggle joints by connecting
rods to cranks upon a shaft which receives its motion from the driving power
through a toothed wheel fixed upon it. I provide a weight to counterbalance
the weight of the platen and its appendages.
In my improved intaglio printing machines the plates (of which there should
be several) are attached to carrying tables, their printing face being upwards
these tables are moved in succession under the pressure platen (or pressure
cylinder as the case may be) and after the impression is taken onwards ou
at the other side of the platen or pressure cylinder, where the printed shee
is taken off, they are then moved to the right or to the left as may b

page_text: preferred, and are brought round again to their first position, after having
described a rectangular or other convenient figure: during their circuit (in
which they may have times of motion and times of rest) the plates are inked
and wiped and made ready to receive the paper before passing again under
the impression surface. When a large rate of production is required I
extend the above form of machine, increasing the number of carrying tables
and printing plates, and I employ a second pressure platen or cylinder (as
the case may be) placed at the opposite side of the figure described by the
plates. in their journey, so that the plates will give off an impression every
half circuit or twice in each complete circuit. The means used for inking and
wiping the plates (whether they be those which I shall herein-after describe
of other suitable means) must in this machine be duplicated in order to
ink and wipe cach plate in its passage from each pressure platen to the
other. The white paper will be fed on one side of each pressure platen (or
cylinder, as the case may be,) and when printed will be received at the other
side. I employ the usual ink duct with metal roller and adjustable edge
acting against it to regulate the quantity of ink, and a soft roller to receive
the ink from the duct roller and transmit it to the printing plate, and I
further provide one or more additional soft rollers arranged to roll the plate
crosswise, by which the ink is more perfectly distributed and more completely
worked into the sunk parts of the plate. To wipe the plate after inking I
provide wiping rollers, which I prefer to make with a leather surface, based upon
vulcanized india-rubber, these rollers while acting on the plates turn upon their
axes so as to gather the ink from off the surface of the plate on to their own
surface. To clean the wiping rollers I place each of them in contact with a
hard smooth cleaning roller, which may be made of any suitable metal or
material; this roller is made true and smooth, and is caused to turn in the
opposite sense to the wiping roller at the point where it is in contact
therewith, so that it gathers the ink off the wiping roller. The hard smooth
cleaning roller may be cleaned by means of a scraper or rubber applied against
the surface of the roller as it rotates so as to collect the ink and leave the roller
clean. The cleaned portion of the hard cleaning roller as it comes round
meets with the dirty part of the wiping roller, and so the ink is taken from
it on to the cleaning roller, and finally is gathered up for removal by the
scraper or rubber as before described.
It will be understood that when a printing plate is acted upon in succession
by several wiping rollers such as I have described, the first will take off the
most ink, the second less, and so on until the last, which will leave the surface
of the plate clean.

page_text: When it is desired I employ in conjunction with or instead of the wiping
apparatus just described a series of non-rotating wipers forming an endless
horizontal chain or belt of wipers, which is passed round two rollers lying
across the track of the printing plates which are wiped by the lower wipers
as the plates pass beneath them: a slow motion is given to this chain of
wipers in the direction opposed to that in which the plates move, so as to
bring that part of the belt or chain of wipers which has been underneath and
operating upon the printing plates successively uppermost, and in such a
position as that it may be readily cleaned by hand by an unskilled workman,
and when cleaned it passes on to come again in contact with the passing plates.
The length of this band of wipers and the distance between them may be
regulated to suit the requirements of the case. More than one series of such
wipers may be employed if desired. Any suitable material may be used for
these wipers, but I prefer to make them of leather placed upon vulcanized
india-rubber to form an elastic basis; they may be weighted so as to give the
desired pressure upon the plate under treatment. In some cases 1 cross wipe
the plates with similar wiping rollers to those already described. The wiping
roller is in this instance mounted upon a moving frame, and is made to pass
to and fro over the plate (which at the time is stationary) wiping the plate in
one passage only, and coming afterwards in contact with a hard cleaning
roller, such as I have before described, by which it is cleaned. The endless
bands or chains of non-rotating wipers before referred to may also be mounted
on moving frames and used for cross wiping, motion being given so as to
bring the dirty wipers uppermost that they may be cleaned by hand when
brought to rest. The pressure platens used in my machines are covered with
soft material, such as the blanket cloth which is employed to cover pressure
cylinders used in intaglio printing.
1 wish it to be understood that the hard smooth cleaning rollers which
I have described as used by me for cleaning the wiping rollers are not
necessarily placed in direct contact with the wiping rollers, but will serve the
same purpose if desired through the intermediation of other rollers or suitable
apparatus for carrying the ink from the wiping rollers to the hard smooth
cleaning rollers.
1 also desire it to be known that I do not confine myself to the use of my
hard smooth cleaning rollers in combination with wiping rollers, such as I have
described, as they may be used in conjunction with other modes of wiping, as
with an apron, for example, or with flat wipers. Nor do confine myself to
the cylindrical form for the hard smooth cleaning surface upon which I gather
the ink from the wipers in order to its easy concentration and removal, as

