Improvements in or Applicable to Rollers and Blocks used in Printing Wall-papers and the like.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 19th June, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 6th Mar., 1890-Accepted, 14th June, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or Applicable to Rollers and Blocks used in
Printing Wall-papers and the like.
We, WILLIAM HUTCHINSON CLEGG and GEORGE KIRBY, trading as Carlisle and
Clegg, of Graham Street, City Road, in the County of Middlesex, Paper Stainers, do
bereby declare the nature of the said invention, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in or applicable to rollers and
blocks used in printing wall-papers and the like, the especial object of the Invention
being so to adapt the same substantially in the manner hereinafter described as to
simplify and lessen the cost of production thereof.
As at present constructed and applied the pattern desired to be printed on the paper
is firstly transferred or drawn onto the set of wooden rollers or blocks used in the
production of the pattern, the number thereof depending upon the variety of colours
employed, and those portions of the pattern which each roller or block is desired to
print in the colour it will transfer are then set out thereon by means of copper strips
and pins which are let into the substance of the roller, the interstices between the
strips and pins being afterwards packed with felt as a supporting medium therefor,
and which is also used in printing flat portions of the pattern. The production of
such rollers and blocks according to such system is tedious and expensive, being
disadvantages which the improved system hereinafter described is designed to
obviate.
To this end the Invention consists essentially in applying to the surface of the
rollers or blocks a pliable medium preferably of the nature hereinafter indicated onto
which the pattern is transferred or drawn in a usual manner and from which subse-
quently to the insertion of the copper strips and pins by which the pattern is defined
as aforesaid where such means are used, or subsequently to the cutting of the pattern
in the surface of the said medium the intermediate portions thereof may be readily cut
or removed, and subsequently to which the rollers or blocks as thus applied are sub-
jected to a suitable hardening process by which the aforesaid medium will be hardened
and rendered suitable for supporting the strips and pins and for use in printing such
portions of the pattern as it may bear.
According to an advantageous modification of carrying the Invention into effect we
may use as the said medium a compound of powdered cork and boiled linseed or other
suitable oil spread to a sufficient thickness on a canvas or other suitable backing, and
which may then be applied and cemented to or otherwise secured around or to the
rollers or blocks, or the rollers or blocks may be otherwise covered therewith, and the
same may be rolled or otherwise compressed thereon and may be dried by any suitable
means if required, subsequently to which the pattern may be imprinted thereon and
set or cut out as aforesaid and the superfluous material removed, after which the
whole may be rendered fit for use for its intended purpose. by being dipped into or
otherwise treated with any suitable hardening solution, or compound or subjected to
any suitable hardening process for the purpose aforesaid.
Dated this 19th day of June 1889.
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
321, High Holborn, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or Applicable to Rollers and Blocks used in
Printing Wall-papers and the like.
We, WILLIAM HUTCHINSON CLEGG and GEORGE KIRBY, trading as Carlisle and
Clegg, of Graham Street, City Road, in the County of Middlesex, Paper Stainers,
do hereby declare the nature of the said 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 or applicable to the production
or manufacture of rollers and blocks used in printing wall-papers and the like,
the special object of the Invention being to simplify and lessen the cost of such
manufacture.
According to the present method of manufacturing such rollers and blocks the
portions of the pattern desired to be printed on the paper are transferred from the
original design or drawing onto the respective rollers or blocks of the series required
for the production of the complete pattern in its various shades, tints or colors, each
such roller or block having transferred thereonto only such portions of the pattern
(whether outlines, lineal representations or flats or spaces or any combination thereof)
as are desired to be printed in the shade, tint or color such roller or block is desired
to apply, there (consequently) being as many of such rollers or blocks in each such
series as there are variations of shade, tint or color in the particular pattern such series
of rollers or blocks is required to reproduce. Such respective parts of the pattern are
transferred either directly onto the surface of the wood of which the roller is composed,
or onto the surface of paper or the like which is lapped around the roller to a thickness
equal to the desired projection from the surface of the roller of the copper or metallic
strips which are used to define the outlines and lineal representations of the pattern as
hereinafter referred to, and the aforesaid flats or spaces forming portions of the
pattern are distinguished from the other spaces left on the roller by being blocked in
with a distinguishing color for the guidance of the workmen conducting the following
operations. The portions of the pattern which each roller or block then bears are then
set out thereon by means of copper or metallic strips and pins which are edgewise
inserted into the substance of the roller, being left to project therefrom to an extent
equal to or determined by the thickness of the said lapping of paper, and such of the
spaces or interstices between the strips as are distinguished as aforesaid and are to be
used in printing flat portions of the pattern are subsequently shellaced and packed
with gummed felt. When the latter is dry the roller is turned true and is ready for
use. The production of such rollers and blocks according to such system is
tedious and expensive being disadvantages which the improved system hereinafter
described is designed to obviate.
