An Improved Process of and Apparatus for Use in Colour-printing.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Apr., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 20th Jan., 1897-Accepted, 3rd Apr., 1897
An Improved Process of and Apparatus for Use in Colour-printing.
1, LOUIS CHRISTIAN GÉRARD LESAGE, of 4 Passage de la Visitation, Paris,
in the Republic of France, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention relates to a process of and apparatus for use in colour-printing by
which distinct shades or colours are produced and the proofs obtained are very true
images of the design or sketch.
My invention is equally applicable to chromo-typography and to chromo-
lithography but I will particularly describe the process with reference to this
latter application by way of example.
The lithographer who trausfers upon stone a design or sketch furnished by an
artist, must have the following characteristics-
1. He must be sufficiently sure of himself and must sufficiently know his palette,
in order that he may mentally decompose the colours of which the design or sketch
is composed, into their primary colours.
2nd. He must be sufficiently skilful in his profession, to be able to execute with
lithographic ink upon the different stones he desires to employ, very exactly
such dots as will when coloured constitute the primary colour or tone, aud,
when printed by the further superposition will constitute the composed tone or
shade to be rendered.
This method of procedure is lengthy, presents irregularities disagreeable to the
eye and always shows very considerable digressions from the tone or shade, so much
80 that two lithographs produced by different lithographers and intended to represent
the same design or sketch sometimes do not resemble one another.
In order to obviate these inconveniences I have devised a colour indicator in
which the lithographer always finds the tones or shades of the design or sketch.
required to be rendered or transferred. This indicator is combined with a
machine, designed for and capable of reproducing the chosen tones or shades, so
that the lithograph produced will be an exact transfer or rendering of the design
or sketch.
Lithographic reproduction, obtained by means of my colour indicator and
machine combiued, constitutes the subject-matter of the present invention.
In order to make myself well understood, I have represented the indicator aud
the machine in question in the accompanying drawing, as a specimen only.
In this drawing
Figure 1 shows one of the sheets of my colour indicator for green tones or shades.
Figure 2 represents a front elevation of the machine.
Figure 3 is a corresponding plan thereof, and
Figure 4 shows the same machine in vertical section.
In these different figures similar reference letters denote similar parts.
My indicator is composed of a certain number of colour plates which indicate the
different degrees of intensity of a given colour, as well as the combination of two
primitive colours or of three primitive colours or any other combination. My
colour-plates are executed by the machine itself, which serves to reproduce them, in
the following manner.

page_text: Suppose the green colour is in question formed by the two primitive colours
yellow and blue, upon two stones, one for bluo and one for yellow which serve to
print my indicator plate for green colours, I execute in parallel and equidistant
columns, dots in accordance with the degradation of the colour or shade that is to
Bay in proportion to the intervals.
In this manner I produce a parallel columns passing from the darkest shading to
the lightest.
Taking B' to be the darkest blue Bn the lightest blue J' the darkest yellow
Jn the lightest yellow I shall have
1. A separate print of each colour, which will give all shades or tones of these
two primitive colours.
2. A priut by superposing the two colours
B1 with J1 J2
. JD-1 Jo
B2
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
Bn
J1 J2
"
" "
Jo-1 Jo
When this is done, I have a colour plate of the two primitive colours combined,
the blue and the yellow in different shades or tones. These shades are represented
by n 8 in Figure 1 which constitutes a specimen of my indicator.
Now, if by the aid of the colour plate of Figure 1 of the drawing, I wish to
produco the green shade marked A, for oxample, I read in the margin: B of the
horizontal lines and J 4 of the vertical lines, so that the required colour A will lie
upon the intersection of these two lines.
I then execute upon the stone for blue the dots corresponding to No. 6 and upon
the stone for yellow the dots corresponding to No. 4.
When this is done, it is evident, that, on printing by the superposition of these
two colours, I shall obtain a green shade, which exactly corresponds to the shade
or tone A of the indicator.
All colour-plates of my indicator are executed, as I have above described, but
in order to give a better idea of it, I will again, as an example, instance a colour
plate composed of three primitive colours namely; one blue, another red and
a third yellow.
This combination requires three stones namely one for blue, one for red and one
for yellow.

