CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR BLOCK PRINTING
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Sandiford, of Tottington Lower End,
near Bury, in the County of Lancaster, Calico Printer, for the
Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR BLOCK
PRINTING."
Sealed the 9th February 1853, and dated the 15th November 1852.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Sandiford
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his l'etition,
on the 15th November 1852.
J, ROBERT SANDIFORD, of Tottington Lower End, near Bury, in
the County of Lancaster, Calico Printer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR BLOCK PRINTING" to be as follows:-
The apparatus which forms the subject of my said Invention
is applicable to printing calicoes, paper hangings, &c. in general,
but is more particularly designed to be used for the purpose
of printing the patterns or designs upon handkerchiefs and
other similar small articles in two colors. The said apparatus

page_text: is not self-acting, but is intended to facilitate the operation of
block printing by hand, and consists, first, of a table supported
upon suitable framing, and furnished with a blanket or other
similar elastic surface in the centre for printing upon, and a
"sieve" at each end for supplying the two blocks with their
respective colors as required; secondly, a light frame, to which the
two blocks are fixed; and thirdly, four or more parallel links, by
means of which the said frame is attached or connected to the table.
The fixed centres on which the links move are attached to the
table in the centre, between the sieves and the printing table, and
the other ends of the said links are attached to the block frame,
exactly opposite the centre of each block. The distance between
the centres of the sieves and the centre of the printing table being
the same as the distance between the centres of the two blocks, it
is evident that when the right hand block is printing the design
the left hand block is being furnished with color by its respective
sieve, and vice versa. The printer has merely to keep lifting the
blocks from one sieve to the other and back again, whilst two mixers
or "tierers" keep the sieves properly furnished with color, and a
boy winds on the calico, &c., as it is printed. The action of the
parallel links (the outer ends of which describe an arc of nearly
180°) ensure the perfect "registering" of the pattern, thereby ren-
dering unnecessary the peculiar steadiness of hand and eye hitherto
indispensable, and enabling a boy or girl to print with the same
degree of accuracy as an experienced workman under the old
method of block printing by hand.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, filed by the said Robert Sandiford in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 14th May 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, 3
ROBERT SANDIFORD, of Tottington Lower End, near Bury, in the
County of Lancaster, Calico Printer, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of November, One
thousand cight hundred and fifty-two, and in the sixteenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Ier heirs and successors, give and grant
unto be, the said Robert Sandiford, Her special licence that I, the
said Robert Sundiford, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Robert Sandiford, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully night make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "CERTAIN IM-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR BLOCK PRINTING," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Robert Sandiford, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in
the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert Sandiford, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement and accompanying Drawings
(that is to say):
My improvements apply to printing calicoes, paper hangings, &c.,
in general, where one, two, or more blocks are used, but are more
particularly designed to be employed for printing the patterns or
designs upon handkerchiefs and other similar articles in two or
more colors. The said apparatus is not self-acting, but is intended
to facilitate the operation of block printing by hand, and at the same
time to ensure the perfect "registering" of the pattern or design
when two or more blocks are employed. The apparatus consists of
the following parts: First, a stone or other suitable printing table is
supported upon a frame, and covered with a blanket or similar elastic
surface for printing upon. The framing also supports the sieves

page_text: for supplying the blocks with their respective colors (one at each
end if two blocks are employed). The blocks are light, and are
connected together by means of a frame or hand rail, by means of
which they are both lifted together. The blocks are connected to
the framing by means of four or more parallel links, capable of
moving upon fixed centres, the length of each of the said links being
exactly half the distance of the centre of the sieve from the centre
of the printing table. The hand rail which connects the two blocks
together and the links which connect the blocks to the frame are so
adjusted that when one block is printing the design the other block
is being furnished with color by its respective sieve, and vice versa.
The printer has merely to lift the blocks alternately from one sieve
to the other and back again whilst two mixers or "tierers" keep
the sieves properly furnished with color, and a boy winds on the
calico, &c. as it is printed. The action of the parallel links (the
outer ends of which describe an arc of about 180°) ensure the
perfect "registering" of the pattern or design, thereby rendering
unnecessary the peculiar steadiness of hand and eye hitherto
indispensable, and enabling a boy or girl to print readily with the
same degree of accuracy as an experienced workman under the old
method of block printing by hand, and more quickly.
In order that the practical application of my Invention may bc
perfectly understood I have annexed hereunto a Sheet of Drawings
-illustrative of my improvements, and have marked the same with
figures and letters of reference corresponding with those in the
following explanation thereof. The drawings are made to a scale
of one inch and a half to a foot, or thereabouts. Fig. 1, repre-
sents a plan or horizontal view of my improved apparatus as
adapted for printing with two blocks, and Fig. 2, is a longitu-
dinal section of the same; a, a, is the main framing of the apparatus
supporting the stone, or other suitable printing table b, b, the
upper surface of which is covered with a blanket or other suitable
elastic material; the frame a, a, also supports the boxes c, c, in
which the sieves d, d, are placed (floating) as usual; c, e*, are the
blocks, which are formed of light bars instead of being solid, and

page_text: are connected together by means of a hand rail f, f, by means of
which also they are lifted when required; J, J: I, J, are the parallel
links which are connected to the blocks, and are capable of moving
upon the fixed centres h, h, h, h, attached to the framing a, a. The
roller upon which the calico, &c. is wound before printing is shewn
at i, i; h, k, are tension rollers, and 1, l, is a roller (furnished with
pins upon its surface), by means of which the cloth, &c. is wound
forward as it is printed. This roller 1, 7, may be turned by means of a
winch handle at one end, or in any other convenient manner, and may,
if desired, be connected with an index for ascertaining and indicating
the number of impressions of the pattern or design, or the length of
cloth, &c., printed. It will be seen upon referring to the Drawing
that the block e, e, is represented as printing the design, and the
block e, e, as furnishing itself with the red color in the right hand
sieve; and it will be evident that if the blocks are raised by means
of the hand rail f, f, and moved towards the left hand until the
block e, e, rests upon the left hand sieve containing the blue color,
the block e*, e*, will then be printing the red color upon the calico,
&c. The movement of the blocks and links describing an arc of
about 180°, as represented by the red semicircles in Fig. 2. A
modification of my Invention is shewn in the plan view, Fig. 3. In
this Figure my Invention is represented as adapted for printing
with four blocks, each of the four sides of the table being furnished
with a sieve and a block. In this arrangement it will be seen that
the blocks are not connected together, and are provided with two
links each, the fixed centres of the links being exactly in the centre
between the table and the sieve. Each block is in this instance
worked separately, but the parallel links act exactly in the same
manner as in the preceding case. I would here observe that it will
be evident that by the use of what are commonly called "spring
tubs" instead of the sieves in both the arrangements a very
great variety of colors may be printed with ease, accuracy, and
expedition.
Having thus described the nature and object of my suid Invention
of improvements in apparatus for block printing, together with the

page_text: manner of carrying the saine into practical effect, I would remark,
in conclusion, that I claim as my Invention the improved apparatus
for block printing as above described and represented in the Draw-
ing, or any modification thereof, but more especially the parallel
links for ensuring the perfect "registering" of the pattern or design
manner of carrying the saine into practical effect, I would remark,
in conclusion, that I claim as my Invention the improved apparatus
for block printing as above described and represented in the Draw-
ing, or any modification thereof, but more especially the parallel
links for ensuring the perfect "registering" of the pattern or design
to be printed
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Sandiford, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of May, in the year of
links for ensuring the perfect "registering" of the pattern or design
to be printed
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Sandiford, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Sandiford, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.