IMPROVEMENTS IN COVERING THE SUR- FACES OF PAPER AND OTHER MATERIALS WITH COLOR AND OTHER SUBSTANCES
Year: 1844

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WARREN
DB LA RUE, of Bunhill Row, in the County of Middlesex, Manufacturer,
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 Twelfth day of December, in the eighth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Warren De la Rue, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said Warren De la Rue, my exors, admors, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Warren De la Rue, my exors, adiñors, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times during the term of years' therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN COVERING THE SUR-
FACES OF PAPER AND OTHER MATERIALS WITH COLOR AND OTHER SUBSTANCES;" in
which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said Warren De
la Rue, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and
immediately 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.

page_text: Warren De la Rue, do hereby declare that the nature of my Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described
and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had
to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention has for its object the applying coloring and other matters to
the surfaces of paper and other fabrics, by certain novel arrangement of
machinery hereafter described.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
On the axis fare affixed two
give motion to the bevelled
On the upper ends of the
Figure 1 represents a side view of the machinery. Figure 2 is a longitu-
dinal section; Figure 3 shews a front view; Figure 4, a back view;
Figure 5, a plan, of a machine constructed to work according to my improve-
ments. In these Figures, as well as those hereafter to be mentioned, the same
letters of reference are used to indicate the same parts wherever they occur.
a, a, shews the framing of the machine, the nature of which will readily be
traced on examining the Drawings. b, is the main or driving shaft, which
receives motion by a strap driven by a steam engine or other power. c is a
drum fixed on the main axis or shaft b; this drum, by means of a strap d,
gives motion to the drum e, fixed on the axis f.
bevelled toothed wheels 9, 9, which take into and
toothed wheels h, h, on the upright axis i, i.
axis i, i, are fixed circular plates j, j, having crank pins, which move
the frame to which the brushes are affixed. k, k, is the frame for carrying
the brushes, projections at the ends of this frame being attached to the crank
pins of the axes i, i; and in order to govern the movement of the frame k
there are two projections affixed to it, which carry pins 1, 1, and these pins
move on the circular plates m, m, affixed to uprights of the framing, as
shewn; by which means the frame, and every part of it, by the revolution of
the axes i, i, is caused to describe the same circles as the crank pins. And
it will be evident that every point or hair of the brushes carried by the
frame k, will perform like circles, by which means, together with the travelling
of the surface to be coated, the coloring or other matter will be very equally and
evenly spread on the surface. In this machine various descriptions of brushes
will be used, according to the nature of the material to be spread, but such
brushes will be similar to those usually employed for performing like descrip-
tions of work the machine is shewn to be working with five brushes, two
oblong ones n, n, and three circular ones o, o, the handles of the brushes

page_text: being fixed in sockets by means of set screws, by which the positions of the
brushes can be partly adjusted, and a very nice adjustment of the brushes can
be obtained by the screws p, p, which pass through the slides of the sockets,
and adjust the position of the sockets by raising or lowering the slides, in
respect to the bars of which the frame k is composed, the slides of the sockets
moving in slots or openings formed in the bars of the framing k
a
I will now describe how the paper or other fabric is fed into and carried
through the machine. q, q, is an endless felt, which is kept distended on the
rollers r, s.
t is another endless felt, which is kept distended on the rollers r, v,
there being adjusting screws to the bearings of the axes of the rollers s, v, in
order to keep the endless felts distended; and the endless felts receive motion
by means of the roller r being caused to turn, by means of a pinion, on the
axis b, taking into and driving a cog wheel u, affixed on the axis of the
roller r. The upper surface of the endless felt q is covered with a thin surface
of india rubber, which I prefer to obtain by a succession of coats of dissolved
india rubber, though thin sheet india rubber might be cemented on to the
surface of the felt q, in place thereof. The object in using a surface of india
rubber is to take advantage of the peculiar holding power which india rubber
has in respect to any matter laid on its surface, the india rubber, without
sticking or adhering, preventing paper or other fabrics moving on the surface
of india rubber, when the paper or other fabric is being rubbed in varied
directions; or, in place of india rubber, gutta percha, product lately brought
to this country, having several of the properties of india rubber, may be
substituted for india rubber. The paper or other fabric to be coated is
carried through the machine by the felt q, and it is retained from shifting its
position, notwithstanding the usage to which it is submitted by the brushes,
by means of the prepared surface of the felt; and the edges of the paper or
other fabric are protected by means of endless metal tapes (by preference of
tempered steel) x, x, which are pressed down by rollers y, y, the axes of which
are free to move up and down in slotted bearings, and the tapes x, x, are
kept distended by the guide pulleys z, z, as is shewn. The endless felt t is to
give strength to the felt q, and aids it in passing through that part of the
machine where it is subjected to the greatest strain and pressure. A is a
metal table or platform which supports the felts t, q, those felts in their
3 movement sliding over such metal plate or table; and the felts t, q, are guided
to such table by means of the roller B; and the paper or other fabric, as soon
as the end thereof, has been fed into the machine, is held down on the surface
of the felt q by means of the roller C.
There are various ways of applying color and other materials to the

