CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE PURPOSE OF PRINTING OR STAINING PAPER FOR PAPER-HANGINGS
Year: 1823

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
PALMER, of Lothbury, in the City of London, Paperhanger, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth did, by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of His United Kingdom, bearing
date at Westminster, the Twenty-second day of April, 1828, in the fourth
year of His reign, give and grant unto me, the said William Palmer, my
exors, adiñors, and assigns, His especial licence, full power, sole privilege
and authority, that I, the said William Palmer, my exors, admors, and assigns,
during the term of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE
PURPOSE OF PRINTING OR STAINING PAPER FOR PAPER-HANGINGS;" in which said
Letters Patent there is contained a proviso, that if I, the said William Palmer,
shall not particularly describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention.
and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, and cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within four calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent, that then the said Letters Patent,
and all liberties and advantages whatsoever thereby granted, shall utterly cease,
determine, and become void, as in and by the same, relation being thereunto
had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Palmer, do hereby declare the improvements I have invented are
herein set forth and explained.
Drawing 1, Fig. 1, represents a front elevation of my machine in the position
it assumes when the colouring roller begins to act upon the under surface of
the printing block. Drawing 2, Fig: 2, is an elevation of the back front; the
position of the parts being drawn as they appear when the driving crank is
exerting its pressure upon the printing block. Drawing 3, Fig. 3, represents
a plan of the machine, the position of the parts corresponding with Fig. 2.
The similar or duplicate partsof the machine, wherever they can be seen, are
marked by the same letters of reference on each side. Drawing 1, Fig. 1,
A, A, A, A, represents a strong wooden frame, upon which the various parts
are fixed; a is a Y-piece, in which the wire or iron rod is placed that holds the
coil or piece of paper to be printed, shewn at B; a similar one is fixed on the
other side of the machine; C shews the end of a wooden guide, which assists in
giving the paper a proper direction through the machine, the upper part moves
upon hinges to admit the paper to be placed between the upper and lower
parts thereof; D represents the edge of a milled board fixed to the under side
of the upper part of the guide C, this serves to keep down the fag end of the
paper after it leaves the wire; E is an iron roller, which revolves upon the
centre of the fixed axis 6, the arms in which the axis is fixed may be turned back
upon the centre c, and its weight will be then disengaged from the paper upon
which it rests while the paper is printed, as shewn at E in dotted lines; F is a
drum, shewn in dotted lines, and G, a roller, upon these are placed the endless
web of fustian or other suitable material, seen at H. The web may be
tightened by the adjusting screws on each side of the machine; one of these is
seen at d. shews the piston of an iron frame placed between the two sides
of the wooden frame, A, upon which is laid a square slab of stone, made very
flat
upon its upper surface, this forms a plane for the paper to rest upon while
the operation of printing is performed by the block. The slab of stone may be
fixed to the iron frame I by a sufficient quantity of plaster of Paris being placed
between them, and when it is set the frame and slab will be properly, united.
It will be necessary to place a sufficient quantity of printers' cloth or flannel
very smoothly upon the surface of the slab, and then one covering of fine cloth
should be placed over all and tacked down to the sides of the machine,
which will keep the whole from being disturbed by the motion of the fustian
webb; shews the end of an axis having two pinions fixed upon it,. these
pinions gear into two racks formed on the under sides of two inclined planes,
which raise or lower the iron frame I and slab of stone parallel to the upper

page_text: surface of the slab when they are driven forward or drawn back by the action
of the pinions.
