CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ART OF BLOCK PRINTING
Year: 1838

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
SANDIFORD, of Tottington Lower End, in the County of Lancaster, Block
Printer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Twenty-second day of June, in the second year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Robert Sandiford, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and autho-
rity, that I, the said Robert Sandiford, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, and such others as I, the said Robert Sandiford, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no other,
from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein ex-
pressed, 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 THE ART OF BLOCK PRINTING;" in which said
Letters Patent, is contained a proviso that I, the said Robert Sandiford,
shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be enrolled in Her
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and im-
mediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in
and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large
appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Robert Sandiford, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention,

page_text: and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described
and ascertained in and by the Drawings hereto annexed, and the following
explanation thereof (that is to say):
My Improvements in the Art of Block Printing, and in certain arrangements
connected therewith, consist,-
Firstly, in a peculiar construction of the block from which the impressions
are made upon calicoes, muslins, silks, paper, and all other fabrics in the
ordinary art of block printing by hand. The particular feature of novelty in
the construction of these printing blocks is effected by making a light frame-
work of wood, metal, or any other suitable material carry the design or
pattern to be printed instead of having it formed by "cutting and brassing'
upon a solid block, as heretofore practised. It is well known to practical
block printers that hitherto printing blocks have been exceedingly limited in
their dimensions, owing to any increase from the usual size making them
much to heavy for the workman to use, and also that their liability to cast
or warp would be increased, whereas, even in their present small size, they are
very subject to split and loose the evenness of their surface. These objections
to the use of large blocks are completely overcome by my present Invention."
By the use of light open frames instead of solid blocks I am enabled also to
avail myself of many other practical advantages; for instance, the framework
or bed is a permanent block, upon the various rails of which I can screw or
otherwise fix patterns or designs, and remove them to be replaced by others
with great facility, and also make use of the "faces" or designs taken from
old blocks, and by dividing or cutting them up I am enabled thus to select
any parts or portions of such designs, and form a whole or new pattern by any
desired arrangement of the dissected parts upon the frames.
"
Without enlarging further upon the peculiar advantages of these improve-
ments I will proceed to refer to the Drawing attached to these Presents, in
order that the practical effects of the same may be more easily understood.
Figure 1 represents a light framework of wood, which I substitute in place
of the solid block in common hand printing. This frame consists of plain
light rails a, a, a, a, firmly secured together; but it is evident it may be con-
structed in any other form, or of any other light material, as light metal,
tubing, or any other suitable substance. Upon this frame thin slips of wood
or other material, as Figure 2, having the pattern or design intended to be
printed formed upon them, are to be screwed upon the frames in separate rows,
or any other order that shall produce the print required; as, for instance, if the
goods to be printed are to be handkerchiefs or shawls (for which these improve-
ments are particularly adapted), then the frame will have the centre or filling

page_text: made up as b, b, b, b, in Figure 3, and have a complete border pattern also
fixed upon the frame, as at c, c, c, c, in Figure 3, and with one dip of the
block produce the complete handkerchief at one impression.
Figure 4 shews a whole handkerchief printed in one colour by a single.
impression of the block, and the complete pattern made up of small slips
properly arranged upon the frame a, a, but which by themselves would only.
print stripes. In Figures 5 d represents the border pattern, and e the
centre or filling pattern. In most cases, that is, in handkerchiefs of two feet
or two feet six inches square, I am by these means enabled to print an entire
handkerchief; but where the shawl requires to be larger, or four times that
size, it must be produced by four points arranged upon the frame, as in
Figure 6, and the block turned at every impression until the whole is
completed. It will also be very evident to block printers that where the
impressionis to be made are for garment cloths and not for handkerchiefs the
patterns must be suitably arranged upon the frames, and which needs no
further explanation, as a printer will be aware that he may make any altera
tions with these improvements, as the particular arrangement of the pattern
and colours may require. Figure 7 is a section taken through the frame
and pattern.
Secondly, in printing piece goods in the entire length, these improvements
possess considerable advantage, as an entire piece, by the use of these frames:
carrying the design to be printed, may be completed in a few minutes in three
colors, as follow:-Place three ordinary priuting tables end to end in one
length, and with three printers, each having his own block or frame of the
same size square as the width of the piece of goods, and also furnished with
his own sieve of colour, the first printer with one dip puts on his object or
print in the ground colour, and the cloth immediately is passed to the second
and third printers to receive their shades or colors
upon the same ground, and
thus the whole piece is successively printed in three or more colours from end
to end. In order to complete this rapid operation of block printing with the
best effect, the printed cloth must pass over a cylinder or drum placed at the
end of the last table, and heated by steam or otherwise, as patented by
Messieurs Backhouse and Grime, and bearing date the Seventh of March,
One thousand eight hundred and thirty-seven, whose drying apparatus will be
found the best to be used in connection with the aforesaid arrangements for
rapid printing.
Lastly, I propose a further improved arrangement of the blocks connected
with the art of block printing, HL print or impression of which is represented
in Figure 8. This is accomplished by having the print f. f, f, and the two
objects g, g, g, and h, h, h, so arranged upon the block that by one impression

page_text: of the same-three or-any-number of colours may be printed from them, and
thus distinct objects or designs, and in different colours, may be printed at
The sieve of colour upon which the block or frame is to be dipped before
printing must be made in three or more compartments having partitions, and
each containing its own separate colour; and 'thus it will be evident that the
pattern may be completed by three impressions of the sanie block, and by
one printer advancing one third the size of the frame at every impression, and
thus completing the pattern, as shewn in Figure 9. There is another practical
advantage arising from the use of these open frames and patterns in block
printing, which will also be readily observed by persons conversant with
the art. The openings or interstices i, i, i, i, see Figure 3, between the frame
of the block and the patterns or devices upon the slips b, b, will prevent any
air from being confined between the face of the block and the sieve cloth when
the block is dipped to receive the colour, and thereby the block will "furnish"
with colour without being interrupted by confined air bubbles, which frequently
occur, and prevent the colour from being evenly received by the block.
I wish it to be particularly understood that I do not confine myself to the
particular construction of the frame for carrying the "faces"" or figures of the
design for printing, nor to any material or dimensions of which the same may be
made; but as the objects of my improvements have been particularly explained
and distinctly set out in the foregoing description, any slight modification of
the same I shall consider as an evasive imitation.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Sandiford, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight.
ROBERT (L.S.) SANDIFORD.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twentieth day of December,
in the second year of the reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, the said
Robert Sandiford came before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery,
and acknowledged the Instrument aforesaid, and all and every thing therein
contained and specified, in form above written. And also the Instrument
aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made in the fifty-
fifth year of the reign of His late Majesty King George the Third.
Inrolled the Twenty-first day of December, One thousand eight hundred
and thirty-eight.