IMPROVEMENTS IN BLOCK PRINTING APPARATUS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Walton, of Staines, in the County of
Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BLOCK PRINTING
APPARATUS."
Sealed the 16th May 1871, and dated the 25th January 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Walton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 25th January 1871.
I, FREDERICK WALTON, of Staines, in the County of Middlesex, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BLOCK PRINTING APPARATUS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in block printing
apparatus. For this purpose the cloth or material to be printed is
carried in succession under several blocks by means of two endless
bands having studs or projections standing up from them to enter
corresponding holes, which are punched along the two side edges of
the cloth or material to be printed. These holes are formed along the

page_text: side edges of the cloth by a suitable punching apparatus past which the
cloth is led just before it comes on to the endless bands (or the holes
might be previously punched), and the cloth after having the holes
punched in it passes on to the spiked bands and is pressed down on to
them by rollers beneath which the cloth is led. The endless bands have a
step-by-step motion given to them, and at each movement they travel a
distance equal to the width of each of the blocks, and carry the cloth
forward a corresponding distance over a suitable bed.
If the cloth or material to be printed is not sufficiently rigid to allow
of its being carried, through the machine by the arrangement above
described other arrangements may be adopted for the purpose.
The blocks are ranged side by side in a row and each of them is mounted
in such a manner that it can be raised and lowered, the blocks are not
placed close to one another, but a space is left between each of them
equal to the width of a block. In order to supply color to the blocks
after each impression, the blocks are pressed down on to pads, the
surfaces of which have been previously supplied with color these pads
- are each mounted in a frame which can be run in and out, so as alter-
nately to bring the pad below the block, and afterwards run it out to
the side of the machine; when the pad is below the block the block is
by suitable cams pressed down on to it, and when the block has been
again raised. the pad is run away from below it, and as it is run out
color is supplied to the pad from a brush or gauge, to which a con-
tinuous supply of color is allowed to flow from the bottom of a color
box, or color may be otherwise supplied to the pad.
can be controlled and arrested by a suitable valve.
thus been supplied with color from its pad it is again moved downwards
by the cam which actuates it, and is pressed on to the cloth which is
then at rest. The block is then again raised by its cam, and the cloth
is by the endless chains again moved forward a distance equal to the
width of a block, and the same operation is repeated. The whole of the
apparatus is by preference carried on a frame mounted on wheels, so
that after one well, hole, or space has been filled with printed goods it
may be run into position to fill another well.
.
The flow of color
After the block has
In order to give the requisite rising and falling motions to the several
blocks, each block is carried by a rectangular plate having at each of
the four corners a hole formed through it, through which passes a fixed
upright; to the back of the plate are secured two upright rods which
:

page_text: +
'near their upper ends are secured to a horizontal plate, and this plate
like the lower plate can rise and fall, and is guided by the vertical
pillars. The upper plate is constantly pressed upwards by means of
springs and thereby rollers carried at the upper ends of the two rods
before mentioned are pressed against two cams carried by a cross shaft,
mounted at the top of the framing. There is one such cross shaft for
cach of the printing blocks, and these several shafts are geared one with
the other by spur wheels, so that they revolve simultaneously, and the
cams upon them are formed to give a simultaneous rising and falling
motion to the several blocks. From the last of these cross shafts an
intermittant motion is given to the axis of one of the rollers, around
which pass the endless bands by which the fabric to be printed is carried
forward, for this purpose a ratchet wheel is fixed upon the axis of the
roller and is acted on by a pawl carried by a rod which at its upper end is
connected to a crank pin on the side of the spur wheel of the last of the
cross shafts above mentioned, and in order to lock the roller and bring
it accurately to its proper position just before the printing blocks.are
pressed down on to the fabric to be printed, there is upon the axis of
the rollers a wheel with recesses formed at proper intervals around its.
periphery into one or other of which a locking block is at this time.
caused to enter; this block is carried at the end of a rod which at its
other end is capable of turning on a fixed centre. The block is raised.
and lowered by a connecting rod and crank pin, carried by an arm also
on the last of the cross shafts before mentioned, and. is moved into and
out of the recesses at the time when the driving pawl is not, acting
to turn the rollers which carry the endless bands; on the under side of
the bands are projections to cuter recesses in the rollers over which the
bands pass.
In order to move the color pads in and out so as alternately to bring
them below the printing blocks and run them out to be supplied with:
color, I employ a grooved cam formed around and passing from end to
end of an open framework drum carried by an axis below the plane in
which the pad moves to and fro, and parallel with the direction of its
movement; the axes carrying these cams are driven by chains and chain'
wheels from the cross shafts which give motion to the printing blocks.
A projection on the underside of the frame which carries each pad
enters the cam groove, and as the axis carrying the cam is rotated tho.
pad is run in and out.

