IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Stather, of Kingston-upon-Hull, in the
County of York, Printer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PRINTING."
Sealed the 1st September 1853, and dated the 21st March 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Stather at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 21st March 1853.,
I, JOHN STATHER, of Kingston-upon-Hull, in the Courty of York,
Printer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN PRINTING" to be as follows (that is to say):-
My said Invention consists, firstly, of a mode or modes of producing
blocks, moulds, or forms for printing, and which blocks, moulds, or
forms I make of gutta-percha, or some other material capable of being
formed or moulded in the requisite manner; but I find gutta-percha to
be better adapted and more useful for this purpose than any other
material with which I am acquainted.

page_text: When making these blocks, moulds, or forms of gutta-percha, I take
a piece of gutta-percha of the requisite size and form, and make an
impression upon it of the letters, figures, or devices intended to be
printed or produced by means of the blocks or forms; the impressions
of the intended letters, figures, or devices being made sufficiently deep
to enable me (when requisite) to shave or reduce the surface of the
gutta-percha or other material down to a smooth even surface without
obliterating any of the impressions made upon it.
A piece of gutta-percha having received the requisite impressions in
this way, I proceed to reduce the face of it (when necessary) to a
smooth even surface, so as to fit it for receiving the ink, color, or other
printing material to be applied to it for the purpose of printing.
Blocks, moulds, or forms made in this way will print or color the
ground upon any paper, cloth, or other article to which they may be
applied, leaving the forms of the letters, figures, or devices intended to
be represented, unprinted, or uncolored.
The second part of my Invention consists of a mode or modes of
printing letters, figures, or devices upon the surfaces of papers, cloths,
calico, or other articles by means of a roller or cylinder, upon the sur-
face of which the intended letters, figures, or devices (inverted) are
first printed or impressed in one or several colors by means of a small
roller or several small rollers (according to the number of colors to be
used) working in conjunction with. the larger-roller. In this way the
larger roller receives upon its surface from the smaller roller or rollers
impressions for producing or representing the intended letters, figures, or
devices, and which impressions are transferred from the surface of the
larger roller upon the surface of the paper, cloth, calico, or other article
to be printed, by causing the same to be pressed against the surface of
such larger roller by the action of another roller revolving in conjunc-
tion with it..
Instead of making such impressions upon the surface of a roller or
cylinder, they may be made upon a flat plate or segment of a cylinder,
and from thence transferred (by pressure) upon the paper, cloth, or other
material to be printed.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Stather, in the Great Seal. Patent Office,
on the 21st September 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JOHN STATHER, of Kingston-upon-Hull, Printer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the six-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Stather, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege, and
authority that I, the said John Stather, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Stather, 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 Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, my Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PRINTING," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John
Stather, by an instrument 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 John Stather, 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 three sheets of
illustrative drawings hereunto belonging and forming part hereof;
that is to say:
My Invention consists, firstly, of a mode or modes of producing
blocks, moulds, or forms for that description of printing commonly
known as block or surface printing, (that is to say, blocks, moulds, or
forms, in which the letters, figures, or devices to be represented are
left plain, the surrounding portions being those which are printed,) by