page_text: instead of hard smooth roller surfaces flat surfaces and surfaces in other forms
of hard material made smooth may be employed when preferred, and when
suitable to the general design of the machine: therefore use hard smooth
cleaning surfaces of any convenient form in conjunction not only with the
wiping rollers described, but with other suitable wiping apparatus.
Those portions of my Invention which refer to the processes of inking and
wiping may be applied to other kinds of intaglio printing machines as well as
to the improved machines herein described.
Heat may be applied to the ink duct and to the printing plates when it is
desired to render the ink more fluid and to make it work more freely. I also
apply heat to my hard smooth cleaning surfaces when it is desired to render
the ink more fluid and more easily treated.
And in order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto
annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figures 1, 2, and 3, Drawing No. 1. represent my improved machine
arranged with four carrying tables 1, 2, 3, and 4, upon which the printing
plates may be fixed in any convenient manner: these tables are moved in
succession under the pressure cylinder 5 in the following manner:--6 is the
pulley to which the power is communicated, and it is transmitted through
pinion and spur wheel 8 to shaft 9: upon this shaft cam 10 is fixed, which
in its rotations acts alternately against rollers 11 and 12, imparting to the
bar 13 a regular horizontal reciprocating motion; this bar should be properly
supported in guides to admit of its sliding freely. At one end of bar 13 a
rack 14 is provided, which gears into wheel 15 upon shaft 16, which is so
turned partly round first in one direction and then in the opposite direction by
the movements of the rack 14. Upon shaft 16 the bevil wheel 17 is fixed
which gears with pinion 18 upon shaft 19: this shaft also carries the bevil
wheel 20, which gears with the four pinions 21. 22, 23, and 24 upon spindles
25, 26, 27, and 28. upon the other ends of these spindles are spur wheels
29. 30. 31, and 32; these gear into the sliding racks 33, 34, 35, and 36,
which through the commections above explained are caused to reciprocate in
concert with rack 14: these racks slide in grooves 37 in the frame of the
machine, and are furnished with catches 38. which acting against the
In the Drawing
projections 39 upon the carrying tables move them onwards.
the tables are showu moving in the direction of the arrows and halfway on
their journey from one side of the machine to the other, table 3 being under

page_text: the pressure cylinder 5; upon their arrival at the situations indicated in blue
lines at the four corners of the machine the tables will rest while the racks
take their return stroke. The catches 38 in the return action give way when
passing under such of the projections 39 as are in their way, springs being
provided to the catches for that purpose; thus it will be understood that in
the arrangement above described the carrying tables are allowed to rest
at the corners of the machine, while the racks are moving in one direction,
and that they are moved from one corner to another during the time that the
racks are moving in the other direction. The tables run in planed sides
formed in the upper frame 40 of the machine.
In order more clearly to explain the movements of the carrying tables and
the positions which they occupy when the various operations of inking, cross
inking, cleaning, and printing take place I will describe the course of table 3
from its present position under the pressure cylinder. 1st, it completes its
journey in the direction of the arrow and arrives at A where it rests; secondly,
it moves to position B, and in its journey passes under the inking rollers 41
and 42 by which the plate is inked (roller 41 receiving the ink in the usual
way from the metal roller 43); thirdly, after the resting in position B it
moves to position C, passing under and in contact with the cross inking roller
44, and then under and in contact with the wiping roller 45. (This wiping
roller and its cleaning roller are shown more clearly in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4,
Drawing No. 3.) On arriving at position C, and during its period of rest in
that position, the wiping roller 46 is passed over it, and in its return wipes
the plate and then comes to rest upon the cleaning roller which is beneath it.
(This wiping apparatus with the cleaning roller and can arrangements and
other movements are clearly shown in Figures 5 and 6, Drawing No. 3.)
Fourthly, the table moves to position D, and in its passage comes into contact
with the continuous belt of wipers 17, the arrangement of which is clearly
illustrated in Figures 7, 8, and 9, Drawing No. 3; after resting in position D.
during which time the paper may be placed on the plate, the table is moved
to its first position under the pressure cylinder. The paper may be taken off
the plate when it is at rest in position A. It will be observed that the pressure
cylinder 5 is caused to move in unison with the rack 33 and the other parts
of the machine by means of the mitre wheel 48 and 49 which connect it with
the shaft 19. When passing under the pressure cylinder the tables are
supported by the rollers 50.
Drawing No. 2 represents the same description of machine as that shown
in Drawing No. 1, but arranged for flat surface pressure instead of cylindrical.
The platen 51 is placed in the position of the pressure cylinder: 52 are the

