Multi-color Printing Machines.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 29th July, 1899
Complete Specification Left, 28th Apr., 1900-Accepted, 28th July, 1900
Multi-color Printing Machines.
I, FRANZ RICHARD EMIL KOEHLER, of 20, Bawtree Road, S.E., London, Agent,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
39
One form of my machine consists of a large impressing cylinder suitably
mounted in side-frames and provided with cog-wheels. Around a section
(one half, one third, one quarter, or one fifth, for example) of the large impress-
ing cylinder, one or more printing rollers are mounted, the circumference of
section
each of which corresponds with the circumferential length of such
of the large impressing cylinder. For example, supposing I employ four
printing rollers the diameter of each of which is six inches, the circumferential
length of the "section" of the impressing cylinder will be 18.84 inches. And
the printing rollers being placed as close together as possible (say about one
quarter of an inch apart) the space occupied by them on the impressing cylinder
from the point of contact of the first printing cylinder to that of the last would
be also equal to 18.84 inches, and an aliquot part of the entire circumference
of the impressing cylinder.
The printing rollers are also provided with cogwheels which gear with the
cogwheels on the large impressing cylinder. On these printing rollers are
mounfed the printing plates in such positions and cut to such shapes that when
they have all made one revolution in contact with the paper the different plates
form a complete picture in various colours. The paper passes over the impress-
ing cylinder and receives the impression or as many impressions as the cylinder
is divided into "sections." The printing rollers are inked, each from above
with different colours by composition rollers, which receive the ink from ink
ducts.
In order to print on both sides of the paper I employ two equal sized large
impressing cylinders called "primo" and "secondo" cylinders. These cylinders
are mounted on a printing table and furnished with cogwheels as before. They
are so near to each other that when the paper passes between them, it receives
the print on both sides. The fixing of the printing rollers, ink-rollers, and
colour ducts is the same as before. Plates of the shape of the entire picture to
be printed are fixed on one or each section of each of the opposed large cylinders
and a double-sided impression in as many colours as desired is thereby procured.
As Econ as the paper appears an automatic cutter cuts the pieces and a layer-off
deposits them on the delivery table.
In printing a picture I select first the ground-colours on one plate, the shade
and light colours on another, and cut these plates to the shapes the different
colours require, and prepare in this way the printing of a picture in ten, twenty,
or thirty colours in say two impressions.
To print a picture in two impressions one after the other, the machine is so
far altered, that the "primo" cylinder is placed to the right, and the "secondo"
cylinder to the left end of the table, at a suitable distance apart. The ground-
colour plates are fixed on the printing rollers of the primo" cylinder, and

page_text: the shade and light colour plates on the printing rollers of the secondo'
cylinder. The mounting of the printing plates on the printing rollers, as well
as the inking arrangements are as before explained. The paper, passes under
the primo impressing cylinder and receives the first impression, mounts on
bands up and along the ceiling over dummies to get time to dry, and descends
to the secondo" cylinder, when it is so far dry as to receive the final impression
from the "secondo" cylinder, which is mounted in the same way, and provided
with the shade and light printing cylinders.
In some cases I mount the printing rollers with full sized plain level india-
rubber, composition, or prepared linoleum plates, which receive their inking in
the same way as before described. In this case the printing design plates of
the entire picture are placed on the "section" or sections" of the larger
cylinder, and the different parts of these plates are multicoloured automatically
by the printing rollers which in this case act as inking rollers. Another cylinder
(an impressing cylinder) of equal size is mounted beneath this large cylinder
and furnished with printers' cloth over which the paper passes and receives the
full multicoloured picture at one impression of the upper cylinder. All cylinders
are in this case geared together and are consequently rotated simultaneously.
If the series of printing rollers are placed in one row on a flat printing table
and their circumference is equal to or more than the size of the sheet to he
printed an ordinary flat bed printing machine may be altered into a multi
coloured machine.
In order to print multi coloured pictures complete by one "to" and "fro"
movement I employ two cylinders of equal size and placed at a distance the one
from the other equal to the circumference of the printing rollers, and connected
by a frame moving in a groove or guide "to" and "fro" over a flat printing
table in the centre of the machine. The printing rollers (which in this case
act as inking rollers) and the inking apparatus, are fixed as before mentioned
on the top of each cylinder. On one of the latter the ground colour plates are
fixed, and on the other the shade and light plates. With the to movements I
print the ground colours (the shade and light lines, strokes etc. having been
carefully cut out on the ground colour plate), and with the "fro'
shade and light plate cylinder completes the picture by filling up the empty
spaces.