page_text: taking impressions in a material capable of being formed or moulded
in the requisite manner from corresponding bat inverted or reversed
letters, figures, or devices, which are raised or in relief. My Invention
consists, secondly, of a mode or modes of printing letters, figures, or
devices upon the surfaces of papers, cloths, or other articles by means
of a flat plate on to, or upon the surface of which the intendel letters,
figures, or devices are first printed or impressed in an inverted or
reversed manner,
and in one or several colors, in such manner that
the said flat plate shall, by pressure against the surface of the paper,
cloth, or other material intended to be printed, transfer to or print upon
the material the impression or impressions it has received.
My Invention consists, thirdly, of a mode or modes of printing letters,
figures, or devices upon the surfaces of papers, cloths, calicoes, or other
articles by means of a roller or cylinder on to, or upon the surface of
which the said letters, figures, or devices are first printed or impressed
in an inverted or reversed manner, and in one or several colors, by
means of a small roller or several small rollers (according to the number
of colors to be used) working in conjunction with the larger roller,
in such manner that the larger roller shall receive upon its surfac
from the smaller roller or rollers impressions producing or repre-
senting the intended letters, figures, or devices, and shall transfer or
print such impressions from the surface of the larger roller to or upon
the surface of the paper, cloth, calico, or other material to be printed,
by causing the same to be pressed against the surface of such larger
roller by the action of another roller working in conjunction with it.
And now, having particularly described and ascertained the nature
of my said Invention, and for its better explanation having separated
it into the three distinct divisions or improvements intended by the title
of the Invention, I will proceed to illustrate the manner in which each
of them is to be and may be respectively performed.
(I.) With reference to my first improvement, I premise that I am
well aware that gutta-percha, and also some other materials capable of
being moulded or formed, have been employed for printing from, but
not for block or surface printing. Consequently, it has been necessary,
in the cases referred to, to produce, firstly, a matrix, and then, from it,
to manufacture the form; in fact, producing a stereotyped copy of the
!

page_text: original form or device. Now I use gutta-percha, as being best adapted
and more useful for my purpose than any other material with which
I am acquainted; but the manner in which I produce my improved
blocks or forms is as follows:-I take a piece of gutta-percha of the
requisite size and form, and make an impression upon it, of the letters,
figures, or devices intended to be printed or produced by means of the
blocks or forms, the impressions of the intended letters, figures, or
devices being made sufficiently deep to enable me (when requisite) to
shave or reduce the gutta-percha or other material down to a smooth
even surface without obliterating any of the impressions made upon
it. Ordinary printing type (except in the case of the letters of the
alphabet and numeral figures), or any suitable embossing or stamping
implements or tools, (as, for example, bookbinders' rollers and punches,
and printers' rule borders and ornaments,) may be employed to produce
the letters or devices upon my blocks or forms. A piece of gutta-
percha having received the requisite impressions in this way, I proceed
to reduce the face of it (when necessary) to a smooth even surface, so as
to fit it for receiving the ink, color, or other printing material to be
applied to it for the purpose of printing. Blocks, moulds, or forms
made in this way will print or color the ground upon any paper, cloth,
or other article to which they may be applied, leaving the forms of the
letters, figures, or devices intended to be represented unprinted and in
white, or of the original color of the paper or material itself. Here it
it to be observed, that when my improved blocks, moulds, or forms are
not intended to be used in combination with either the second or the
third part of my Invention, but are intended to be used for printing
directly instead of by transfer, then ordinary type is not suitable for
producing them in the case of the letters of the alphabet or of numeral
figures, as the impressions they would yield being correct upon the
gutta-percha would become reversed upon the paper or material to be
printed; but ordinary printing type yielding impressions of patterns of
flowers, or other ornament or device, a forward or reversed position of
which is immaterial, may be employed with advantage, or type specially
cast for the alphabet and numeral figures may be employed.
(II.) With reference to my second improvement, I prepare the surface
of my flat plate (which I designate the receiving or transferring plate

page_text: from its receiving impressions on to it and transferring them therefrom)
either by giving it a smooth and even polish, in which case I prefer the
plate to be of copper, or by covering it with card or with smooth paper,
such as hot-pressed drawing paper, or by covering it with gutta-percha,
or by covering it with the ordinary and well-known composition, or
mixture of glue and treacle, which is used for printers' composition
rollers. The particular application of these several surfaces is the same
as that hereafter explained with regard to the transferring cylinder
mentioned in the description of my third improvement. Having thus
prepared the surface of my transferring plate, I print upon it the desired
letters, figures, or devices in the desired positions, and in one or more
colors, as may be desired, by means of one or more blocks, moulds, or
forms, made according to my first improvement, or by means of type,
or wood-cuts, or rollers, or punches, or printers' rule borders or orna-
ments, or any other suitable printing tool or implement. The register
or correct position of the several impressions to be yielded on to the
transferring plate (when more than one is desired) may be effected
by printing separately by hand, but it may be effected with more
accuracy by fitting the several blocks, type, or tools into a chase, which
is made to slide or work through a fixed frame or box, and causing the
plate to be brought into the same definite position under this box at
each repetition of the process. But the most expeditious mode is to
employ device rollers or cylinders in the manner hereafter explained
with regard to my third improvement, but they must of course be
disposed so as to print on to a transferring plate instead of a transferring
cylinder. Having printed upon the transferring plate the desired letters,
figures, or devices, as above explained, I transfer them to or print them
upon the paper, cloth, or other material intended to be printed by
pressure against the surface of the said material by means of any
ordinary suitable printing machine or apparatus for the purpose, except-
ing that I dispense with the ordinary inking apparatus, my transferring
plate replacing the ordinary form or chase, but being inked differently,
namely, in the manner above described.
III. With reference to my third improvement, I will now proceed
to describe the accompanying drawings, which are intended for the
special illustration of this part of my Invention.

