Improvements in or connected with Printing Machines for Multi- colour Printing.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 4th June, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 8th Apr., 1890-Accepted, 10th May,
1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Printing Machines for Multi-
colour Printing.
We, FRANCIS FRAPPELL WASHINGTON OLDFIELD of 6 Burton Terrace, Elm Grove,
Peckham, Printer and WILLIAM WILFRED HEAD and HENRY ROBERT MARK both of
Fleet Lane, Old Bailey in the City of London Printers do hereby declare the nature
of this Invention to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to provide a printing machine with means whereby
it is rendered capable of printing from a single "forme" any desired number of different
colours at one printing.
We will describe the invention as applied to a printing machine for printing posters
in which the "forme" from which the impressions are to be taken, is fixed to a table
or platform caused to reciprocate to and fro beneath an impression cylinder, but the
invention may be applied to other descriptions of printing machines.
According to this Invention the table or platform carrying the "forme" is provided
at one or both ends with inking surfaces by which the inking rollers are supplied with
colour the said inking surfaces consisting of plates or strips which receive the colour
from a trough or troughs by means of ductor rollers beneath which the inking surfaces
pass at each reciprocation of the table or platform. These inking surfaces are or may
be of various widths and are fitted to the reciprocating table so as to be capable of
being adjusted in position to suit the positions in the "forme" of the lines of type or
characters to be inked with the different coloured inks.
A suitable mode of fixing these inking surfaces to the table or platform consists in
providing the said platform with slots through which pass screwed projections on the
under sides of the printing surfaces upon which projections nuts are screwed so as to
fix them in any required position in the slots in the table but we do not restrict
ourselves to any particular means for adjusting and fixing the inking surfaces to the
table.
The colour troughs from which the inking surfaces are supplied with colour are
provided with adjustable partitions which separate from each other the various colours
in use the said partitions being capable of being slid along the trough and fixed in
position by screws or otherwise at the required distances apart corresponding to the
positions and widths of the inking surfaces on the table and in order to prevent the
colours from mingling one with another the partitions in the trough are provided with
india rubber or other suitable yielding bearing surfaces which when the partitions are
fixed in position press against the interior surfaces of the trough and also against the
ductor roller so as to effectually prevent the passage of the colour from one division of
the trough to another. The colour is conducted from the trough by the ductor to the
inking surfaces at each reciprocation of the table and is transferred therefrom to the
inking rollers in the same manner as in machines for printing with a single colour
the inking rollers according to this invention being simultaneously supplied with
different coloured inks forming rings of colour on the rollers of widths and at distances
apart corresponding to the widths and distances apart of the lines of type or character
in the form to receive the different coloured inks.

page_text: When it is desired to print one or more of the letters or characters in a line with a
colour different from the colour of the other letters or characters in the same line an
additional inking roller or additional inking rollers is or are then arranged so that by
means of inclines provided on the reciprocating table the inking roller or rollers is or
are caused to rise and fall at the requisite times so as to ink the letter or character
intended to be inked thereby and then rise above the surfaces of the letters or
characters to be inked or which have been inked with the other colour. The
additional roller or rollers for this purpose consist each of a number of short lengths
mounted on a square shaft or spindle with distance pieces between the said lengths to
regulate the positions of the lengths of inking roller on the spindle to correspond
to the position of the line or lines in the " forme to be printed in different
colours.
"
"
Border lines may also be printed simultaneously with the type or characters in the
'forme" by providing additional inking rollers arranged to rise and fall at the requisite
periods in a similar manner to those described for printing more than one colour in
the same line.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (AMENDED).
Improvements in or connected with Printing Machines for Multi-
colour Printing.
We, FRANCIS FRAPPELL WASHINGTON OLDFIELD of No. 31 Elm Grove, Peckham,
Printer and WILLIAM WILFRED HEAD and HENRY ROBERT MARK, both of Fleet Lane,
Old Bailey in the City of London, Printers 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 :-
The object of this Invention is to provide a printing machine with improved means
whereby it is rendered capable of printing from a single
"
* forme any desired
number of different colours at one printing.
We will describe the Invention with reference to the accompanying drawings in
which Figure 1 is a longitudinal section Figure 2 a plan and the remaining
Figures are detail views of the apparatus which will be hereinafter referred to. The
apparatus is illustrated as applied to a printing machine for printing posters in
which the "forme" from which the impressions are to be taken, fixed to a bed or
platform caused to reciprocate to and fro beneath an impression cylinder as in the
well known "Wharfedale" type of printing machine but the invention may be
applied to other descriptions of printing machines.
According to this Invention the table or platform 1 carrying the "forme
" 2 is
provided at one end or at both ends with inking surfaces 3, 3 by which the inking
rollers 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 are supplied with colour the said inking surfaces consisting
of plates or strips which receive the colour from a trough or troughs 10, 11 by means
of ductor rollers 12 and 13 respectively and vibrating rollers 14, 15 beneath which
the inking surfaces pass at each reciprocation of the bed or platform. These inking
surfaces are or may be of various widths as shown and are fitted to the reciprocating
table so as to be capable of being adjusted in position to suit the positions in the
"forme" of the lines of type or characters to be inked with the different coloured
inks.
