IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PRINTING IN COLORS
Year: 1884

page_text: I ALEXANDER GRAFTON of 113 Cannon Street in the City of London, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR PRINTING IN COLORS," to be as follows:-
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This Invention relates to certain improvements in machines for printing in
colors according to the process described in the Specification of a Patent granted to
William Brooks dated May 30th 1876 N° 2268.
The object of the Invention is to provido a machine capable of printing on large
surfaces and free from any irregularities of motion which would cause imperfect
impressions.
The maximum dimensions of the polychromatic printing block being determined
I construct a table somewhat exceeding those dimensions so as to allow of a chase
or border of wood or hard composition surrounding the polychromatic printing
block to prevent it from being spread by the pressure of the rollers in printing.
Along each side of this table are guides for a carriage which runs along them, these
guides projecting beyond both ends of the table a sufficient length to allow the
carriage to run quite clear of it. The guides are preferably in the form of flanged
girders, and the carriage which consists of two side cheeks connected by cross
transomes, is furnished with travelling rollers which run on the upper and under
sides of the flanged guides to support the weight of the carriage and to produce the
necessary downward pressure for printing. Within the carriage are mounted a
number of transverse pressing rollers extending from side to side, the full width of
the table, the rollers being journalled in end beams which are capable of being
adjusted in height by vertical adjusting screws actuated simultaneously by worm)
gear so as to maintain the perfect horizontality in every direction of the pressing:
rollers.
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The carriage is propelled by a fast running endless belt running from end to end
of the machine and over a drum and suitable guide pulleys on the carriage, the
motion being transmitted and reduced from the belt drum by means of spur or
worm gearing according to the particular mode of propulsion employed. One form
of gear for propelling the carriage consists of pinions cast with the top travelling;
rollers and of the same diameter as the said rollers, the pinions gearing into racks:
alongside the guides. They are keyed to short shafts which are mounted in the
side cheeks and driven by a train of gearing from the cross shaft carrying they
belt drum.
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page_text: Another form of propelling gear consists of racks with which gear worms driven
by genring from the belt drum shaft. Or the worms might be driven by tumbler
shafts extending the entire length of the machine and mounted parallel with the
racks. Or instead of worms, tumbler shafts and racks, leading screws extending
the entire length of the machine might be used. Or power may be applied to the
running rollers which would be caused to grip the guides sufficiently to obtain the
necessary adhesion.
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The pressing rollers may in either case themsolves be driven by suitable goaring
to assist in the propulsion of the carriage and relievo the fabric being printed of
the friction necessary to set those rollers in motion.
The roll of material to be printed can be supported on the carriage and moved
with it, or it may bo placed in any convenient position for damping and straining.
Carried by the side cheeks the whole width of the table is a cross slide similar
to that of a planing machine having two tool boxes and tools by means of which
the polychromatic block is levelled before printing and the wood or composition
chase surrounding it is reduced as the surface of tho block is lowered by the
repeated impressions taken from it.
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page_text: Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this
Specification wherein figure 1 is a side elevation of the carriage and a portion of
the bed of a poly-chromatic printing machine constructed according to my invention.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same, one half of the upper part of the carriage being
removed. Figure 3 is a half end elevation, half cross section, of the carriage.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.
•
The maximum dimensions of the poly-chromatic printing block being determined,
I construct a table A somewhat exceeding those dimensions so as to allow of a
chase or border of wood or hard composition surrounding the poly-chromatic
printing block for the purpose of preventing it from being spread by the pressure.
of the rollers in printing. Along each side of this table A are guides C for a
carriage which runs along them, these guides projecting beyond both ends of the
table a sufficient length to allow the carriage to be run quite clear of it.
