An Improved Process for the Production of Roller Surfaces for Photomechanical Printing.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Aug., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Dec., 1899-Accepted, 17th Feb., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Process for the Production of Roller Surfaces for
Photomechanical Printing.
I, ERNST ROLFFS, of Siegfeld, near Siegburg, in the Province of the Rhine,
German Empire, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
-
This invention relates to a process for the production of roller surfaces for
printing by photography, whereby the ordinary process of engraving is dispensed
with.
Many experiments have been made to obtain roller surfaces for printing pur-
poses by means of photography but up to now no serious results have been
obtained.
Generally the roller surfaces had to be engraved whereby it was necessary
that the patterns were arranged so that the surfaces determining the etched
design formed one single line, in order to prevent the ductor of the printing
machine to engage into the lines of the drawing thereby destroying them.
Hitherto it also was necessary to place the pattern in a plane inclined to that
of the blade of the ductor.
I have solved the problem of producing roller surfaces by photography and
hereafter beg to give an example.
I take a negative or a diapositive made upon translucent film paper and trans-
mit the same to the roller by pressure. The translucent film paper is provided
with a net consisting of cross or longitudinal lines, known to everybody skilled
in the art of photography.
The roller to be treated beforehand is covered with a substance sensible to
the action of light as f..i. chrom gelatine. The negative is pressed upon the roller,
the adhesion being increased by an oily substance introduced between the nega-
tive and the roller. The roller then is presented to the action of the light, brought
into the dark room, the negative and the oily substance is removed, the roller
is washed and then etched in usual manner.
The etched picture consists of engraved points or lines, which are determined
by a net corresponding to the net previously applied to the translucent film paper.
When not a net of longitudinal lines is employed but one consisting of cross
lines, care has to be taken that the lines of the picture do rot run parallel to
the blades of the ductor, but inclined to the same.
By means of this arrangement it is possible, to prevent any possible engage-
ment of the ductor into the lines of the drawing whereby the picture during a short
time completely would be destroyed.
From the above it will be seen that when the translucent film paper contain-
ing the negative or the diapositive is arranged in a certain manner upon the
roller, the picture can be transmitted to the roller by photography and rendered
visible to the eye when etched. Hitherto this only could be effected by the
troublesome procedure of engraving. Whilst when the ordinary process was
Price $11

page_text: employed, the production of a roller surface of same dimensions can be produced
by means of my process in about 1-3 days. Generally it will be advantageous
to employ photography as the patterns evidently are more correct than those
engraved by hand.
When the patterns have to be repeated several times upon one single roller
it is advantageous to transmit the same to a plate and apply the plate to the
roller in the manner usually employed.
An Improved Frocess for the Production of Roller Surfaces for
Photomechanical Printing.
I, ERNST ROLFFS, of Siegfeld, near Siegburg, in the Province of the Rhine,
German Empire, Manufacturer, 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 relates to a process for the production of roller surfaces for
printing by photography, whereby the ordinary process of engraving is dispensed
with.
Many experiments have been made to obtain roller surfaces for printing pur-
poses by means of photography but up to now no serious results have been
obtained.
Generally the roller surfaces had to be engraved whereby it was necessary
that the patterns were arranged so that the surfaces determining the etched
design formed one single line, in order to prevent the ductor of the printing
machine to engage into the lines of the drawing thereby destroying them.
Hitherto it also was necessary to place the pattern in a plane inclined to that
of the blade of the ductor.
I have solved the problem of producing roller surfaces by photography and
hereafter beg to give an example.
I take a negative or a diapositive made upon translucent film paper and trans-
mit the same to the roller by pressure. The translucent film paper is provided
with a net consisting of cross or longitudinal lines, known to everybody skilled
in the art of photography.
The roller to be treated is first covered with a substance sensible to the action of
light as for instance chrom gelatine. The negative is pressed upon the roller
the adhesion being increased by an oily substance introduced between the nega-
tive and the roller. The roller then is presented to the action of the light, brought
into the dark room, the negative and the oily substance is removed, the roller
is washed and then etched in usual manner.
The etched picture consists of engraved points or lines, which are determined
by a net corresponding to the net previously applied to the translucent film paper.
When a net of longitudinal lines is not employed but one consisting of cross
lines, care has to be taken that the lines of the picture do not run parallel to
the blades of the ductor, but inclined to the same.
By means of this arrangement it is possible, to prevent any possible engage-

page_text: ment of the ductor into the lines of the drawing whereby the picture during a short
time completely would be destroyed.
From the aforesaid it will be seen that when the translucent film paper contain-
ing the negative or the diapositive is arranged in a certain manner upon the
roller, the picture can be transmitted to the roller by photography and rendered
visible to the eye when etched.
Hitherto this only could be effected by the troublesome procedure of engraving.
Whilst when the ordinary process was employed, the production of a roller
surface of same dimensions can be produced by means of my process in about
1-3 days. Generally it will be advantageous to employ photography as the
patterns evidently are more correct than those engraved by hand.
When the patterns have to be repeated several times upon one single roller
it is advantageous to transmit the same to a plate and apply the plate to the
roller in the manner usually employed.
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:-
A process for the production of roller surfaces for printing by photography.
in which a negative or a diapositive is made upon translucent film paper provided
with a net, the negative being transmitted by pressure to the roller rendered
sensible to the action of light by means of chrom gelatine, the negative then
being copied and the roller after removal of the negative and washing of the
parts, which were not presented to the action of the light, etched, substantially
as described.