IMPROVEMENTS IN METAL ROLLERS FOR PRINTING AND EMBOSSING AND IN ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRO PLATING SUCH ROLLERS "
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Appleton of the City of Manchester in the County
of Lancaster, Metal-plater, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN METAL
ROLLERS FOR PRINTING AND EMBOSSING AND IN ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRO
PLATING SUCH ROLLERS
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Appleton at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th January 1883.
DAVID APPLETON of the City of Manchester in the County of Lancaster, Metal-
plater, "IMPROVEMENTS IN METAL ROLLERS FOR PRINTING AND EMBOSSING AND
IN ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRO PLATING SUCH ROLLERS."
נו
My Invention relates to the rollers used in the printing and embossing of cotton
and other woven fabrics and of paper and other materials and has for its object to
render them more durable and also more efficient by reason of the working surfaces
of the rollers being rendered less liable to become deteriorated. With this object
I plate or coat the surfaces of the rollers with nickel whereby I obtain harder
surfaces which in the case of printing rollers will better resist the wearing effect of
the doctors and the chemical action of colouring matters. As the nickel coating is
much harder and more difficult to engrave than the surface of an ordinary copper
roller I usually coat the roller with nickel after the engraving operation so that all
the lines of the engraving receive a coating. Any ordinary or suitable coating or
electro plating process may be used. I find it advantageous in order to obtain an
oven coating to vibrate agitate oscillate or rotate the roller continuously or inter-
mittingly during the plating operation. In one arrangement of apparatus I have
devised for the purpose the roller is provided with an axle which is suspended by
means of links from a cathode bar so that the roller and axle bear with their whole
weight upon the said links and therefore upon the cathode bar. Upon the said
axle or upon each end thereof is fixed a pulley which is connected by means of a
chain, cord or band with a driving pulley which is secured to a ratchet wheel or is
fixed upon the same shaft as the said ratchet wheel. A vibrating pawl causes the
intermittent rotation of the ratchet wheel and driving pulley and the roller is
thereby caused to rotate intermittingly in the plating solution and also to vibrate
to some extent whereby the solution is agitated and every part of the roller surface
is brought successively opposite to each anode. I may also arrange for the roller
to be vibrated at intervals as for example by means of a cam upon one of the
said links.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said David Appleton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 6th July
1883.
DAVID APPLETON of the City of Manchester in the County of Lancaster Metal
Plater "IMPROVEMENTS IN METAL ROLLERS FOR PRINTING AND EMBOSSING AND
IN ARRANGEMENTS FOR ÉLECTRO PLATING SUCH ROLLERS
"
My Invention relates to the rollers used in the printing and embossing of cotton
and other woven fabrics and of paper and other matèrials and has for its object to
render them more durable and also more efficient by reason of the working surfaces
of the rollers being rendered less liable to become deteriorated.
With this object
I coat or plate the surfaces of the rollers with nickel whereby I obtain harder
surfaces which in the case of printing rollers will better resist the wearing effect of
the doctors and the chemical action of colouring matters. As the nickel coating is
much harder and more difficult to engrave than the surface of an ordinary copper
roller I usually coat the roller with nickel after the engraving operation so that all
the lines of the engraving receive a coating. Any ordinary or suitable coating or
electro plating process may be used. I find it advantageous in order to obtain an
even coating to vibrate, agitate, oscillate or rotate the roller continuously or
intermittingly during the plating operation.
,
And in order that my said Invention may be more clearly understood I have
attached hereunto a sheet of drawings showing an arrangement of apparatus
suitable for the purpose.
Fig 1 represents a vertical cross sectional view and
Fig 2 a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the apparatus. In these Figs a is
an engraved copper roller which is suspended in a plating bath b. The ends of
the roller are closed by means of stoppers c, c' which are mounted upon a shaft d
which is preferably made of copper. The stoppers c, c' may also be made of copper
or they may be made of other material so long as there is an electrical
connection between the roller and the shaft. The shaft d is susponded by means
of hinged conducting links e, e from the cathode bar f which is in connection with
a battery or with an electro dynamo machine. Above the bath a shaft g is
mounted and upon this shaft is fixed a pulley h which is connected by means of a
cord or chain or other driving medium with the stopper c¹ which is formed to act
as a pulley or chain wheel. Upon the shaft g is also secured a ratchet wheel i
with which gears a pawl which is mounted upon a lever k which is acted upon by
an excentric on the shaft . The last named shaft receives motion in any suitable
nanner and by means of the pawl and ratchet wheel communicates an intermittent
It will be seen
revolving motion to the shaft g and from this shaft to the roller.
that the axis of the roller is inclined. This inclination causes the roller to send
towards the right hand. A wheel or projection m upon the stopper c' bears
against a fixed cam p which is so formed as that during each revolution of the
roller it is slowly moved towards the left and is suddenly permitted to fall back
towards the right so as to agitate the bath and to shake off gas bubbles. These
movements may occur more than once in each revolution the cam being suitably
adapted in form to jog or shake the roller as often as is found to be advisable.
Two anodes o, o are suspended in the bath one on each side of the roller and are
connected with the proper pole of the battery or machine. Any other suitable
form and arrangement of anodes may be used. The shaft g might be the cathode
pole and the driving chain be the conductor. The intermittent rotating of the
roller may be used without the end wise movement or the latter movement may be
obtained by other means than by the use of the cam.

page_text: Having now described my said Invention and illustrated a form of apparatus
suitable for carrying the same into practical effect I would observo in conclusion
that what I claim as my Invention is
Firstly. Nickel plating engraved printing or embossing rollers.
Secondly. Nickel plating rollers used in the printing or embossing of fabrics in
order to obtain surfaces which are more durable.
Thirdly. Imparting an intermittent rotation to rollers which are being plated
with nickel substantially as described and indicated.
Fourthly. Imparting intermittent rotation in combination with an endwise
shaking movement to metal rollers which are being nickel plated substantially as
described and indicated.
And fifthly. The apparatus substantially as and for the purpose set forth and
indicated.
In witness whereof, I the said David Appleton have hereunto set my hand
and seal this fourth day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and nighty-three
Signed, sealed and delivered'
in the presence of
EDWARD K. DUTTON
41 John Dalton St., Manchester.
DAVID APPLETON (L.S.)