page_text: toggle joints, 53 the guide bars, 54 the connecting rods. 55 the cranks. 56 the
crank shaft; motion is given to the crank shaft from shaft 9 by means of the
spur wheels 57 and 58. which are in the proportion of two to one, so that the
platen will rise and fall twice for each revolution of shaft 9. Instead of em-
ploying a rack carrying a catch to move forward the tables on the side of the
machine where the platen is placed provide a cam 59 which through lever 60
and connecting rod 61 actuates a slide 62 upon which are two catches 38¹
and 382; the first of these moves the table from position D to its resting place
under the platen, and the catch 38 moves it on to position A. In order to
give the necessary rest under the platen the amount of rest before allowed in
positions D and A is reduced; the times of rest and motion otherwise remain
the same.
The arrangement of toggle joints is similar to that which I use in
letter-press printing machines for which I obtained Letters Patent, dated
1st October 1857, No. 2523.
Figures 10 and 11, Drawing No. 3, show machines arranged for six car-
rying tables and printing plates, Figure 10 having two pressure platens and
Figure two pressure cylinders. In these machines the racks which move
the tables from A to B and C to D will have two catches, and will operate
upon two of the tables at once, and each table in its turn will rest when half-
way between A and B and between C and D. as well as at A, B, C, and D.
It is obvious that machines may in a similar manner be arranged to work
with any desired number of plates, also that the machines above described
may be worked with fewer plates than their full complement, thus either of
the machines may be used with a single plate if desired.
Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4; Drawing No. 3, show various views of the wiping
apparatus indicated at 45 in Drawing No. 1. The hard smooth cleaning
roller 63 is caused to revolve in the direction of the arrow by its connection
with spindle 64 through the mitre wheels 65, 66. On the cleaning roller the
wheel 67 is fixed; this gears with the intermediate pinion 68 which turns upon
a pin in the frame 69 at 70; this frame is formed of the two lever bearing
pieces 69 and 69 united by the bar 69; these lever bearing pieces fit freely
on the ends of the cleaning roller 63, which is supported by and turns freely
in bearings in the frame 72 and 72; these frames are fixed to the frame of
the machine, and carry the doctor scraper, which acts against the cleaning
roller 63 at 71; this doctor may be pressed against the roller by a screw lever
or other convenient mode, which have not thought it necessary to show in
the Drawing, as the action of such doctors or scrapers is well known.
The wiping roller 45 is shown separately in section at Figure 4, Drawing
No. 1. a is a metal core; b is a tube of vulcanized india-rubber which is

