An Improved Method and Apparatus for Printing Copies of Writing, Music, Drawings, and Plans from Negatives in Relief on Tinfoil or Thin Metallic Sheets.
Year: 1888

page_text: An Improved Method and Apparatus for Printing Copies of Writing,
Music, Drawings, and Plans from Negatives in Relief on Tinfoil
or Thin Metallic Sheets.
I WILLIAM CORDEAUX Barrister at Law Armthorpe Doncaster Yorkshire, 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:-
This invention is an improvement on the method described in my specification,
(Patent No. 531, 1886) for multiplying copies of Writing, Music, Drawings and Plans.
The improvements may be thus clearly set forth by referring to my previous speciation
and stating what part or parts of the process I have improved upon, which improve-
ments or combinations of improvements I now claim as a new invention. In the said
specification page 2, line 21, 1 state that then place these together upon a smooth
lard surface, I use a thin sheet of steel." I now find it better to use a plate of glass
about a quarter of an inch thick instead of a steel sheet. Lines 26, 27, page 2, "thin
strips of steel about one sixteenth of an inch thick being placed one above and one
below the line of writing. I now find it better to use only one strip of steel about
one thirty second of an inch thick which I place as described below the line of writing,
and not one above it also. In other respects the negative in relief is made or produced
substantially in the manner described in the said previous specification I now have a
better way of fixing the negative so that copies may be the more readily printed from
it. namely, referring to my previous specification, page 3 line 8, I state that "I then
take the negative and place it loose upon the steel sheet and at lines 10, 11, I state
that it (the steel sheet) is so fixed that it is sprung or slightly arched and does not
rest flat on the board." I now use the plate of glass above named instead of a steel
sheet, and the negative is not placed loose upon it, but by damping or slightly wetting
the glass the negative adheres by cohesion, and I find it better to use a flat surface
instead of a curved or bent sheet of steel-At page 3, lines 13, 14, I mention the
use of thin strips of steel or tape" to keep the negative in its place-these are no
longer necessary. Page 3, line 18 I state that "the board is then placed in a frame,"
it is more convenient to use a box, and it is not necessary that the sides of the box
should be curved as stated in line 21, as I no longer use a curved sheet of steel.
page 3 line 26, I state that I use ordinary printer's ink," I now use printer's ink, but
it is essential to the improved process that the ink should be of a fluid nature like oil
At

page_text: and not in the least degree sticky, otherwise it would be liable to lift the negative
from the glass plate when it was being applied. At page 3, line 28 state that I use
"an ordinary printer's roller &c." I have now improved this part of the process, and
instead of " an ordinary printer's roller," I find it is better to use a roller upon which
the composition, (such as printers' rollers are made of) is moulded on the stock, not
more than one eighth of an inch in thickness, the composition on accouni. of its shallow
depth or thickness is much harder and not liable to cushion down into the spaces or
margins of the negative, as an ordinary printer's roller would be, the rollers are the
same length as the glass plate, and it is important that they should be made as light in
weight as possible. I use for the stocks, brass tubing about one and a half inch in
diameter, the handles being placed as described in my previous specification, horizon-
tally and fixed on the rod or spindle which forms the axle on which the rollers revolve.
At page 3, line 30, I state that the inking roller is "carried by two small wheels or
slides&c. and at line 34 mention the use of a screw arrangement," the small
wheels, or slides, and the screw arrangement, are not required in the improved process
which forms the subject of this specification, and the improved method of carrying the
ink roller is as follows-A margin if left at the top & bottom of the negative when it
is made, and having placed the negative on the glass, relief side uppermost, and before
it is inked by the roller, two narrow strips of steel, about three quarters of an inch
wide, and about one sixty fourth of an inch thick are laid over and across the margins
on the negative, they lift up and down, being hinged on a rod or wire fixed alongside
the plate of glass, they can be slided along the rod and thus adjusted to the size of the
negative the inking roller always must rest on these side strips as it is passed over
the negative, as they tear up the roller over the part of the negative not intended to be
inked, before the other roller mentioned in my previous specification is used (sec
lines 40, 41 page 3) these strips of steel are lifted up, working or their hinges like the
lid of a box. They are lifted up because they get inked by the inking roller as it
passes ovey them, and the impression roller which is clean, would get inked unless the
strips were removed off the margin of the negative.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what. I claim is-
"
1. The combination of the several improvements which together make the process
and apparatus for printing copies of writing music drawings and plans, from negatives
in relief on tinfoil, or other thin metallic sheets, more reliable and much simpler than
the method described in my specification (Patent No. 531, 1886) tlie several improve-
ments being fully set forth and described herein by a reference to the previous
specification (Patent No. 531, 1886) and consisting more particularly in the use of a
plate of glass instead of a sheet of steel the improved method of fixing the negative
on a flat surface instead of a curved surface; the improved construction and mode of
working the inking roller; the use of strips of steel placed on the margin of the
negative, as a substitute for wheels, slides, or any screw attachment; the use of ink,
of the nature and quality described herein in place of "ordinary printer's ink." I
do not limit myself to the exact details hereinbefore described, as they may be varied
without departing from the nature of my invention, I do not claim any of the parts
separately which are well known, but I claim the several improvements herein described
in the method of multiplying copies of writing &c. which is the subject of my previous
specification (Patent 531, 1886).