Improvements in Printing Calicoes and other Woven Fabrics, and in Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Jan., 1891..
Complete Specification Left, 31st Oct., 1891-Accepted, 12th Dec., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Printing Calicoes and other Woven Fabrics, and in
Apparatus therefor.
I JAMES VALENTINE HULME of 180 Upper Lloyd Street Moss Side Man-
chester in the County of Lancaster Commercial Traveller, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to produce by printing upon calico or other woven
fabric irregular or nondescript patterns or designs such as are suitable for the
Indian, Chinese, Japanese and African markets such designs or patterns being (by
preference, but not necessarily) printed in indigo either all of one shade or of
various shades or depths of color.
For the purposes of my invention I dispense with the use of engraved or carved
surface rollers and 1 print without any pressure whatever the calico or fabric
passing over and in contact with the upper surface of the printing roller, the lower
surface of which revolves in a trough kept supplied with the indigo solution or
other coloring matter employed.
The calico or fabric is wound upon a roller or beam and passes thence under an
adjustable guide roller, over and in contact with the printing roller or rollers round
other guide rollers, and then through oxidizing and washing vats and through two
nipping or drag rollers which pull the calico or fabric through the machine.
These rollers are driven at a suitable speed and by means of a strap or straps they
give a corresponding motion to the printing roller or rollers.
These rollers have no regular patterns or designs formed upon their surface but
are plain wood rollers upon which I fasten by nailing or otherwise projecting pieces
of rope, chain, matting wire or other netting, or other materials or combinations of
materials in such irregular forms or positions as will produce irregular nondescript
blotches or patterns suitable for the markets above named.
Sometimes I make the printing surfaces by driving into the wood rollers nails,
screws or pegs or pins having irregular formed projecting heads, if spots or
blotches are only required, or intersperse these nails, pegs, or pins, promiscuously
with the pieces of rope, chain, matting, netting or other materials.
For rings, ovals or other open forms 1 cut off sections either transversely or
diagonally from pieces of lead or other piping and nail them to the surface of
the rollers, and for the sake of diversity or non-uniformity I beat some of these
circular or oval rings or sections into a variety of irregular forms before nailing
them on.
In some cases vary the effect by using tufts of bristles arranged in an
irregular manner either alone or in combination with any of the above and if I
wish to produce a kind of smudged effect I drive the printing roller rather faster
than the calico or fabric is moving.
If I require a dark indigo ground with a light indigo or white pattern I dye the
calico or cloth first and then print thereon in my improved manner with a dis-
charging solution as is well known to calico printers.
In cases where I use wire or other netting, matting or other similar fabric some-
times instead of nailing such material to a wooden roller as previously described
I form a roller or cylinder of such netting or fabric and then indent dinge or
otherwise deform the surface thereof so that it prints only in irregular detached
portions so as to obtain the effect desired.
+
The calico or fabric after printing passes through the air for a sufficient distance
to partially oxidize or fix the color, and it is acted upon by water from a perforated
sprinkling pipe before it reaches the oxidizing and washing vat, and in cases where

page_text: I wish to produce a marbled or blurred effect I pass the printed calico or fabric
beneath a sprinkling pipe or brush soon after it has passed the printing roller or
rollers which will have the effect of causing the color to run thereby producing
a novel blurred or clouded effect.
Dated this 30th day of January 1891.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Printing Calicoes and other Woven Fabrics, and in
Apparatus therefor.
I JAMES VALENTINE HULME of 180 Upper Lloyd Street Moss Side Man-
chester in the County of Lancaster, Commercial Traveller, 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 :-
The principal object of this invention is to produce by printing upon calico or
other woven fabric regular, irregular or nondescript patterns or designs, such as
are suitable for the Indian, Chinese, Japanese, African, and other markets, such
designs or patterns, being by preference, printed in indigo either all of one shade
or of various shades or depths of color, but they may be printed in other colors, or
the fabrics may be dyed indigo or Turkey red and the pattern printed in "dis-
charge" and washed out as is well understood in the trade.
The nature of my invention and the manner in which the same is to be performed
or carried into practical effect will be readily understood on reference to the sheet
of drawings hereunto annexed and the following explanation thereof.
Fig. 1 on the annexed drawing is a vertical section of my improved apparatus
and'
Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5 represent detached portions of printing rollers made according
to my invention.
