CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PRINTING COTTON AND OTHER
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Coates, of Sunnyside, near Rawtenstall,
in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, in the Employment of Messieurs
Butterworth and Brooks, of Sunnyside aforesaid, for the Invention of
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PRINTING COTTON AND OTHER
39
Sealed the 22nd April 1864, and dated the 6th November 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Coates at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th November 1863.
I, CHARLES COATES, of Sunnyside, near Rawtenstall, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, in the Employment of Messieurs Butterworth and
Brooks, of Sunnyside aforesaid, do hereby declare the nature of the said.
Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PRINTING COTTON AND
OTHER FABRICS," to be as follows:-
My Invention is principally adapted to printing fabrics on which the pattern
runs in stripes or rows, but it is also applicable to other printing machines.
In printing fabrics with striped patterns it is frequently necessary to reprint
them either before or after dyeing by machine or by blocks, and it has been
found very difficult, if not impossible, to make the patterns coincide. Now
according to my Invention the desired object is accomplished. When the
fabric on which a pattern in stripes or rows has been printed enters the
machine, it passes under little rollers which are supported in or guided by

page_text: needle points or other holders. As the fabric is carried forward the attendant
or attendants move the needle points or other holders to bring the stripes in
line with grooves made in suitable guide rails or rollers, the fabric is then
carried forward to the printing roller, which is constructed according to my
Invention, the rollers or discs, either engraved or otherwise, by which the
fabric is pressed against the printing cylinder are mounted on a mandril, and
they are divided into three or other convenient number of sets, each set being
capable of lateral adjustment by screws or other equivalent agents, so as to be
able to regulate their distance according to the distance between the stripes
on the fabric to be printed.
The last part of my Invention consists of an apparatus for stretching the
fabric as it enters or passes through the machine. This apparatus consists of
an axle and two rails around which the fabric is taken, and by turning the
axle partly round, by a worm and wheel, or otherwise, the fabric is tightened
and stretched.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Coates in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
3rd May 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
COATES, of Sunnyside, near Rawtenstall, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer,
in the Employment of Messieurs Butterworth and Brooks, of Sunnyside
aforesaid, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Charles Coates, Her special license that I, the said Charles Coates, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles
Coates, 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR PRINTING COTTON AND OTHER FABRICS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Charles Coates, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their

page_text: hands and scals, 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 Charles Coates, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say) :-
The nature of my Invention consists in certain improved combinations and
arrangements of machinery for printing cotton and other fabrics on which the
pattern runs in stripes or rows, so that when such patterns require to be
repeated the patterns produced coincide or keep register with each other.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the three accompanying
Sheets of Drawings, reference being bad to the figures and letters marked
thereon.
On Sheet 1, Fig. 1 is an elevation of my improved machinery; on Sheet 2.
Fig. 2 is a plan of the same; Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 are detached views
of part of the same. On Sheet 3, Figs. 9 and 10 are a side and front
elevation of a modification of my improved machinery.
In Fig. 1 the line a represents the fabric to be reprinted, and on which
a pattern in stripes or rows has already been printed or dyed in a previous
machine, or by a previous process. The fabric a is wound on the roller b, and
it is carried over and under the stretching bars c, then it passes under the
guide roller b', under the platform de, under the guide roller 63, around the
guide roller, and over the board b', above which is a row of guide rollers d,
corresponding in number to the number of stripes or rows in the pattern
printed; the rollers d are loose on a shaft supported by the framework, and
the distance between the rollers d is regulated according to the pattern by the
attendant actuating the guide forks d', which are hinged to a cross rail d",
and take into grooves in the bosses of the rollers d. Around the rollers d,
and the rollers d' and d³, pass the straps e, which are furnished with card teeth
or needle points to hold the fabric as it is carried forward over the roller b",
which is covered with flannel or other suitable material to press the fabric on
to the needle points, the straps e then pass under the grooved boards e'; these
boards and the rollers d', and d³, are made with parallel grooves to guide the
straps and the fabric a, which then passes over the guide roller 6. and
between the rollers y and h. the latter of which forms the bed around which

