A METHOD OF CASTING AND FIXING, AT THE SAME TIKE, METALLIC TYPES ON THE SURFACE OF METALLIC CYLINDERS, OR METALLIC ROLLERS, OR ANY CYLINDERS OB BOLLERS HAVING METALLIC SURFACE, OR ON BLOCKS OF METAL OR BLOCKS HAVING METALLIC SURFACES, OR ON FLAT METALLIC PLATES, FOR THE PURPOSE OF PRINTING
Year: 1815

page_text: RIDGWAY'S SPECIFICATION.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JONATHAN
RIDGWAY, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Plumber, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third, did,
by His Letters Patent, under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Fourteenth
day of March, in the fifty-fifth year of His reign, give and grant unto me,
the said Jonathan Ridgway, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Ilis
especial licence, full power, sole privilege, and authority, that I, the said
Jonathan Ridgway, my executors, administrators, and assigns, and every of
them, by myself and themselves, or by our deputy or deputies, servants or
agents, or such others as I, the said Jonathan Ridgway, my executors, admi-
nistrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times thereafter during the term of years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exerciso, and vend, within that part
of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England, the
Dominion of Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of
"A METHOD OF CASTING AND FIXING, AT THE SAME TIKE, METALLIC TYPES ON THE
SURFACE OF METALLIC CYLINDERS, OR METALLIC ROLLERS, OR ANY CYLINDERS OB
BOLLERS HAVING METALLIC SURFACE, OR ON BLOCKS OF METAL, OR BLOCKS HAVING
METALLIC SURFACES, OR ON FLAT METALLIC PLATES, FOR THE PURPOSE OF PRINTING

page_text: OF COTTON OR LINES, OR 50TH;" in which Letters
proviso, obliging me, the said Jonathan Ridgway,
ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in
o be performed, by an instrument in writing under
use the same to be inrolled in His said Majesty's
within two calendar months next and immediately
etters Patent, as in and by the said Letters Patent,
1, may more fully and at large appear.
in pursuance of and in compliance with the said
Jonathan Ridgway, do hereby declare that the
a, and the manner in which the same is to be per-
entioned:-
pparatus, which I call the typing tool; it is made
of cast iron, or any other hard metal, but I prefer
iron as being the cheapest. At a is a cavity, cup,
or hollow space to receive the melted typing metal;
on the side underneath the cavity or cup I cut,
punch, drill, engrave, sink, or make one or more
mould or moulds of the form, shape, or figure,
or several forms, shapes, or figures, which is or
are requisite to form the pattern or patterns re-
quired to be made by the type or types to be cast
therein upon
the cloth. Or, I make such mould
or moulds in or upon a detached piece or pieces
of such metal as aforesaid, and afterwards rivet,
screw, braze, or otherwise fasten the same to the
under side of such cavity, cup, or hollow space
made for receiving the typing metal; I then make
two or more holes through the bottom of such
cavity or cup into the top of each of such moulds,
viz, one of such holes into cach mould to admit
the melted typing metal to run into such mould,
such holes into each such mould to allow the air
1, or instead of such latter hole or holes I make
h mould for the escape of air through the top of
the typing tool, so that the air may escape without
tal in the before-mentioned cavity or cup. From.
or moulds I extend a handle, as shown at b, in