"
In accordance with the present improvements we apply to the surface of the wooden
rollers or blocks a pliable medium preferably of the nature hereinafter indicated, of
a thickness equal to the usual projection from the surface of the roller or of the
block of the aforesaid metallic strips, or of any suitable greater or less thickness as
may be desired; and after drawing or transferring the pattern thereonto in a usual
manner, we cut the pattern thereinto by means of any suitable tool or tools and we
cut out or otherwise remove therefrom the portions which are not required for use
in the production of the pattern, leaving only those portions which are required for
use in printing such portions of the pattern as would with the usual rollers or blocks
be printed by the felted parts thereof.
If the pattern is of such a nature as to require any fine lineal representations,
or any lineally defined outlines or any isolated dotted parts or the like, then we
also apply to the roller or block (by inserting through the substance of the said

page_text: medium to a level with its surface, and into the substance of the wooden roller or
block) copper or metallic strips and pins of the usual kind according to the lineal
or like representations required; preferring to insert the said strips and pins before
removing from the said pliable medium the superfluous portions thereof, as aforesaid
but such strips and pins may be applied subsequently to the cutting of the pattern-
and removal of the superfluous parts, depending principally upon the nature of the
pattern.
;
We find compounds of powdered cork and oxidized or boiled linseed or other
suitable oils and materials such as are used in the manufacture of linoleum and the
like floor coverings or of "Lincrusta Walton", and. the like, mural decorations to be
very suitable for the purpose of our Invention. Such compounds may be rolled to
the required thickness on a canvas or other suitable backing, and may then be
applied and shellaced or otherwise cemented to or otherwise secured around or to
the rollers or blocks, the meeting edges being carefully trued and finished, or the
rollers or blocks may be otherwise covered therewith, or such material may be rolled
or otherwise compressed directly onto the shellaced or cemented rollers or blocks,
and, if required, may be partly dried and hardened by being suspended in a hot air
chamber, or in any other suitable manner and by any other suitable means;
sequently to which the pattern may be drawn thereon or transferred thereonto and
set or cut out as aforesaid and the superfluous material removed; after which, if
required, the roller or block may be further dried and hardened by being again
suspended in a hot air chamber for a sufficient period; or, if required, it may be
otherwise treated with any suitable hardening solution or compound, or, if required,
it may be subjected to any other suitable hardening process or to any suitable means
which will render its surface non-oleaginous, and, if required, it may also be turned
true.
sub-
This
Another material which we find suitable for the purpose of our Invention is that
known as
"fibrous sheet" which we prefer to roll to the required thickness directly
onto the wooden roll or block which may be previously shellaced or cemented, after
which we proceed in the manufacture of the roller or block as aforesaid.
material is of advantage in enabling the said flats and spaces of the pattern to be
cut with a specially sharp outline, and in enabling much of the fine lineal representa-
tion to be produced without the aid of the metallic strips and pins hitherto used as
aforesaid.
The material fibrous sheet" is made from cotton rags which are treated with
suitable acids neutralized by a suitable metal and are thus reduced to a tough
homogeneous mass from which the air is mechanically expelled the product being
washed and dried and pressed under heated plates and if required rendered flexible
by being treated with a suitable absorbent of moisture; but we lay no claim to the
preparation of such material as forming any part of our Invention.
Where but a comparatively small part of the surface of the roller or block will be
used in printing, then in lieu of applying the said medium to the whole surface of
the roller or block, we apply it in sections where required, and subsequently cut
and remove the superfluous parts from such sections, or we firstly cut or stamp out
portions of the required shape from a sheet of the medium used, and subsequently
shellac, cement or otherwise apply the same to the surface of the rollers or blocks
in correct register; this modification will save much time in the production of the
rollers or blocks where repeats of the same detail are required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The herein before described improvements in or applicable to the production
or manufacture of rollers and blocks used in printing wall-papers and the like.
2. The application to the surface of rollers or blocks used in printing wall-papers

page_text: and the like of a pliable medium preferably of the nature bereinbefore indicated
in which the pattern to be reproduced is formed, substantially as hereinbefore set
forth.
3. The application and use in the printing of wall-papers and the like of rollers
and blocks formed with a printing surface composed of a pliable mediuin preferably
of the nature hereinbefore indicated, in which the pattern to be reproduced is formed
substantially, as hereinbefore set forth.
Dated this 22nd day of February 1890.
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
321, High Holborn, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.