IMPROVEMENTS IN TRANSFERRING DESIGNS TO SURFACES, PARTICULARLY USEFUL (AMONG MANY OTHER APPLICATIONS) FOR THE PRODUCTION OF ELECTROTYPES AND PRINTING ROLLERS! PLATES AND PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Matthow Moss of Patricroft in the County of
Lancaster for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRANSFERRING DESIGNS
TO SURFACES, PARTICULARLY USEFUL (AMONG MANY OTHER APPLICATIONS)
FOR THE PRODUCTION OF ELECTROTYPES AND PRINTING
ROLLERS!
PLATES AND
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Matthew Moss at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th January 1882.
JOHN MATTHEW Moss of Patricroft in the County of Lancaster "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN TRANSFERRING DESIGNS TO SURFACES, PARTICULARLY USEFUL (AMONG
MANY OTHER APPLICATIONS) FOR THE PRODUCTION OF ELECTROTYPES AND
PRINTING PLATES AND ROLLERS ”
"
This Invention has for its object improvements in transferring designs to
surfaces, particularly useful (among many other applications) for the production of
electrotypes and printing plates and rollers.
My Invention relates to the production of etched, engraved or electro deposited
surfaces, on metallic and other suitable rollers and plates for printing and other
purposes, and consists of a new and improved method of transferring to such
surfaces, an exact copy of any picture, pattern, or design, in either printing, litho-
graphic or other suitable ink, oil, or varnish, to serve either as a guide to the
engraver, or as a resist for the etcher or electro-depositor.
In carrying out this my Invention I proceed as follows.―
If the picture, pattern, or design be of such a nature as to be in all parts opaque,
and impervious to light, or if it differ in dimensions from the required etching I first
by photographic or other means, take a copy of it the proper size upon either glass,
gelatine, cloth, paper, or other transparent or semitransparent material-but if the
original design be already of the required size, and upon, such material, and
of such a nature, that it can be used in the following manner, this is not
required.
The design or copy I then place in a photographic printing frame or other
similar apparatus, upon a sheet of paper, cloth, thin metal, or other tissue (hereafter
spoken of as gelatine tissue) which has been previously covered with a layer of

page_text: Gelatine, gum, starch, or other substance rendered sensitive to light by treatment
with potassic bichromate, ammonic chromate or by other suitable means, and
expose the whole to natural or artificial light in such a manner that the actinic rays
can only reach the sensitive tissue by passing through the design.
The sensitive tissue having been thus exposed for a sufficient length of time
varying with the intensity of the illumination from 5 to 30 minutes or more, or
until the parts of the gelatine tissue to which light has had access are rendered
insoluble in hot water is then taken from the printing frame and immersed in
water having a temperature of about 60° Fahrenheit until the bichromate or other
sensitive salt or substance is dissolved out leaving the gelatine upon the tissue.
This is then placed in a bath of warmer water of from 70° to 90° Fahrenheit or
more and allowed to remain there to swell up the unchanged gelatine, and form an
image of the design in high relief. This being done, the tissue is taken from the
bath, the excess of water removed by the application of blotting paper, and it is
then placed upon a smooth flat surface and allowed to dry sufficiently for the next
operation.
For the next operation I require a plate of glass, stone, metal, or other suitable
material, having an accurately plane surface, somewhat larger in every way than
the gelatine tissue. This I cover (using for the purpose a roller of gelatine, or of
india-rubber or by other suitable means) with a fine and even layer of printing,
lithographic or other suitable ink or varnish preferring as the best a mixture of
printing ink and boiled linseed oil.
I then apply the gelatine tissue with the face carrying the relief downwards to
this layer of ink, and press it gently and evenly down by means of a roller-scraper
or other suitable instrument: repeating the operation if necessary until I find the
parts in relief are well covered with a full coating of the ink or resist.
The inked face of the tissue I then apply to the surface (previously rendered
perfectly clean and dry) intended to be etched or engraved, or electro-deposited
upon whether it be that of a plate or a roller pressing it in close and even contact
by means of a roller, scraper, squegee or other suitable instrument and leave it in
contact for some little time.
In the case of the surface being that of a roller or cylinder I also adopt the
following method, I place the inked tissue inked face uppermost upon a perfectly
level and plane surface and slowly pass the cylinder over it, the weight of the
latter when it would be too great and exert an injurious pressure on the tissue
being reduced by levers and counterpoises properly applied.
The roller takes up the tissue as it passes and is at the same time pressed into
good and even contact with it.
After the lapse of a little time-say a minute or so carefully raising the edge of
the tissue, I strip it off with an even motion leaving upon the metallic or other.
surface a perfect copy of the design, in the ink or varnish which has been used.
