Improvements in Printing Web Fabrics and Appliances Connected therewith.
Year: 1885

page_text: Improvements in Printing Web Fabrics and Appliances
Connected therewith.
I, JAMES MACNAB, of Lillyburn Print Works, Milton of Campsie, in the county
of Stirling, Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as
follows:-
"
The object of my improvements is in a great measure to utilize the ordinary
machinery, for producing special styles and results such as are usually done by
special machinery and require expensive manipulation with an uncertainty of result.
Also to enable new combinations and effects to be produced in imitation of woven
goods and the styles known as discharge cottons," "reversibles," "double pads,"
"curtains and handkerchiefs." In short to produce on printed textile goods (cloth,
silk, or wool) the same appearance on both sides of the fabric, or to make colora
appear to have been applied to both sides of a fabric, without employing a machine
having two bowls or central cylinders such as is usually required in this class of
printing.
The nature and novelty of my invention consist as follows:-I use a printing
machine such as is commonly called a copper cylinder calico printing machine,
having double the number of printing rollers or cylinders that the number of colors
require, as in this case two cylinders are used to print one color, if it be required
to be of one shade both on the back and on the face of the fabric, that is to say
one roller is used to apply color to the one side of the fabric in the usual manner,
and the other is used to apply color to the other side of the fabric in the improved
manner hereinafter described; even although in some cases two different shades
are required, and in this case the effect will be different on each side of the cloth.
Thus in a pattern having two colors, four rollers or printing cylinders are required,
two of these are used as at present to print the outer face of the fabric on the
central bowl, and the other two lay their colors on to a second fabric or medium
also passing over the surface of the bowl below the fabric being printed, which is
then made to transfer these colors by pressure to the back of the other fabric
exactly behind those printed on the face and by the pressure of the same rollers;
thus producing equal effect on both sides of the material, and giving them an equal
appearance on either side. The new extra two rollers would be fitted with their
color boxes and "doctors" all as the other ordinary printing rollers are, and print
the colors on the entering side of the medium and central bowl, and the fabric to
be printed would be guided so as to enter between the medium and the first
ordinary printing roller, and be printed on both sides as stated at the delivery side
of the bowl before leaving its surface; and all the four rollers would be fitted and

page_text: geared by box wheels as usual, at the same surface speed as the central bowl for
driving the rollers, and are easily kept in place when suitable arrangements are
made by the engraver as to size, all as in the present printing machines. Again it
is sometimes convenient to put colors on in two separate parts, thus the two
mordaunts may be supplied by the two rollers on the back of the fabric, and the
coloring matters by the two rollers on the face of the fabric. In this way materials
can be used in colors that would not work well together if combined before touching
the fabric.
.
The above can be done in any modern style of Calico-printing machine, using
copper printing cylinders, also in the circular block or surface machine; with a few
simple alterations that do not decrease their efficacy for ordinary work.
Although only two colours and two rollers have been described for putting the
colours on the opposite sides of the fabric, it will be understood that three or more
rollers might be fitted and used in like manner, according to the number of colours
and printings desired to suit the design on the fabric.
The essential novelty of my invention is the printing of the colour or mordaunt
first on to a medium, and then transferring it from this medium or fabric to the
other fabric to be printed, as herein described, and in doing this by the extra colour
printing rollers arranged so as to print the colour on the said medium in the
ordinary one bowl printing machine to obtain the effect or appearance of being
printed on both sides.
. Connected therewith.
I, JAMES MACNAB, of Lillyburn Printworks, Milton of Campsie, in the County
of Stirling, Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and 3
ascertained in and by the following statement in writing, reference being had
to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings and to the reference letters and figures
marked thereon, that is to say :-
The object of my improvements is in a great measure to utilize the ordinary
trade machinery for producing special styles and results, such as are usually done 3
by special machinery requiring expensive manipulation and with uncertain results.
Also to enable new combinations and effects to be produced in imitation of "
goods" and the style known as "discharge cottons," "reversibles," "double pads,"
woven

