IMPROVEMENTS IN THE APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD OF APPLYING SEVERAL COLORS TO ANY SURFACE AT THE SAME TIME
Year: 1880

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Daniel Thomas Powell at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th August 1880.
DANIEL THOMAS POWELL, of Nos. 11 & 13, Saint Bride Street, in the City of
London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD OF APPLYING
SEVERAL COLORS TO ANY SURFACE AT THE SAME TIME."
This Invention consists of improvements in the apparatus for, and method of,
applying two, three, or more colors to any surface, and is particularly applicable to
letter-press-printing. The apparatus consists of an ink-table divided into two,
three, or more channels, and is attached to the bed of the printing machine in like
manner as an ordinary ink-table. Moveable strips of wood, iron, stone, or any other
suitable material, are so arranged in the channels that they correspond with the
lines of type or surface required to be inked or colored. At the foot of the machine
where the ink-duct generally is placed, I affix two, three, or more ink-ducts at
distances from each other, equal with the widths of the channels in the ink-table, and
below each of these ink ducts, having its axis in the side frames, there is a
distributing cylinder or "mouse," to which is imparted, in addition to continuous
revolutionary motion, a lateral or oscillating motion for the more even distribution
of the color, or ink. Between each ink-duct and each mouse is a composition-
roller called a vibrator, which takes a supply of color from the ink-duct and
imparts the same to the mouse, at the same time assisting in the even distribution
of the color. There are also other rollers beneath cach mouse, the duty of which
rollers is to distribute the ink or color well around the mouse, and then to impart
the ink or color to the strips in their own particular divisions or channels of the
ink-table. In order to effect this, it is necessary that these rollers shall rise and
fall exactly when the ink-table shall have reached a convenient position near the
centre of the said mice, and which I arrange for by cambs and levers connected with
the main driving shaft. It is also necessary that the forme rollers or inking rollers
should travel backwards and forwards, in order that they may pass thoroughly
over the type and the ink-table, so that they may receive the ink or color which
has been deposited on the strips in the channels, and transfer the same to the type
or surface to be colored, and this is arranged for by the roller-forks, which, instead
of being stationary as in ordinary machines, are connected by means of levers and
rods to discs at either end of the driving shaft.

page_text: I claim as my Invention, the arrangements of the ink-ducts, distributing
cylinders, and vibrating rollers, as above described, together with the ink-table
divided into channels, and the strips as applied to cylinder and platen printing
machines; and I further claim the travelling motion of the inking-rollers over the
forme and the ink table.
This Invention is applicable to other purposes than letter-press-printing, though
in this Specification I have described it for that purpose, and I claim it as an
Invention for all purposes of applying various colors to any surface.