page_text: B1
J 2
Rn
Supposing n8, and I have to print a shade B for example, composed of the
three primitive colours, I search for this tone or shade in the corresponding colour-
plate of the indicator. Suppose I find this tone or shade to correspond to the
marginal indications B7 R2 J4, I shall then have to execute upon a stone for
blue colour the dots corresponding to No. 7, upon a stone for red colour_the
dots corresponding to No. 2 and finally upon a stone for yellow the dots corresponding:
to No. 4.
I am certain, after these three stones have been prepared in the manner described,
to obtain the tone B on printing by superposition.
These examples are sufficient to explain my method of proceeding for obtaining
any combinations of colours or shades.
The machine, by the aid of which I first obtain my colour plates constituting
the colour indicator, and, which subsequently serves to reproduce the colours and
the shades of the indicator is constructed in principle, as shown in Figures 2, 3, 4
of the drawing.
This macbiue is composed or a base a which supports two parallel rails b, that
permit of laterally displacing the whole upper frame of the machine. This
displacement is effected either by the aid of oue central screw c or by means of two
screws or of any other appropriate mechanical device.
The base a is likewise provided with three or four binding screws d which

page_text: permit of adjusting the stone perfectly horizontal. The frame rests upon a cross
beam e provided at each of its extremities with frictional counter-rails for the
transverse displacement, above referred to.
Upon the extremities of the cross beam two standards a are fixed, in the upper
part of which are received the axle ends of a screw & serving for the displacement
of a carriage i, from which a solenoid jis suspended, the central core of which
forms a pen-holder. The screw is also provided with eight discs of insu-
lating material divided into sectors or contacts. The first disc possesses one
contact, the second two, the third three, and so on, and finally the eighth eight.
In this way, supposing the two poles of any appropriate source of electricity
are connected, one to the screw and the other to an insulated friction
device m,
the circuit will bo closed each time the friction device arrives at a
Then the current acting upon the solenoid will cause its pen-holding core k to
descend and the pen will mark a point upon the stone p.
contact.
If the screw has a pitch of 2 millimeters and the friction device m, is placed
upon the disc with one contact, the circuit will be completed once each revolution
of the screw, and the pen will mark, in a straight line, one dot to every
two millimeters.
If the friction device is placed upon the disc with 8 contacts, the pen will
mark 8 points per two millimeters. And similarly if the friction device is placed
on the intermediate contacts 2 to 7 a corresponding number of points will be made.
Now in order to add a dotted line sideways of the first or of the preceding one,
it is necessary, that the carriage be displaced at a right angle relatively to the first
dotted line.
For this purpose, the whole frame is actuated by the aid of the screw c having
likewise a pitch of two millimeters and carrying a divided scale g for indicating
the fractions of a revolution.
The two screws c and h can be turned together or separately by means of an
appropriate mechanical arrangement.
In order to displace the carriage of the solenoid by the aid of the screw h,
I provide a kind of spring catch which engages with the threads of this screw.
This spring catch is lifted by hand when the carriage is required to be returned to
the commencement of its course.
The dotted lines may be arranged in square formation or they may be provided
in lozenge like arrangement.
For this purpose it is suflicient to throw the spring catch into engagement with
the screw thread of the screw h instead of placing it into the end or extremity of
the screw thread, as for the first line. At the third line the catch is replaced as
for the first line and so forth.
I may also effect this lozenge like arrangement by an adjustment of the pen.
The pen is fed by means of a small tube starting from au ink cup or vessel
placed upon the carriage, by syphonic or by capillary action.
Instead of employing a single friction device, placed upon a simple support, I
may arrange as many friction devices as there are discs.
The friction devices would then be operatod by the aid of keys arranged on the
bago of the machine.
If I no longer require to obtain dots of different thickness, I insert into the
electric circuit an appropriate graduated resistance; I shall then obtain a drawing
pattern.
I may provide any other means than electricity, for moving my pen holders, for
example compressed air or an appropriate mechanical device.
If, instead of using a peu holder provided with a lithographic pen, I employ
a light, pointed steel rod or stylus of a very small diameter, and if I replace
the lithographic stone by a smooth alloy, previously cast on well polished marble,
my stylus when set in motion, will produce recesses or dots in the alloy.
Having once obtained these dots, it will be easy to produce relief-moulds

