IMPROVEMENTS IN BLOCK PRINTING
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Dugdale Kay, of Bank Terrace,
Accrington, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BLOCK
PRINTING."
Sealed the 9th November 1853, and dated the 14th September 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Dugdale
Kay at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 14th September 1853.
I, RICHARD DUGDALE KAY, of Bank Terrace, Accrington, do hereby
declare that the nature of my Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BLOCK
PRINTING to be as follows:-
"
I take a piece of wood of dimensions varying according to the size of
the block to be used in the printing. Having planed this wood to a
true surface, I take the block which has the pattern upon it to be
shaded, and print an impression of it on the said wood in any colour or
substance that will shew clearly the pattern on the wood. I then cut
a hole in the wood of the shape thus indicated by the block, and I
divide this hole into two parts by a slip of wood or other suitable
material, and having made the top of this division level with the
surrounding part of the wood, and having also formed a channel from

page_text: each division of the hole, terminating at one end of the wood in two
separate orifices, I apply a layer of resin or other adhesive and imper-
vious substance equally over the surface of the wood, and while it is in
a state of fusion I lay over it a piece of flannel or other suitable fabric, and
then surround the hole on the upper surface of the flannel with a line of
resin or other suitable substance to retain the colour within certain limits.
The resin having had time to cool and to adhere firmly to the flannel,
the apparatus is complete. I proceed to work by introducing two
colours into the hole (divided and covered with flannel, as explained,) by
means of the channels communicating with this hole. I fill one half
the hole with a dark shade of colour, and the other half with a pale
shade of the same colour. There is no union of these two colours until
they have both risen to the exterior surface of the flannel covering the
hole. When the two colours have made their appearance on the
upper surface of the flannel, and a union of the two has taken place, I
take the block which I used for printing an inipression of on the wood,
and apply it to the hole (now covered with flannel and supplied
with colour, as explained), and transfer it to the fabric which is to be
printed. It is obvious that two shades of the same colour more or less
blended together will thus be conveyed to the fabric. The Invention
is not confined to the use of one division, or to two shades of the same
colour in one hole; more divisions and colours may be used in one hole,
and as many of these holes as may be desired may be made and con-
tain the same or different colours, and the form of the divisions may be
varied.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Richard Dugdale Kay in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 14th March 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
RICHARD DUGDALE KAY, of Bank Terrace, Accrington, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of September, in the

page_text: year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
seventeenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Richard Dugdale Kay, Her
special licence that I, the said Richard Dugdale Kay, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Richard
Dugdale Kay, 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, exércise, 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," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Richard Dugdale Kay, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, 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 Richard Dugdale Kay, 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):
My Invention consists of a new mode of shading, mixing, or blend-
ing colours used in block printing.
Several methods have been practised for "rainbowing," technically
speaking, i.e.; producing shaded effects in block printing, all of them
more or less tedious and expensive, and limited in their application,
requiring friction, mechanical agency, or skilled labour to produce the
desired result.
Methods are also in use for printing several colours by one application.
of the block (technically termed tobying), but these colours have been
invariably plain, not shaded, and the object has been to keep one
colour separate and distinct from another.
.
I propose to unite or mix the colours in regular or definite propor-
tions by modifying the ordinary "toby" apparatus, and thus to obtain
all the effects produced by the usual methods "of rainbowing," and

page_text: I take a piece of wood of dimensions varying according to the size
of the block to be used in the printing. Having planed this wood to
a true surface, I take the block which has the pattern upon it to be
shaded, and print an impression of it on the said wood in any colour or
substance that will shew clearly the pattern on the wood. I then cut
a hole in the wood of the shapo thus indicated by the block, and I
divide this hole into two parts by a slip of wood or other suitable
material, and having made the top of this division level with the
surrounding part of the wood, and having also formed a channel from
each division of the hole, terminating at one end of the wood in two
separate orifices, I apply a layer of resin or other adhesive and imper-
vious substance equally over the surface of the wood, and while it
is in a state of fusion I lay over it a piece of flannel or other suitable
fabric, and then surround the hole on the upper surface of the flannel
with a line of resin or other suitable substance to retain the colour
within certain limits. The resin having had time to cool and to adhere
firmly to the flannel, the apparatus is complete. I proceed to work
by introducing two colours into the hole (divided and covered with
flannel, as explained,) by means of the channels communicating with
this hole. I fill one half of the hole with a dark shade of colour, and
the other half with a pale shade of the same colour. There is no
union of these two colours till they have both risen to the exterior
surface of the flannel covering the hole. When the two colours have
made their appearance on the upper surface of the flannel, and a union
of the two has taken place, I take the block which I use for printing
an impression of on the wood, and apply it to the hole (now covered
with flannel and supplied with colour, as explained), and transfer it to
the cloth which is to be printed. It is obvious that two shades of the
same colour more or less blended together will thus be conveyed to the
cloth.

page_text: I wish it distinctly understood that I do not by the above description
mean to tie myself to one division or to two colours in one hole. I
propose to use as many divisions or colours in one hole as I may think
proper, and as many of these holes as may be necessary, each hole
containing the same or totally different colours. Further, I do not
intend to limit myself to a straight division of the
contrary, I propose to use sometimes a curved or irregular division, as
may be deemed proper to suit the peculiarity of the pattern.
colour hole; on the
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, this
Eleventh day of March, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
four
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
said Richard Dugdale Kay in the
presence of
JNo. F. STANSFIELD,
Att & Sol, &c.,
Accrington.
R. D. KAY. (L.S.)