page_text: The apparatus above described is more especially applicable for
printing cloths suitable for floor cloths, but it may be employed for
printing cloth or other material, for other purposes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,.
filed by the said Frederick Walton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 25th July 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FREDERICK
WALTON, of Staines, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in
the thirty-fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto the said Frederick Walton, Her special
Jicense that I, the said Frederick Walton, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Frederick Walton, 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 BLOCK
PRINTING APPARATUS," upon the condition, amongst others, that I, the said
Frederick Walton, my exccutors 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 immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Frederick Walton, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in block printing
apparatus... For this purpose the cloth or material to be printed is carried
in succession under several blocks by means of two endless bands having

page_text: studs or projections standing up from them to enter corresponding holes
which are punched along the two side edges of the cloth or material tö
be printed. These holes are formed along the side edges of the cloth by
a suitable punching apparatus past which the cloth is led just before it
comes on to the endless bands, or the holes might be previously punched;
and the cloth after having the holes punched in it passes on to the
spiked bands and is pressed down on to them by rollers beneath which
the cloth is led. The endless bands have a step-by-step motion given to
them, and at each movement they travel a distance equal to the width
of each of the blocks and carry the cloth forward a corresponding
distance over a suitable bed.
If the cloth or material to be printed is not sufficiently rigid to allow
of its being carried through the machine by the arrangement abovė
described, other arrangements may be adopted for the purpose.
The blocks are ranged side by side in a row and each of them is
mounted in such a manner that it can be raised and lowered, the blocks
are not placed close to one another but a space is left between each of
them equal to the width of a block. In order to supply color to the
blocks after each impression the blocks are pressed down on to pads, tho
surfaces of which have been previously supplied with color, these pads
are each mounted in a frame which can be run in and out so as alter-
nately to bring the pad below the block and afterwards run it out to
the side of the machine. When the pad is below the block the block is
by suitable cams pressed down on it, and when the block has been again
raised the pad is run away from below it, and as it is run out color is
supplied to the pad from a brush or gauge to which a continuous supply
of color is allowed to flow from the bottom of a color box, or color may
be otherwise supplied to the pad. The flow of color can be controlled
and arrested by a suitable valve. After the block has thus been supplied
with color from its pad it is again moved downwards by the cam which
actuates it and is pressed on to the cloth which is then at rest. The
block is then again raised by its cam, and the cloth is by the endless
chains again moved forward a distance equal to the width of a block,
and the same operation is repeated.. The whole of the apparatus is by
preference carried on a frame mounted on wheels so that after one well
hole or space has been filled with printed goods it may be run into
position to fill another well.
"

