A Process for Printing Inlaid Patterns upon Linoleum and like Fabrics.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 17th June, 1895
Comprete Specification Left, 16th Apr., 1896-Accepted, 16th May., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Process for Printing Inlaid Patterns upon Linoleum and like
Fabrics.
We JAMES EDWARD BEDFORD and CHARLES SAMUEL BEDFORD both of
27 Kirkstall Road Leeds in the County of York Chemists do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
This invention has for its object the printing of paints or of colouring matters
soluble in oil upon linoleum cortecine & like fabrics in such a manner that the
pigment or colouring matters soluble in oil with their vehicles become imbedded
to a more or less extent within the substance of the linoleum & in this respect the
printed fabric made by our process differs from that made by the ordinary process
in which the pigments lie upon the surface only.
To achieve this object we bring the paint or colouring matter dissolved in oil
into contact with the upper surface of the material which is to form the linoleum
before it is finally compressed into the consolidated form.
The preparation of the linoleum material consisting of powdered cork pigment &
linoleum cememt or cortecine oil in intimate mixture is well understood by makers
of plain linoleum.
When this material is distributed upon the backing cloth & subjected to light
pressure at the ordinary or a slightly elevated temperature it forms a porous mass
sily penetrated by the pigment or colouring matter dissolved in oil when such
paint or colouring matter with its solvent is liquefied by the application of heat.
We take a sheet of calico or stout cartridge paper in dimensions equal to the
piece of linoleum to be made & prepare it with size or other suitable material in
order to make it. non-porous.
We print on this tissue the pattern to be produced on the linoleum by means of
hand blocks or a colour printing machine taking care that the paint or colouring
matter in solution contains as much pigment or colour intensity as possible &
printed thickly upon the tissue.
If direct printing blocks or rollers are employed the pattern on the finished
linoleum will
appear reversed.
The porous linoleum is prepared by distributing the linoleum material evenly
upon ordinary jute backing cloth by any suitable means passing it through metal
rollers the upper one of which is polished, capable of being heated by hot water or
steam & set the necessary distance from the lower one to produce the thickness of
linoleum required. The distance between the rollers should be about three times
the thickness of the linoleum to be made.
As the cloth issues from the rollers the printed tissue is laid face downwards
upon it & the two together are carried forward round the lower half of a heated
metal roller supplied with a stout linen apron or band capable of being adjusted
so as to bring pressure to bear upon the cloth & tissue passing between it and the
roller.
By this means the paint or colouring matter dissolved in oil is liquefied & is
absorbed by the porous linoleum. After passing out of the apron the cloth goes
forward to be finally pressed either by means of a hydraulic press with heated
polished plate or by passing through heated calender rollers, after which the tissue

page_text: is stripped from the surface by any suitable means. Sometimes we remove the
tissue before the final pressing.
Deted this 17th 1]...
T 100Z
A Process for Frinting Inlaid Patterns upon Linoleum and like
Fabrics.
We, JAMES EDWARD BEDFORD and CHARLES SAMUEL BEDFORD, of
Broomleigh, Headingley, Leeds, in the County of York, Manufacturing Chemists,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention 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 certain improvements in the method of producing inlaid
coloured designs upon linoleum surfaces and has for its object the printing of paints
or of colouring matters soluble in oil upon linoleum corticine and like fabrics in
such a manner that the pigment or colouring matters soluble in oil with their
vehicles penetrate to a greater or less extent the substance of the linoleum, and in
this respect the printed fabric made by our process differs from that made by the
ordinary process in which the pigments lie upon the surface only. The utility of
the fabric made according to this invention is, that the pattern does not wear away
with the wearing away of the surface.
To accomplish our object, we bring the paint or colouring matter into contact
with the upper surface of the material which is to form the linoleum whilst it is in
a porous state, before being finally compressed into the consolidated form. The
preparation of the linoleum material, consisting of powdered cork or wood fibre,
pigment and linoleum cement or corticine oil in intimate mixture is well understood
by makers of plain linoleum. This composition is distributed upon the ordinary
backing cloth and subjected to light pressure in our process in the first instance, at
the ordinary or a slightly elevated temperature, thus forming a porous mass easily
penetrated by the paint or colouring matter..
To apply the colouring to the surface of the porous linoleum, we take a sheet
of calico or stout cartridge paper in dimensions equal to the piece of linoleum to be
made and prepare it with size or other suitable material in order to make a
non-porous tissue.
We print upon this tissue the pattern to be produced upon the linoleum by means
of hand blocks or a colour printing machine, taking care that the paint or solution
of colouring matter contains as much pigment or colour intensity as possible and
print it thickly upon the tissue.
TUT
In order to prevent the different colours running into each other when printed
upon the tissue, we dust over each colour, after printing, a small quantity of the
fine linoleum composition, removing excess by a sufficiently strong blast of air. If
direct printing blocks or rollers are employed the pattern on the finished linoleum
will be reversed.
The porous linoleum is prepared by distributing the linoleum material evenly
upon ordinary jute backing cloth by any suitable means, drawing it through and
between metal rollers, the upper one of which is polished, capable of being heated
by hot water or steam and set the necessary distance from the lower one to produce
the thickness of linoleum required.
As the cloth issues from the rollers, the printed tissue is laid face side upon it
and the two together are carried forward round the lower half of a heated metal
roller supplied with a stout linen apron or band capable of being adjusted so as to

