Improvements in the Method and Means of Producing Photo- Mechanical Printing Plates.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 5th May, 1898
Complate Sonnifination Loft 1th Fab 1800 Accented 25th Mar
1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method and Means of Producing Photo-
Mechanical Printing Plates.
I, ERNST FUCHS, Senior, of 6, Kohlgartenstrasse, Leipzig, in the Kingdom of
Saxony, in the Empire of Germany, Sculptor, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an improved method and means of photo mechanically
producing printing plates, designed for use both in typographic presses and in.
lithographic and plate printing presses. The said method of my invention prin-
cipally being based on the use of a quadruple camera obscura, as hereinafter
more fully described.
The new method of producing printing plates is principally designed to be
employed for producing deep etched zincographic plates for use in revolving.
presses even of the greatest production, as employed in printing daily news-
papers. Plates of this kind hitherto could only be obtained by the aid of
open and deep cut xylography and by deep etched pen and ink drawing on zinc.
Owing to the slow and expensive hand work required for producing such print-
ing plates, none or but very limited use could be made of them for usefully
illustrating the most recent events of the hour in the daily journals printed by
revolving letter presses of highest speed.
The photo mechanical method of producing deep etched zincographic printing
plates of the kind of deep cut xylography, as hereinafter described, allows of the
reproduction of figurative objects of every kind in a way so quick and cheap as
to enable such reproductions to be employed for illustrating the daily journals
printed by revolving presses.
The new method of my invention, as stated before, is performed by the employ-
ment of a quadruple camera obscura. A chamber of suitable size, perfectly.
closed to shut out all light from outside, is divided into two compartments by '
means of a partition which is conveniently movable by the aid of rollers or
wheels to or from either end of the chamber. One end wall of said chamber
contains an aperture so constructed and arranged as to receive a frame which
contains the original figurative object to be reproduced. Such object must be
translucid and may consist of a negative photograph, or any design, tracing,
printing prepared for the purpose, or other translucid picture. The said original
is tightly fitted in its frame, and the frame equally tightly placed within the
aperture so as to prevent any light from entering into the compartment except
through the translucid original. A source of light of sufficient intensity is
placed behind the said original, the reproduction of which through an objective
glass placed in a camera within the compartment, is projected on an enlarged
scale against the partition, which contains an aperture holding a pane of trans-
lucent glass or other suitable material. The said partition being adjustable to
and from the aperture and camera, the size of the projected reproduction of the
original may be easily determined. Opposite to the said aperture of the par-
tition, a photographic camera is placed adjustable both in height and to and
from the said partition.

page_text: On the translucent pane in said partition appears, as described, the enlarged
picture of the original, extending with broad shades, half tones and lights, and
owing to the interruptions of the small sharp reflections of light, the said picture
on the pane resembles, by itself, a perfectly true but enlarged engraved repro-
duction of the original.
To complete the picture, thrown, as described, on the pane of the partition, for
the requirements of open zincography, a fine screen or screens are placed before
or behind, or both before and behind the said pane in the partition, and thereby
the picture cast on said pane is finely divided and detailed into a net of sharp
lines, such as the xylographer obtains by minutest attention by hatching and
cross-hatching the wood with the aid of gravers.
The picture thus produced on the translucent pane of the partition and sub-
divided by a suitable screen or screens into a net of fine points, lines and squares,
being suitably adjusted, is subjected to photographic exposure by the second
camera within which the said picture is again reduced to any convenient scale,
-and the negative obtained serves for applying the picture to the zincographic
plate to be etched in the usual manner.
The method herein before described allows of being employed in a great variety
of manners, to reproduce drawings of any kind,, and in applying the screen or
screens, as described, and adapting such screen or screens to the original to be
reproduced, printing plates of any kind and description for plate presses, typo-
graphic and lithographic presses may be produced, not only for the usual print
of journals, but as well for producing the finest artificial and also coloured print.
The new method described further allows of printing plates being produced
for printing papers of value or public funds in a manner completely inimitable.
Dated this 4th day of May 1000
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool,
Agents for the Applicant.
o
Improvements in the Method and Means of Producing Photo-
Mechanical Printing Plates.
I, ERNST FUCHS, Senior, of 6, Kohlgartenstrasse, Leipzig, in the Kingdom of
Saxony, in the Empire of Germany, Sculptor, 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 an improved method and means of photo-mechanically
producing printing-plates, designed for use both in typographic presses and in
lithographic and plate-printing presses, the said method of my invention, prin-
cipally, being based on the use of a quadruple camera-obscura, as hereinafter
more fully described.
The new method of producing printing-plates is principally designed to be
employed for producing deep-etched zincographic plates, for use in revolving
presses even of the greatest production, as employed in printing daily news-
papers. Plates of this kind, hitherto, could only be obtained by the aid of
open and deep-cut xylography and by deep-etched pen-and-ink-drawing on zinc.
Owing to the slow and expensive hand work required for producing such print-
ing-plates, no use, or but very little use, could be made of them for usefully
illustrating the most recent events of the hour in the daily journals printed by
revolving letter-presses of highest speed.
The photo-mechanical method of producing deep-etched zincographic printing-