page_text: In Drawing No. 1, Figure 1, is a side or end elevation of a printing
machine constructed according to my said improvement, and adapted
for printing sheets of paper or other material. This view is intended
chiefly to shew the gearing for driving the various parts.
In Drawing No. 2, Figure 2, is a vertical section, taken through the
middle of the machine, and most clearly exemplifies its object.
Figures 3, 4, and 5, are detached views of parts of a particular device
roller hereafter referred to.
In Drawing No. 3, Figure 6, is a face or front view of the machine.
In all the figures similar letters of reference are employed to denote
similar or corresponding parts. And it is to be observed, that although
the drawings do not represent any inking troughs for supplying the
inking rollers, and also omit some few other particulars, the construction
and arrangement of which is not peculiar to this improvement, all the
necessary appendages are intended to be furnished, and these will be
well understood by manufacturers and others conversant with printing
machinery. A, is the framework, which is furnished with suitable
bearings for the support of the axes of its several wheels, rollers, and
cylinders; 6, is the feeding board, on which the papers to be printed
are placed; b, is a winch for giving motion to the machine, and is fast
upon the axis which carries the pinion B. This gears with the wheel C,
which drives the drum c, which serves both as an entering drum and
pressure cylinder. The wheel C, gears with the wheel D, which drives
the principal printing cylinder d, which I designate the receiving or
transferring cylinder from its receiving impressions on to it, and trans-
ferring them therefrom. The wheel D, gears with the several pinions E,
one of which is removed from the Figure 1, as also the train of wheels
actuated by it, for the purpose of shewing the arrangement of the
bearings. The pinions E, drive the primary printing cylinders or
rollers e, which I designate figure or device cylinders, and also actuate
the several trains of wheels Ex, E2, E³, and E', respectively, in the
order mentioned, and these drive the inking rollers and cylinders ex, e², e³,
and e', respectively'; e, is a small inking roller, which revolves by con-
tact only. One of the wheels E2, gears with the pinion F, which drives
the roller f, and this last gives motion to the endless baud or delivering
apron g, which also. works over a loose roller h..

page_text: The pressure drum c, is covered with a blanket or felt, or other
suitable coating c*, (see Figure 2,) a strip along which is removed, so
that the clip k, which is hinged to the drum, may lay flat on it, and not
project above the surface of the blanket. The clip is, however, provided
with springs, which keep it up when not forcibly held down on the drum,
but during a part of the revolution it is forcibly held down by means
of two curved projecting pieces (fixed one at each end of the clip), which
work against and in the inside edges of the two closing guides 1, 1, re-
spectively, which are fixed to the framing, as shewn. 1x, 1x, (see Figure 2,)
are rods across the machine and between these guides for preventing
the tail end of the sheets of paper from getting out of place.
The device cylinders e, may be made in a variety of different ways.
In the Figure 2, the first one on the left (No. 1,) is supposed to have a
gutta-percha surface, and to have the required letters, figures, or devices
indented in or upon it, which may have been done in any suitable
manner; or such a cylinder may be made up of one or more of my
improved blocks, moulds, or forms placed and fixed upon it by pins,
screws, wires, or other suitable means. The device cylinders No. 2,
and No. 3, are represented as having projecting or raised letters, figures,
or devices, which may be composed either of gutta-percha or, what is
much better, of wood or metallic surfaces; or such devices may be
produced by electro-galvanic deposit. The device cylinder No. 4, is
supposed to be composed of a series of metal discs placed upon an
axis, separated by distance washers or collars, so that, by means of such
discs, lines may be printed upon the transferring cylinder, which shall
produce longitudinal lines upon the paper. Figures 3, and 4, are
detached face views of one of such discs and one of such distance
collars respectively; and Figure 5, is an edge view (partially in section)
of a few of them placed together and mounted upon an axis. The
discs may have letters, figures, or devices upon their edges, if desired;
or, by cutting away portions of their edges, broken or dotted lines
may be produced. The last device cylinder, No. 5, is composed of
strips of metal nicked or let into longitudinal grooves upon
cylinder, whereby lines may be printed upon the transferring cylinder,
which shall produce transverse lines upon the paper; and such lines
may be produced with letters, figures, or devices, or in broken or dotted
the

page_text: lines. The device cylinders may also be made to produce oblique or
slanting lines, whereby a great facility will be obtained in producing
checks and plaids, and curved, waved, or angular lines may be intro-
duced, if desired. The foregoing are given as several illustratious of
the mode of making my device cylinders; but any mode may be em-
ployed so that the cylinder shall properly yield its device on to the
transferring cylinder.
It is not, however, generally intended that all these should be used
at once, as the surface of the transferring cylinder d, should be varied
according to those of the device cylinders employed. When the latter
are composed of gutta-percha or other non-rigid material, the surface
of the transferring cylinder may be composed of polished copper
(though I generally prefer printers' composition); but when they are of
a rigid or hard material, the surface of the transferring cylinder should
he composed of card or drawing paper, or gutta-percha, or printers'
composition, or leather, or some other non-rigid, yielding, or slightly
yielding material.
It is particularly to be observe, that the device cylinders and the
transferring cylinder, and the gearing to each respectively, must be so
proportioned as to give the correct longitudinal register of the several
devices. These may be made to avoid or to cross each other, as
desired, the several cylinders being furnished with the means of
adjustment upon or round their respective axes, so as to give them the
required lead one upon another. And a lateral adjustment of the
device cylinders is effected in the manner shewn by the dotted lines
marked A*, and a*, in the Figures 1, and 6, the former being a
bracketed ring or portion of the framing, and the latter adjusting
screws working through it for effecting the movement required.
The inking rollers e, are made to have a sliding motion along their
axes or spindles (which are feathered to prevent their turning upon
them) by means of projecting springs or inclined studs s, s, (see
Figure 6,) one at either end, which, as they revolve, strike against the
shoulders or projections t, t, which are fixed to the framing, and which
are so disposed as to give the movement alternately in opposite direc-
tions, and at the times when two of the four grooves y, y, in the

page_text: cylinders come. cpposite to the small rollers e*, and e³, as shewn, the
object being to effect a more uniform distribution of the ink.
The action of the machine is denoted by the arrows upon the draw-
ings, and is obvious from the foregoing description of its several parts..
The effect produced is, that the device cylinders become severally inked
by their respective inking rollers, and print their respective devices in
the same or differing colors on to the transferring cylinder, which
transfers or prints the impressions it has received on to, or upon the
surface of the paper or material to be printed by the paper or material
being pressed against the surface of the transferring cylinder by means
of the roller or drum c, which works in conjunction with it.
When continuous lengths of paper or other material are intended to
be printed, the parts marked a, k, l, and 1, are to be dispensed with,
and the blanket c*, is to cover the cylinder completely.
In adapting the machine to the printing of any particular material
regard should be had to the particular requirements in each case; and
as cloth and calico have been herein-before particularly mentioned, it
may be well to observe that the parts should be so disposed that the
ordinary color troughs for calico printing may be used and placed
beneath the coloring rollers for each device roller, so that the color
may be supplied to them by means of an endless band or apron work-
ing in a vertical or slanting position.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Stather, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of September, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
.three.
JOHN STATHER. (L.S.)