Improvements relating to Rollers for Printing Fabrics and Wall Papers.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Sept., 1892-Accepted, 22nd Oct., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by LA SOCIÉTÉ EVESQUE & CIE., of 4, Rue de la
Bourse, Lyon, in the Republic of France, Bankers.]
Improvements relating to Rollers for Printing Fabrics and Wall
Papers.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manuer the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The processes heretofore employed in the preparation of rollers for printing
fabrics and wall papers consist in the production of the design, the tracing of this
design upon a roller of wood or metal, and the engraving of the said design by
hand.
These processes are long and expensive, especially for printing in several colours
which necessitates as many engraved rollers as the design comprises colours.
The process hereinafter described which forms the subject of the present invention
enables the same result to be realised with considerable rapidity and economy.
This process of preparing rollers varies somewhat in its entirety according as the
printing-colours or discharges employed are or are not susceptible of deteriorating
the rollers of zinc, copper or other metal employed.
In the case of rollers which are liable to be attacked by colours or discharges I
produce the design, or only a portion of the same if the design is composed of
similar juxtaposed parts either upon a lithographic stone or upon transfer paper.
This done, I transfer the design, or the parts composing the same by means of
transfer paper and fat inks on to a plate of zinc, copper or other metal which is
susceptible of being attacked by acids, and which has previously been prepared for
this purpose.
This plate having been obtained and the design having been fixed by means of a
weak preparation (with acid as usual) I immerse this plate in a vat containing an
acidulated mixture which eats away all the parts not covered with fat ink. To this
vessel must be imparted an oscillating movement so as to keep the liquid constantly
in motion.
A greater or smaller relief is thus obtained according to the time of the immersion
of the plate.
Of course the ordinary precautions taken in engraving with acid must be observed
for obtaining the slopes necessary for the solidity of the design.
A similar plate may also be obtained for example by drawing on the same direct
with a special ink or by photographing the design direct.
When the plate has been engraved by any of these means I pull off an impression
or negative either on paper or on lead or any other suitable material, wind it upon
a roller of wood and place it in a cylindrical mould of two parts which is heated by
gas, steam or by any other means.
After withdrawing the roller of wood and putting the axis of the roller back to
its place in the mould I pour into this mould a mixture of unattackable metal
infusion or a mixture of plastic material such as india-rubber or any other material
susceptible of setting. After hardening, I effect the removal from the mould and
have a roller, consisting of the metal or other material employed, upon which the
design or part of the design to be printed is in relief.
The roller thus obtained is adapted for the printing, and it is easy to roughen the
surface of the design for facilitating the taking of the colours.
In the same manner as many rollers are made as there are different colours to be
reproduced in the design, care being exercised to scorp the parts which are to

page_text: disappear, or with the object of obviating this scorping operation, to cut away, on
the proofs designed to be transferred on to the above-mentioned plate of zinc, copper
or other metal, the parts to be left out so as to produce metallic plates for each
colour, which plates will enable rollers to be obtained presenting only those parts
of the design which are necessary for the colour it is desired to be printed with
each of them.
Moreover, in most cases the designs being composed of similar and repeated
elements I may avoid making the metallic plates of the entire length of the rollers,
it will in fact be sufficient to produce a plate of only a portion, for example one-
third or one-fourth of the length and by pulling off from this plate three or four
impressions which are suitable united I obtain the necessary length.
In the case of rollers which are not attacked by colours or discharges a great
advantage is gained by making them of zinc, copper or other metal capable of being
easily engraved by means of acids. They are obtained either by the aid of curved
and soldered plates, or direct by casting or drawing. After turning and registering
them they are gently rolled with pressure upon any cylindrical or flat transfer
presenting the design traced or reproduced with suitable fat inks.
In this manner the fat parts of this transfer constituting the design will, by reason
of their contact with the roller, be repeated thereon, and it only remains to engrave
the roller by acid for obtaining the design.
I may add that in the two cases set forth for the preparation of the rollers the
engraving may be effected either in relief or in intaglio, according to the kind of
machines for which the rollers are designed by an operation which is well known in
lithography.
With regard to the engraving by means of acid it will be understood that I may
employ any of the methods adopted in practice, more especially in certain cases the
use of an electric current having for its object to quicken the action of the acid.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is :-
In the preparation of rollers for printing fabrics and wall paper,
First. The preparation of a plate of zinc copper or other attackable metal upon
which the design or part of the design to be reproduced is engraved direct by the
aid of acids, substantially as herein described.
Second. The formation of an impression upon the plate, which is placed in a
mould, substantially as herein described.
Third. The casting in this mould, of a metal in fusion, which is not attacked by
the colours or discharges employed in the printing or of any other material
susceptible of setting, substantially as herein described.
Fourth. The casting of a roller of metal or of the material employed, upon which
is reproduced the design or part of the design which has originally been represented
upon the plate of zinc, substantially as herein described.
Fifth. The formation of rollers of metal adapted to be engraved by the aid of
acids, such as zinc, copper, and obtained either direct by casting, drawing or other
means, or by plates rolled up and soldered, the rollers thus formed being gently
rolled with pressure upon the cylindrical or flat lithographic transfer bearing the
design, and finally immersed into an acid bath which engraves the different parts of
this roller not touched by the design of the transfer.
Dated this 22nd day of Sentember 1899
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.