Improvements in Embossed and Decorated Paper, Wood-pulp, Cloth, Leather, and similar Materials, and in the Method of and Means for their Production.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Jan., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 19th Oct., 1891-Accepted, 21st Nov., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Embossed and Decorated Paper, Wood-pulp, Cloth,
Leather, and similar Materials, and in the Method of and Means
for their Production.
I, EDWARD SHAILER SEARS of 89 Hopton Road Coventry Park Streatham in
the County of Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows :-
This invention relates to embossed and decorated paper, wood-pulp, cloth, leather,
and other similar materials, and to the method of and means for their production.
According to these improvements, the embossed and decorated material is
produced in a machine by means of which the material is embossed, the ground or
unraised portion may be coloured or tinted, and the embossed or raised portions
may or may not also be coloured or tinted. If the embossed parts are coloured or
tinted, then the colour or tint is applied in gradations approximately in inverse
proportion to the amount of relief of the embossment, the higher portions being
generally left untouched.
If it is desired to produce the decoration in more than one tint or colour, the
material may be passed through the machine once for each colour or tint employed.
The embossing of the material may be effected by any suitable machine, such for
example as that described in the Specification of Letters Patent No. 10,104 dated
the 19th July A.D. 1887 and granted to Jacob Murray Baker.
Above the embossing roller I arrange rollers and an ink or colour trough, the
rollers being equivalent to the ductor distributing and inking rollers of a typo-
graphic web printing machine.
When the ground only has to be tinted or coloured the ink or colour is applied
by the roller to the periphery of the embossing roller by which it is imprinted upon
the material. If the ink or colour is to be applied to the ground and also to the
relief in gradations as hereinbefore described, the inking or colour rollers are made
from a soft elastic material such as the well known glue and glycerine or treacle
compound, or of some other suitable material which will yield sufficiently under
pressure to apply the colour to the intaglio parts of the roller. The amount of ink
or colour applied to the intaglio parts being proportionate to the pressure and the
pressure varying as the depth of the intaglio, the amount of ink or colour imprinted
upon the relief will be in gradations proportionate to the depth of the intaglio of
the embossing roller, and consequently inversely proportional to the relief of the
embossed fabric or material.
When the ground colour is desired to be different from that on the embossed
portions of the material, the colour may be applied first both to the ground and to
the embossed portions as hereinbefore described and afterwards (or previously) the
ground may be separately printed by means of a roller in contact with the periphery
only of the embossing roller; but when this cannot be done owing to the first
ground colour modifying the second, wiping rollers or wipers may be employed to
remove the ink or colour from the periphery of the embossing roller when that
colour is being applied which it is not desired to apply to the ground.
If more than two colours are required, they are applied by successive, embossing
rollers each of which simultaneously embosses and prints a portion only of the
design but in all cases the colour is applied by the embossing rollers as hereinbefore
described.
Dated this 16th day of January A.D. 1901.
WILLIAM E. HEYS,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Embossed and Decorated Paper, Wood-pulp, Cloth,
Leather, and similar Materials, and in the Method of and Means
for their Production.
I, EDWARD SHAILER SEARS, of 89, Hopton Road, Coventry Park, Streatham, in
the County of Surrey, Engineer, 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 embossed and decorated paper, wood-pulp, cloth,
leather, and other similar materials, and to the method of and means for their
production.
According to these improvements, the embossed and decorated material is
produced in a machine by means of which the material is embossed, the ground or
unraised portion may be coloured or tinted, and the embossed or raised portions
may or may not also be coloured or tinted. If the embossed or raised parts are
coloured or tinted, then the colour or tint is applied more or less in gradations
approximately in inverse proportion to the amount of the relief of the embossment,
the higher portions being generally left untouched.
If it be desired to produce the decoration in more than one tint or colour, the
material may be passed through the machine once for each colour or tint employed.
The embossing of the material may be effected by means of any suitable rotary
mechanism, such for example as that described in the Specification of Letters Patent
No. 10,104 dated the 19th July A.D. 1887 and granted to Jacob Murray Baker.
For the production of the decorated effect or enrichment by colour, on the embossed
material, I arrange above the embossing roller, inking rollers, distributing rollers,
and an ink or colour trough, the inking rollers being constructed of a comparatively
soft and yielding material so that they may enter and convey the ink or colour to a
greater or less extent into the engraved or recessed parts of the roller, as well as
apply the ink or colour to the periphery of the roller. By this arrangement the
unengraved part of the embossing roller may be completely inked whilst the engraved
parts will be more or less inked according to the depth of the engraving and to the
pressure applied to the inking roller. Consequently, as the engraved roller
produces the embossments, it at the same time prints the ground of a uniform
colour and the embossed parts in gradations of the same colour.
