IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR PRINTING IN ONE OR MORE COLORS UPON METAL, WOOD, PAPER AND OTHER MATERIALS
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I WILLIAM CLARK of the firm of A. M. and W Clark of 53 Chancery Lane
in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents, do hereby
declare the nature of the said invention for IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR PRINTING
IN ONE OR MORE COLORS UPON METAL, WOOD, PAPER AND OTHER MATERIALS
(a communication to me from abroad by Auguste Hippolyte Marinoni and Jules
Michaud, both of 96 Rue d'Assas, Paris, France, Machine Builders) to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to machinery for producing continuous transfer impressions
in one or more colors upon metal wood, paper, or other material by means of which
transfer impressions may be produced more perfectly as well as more quickly than
in machines having a reciprocating motion.
The following description comprises several machines constructed on the same
principle and which are given by way of example only.
In Figure 1, A is a cylinder divided into two equal parts, of which one carries a
metal plate upon which is drawn, engraved or transferred the design to be repro-
duced while the other receives the sheet to be printed when it is seized by the
grippers This cylinder A is in contact with another cylinder B of one half its
size which is covered with a material adapted to receive the impression and then
transfer it to the sheet. The cylinder B is mounted in sliding bearings which aré
provided with springs S to maintain the cylinders in contact and whose pressure is
regulated by screws V. D is an inking trough from which the ink is supplied by
rollers to a distributing cylinder C and thence by rollers e e to the plate carrying
the design to be reproduced upon which it is uniformly distributed by the rollers ff.
whose number, as well as the vibrating rollers, vary according to circumstances.
yg are rollers beneath the cylinder A serving to damp the engraved or other plato
bearing the design before it receives the ink.
The following is the operation of the machine:-The cylinder A in rotating inks
the plate carrying the design by contact with rollers e and fand the ink is then

page_text: deposited upon roller B when the plate passes in front thereof. When the grippers
arrive at the position shown in the figure they seize the sheet to which the design
is to be transferred and which is laid upon the feed board M. This feed board is
placed at such an inclination as to cause the sheet to descend by its own gravity.
onto the ledge t. The sheet then passes between the cylinders and receives from
roller B the impression which the latter has previously received from the plate on
cylinder A. The sheet is then delivered onto the table R, or by means of a flyer
delivered to a horizontal table or any other mode of delivery may be adopted.
In Figure 2 the cylinder A is thrice the diameter of cylinder B. It is divided
into three sections, viz, one which forms the inking table and upon which the ink
is distributed by rollers f, a second consisting of the plate bearing the design, and
a third which is a blank part upon which the sheet to be printed is supported. In
this and also in the preceding arrangement the inking rollers are made to rise
during the passage of the plain portion of the cylinder to avoid inking the same.
The portion of the cylinder which constitutes the inking table is of smaller radius
than that of the plate carrying the design, so that in passing in front of cylinder B
said cylinder, whose movement under the stress of the springs is limited by the
screws V, does not come in contact with the inking table. The sheet is fed in and
delivered in the same manner as before.
The machine shown in Figure 3 is not only suited for printing sheets of different
thicknesses, but also sheets which are not exactly uniform in thickness throughout
their length, and more particularly thick sheets or slabs which could not be fed in
by means of grippers as in the two preceding arrangements. The machine is
composed of a cylinder A divided into two equal parts, one of which forms the
inking table while the other supports the metal plate carrying the design to be
reproduced. The ink is supplied from a trough D and distributed by rollers m.
nn are damping rollers. Beneath the cylinder B which receives the impression as
before are mounted a series of rollers E E E of which E and E are adjustable.
In operation, the sheet to be printed passes between these rollers and the cylinder B,
the desired pressure being maintained by means of the springs S and nuts which
serve to regulate the pressure and also serve to regulate the distance between the
rollers E and E' and cylinder B according to the thickness of the sheets. The
roller E is driven by toothed gearing and drives cylinder B by toothed wheels fg
and the rollers E E E are also provided at each side with chain wheels round
which passes an endless chain. The sheet or slab supplied from table M is placed
by the layer-on between the bars t¹t of an endless chain or band and carried
forward beneath the table B to receive the impression, after which it is transferred
to table R. The bars t¹ are made adjustable to suit sheets or slabs of different
sizes and the position which the impression is to occupy upon the sheet or slab.
The total length of the chain is a multiple of the circumference of the cylinder B.
The sheet or slab is supported on rollers U U both before and while receiving the
impression.
The following relates to modifications for producing transfer impressions in
different colors either by means of cylinders having a continuous or intermittent
motion or flat machines similar to those printing on one side only of the sheet.