The lever and handle seen at J give power to effect the
elevation or depression of the slab with ease; K, K, represents an iron frame,
to which the principal moving parts are attached, a similar one is fixed on the
opposite side; f shews the end of a short axis fixed in the principle crank, a
similar one is fixed on the opposite side. The two arms of the crank are seen
at L, M. g is the neck of the crank, which is continued across the machine,
and the other end is fixed to a similar crank arm; on the other side this
neck also forms an axis for the carriage of the printing block to be attached
to. N shews the position of an iron carriage, which is attached to the centre of
the neck or axis g by half holes or brasses, in which the axis moves, and the
carriage N is prevented from moving laterally by split rings that embrace the
axis on cach side of the frame, see Fig. 4, which shews an elevation of that
part separately. O, Fig. 1, shews the driving crank, and p its handle; his a
driving rod connected at the lower end to the crank arm O, and at the upper
end to the axis or neck g, a similar crank and rod are fixed on the other side of
the machine. Q, R, shews the two arms of the paralel crank, the arm R is
connected to the arm M by the connecting rod i; j is a neck fixed to the car-
riage, and to the neck of the crank j, by this contrivance the two crank necks
j and g are united. S represents a frame bar, which is raised paralel to the
frame K, by being jointed to the upper ends of the bars l, m, the lower end of
the last moves on an axis n, which reaches to the opposite side of the machine,
where similar parts are found, to which it is united; the lower end of the bar /
moves on the axis o, which passes across the machine and receives a similar
bar on its end. The axis which unite the upper ends also pass across the
machine and connect the similar parts on the opposite side, so as to enable all
the parts to move paralel and simultaneously. T represents a roller frame,
which passes through two loops fixed to the paralel frame S, and when pro-
perly adjusted, it may be fixed firmly by the screws seen on one of the loops;
the two sides of this frame are similar, and are connected by rods, which will be
best seen in the plan, Drawing 3, Fig. 3; on the opposite side of this frame a
pulley is fixed, having a hollow square recepticle in its centre (an elevation of one
side of the roller frame and pulley is shewn in Fig. 5), which receives the square
axis of the roller T*, Fig. 1, the other end of the axis is cylindrical, and turns
in a simi-cylindrical brass fixed to the inner side of the roller frame shown in
dotted lines near p; the roller T* is covered or clothed by rolling thin flannel
moderately tight round it until it is covered nearly an inch thick; and as the
rolls of flannel are applied, they should be prevented from slipping by being
slightly stitched, and when a proper quantity is applied, a single covering

page_text: of oiled silk is placed immediately over it, and sewed, and then the whole is to
be finely covered with a single thickness of fine woollen cloth, which should be
very neatly stitched at the joining, and the ends properly secured by sewing
over them and to the cloth two circular pieces of cloth, with holes in the
centres, to allow the axes to pass through them; or the wooden cylinder forming
the body of the roller, and which is about two inches diameter, may be covered
with a composition such as is used by letterpress printers. The cylindrical
and clastic surface, thus obtained, should be coated with oil varnish, and, when
dry, the whole surface of the composition should be covered with fine woollen
cloth. 9 shews the end of a tin trough which hold the color, and in which the
roller Trevolves; shews a wooden roller which lies in contact and paralel
to the axis of the colouring roller T*, a similar one is placed on the other side;
the surfaces of these rollers may be made flexible by covering them with woollen
cloth, & these serve to distribute the color evenly over the surface of the
coloring roller previous to its being brought in contact with the under side
of the block as seen at T*, Fig. 1. v is a wooden arm, which is fixed to the
further end of the neck or axis g, and is kept stationary by the wooden
rod w which is attached to the end of the axis or neck j. x is a bow rod
jointed to the end of the arm v, from the underside of this a pin projects,
to which is fastened one end of the cord y, this cord is coiled once round the
pulley placed in the roller frame T, and the other end being fastened to the eye
piece, it may be drawn sufficiently tight by the thumb screw on its end. The
cord U supports the other end of the bow rod by being fastened to the upper
end of the rod w. v represents an arc of a wheel fixed firmly to the axis f,
the cogs of this gear into the cogs of a similar are W, fixed upon the axis 1;
upon the end of the axis 1 a bar X is fixed, which has the weight Y attached
to its end. Z represents a lifting arm fixed firmly to the axis 1, a similar one
is fixed to the opposite end of the axis 1; these elevate the frame bar S, and all
the moving parts combined with it, when power is applied to the handle P.
