IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION OF PRINTING SURFACES
Year: 1854

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Balie Graham at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 6th
February 1854.
I, JAMES BALIE GRAHAM, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Scientific Lecturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION OF PRINTING SURFACES" to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to a system of producing printing surfaces for various
purposes, but more especially for block or surface roller printing for textile and
other goods. The matrix of the printing surface is formed out of a series of
metal pins of any suitable section capable of being firmly and regularly bound
up together into one mass. A collection of such pins, each being of exactly
the same length, is bound up into a uniform mass, the ends of the whole series
being coincident or in one plane. The operator then having his pattern or

page_text: figure previously drawn, depresses such of the pins as are not intended to print
or to form a part of the impression surface. He thus produces the intended
figure in relief, the pins left standing at their primary level being or corre-
sponding to the actual printing surfaces. A cast is then taken from this
matrix in gutta percha, type metal, or other material to form the printing sur-
face. As all the pins are of the same length, it is obvious that the pins
pushed down or depressed at one end or face appear prominent at the reverse
face, hence the operator has the power of making reverse printing surfaces
simultaneously, the two being in exact correspondence with each other. If
desired, the actual pin surfaces themselves might be used as the printing
medium, and in casting or moulding from such matrices either the first mould
being a reverse of the matrix may be used, or a second mould may be taken
from the first to present a printing surface exactly like the matrix itself.
Printing surfaces so produced may be employed either as blocks or as surface
rollers. And they may be used as intaglio printing surfaces by arranging them
to print from the sunk parts just as in cylinder printing. When the matrix
pins have been used for one design, they may be dressed up to a plane surface
for future operations.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Balie Graham in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 5th August 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
BALIE GRAHAM, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Scientific
Lecturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said James Balie Graham, Her special license that I, the said
James Balie Graham, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said James Balic Graham, my executors, administrators,
or 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

page_text: Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION OF PRINTING SURFACES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Balie Graham, 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 James Balie Graham, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to a system or mode of producing printing
surfaces for various purposes, but inore especially for block or surface roller
printing for textile and other goods. The matrix of the printing surface,
according to my Invention, is formed out of a series of metal pins of any suit-
able section, capable of being firmly and regularly bound up together into one
mass. A collection of such pins, each being of exactly the same length, is
bound up into a uniform mass, the ends of the whole series being coincident or
in one plane. The operator then, having his pattern or figure previously
drawn, depresses such of the pins as are intended to print or are intended to
correspond to the impression surface. He thus produces the intended figure
in intaglio, the pins left standing at their primary level corresponding to to the
ground or surface not intended to print. A cast is then taken from this matrix
in gutta percha, type metal, or other material, to form the printing surface. As
all the pins are of the same length, it is obvious that the pins pushed down or
depressed at one end or face appear prominent at the reverse face, hence the
operator has the power of making reverse or counterpart printing surfaces
simultaneously, the two being in exact correspondence with each other. If
desired, the actual pin surfaces themselves might be used as the printing
medium. And in casting or moulding from such matrices either the first
mould being a reverse of the matrix may be taken from the first to present a
printing surface exactly like the matrix itself. Printing surfaces so produced
may be employed either as blocks or as surface rollers, and they may be used
as intaglio printing surfaces by arranging them to print from the sunk parts,
just as in cylinder printing. When the matrix pins have been used for one
design, they may be dressed up to a plane surface for future operations.

page_text: And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I shall
now proceed to describe the several explanatory Figures on the Sheet of
Drawings hereunto attached.
Figure 1 on the Sheet of Drawings is a front elevation of a frame as con-
structed for the formation of matrices in making printing blocks according to
my Invention; the front plate of the frame being removed to shew the
arrangements for contracting the sides. Figure 2 is a side elevation of the
frame complete, shewing the manner of taking a cast from the matrix in gutta
percha or other suitable material; and Figure 3 is a transverse section through
the frame and corresponding to Figure 2. Figure 4 is an elevation; and
Figure 5 is a plan of a portion of the pattern pins, exhibiting the manner in
which the pattern is produced, the pins in this case being of uniform section.
Figures 6 and 7 are respectively an elevation and a plan of a small mass of
pattern pins of different sections, and suited for a particular style of pattern.
The mass of pins which I employ in producing printing surfaces according to
this Invention, are held in an iron frame A, of a size corresponding to the size
of block to be made. This frame is cast with spindles B, by means of which
it is supported in bearings in the side standards C, cast in a piece with a sole
plate D, which is bolted to a table or board E. The standards C are cast with
arms F, through the extremities of which screws G are passed for fixing the
frame A in a horizontal position. The frame is supported on spindles to render
it easily invertible, so that the operator can obtain access to the back of the
pins for rectifying errors, or for other purposes. A plate H is provided for
being fixed to the back of the frame A by the screws I; and this plate is
planed upon its inner surface and is made perfectly level, in order that the
mass of pins J may be accurately dressed up to it to a plane surface. The
pins are compressed laterally by means of the side pieces K, which are
checked into each other at the corners, so as to allow of slight variation in the
dimensions of the mass of pins without interfering with the completeness of
the corners. The side pieces K are acted upon by the screws L, and by
turning these in either direction the pins J may be more or less tightly bound
together. The pins employed may vary in section and in length, the simplest
description being square in section; and I find an inch to be a convenient
length for them, as represented in Figures 4 and 5 on my Sheet of Drawings.
The pins may be made of any metal or other suitable material, but when of
the size represented in Figures 4 and 5, I prefer to have them of polished
steel. In proceeding to operate with the apparatus, the back plate His
screwed close up to the frame A, and this frame being fixed in a horizontal