page_text: surface of paper passing into the machine now under description, one of
which is shewn applied to this machine; this. means I will now proceed to
describe. D is an angular trough, which is held at either end by bars E,
which are suspended on axes in such manner as by a quadrant rack to be
caused to take a more or less inclined position in respect to the surface of the
paper or other fabric passing under the trough, as will be readily understood on
examining the Drawing, and the flow of color or other matter may be
regulated by varying the inclination of the trough. At the lower part of the
trough are formed numerous openings; when the material is of a fluid
character, and those holes at their under sides are to be countersunk, and by
means of a graver or sharp-pointed tool small ducts or passages are formed,
as will be readily understood on examining the Drawing,-where part of one of
these troughs is shewn in section, and in plan full. size,-and when the color
or other matter supplied from the trough is in the state of powder or dust, then
I prefer that there should be only one opening at the bottom of the trough,
and that in the form of a long slit, as is also shewn in the Drawing, where
the troughs are shewn full size. When the coloring or other material is in a
fluid or liquid state it is desirable to keep them constantly stirred when in the
trough; I therefore apply stirrers, consisting of a series of rods F, F, affixed
to the bar G, such bar being supported at its ends, yet allowing of it to be
slided to and fro, and motion is communicated to the bar by means of a crank
pin H, affixed on the plate H¹; such crank pin passes into a slot formed in
the T end of the bar I, as shewn, and motion is communicated to the plate II
from the cog wheel on the axis of the roller r, taking into and driving the
pinion J, fixed on the axis K, on which axis is affixed a bevelled toothed wheel
which takes into and drives another bevelled toothed wheel, affixed on the
axis L, the plate H¹ being affixed on the axis L. The paper or other fabric
passes over the upper surface of the roller M, the surface of which is covered
with india rubber, and, in consequence of its revolving with the surface speed
somewhat faster than the surface speed of the endless felt q, a drag will be
communicated to the paper or other fabric, tending to draw it through the
machine, and motion is communicated to the roller M, by means of the
band N, driven by a pulley on the main shaft or axis, and the band N gives
motion to the axis O, as is shewn, there being a pulley P fixed on the axis O,
which by means of a band Q gives motion to a pulley fixed on the axis of
the roller M. This machine is arranged for applying color and other matters
to long lengths of paper before it has been cut up into sheets, and the machine
is also capable of applying coloring and other materials to paper made in
sheets, or paper which has been cut up into sheets. When the machine is to

page_text: work on lengths of paper as it comes from the paper-making machine a roll
of paper is placed at R, and conducted into the machine, as shewn by the red
line. And it will be carried through continuously by the working of the
machine, and coloring or other matter will be supplied by the trough, and
the same will be spread and evenly distributed by the working of the brushes,
and the paper will be delivered by the roller M, and may from thence be
conducted to any suitable drying apparatus; and such would be the case if
lengths of other fabrics were similarly conducted through the machine.
I will now proceed to describe how sheets of paper or of cardboard are fed
into the machine, and I will also describe how the machine may be adjusted
from time to time to feeding sheets of different lengths to what it had been
previously feeding. S, S, are levers moving on an axis at S', these levers are
in connection with the levers T, T, (which turn on axes T', T',) by means of
connecting rods as shewn. The levers S, S, at the back end of the machine,
are combined together by the bar St. U is an upright carrying a truck
or roller at its upper end. This upright is capable of sliding on the
bar S, and the upright is capable of being fixed in the required position
by means of a wedge or key, as is shewn, in order to be acted upon by the
cam V, in such manner as to cause the front ends of the levers S to be
depressed and elevated so as to take in the required length of sheets, which
are for the time being to be fed into the machine; and this is accomplished
by the front ends of the levers S carrying the axes of a roller W, which
descending on to the paper, which is placed by a person attending the machine
up to a stop, and the roller is caused to descend just before the sheet previously
fed into the machine is carried beyond the forward edge of the paper which is
next to pass into the machine, and the roller W descending presses on the last
or outer edge of the paper last fed into the machine, such outer edge having
the forward edge of the wet sheet of paper under it; and the movement of the
endless felt will carry forward the two sheets of paper, the roller W
continuing to press for some time on the last sheet of paper, when the person
attending the machine places the edge of the next sheet under the previous
one up to the stop. The roller W when it next descends, will press the
surface of the sheet so placed against the endless felt g, and will thereby be the
means of that felt q, and the cam is so formed, that the workman may cause
the roller W to remain a longer or shorter time on the sheet which is passing
into the machine. As the speed of the endless felt 9 remains the same, the
speed of the axis of the cam should from time to time be varied, so as to carry
in the length of the sheets between the intervals of the successive descents of
the roller W; and this is effected by the strap X and the cones Y, Y, one of