2 is a fixed stop or bearing, to receive and support the frame S, when it
descends after the roller T* has covered the block 3 with color. 4 represents
a rigger fixed upon the axis 5; 8 is a forked lover which turns freely on the
axis 5, and has the rigger 4 placed between its fork; 6 shows a pully fixed
immovably to the end of the axis 5, this is made fast to the lever 8 by a screw
near 6. The pully 6 has one end of a cord fixed in its groove, and being
coiled twice round a weight, is suspended to the other end, as shewn at 7.
The weight 7 keeps the lever 8 bearing against the fixed stop 9, and the
string 10, when pulled forward by the hand, advances the lever 8 until it
strikes the moveable stop 11, and by that means the paper will be advanced by

page_text: the motion of the drum F and endless webb H. 12 represents a lever, which
has a slight motion upon a screw 13, which is its fulcrum, the long end or
point of the lever not having quite sufficient room to pass between the screw 13
and the edge of the rigger, when the end 12 is pulled by the string 10, it wedges
or locks itself to the rigger, and both are drawn round by it, and consequently
the drum F also. When the string 10 is slackened, the lever 12 is unlocked,
and the weight 7 draws the forked lever 8 back to the fixed stop 9, leaving
the drum F stationary during its return. 14 represents a portion of a cir-
cular plate fixed to the under part of the frame A by a flanch, the arc thereof,
being concentric with the rigger 9, shews the place of a fixed stop; and 11
represents a moveable stop that may be placed anywhere upon the arc, and
there fixed by a thumb screw. 15 represents an iron bar, to which is fixed
the two rods that pass through the wooden frame A, partly shewn in dotted
lines. These rods are fixed by nuts to a paralel piece below, upon which the cam
16 acts when the driving crank is carried round by the handle P, the cam being
fixed immoveably to the crank arm O. From the inner side of the upper bar
four pressers project, which are forced down upon the edge of the paper, and
keep it down, thereby preventing the paper from rising with the block. A long
stem or rod projects from the centre, which passes into a hole in the lower part
of the frame A. 17 represents a collar fixed firmly to the lower part of the
stem, against this the spiral spring presses, seen below, and lifts the bar 15, and
pressers from the paper after the block has performed its duty; and a further
advance of the paper is required; a similar cam and pressing bar is fixed on the
other side of the machine, see the plan, Drawing 3. 18 represents a fly wheel,
which works in brasses fixed in a separate frame, the axis of it is coupled to
the driving crank at the back of the machine, this serves to equalize the
motion of the machine, and thereby prevent any jerking effect that night take
place without it.
Having enumerated the various parts of the machine, I shall now endeavour
to shew how they act in combination, and thereby produce certain im-
provements in machinery for the purpose of printing or staining paper for
paper hangings.
The piece of paper intended to be printed is to be placed upon the
wire seen in the Y-pieces at a, Fig. 3, one edge of which has been
previously made as straight as can be in the joining by cutting one side of the
sheets. The upper part of the guide C is then lifted, with the milled board D
fixed to it, and the end of the paper is passed under the roller E. The upper
part of the guide and milled board attached is then to be let down, and the
paper will be between them. The plain roller E is also to be let down until

page_text: the periphery rests upon the paper (which is supported by a board fixed to the
frame of the machine under the fustian webb). The block 3 and other parts
being brought to the position seen in Fig. 1, the paper may be advanced for-
ward until a proper quantity is placed under the block 3, to receive an impres-
sin; this will be effected by laying hold of and pulling the string 10, which
will advance the lever 12, and it will be immediately locked to the rigger 4, and
bring it round until the lever 12 strikes the adjustable stop 11, when, if the
stop has been nicely adjusted, the paper advanced forward at each effort after
tho first impression will exactly correspond with the width of the printing
block; but should the quantity be found too much, the rigger 4 may be moved
a little way back, and the gage mark made upon the paper by the first impres-
sion may be made to coincide, or be brought into a line with the projecting
point of the director seen at 19, Fig. 3; but if the quantity fall short, then the
lever 8 may be permitted to fall a little way back by slackening the cord 10, the
weight 7, unwinding the string that suspends it, will pull the lever 8 backwards,
and if the cord 10 be then pulled forward, any quantity that may be necessary
can easily be advanced. It must be remembered that every time the rigger
4 is turned either forward or backward, the drum F, being upon the same axis,
is moved also, and with it the endless webb of fustian, upon which the paper is
laid and pressed closely by the roller E, therefore the drum F and fustian web
are the principal agents that effect the motion of the paper.