page_text: plates of the kind of deep-cut xylography as hereinafter described, allows of the
reproduction of figurative objects of every kind in a way so quick and cheap as
to enable such reproductions to be employed for illustrating the daily journals
printed by revolving presses.
The new method of my invention, as stated before, is performed by the employ-
ment of a quadruple camera-obscura, as represented in the accompanying
drawing. A chamber of suitable size, perfectly closed to shut out all light from
outside, is divided into two compartments 2 and 3, by means of a partition C,
which is conveniently movable by the aid of rollers or wheels, to or from either
end of the chamber. One end-wall a of said chamber contains an aperture b,
so constructed and arranged as to receive a frame, which contains the original
figurative object to be reproduced. Such object must be translucid and may
consist of a negative photograph, or any design, tracing or printing prepared
for the purpose, or other translucid picture. The said original is tightly fitted
in its frame, and the frame equally tightly placed within the aperture 6 so as
to prevent any ray of light from entering into the compartment 2 except through
the translucid original. A source of light of sufficient intensity is placed
behind the said original, the reproduction of which, through an objective glass
placed in a camera 1 within the compartment 2 is projected on an enlarged scale
against the partition C, which contains an aperture holding a pane of translucent
glass or other suitable material. The said partition being adjustable to and
from the aperture b, and camera 1, the size of the projected picture may be
easily determined. Opposite to the said aperture of the partition C, a photo-
graphic camera 4 is placed, adjustable both in height and to and from the said
partition C.
On the opaque pane in said partition C, appears, as described, the enlarged
picture of the original, extending with broad shades, half tones and lights, and
owing to the interruptions of the small sharp reflections of light, the said picture
on the pane resembles, by itself, a perfectly true, but enlarged engraved repro-
duction of the original.
To complete the picture thrown, as described, on the pane of the partition C,
for the requirements of open zincography, a fine screen or screens D, are placed
before or behind, or before and behind the said pane in the partition C, and,
thereby, the picture thrown on said pane is finely divided and detailed into a net
of sharp lines, such, as the xylographer obtains by minutest attention, working
by hatching and cross-hatching the wood with the aid of gravers.
The picture thus produced on the translucent pane of the partition C, and
subdivided by a suitable screen or screens into a net of fine points, lines and
squares, being suitably adjusted, is subjected to photographic exposure by the
camera 4, within which the said picture is again reduced to any desired scale,
and the negative obtained serves for applying the picture to the zincographic
plate to be etched in the usual manner.
The method herein before described is adapted to be employed in a great
variety of ways, to reproduce drawings and figurative objects of any kind, and
in applying a screen or screens, as described, and adapting such screen or screens
to the original to be reproduced, printing plates of any kind and description,
for plate-presses, typographic and lithographic presses may be produced, not only
for the usual journal printing, but also for producing the finest artistic and
coloured prints.
The new method described further allows of printing plates being produced
for printing papers of value or public funds in a manner completely inimitable.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. The method before described of photo-mechanically producing printing
plates of any kind, for typography, lithography, and plate-printing, consisting

page_text: in combining the operation of four camerae-obscurae, by, first, producing an
enlarged projected view of the translucid original, and subsequently, reducing
the said enlarged view by taking a photograph of the same, substantially as and
for the purpose set forth.
2. The method before described of photo-mechanically producing printing-
plates of any kind, for typography, lithography, and plate-printing consisting in
combining the operation of four camerae-obscurae, by, first, producing an
enlarged projected view of the translucid original, finely subdividing said view
by a screen or screens placed in the path of light, and, subsequently, reducing
the said enlarged view by taking a photograph of the same, substantially as and
for the purpose set forth.
.
3. Apparatus for photo-mechanically producing printing-plates of any kind
for typography, lithography and plate-printing, consisting of the combination
of four camerae-obscurae, one of which, by a source of light, placed outside, pro-
jects an enlarged view of the translucid original on a translucent pane of a
partition dividing a dark chamber into two compartments, one of which com-
partments contains photographic apparatus for reducing the enlarged view by
taking a negative of the same, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
4. Apparatus for photo-mechanically producing printing-plates of any kind,
for typography, lithography and plate-printing, comprising four camerae-
obscurae, two of which are formed by dividing a dark chamber into two
compartments by a movable partition having an aperture containing a translucent
pane, and a screen or screens to be placed against said pane, substantially as and
for the purpose set forth.
Total thi 2.1 1. f 1900
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.