page_text: therefrom by any of the processes (galvanizing for example) employed for this.
purpose.
The relief-mould ouce obtained, is rolled in cylinder form, after being first.
reinforced, if necessary, and is subsequently mounted upon a rotary machine.
I produce a colour indicator by this process, as I have produced one with my
pen and, going always through the same operations, I obtain an indetermined
number of tones or shades by means of three cylinders which, placed successively.
upon the same rotary axis, will produce a complete chromo-lithograph.
This definite, distinct system dispenses with the working upon stone, and the
printing process, and obviates one of the greatest difficulties met with at present,
namely the process of providing the marks of junction.
In fact when the cylinders are once put in place, the sheets of paper must always
meet them at the same placo.
There would however be no hindrance to employ, by any appropriate mechanical
arrangement, one single cylinder divided into three parts, each of which is inked
with its special colour.
It is evident that the shape, detail parts, accessories, material and dimensions of
this machine may vary, without thereby in any way departing from the spirit of.
my invention.
Dated this 20th day of April 1896.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant..
An Improved Process of and Apparatus for use in
Jolour-printing..
1, LOUIS CHRISTIAN GÉRARD LESAGE, of 4 Passage de la Visitation, Paris,
in the Republic of France, Engineer, 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:-
My invention relates to a process of and apparatus for use in colour-printing by
which distinct shades or colours are produced and the proofs obtained ary very
true images of the design or sketch.
My invention is equally applicable to chromo-typography and to chromo-
lithography, but I will particularly describe the process with reference to this
latter application by way of example.
The lithographer who trausfers upon stone a design or sketch furnished by an
artist, must.have the following characteristics.
(1) He must be sufficiently sure of himself and must sufficiently know his.
palette, in order that he may mentally decompose the colours, of which the design
sketch is composed, into their primary colours.
2nd. He must be sufficiently skilful in his profession to be able to execute with
lithographic ink upon the different stones he desires to employ, very exactly such
dots HR will when coloured constitute the primary colour or tone and, when printed
by the further superposition will constitute the composed tone or shade to be
rendered.
This method of procedure is lengthy, presents irregularities, disagreeable to the
eye and always shows very considerable digressions from the tone or shade, so
much so that two lithographs produced by different lithographers and intended
to represent the same design or sketch sometimes do not resemble one another.
In order to obviate these inconveniences I have devised a colour indicator in
which the lithographer always finds the tones or shades of the design or sketch

page_text: required to be rendered or transferred. This indicator is combined with a
machine, designed for and capable of reproducing the chosen tones or shades, so
that the lithograph produced will be an exact transfer or rendering of the design
or sketch.
Lithographic reproduction, obtained by means of my colour indicator and
machine combined, constitutes the subject-matter of the present invention.
In order to make myself well understood, I have represented the indicator and
the machine in question in the drawing left with my Provisional Specification as a
specimen only.
In this drawing
Figure 1 shows one of the sheets of my colour indicator for green tones or
shades.
Figure 2 represents a front elevation of the machine.
Figure 3 is a corresponding plan thereof, and
Figure 4 shows the same machine in vertical section.
In these different figures similar reference letters denote similar parts.
My indicator is composed of a certain number of colour plates which indicate the
different degrees of intensity of a given colour, as well as the combination of two
primitive colours or of three primitive colours or any other combination. My
colour-plates are executed by the machine itself, which serves to reproduce them, in
the following manner.
Suppose the green colour is in question formed by the two primitive colours
yellow and blue, upon two stones, one for blue and one for yellow which serve to
print my indicator plate for green colours, 1 execute in parallel and equidistant
columns, dots in accordance with the degradation of the colour or shade, that is to
Bay in proportion to the intervals.
In this manner I produce n parallel columns passing from the darkest shading to
the lightest.
Taking B¹ to be the darkest blue Bn the lightest blue J the darkest yellow
Jn the lightest yellow I shall have

