Improvements in the Printing or Reproduction of Words, Figures, Designs, or the like upon Paper, Textile Fabrics or other surfaces and in the Meaus or Apparatus employed therein.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Nov., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 22nd June, 1898-Accepted, 6th Aug.,
1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Printing or Reproduction of Words, Figures,
Designs, or the like upon Paper, Textile Fabrics or other surfaces
and in the Meaus or Apparatus employed therein.
I, WILLIAM FRIESE-GREENE, of 39, King's Road, Chelsea, in the County of
London, Photographer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has reference to the printing or production of words, figures,
designs or the like upon paper, textile fabrics or other surfaces and is more particularly
intended to replace the ordinary process of typographic printing and the ordinary
process of printing on textile fabrics, by a process or method which dispenses, or
practically dispenses with the use of inks or colors.
According to my invention I effect the reproduction of words, figures, designs or
the like upon paper, textile fabrics or other surfaces by means of electricity.
For the purpose of my invention I prepare the paper, textile fabric or other surface
by coating or impregnating it with, or incorporating with it, a suitable chemical
substance such for instance as acetate of lead, sulphate of iron, amidol, metol, glycin
and other substances usually employed as developers in photography. I place this
paper or fabric upon, or cause it to travel over a substance such for example as carbon
or zinc and preferably with an interposed pad or layer of more or less moist material
such as cloth or blotting paper and I connect the said substance with the negative
pole of an electric current. bring in contact with the prepared paper or fabric the
words, figures, designs or the like to be reproduced, these being connected with the
positive pole of the current; an ordinary stereotype or electrotype plate such as is
used in typographic printing will answer the purpose when it is desired to reproduce
the words &c. so as to resemble ordinary typographic printing. The connections
with the current being coupled up, the current will pass through the prepared paper
or fabric and at once reproduce thereon a facsimile of the words &c. that are in
contact therewith. The reproduction can be effected, for example, by feeding in
and taking out sheets of prepared paper or fabric in succession as in printing by
means of a platen or other machine that prints on the flat in which case the electric
circuit should be made and broken for every sheet. Or the reproduction can be
effected by a machine like an ordinary cylindrical printing machine, the stereotype
cylinders being connected with the positive pole and the blanket cylinders being made
of say, zinc and being connected with the negative pole, the "blanket "itself forming
the pad between the zinc and the prepared paper. The prepared paper can then be
run through the machine from a reel like the web in a web printing machine with

page_text: *
the result that repeats" of the stereotypes are reproduced upon the paper corre-
sponding with the repeats printed in a web printing machine.
A variety of colors can be produced by means of my invention, the color varying
according to the substance with which the paper is prepared and according to the
material that constitutes the face of the words, designs &c. For example, glycin in
the paper and a stereo will produce a blue, amidol and an electrotype or copper will
produce a brown, the depth of the brown varying with the strength of the amidol; a
compound of iron in the paper will produce a black. Several colors may be produced
at different parts of the design at one operation if the face of the design be of different
materials at different parts. For some purposes it may be desirable to
permanency of the print or reproduction at a given depth of color, the paper or
fabric can then be immersed in a suitable liquid such for example as a weak solution
of hydrochloric citric or other acid.
ensure
Or the paper or fabric may be prepared by treating it with a substance such for
example as a weak solution of pyrogallic acid which will produce a more or less
invisible or latent image that can be developed afterwards.
Writings, drawings or the like produced in the ordinary way but in metallic inks
upon paper (preferably unglazed) can likewise he reproduced by means of my inven-
tion, the metallic ink being connected up with the positive, pole. Or instead of the
writings &c. being produced on paper they may be produced on a metallic or other
conducting surface which under the action of the electric current will not react with
the chemical substance in the prepared paper. Or wood engravings may be faced
with metal by the electrotyping process or moistened with a weak acid solution, and
used as the design. In short a variety of substances may be employed provided the
design to be reproduced is of a substance which will react with the substance in
the prepared paper or fabric which is connected with the negative pole of the
battery.
In preparing paper for the purpose of the invention I prefer in most cases to
incorporate the desired chemical substance with the paper pulp or to apply it to the
paper itself in the process of " forming" or immediately after forming while the paper
is still moist.
In applying the invention to the reproduction of designs &c. on textile fabrics it
will probably be found best to run the unprepared fabric through a bath of the
preparing liquid and thence to the place where the design will be reproduced thereon.
This bath in addition to containing the preparing liquid may contain a dye or color
which will give any desired color to the fabric; this color will form the ground upon
which the designs are reproduced.