For the purposes of my invention I dispense with the use of engraved or carved
surface rollers, and I print (either with color or "discharge" and preferably without
any pressure whatever) the calico or fabric as it passes over and in contact with
the upper surface of the printing roller a Fig. 1 (right hand) the lower surface of
which revolves in a trough supplied with the indigo solution or other coloring or
discharging matter employed.
The calico or fabric is wound upon a roller or beam, or proceeds direct from
the lap, and passes thence over a guide roller d and under an adjustable tension
roller e over and in contact with the printing roller a round other guide rollers f
and then through the oxidizing and washing vats and hand through two nipping
or drag rollers i which pull the calico or fabric through the machine. These
rollers are driven at a suitable speed, and by means of an endless strap or straps,
or chain or other gear, they give a corresponding motion to the printing roller or
rollers. I prefer as before stated not to put any pressure whatever upon the fabric
whilst being printed but one of the guide rollers is made adjustable so that in
cases where a more definite effect is required this roller may be lowered so as to
apply more or less pressure.
The printing rollers which I employ have no regular definite patterns or designs
carved or formed upon their surface but are plain wooden rollers upon which I
fasten by nailing or otherwise projecting pieces of india rubber, or lead moulded in
various shapes (see Fig. 4) or rope, (see Fig. 5) chain, matting, or other materials
or combinations of materials in such regular or irregular forms and positions as
will produce regular or irregular nondescript blotches or patterns suitable for the
markets above named.
Sometimes I make the printing surfaces by driving into the wooden rollers nails,
screws, pegs or pins having regular or irregular formed projecting heads (see Fig. 3)

page_text: if spots or blotches only are required, or I intersperse these nails pegs, or pins,
promiscuously with the india rubber, lead pieces of rope chain, matting netting or
other materials.
I sometimes make the rollers in short lengths or sections with a rectangular hole
through, and I thread them onto a square shaft, and by arranging them differently
I can produce several patterns from one set of sections.
For rings ovals, or other open forms I cut off sections, either transversely or
diagonally from pieces of lead or other piping and nail them to the surface of the
rollers, and for the sake of diversity or non-uniformity I beat some or all of these
circular or oval rings or sections into a variety of irregular forms (see Fig. 2)
before nailing them on.
In some cases vary the effect by using tufts of bristles arranged in an irregular
manner, either alone or in combination with any of the above, and if I wish to
produce a kind of smudged effect I drive the printing roller rather faster or slower
then the fabric is moving.
If I require a dark indigo ground with a light indigo or a white pattern I dye
the calico or cloth first and then print thereon in my improved manner with a lis-
charging solution and wash out as is well known to calico printers.
In cases where I use wire or other netting or other similar fabric, sometimes
instead of nailing such material to a wooden roller as previously described I form a
roller or cylinder of such netting or fabric and then indent, dinge, or otherwise
deform the surface thereof so that it prints only in irregular detached portions so
as to obtain the effect required.
"
dis-
The calico or fabric after printing with the color or "discharge" with the
roller a passes through the air for a sufficient distance to partially oxidize or fix
the color and it is acted upon by a perforated sprinkling pipe & before it reaches
the oxidizing and washing vats and and after it leaves the same and in cases
where I wish to produce a marbled or blurred effect I pass the printed or
charged calico or fabric beneath a sprinkling pipe or brush soon after it has
passed the printing roller a (or rollers) which will have the effect of causing the
color to "run" thereby producing a novel blurred or clouded effect, and in some
cases to vary the effect still further 1 employ two rollers provided with projecting
strips of india rubber or other suitable material and revolving in water boxes or
troughs m in front of the printing roller a and in other cases I have a steam box n
for steaming the cloth after printing and before entering the oxidizing and washing
vats and h
A pattern may be formed on both sides of the india rubber if preferred and
reversed on the roller when required.
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 :-
First. The improvements in printing calicoes and other woven fabrics sub
stantially as hereinbefore described.
Secondly claim the improved apparatus for printing calicoes and other woven
fabrics constructed substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the
drawings annexed.
Thirdly. I claim as a new manufacture calicoes or other woven fabrics printed
in the manner and by means of the apparatus herein before described.
Dated this 30th day of October 1891.
.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.