Suitable The modes of fixing these inking surfaces to the bed of the machine are
shown in plan in Figures 10 and 11 and in longitudinal section in Figures 7, 8 and 9.
In these figures the inking surfaces rest upon a framework 33 which is secured to
or forms part of the bed or platform of the machine.
In Figures 7 and 10 the inking surfaces 3 have bevelled ends 30*, 31* the end 30×
fitting under the correspondingly bevelled edge of a cross bar 32 forming part of

page_text: the framework 33 the other end 31× of the inking surface being secured by an
adjustable bar 34 held to the bed or platform 1 by screw bolts 35 whose heads are
countersunk in the bar so as to offer no obstacle to the free passage of the inking
surfaces under the inking rollers. The bolts 35 pass through slotted holes 36 in the
bar 34 and are secured by nuts 37 which bear upon the underside of the bed 1 so that
the bar 34 while held firmly down upon the bed may be moved so as to bear tightly
against the edge 31× of the inking surface or surfaces when those surfaces and the
forme 2 are locked up" or secured by driving quoins or packing pieces 38 into
the space between the edges of the forme and the bar 34.
In Figure
one edge 30× of the inking surface 3 has a tongue or ledge formed
upon
it which fits a groove formed in the cross bar 32 of the framework 33 or extend-
sion of the bed before referred to the opposite edge 31× of the inking surface being
held in place by quoins or packing pieces 38 driven in between it and the edge of a
bar 34 of rectangular cross section which is secured in place in a manner similar to
that described with reference to the bar 34 in Figures 7 and 10 or the bar 34 in
Figure 8 may be dispensed with and the ends 31* may be screwed directly to the
bed 1, screws being passed through a slot in the bar and into each inking surface to
prevent any lateral movement thereof.
In Figures 9 and 11 the inking surfaces 3 have screwed projections 39 formed
thereupon which screwed projections pass through slots 40 formed in the frame 33
and when the surfaces 3 are adjusted in position they are secured by screwing up the
nuts 37 upon the projections so that the said nuts bear against the underside of
the frame 33.
The colour trough 10 from which the inking surfaces 3 are supplied with colour is
provided with adjustable partitions 16 (see Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6) which separate from
each other the various colours in use the said partitions being capable of being slid
along the trough and retained in place at the required distances apart corresponding to
the positions and widths of the inking surfaces on the table and in order to prevent the
colours from mingling one with another the partitions in the trough are made of wood
or metal provided with india rubber and leather or other suitable yielding bearing
surfaces 19, 20 respectively (see Figure 3 which is a perspective view of one of the
partitions 16 and a portion of the trough 10 with a portion of the ductor roller 12)
which when the partitions are fixed in position press against the interior surfaces of
the trough and also against the ductor roller so as to effectually prevent the passage
of the colour from one division of the trough to another. With reference now to
Figures 4, 5 and 6 which represent the trough 10 and its appurtenances in rear eleva-
tion, cross section and plan respectively, the partitions 16 are secured by thumb-
screws 21 passing through bent pieces of metal 22 the said pieces having slots 23 at their
lower ends to permit of their vertical adjustment. Through the slots 23 and through
slots 24 in a casting 25 secured to the frame or bridge 27 carrying the trough 10
pass screws 28 and by these means the position of the bent pieces 22 may be adjusted
to suit the desired position of the partitions 16. Stiffening ribs 29 connect the
casting 25 with the bridge 27 and in order to permit of the placing of a partition in
the colour trough at points opposite to the ribs 29, double bent pieces 30 are provided
(see Figures 4 and 6) the lower ends of which may be secured to the casting by
screws 28 in the slots 24 the upper portion of the piece carrying at its centre and
opposite the rib of the casting the thumbscrew 21 for securing a partition in the
colour trough opposite that point. Referring now to Figure 1 the colour is conducted
from the troughs 10, 11 by the ductor rollers 12, 13 to the vibrating rollers 14, 15 and
by the latter to the inking surfaces 3, 3ª at each reciprocation of the table and is
distributed thereupon by distributing rollers 17 and transferred therefrom to the
inking rollers in the same manner as in machines for printing with a single colour
the inking rollers 4, 5 and 6 according to this invention being simultaneously
supplied with different coloured inks forming rings of colour on the rollers of
widths and at distances apart corresponding to the widths and distances apart of
the inking surfaces as may be seen in Figure 2.

page_text: may
It will be understood that if desired the inking surfaces for any "forme".
be divided so that some of the surfaces are placed on one side of the forme and the
remainder on the opposite side thereof an inking trough being provided at each
end for the supply of those inking surfaces which travel below that end. In this case
the distributing rollers may be angled. We find that adjacent inking surfaces in any
case should have a space of not less than one eighth of an inch between them to prevent
the ink travelling from one surface to another.
Where the inking surfaces are in close proximity to one another as in Figure 2
the distributing rollers must not be angled but must lie at right angles with the travel
of the bed or colour would be transferred from one inking surface to another.