page_text: which is affixed on the axis of the roller r, and the other on the axis of the
cam V, and the band or strap X is caused to drive the axis of the cam V
slower or faster, according as the strap is for the time being acting on the
smaller or larger or intermediate parts of the cone of the axis of the cam V
and the strap X is kept to any desired position by the forks Z, Z, affixed to
the slides Z', which slide upon and can be affixed to any part of the bars Z³, so
as to regulate and retain the strap X in the desired positions on the cones Y, Y.
I would state, that by this machine, the paper or other fabric passing through
it may have applied to its upper surface coloring matter in a fluid state or
in a state of powder or bronze, or metallic powder may be applied, the surface
having been previously prepared for it by suitable adhesive matter; such matters
being distributed equally by the peculiar motion given to the brushes by the
machinery, which so arranged that every point of each brush will in its action
describe a cycloidal curve of the same dimensions as all other points of the
brushes on the passing surface. And the machine is also capable for applying
paste or other adhesive or fluid matter to the surfaces of fabrics requiring to be
And although I prefer that every part of the frame carrying the
brushes should perform a circle, it is not absolutely necessary that it should
perform a true circle, so long as the general working of the parts be such that
the cycloidal figure described by one point of a brush be a cycloidal curve of
the same dimensions as every other point describes.
so treated.
I would remark, that I have, since the taking out of my Patent, been in-
formed that some years ago a person attempted to work a brush for distributing
color on paper by means of two cranks, but not so arranged as to be geared
together so as to insure the brush in all its points describing circles. And I
mention this circumstance in order to state that I do not claim the use of two
cranks when not so arranged as to cause the brush or brushes in all points
with certainty to describe the same figure. I have before stated that various
means may be resorted to for supplying coloring and other matters to paper
and other fabrics.
same.
Figure 6 shews part of a longitudinal section, and Figure 7 a front view of
so much of a machine as will enable me to describe another arrangement for
applying coloring and other matter when in the fluid or liquid state, when com-
bined with suitable machinery for using brushes to equalize and spread the
In this arrangement of machine, I have not thought it necessary to
shew the means for feeding in sheets, before described, though the same is
equally applicable to this machine, and may from the description above given,
be readily applied by a workman. q, q, and t, are the endless felts before
described. (1) 1) is a trough containing color fixed in the front of the

