IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRINTING WOVEN AND OTHER FABRICS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Ritchie, Manager, and John Ferguson, Foreman
Block Printer, of Cordale Printworks, in the County of Dumbarton, North
Britain, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRINTING
WOVEN AND OTHER FABRICS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Ritchie and John
Ferguson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd March
1881.
ROBERT RITCHIE, Manager, and JOHN FERGUSON, Foreman Block Printer, of
Cordale Printworks, in the County of Dumbarton, North Britain. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRINTING WOVEN AND OTHER FABRICS.'
This Invention relates to the printing of woven and other fabrics with
combinations of patterns, comprising centres or fillings with borders or endings,
and it has for object the application of improved apparatus operating with raised
printing surfaces, and admitting of the work being performed more expeditiously
and economically than in the ordinary processes for producing similar effects by
block printing by hand.
In carrying out the Invention two printing rollers are used instead of hand
blocks, and operate in connection with single impression roller or cylinder being
placed above the latter, one a little forward and the other a little backward of the
top thereof, with sufficient space between them to allow of the fabric being clearly
seen. One of the rollers has raised printing surfaces on it suitable for printing the
centres or fillings, and may be of a size making it necessary for it to turn once or
oftener to print each separate space. The other printing roller has on it raised
printing surfaces suitable for printing two cross borders for the ending of one
handkerchief space or other space, and for the beginning of the next. The printing
rollers have endless color supplying cloths or sieves arranged in connection with
them, and their end journals are placed in inclined guides in the framing. Two
rocking shafts are carried in the framing parallel to the printing rollers, and have

page_text: fast on them hand levers and. levers for acting on the journals of the printing
rollers; and the attendant worker employs these rocking shafts for moving the
printing rollers into and out of printing contact as required. The fabric is drawn
through the apparatus by turning the impression cylinder, the printing rollers.
rotating by reason of their contact and the pressure due to their weight. A mark.
is applied to the fabric at the entering side of the apparatus, and when the:
attendant worker sees that this mark has moved forward so as to coincide with a
pitch line or other index between the two printing rollers, he knows that he has
then to move one printing roller away, and to move the other one into printing
contact; but before moving either roller into printing contact he turns it if
necessary- to insure its commencing to print at the right part of it, the correct
position being determined by a pawl or catch which engages with a notch in a
stationary but adjustable plate. The fabric may be led over or round a series of
guide rollers arranged as is done with ordinary block printing apparatus, so that
the printing side is allowed to dry to a sufficient extent before it touches any
roller. The impression roller or cylinder may be turned directly by hand or by
means of mechanical power applied through gearing arranged to give the necessary
intermittent movements. More than two printing rollers may be arranged in a
similar way in connection with a single impression cylinder of suitable size, rocking
shafts with hand and other levers being provided for moving the several printing
rollers into and out of printing contact as required.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Robert Ritchie and John Ferguson in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 21st September 1881.
ROBERT RITCHIE, Manager, and JOHN FERGUSON, Foreman Block Printer, of
Cordale Printworks, in the County of Dumbarton, North Britain. " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRINTING WOVEN AND OTHER FABRICS."
Our said Invention relates to the printing of woven or other fabrics with
combinations of patterns comprising centres or fillings with borders or en lings, and
it has for object the application of improved apparatus operating with raised
printing surfaces, and admitting of the work being performed more expeditiously
and economically than in the ordinary processes for producing similar effects by
block printing by hand.
In carrying out our Invention according to one modification two printing rollers
are used instead of hand blocks, and operate in connection with a single impression
roller or cylinder being placed above the latter, one a little forward and the other
a little backward of the top thereof, with sufficient space between them to allow of
the fabric being clearly seen. Mechanism is provided in connection with the two
printing rollers for moving each into and out of its position for printing as
required, and for properly adjusting or setting the rollers to ensure the accurate
joining of the several printings with each other. The fabric is drawn through the
apparatus by turning the impression cylinder, the printing rollers rotating by
reason of their contact and the pressure due to their weight; and the impression
cylinder may be turned directly by hand, or by means of mechanical power applied
through gearing arranged to give the necessary intermittent movements. More
than two printing rollers may be arranged in a similar way in connection with a
single impression cylinder of suitable size, mechanism being provided for moving
the several printing rollers into and out of printing contact as required.
And in order that our said Invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood, we hereunto append a Sheet of explanatory Drawings
to be hereinafter referred to, and representing an example of our improved
apparatus which has been found to answer satisfactorily in practice.
Figure 1 on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings is a plan showing part of the
apparatus, and Figure 2 is a side elevation. In these Figures the same reference.
numerals are used to mark the same or like parts wherever they are repeated.
A framing having two side standards 3 carries the impression cylinder 4 and
two printing rollers 5, 6, the cylinder and rollers being partly indicated by dotted
lines in Figure 2, and their several spindles are set in slots or grooves in the
standards. The printing rollers 5, 6, are above the impression cylinder 4 with a
space between them through which the impression cylinder can be well seen.
One 5 of the printing rollers has raised printing surfaces on it suitable for printing
the centres or fillings, and is shown as of a comparatively small size, making it
necessary to turn once or oftener to print each separate space. The other printing
roller 6 has on it raised printing surfaces suitable for printing two cross borders
for the ending of one space for a scarf, shawl, or handkerchief or other piece and
for the beginning of the next. The printing rollers 5, 6, have endless color-
supplying cloths or sieves 7 arranged in connection with them; each such sieve 7
passes round a bottom roller and in contact with the printing roller, and round
two smaller upper rollers between which it presents a horizontal upper surface to
receive the substance to be printed on the cloth, which substance is applied to such
surface by the printer or his assistant by means of a brush or other suitable
instrument. The lower rollers of the sieves 7 have their end spindles held in guide