page_text: position by means of the screws G, the pins J are set up like type, as repre-
sented in Figure 3 of the Drawings, and being set up, they are bound together
by the screws L, care being taken to dress up each individual pin to the plate
H, so that the pins may be perfectly even. The plate H is then removed, and
a thin frame M being interposed, the plate H is again screwed to the frame A.
The frame M is an eighth of an inch in thickness, such measurement in this
instance being the depth to which the pins corresponding to the intended
pattern are to be depressed; and the interposition of this frame causes this
space to be left between the bottom of the pins and the surface of the plate H.
The operator then takes a pricker, and having his pattern before him, or
having produced it in any convenient manner on the upper surface of the mass
of pins, he proceeds to depress the pins corresponding to such parts of the pattern
as are intended to print, being careful to press these pins quite back to the
surface of the plate H. The entire pattern being marked off in this manner,
it will be presented in intaglio upon the pin surface. The screws L are then
tightened up a little more, and gutta percha in a soft heated state is applied to
the surface of the pins as at N, a cast iron frame O being first screwed to the
frame A by means of the screws P. The gutta percha N is forced well into
the indentations formed by the depression of the pins by pressure, a block of
wood Q being applied to the back of the gutta percha, to form with it a solid
printing block, similar to those in common use by block printers. When the
gutta percha is cold, the block is taken off the face of the pins by means of the
pressure screws R in the upper frame, the screws P being loosened. By
turning the screws R, the frame P is forced off the frame A, and carries the
gutta percha faced block N, Q, with it, and the block is afterwards separated
from it in any convenient manner, and it is then trimmed ready for use. The
gutta percha surface N, after removal from the matrix, will present the pattern
in relief, and this relief surface will answer for printing from, or casts may be
taken from it or directly from the matrix or pin surface, in any other material
suitable for being printed from. Several casts may be taken off the pin matrix;
but when it is required to re-arrange the pins for the production of a fresh
pattern, this is done by taking off the plate H and then taking out the thin
frame M, after which, the plate H is again screwed on so as to force up the
pins previously depressed; and when these are dressed up perfectly even upon
the surface of the plate, the thin frame M is again interposed as before, and
the pins will be ready for the production of a new pattern. Whilst the pins
are being dressed up, the lateral screws L are slackened to facilitate the
operation. The pins employed.may be of various sections, provided they can

page_text: be bound up together in a solid mass, and a frame full of pins may be made to
consist of pins of different sections. Thus pins or types may be made equal to
several of the pins represented in Figures 4 and 5 of the Drawings, as joined
together to form lines or otherwise. Again, for particular styles of printing, as
for example, for those in which the pattern is produced by a number of
isolated squares or dots, the form and arrangement of pins or type represented
in Figures 6 and 7 of the Drawings may be adopted. Here a number of large
square pins S are built up along with a number of narrow pieces T, the latter
separating the former from each other, and as the pattern is intended to be
formed by the pins S only, the pieces T are made one-eighth of an inch deeper
or as much deeper than the pins S as is allowed for the depression of those
forming the pattern. This arrangement prevents the pieces T from being
carried down along with the pins S when these are depressed. I may further
remark, that devises, such as circles, diamonds, or stars, may be formed on the
ends of the pins, and these pins may be arranged in a variety of ways. In
all cases the pattern is produced either by the depression of such pins as
correspond to the parts intended to print, in which case the cast of gutta
percha or other material is taken off the surface in which the pins are
depressed, or by the depression of the pins which correspond to the ground
of the pattern, in which case the cast is taken off the back surface of the.
pins. Or, if it is required to make a block to print a ground, then a cast is
taken off the side opposite to that which will give a block for printing the
pattern.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I may observe in conclusion that I do not confine or restrict myself
to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to describe
or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without deviating from
the principles or main features of my Invention. But what I consider to be
novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First, the general arrangement and construction of apparatus for producing
printing surfaces, as herein-before described.
Second, the system or mode of producing printing surfaces by depressing
portions of a compound surface or mass made up of pins, type, or pieces of
metal, or other suitable material as herein-before described.
Third, the system or mode of producing printing surfaces by moulding gutta
percha or other suitable material upon a compound surface made up of pins,

page_text: type, or pieces of metal, or other suitable material, portions of such surface
having been depressed to correspond to the required pattern, as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Balie Graham, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
J. B. GRAHAM. (L.S.)