I will first describe the cylinder machine represented in Figure 4. This is
composed of a cylinder O divided into three equal parts and slightly larger than
the sheet to be printed. The part A carries one plate bearing the design to be
printed in the one color and the part B another plate bearing the design to be
printed in the other color. The part C corresponds to the sheet or thickness of
paper, metal, or wood to be printed. The cylinder R is equal in diameter to one
third of that of the cylinder O in machines printing two colors, and is covered with
a substance suitable for receiving the ink and afterwards depositing it
upon the
sheet to be printed and is geared with and turns in contact with said cylinder O,
the pressure being regulated by springs as before. The machine is provided with
two cylinders T T¹ serving as inking tables with two ink troughs and two sets of
inking rollers, Beneath the cylinder O are the damping rollers m which, during

page_text: the rotation of the cylinder, damp one of the parts A or B, or both if necessary,
before inking. The part A is inked by the distributing rollers t of the inking
table T, the rollers being caused to rise so as not to touch and ink A. This
part A deposits its ink upon the roller R and the operation is the same in the case
of part B which is inked by the rollers t¹ of inking table T the rollers t being
raised during its passage. When the gripper P comes in front of feedboard M it
seizes the sheet to be printed and holds it against the plain part C of the cylinder
while it receives an impression from roller R. The sheet is then delivered onto the
receiving table F. It will thus be seen that both parts A and B of the cylinder
are inked, that both print the designs they bear upon cylinder R by which it is
transferred to the sheet of wood, metal or paper to be printed, and that the
parts A B being inked by different inks, prints in two colors are obtained. In
order that the impression of part A upon cylinder R shall not be destroyed by the
impression of part B and that the two impressions be not superposed the part B is
cut away or recessed at the part which corresponds to the impression made by
part A upon cylinder R. By means of parts A, B, prints similar to zincographic
or lithographic impressions may be produced, or one or other of these impressions
may be produced by part A only and part B be used for type printing, or both
parts may be used for type printing.
It will be evident that this machine may be used for printing in three four or
more colors instead of in two only: In this case the cylinder O would be of a
size equal to four five or more times the circumference of cylinder R, that is to say,
the circumference of cylinder O would exceed the circumference of cylinder R by
as many times as there are colors to be printed plus one part against which the
sheet to be printed is held. Each portion of the cylinder would be inked by a
separate inking apparatus and the distributing rollers of the other inking tables
would be caused to recede from the cylinder on the passage of those parts which
they are not required to ink.
Figure 5, shows the invention applied to a machine having a reciprocating bed
and cylinder. The cylinder A is covered at part a with a material suitable for
transferring and receives an impression at that part from the stone, zinc-plate B,
type or stereotype, which is inked in the ordinary manner of lithographic or
typographic machinery. The cylinder receives a second color from cylinder Ċ which
is provided with a plate or block inked by a separate inking apparatus said cylinder
being of the same diameter and turning at the same speed as cylinder A. The small
cylinder D placed above is slightly larger in circumference than the sheet to be
printed and is furnished with grippers which seize the sheet as it is presented to
it by the feed board M and deposit it when printed upon table R. If a third color
is required, a second cylinder C is provided having a separate inking apparatus and
provided with a printing plate or block.
Date
ALL 1

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
UPON METAL
WOOD PAPER
AND OTHER
I, WILLIAM CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of 53, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR
PRINTING IN ONE OR MORE COLORS
MATERIALS (a communication to me from abroad by Auguste Hippolyte Marinoni
and Jules Michaud both of 96 Rue d'Assas, Paris France Machine Builders) and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This Invention relates to machinery for producing continuous transfer im-
pressions in one or more colors upon metal wood paper or other material by means
of which transfer impressions may be produced more perfectly as well as more
quickly than in machines having a reciprocating motion.
The following description comprises several machines constructed on the same
principle and which are given by way of example only.
In figure 1. A is a cylinder divided into two equal parts of which one carries a
metal plate upon which is drawn engraved or transferred the design to be repro-
duced while the other receives the sheet to be printed when it is seized by the
grippers. This cylinder A is in contact with another cylinder B of one half its
size which is covered with a material adapted to receive the impression and then
transfer it to the sheet to be printed. The cylinder B is mounted in sliding bearings
which are provided with springs S to maintain the cylinders in contact and whose
pressure is regulated by screws V. D is an inking trough from which the ink is
supplied by rollers to a distributing cylinder C and thence by rollers e e to the
plate bearing the design to be reproduced upon which it is uniformly distributed
by the rollers ff, whose number, as well as the vibrating rollers, vary according to
circumstances. g g are rollers beneath the cylinder A serving to damp the engraved
or other plate bearing the design before it receives the ink.