This may now either be allowed to dry, etched at once or treated in the following.
manner.
I take asphaltum pitch or other similar or suitable material or any mixture of
the same, and reduce it to a very fine and impalpable powder. Placing this in a
linen bag, fine sieve, or other suitable arrangement, I dust with it the surface
carrying the design in the undried ink or varnish, until is covered with a fine layer
of the impalpable powder. Then by means of a current of air or water suitably
applied I blow or wash away all the powder from the parts of the surface not.
covered by the iuk or varnish and where of course it only lies loosely
I then heat the plate or roller until the powder retained melts into the ink or
varnish, but not so much as to render it too liquid and by running to injure the.
sharpness of the design.
On allowing this to cool I obtain upon the surface a hard glossy resinous copy
of the design and it may then be engraved, etched or electro-deposited upon in any
way desired.
In some processes where a deep etching is required the printing of calico or

page_text: other textile fabrics for example-it is necessary to give to the etched spaces what
is known as "a ground" to enable them to hold the requisite amount of colour.
This ground I obtain in the following manner.
Having etched in the design, but a small part of the depth ultimately required, I
remove the plate or roller from the etching bath, wash off all traces of the etching
liquor and allow it to dry. Then I dust it as before but only thinly with the
above named powder, either fine or coarse as the nature of the required ground
may necessitato, I then after heating the plate or roller so as to cause the bitu-
minous or resinous powder to adhere I again immerse it in the etching bath and
complete the etching to tho required depth. The etching liquor now only bites
into the surface in the spaces between the granules of powder, and by using powders
of suitable degrees of fineness, and dusting them on more or less thinly any required
ground may be obtained.
The etching of the surfaces so treated may be done with either Ferric-chloride;
nitric, hydrofluoric or other acid or corrosive solution which may be used varying
with the nature of the plate or roller, which may be of either glass, metal or any
other material.
According to another method, the tissue on being taken from the printing frame
may be at once immersed in water hot enough to dissolve the unchanged gelatine
entirely away, leaving the changed gelatine in relief upon the surface of the paper
-this relief being then treated in the manner described. This method is however
inferior in the results to that first described.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Matthew Moss in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
26th July 1882.
JOHN MATTHEW Moss of Patricroft in the County of Lancaster "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN TRANSFERRING DESIGNS TO SURFACES PARTICULARLY USEFUL, (AMONG
MANY OTHER APPLICATIONS) FOR THE PRODUCTION OF ELECTROTYPES AND
PRINTING PLATES AND ROLLERS"
This Invention has for its object improvements in transferring designs to surfaces,
particularly useful (among many other applications) for the production of electro
types, and printing plates and rollers.
My Invention relates to the production of etched, engraved or electro deposited
surfaces, on metallic and other suitable rollers and plates for printing and other
purposes, and consists of a new and improved method of transferring to such
surfaces, an exact copy of any picture pattern or design, in either printing,
lithographic or other suitable ink, oil or varnish, to serve either as a guide to the
engraver, or as a resist for the etcher or electro-depositor.
In carrying out this my Invention I proceed as follows:-
If the picture pattern or design be of such a nature as to be in all parts opaque
and impervious to light, or if it differ in dimensions from the required etching I
first_by_photographic_or_other_means, take a copy of it the proper size upon
either glass, gelatine, cloth, paper or other transparent or seini-transparent
material. This copy must be positive or negative-that is to say with lights and
shades reversed, as the nature of the required etching or electrotype may require,
an etching or design in intaglio requiring a negative or reversed copy-whilst an
electrotype or roller or plate carrying the design in relief requires a positive.
But if the original design be already of the required size, and upon such material,
and of such a nature that it can be used in the following manner, this is not
required.
The design or copy I then place in a photographic printing frame or other
similar apparatus, upon a sheet of paper, cloth, thin metal or other tissue (here-
after spoken of as gelatine tissue) which has been previously covered with a layer
of gelatine, gum, starch, or other substance rendered sensitive to light by treatment
with potassic bichromate, ammonic chromate or by other suitable means, and
expose the whole to natural or artificial light in such a manner that the actinic
rays can only reach the sensitive tissue by passing through the design.
I prefer to employ fine calico thickly coated with gelatine and sensitized by
immersion in a solution of bichromate of potash say one part of a saturated
solution of the salt to five parts of water. In this I claim no novelty.
The sensitive tissue having been thus exposed for a sufficient length of time
varying with the intensity of the illumination from 5 to 30 minutes or more, or
until the parts of the gelatine tissue to which light has had access are rendered
insoluble in hot water is then taken from the printing frame and immersed in
water having a temperature of about 60° Fahrenheit until the bichromate or other
sensitive salt or substance is dissolved out leaving the gelatine upon the tissue.
This is then placed in a bath of warmer water of from 70° to 90° Fahrenheit or
more and allowed to remain there to swell up the unchanged gelatine, and form an
image of the design in high relief. This being done the tissue is taken from the
bath, the excess of water removed by the application of blotting paper, and it is
then placed upon a smooth flat surface and allowed to dry sufficiently for the next
operation.

page_text: -
According to another method the tissue on being taken from the printing frame:
may be at once immersed in water hot enough to dissolve the unchanged gelatine
entirely away, leaving the changed gelatine in relief upon the surface of the paper-
this relief being then treated in the manner described. This method however is
inferior in the results to that one first described.
For the next operation I require a plate of glass, stone, metal, or other suitable
material, having an accurately plane surface, somewhat larger in every way than
the gelatine tissue. This I. cover (using for the purpose a roller of gelatine, or
india rubber, or by other suitable means) with a fine and even layer of printing,
lithographic or other suitable ink or varnish preferring as the best a mixture of
printing ink and boiled linseed oil.
then apply the gelatine tissue-with the face carrying the relief down-wards-
to this layer of ink and press it gently and evenly down by means of a roller-
scraper, or other suitable instrument, repeating the operation if necessary until
I find the parts in relief are well covered with a full coating of the ink or resist.
The inked face of the tissue I then apply to the surface (previously rendered
perfectly clean and dry) intended to be etched or engraved, or electro-deposited
upon whether it be that of a plate or a roller, pressing it in close and even
contact by means of a roller, scraper squeegee or other suitable instrument and
leave it in contact for some little time.
In the case of the surface being that of a roller or cylinder I also adopt the
following method.-I place the inked tissue-inked faced uppermost upon a
perfectly level and plane surface and slowly pass the cylinder over it-the weight
of the latter, when it would be too great and exert an injurious pressure on the
tissue being reduced by levers and counterpoises properly applied.
The roller takes up the tissue as it passes and is at the same time pressed into
good and even contact with it.
After the lapse of a little time-say a minute or so carefully raising the edge of
the tissue, I strip it off with an even motion leaving upon the metallic or other
surface a perfect copy of the design in the ink or varnish which has been used.
This may now either be allowed to dry, etched at once or treated in the
following manner.
I take asphaltum pitch or other similar or suitable material or any mixture of
the same, and reduce it to a very fine and impalpable powder. Placing this in a
linen bag, fine sieve, or other suitable arrangement, I dust with it the surface
carrying the design in the undried ink or varnish, until it is covered with a fine
layer of the impulpable powder.
Then by means of a current of air or water, suitably applied I blow or wash
away all the powder from the parts of the surface, not covered by the ink or
varnish and where of course it only lies loosely.
I then heat the plate or roller until the powder retained melts into the ink or
varnish, but not so much as to render it too liquid and by running to injure the
sharpness of the design.
On allowing this to cool I obtain upon the surface a hard glossy resinous copy
of the design and it may then be engraved, etched or electro deposited upon in
any way desired.
In some processes where a deep etching is required the printing of calico or
other textile fabrics for example-it is necessary to give to the etched spaces what
is known as a "ground" to enable them to hold the requisite amount of colour.
This ground I obtain in the following manner.
Having etched in the design but a small part of the depth ultimately required,
I remove the plate or roller from the etching bath, wash off all traces of the
etching liquor and allow it to dry. Then I dust it as before but only thinly with
the above named powder, either fine or course as the nature of the ground required
may necessitate. I then after heating the plate or roller so as to cause the
bituminous or resinous powder to adhere again immerse it in the etching bath and
complete the etching to the required depth. The etching liquor now only bites

page_text: into the surface in the spaces between the granules of powder, and by using
powders, of suitable degrees of fineness, and dusting them on more or less thinly
any required ground may be obtained.
The etching of the surfaces so treated may be done with either ferric chloride,
nitric, hydrofluoric or other acid or corrosive solution which may be used varying
with the nature of the plate or roller, which may be of either glass, metal or any
other material.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention and the manner of
performing the same I would have it understood that I claim.
First. My improved method of transferring designs consisting in impressing the
design upon a gelatine tissue by the action of light, afterwards raising tho
unchanged portions by moisture, inking the portions so raised whilst the changed
parts are left without ink and finally pressing the tissue upon the surface to which
the design is to be transferred substantially as described.
Second My improved means for the production of printing plates and rollers 1
substantially as described.
In witness whereof I the said John Matthew Moss have hereunto set my
hand and seal this sixth day of July in the year of Lord one thousand
eight hundred and eighty two.