Having described the parts that are used to bring forward the paper
in proper qnantities, and their mode of action, I shall now endeavour to
explain in what manner the other parts of the machine are employed to
effect the operation of colouring the blocks, and also of imparting the colour
so received upon the paper to be printed or stained. In order to render
the explanation more intelligable, it will be necessary to conceive the
block 8 in the act of giving an impression to the paper, the position of the
parts will then be shown in Fig. 2, Drawing 2. At this precise time of
the revolution of the driving crank O, it is passing under its centre and taking
the driving rod with it, which, being connected to the crank neck g, presses it
down with great force, and also the carriage N, and block 8, attached to it; the
perfectly paralel descent of the block being effected by the union of the neck of
the paralel crank to the neck of the principal crank g, by means of- the con-
necting fork bar h; the handle P, fixed to the arm of the driving crank O,
moves in the dotted circle shewn near p, in Fig. 1, and in the direction of the
darts there seen; when, therefore, it is moved from the position described in
the last Figure to the place it now assumes, a change of position of the visi
parts is effected, as follows:-The motion of the driving crank is communicated

page_text: to the principal crank arm L by the connecting rod h, and the principal crank
arm M communicates similar motion to the paralel crank arm R by means of
the connecting rod i, of course the arm Q receives an equal motion, and
consequently the block 3 is raised paralel to its lower surface, the forked
bar k connecting both cranks together, the carriage N being attached to the
neck g by brasses, which permit the neck to turn or move therein, while the
block rises perfectly parallel, and descends in the same manner; as soon as
the connecting rod h gives motion to the principal crank, the arc or portion of a
circle V begins to move, and being in gear with the arc or portion W, com-
municates similar motion to it, and as the lifting bar is fixed to the axis 1,
it is forced upwards, and a pin on its top entering a cavity in the frame S,
lifts it in a parallel and advancing direction; and also the roller frame T,
the rollers T and r, r, and also the trough q containing the color. It
will be seen that the colouring roller T* has just come in contact with the
under surface of the block 3, and as the motion is continued, the paralel
frame and rollers continue to advance, and so does the block, but in a con-
trary direction, until the coloring roller has passed over the whole of the
under surface of the block, and then returns, repeating the operation, each
moving in a reverse direction; the driving crank arm O, being rather shorter
than the principal crank arm L, cannot permit the two arms O and L to fall
into the same right line, and consequently, as the handle P advances in its
progress, the driving rod h and crank arm O pull back the arm L after it has
passed a small distance beyond the vertical position, and then a reverse of all
the motions takes place, the paralel frame is returned to its original position;
and the block descends charged with color to repeat its operation. The bow
rod is attached to the two crank necks ; and g, and always moves with them,
but the coloring roller and its pulley are connected to the roller frame T, the
cord y of the bow rod is coiled round the pulley, and strained tight by a screw
at its end, consequently, when the parallel frame S, and the crank necks j
and g, are set in motion in a contrary direction to each other, they cause the
pulley to turn round, and also the coloring roller, and in such a direction as to
meet the block and pass along under it; to effect this properly, it is necessary
that care should be used to make the diameter of the pulley exactly of such
dimensions that the velocity of the surface of the colouring roller may equal
that of the block; by the time the block has descended and touches the paper,
the cam 16 has depressed the bar 15, so as to make the pressers that project
from it bear firmly upon the paper, in which state they hold it until the block
is completely removed from it, and then, as the crank O proceeds, the cam
permits the bar 15 to rise and disengage it, so as to leave it in a free state

page_text: to be advanced by the drum and endless webb before described. I shall here
observe, that in order to increase the pressure of the coloring roller against the
surface of the block, the vertical screws in the loops of the paralel frame may