page_text: Now, if by the aid of the colour plate of Figure 1 of the drawing, I wish to
produce the green shade marked: A, for example, I read in the margin: B-6 of
the horizontal lines and J 4 of the vertical lines, so that the required colour: A
will lie upon the intersection of these two lines.
I then execute upon the stone for blue the dots corresponding to No. 6 and upon
the stone for yellow the dots corresponding to No. 4.
When this is done, it is evident, that, on printing by the superposition of these
two colours, I shall obtain a green shade, which exactly corresponds to the shade
or tone: A of the indicator.
All colour-plates of my indicator are executed, as I have stated, but in order
to give a better idea of it, I will again, as an example, instance a colour plate
composed of three primitive colours namely; one blue, another red and a third
yellow.
This combination requires three stones namely one for blue, one for red and one
for yellow.

page_text: Supposing n = 8, and I have to print a ebade for example, composed of the
-three primitive colours, I search for this tone or shade in the corresponding colour-
plate of the indicator. Suppose I find this tone or shade to correspond to the
marginal indications B7 R2 J 4, I shall then have to execute upon a stone for
blue colour the dots corresponding to No. 7, upon a stone for red colour the dots.
corresponding to No. 2 and finally upon a stone for yellow the dots corresponding
to No. 4.
I am certain, after these three stoues have been prepared in the manner
described, to obtain the tone B on printing by superposition.
These examples are sufficient to explain my method of proceeding for obtaining
any combinations of colours or shades.
The machine, by the aid of which I first obtain iny colour plates constituting the
colour indicator, and which subsequently serves to reproduce the colours and the
.shades of the indicator is constructed in principle as shown in Figures 2, 3, 4 of
the drawing.
This machine is composed of a base a which supports two parallol rails b, that
permit of laterally displacing the whole upper frame of the machine. This
displacement is effected oither by the aid of one central screw c or by means of two
screws or of any other appropriate mechanical device.
The base a is likewise provided with three or four binding screws d which permit
of adjusting the stone perfectly horizontal. The frame rests upon a cross beam e
provided at each of its extremities with frictional counter-rails for the transverse
displacement, above referred to.
Upon the extremities of the cross beam two standards 9 are fixed, in the upper
part of which are received the axle ends of a screw serving for the displacement
of a carriage i, from which a solenoid is suspended, the central core of which
forms a pen-holder. The screw h is also provided with eight discs 1 of insulating
material divided into sectors or contacte. The first disc possesses one contact, the
second two, the third three and so on, and finally the eighth eight.
In this way, supposing the two poles of any appropriate source of electricity are
connected, one to the screw h and the other to an insulated friction device m, the
circuit will be closed each time the friction device arrives at a contact.
Then the current acting upon the solenoid will cause its pen-bolding core k to
descend and the pen will mark a point upon the stone p.
If the screw has a pitch of 2 millimeters and the friction device m, is placed
upon the disc with one contact, the circuit will be completed once each revolution
of the screw, and the peu will mark, in a straight line, one dot every two
.millimeters.
If the friction device is placed upon the disc with 8 contacts, the pen will mark
8 points per two millimeters. And similarly if the friction device is placed on the
intermediate contacts 2 to 7 a corresponding number of points will be made.
Now in order to add a dotted line sideways of the first or of the preceding one,
it is necessary, that the carriage be displaced at a right angle relatively to the first
-dotted line.
For this purpose the whole frame is actuated by the aid of the screw c having
likewise a pitch of two millimeters and carrying a divided scale g for indicating the
fractions of a revolution.
The two screws c and h. can be turned together or separately by means of au
.appropriate mechanical arrangement.
In order to displace the carriage of the solenoid by the aid of the screw h,
I provide a kind of spring catch r which engages with the threads of this screw.
This spring catch is lifted by hand when the carriage is required to be returned to
the commencement of its course.
The dotted lines may be arranged in square formation or they may be provided
in lozenge like arrangement.
For this purpose it is sufficient to throw the spring catch r into engagement with
the screw thread of the screw h instead of placing it into the end or extremity of

