A NEW BLOCK PRINTING MACHINE FOR TEXTILE OR OTHER FABRICS
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Apr., 1886.
Complete Left, 28th Jan., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 1st Mar., 1887.
1, JOSEPH HUNTER MCFERRAN of 50 Fountain Street, Belfast in the County of
Antrim Ireland Linen Merchant do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
A NEW BLOCK PRINTING MACHINE FOR TEXTILE OR OTHER FABRICS to be as follows:-
This invention of a new block printing machine for textile or other fabrics consists
of an arrangement for performing to a large extent by mechanical means the operation
known as block printing which has hitherto been generally done by hand.
The object of this invention is to lessen the manual labour and at the same time to
expedite the work and it is accomplished in the following manner.
The material to be operated upon is rolled or folded upon a convenient axle or
framing and the portion immediately being acted upon is passed over the surface of
the printing table on which is a suitable elastic pad with clamps to hold the material
when it receives the impression from the printing block or blocks.
The printing block or blocks are carried in a convenient framing which is caused to
move round on its vertical axis at suitable intervals.
The printing blocks are so carried either singly or in groups that they can be moved
up and down by mechanical means when they arrive at certain places in their
movement round their common centre, this up and down movement being given to
the blocks by weights or springs levers or tappets at the time when the blocks are
temporarily at rest so far as their motion round their common centre is concerned over
the printing table or tables and the color pad or sieves.
When more than one color or pattern is required to be printed on the same piece so
as to complete the design there is a corresponding number of blocks and stations in
the revolving framing and corresponding color pads.
The color pads are also carried on a frame revolving in a similar manner and at the
same time as the frame that carries the printing blocks.
For instance a frame carrying four blocks to print four colors has in connection
with it a frame carrying four color pads and one block or group of blocks is propelled
into contact with the material to be printed and the next or second block or group of
blocks is simultaneously and by similar mechanism pressed into contact with its color
pad, so when the second block or group of blocks has been moved round to the

page_text: printing table or station the third block or group of blocks is in position for receiving
color from its corresponding pad which has been brought round into position under
the third block or group of blocks to which it has to supply color.
When the down and upward movement has been given to the blocks to perform the
simultaneous operations of giving off and receiving color the frames carrying the
blocks and color pads are moved round their respective centres one quarier turn and
then the fourth block or group of blocks takes up color from its pad at the same time
as the third block or group of blocks is giving off its portion of the pattern.
Thus the movements are repeated until the pattern or patterns are completed when
the material is moved the required distance to receive another set of impressions at
each revolution of the frames which carry the printing blocks and color pads.
The same four blocked frame can be used to print two colored fabrics by having two
printing tables and two two color frames working in connection.
So a six stationed frame for blocks will require a six armed or stationed color pad
framing when doing six colored work or when doing three colored work two printing
tables may be employed and two three color pads on corresponding framing.
By varying the number of blocks and color pads any required number of colors can
be printed.
By this contrivance the printing blocks are worked entirely by mechanical means
and being once adjusted into position the printing operation is performed with
mechanical precision and accuracy and with greater expedition than by the process
of block printing by hand.
JOSEPH HUNTER MFERKAN.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New Block Printing Machine for Textile or other Fabrics.
JOSEPH HUNTER MCFERRAN formerly of 50 Fountain Street now of No. 1 Donegall
Square West Belfast in the County of Antrim Ireland Linen Merchant do hereby
declare the nature of my invention for A NEW BLOCK PRINTING MACHINE FOR TEXTILE
OR OTHER FABRICS and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
This Invention of a new block printing machine for textile or other fabrics consists
of an arrangement for performing to a large extent by mechanical means the operation
known as block printing which has hitherto been generally done by hand.
The object of this invention is to lessen the manual labour and at the same time to
expedite the work and the means employed to accomplish this object will be under-
stood from the following description reference being had to the drawings herewith in
which the same letters and figures of reference always apply to the same or like
parts.
Figure 1 is a top view of the machine Figure 2 is a side view and Figures 3. 4
and 5 are enlarged views of parts to show more clearly the construction and action of
certain portions of the machine.