When it is desired to print one or more of the letters or characters in a line with
a colour different from the colour of the other letters or characters in the same line
as for instance the initial letter O in the example illustrated an additional inking
roller 7 is supplied with colour from a separate trough 11 and is arranged so that by
means of raised strips or lifts" 18 provided on the reciprocating table the lift
rollers 31 are raised or lowered and one end or both ends of the inking roller or
rollers may be caused to fall at the requisite times so as to ink the letter or character
intended to be inked thereby and then rise above the surfaces of the letters or
characters to be inked or which have been inked with the other colour. It should be
noted that only one end a of each of the rollers 4 and 5 need be lifted for the
purpose of avoiding the initial letter O in the forme in Figure 2. The additional
roller or rollers for the initial letter or for other extra colours may consist of a number
of short lengths 41 of metal tubing carrying composition 43x and mounted on a
shaft or spindle 42 of square or equivalent cross section (Figures 12 and 13) with
distance pieces 43 between the said lengths to regulate the positions of the lengths of
inking roller on the spindle to correspond to the position of the letter or letters of the
line or lines in the "forme" to be printed in colours different to those of the rest of
the line or lines. Or the short lengths of the aforesaid additional roller or rollers may
be obtained as follows.
A disc of metal 44 Figure 14 with serrated edge, and having a suitably shaped
hole at its centre may be threaded on the spindle 42 between each section 13 of the
core of the roller and the composition cast around the sections and discs so as to form
a continuous smooth surface. The position of the place of junction between any two
sections concealed by the composition is indicated by the position of the discs whose
edges may be felt through the elastic composition by pressing thereupon with the
fingers thus the operator is guided to the concealed ends of a section or sections and
by cutting through the composition at those points the section or sections with the
composition thereupon may be readily removed without damage to the composition
upon the remaining sections.
When it is desired to print border lines of one colour simultaneously with the
multicolour type or characters in the forme additional inking rollers are provided as
at 8, 9 (Figures 1 and 2) supplied with colour from the trough 11 which also supplies
colour for the letter O in the example illustrated the rollers being arranged to rise
and fall at the requisite periods in a similar manner to those described for printing
more than one colour in the same line the roller 7 printing the initial O and a portion
of the borders, marked in Figure 2 (although the partial inking of the borders by
the roller 7 may be dispensed with if desired) the rollers 8 and 9 printing those portions
of the border marked y in Figure 2.
It will be evident from the foregoing that by arranging different colours in a single
trough lying above the bed of the machine at right angles to the direction of motion
of the bed each line of type or character lying parallel to the said direction of motion
may receive a colour similar to or different from the adjacent lines.
And that by having one or more colour troughs in addition to the above mentioned
and one or more additional sets of inking surfaces and rollers any line or lines of type
or character as aforesaid may receive different colours in succession along its or their
length in the direction of motion of the bed of the machine.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The general combination and arrangement of parts constituting the hereinbefore
described improvements in printing machines as a whole whereby any desired number
of colours may be printed from a single "forme" at one printing substantially as
hereinbefore described.
2. In a printing machine for multicolour printing a trough or troughs divided by
partitions-into-separate compartments for containing inks of different colour in com-
bination-with-an undivided ductor roller, and with inking surfaces supplied with ink
from-the-troughs from which-surfaces the ink-is-transferred to-the-printing-surface
whereby any-desired number of colours may be printed from a single form at one
printing substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
3. In printing machines for multicolour printing an ink trough divided into separate
compartments-by-partitions capable of being-adjusted in position so as to increase-or
decrease as required the size or width of the compartments substantially as herein-
before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
4. In a multi-colour printing machine an ink trough divided into compartments by
adjustable-partitions provided with-yielding-bearing surfaces for the purpose of pre-
venting-the-ink-from any one compartment-from-mingling with the ink-in any of
the-other-compartments substantially as-hereinbefore described with reference-to the
accompanying drawings.
2. In a multi-colour printing machine a trough divided by adjustable partitions
into separate compartments to contain inks of different colours in combination with
inking surfaces capable of being readily adjusted in position or of being removed from
the machine and replaced by others to suit different widths or positions of the lines of
type or characters to be inked with different colored inks substantially as by the
means hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 7. 8. 9. 10 and 11 of the
accompanying drawings.
6. 3. In printing machines for multi-colour printing rollers consisting of separate
sections of metal tubing carrying composition and threaded upon a spindle or shaft
of polygonal or other suitable cross section that will prevent the sections turning
thereon the sections of metal tubing which carry composition being separated or not
by ections of metal tubing forming distance pieces unprovided with composition
substantially as herein before described with reference to Figures 12, 13 and 14 13 of
the accompanying drawings.
74. In printing machines for multi-colour printing, discs of metal with plain or
serrated edges threaded upon a spindle or shaft of polygonal or other suitable cross
section alternately with sections of metallic tubing carrying composition substantially
as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 14 of the accompanying drawings.
8. In machines for multicolour printing means for lowering the inking rollers on
to the forme and for raising them therefrom at suitable intervals as required by the
arrangement of the portions of the forme-to-be-inked by the rollers-substantially us
hereinbefore described-with-reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying
drawings.
F. F. W. OLDFIELD.
J. H. Johnson & Co., Agents.