page_text: for the first line and so forth.
I may also effect this lozenge like arrangement by an adjustment of the pen.
The pen is fed by means of a small tube starting from an ink cup or vessel placed:
upon the carriage, by syphonic or by capillary action.
Instead of employing a single friction device, placed upon a simple support, I may
arrange as many friction devices as there are discs.
The friction devices would then be operated by the aid of keys arranged on the
base of the machine.
If I no longer require to obtain dots of different thickness, I insert into the.
electric circuit au appropriate graduated resistance, I shall then obtain a drawing
pattern.
I may provide any other means than electricity, for moving my pen holder, for
example compressed air or an appropriato mechanical device.
If, instead of using a pen holder provided with a lithographic pen, I employ a
light, pointed steel rod or stylus of a very small diameter, and if I replace the litho--
graphic stone by a smooth alloy, previously cast on well polished marble, my stylus
when set in motion, in the alloy will produce recesses or dots.
Having once obtained these dots, it will be easy to produce relief-moulds.
therefrom by any of the processes (galvanising for example) employed for this
purpose.
The relief-mould once obtained, is rolled in cylinder form, after being first.
reinforced, if necessary, and is subsequently mounted upon a rotary machine.
I produce a colour indicator by this process, as I have produced one with my pen..
and, going always through the same operations, I obtain an indetermined number of
tones or shades by means of three cylinders which, placed successively upon the same-
rotary axis, will produce a complete chromo-lithograph.
This definite, distinct system dispenses with the working upon stone, and the
printing process, and obviates one of the greatest difficulties met with at present,.
namely the process of providing the marks of junction.
In fact when the cylinders are once put in place, the sheets of paper must always.
meet them at the same place.
There would however be no hindrance to employ, by any appropriate mechanical
arrangement, one single cylinder divided into three parts, each of which is inked:
with its special colour.
It is evident that the shape, detail parts, accessories, material and dimensions of
this machine may vary, without thereby in any way departing from the spirit of my
invention.
Having now particularly described aud 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 :-
1. For use in chromo lithographic or chromo-typographic printing, colour
indicators obtained by the combination of different primitive colours arranged in
columns and rows, which meet one another, with the aid of an equivalent number
of lithographic stones or metal plates for reproducing these columns, in order to
thus form colour indicators with colour plates of the different shades composed by
the aid of the primitive colours, in such a manner that after having simply
compared the colour, to be reproduced, with these different colour indicators,
one may with certainty obtain the composition of the colour in question and
the reproduction of the same by chromo-lithographic or chromo-typographic.
printing.
2. An apparatus for use in chromo-lithographic or chromo-typographic printing
by the aid of colour indicators as specified in the first claim, for the purpose of
obtaining upou the lithographic stone or upon metal plates, the required dote for
the separate colours or shades, the characteristic feature of this apparatus being
a dotting pen or stylus capable of being moved by the aid of a sorew in a direction.
B
காட

page_text: different to that of the apparatus and which pen or stylus can be lifted and
lowered either by electricity or by any other means which enables its action to be
controlled according to the kind of dotting represented in the colour indicator,
described in the first claim, in order that upon the stone or upon the metal plate
the required dots may be obtained by the combined action of the different
movements.
Dated this 20th day of January 1807
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
.45 Southampton Buildings, Loudon, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.