66
The invention includes the preliminary preparation of the paper by mixing the
requisite substance or substances therewith either in the pulp or during or immediately
after the forming" of the paper. The invention also comprises the apparatus for
carrying out the method or process of reproduction described, as for example a machine
like an ordinary typographic printing but modified for the purpose of this invention;
for example in a cylindrical machine, the usual blanket cylinders will be cylinders of
a suitable substance such as zinc or carbon with a pad like a "blanket" round them,
and these cylinders and the stereo cylinders will be respectively connected with the
negative and positive poles of an electric current. In a power machine with flat forine,
the impression cylinder would be connected up with the negative pole and, in a
hand machine, a sort of tympan would be connected up with the negative pole.
Dat his th
SNL
who 1007
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.

page_text: Improvements in the Printing or Reproduction of Words, Figures,
Designs or the like upon Paper, Textile Fabrics or other surfaces
and in the Means or Apparatus employed therein.
I, WILLIAM FRIESE-GREENE, of 39, King's Road, Chelsea, in the County of London,
Photographer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to he performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
This invention has reference to the printing or reproduction of words, figures,
designs or the like upon paper, textila-fabries-or-other--surfaces and is more
particularly intended to replace the ordinary process of typographic printing and the
ordinary process of printing on-textile--fabries; by a process or method which
dispenses with the use of inks, or-eslers:
According to my invention I effect the reproduction of words, figures, designs or
the like upon paper;-textile-fabrics-or-other-surfaces by means of electricity.
For the purpose of my invention I prepare the paper, textile--fabrie-or-other-surface
by coating or impregnating it with, or incorporating with it, a suitable chemical sub-
stance. such for instance-as 1 have found that acetate of lead, sulphate or iron, amidol,
metol, glycin and other substances usually employed as developers in photography will
best serve the purposes of my invention, and I desire to limit my invention to papers
prepared with this class of substances. I prefer to use such of them as will not after-
wards cause the paper to deteriorate on exposure to the air, if they are left in the paper;
but the others of this class may be used in circumstances in which such deterioration is
of little consequence. In practice I have found that a mixture of sulphate of iron and
an alkaline carbonate preferably carbonate of ammonia mixed together in about equal
proportions and applied preferably in a heated state to the paper gives a very good
result. I place this paper or-fabrie upon, or cause it to travel over, a conducting
medium such for example as carbon or zinc and preferably with an interposed pad or
layer of more or less moist material such as cloth or blotting paper and I connect the
said substance with one pole (which in-ordinary circumstances will preferably be
the positive pole) of a continuous current of electricity. I bring in contact with the
prepared paper er-fabric the words, figures, designs or the like to be reproduced,
these being connected with the other pole of the current; an ordinary stereotype or
electrotype plate such as is used in typographic printing will answer the purpose
when it is desired to reproduce the words &c., so as to resemble ordinary typographic
printing. The connections with the current being coupled up, the current will pass
through the prepared paper or fabrie and at once reproduce thereon a facsimile of the
words &c. that are in contact therewith. The reproduction can be effected, for
example, by feeding in and taking out sheets of prepared paper er-fabrie in succession
as in printing by means of a platen or other machine that prints on the flat in which
case the electric circuit should be made and broken for every sheet. Or the repro-
duction can be effected by a machine like an ordinary cylindrical printing machine,
the stereotype cylinders being connected with the negative pole and the impression
or "blanket" cylinders being made of, say, zinc and being connected with the positive
pole, the "blanket " itself when employed forming a pad between the zinc and the
prepared paper. The prepared paper can then be run through the machine from a reel
like the web in a web printing machine with the result that " repeats of the
stereotypes are reproduced upon the paper corresponding with the repeats printed
in a web printing machine.
"
A variety of colors can be produced by means of my invention, the color varying
according to the substance with which the paper is prepared. end-according-to-the

page_text: material that constitutes-the-face-of-the-words, designs-&e.-and-also-nccording to the
direction-in-which-the current-is-sent. For example, glycin in the paper will produce
a blue; amidol will produce a brown; the depth of the brown-varying with the
strength of the amidol; a compound of iron in the paper will produce a black, the
plate representing the design being in these all cases connected with the negative
pole. Several colors-may-be-produced at different--parts-of-the--design at one
operation, if the face of the plate-representing the design be-ef different-materials at
different parts; in-these-enses-the-plate representing-the-design should be connected
with the positive-pole-and-if it-be-subsequently connected with the negative--pole;
the brightness or intensity of the colors is enhanced. In some cases such as-when
the-paper-has-been--prepared--with--a--weak-solution--of nitrate of silver, where
permanency of the print or reproduction ean must be ensured it may be obtained by
immersing the paper er-fabric in a suitable liquid, after printing such-for-example
ns-n-week-solution of hyposulphite of code or of hydrochlorie, citric-or-other--neid,
but this is not required when sulphate of iron and an alkaline carbonate are used.