page_text: the blanket i and the grey piece j pass in the usual manner. The blanket i,
on leaving the bed roller h, is taken around the drying cylinder i¹, and then
over the guide rollers i, i³, and it, and the grey cloth which is wound on the
roller is taken under the guide roller j, then under the guide roller i*, over
the bed roller h, from which it passes around the drying cylinder i¹, over the
guide roller 2, then round the guide rollers j³, j', and j³, again under the
roller, from whence it is taken again over the bed roller h, and after passing
a second time around the drying cylinder i¹ and guide roller i³, it is taken to
the guide roller jo, and then wound on the roller j' by the friction roller jo.
The printed fabric a after passing between the bed roller h and the surface
printing roller k (the peculiar construction of which will be explained here-
after), is taken partly round the drying cylinder 2, then around the drying
cylinder 1, and over the guide roller to the roller 13, from which it is taken
to a friction roller 13, and wound up on the roller *. I wish to observe here
that I make no claim to the peculiar arrangement of the drying cylinders,
guide, and other rollers, for the blanket, the grey cloth, and the printed fabric;
but I find this arrangement the most convenient in carrying my Invention
into operation.
My improved printing roller is constructed as shewn in Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6,
7, and 8. k is the axle, supported as usual in adjustable bearings fitting in
the side frames of the machine, as shewn in Figs. 1 and 2; near each end
of the axle k is fixed a block ke, in which are recesses for the pinions m, each
pinion is fixed to or forged with a screw m³, and these screws take into
nuts n, let into the sliding bushes n'. In the present instanco I have shewn
a printing roller with eight sliding bushes n', four of which are acted upon
from each side of the axle ; but I wish it to be understood that a greater or
less number may be actuated from each side of the axle, or they may all be
actuated from one side of the axle. The sliding bushes n² have a groove
fitting on a key let into the axle, and to each sliding bush n¹ is fixed,
by set screw or otherwise, a brass or other shell, on which the pattern
is engraved, or to which the pattern is otherwise attached. The distance
between the sliding bushes n³, and consequently between the rows of the
pattern on the shells, is regulated by the internal wheels m² gearing
into the pinions m; these internal wheels fit on the blocks ', and are
held in their lateral positions by the washers k³, in which are holes for
the screws m³ to revolve in; the wheels m³ are turned round when required
by a key or pin taking into holes in the circumference of the said
wheels. By regulating the distance of the shells to coincide with the
distance between the endless bands with needle points e, it is evident that

page_text: the pattern printed by the roller k will keep register with the pattern
previously printed on the fabric passing through the machine. The colour is
supplied to the printing roller by the furnishing roller o, which is driven by
the wheel ³ fixed to one of the blocks n' gearing into the wheel o' on the
axle of the roller o, which revolves in the colour trough or troughs p.
and is provided with a doctor as usual. One or more colours may be
applied to the figures on the printing roller k², according to the pattern to be
printed.
On Sheet 3, Figs. 9 and 10 are a side view and front elevation of a printing
machine constructed according to a modification of my Invention. In these
views the parts which are similar to those shewn in Figs. 1 and 2 are marked
with corresponding letters of reference. In this machine the fabric, the
blanket, and the grey cloth are taken away in the usual manner. The fabric
supposed to be passing through this machine has received its previous impression
by passing through the machine shewn in Figs. 1 and 2.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described the manuer
of performing the same, I declare that I claim,-
First, the adjustable endless bands e with needle points or other holders,
which are capable of being set to the pattern on the fabric as described.
Secondly, the grooved boards and rollers for guiding the bands e and tho
fabric, as described.
And, thirdly, the printing roller k, with adjustable blocks or surfaces by
means whereof the patterns on the roller can be regulated so as to correspond
with the pattern on the fabric, as shewn and described, or any combination of
parts for effecting the same object.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Coates, have hereunto set my
band and seal, this 29th day of May, One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-four.
CHARLES COATES. (L.S.)