page_text: slots formed in the tops of the standards 3, the smaller upper rollers having their
spindles held by adjustable hooks or staples set in holes made for them in the
standards. Two rocking shafts 8, 9, are carried in bearings on the standards 3 so
as to be parallel to the printing rollers 5, 6, and have fast on them hand
levers 10, 11, and levers 12, 13, for acting on the journals or end spindles of
the printing rollers 5, 6; and the printer or worker employs these rocking
shafts 8, 9, for moving the printing rollers 5, 6, into and out of printing contact
as required. Catch plates are fixed on the standards 3 for retaining the hand
levers 10, 11, in their different positions; and it is to be understood that although
in Figure 2 both printing rollers 5, 6, are shown as in contact with the impression
cylinder 4, in practice only one of the rollers is in printing, contact at the same
time.
The fabric is drawn through the apparatus by turning the impression cylinder 4,
and a winch handle 14 is represented as fixed on the spindle of the cylinder for
the purpose of turning it by hand. The fabric indicated by a peculiarly dotted
line in Figure 2 is drawn off a roller or beam 15, and passes thence under two
guide rollers 16, 17, and beneath a platform or stage 18 on which the printer
stands. The fabric next passes up to and round the impression cylinder 4 along
with an endless blanket 19, and thence descends along with the blanket to a guide
roller 20 proceeding horizontally to another guide roller 21, and from this roller
passing upwards to an overhead guide roller 22. The endless blanket 19 leaves
the fabric at the second bottom guide roller 21, and returns by the guide
rollers 23, 24, 25, to the place where it again unites with the fabric to pass
round the impression cylinder 4. The fabric is led in the manner described, so
that the printed surface may not touch any roller until the fabric has had time
for the coloring matter or other substance printed on it to be partially dried ;
and from the overhead guide roller 22 the fabric proceeds horizontally over two
other guide rollers 26, 27, descending from the latter to a guide roller 28 in a
frame 29 fitted to slide in vertical guides. This frame by its own or added weight
draws the fabric forward as it is printed until the bottoms of the guides are
reached, and then the fabric is drawn onwards, as hereinafter explained, by which
action the frame 29 is moved up to the top of its guides again. From the roller 28
in the sliding frame 29, the fabric is led over and under upper and lower guide
rollers 30, 31, in a series of vertical lines, and is finally received in a box or cage 32.
On the spindle of the last of the upper guide rollers 30 there is fixed a pulley 33
from which a cord or belt passes to a pulley 34, in a convenient position for being
turned by means of a winch handle; and it is by means of this arrangement that
the fabric is drawn forward at intervals, and the sliding frame 29 is raised.
When either of the printing rollers 5, 6, is in contact with the fabric on the
impression cylinder 4, it is turned frictionally by the rotation of that cylinder, and
it acts frictionally on its endless color cloth or sieve 7, so as to be kept properly
supplied with the coloring matter or substance to be printed on the fabric.
A mark is applied to the fabric at the entering side of the apparatus, or in other
words as it is going upon the impression cylinder 4; and when the printer or
attendant worker sees that this mark has moved forward so as to coincide with a
pitch line or other stationary index or mark seen in the space between the two
printing rollers 5, 6, he knows that he has then to move one printing roller away,
and to move the other one into printing contact; but before moving either printing
roller into printing contact he turns it if necessary to insure its commencing to
print at the right part of it, the correct position being determined in any
convenient way, as for example, by a pawl 35 jointed to the framing and shaped to
rest with its point on the periphery of the end of the roller, whilst there is on the
roller end an adjustable projection or catch, and the roller is turned backwards to
bring this catch round to the pawl, the proper starting position being thereby
secured. As a guide to the tearer ("tireur,") or assistant in turning the impression
cylinder 4 there is fixed on its spindle a pulley round which and an upper pulley 36
an endless cord is passed, such cord having on it a knot or other mark which

page_text: coincides with a stationary mark in a suitable position on the framing whenever
the cylinder is turned round to the proper extent. The upper pulley 36 is held up
by a cord passing round guide pulleys to a counterweight, a convenient arrange-
ment admitting of the endless knotted or marked cord being easily changed to
different sizes to suit different lengths of pattern.
Having thus particularly described our said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, we have to state that we do not restrict ourselves to the
precise details herein described or delineated; but what we believe to be novel
and original, and claim as the Invention secured to us by and in terms of the
herein before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
The combination in apparatus for printing woven or other fabrics by means of
raised printing surfaces, of an impression cylinder with two or more printing
rollers, such printing rollers being arranged for acting alternately or in succession
upon different parts of the fabric, substantially in the manner and for the purposes
hereinbefore described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Ferguson, on behalf of the said Robert
Ritchie and myself, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth
day of September, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
eighty-one.
JOHN FERGUSON. (L.S.)