Or-the-paper-or fabric may be prepared by trenting it with a substanee such for
example-as-a-weak-solution of pyrogallic-neid, which-when-submitted to-the-nation
of the electric-current-us-hereinbefore-described-will-produce-n-more-or-less-invisible
or Intent--image that can be developed afterwards. Or a similar effect-can-be
obtained-by--moistening ordinary paper--(preferably unglazed) with--water: The
Intent-image-produced-thereon-can-be-developed-to-n-faint green-image-with-sulphate
of iron and then to a black-image-with-a-weak solution of nitrate-of-silver, which
should-be fixed-with-a-weak-solution-of-hyposulphite of soda. -Or-the-Intent--image
ean--be-developed by other-ordinary photographie-developers. When moistened
paper is used as above described the plate-representing the design should be
connected-with-the-negative-pele.
Writings, drawings or the like produced-in-the ordinary-way but in metallic inks
upon-paper-(preferably unglazed) or-upon-a-metallic or other conducting surface
which will not renet-with the chemical substance-in-the-prepared-paper, can likewise
be reproduced by means of my invention; the metallic-ink being connected-up--with
the positive pole. Or wood engravings may be faced with metal by the electro-
typing process or-moistened with a-weak-neid-solution-and-used-as the-design to be
reproduced; the image reproduced will in this latter-ease be Intent. In short n
variety of substanees-may be employed provided the plate or block representing the
design to be reproduced is of a substance which will renet with the substance of the
prepared-paper-or-fabric-which is connected with the negative pole of the butter:
In preparing paper for the purpose of the invention I prefer in most cases to
incorporate the desired chemical substance with the paper pulp or to apply it to the
paper itself in the process of "forming" or immediately after forming while the
paper is still moist; or the chemical substance may be applied to the surface of
finished paper in the form of very fine spray by any suitable atomizing or spray
producing devices.
In applying the invention to the reproduction-of designs &e.-on-toxtile fabrics-it
may--be--found--convenient-to-run- the unprepared-fabric through a bath of the
preparing liquid and thence, after-passing between-one or more pairs of squeezing
rollers, to the place where the design will be reproduced thereon. This bath-in
addition-to-containing the preparing-liquid-may contain-a-dye-or-color-which-wi!!
give-any desired--color to the fabric; this color will form the ground upon which
the-designs-are reproduced.
The invention includes the preliminary preparation of the paper by mixing the
requisite substance or substances therewith either in the pulp or during or
iminediately after the "forming" of the paper. The invention also comprises the
apparatus for carrying out the method or process of reproduction described, as may be
for example, a machine like an ordinary typographic printing machine, but modified
for the purpose of this invention; for example, in a cylindrical machine, the usual
impression or blanket cylinders will be cylinders of a suitable substance such as zine
or carbon with or without a pad like a "blanket" round them, and these cylinders

page_text: and the stereo cylinders will be respectively connected with the positive and negative
poles of an electric current. In a power machine with flat forme, the impression
cylinder would be connected up with the positive pole and the forme with the other
pole; in a treadle or hand machine, the parts would be connected in an analogous
manner.
In the accompanying drawings
-
Figure 1 is a side elevation with part of the framing in section and Figure 2 a
front elevation illustrating the manner in which my invention can be carried out by
means of a cylindrical machine.
Figure 3 is a side elevation and Figure 4 a front elevation illustrating the manner
in which my invention can be carried out by means of flat surfaces.
Referring first to Figures 1 and 2, a represents a stereotype cylinder which may be
driven in any suitable manner, b represents the impression or blanket cylinder which
for the purpose of my invention is preferably made of zine or carbon covered or not
with a pad or "blanket" of cloth or the like. The paper to be printed travels between
the cylinders a and b as in an ordinary typographic printing machine. The cylinders
a and can be driven in any ordinary manner; they are carried in bearings in upper
and lower end frames c and d d respectively, and the said upper and lower frames
are insulated from each other by means of slabs or blocks e e of any suitable
insulating material. Each upper frame c is secured to the corresponding lower frame d
by means of bolts f and nuts y, the bolts passing not only through the parts h, and i
of the respective frames c c and d d and through the insulating slabe but also through
blocks of insulating material. The bolt holes in the parts h and i are sufficiently
large to allow the bolts to pass through without touching so that the insulation
between these parts remains intact. is the wire from the positive pole and m that
leading to the negative pole of the source of electricity. The wire is connected
with the part h and the wire m with the part i. The part is in electrical connection
with the cylinder b and the part i with the cylinder a, therefore the current from
passes from to the cylinder 6 and thence through the paper which travels between
the two cylinders, to the cylinder a and thence through the part i to the negative
wire m back to the source of electricity. Consequently as the paper travels con-
tinuously between the two cylinders and b the current is continuously passing
through the paper which for the time being is between the meeting points of the
two cylinders and the design carried by the cylinder a at this point is reproduced
or printed upon the paper.