The following is the operation of the machine :-The cylinder A in rotating
inks the plate carrying the design by contact with rollers e and f and the ink is
When the
then deposited upon roller B when the plate passes in front thereof.
grippers arrive at the position shown in the figure they seize the sheet to which the
design is to be transferred and which is laid upon the feed board M. This feed
board is placed at such an inclination as to cause the sheet to descend by its own
gravity onto the ledge t. The sheet then passes between the cylinders and receives
from roller B the impression which the latter has previously received from the
plate on cylinder A. The sheet is then delivered onto the table R, or by means of
à flyer delivered to a horizontal table or any other mode of delivery may be
adopted.
In Figure 2 the cylinder A is thrice the diameter of cylinder B. It is divided
into three sections, viz, one which forms the inking table and upon which the ink
is distributed by rollers f, a second consisting of the plate bearing the design, and

page_text: a third which is a blank part upon which the sheet to be printed is supportod. In
this and also in the preceding arrangement the inking rollers are made to rise
during the passage of the plain portion of the cylinder to avoid inking the same.
The portion of the cylinder which constitutes the inking table is of smaller radius
than that of the plate carrying the design, so that in passing in front of cylinder B
said cylinder, whose movement under the stress of the springs is limited by the
screws V, does not come in contact with the inking table. The shoet is fed in and
delivered in the same manner as before.
The machine shown in Figure 3 is not only suited for printing sheets of different
thicknesses, but also sheets which are not exactly uniform in thickness throughout
their length, and more particularly thick sheets or slabs which could not be fed in
by means of grippers as in the two preceding arrangements. The machine is
composed of a cylinder A divided into two equal parts, one of which forms the
inking table while the other supports the metal plate carrying the design to be
reproduced. The ink is supplied from a trough D and distributed by rollers m.
nn are damping rollers. Beneath the cylinder B which receives the impression as
before, are mounted a series of rollers E, E', E of which E, E¹ are adjustable. In
operation, the sheet to be printed passes between theso rollers and the cylinder B,
the desired pressure being maintained by means of the springs S and nuts xx, which
serve to regulate the pressure and also serve to regulate the distance between the
rollers E and E¹ and cylinder B, according to the thickness of the sheets. The
roller E is driven by toothed gearing and drives cylinder B by toothed wheels f. g,
and the rollers E, E¹ E² are also provided at each side with chain wheels round
which passes an endless chain. The sheet or slab supplied from table M is placed
by the layer-on, between the bars t¹, t2 of an endless chain or band and carried
forward beneath the table B to receive the impression, after which it is transferred
to table R. The bars t¹ tare made adjustable to suit sheets or slabs of different
sizes and the position which the impression is to occupy upon the sheet or slab.
The total length of the chain is a multiple of the circumference of the cylinder B.
The sheet or slab is supported on rollers U U both before and while receiving the
impression.
The following relates to modifications for producing transfer impressions in
different colors either by means of cylinders having a continuous or intermittent
motion, or flat machines similar to those printing on one side only of the sheet.
Figure 4 represents a machine for producing lithographic and typographic
transfer impressions in several colors applicable to existing machines printing on
one side only of the sheet with intermittent motion or otherwise; the new parts
only being shown and described. The cylinder A which is the ordinary printing
cylinder is covered with some material suited for transferring, the cylinder B carries
a zinc plate bearing the design or it may be a stereotype or form of type while
cylinder C serves to receive the sheet. The cylinder A in rotating receives a first
impression from the zinc plate or stereotype upon cylinder B and a second
impression from the stone, zinc plate or form D.
The part b of cylinder B forms an inking table, the ink deposited thereon by the
vibrating roller p being distributed by rollers d and transferred to the plate by
the rollers t. mm are damping rollers. The rest of the machine is the same as
in ordinary.
The drawing shows the machine during the pause in its movement, the rollers dm,
which are at this moment, the former opposite the plate and the latter opposite the
table, being raised by means of a cam or other mechanical equivalent. The sheet
is fed from table T and received upon table T¹. The three cylinders A, B, C, are
all of the same diameter; the cylinder A which is rotated by the slab and has a
period of rest, drives the two other cylinders by means of toothed gear.
Figure 5 shows a similar machine in which cylinder C is of one half the diameter
of A and B, which are the same as those of figure 4. The ink is in this case
distributed on a cylindrical inking table, which permits the cylinders being more

page_text: easily damped during the pause in their movement. p vibrating roller, d dis-
tributing rollers, and t inking or ductor rollers, m are damping rollers.
The sheet is fed as before from table T and delivered on table T¹. D is the stone
or form and e¹ its inking table. The impressions in several colours made by means
of these machines upon paper, metal, fabrics &c may either be lithographic or
typographic or both combined without in any way departing from the Invention.
In the first case the bed D of the press may support a stone or zinc plate having
the design prepared thercon for the first color and the cylinder B carry a zinc
plate bearing the design for the second color. In the second case, a form of type
would be placed on bed D and the cylinder B would bear a stereotype, while in
the third case, the bed' would have a stereotypo and cylinder B a zinc plate for a
lithographic impression, or the stereotype might be placed on the cylinder and tho
stone or zinc plate for the lithographic impression be placed on the bed.
It should be understood that the several machines herein before described will
also serve for producing lithographic or typographic impressions in two colors
intermixed or superposed, thus rendering it unnecessary to recess the plates stones
or stereotypes.
J
Figure 6 represents a cylinder machine comprising a cylinder O divided into
three equal parts and slightly larger than the sheet to be printed. The part A
carries one plate bearing the design to be printed in the one color and the part B
another plate bearing the design to be printed in the other color. The part C
corresponds to the sheet or thickness of paper, metal, or wood to be printed.
The cylinder R is equal in diameter to one third of that of the cylinder O in
machines printing two colors, and is covered with a substance suitable for receiving
the ink and afterwards depositing it upon the sheet to be printed and is geared
with and turns in contact with said cylinder O, the pressure being regulated by
springs as before. The machine is provided with two cylinders T T¹ serving
as inking tables with two ink troughs and two sets of inking rollers.
Beneath the cylinder O are the damping rollers m which, during the rotation of
the cylinder, damp one of the parts A or B, or both if necessary, before inking.
The part A is inked by the distributing rollers t of the inking table T, the
rollers being caused to rise so as not to touch and ink A. This part A deposits
its ink upon the roller R and the operation is the same in the case of part B
which is inked by the rollers t¹ of inking table T¹ the rollers t being raised during
its passage. When the gripper P comes in front of feedboard Mit seizes the sheet
to be printed and holds it against the plain part C of the cylinder while it receives
an impression from roller R. The sheet is then delivered onto the receiving table F.
It will thus be seen that both parts A and B of the cylinder are inked, that both
print the designs they bear upon cylinder R by which it is transferred to the sheet
of wood, metal or paper to be printed, and that the parts A B being inked by
different inks, prints in two colors are obtained. In order that the impression of
part A upon cylinder R shall not be destroyed by the impression of part B and that
the two impressions be not superposed the part B is recessed at the part which
corresponds to the impression made by part A upon cylinder R. By means of
parts A, B, prints similar to zincographic or lithographic impressions may be
produced, or one or other of these impressions may be produced by part A only
and part B be used for typo printing, or both parts may be used for typo
printing.
It will be evident that this machine may be used for printing in three four or
more colors instead of in two only. In this case the cylinder O would be of a size
equal to four five or more times the circumference of cylinder R, that is to say, the
circumference of cylinder O would exceed the circumference of cylinder R by as
many times as there are colors to be printed plus one part against which the sheet
to be printed is held. Each portion of the cylinder would be inked by a separate
inking apparatus and the distributing rollers of the other inking tables would be
caused to recede from the cylinder on the passage of those parts which they are
not required to ink,

page_text: Figuro 7 shows the invention applied to a machino having a reciprocating
bed and cylinder. The cylinder A is covered at part a with a material suitable
for transferring and receives an impression at that part from the stone,
zinc plate, type or stereotype B which is inked in the ordinary manner of litho-
graphic or typographic machines. The cylinder receives a second color from
cylinder C which is provided with a plate or block inked by a separate inking
apparatus said cylinder being of the same diameter and turning at the same speed
as cylinder A. The small cylinder D placed above is slightly larger in circum-
ference than the sheet to be printed and is furnished with grippers which seize the
sheet as it is presented to it by the feed board M and deposit it when printed upon
table R. If a third color is required, a second cylinder C is provided having a
separate inking apparatus and provided with a printing plate or block.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1st A printing machine for producing impressions by transfer and wherein the
principal parts have a continuous circular motion as shown in figures 1 & 2, or a
continuous circular motion combined with a continuous movement of translation
as shown in figure 3 of the drawings hereunto annexed.
2nd The hereindescribed method of obtaining impressions in any number of
colors at once by successive printings on to a transfer cylinder from plates charged
with the different colors and by a single transfer impression from the transfer
cylinder onto the sheet.
3rd The application of the herein described method of polychromatic transfer
printing to cylinder machines having continuous or alternating motion as well as
to flat machines with reciprocating motion and to those existing reciprocating
transfer machines which print a single color only at a time.
4th The herein described arrangements for enabling transfer impressions in
several colors to be produced in old or new machines printing on one side only of
the sheet with intermittent motion, said impressions being either lithographic or
typographic or both combined, substantially as and for the purpose specified.