I will more particularly describe my said invention with reference to the
accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the
machine, and Figure 2 a front elevation.
In each of these figures, A is the framing of the machine; B is the first motion
shaft driven by the pulleys C; D is the bed roller which is covered with a layer of
soft elastic material such as vulcanised indiarubber as in the machine already herein-
before referred to; and E the engraved embossing roller on which the pattern
to be produced is engraved. Instead of the bed roller D being covered with a soft
elastic layer, a soft elastic travelling web may be employed, also as described in
the before mentioned Specification of Letters Patent.
Above the embossing roller I.arrange a system of inking, distributing and transfer
rollers and inking devices which may conveniently consist of the ink or colour
trough F the ductor roller G, the ink transferring roller H, the distributing
rollers II, and the inking rollers J J. Motion may be transmitted to the ductor
roller by means of the crank pin K, the connecting rod L, and the ratchet and pawl
or equivalent feed motion M. The motion of the transfer roller H may be secured
by means of the cam N the bowl N¹ the connecting rod O and the arm P pivoted
on the axis of the roller. The longitudinal motion of the first distributing roller H

page_text: may be obtained through a bowl Q working in an inclined slot or cam on the axis
of the bed roller. This bowl is carried on the end of a lever R fulcrumed at S,
which lever carries at its upper end a second bowl T working in a circular groove
in the periphery of a small pulley fixed on the axis of the distributing roller.
The rollers are geared together by means of the gearing U indicated to the right
of Figure 2, it being understood that because of the longitudinal motion of the first
distributing roller, its pinion should be sufficiently wide to prevent its travelling
out of gear.
The gearing U is represented as consisting of spur wheels and
pinions, but in order to prevent the embossing roller always coming with a given
part into contact with a given part of the bed roller, friction wheels may be
substituted which will permit a slight amount of slip and thus alter the relative
positions of the embossing roller and of the bed roller.
The apparatus herein before described with reference to the accompanying
drawings is suitable and convenient for the purpose of my invention, but I desire it
to be understood that I do not limit myself to this construction and arrangement as
these may be considerably altered and modified as will be obvious.
The inking rollers are constructed of a suitable soft yielding elastic material such
as the well known glue and glycerine or treacle compound, or from felt, or from
some other similar or suitable material which will yield sufficiently under pressure
to apply the ink or colour to the intaglio parts of the roller to a greater or less
depth. To provide for varying the pressure between the inking and embossing
rollers, and thus to increase or reduce the amount of ink or colour applied, the
embossing roller may be carried in sliding bearings and be adjustable by means of
screws and springs. The amount of ink or colour to be applied to the engraved
parts of the embossing roller being proportionate to the pressure, and the pressure
varying inversely with the depth of the engraving, the amount of ink or colour
imprinted on the relief parts of the material will be in gradations proportionate to
the depth of the engraving and consequently inversely proportionate to the relief
of the embossment; that is to say, those parts of the embossments nearer to the
ground will receive the greater supply of ink or colour, whilst the higher parts will
receive little or none.
When the ground colour is desired to be different from that on the embossed
portions of the material, the colour may be applied first both to the ground and to
the embossed parts, and afterwards, (or previously) the ground colour may be
separately printed by means of a roller or rollers in contact with the periphery only
of the embossing roller, but when this cannot be done owing to the overprinting
giving an undesirable result, wiping rollers or wipers may be employed, to remove
the ink or colour from the embossing roller, whilst the embossments are being
printed.
If more than two colours are desired, they may be applied by successive
embossing rollers each of which simultaneously prints and embosses a portion only.
of the general design or pattern.
In all cases the ink or colour is applied to the material by the embossing roller as
hereinbefore described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is,
1. Simultaneously embossing and colouring or tinting paper, wood-pulp, leather,
cloth, and other similar materials, substantially as and by the means hereinbefore
described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
2. An apparatus for colouring or tinting the unembossed and less elevated parts
of the embossed portions of paper, wood-pulp, cloth, leather, and other similar
materials during the process of embossment; constructed and arranged substantially
as hereinbefore described and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
3. As a new article of manufacture, embossed and coloured or tinted wood-pulp,

page_text: paper, cloth, leather, and similar materials produced substantially as and by the
means hereinbefore described.
Dated this 21st day of September A.D. 1891.
WILLIAM E. HEYS,
Agent for the Applicant.