Referring now to Figures 3 and 4 al represents the flat stereotype or forme secured
to the top of the metallic frame d¹. b represents a slab of carbon zine or other con-
ducting material faced with a pad or blanket 62. The said slab b¹ and pad 62 are
carried by a frame n but are insulated therefrom by a slab e' of insulating material.
The frame n is hinged at p to the frame so that it can be moved from its printing
position shown in full lines to the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 3. The
wire from the positive pole is connected with the carbon or zinc slab and the
wire m leading to the negative pole is connected to the frame d¹. When the frame n
is in the position seen in full lines the current can pass from the slab b¹ through the
paper and the forme a¹ to the frame ; when on the other hand the frame n is
raised as seen in dotted lines the circuit is broken. When the frame is raised and
the circuit broken a sheet of paper to be printed is laid on the forme a¹ and then when
the frame is lowered and the circuit is therefore complete the current passes
through the paper and reproduces thereon the design represented by the forme a¹.
The alternate raising and lowering of the frame n can be effected in various ways;
in the figures these motions are shown as effected by means of a treadle q which
works a crank shaft r. On the ends of this shaft are pinions 8 gearing with wheels t.
These wheels have crank pins u engaging with slide blocks vin stirrups w on the
lower ends of vertical rods x whose upper ends are pivoted at y y to the frame n. As
the wheels are caused to rotate by the crank shaft and pinions s the crank pins u
give up and down motion to the rods x and therefore raise and lower the frame n.

page_text: The printed sheet of paper is taken off the forme a¹ when the frame n is raised and
a fresh sheet is laid on the forme before the said frame is again lowered.
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. The herein described process of printing or reproducing words, figures, designs
or the like upon paper-textile-fabric-or-other-material which consists in passing a
current of electricity through said paper containing a substance used as a photo-
graphic developer or-other-material and through two conducting media on opposite
sides respectively of said paper or-material, and in contact therewith, one of said
media bearing the words, designs or the like to be reproduced, substantially as
set forth.
2. The herein-described process of printing-or-reproducing words, figures, designs
or-the-like-upon-paper-textile-fabric-or other material which consists--in-first-pass-
ing-n-current-of-electricity through said-paper-or-other-material-and-through-twe
conducting medin-on-opposite-sides-respectively of suid-paper or-material, and in
contact therewith one of suid-media-bearing the-words-or-designs-or the like to be
reproduced-and-in-then-developing the resulting-image, substantially-as-set-forth.
3. The-herein-described-process of printing or reproducing-words, figures, designs
or-the-like-upon-paper, textile fabric-or-other-material,-which-consists in-first-puss-
ing n-current-of-electricity-through-said-paper-or-other-material--and through twe
conducting-medin-on-opposite sides respectively of said-paper-or-material and in
contact-therewith-one-of said-media-bearing-the-words or-designs-or-the-like-to-be
reproduced-and-in-then immersing the suid-paper-or-other--material-in-a-liquid
which-will-secure-permanency of the resulting image, substantially-us set forth.
4: In-earrying out-the-process-elaimed-in-Claim-1, the-use-on-the-free-of-the-con-
dueting-medium-which-bears-the--words,-designs--or the like-to-be-reproduced-of
several-different metals or materials; whereby the-design-is-printed or reproduced
n-a-corresponding-number of different-colors-substantially as-set-forth.
In-earrying out-the-process-claimed in-Claim 1, the--production substantially
in-the-manner-described of Intent-or-more or less invisible-images-which-can-be
developed afterwards, as set forth.
6. As a new article of manufacture, paper prepared with a containing any
substance used as a developer in photography, substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
3. As a new article of manufacture, paper containing sulphate of iron and an
alkaline carbonate, for the purpose specified.
S. In-apparatus-for-printing or reproducing words, figures; designs or the like
apon paper, textile-fabric-or-other material, the combination of a conducting medium
contacting with one side of said material,-n-conducting forme-contacting with the
other side of said material, and--positive-and-negative electric wires connecting
respectively-with-said-conducting-medium-and--with-said-forme, whereby-when-H
electrie-eurrent is sent-through-suid-wires,-the-words, figures, designs or the like
represented-by-said-forme-are-printed-or-reproduced-upon-said-material, substan-
tially as set forth.
The several-machines or apparatus hereinbefore-described-for-enrrying out the
process of printing-or-reproducing words, figures,-designs-or-the like in the manner
set-forth.
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 66, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.