page_text: Figure 1. In order to move this handle (when used) in a regular line, and
to fix or stop it at the particular places where the types are to be cast, I either
make the handle broad in some particular part, or affix a cross piece thereto,
and by cutting a groove in or making two or more projecting parts on the
; under side thereof, and moving the same upon a graduated scale of iron, wood,
or other hard substance, I obtain one of the motions which are requisite to fix
the types in their proper situations. An instance of this is shewn at c and d in
the Figure 1, where c is the cross piece, and d is in the position of the gra-
duated scale. The length and breadth of the cup must be determined by the size
or extent of the pattern intended to be comprized in each casting; I then take
the metallic cylinder or metallic roller, or cylinder or roller having a metallic sur-
face, on which the metallic types are to be fixed, and having prepared it in any
of the usual methods for receiving and attaching to it melted solder, (and which
preparation I do not claim as any part of my Invention), I fix the cylinder
or roller in a frame, or on a steady support on its axis at each end thereof, so
that it may be freely turned round on its axis without having any other
motion, and on the axis at one end thereof I fix a circular graduated scale to
turn round with the cylinder or roller, and I fix an index to the frame in order
'to ascertain the .circular distances at which the several types are to be fixed
from each other; I then place and fix the first mentioned graduated scale in a
direction parallel to the axis of the cylinder or roller, and the typing tool being
moved thercon the required lateral distances at which the several types are to
be fixed from each other are thereby ascertained. The first-mentioned gra-
duated scale on which the typing tool moves should be placed on such a level
that by supporting the handle of the typing tool while the mould or moulds of
the typing tool is or are laid on the upper side of the cylinder or roller, the
sides of the before-mentioned cup of the typing tool may be level or nearly so,
to hold more advantageously the melted typing metal. The under surface of
the mould or moulds should be formed in such a manner as to fit exactly the
surface of the cylinder or roller. When the metallic types are to be fixed on
a block of metal, or a block having a metallic surface, or on a flat metallic
plate, I prepare the surface thereof in the manner before mentioned for
receiving and attached to it melted solder; I then place or fix the block or
plate with such prepared surface uppermost in a frame or other apparatus, so
that it can be moved only in one direction, and I move it in such direction by
means of or according to a graduated scale, so that the distances in that
direction at which the several types are to be fixed may be ascertained; I then
place and fix the first-mentioned graduated scale upon which the typing tool is

page_text: moved in a different position, either at right angles, or forming any other
required angle with the moving direction of such block or plate, so that the
distances at which the several types are to be placed in the line in which the
typing tool is moved may also be ascertained. Or, in lieu of the last-mentioned
mode, I let the block or plate remain stationary, and give the two-fold motion
to the typing tool, either by graduating the handle thereof, or by moving back-
wards or forwards the scale upon which it is moved. Or, in lieu of the before;
mentioned modes of ascertaining the distances between or relative situations of
the types, I mark the places where such types are to be put on any of the
.aforesaid metallic surfaces by means of any other scale, or by means of the
proposed pattern, or by means of compasses; but I consider these latter modes
as slower and more liable to error than the means I have herein-before men-
tioned. When the requisite preparation of the cylinder, roller, block, or plate
has been made as aforesaid, I heat the mould end of the typing tool to such a
degree as will prevent the melted typing metal from setting or becoming solid
before the mould is completely filled; I then fix the mould in its proper
situation on the surface of the cylinder, roller, block, or plate, and give a
gentle blow with a hammer on the edges of the cup of the typing tool to fix the
under side of the mould closely to the surface of such cylinder, roller, block, or
plate; I then take the melted typing metal and pour into the cup of the
typing tool rather more of the melted metal than will fill the mould or moulds;
I then (if it be necessary) stir the melted metal in the mould or moulds by
means of a wire put through the hole in the cup, thro' which the melted
metal has run until the mould or moulds is or are full. The operation may
then be expedited by putting a wet cloth round the mould to cool the metal
within. When the melted metal is becoming solid, I cut off the part remaining
in the cup, if any. When the type is becoming solid I raise the typing tool
therefrom by gentle strokes of a hammer or any other gentle mechanical force,
and proceed to cast and fix other types in like manner. The typing metal I
generally use is plumbers' solders, but other solders may be advantageously
used. The sort I prefer consists of two-third parts of lead and one of tin.
If the types are small a rather greater proportion of tin may be of advantage
in rendering the types harder. If the types are very large a rather greater
proportion of lead may be used with little or no disadvantage. Although I
have described the ways in which I usually practise my Invention, I confino
my Invention solely to, and I claim as my Invention, the casting and fixing at
the same time metallic types on the surface of metallic cylinders or metallic
rollers, or cylinders or rollers having metallic surfaces, or on blocks of metal,

page_text: or on blocks having metallic surfaces, or on the flat metallic plates, for the pur-
pose of printing patterns on cloth made of cotton, or linen, or both.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jonathan Ridgway, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifteen.
Inrolled the Twenty-ninth day of April, in the year above written.