Improvements in the Method of and in Machinery for Applying Variegated Colours to the Surface of Tinned and other Plates.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Oct., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 18th July, 1895-Accepted, 7th Sept., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of and in Machinery for Applying
Variegated Colours to the Surface of Tinned and other Plates.
We, ROBERT READ and ALFRED READ, of the Firm of Read Brothers,
Engineers, of 21 Bridgewater Street, WILLIAM EEDLE, Printer, of 14 Parkhill
Road, and CHARLES MASTERS, Japanner, of 43 Fairview Place, all of Liverpool
in the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows
The object of our present invention is to decorate the surface of tinned and
other plates by applying thereto variegated colours so as to produce a mottled effect
resembling mother of pearl, marble, or the like.
Hitherto this has been effected by splashing the various colours on to the surface
by means of brushes, or in a somewhat similar manner, and subsequently varnishing;
the colours so applied in patches running and blending into each other, and giving
the desired effect. Our invention is intended both to cheapen the process and to
improve the resulting product, as the plates, instead of being treated individually
by hand labour, are simply passed in rapid succession through the machine, and the
colours, instead of being disposed in accidental patches, can be distributed with
uniformity and in whatever pattern may be desired.
According to our invention we provide a number of rollers faced with india
rubber formed with an appropriate raised pattern preferably irregular, and mounted
on shafts carried by a suitable frame. Each rubber roller is provided with its own
inking roller, by which the said raised pattern is kept uniformly charged with ink
or colour, and it is further provided with a lower roller between which and the
rubber roller, the plates are passed.
The rollers are all geared to the main shaft so that they rotate with equal surface
speed, and they are so placed that the plate, having been entered between the first
pair, will run through the series.
Each roller being charged, with a different colour, and the various tints applied
in rapid succession, they will run into, and blend with each other, and as they will
be in many places superposed, a variety of compound tints will result, yielding an
excellent effect.
After passing through the rollers as described, the plate is finally varnished to
blend the whole of the colours.
Where metal plates have to be "crystallised in addition to being "mottled,"
the former process is accomplished before the plates are passed through the present
machine.
Dated this 17th day of October 1894.
SLOAN & LLOYD BARNES,
Castle Chambers, 26 Castle Street, Liverpool,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: L
Improvements in the Method of and in Machinery for Applying
Variegated Colours to the Surface of Tinned and other Plates.
We, ROBERT READ and ALFRED READ, of the Firm of Read Brothers,
Engineers, of -21, Bridgewater Street, WILLIAM EEDLE, Printer, of 14 Parkhill
Read, and CHARLES MASTERS, Japanner, of 43 Fairview, Place, all of Liverpool
in the County of Lancaster 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:-
The object of our present invention is to decorate the surface. of tinned and other
plates by applying thereto variegated colours so as to produce a mottled effect
resembling mother of pearl, marble, or the like.
Hitherto this has been effected by splashing the various colours onto the surface
by means of brushes, or in a somewhat similar manner, and subsequently varnishing;
the colours so applied in patches running and blending into each other, and giving
the desired effect. Our invention is intended both to cheapen the process and to
improve the resulting product, as the plates, instead of being treated individually
by hand labour, are simply passed in rapid succession through the machine, and the
colours, instead of being disposed in accidental patches, can be distributed with
uniformity and in whatever pattern may be desired.
According to our invention we provide a number of printing rollers faced with india
rubber formed with an appropriate raised patteru preferably irregular, and mounted
on shafts carried by a suitable franic. Each rubber printing roller is provided
with its own inking roller, by which the said raised pattern is kept uniformly
charged with ink or colour, and it is further provided with a lower or impression
roller between which and the printing roller, the plates are passed.
The rollers are all geared to the main shaft so that they all rctate with equal
surface speed, and they are so placed that the plate, having been entered between
the first pair, will run through the series.
Each roller being charged with a different colour, and the various tints applied
in rapid succession, they will run into, and blend with each other, and as they will
be in many places superposed, a variety of compound tints will result, yielding an
excellent effect.
After passing through the rollers as described, the plate is finally varnished to
blend the whole of the colours.
Where metal plates have to be "crystallised" in addition to being "mottled,"
the former process is accomplished before the plates are passed through the
machine.
We have shown a machine constructed according to our invention in the accom-
panying drawings, in which,-Fig. I is an elevation, and Fig. II an end elevation,
portions of Figs. I and II being shown in section on the lines A A and B B
respectively.
-
Throughout the drawings the same parts are indicated by the same reference
figure, and in the case of sections, the direction in which they are viewed is
indicated by the small arrows placed adjacent to the letters denoting the plane of
section.
In the machine illustrated there are a series of four printing rollers 1, but of
course the number may be varied; each printing roller consists, as before mentioned,
of a metal body and a rubber printing surface on which the appropriate pattern is
formed in relief. The inking rollers 2 are also of a similar construction, but of
course plain, and they are supplied with ink or colour from a trough 3; this trough
has an adjustable bottom 4 which is normally pressed by springs against the set

page_text: screws 5, and which can be set up to the inking roller by these set screws and so
adjust the supply of ink or colour.
The proper contact between the inking and printing rollers is obtained by means
of the regulating screws 6 which press the inking rollers into contact with the
printing rollers in opposition to the elastic force of the interposed rubber
washers 7.
The plain impression rollers 8 are similar in construction to those already
described, and they are adapted to be set up to the printing rollers by means of the
impression screw's 9.
The bearings of the rollers are formed in suitable blocks 10 located in gaps in
the upper frame 11 of the machine; the blocks of the inking rollers have extended
Hanges and are adapted to form the ends of the ink or colour trough 3.
The machine is operated by the driving pulley 13 keyed to the driving shaft 14,
the gearing being as follows;-Each printing roller has a main driving wheel 15
on each side of the frame and these driving wheels are geared by intermediate
wheels 16; the driving wheels of the first roller are operated by two pinions 17
keyed at opposite ends of the shaft 18 and the shaft 18 is driven by the pinion 19.
and wheel 20 from the driving shaft 14. The inking, printing, and impression
rollers are also geared together by suitable wheels to give them equal surface.
speeds.
The plates are fed in at the driving end of the machine and pass from the one
printing roller to the other, being held up by boards 21, or, where the plates are
short, by travelling tapes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The improved method of applying variegated colours to the surface of tinned
and other plates which consists in passing each plate in rapid succession through a
series of rubber faced printing rollers each of which is charged with an appropriate
colour, and subsequently varnishing the plate, whereby the various colours are in
part superposed and blended together; substantially as described and illustrated.
2. The combination and arrangement of parts forming the improved machine
for applying variegated colours to the surface of tinned and other plates,
substantially as described and illustrated in Figs. I and II.
Dated this 17th day of July 1895
SLOAN & LLOYD BARNES,
Castle Chambers, Castle Street, Liverpool,
Agents for the Applicants.