The guides C are preferably in the form of flanged girders of the sectional form
shown in figure 3, and the carriage which consists of two side cheeks D connected
by cross transomes D' is furnished with travelling rollers E which run on the
upper side of the flanged guides C to support the weight of the carriage and with
other rollers F which run against the underside of the flange of the guides C to
produce the necessary downward pressure for printing. Within the carriage are
mounted a number of transverse pressing rollors G extending from side to side, the
full width of the table, the rollers G boing journailed in end beams H which are
capable of being adjusted in height by vertical adjusting screws I actuated simul-
taneously by worm gear K L so as to maintain the perfect horizontality in overy
direction of the pressing rollers, the worms L at opposite sides of the carriage being
on the same cross shaft k and turned by a hand wheel.
The carriage is propelled by a fast running endless belt M running from end to
end of the machine and over a drum N and round suitable guide pulleys O on the
carriage, the motion being transmitted and roduced from the belt drum N by means
of spur or worm gearing, according to the particular mode of propulsion employed.
The form of gear for propelling the carriage shown in the drawings consists of
pinions P cast with the top travelling rollers E and of the same diameter at their
pitch lines as the said rollers, the pinions P gearing into racks R fixed on or
alongside of the guides C. The pinions P are keyed to short shafts which are
mounted in the side checks D and driven from the cross shaft n carrying the belt
drum N by a train of gearing consisting of pinions T on shaft n near each end
gearing with spur wheels U keyed to the outer ends of the shafts of pinions P.
Another form of propelling gear which is not represented, but will be readily
understood, consists of racks with which gear worms driven by gearing from the
belt drum shaft. Or the worms might be driven by "tumbler" shafts extending
the entire length of the machine and mounted parallel with the racks. Or power
may be applied to the running rollers E which would be caused to grip the guides
sufficiently to obtain the necessary adhesion..
The pressing rollers G might in either case, themselves be driven by suitable
gearing to assist in the propulsion of the carriage and relieve the fabric being
printed of the friction necessary to set those rollers in motion although they are
not shown as being so driven.
The roll V of material to be printed may either be supported on the carriage and .
moved with it as shown, or it may be placed in any convenient position for
damping and straining the material previous to printing.
.
The operation of the machine when constructed as shown in the drawings is as
follows The carriage being run along the guides C free of the polychromatic
printing block, the end of the fabric unwound from the roll is passed under the first
of the series of pressing rollers G and is made fast to the chase or table. The
carriage being then set in motion advances over the printing block; laying the
fabric down upon it and printing it by the pressure of the roller G running to and
fro over it one or more times each way as may be necessary.

page_text: When the carriage arrives for the first time at the opposite end of the table to
that from which it started, the fabric is cut across in order that it shall not be
peeled off when the machine is reversed and the carriage run back, the rolling
being continued as long as may be necessary to complete the printing, the amount
of rolling required depending upon the thickness of the fabric.
Carried by the side cheeks the whole width of the table, is a cross slide W.
similar to that of a planing machine, having two tool boxes and tools X by means
of which the polychromatic block is levelled before printing and the wood or
composition chase surrounding it is reduced as the surface of the poly-chromatic
printing block is lowered, by the repeated impressions taken from it.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
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1. A polychromatic printing machine wherein motion is imparted to the carriage
by means of a fast running endless belt outside the carriage and toothed or worm
gear on the carriage working into racks on the carriage guides or working the
running rollers which grip the guides, substantially as described and shown in the
drawings, whereby the quick motion of the belt is reduced down and the carriage
propelled with a smooth and uniform motion.
2. A polychromatic printing machine having a fixed table and consisting of a
carriage with rollers running on the upper and under sides of flanged guides,
pressing rollers mounted in adjustable beams regulated by screws, and worm gear
combined as herein described, for enabling a uniform and adjustable pressure. to be
applied to the fabric to be printed on.
3. The poly-chromatic printing machine constructed arranged, and, operating
substantially as herein described and shown in the drawings annexed.
4. A polychromatic printing machine such as herein described, wherein motion
is imparted to the carriage by means of "tumbler" shafts extending the whole
length of the machine, and mounted parallel with the racks, and carrying worms
connected with the shafts by groove and feather connection, and gearing with the
racks on the carriage guides, said worms being mounted between arms on the
carriage so that by the revolution of the shafts, the worms and carriage are caused
to advance together.