page_text: bring pressure to bear upon the cloth and tissue passing between it and the roller,
and thus the design is transferred from the tissue to the cloth.
By this means the paint or colouring matter dissolved in oil is absorbed by the
porous linoleum. After passing out of the apron the cloth goes forward to be
finally pressed either by means of a hydraulic press with heated polished plate or
by passing through heated calender rollers, after which the tissue is stripped from
the surface by any suitable means.
Instead of applying the colour by means of a tissue, we may use printing blocks
or rollers applied direct to the lightly pressed surface of the porous composition.
The composition requires to be compressed to such an extent that the blocks show
no tendency to lift loose particles of the composition.
In case we require the coloured or inlaid effect to penetrate the entire thickness
of the linoleum, the printing blocks are faced with felt, chamois leather, or some
other device to enable them to carry a large amount of paint or colouring.
For the thicker qualities of linoleum, two or more applications of each block are
necessary.
We have found it to be desirable that the vehicle used for carrying the pigment
or colour into the pores of the linoleum material should consist in great parts of
volatile liquids capable of being removed by stoving, otherwise it would be
impossible to finally compress the fabric to the required density.
We find that the introduction of the necessary quantity of liquid material to
accomplish our object into the linoleum substance by the printing operation, would
cause the colours to run, if the fabric was consolidated at once. It is therefore
necessary to only partially consolidate it at this stage in order to cause the colours
to penetrate and to give the fabric strength so that it may be placed in a
stove for some hours in order to remove the greater and more volatile portion of
the vehicle, after which the linoleum may be finally pressed without fear of
damaging the outlines.
As an example of the manner in which we prepare pigments and colouring
matters for use in our process, the following will suffice.

page_text: the porous linoleum as arranged for use in conjunction with a continuous printing
machine for printing the tissue transfer.
Fig. 2 is a plan of same.
We do not show details of the printing machine because we do not lay claim to
the use of any particular form of machine, but we prefer to use one in which the
paints or colours are printed by blocks, provided with an automatic feed, descending
vertically upon the tissue.
A. and B. are two smooth faced metal rollers capable of being heated by steam
or hot water, and geared so that their surface speed is the same.
These rollers are
set the necessary distance apart to produce the thickness of porous linoleum required
when the fabric and composition are drawn between them by the action of the
apron D. which has the same surface speed as the rollers A. B.
The apron D. consists of a stout linen or composition band of the same width as
the rollers A. B. It revolves round the three rollers C. E. F. The bearings of
roller C. move in slides to allow the tension of the apron to be modified. N. is
a small felt covered roller running by friction on A. to coat same with a thin film
of oil.
The shaft I. serves to transmit a reciprocating motion to the hopper G. and
doctors H. in a direction at right angles to the fabric, thereby assisting the even
distribution of the linoleum meal upon the fabric. J. is a roll of canvas backing
cloth, K. a device for varnishing or sizing the face of the cloth.
The space at L. between the machine frame and tissue roll O. is occupied by the
continuous printing machine, not shewn but of any suitable construction, for
printing the tissue transfer.
When the machine is in operation the backing cloth Q. after passing the
varnishing device moves on to the machine bed S. and under the reciprocating
hopper G. from which it receives a regulated amounted of linoleum meal. It then
passes under the doctors H. also reciprocating where the meal is levelled down
upon the fabric to a uniform depth.
The coated fabric is then drawn between the rollers A. B. when the composition
is compressed to the necessary porous condition.
The porous linoleum then travels round the periphery of the roller B. till it
arrives at the point R. where it meets the printed tissue T. and the two together
pass between the apron D. and the roller B. where they are united, then round the
roller E. and finally wound upon the collecting roller M.
"
Fig. 3 shews the machine for preparing porous linoleum for direct printing by
means of blocks.
Fig. 4 is a plan.
A. and B. are the press plates capable of being heated. The upper plate B. has
a rising and falling motion derived from the rods C. C. in conjunction with the
rotating shaft D. and disc plates E. E. The crank pins work in slots in order that
the traverse of the upper plate may be regulated. F. F. are guides.
The shaft I. and the forked arms J. J. serve to give the necessary reciprocating
motion to the hopper G. and doctors H. The feed roller K. is covered with card
clothing and provided with a ratchet wheel M. which is actuated in such a manner
by the levers L. L. that the fabric is drawn the necessary distance forward in the
direction of arrow as soon as the upper press plate B. is raised. N. is the roll of
backing cloth and O. the varnishing device.
Fig. 5 shows a sectional elevation of a hydraulic press suitable for consolidating
the linoleum and may be fixed in any convenient position near to the linoleum
machine.
A. is the hydraulic press ram and A¹ the press plate, B. the linoleum to be
consolidated, C. the pressing tissue moving round rollers D. D. D.
This tissue prevents the upper or press plate A¹ from becoming soiled by
the paints and colours upon the surface of the linoleum which at this stage are
not quite dry.
The soiled tissue is cleansed by a suitable medium in the trough E.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is,
1. The process of producing linoleum and like fabrics having a coloured pattern
which permeates the substance of the material, by applying the pigments to the
linoleum when in a porous state so as to penetrate it and finally compressing the
material after the pigment has been introduced, substantially as described.
2. The improved linoleum herein before described, having colours permeating
the substance thereof, so that when the surface is worn off the coloured pattern
remains, the colours having been introduced substantially in the manner herein-
before set forth.
3. The use in our improved process of volatile pigment vehicles which are
partially evaporated by heat before the material is completely compressed,
substantially as described.
4. Our improved process of producing linoleum having a coloured pattern which
permeates the substance of the material, substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 15th day of April 1896.
JOHN WAUGH,
Agent.