page_text: machine. (2), (2), are weighted levers carrying a roller (3) covered with felt,
and wound helically with a cord; this roller (3) revolves in the coloring or other
fluid matter in the trough, and carries it up to the roller (4); and according as
the cords are more or less pressed into the felt covering of the roller (4), so
will be the less or greater quantity of fluid matter carried up by the surface of
the roller (4) owing to the greater or less pressure on the felt coverings of
those two rollers. The roller (4) receives motion by a band or strap (5),
which is put in motion by the drum (6) on the axis (7); on the same axis is
affixed the drum (8), which by the band (9) gives motion to a roller or to a
cylindrical brush (10), sometimes one and sometimes the other being used
according to the judgment of the workman; when a cylindrical brush (10) is
used, its surface motion is to be in the opposite direction to that of the endless
felt g; but when a roller covered with felt is used the strap (9) is to cause its
surface motion to be in the same direction as the endless felt q. On the
axis (7) is affixed a drum (11), which by a strap (12) gives motion to the
transmitting or intermediate roller (13), which is also covered with felt, and it
is by this roller that the fluid matter from the roller (4) is transmitted to the
roller or cylindrical brush (10). Motion is communicated to the axis (7), by
means of a drum on the axis of the roller r, which by a band (14) gives
motion to a drum (15) on the axis (7), all which will readily be traced by an
examination of the Drawing now under description. When dry coloring or
other matter in the form of powder is to be applied to the surface of the paper
or other fabric, the trough, if of the form before described, will require to
receive continuously slight shaking motion. Figure 8 shews part of a
longitudinal section, looking from the opposite side of the machine to that
in which the other longitudinal sections have been shewn; and Figure 9 is a
front view of so much of the machine as will enable me to describe how
I communicate such shaking motion to the trough. The bars (16), which
carry the trough, slide on bearings carried in the manner before described.
(17) is a spring resting against one end of the bar 16, tending to press the
trough away from it; and on the circular plate (18), which revolves with
its axis, are a series of inclined planes formed, and it is by the rising up and
falling from these inclined surfaces that the required shaking is obtained.
In some cases it is desirable to carry down the powder from the proper trough
by means of a roller covered with felt; and Figures 10 and 11 shew two
arrangements for this purpose, in one the roller revolves within and forms part
of the trough, and in the other a trough with a slit in it is used, such as before
described, which delivers its coloring or other matter on to a roller covered
with felt, which transmits it to the paper or other material. In applying

page_text: coloring and other matters to paper and other fabrics it is very important that
the brushes used should be from time to time well cleansed and freed from the
matter, and for this purpose I have constructed a machine for giving rapid
rotatory motion to the brushes, so as by centrifugal force to throw off the
moisture caused by cleansing the brushes. Figures 12 and 13 shew two views
of this machine, and it consists of an axis carrying a cylinder A, which
receives rapid motion from a steam engine or other power by means of a strap
on the drum B giving motion to the axis C, on which is fixed a cog wheel D,
which takes into and drives the pinion E on the axis of the cylinder A. This
machinery is to have a cover, as shewn by dotted lines, so as to prevent the
water from the brushes from being thrown to a distance, there being free access
for air to and from the cover. On the cylinder, several frames F may be fixed
for receiving brushes and having the handles of the brushes fixed.in sockets by
When the brushes thus held at the periphery of a cylinder are put
in rapid motion, they will be quickly deprived of moisture and dried.
set screws.
I would remark, in respect to this part of my Invention, that I am aware
that machinery or apparatus acting by centrifugal force has been before con-
structed and used for drying various articles placed in boxes or chambers
around the axis of motion. This part of the Invention, therefore, only consists
in arranging apparatus or machinery so as to receive brushes to free them from
moisture.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the best means I am
acquainted with for performing the same, I would have it understood that I
make no claim for the separate mechanical parts herein shewn and described;
nor do I confine myself to the details as herein set forth, so long as the peculiar
character of either part of my Invention be retained; but what I claim is,-
First, the mode of arranging apparatus for applying coloring or other
materials as a coating to paper and other fabrics, whereby india rubber or. gutta.
percha is used as a carrying surface, as herein described.
Secondly, I claim the use of metal tapes, as herein described, for pressing on the
edges of paper or other fabric, when being coated with coloring or other material.
Thirdly, I claim the mode of giving motion to brushes for distributing and
equalizing coloring and other materials on paper or other fabrics, whereby
each point of a brush is made to describe the same description and extent of
figure, as herein explained.
Fourthly, I claim the mode of arranging machinery or apparatus herein
described, for feeding in sheets of paper to a machine, to be coated with coloring
or other materials.
Fifthly, I claim the stirring, coloring, and other materials to coat paper or

page_text: other fabrics from a trough, when the same is combined with apparatus
for equalizing such materials on the surface of paper or other fabrics by
brushes.
Sixthly, I claim the giving a shaking motion to troughs supplying coloring
and other matters in the state of powder, as herein described.
Seventhly, I claim the means of applying coloring and other materials to
paper or other fabrics, by apparatus shewn and described in respect to
Figures 8, 9, 10, and 11.
Eighthly, I claim the applying coloring or other materials in the state
of powder by troughs, and equalizing it by brushes, as herein described. And,
Ninthly, I claim the mode of arranging apparatus for drying brushes used
for coating paper and other fabrics, with coloring and other materials as herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Warren De la Rue, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-five.