page_text: The material (a) to be operated upon is rolled or folded upon a convenient axle or
framing (a) and the portion immediately being acted upon is passed over the surface
of the printing table (2) on which is a suitable elastic pad of felt or flannel of the
ordinary kind employed in the block printing with clamps to hold the material whilst
it receives the impression from the printing block or blocks (b).
The printing block or blocks () are carried by a convenient frame (c) which is
caused to move round on its vertical axis (¹) at suitable intervals.
The machine illustrated being arranged for doing single color work with two
blocks () acting at the same time on two separate pieces of cloth, there are four sets
of blocks (b) which are connected to block plates (¹) by means of studs surrounded
by spiral springs () and links, the pressure for printing or taking up color being
applied through the spiral springs so that the blocks (b) can adjust themselves to any
slight variations in the level of the fabric on the printing tables (²) or of the color-
pads or scives (f) and the color pads themselves may also be supported by springs so
as to further increase the elasticity of the opposing surfaces of the blocks (b) and color
pads or seives (/).
The downward movement for the purpose of printing is given by means of a
tappet (d) acting on the top of a sliding bar (3) which is connected with a cross
bar () by two connecting rods (65) to the block plate () when the pressure of the
printing tappet (d) is relieved the block or blocks (b) with their frame () and
attachments are lifted up by means of a pair of levers (¹) shewn enlarged in figure 3.
The downward movement for the purpose of imparting color to the blocks (6) is
repeated two or three times and is given to the blocks by means of a tappet (e) with
two or three projections as shewn in figure 4, the blocks being lifted up by the
levers () as shewn in figure 3.
To prevent the blocks (b) from descending twice on to the same portion of the color
pad or seive (f) the color pads (f) are moved after each contact with blocks (b) by
means of rods (1) connecting to weighted bell crank levers (2) which are acteil
upon by the tappets (y) through the rods (g).
The tappet (7) for printing is above the printing table (a) and the tappets for
dipping the blocks (b) and shifting the color pads or seives (f) are above the
frames (3) for carrying the color pads and which are attached to their vertical
axes ().
Whilst these various movements are being performed the color pads (f) and
printing blocks (4) are at rest. so far as the movement round their respective centres
are concerned and this intermittent movement is obtained from a continuous rotary
movement of the driving shafts () by means of cranks (k) and a star wheel (k)
the cranks (k) having a continuous rotary movement imparted to them by bevel
wheels (2) which connect them to the four continuously revolving shafts on which are
the tappets (d and c) for printing and dipping, the vertical shafts (4) that carry the
color pads (f) and the block frame (e) are connected together by geering (m)-the
dipping and printing operations being performed whilst the cranks (k) are out of
contact with the star wheel (1) the direction of revolution being indicated by arrows
and the time being shewn alike in all the views in fig. 4-the blocks (4) and pads (ƒ)
having arrived at their respective places for performing the acts of printing and
receiving the colors.
To further ensure the exact position of the blocks (b) over the printing table a lock
or catch is moved into and out of contact with the block frame (c) by means of the
tappet (n) shewn in figure 4.
When more than one color or pattern is required to be printed on the same piece so
as to complete the design there is a corresponding number of blocks and stations in
the revolving framing (c) and corresponding color pads (f).
The color pads (ƒ) are carried on a frame (f) revolving in a similar manner and at
the same time as the frame (e) that carries the printing blocks (b).
For instance a frame carrying four blocks or sets of blocks as illustrated to print
four colors has in connection with it a frame carrying four colour pads and when one
block or group of blocks is propelled into contact with the material to be printed and

page_text: the next or second block or group of blocks are simultaneously and by similar
mechanism pressed into contact with its color pad so when the second block or group
of blocks has been moved round to the printing table or station the third block or
group of blocks is in position for receiving color from its corresponding pad which has
been brought round into position under the third block or group of blocks to which it
has to supply colour.
When the downward and upward movement has been given to the blocks to perform
the simultaneous operations of giving off and receiving color the frames carrying the
blocks and color pads are moved round their respective centres one quarter turn and
then the fourth block or group of blocks takes up color from its pad at the same time
as the third block or group of blocks is giving off its portion of the pattern.
Thus the movements are repeated until the pattern or patterns are completed when
the material is moved the required distance to receive another set of impressions at
each revolution of the frames which carry the printing blocks and color pads.
The same four blocked frame can be used to print one two or four colored fabrics
by having two printing tables and two color frames working in connection or three
colored work can be done by omitting one of the color pads and one of the blocks or
sets of blocks.
Or again a six stationed frame for blocks will require a six armed or stationed color
pad framing when doing six colored work or when doing three colored work two
printing tables may be employed and two groups of three color pads on corresponding
framing.
By varying the number of blocks and color pads any required number of colors can
be printed.
By this contrivance the printing blocks are worked entirely by mechanical means
and being once adjusted into position the printing operation is performed with
mechanical precision and accuracy and with greater expedition than by the process of
block printing by hand.
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 :-
The arrangement and means described for carrying and actuating blocks and their
corresponding color pads or seives for printing textile or other fabrics.
JOSEPH HUNTER MCFERRAN.