page_text: curtains," and "handkerchiefs;" in short, to produce on. printed textile goods
(Cotton, Wool, or Silk,) the same appearance on both sides of the fabric, by
application of colouring matter to both sides of that fabric, without employing a
special printing machine, having two bowls or central covered cylinders, such as is
at present used for this class of printing.
And in order that the nature and novelty of my said invention, and the manner
in which the same is carried into effect or practice may be properly understood,
I have hereunto appended a Diagram sectional end view, representing my
improvements applied to an ordinary one bowl calico-printing machine for
printing web fabrics.
Referring to the Diagram which illustrates my improvements as applied for
printing on to web fabrics D, a pattern having two colours on its front or outer
face D, and one colour on its inner face or back D2, three rollers or printing
cylinders B, B, C, are required, two of these B, B¹, are used in the ordinary way to
print the colour, supplied to them by the colour rollers b from the troughs or
boxes b¹, to one side or outer face D¹, of the fabric D. The other roller Clays its
colour, which is supplied to it in a similar manner, on to a second medium, fabric
or material E, of the nature of cloth (which in some cases is made water proof by,
having a coating or covering of india rubber,) also passing through the machine
over the bowl A and between its surface A¹ and the inner face D2 of the fabric to
be printed. This fabric or material E is then made to transfer the colour placed
on it by the printing roller C, from its surface to the inner face or back D, of the
fabric D, to be printed, exactly behind the colours printed on its front face D', by
the rotation of the bowl A and the pressure of the other two rollers B, B¹, and the
pressure of a plain cylinder B2, running in the machine along with them, which
might either press the fabric to be printed on to the medium E, before or after,
being printed with its colours on the outside; and all coupled by the usual box-
wheel gears. Thus when the fabric D, to be printed, leaves the machine, it has
received colour on both its sides D1, D2, as herein-before described, registering the
pattern on both sides. The new colour transferring roller C, has all the usual
fittings that are at present used to print in the ordinary manner, and prints the
colour on to the transferring fabric or medium E, at the entering side of the
machine, and the fabric D, to be printed would be guided by the rollers F, F¹,
from its roll beam D³, so as to avoid the first printing roller C, and enter between
the transferring medium E and the first ordinary printing roller B, and so be
printed on its inner face or back D³, by the new colour transferring medium E;
and on the front face D¹, by the other two rollers B, B¹, in the usual manner, all
being fitted and geared at the same surface speed as the central bowl A, and easily
kept exactly in place when the usual suitable arrangements are made by the.
engraver in regard to circumferences, as are in the printing machines at present in
use.
It is sometimes convenient or necessary to put colours on in two separate
parts, thus a mordant may be supplied by the roller C, to the inner face or back D³,
of the pattern or fabric, and the colouring matter put on by the rollers B, B', to the
front face. D¹, of the fabric. In this way materials can be used in colours that
would not work well together if combined before touching the fabric. When two
or more colours were desired to be transferred to the medium E, one or more of the
rollers C, would preferably be made of the nature of a block or surface roller.
These operations can all be executed in any modern style of calico-printing
machine using copper printing cylinders, or with circular block or surface rollers,
by making a few simple alterations which any practical printer would at once
understand without special description, and which do not decrease their efficiency
for ordinary work. Although only three rollers B, B¹, C, have been described for
transferring or putting the colour on opposite sides of the fabric, I by no means
confine myself to that number, as two or more rollers might be used for transferring
the colour on to the medium E, and three or more rollers might be fitted to print
the colour on the front or outside of the fabric, and used in a like manner according
to the number of colours and printings desired to suit the design on the fabric.

page_text: By another arrangement of my improvements only two rollers or cylinders B, C,
are used to print one colour, if it be required to be of one shade both on the back
and on the face of the fabric, that is to say, one roller B is required to apply colour
to the one side D¹ of the fabric in the usual manner, and the other roller C is used
to apply colour to the other side D' of the fabric in the improved manner herein-
before described. Or when two different colours are required, the effect will be
different on each side of the fabric, as each roller B, and C, will then apply a
different colour, and the colour on the one side may be made to effect a difference
in the shade of the colour on either side.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
First. The printing of colours or mordants on to a medium of the nature of cloth,
passing round a single printing bowl, and then transferring these to the one side of
the fabric to be printed by the pressure of rollers on the other side of the fabric,
while passing over the medium on the bowl, and being printed on the other or
outside of the fabric by printing rollers in the usual mauner, so as to print both
sides of the fabric, substantially as and by the improved means herein described,
and illustrated.
Second. The printing of colours or mordants on to a medium, by rollers or
equivalent means, and then transferring these to the inside surface of the fabric to
be printed, all substantially for the purposes and in the new or improved manner
herein described and illustrated.
Third. In a one bowl calico-printing machine the combination and arrangement
of rollers and colour transferring medium for printing web fabrics, on both sides,
substantially as herein described and illustrated.