be driven farther in, which will lower the end of the roller frame and elevate
the other end by its passing through the other loops, acting as a fulcrum, and
for fixing it by a screw likewise. The weights Y and 20 serve to counter-
balance certain parts of the machine, which, without such means, would cause
a great inequality in the motion of the machine. A very essential point to be
observed, is to have the paper pass in one continued line through the machine;
for this purpose, a small spring 24 is fixed on the end of the wooden frame A,
which presses the wire and paper towards the side 21, Fig. 3, of the guide,
C, the wooden collar fixed on the wire at 22, assisting to effect the purpose;
the direction of the paper being thus given, it is continued on by the motion of
the drum and webb. The pressure to be given to the paper under the block
may be regulated by raising or depressing the iron frame and stone slab fixed
upon it, a section of these will be seen by examining Fig. 6. I shall also
observe, that in case of any inequality in the thickness of the block 3, it may
be adjusted so as to be paralel to the slab of stone, by altering the thumb
screw on the end of the forked bar i, or by placing small wedges under the
block frame N, and then fixing it firmly by the thumb screw seen near N, in
Fig. 1.
When colors mixed in oil, and also when the gold size for flock
papers are employed, then a composition roller of glue and treacle, similar to
the rollers known to letterpress printers, may be used, and it may be advisable
in some cases to use the composition roller for thick gum colors. I shall here
observe, that in printing with that kind of block commonly used for borders,
which are usually half the width of the paper, they may be used on one side of
the paper first, and then the carriago N may be slid along the crank neck g,
and the other side be printed also. In this case, one of the split rings is to be
placed on such a part of the crank neck 9 as that, when the carriage N is
pressed in contact with it, the block may be in a proper position to print one
side of the paper, and the other ring being similarly placed at the other side of
the crank neck, becomes a fixed bearing for the carriage to be pressed against
when the other side of the paper is to be printed; of course, when the two
sides are printed, the paper must be advanced by the drum and lever and the
operation repeated. The paper is received from the machine by boys, and hung
up to dry in the usual manner. And in order to identify and distinguish as
clearly as possible the particular parts and combinations of machinery applica-
ble to the manufacture of paper hangings I have invented, I hereby declare,―
Firstly, that I claim the sole right to apply pressure to the roll of paper to

page_text: be printed, and to the wire rod or axis upon which the said paper is coiled, by
which pressure the straight or cut edge of the paper, after it is uncoiled from
the roll, may be continually forced against a fixed guide, the guide being
always so placed that the paper does not come in contact with it until uncoiled,
and also the use of a plain roller applied upon the paper, which, when com-
bined with the fustian or other endless web, will effect the passage of the paper
through the machine in one continuous right line.
And I hereby further declare, secondly, that I claim the sole right of using a
crank, which I call a driving crank, in the way I have described, for giving
pressure to the printing blocks in paper staining, and also of using two other
cranks, one of which I call a principal crank and the other a paralel crank, by
the use of which, in the way I have described, the printing blocks may be
raised paralel to the slab on which the paper is printed.
And lastly, I hereby further declare that I claim the sole right of applying
color to the under surface of flat blocks in paper-hanging manufacturing, by
means of a roller or rollers when such blocks are attached to machinery for
the purpose of printing paper for paper-hangings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Palmer, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of August, in the year of our
Lord Oue thousand eight hundred and twenty-three.
WILLIAM (L.S.) PALMER.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-second day of August,
in the year of our Lord 1823, the aforesaid William Palmer came before our
said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stampt according to the
tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Twenty-second day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and twenty-three.