"
33
movement the
I, FRANZ RICHARD EMIL KOEHLER, of 20, Bawtree Road, S.E., London, Agent,
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 improvements in rotary multi-colour printing
machines for printing pictures, bill-posters, wall-papers and the like in several
colours at one operation instead of by a series of separate operations, one for
each colour.
One form of my machine consists of a large impressing cylinder suitably
mounted in side-frames and provided with cog-wheels. Around a section
66

page_text: (one half, one third, one quarter or one fifth, for example) of the large impress-
ing cylinder, one or more printing rollers are mounted, the circumference of
each of which corresponds with the circumferential length of such "section"
of the large impressing cylinder. For example, supposing I employ four
printing rollers the diameter of each of which is six inches, the circumferential
length of the "section" of the impressing cylinder will be 18.84 inches. And
the printing rollers being placed as close together as possible (say about one
quarter of an inch apart) the space occupied by them on the impressing cylinder
from the point of contact of the first printing cylinder to that of the last would
be also equal to 18.84 inches, and a multiple of the entire circumference of the
impressing cylinder.
The accompanying drawing illustrates diagrammatically and by way of exam-
ple the end elevation of a rotary multi-colour printing machine constructed in
accordance with my present invention. b is a cylindrical impressing surface
the axis of which rotates in suitably adjustable bearings z in the side frames a.
i are a series of successively acting colour printing rollers the axes of which also
These colour
rotate in suitably adjustable bearings y in the side frames a.
printing rollers i are equal in number to the number of colours it is desired to
apply to the picture or the like to be printed, that is to say a separate roller for
each colour; or several colours may in some cases be carried at different parts
of the length of each of the rollers i, as for example, when certain colours occur
only in certain parts or lines of a picture or design. Each of these successively
acting printing rollers i has formed on its cylindrical surface a printing surface
or surfaces corresponding in shape and design to the part or parts of the picture
or the like which is or are to be printed in a particular colour, and each such
roller is provided with inking devices m (of any well known and suitable
construction) for applying that colour to that surface or those surfaces of the
roller. The printing rollers i are so arranged in relation to the surface of the
impression roller b and are so geared thereto by their spur wheels j with the
spur wheel on the impressing roller b that when a piece of paper or other
material intended to be printed upon is carried along between such impressing
surface band the printing rollers i, the latter as they rotate in strict unison
with the impressing surface b, successively print on the paper or other material
those parts of the picture or design which are to be in colours; the first such
roller that the paper comes in contact with printing the grey parts, for example,
the second roller the green parts for example, the third roller the yellow, brown,
and red parts for example, and so on, the whole series of colours being printed
in exact position during one passage of the paper or other material through
the machine. The circumference of the successively acting colour printing
rollers i is shewn in the drawing as one half of the circumference of the effective
impressing surface b, but it may be one quarter, one eighth, or other aliquot
part thereof. The colour printing rollers are placed as close to one another as
may be convenient, and their end edges are adapted to come into rolling contact
with the end edges of the impressing roller b and to hold the edges of the paper
or other material between them whereby I am enabled to dispense with all
gripping or other similar devices for preventing the paper or other material from
bulging or becoming otherwise distorted at those parts which lie between the
points of contact of any one of the colour printing rollers i with the impressing
surface b, the closeness of the rollers i serving to keep the paper taut and close
to the impressing surface b.
The printing surface or surfaces of the colour printing rollers i may consist
of a stereotype, a photo-engraving, type composition, indiarubber or any other
suitable material, which may be applied in any convenient or suitable manner,
and having the shape of the part or parts of the design to be printed which
corresponds to the colour or colours which the particular roller is intended to
print on the paper or other material.
It will now be understood that when rotatory motion is imparted to the

page_text: impressing roller 6 by any convenient means, similar motion is transmitted by
the spur wheel 7 to the spur wheels j and colour printing rollers i, and that when
paper or other material is passed from the reel p for example over the impressing
surface it receives impressions from each of the colour printing rollers i in
succession in the manner herein before described.
The arrangement illustrated may be modified in the following manner:-1,
instead of being printing rollers printing direct on to paper or other material
passing over the impressing roller b, may be inking rollers each transferring its
own particular colour or colours to the roller b which would then become the
printing roller and would transfer its colours to paper or other material passing
over an impressing roller represented in that case by p, and each revolution of
the roller b produces a complete picture or print having at least as many colours
as there are rollers i in operation.
