Improvements in the Preparation of Rollers for Printing Calico, Wall Papers, and other Materials, and in Colouring and Inking Apparatus to be Used therewith.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Apr., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 6th Jan., 1896-Accepted, 4th May, 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Preparation of Rollers for Printing Calico,
Wall Papers, and other Materials, and in Colouring and Inking
Apparatus to be Used therewith.
We JAMES KNOWLES HARRISON, of St. Mark's Vicarage, Dewsbury in the
County of York, Clerk in Holy Orders, and CHARLOTTE AGNES HARRISON of
the same address, wife of the said James Knowles Harrison, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:
The rollers or cylinders at present used in the printing of calico and other
materials, are usually of copper, and the pattern or design is engraved on the
surface in intaglio, the ink or color being taken up by the sunk design, and
transferred to the fabric, the superfluous ink being removed by a "doctor."
The preparation of these rollers or cylinders obviously involves a great initial
outlay, both on account of the material used, and of the nature of the process of
preparation, besides which, the stock of these expensive rollers to be kept must
necessarily be large, owing to the possible re-demand for the same pattern.
In addition to this, the rollers become worn more or less by the action of the
"doctor," when in use for any length of time, and require touching up continually,
to keep the pattern or design sharp, thus entailing further expense.
To overcome the inconvenience arising from the use of the "doctor" it has been
proposed to use metal rollers with the pattern in relief, so that the pattern only
would take up the ink.
In the production of wall papers, a wooden roller, with the pattern in relief, has
often been used, but in this case, also, the expense of preparing them is something
considerable.
Now the object of our invention is to prepare rollers with the pattern in relief,
suitable for printing fabrics and other materials in a simple and inexpensive
manner, whereby the necessity for keeping a large stock of expensive rollers will
be overcome; the number of rollers for printing any given design may be increased
indefinitely, aud with facility, within a short space of time; and the cost of
material will be considerably reduced.
In carrying out our invention, we may use metal rollers,--zinc, copper, brass,
steel, iron, or an alloy of metals, nickelled copper, and, in some cases, glass, made
in any convenient manner, and upon the surface we produce the pattern or design,
as hereafter described.
We may proceed in the following manuer to obtain the pattern roller, that is to
say, we may reproduce the design by engraving on wood or metal, or by
photographing the pattern, and etching a flat surface or plate (relief), from
whence we obtain a copper shell by electrolysis, or a papier maché or plaster mould
in the usual electrotype method. The plate or shell which we produce by the
electrotype process, we cont with tin, to form an amalgam, and then bend to a
cylindrical form in a casting box, having a central core, and supports top and
bottom, leaving an annular space between it and the back surface of the shell,
which space we fill with a suitable metallic alloy, such as tea lead and antimony,
which, on solidifying, forms a strong backing to the relief roller or pattern.
The relief pattern roller or cylinder thus produced, can then be employed for
printing by applying the printing ink or color to the relief design or pattern by
means of suitable inking rollers, in the ordinary manner of relief printing.

page_text: When employing the stereotype process, we produce a cliché of papier maché, or
other suitable material, from the flat plate, and we bend it to cylindrical form
with the intaglio pattern of the cliché on the inner side of the cylinder; we then
introduce a central core, and run ordinary type metal into the space between the
cliché and the core, so that, on solidifying, this metal forms a patteru roller or
cylinder with the design or pattern in relief thereon.
Or we may have the design, or a portion thereof, drawn upon transfer paper, and
transferred to a lithographic stone, or drawn upon the stone itself, and transferred,
and retransferred, until the entire design, in length and width, coincide exactly
with the periphery of the metal roller, the design being so made, that when an
impression thereof is bent round to a cylindrical form, the meeting ends will form a
continuous pattern.
From this design, a transfer impression is taken in suitable lithographic ink, in
the ordinary way, and this transfer is applied to the surface of the roller which
has been suitably prepared in a graining bath.
The roller is inounted in bearings in a frame, in which it is adjustably pressed
by elastic pressure against a second roller, and, on being rotated by a crank
handle, or otherwise, the transfer sheet is passed from a table with right angle
register bars, between the two rollers, so as to cause the design to be transferred
by the pressure onto the metal roller. We then coat the roller with especially
hard resist; the roller is subjected to the etching process for eating away the
exposed metal or glass surrounding the design, leaving the design in relief.
When the design or pattern is prepared, in the first instance, in transfer ink, by
the designer, of a size exactly corresponding to the circumference of the metal or
glass roller, it may be applied direct to the latter, without the intervention of the
lithographic stone, which is only necessary when a multiple of the original design
is required to make up the exact length required for the roller.
Or the design may be photographed, and the negative coated with a stripping
solution, and stripped, and the film adjusted on the metal or glass roller, the
backing being then washed off,-when the roller is ready for etching, or being
otherwise treated, the soluble portions of the film having been first dissolved out,
as is now well understood.
In applying the color to the rollers, arms or brackets are fixed on the machine,
wherever necessary, having adjustable bearings in which rest the axles of two
rollers. The first roller is made of felt or other suitable materials, and receives
the color from an adjustable duct, and distributes it upon a leather or india rubber
roller, which rotates in contact with the printing surface.
Dated this 18th day of February 1895.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in the Preparation of Rollers for Printing Calico,
Wall Papers, and other Materials, and in Colouring and Inking
Apparatus to be Used therewith.
We, JAMES KNOWLES HARRISON, of St. Mark's Vicarage, Dewsbury, in the
County of York. Clerk in Holy Orders, and CHARLOTTE AGNES HARRISON, of
St. Mark's Vicarage, Dewsbury aforesaid, wife of the said James Knowles
Harrison, 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 has reference to improvements connected with the preparation of