page_text: In order to give the requisite rising and falling motions to the several
blocks, each block is carried by a rectangular plate having at each of the
four corners a hole formed through it, through which passes a fixed
upright; to the back of the plate are secured two upright rods which
near their upper ends are secured to a horizontal plate, and this. plate
like the lower plate can rise and fall, and is guided by the vertical pillars.
The upper plate is constantly pressed upwards by means of springs, or is
drawn upwards by weights, and thereby rollers carried at the upper ends
of the two rods before mentioned are pressed against two cams carried
by a cross shaft mounted at the top of the framing; there is one such
cross shaft for each of the printing blocks, and these several shafts are
geared one with the other by spur wheels so that they revolve simul-
taneously and the cams upon them are formed to give a simultaneous
rising and falling motion to the several blocks. From the last of these
cross shafts an intermittent motion is given to the axis of one of the
rollers around which pass the endless bands by which the fabric to be
printed' is carried forward. For this purpose a ratchet wheel is fixed
upon the axis of the roller and is acted on by a pawl carried by a rod
which at its upper end is connected to. a crank pin on the side of the
spur wheel of the last of the cross shafts above mentioned, and in order
to lock the roller and bring it accurately to its proper position just before
the printing blocks are pressed down on to the fabric to be printed there
is upon the axis of the rollers a wheel with recesses formed at proper
intervals around its periphery into one or other of which a locking block
is at this time caused to enter, this block is carried at the end of a'rod
which at its other end is connected with a lever which is capable of
turning on a fixed centre. The block is raised and lowered by a cam
also on the last of the cross shafts before mentioned and is moved into
and out of the recesses at the time when the driving pawl is not acting
to turn the rollers which carry the endless bands. On the underside of
the bands are projections to enter recesses in the rollers over which the
bands pass.
In order to move the color pads in and out so as alternately to bring
them below the printing blocks and run them out to be supplied with
color, I employ chains actuated by wheels on an axis below the plane
in which the pads move to and fro. The axis carrying these wheels is
driven by a mangle wheel and pinion, which by intermediate gear is
driven from the cross shafts which give motion to the printing blocks.

page_text: The apparatus above described is more especially applicable for printing
cloths suitable for floor cloths, but it may be employed for printing cloth
or other material for other purposes.
In order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings here-
unto annexed.
Description of the Drawings: Figures 1 and 2 are opposite side views
of the apparatus; Figure 3 is a transverse section of the same; and
Figure 4 shews the punching apparatus to a larger scale; a, a, is the
frame of the machine, it is mounted on three pair of wheels which run
upon rails, so that the machine may be moved from place to place. The
floor cloth or other fabric as it is printed is delivered into drying. pits
where it is hung over bars in festoons and is left to dry for several weeks,
and the machine being on wheels when one pit is full it is readily moved
to the next, and so much unnecessary handling of the fabric after printing
is avoided. By means of an endless driving belt the transverse axis bis
driven from a steam engine or other source of power. The axis 6 by
a pinion upon it drives the axis 6', and the axis 6' drives the similar axes
band by means of. spur wheels b*, c¹, c³, c², c², and c³, c³, are cams
on these axes for bringing the printing blocks down into contact with
the sheet to be printed and with the color pads. The machine represented
in. the Drawings is adapted to work three printing blocks, but usually
the machines will be arranged for a greater number of blocks and then
additional supporting wheels and a third rail are provided. The cams
c¹, c', act on friction wheels d', d', carried by the vertical stems e¹, and
these stems are fixed to the frames f¹ to which on the under side the
printing block g¹ is clamped. The frame f¹ is able to slide up and down
on the upright guide bars a¹ of the frame and to steady it and the
stems e', there is an upper frame h¹ also sliding on the uprights a¹ and
connected with the frame f¹ by the bolts . k¹, k¹, are counterpoise
weights attached by rods and chains passing over pulleys to the frame h¹,
these weights keep the friction wheels d', d', in contact with the cams
c³ raising the block with the parts which carry it each time after it has
been depressed by the cams. The other blocks g² and g³ are similarly
arranged and worked. 1, 1, are endless steel bands with pegs., U, to
receive the fabric to be printed, the pegs passing through holes punched
for them in the margin of the fabric, these bands support the strain
necessary to carry the fabric through the machine, and notwithstanding
'

page_text: from block to block so that each part of the pattern may fall accurately
into its proper place.
as
0,
Figure 5 is a transverse section (full size) of one of the bands 1. The
pegl' is inserted from the under side through a hole in the band, and it
has a T head which is fixed to the band by rivets. These heads enter
recesses in the wheels m¹ and m², which carry the bands. The bands
when the fabric is upon them run in guide channels, as is seen in
Figure 5, and the fabric is supported between the bands on a table
which beneath the printing blocks is padded with thick felt n. Figure 6
is a portion of a side view of the band with the guide channel in
section. The fabric is led on to the machine over a guide roller and
it is drawn forward it passes under the punches p, p,
which prepare
the holes for the pins 1. The punches are worked by the rocking
shafts p' and p³, which are connected across the machine in the manner
shown in Figure 4, and the shaft p' takes its motion from a cam on the
axis bp are adjustable guards to prevent the fabric lifting with the
punches. The adjustable roller q, which has holes in its periphery,
presses the fabric on to the pins, and the bands then carry it forward.
Between each descent of the printing block and the next the bands /
have to receive a forward motion equal to the width of one of the blocks.
All the printing blocks are of the same size, and the spaces between
them are of the same width as the blocks. The wheels mare driven in
order to give motion to the bands by a ratchet wheel and a driving
pawls on a lever s'. The lever is worked by a connecting rod sª
taking its motion from a crank pin carried round by the axis b¹. In
order to obtain great accuracy of movement the last portion of the
forward motion of the fabric is obtained by the insertion of the pin or
plunger into recesses at the side of the ratchet wheel . These recesses
are taper, and their faces which are adjustable are accurately fitted, so
that the pin or plunger being forced down between then brings the
wheel and consequently the carrying bands exactly to the proper
position, and holds it there whilst the printing blocks descend on to the
fabric. The pin or plunger & is worked by a rod t connecting it with a
lever, which is moved by a cam on the axis 6'. The printing blocks
receive the color from color pads u, u, which are covered with felt with
a smooth waterproof surface. The tables which carry them slide on the
guides '; they are caused to move at the proper times by endless

page_text: chains,, which have stops ¹, v¹, upon them, and these come in
contact with the projections a² on the tables. The chains v, v, are fixed
to the peripheries of the wheels w¹, w, w³; the former has a mangle
wheel w fixed to it, which is driven first one way and then the other
by the pinion a, the axis of which is connected by a universal joint to
the wheel y, and is suitably guided, so that it may pass along the mangle
wheel teeth alternately on the inner and outer side. The wheel y is
driven by the wheel y', and this by an endless chain and chain wheels y²
from the axis y³, on which is a pinion in gear with the wheel y' on the
axis &. The chains u, e, are thus constantly travelling to and fro, but
the color pads pause at cach end of their course, whilst the chains travel.
the distance between the stops c. As the printing blocks rise from the
fabric which is being printed the color pads run in beneath them, then
when the pads are stationary the blocks come down into contact with
them, being caused to do so by the smaller rise on each of the printing
cams; then when the blocks have again risen from the pads the pads
run out, and as soon as they are clear the block comes down and
prints the fabric. The punching of the holes in the fabric is effected
whilst the fabric is stationary for printing. The color pads are supplied
from the paint troughs, the flow of the color from which is regulated
by wooden plugs not indicated in the Drawings, and the color is spread
by doctors or scrapers ¹. There are two scrapers to cach trough; they
are connected to a weighted axis which rocks, being moved by pins
or projections on the color table in such manner that in whichever
direction the table be travelling it can only carry with it from the color
trough so much color as will pass beneath the edge of the scraper or
doctor. The printing blocks are, as has heretofore been the practice,
grooved or saw cut on the printing face to prevent the color sucking
inwards towards the centre of cach patch when the block is lifted.
Sometimes to obliterate the marks of these grooves or saw cuts I give
the blocks a slight motion whilst in contact with the fabric. The
block I is then not rigidly fixed to the surface f, but can move upon it
a short distance under the control of an eccentric or such like instru-
ment. In some cases I spread two colors on each of the printing pads,
half of the width of the pad being occupied by each color. In this
way a greater variety of color in the printed pattern may be obtained.
By punching holes in the edges of the fabric not only is the fabric
accurately guided whilst it is printed, but the subsequent processes of

page_text: washing the surface of the fabric and cutting the edge true and straight
with the pattern are much facilitated.
: Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I would have it understood that I
claim as my improvements in block-printing machinery are,-
First. The endless carrying bands with pegs upon them entering holes
punched in the edges of the sheet to be printed, and carrying the sheet
step by step from block to block, substantially as described.
Second. The arrangement of block-printing apparatus substantially as
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Walton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of July One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-one.