If it is required to print on both sides of the paper or other material, the
arrangement of rollers last described may be duplicated and after the paper or
other material has been passed between the first set of rollers and has been
printed on one side it may be carried up to the upper part of the room and
passed backwards and forwards until the ink is dry enough to permit of the paper
being printed upon the other side when it is passed between the second arrange-
ment of rollers which are preferably so driven as to rotate in unison with the
first arrangement of rollers.
Any suitable or convenient automatic paper cutter may be applied to either
form of machine.
In printing a picture I prefer to so arrange that the first of the printing or
inking rollers i prints the ground colour or colours, and that the other rollers
print the shade and light colours; and in some cases where a greater number
of colours are required than can conveniently be printed at one passage of the
paper or other material through the machine, the same may be passed through a
second machine or the printing or inking rollers of one machine may be removed.
and a second set of printing or inking rollers substituted for the purpose of
printing the remaining colours, any convenient number of colours being printed
at each operation.
In some cases instead of employing the cylindrical impressing surface pas
herein before described. I sometimes employ a flat impressing surface, which may
be arranged to travel backwards and forwards under one or more printing
rollers b, or one or more printing rollers 6 may be arranged to travel over a fixed
impressing table, one or more complete pictures being thereby produced at each
forward and backward movement of the printing rollers 6 or of the impressing
surface as the case may be.
The rollers and b may be easily and quickly exchanged for others having
different printing surfaces, and of larger or smaller circumference (the rollers i
however being always an aliquot part of the circumference of the roller b) as
may be required; and for this purpose I prefer to make the upper portion of
the side frame a removable.
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:-
-
First. The improved means for printing in several colours at one operation
which consists in submitting the paper or other material to be printed upon to
the action of a series of printing rollers acting in succession, each of which
rollers is charged with one or more of the colours of the desired picture or
impression, and is adapted to deposit the said colour or colours in its or other
proper place or places on the picture or impression, substantially as described.
Second. The improved means for printing in several colours at one operation
which consists in submitting the paper or other material to be printed upon to
the action of a printing roller receiving the colours from a series of inking

page_text: rollers acting in succession, each of which is provided with devices for charging
it with one or more of the colours of the picture or impression, and is adapted
to deposit the said colour or colours in its or their proper place or places on the
printing roller, substantially as described.
Third. In a rotary printing machine for printing in several colours at one
operation, a rotating impressing surface and a series of printing (or inking)
rollers placed close together and rotating in unison with the movement of the
impressing surface, the circumference of each of the printing (or inking) rollers
and the space occupied by such rollers on the impressing surface being equal,
section of the
such circumference and space being also each equal to one
impressing surface such section being equal to or an aliquot part of the
entire impressing surface, substantially as described.
"
"
Fourth. In a rotary printing machine for printing in several colours at one
operation a rotating impressing surface and a series of printing rollers rotating
in unison therewith, each printing roller being provided with devices for charging
it with one or more of the colours of the picture or impression combined and
operating substantially as described with reference to the drawing.
Fifth. In a rotary printing machine for printing in several colours at one
operation a series of inking rollers each provided with devices for charging it
with one or more of the colours of the picture or impression, a printing roller
receiving the colours from the inking rollers and transferring them on to the
paper or other material to be printed upon, and a cylindrical or other impressing
surface, combined and operating substantially as described.
Sixth. In a rotary printing machine for printing in several colours at one
operation the impressing or printing surface in combination with printing or
inking rollers i the circumferences of which are aliquot parts of or equal to the
circumference or effective length of the said impressing or printing surface,
substantially as described.
Seventh. In a rotary printing machine for printing in several colours at one
operation the impressing or printing surface in combination with interchange-
able printing or inking rollers of various circumferences but, which are always
an aliquot part of or equal to the circumference or effective length of the said
impressing or printing surface, substantially as described.
Eighth. In a rotary printing machine for printing in several colours at one
operation the means for preventing the bulging or distortion of the paper or
other material to be printed upon which consists in placing the printing or inking
rollers as close together as possible, and causing their end edges to engage with
the edges of the paper or other material substantially as described.
Daten
this 20th day of pr
F. R. E. KOEHLER.
Per W. H. Beck,
Agent.
115, Cannon Street, London, E.C.