IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING AND IN THE PREPARATION OF SURFACES THEREFOR, AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Julius Sachs, of Barrow in Furness, in the
County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING AND
IN THE PREPARATION OF SURFACES THEREFOR, AND IN MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH."
Sealed the 18th November 1879, and dated the 15th August 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Julius Sachs at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th August 1879.
JOSEPH JULIUS SACHS, of Barrow in Furness, in the County of Lancaster, "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN PRINTING AND IN THE PREPARATION OF SURFACES THEREFOR, AND
IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH."
My Invention relates to the process described in the Provisional Specifications
filed by me with my applications for Letters Patent the 25th day of March 1879,
No. 1193, and the 4th day of July 1879, No. 2724, and it consists of improvements
in the preparation of the printing surfaces, and in the mode of and machinery or
apparatus for carrying out the operations of printing upon fabrics and other
materials.
According to my present Invention I may employ in substitution for the methods
of preparing the printing surfaces described in my former Provisional Specifications,
the means next hereinafter mentioned, viz.:-I take any open or figured, woven,
knitted, embroidered, crotchetted, or other fabric, non metallic substance or material,
and coat the same with gelatine, and then immerse it or impregnate it with tannic,
chromic, or other suitable acid, the object of this treatment being to impart such
properties to the fabric or material, that it shall be unaffected by the colors or
matters to be subsequently applied to it, and also (when a fabric or comparatively
limp material is employed) that it shall possess the necessary rigidity.
Or I may steep the fabric or material in or impregnate it with acetate of lead or
other well known metallic substance, and then treat the fabric or material thus
partially prepared with an acid, such for example, as sulphurous acid or sulphuric
acid, or with a salt or with other chemical substances, such for example, as hypo-
sulphide of soda which will fix the metallic substance previously applied.

page_text: The fabric or material prepared either in the manner hereinbefore described or by
one of the means described in my last mentioned former Provisional Specification
may then be used for printing by the employment of the improved apparatus next
hereinafter described, and which form another part of my present Invention.
When an open fabric or material is used as the printing surface or medium, it is
made into an endless web and mounted upon two or more rollers, to one or more of
which rotary motion may be imparted in any convenient manner. Opposite one of
the rollers is an impression cylinder between which and the endless web the fabric
or material to be printed passes. Color (for example) is supplied to the exterior of
the endless web by a color trough or device through or in contact with which the
web travels, whereby the fabric or material (passing between the impression
cylinder and the opposite roller enveloped by the endless web or printing medium)
is printed on one side with the pattern of the endless web or printing medium. Á
different color is also supplied by another color trough or device (within the endless
web) to the surface of that one of the rollers carrying the endless web which is
opposite the impression cylinder, and the color thence passes through the interstices
of the endless web or printing medium on to the fabric or material in course of
printing. Two colors are thus printed upon one side of such fabric or material
simultaneously, and when the opposite side of the fabric is required to be colored or
blotched the cylinder may form a blotching roller, type cylinder or printing surface,
the same being supplied with color by one or more additional troughs or devices
suitably situate for the purpose.
When the printing suface or medium consists of a close fabric or material, the
color trough or device secondly mentioned is dispensed with.
In order to print a number of webs or sheets of fabric or material simultaneously,
the fabric or material forming the printing surface or medium is arranged around a
cylinder of considerable dimensions, with any required number of appliances for
supplying and distributing color to and over the printing surface of the cylinder,
and a number of impression cylinders over which the webs or sheets to be printed
pass, are arranged one by one at intervals around the cylinder, so that as the
cylinder rotates receiving its charges of color, and the webs or sheets are fed through
the machine, they will all simultaneously receive an impression from the cylinder.
When it is required to print a single fabric or material with a number of colors,
a similar printing cylinder is employed with a single impression cylinder over
which the web or sheet of fabric or material to be printed is conducted. A suitable
number of color apparatus are also provided according to the number of colors to be
printed, the said apparatus being placed at suitable points around the printing
cylinder, and the several color rollers which supply the color to the printing
cylinder are formed with recesses or depressions so arranged that certain of the
rollers will leave blank spaces upon the printing cylinder, and that others will
supply the requisite color to such blank spaces as the printing cylinder continuously
rotates, or parts of the pattern may be cut out and attached on to the surface of a
roller or platten, and then furnished with color or any matter with which the cloth
is to be treated. In the case of comparatively small pieces on which a number of
colors are required, a corresponding number of color troughs may be provided in a
flat frame, and the printing surface may be applied to them and then transferred to
the fabric or material to be printed by any convenient means.