page_text: rollers for printing calico, wall papers, and other materials and in the colouring or
inking apparatus to be used therewith.
In printing apparatus at present employed the rollers or cylinders are usually
made of copper and the pattern or design is engraved on the surface in intaglio,
the iuk or colour being taken up by the sunk design and transferred to the fabric,
while the superfluous ink is removed by a "doctor." The production of such
cylinders or rollers involves great expense while the use of the "doctor"
loss to the surface and produces constantly a demand for retouching in order that
the pattern or design may be kept sharp.
causes a
To obviate these inconveniences and defects we employ metal rollers with a
design or pattern in relief thereon so that the pattern alone will take up the ink or
colour (by which terms any coloured inking composition is signified). In the
production of wall papers we are aware that a wooden roller has been employed
with a pattern in relief, but a, most expensive system is necessary for the
preparation of such wooden rollers.
By our invention the necessity of keeping a large stock of expensive rollers will
be overcome, the number of rollers for printing any given design may be increased.
indefinitely, and with facility, within a short space of time, and the cost of the
material will be considerably reduced.
In carrying our invention into effect when preparing our metal rollers in relief
suitable for printing fabrics and other materials in a simple and inexpensive
manner, we employ a machine or frame in one stage of our system of manufacture
as illustrated in the accompanying sheet of drawings-
Figure 1 being a part front elevation, and
Figure 2 an end elevation of the same.
When making our metal rollers we may employ zinc, copper, steel, iron, or any
of their alloys, or other suitable metal or alloye; and in some cases we may use
glass, and upon the surface of the roller in each case we produce the pattern or
design in the improved manner hereinafter described.
This
Having obtained the design which is to be reproduced we make an engraving on
wood or metal of the same, or we photograph the pattern, and etch a flat surface
or plate in relief, from which we obtain a copper or other metal shell by electro-
deposition, or a papier maché or plaster mould in any well known manner.
plate or shell which we have produced we cast with tin preferably to form an
amalgam, and we then bend the plate thus produced into a cylindrical form for use
in a casting box.
Within the casting box we introduce a central core and provide suitable supports
at the top and bottom, having an annular space between it and the back surface of
the metal, which space we fill with a suitable metallic alloy such as lead and
antimony, which on solidifying forms a strong backing to the relief roller or
pattern.
The relief pattern, roller or cylinder thus produced, can then be employed for
printing, by applying the printing ink or colour to the relief design or pattern by
means of inking rollers at present employed in ordinary relief printing.
We sometimes produce a cliché of papier maché or other suitable material from
the flat plate, and we bend it to cylindrical form with the intaglio pattern of the
cliché on the inner side of the cylinder, and we then introduce a suitable core so
that ordinary type metal may be run into the space between the cliché and the
core, thus forming a pattern roller or cylinder with the design or pattern in relief
thereon.
We sometimes transfer the design or a portion thereof to a lithographic stone
which has been previously drawn on transfer paper, or we draw the design upon
the stone itself and by means of transferring and re-transferring we are enabled to
obtain the design for the whole length and width of the plate which is to form the
periphery of the metal roller. We may employ the system of transferring and
re-transferring a small pattern or portion of the design, so as to make a great

page_text: surface having a continuous pattern thereon in which we employ the ordinary
photo-litho transfer process for this purpose.
Having produced a large design or a sheet from a number of re-transfers or a
number of impressions taken from a small portion of the design or pattern, we
obtain a transfer impression from the sheet in suitable lithographic ink in any
ordinary manuer, and we apply this transfer to the surface of the roller which has
been suitably prepared in a graining bath. The roller A is mounted in bearings B
in a frame C in which it is adjustably pressed by springs or other elastic supports
against a second roller E, and on the roller E being rotated by means of gearing G
and a crank handle F, or otherwise rotated, the transfer sheet is passed from a
table H provided with ordinary register bars L, so that the sheet enters and
passes between the surfaces of the two rollers. We then coat the roller A with
hard resist, and it is subjected to an etching process for eating the exposed metal
or glass surrounding the design, leaving the design itself in relief.
When we prepare the design or pattern in the first instance in transfer ink upon
a sheet or plate of size exactly corresponding to the circumference of the metal or
glass roller A, it may be applied direct to the roller without the intervention of
the lithographic stone, as the latter is only necessary when a multiple of the
original design is required to produce the total length required for the roller.
Similarly the design may be applied by photography and the negative coated
with a stripping solution so that the film may be applied to the metal or glass
roller and when the backing is washed off the roller may be etched; or it may be
otherwise treated so that the soluble portions of the film may be first dissolved out
in any ordinary manner.
We abandon that part of our invention relating to colouring and inking
apparatus.
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 improvements in the method or process of producing rollers for printing
calico, wall papers, and the like, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore
described.
2. In machines for printing calico, wall papers, and for the like purposes, the
use of rollers having the design standing in relief thereon, substantially as herein-
before described.
3. Producing a design of a continuous character upon a sheet, plate, or cylinder,
by means of repeatedly transferring or re-transferring a portion of the design upon
such plate or cylinder.
4. The construction and arrangement of an apparatus for transferring a design
from a strip or sheet to a roller, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore
described and as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.
5. In calico, wall paper and the like printing apparatus or machines for use in
connection with the same, the employment of yielding bearings upon the frame of
the apparatus or machine for permitting the roller to be kept in contact with the
design when passing beneath it, substantially as herein before described.
Dated this 4th day of January 1896.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents.