Improvements in and relating to Printing on Woven Figured Fabrics.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Sept., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 26th Nov., 1898-Accepted, 7th Jan., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Printing on Woven Figured Fabrics.
We, S. SCHWABE AND COMPANY, LIMITED, of Rhodes Works, Middleton, in the
County of Lancaster, Calico Printers, and JAMES GILBERTSON, of the same place,
Foreman Printer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Our invention refers to improvements in and relating to printing a single
colour or any number of colours on woven figured fabrics in such a way that if
the woven figures are sufficiently raised and close together the colour will be
printed on the figured portions only without affecting the ground but if the
figured portions are not very prominent or if they are far apart, whether raised
or flat, the colour will touch more or less upon the ground and thereby produce
a woven tapestry or other ornamental effect.
We are aware that prior to our present invention attempts have been made to
print shaded, clouded or imitation woven effects upon calico but these have been
carried out by making certain mechanical changes in a calico printing machine
for example the fabric has been guided away from the main bowl by means of
special guide rollers into contact with printing rollers set out of contact with
the main bowl and driven by special gearing either at a different rate of speed
to that at which the fabric is travelling or in the opposite direction thereto in
order to cause the engraved rollers to drag on the fabric and print with a
smeared or clouded effect instead of with a sharp impression as in the ordinary
method of printing.
According to our invention we prefer to employ an ordinary calico printing
machine and we place as many of the engraved printing rollers as there are
colours to be printed on the fabric out of contact with the main bowl, but we
drive these set off printing rollers as usual from the crown wheel (or otherwise
as convenient) at the same surface speed and in the same direction.as that in
which the figured fabric to be printed is travelling. The fabric passes between
the first idle roller or rollers and the main bowl and then off the bowl over the
back of the roller immediately before the first set off printing roller over and in
contact with which and any subsequent set off roller it passes and by which it is
printed returning to the main bowl over the back of the next idle roller to the
remaining roller or rollers which act as nip rollers to draw the fabric through
the machine.
In this arrangement no alteration of the ordinary calico printing machine is
required but the idle rollers merely act as bearing rollers and nip or driving
rollers and only the set off printing rollers are furnished with colour and as
there is no pressure put on the fabric beyond the tension to which it is subjected
by drawing it through the machine the colour is merely applied to the raised
figured portions and does not reach the ground except in those cases where the
figures are flat or far apart. Instead of utilising the idle printing rollers as bear-
ing and driving rollers we might if preferred employ special guide and driving

page_text: rollers in any convenient arrangement but in all cases we rotate the set off
printing rollers at the same surface speed and in the same direction as that in
which the fabric is travelling.
We are thus enabled to produce an infinite variety of effects by printing in
discharge or other colours or metallic powders on one or both sides of white or
dyed or mordanted woven figured fabrics.
Dated this 28th day of September 1898.
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
Agents for Applicants.
Improvements in and relating to Printing on Woven Figured Fabrics.
We, S. SCHWABE AND COMPANY LIMITED, of Rhodes Works, Middleton, in the
County of Lancaster, Calico Printers, and JAMES GILBERTSON, of the same place,
Foreman Printer, 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; -
Our invention refers to improvements in and relating to printing a single
colour or any number of colours on woven figured fabrics in such a way that if
the woven figures are sufficiently raised and close together the colour will be
printed on the figured portions only without affecting the ground but if the
figured portions are not very prominent or if they are far apart, whether raised
or flat, the colour will touch more or less upon the ground and thereby produce
a woven tapestry or other ornamental effect.
We are aware that prior to our present invention attempts have been made to
print shaded, clouded or imitation woven effects upon calico but these have been
carried out by making certain mechanical changes in a calico printing machine
for example the fabric has been guided away from the main bowl by means of
special guide rollers into contact with printing rollers set out of contact with
the main bowl and driven by special gearing either at a different rate of speed
to that at which the fabric is travelling or in the opposite direction thereto in
order to cause the engraved rollers to drag on the fabric and print with a
smeared or clouded effect instead of with a sharp impression as in the ordinary
method of printing.
According to our invention we prefer to employ an ordinary calico printing
machine and we place as many of the engraved printing rollers as there are
colours to be printed on the fabric out of contact with the main bowl, but we
drive these set off printing rollers as usual from the crown wheel (or otherwise
as convenient) at the same surface speed and in the same direction as that in
which the figured fabric to be printed is travelling.
In the accompanying sheet of drawings-
We illustrate as examples three different ways in which our invention may
be carried into effect.
In Figure 1, a designates the main bowl, the drive rollers, the bearing or
guide rollers and d the engraved or printing rollers.
The bowl a and the several rollers b, c, d are all driven at the same surface
speed and in the same direction.
The fabric & passes between the first roller b and the main bowl a, and then
off the bowl over the back of the roller immediately before the first set off
printing roller d over and in contact with which it passes and by which it is
printed with the first colour, then it passes over the back of the next roller c and

page_text: under the next set off printing roller d by which it is printed with the second
colour, thence it returns to the bowl and away between the nip of the bowl a
and the drive roller b.
In this arrangement no alteration of the ordinary calico printing machine is
required but the idle rollers merely act as bearing or guide rollers c, and nip or
driving rollers b, and only the set off printing rollers d are furnished with colour;
and as there is no pressure put on the fabric beyond the tension to which it is
subjected by drawing it through the machine the colour is merely applied to the
raised figured portions of the fabric and does not reach the ground except in
those cases where the figures are flat or far apart.
Instead of utilizing the idle printing rollers as bearing and driving rollers we
might if preferred employ special guide and driving rollers in any convenient
arrangement; but in all cases we rotate the set off printing rollers at the same
surface speed and in the same direction as that in which the fabric is travelling.
Figure 2 illustrates one such arrangement in which five special adjustable
guide rollers c are shown in conjunction with two drive rollers 6 and four set off
printing rollers d.
Figures 3 and 4 are two views illustrating another arrangement in which we
lap the ends of the main bowl a with blanketing or any other suitable material e
in order to keep the printing rollers d away from the surface of the bowl a.
The drive rollers and the bearing or guide rollers are not long enough to
reach the lapping but are in contact with the surface of the bowl a.
We wish it to be understood that we may employ a single printing roller or
any other desired number of printing rollers and also that in addition to the
arrangements described and illustrated many other arrangements might be em-
ployed without departing from the nature of our invention which consists
essentially in printing the fabric with engraved or printing rollers which travel
at the same surface speed and in the same direction as that in which the fabric
is travelling and which are set out of contact with the main bowl so that no
nipping pressure is put upon the fabric beyond that which is caused by the ten-
sion required to draw it through the machine.
We are thus enabled to produce an infinite variety of effects by printing in
discharge or other colours or metallic powders on one or both sides of white or
dyed or mordanted woven figured fabrics.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that
what we claim is:
1. Printing a woven figured fabric without nipping pressure by means of a
printing roller or rollers set out of contact with the main bowl and driven at the
same surface speed and in the same direction as that in which the fabric is
travelling.
2. In combination, in a calico printing machine, a printing roller or rollers
set out of contact with the main bowl in order to avoid a nipping pressure on
the fabric to be printed, means for guiding the fabric and drawing it through
the machine, and means for driving the printing roller or rollers in the same
direction and at the same surface speed as that in which the fabric is travelling
all substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.
Dated this 24th day of November 1898.
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
Agents for Applicants.
17, St. Ann's Square, Manchester.