page_text: forced on to the core so as to bind upon the teeth or projections formed on
the core sufficiently to prevent the india-rubber turning on the core when the
roller is in use. The india-rubber tube b is formed with numerous perforations
from end to end of it to increase its pliability, and for convenience of manu-
facture the tube b may be made in short lengths. is a coating of thin leather
which is fixed on to the roller by means of india-rubber cement.
Although it is desirable that the india-rubber should be vulcanized, this is
not essential. The wiping roller 45 is supported in bearings in frame 69 at
691, 692, and is furnished with wheel 73, which is fast upon its spindle and
gears into pinion 68, so that it is caused to revolve in the direction of the
arrow, and in the opposite sense to the wiping roller at the point 74, where
it is in contact therewith. The wiping roller 45 also revolves in the opposite
sense to that in which the carrying tables and plates move at the point 75
where they come into contact; thus the ink is gathered from off the printing
plate on to the surface of the wiping roller 45, and is taken off it by the hard
cleaning roller 63, and is finally gathered up by the doctor, scraper, or rubber.
When the wiping roller 45 is to be taken out of its bearings the frame 69
may be placed in the position shown in red lines, the screws 76 serve for
stopping and adjusting the position of the wiping roller and its contact with
the printing plates, and the screws 77 serve to the same purpose as well as to
the adjusting of the contact between the wiping roller 45 and the cleaning
roller 63.
In arranging the comparative speeds of the printing plates and the wiping
and the cleaning rollers I prefer to make the surface of the wiping roller to
travel faster than the surface of the printing plate, and the surface of the
cleaning roller to travel faster than the surface of the wiping roller.
Figures 5 and 6, Drawing No. 3. show more clearly the mode of wiping,
indicated at 46. Drawing No. 1, when the printing plate is at rest by causing
a wiping roller 46 to pass over it and wipe it in one direction while the roller
revolves in such a manner as to gather the ink on to its surface, which is
cleaned by the stationary cleaning roller 78, which in its turn is cleaned by a
doctor, scraper, or rubber at 79. The wiping roller is shown in its position in
contact with and being cleaned by the hard smooth cleaning roller 78, to
which motion is transmitted from shaft 9 through wheels and pinions 80, 81,
8:2, 83, 84, 85, and the wiping roller 46 receives its motion from the wheel 84
through wheels 86, 87, 88, 89, and 90.
wiping roller 46 when it passes over the printing plates. the spindle 91 being
grooved so that it can turn the pinion 89 while it passes along it by a feather,
which is attached to the pinion and runs in the groove. The wiping roller 46
The last two wheels travel with the

page_text: is mounted in travelling frame 92, which slides on the frame 93: this frame
is supported on centres 94 so that it can be made to vibrate, and thus the
wiping roller and frame can be raised and lowered by the action of lever 95.
through connecting rod 95'. lever 95, and cam 95: this cam is formed and
timed so as to raise the wiping roller when it is passing outwards over the
printing plates, and to lower it into contact with the printing plate on its
return. The cam 96 actuates lever 96' which by its connecting rod 96 is
attached to the travelling frame 92, which is thus caused to move with the
wiping roller over the printing plate.
Motion is communicated to cam shaft. 97 by wheels 97 and 972. The
shaft 98 upon the end of which pinion 81 is fixed extends as shown in
Figure 3, Drawing No. 1. and carries motion to the wiping and cleaning
apparatus at 45 and further by wheels 98'. 98%, shaft 98. and wheels 98*, 98
upright spindle 98. and wheels 987 and 988, to the metal roller 43 of the
inking apparatus.
Figures 7. 8. and 9. Drawing No. 3, will serve to explain clearly the
endless horizontal chain or belt of wipers indicated at 47. Figure 3. Drawing
No. 1 this belt of wipers receives its slow motion from shaft 9. Drawing
No. 1. and through wheels 991, 992, spindle 99. wheels 99, 99, worm 99:
and worm wheel 997, which is fixed on the spindle of the driving roller 100.
The endless belt of wipers passes round this roller and also round the roller
101, which is arranged in sliding bearings, so that the belt may be kept tight
enough by the pressure of springs seen in Figure 7. Drawing No. 3. The
belt of wipers 102 moves slowly in the direction of the arrows, the printing
plate coming into contact with the lower portion, while the upper portion may
be cleaned by hand. The printing tables move in the opposite directions in
the wipers with which they come into contact. The wipers on this endless belt
are formed of india-rubber, by preference vulcanized with a surface of thin
leather cemented over the india-rubber.
What I claim is the arranging intaglio printing machinery in such manner
that printing plates may be carried round in a circuit with the faces of the
plates uppermost, such plates passing under pressure apparatus and being
inked and wiped at suitable places in the circuit.
I also claim the arranging intaglio printing machines so as to cross ink the
printing plate, or in such manner that the printing plate is inked by rollers
traversing the plate both longitudinally and transversely.
I also claim the employing in intaglio printing machines wiping rollers and
other wiping surfaces having a leather surface based upon india-rubber.
I also claim in intaglio printing the use of hard rollers or surfaces to receive

page_text: the ink taken off the plates by wiping rollers or surfaces, and the use of
doctor scrapers or rubbers to gather the ink from such hard rollers or
surfaces, as herein-before set forth.
I also claim the arranging intaglio printing machines in such manner that
as the plate passes through the machine it may be wiped by an endless chain
of wiping surfaces in the manner herein-before set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Murdoch Napier, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
JAMES M. NAPIER. (L.s.)