IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO THE PRODUCTION
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Brown, and Robert William Barnes, and Joseph
Bell, all of the City of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster Photographers.
for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO THE PRODUCTION
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Brown, Robert
William Barnes and Joseph Bell at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents
on the 25th October 1882.
RICHARD BROWN, and ROBERT WILLIAM BARNES and JOSEPH BELL,' all of the
City of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Photographers "IMPROVEMENTS
IN AND RELATING TO THE PRODUCTION OF PRINTING SURFACES FROM GELATINE
RELIEFS
Our Invention relates to certain improvements on what is known as the
"Woodbury Process," and has for its object the simplifying of the process, namely
that process by which impressions of the gelatine reliefs are by pressure reproduced
upon lead surfaces. Previous to our Invention it has been the practice to produce
impressions from gelatine reliefs on lead plates, brought to a true and even surface;
by placing such reliefs between the lead plate and a steel face plate, and applying
bydraulic pressure in a suitable press by which the impression of the gelatine
relief was reproduced, or impressed. in upon the lead plate, such lead plate after
trimming serving as the plate, or type for printing from. The use of the hydraulic
press as a means of producing these printing plates, or type renders the process
expensive and limits materially tho dimensions of the plates and necessitates
such plates having perfectly true level and even surfaces, inasmuch as it is
necessary that the pressure, which puts the impression from the gelatine relief
onto the lead plate should be evenly applied over the whole surface of such lead
plate simultaneously.
According to our method of producing impressions upon lead plates, or sheets
from gelatine reliefs we take a plate, or sheet of lead and place above and beneath
it sheets of steel, and outside these sheets of steel, we place above and beneath

page_text: other sheets, of cardboard, so that the lower sheet is cardboard, the next is steel,
then comes the lead sheet, or plate; over this is the second sheet of steel, and lastly
the second sheet of cardboard. Having arranged the sheets as above, we then
pass them between an adjusted adjustable spring roller press with a required
adjustment or sett, until the lead sheet is reduced to the limit of adjustment, or
sett of the roller press. By thus reducing the lead plate, it is brought to a truc,
even and proper surface and thickness for receiving the impression from the
gelatine relief. What we mean by the sett of the roller press is the distance
between the pressing surfaces, and when this sett is reached, the press ceases to
further reduce the lead plate.
To imprint the gelatine relief upon the sheet, or plate of lead prepared as above
we use a gelatine relief obtained from a negative which we place between the
lower sheet of steel and the lead plate, or sheet and pass the thus packed sheets of
cardboard, steel and lead with the gelatine relief through the roller press having
the same sett or adjustment, as used in producing the lead plate, with the result
that the addition of the gelatine relief causes an impression from the gelatine
relief to be produced upon the lead plate which serves as the type for printing
from, with gelatinous inks, or the like.
When it is desired to print with greasy, or fatty inks we use a grained surface,
which we obtain by placing a gauze, or perforated sheet between a positive and
the gelatine sheet to receive the print, or relief. This causes the positive gelatine
relief to have a grained surface and such grained surface is transferred to the lead
plate, or sheet in going through the roller press.
As another method of obtaining a grained surface, we grain, or rough the type
surface produced as above by placing upon the imprint or face of the lead type
a graining, or roughening medium, such as a sheet of fine wire gauze, muslin
soaked in glue and dried, sand paper, or their like, and upon the back of the
graining, or roughening medium, we place a layer of soft material such as cloth
and together with the-steel-and-cardboard sheets as before described, we pass
them through the roller press under a light pressure, but with the same sett as
when impressing the gelatine relief, thus effecting a graining, roughening, or
abraison of the surface, and producing a surface suitable for using fatty, or greasy
printers ink to print with.
By producing printing surfaces on lend plates, or sheets in the manner herein
described we are enabled
First To obtain from gelatine reliefs impressions of size hitherto practically
unattainable, and on thinner sheets, or plates of lead, at the same time such
impressions, are equal to if not superior to those produced by the hydraulic process
of "Woodbury" and are suitable for printing from with gelatinous inks. By
the use of rolls in the production of the printing plates an even pressure is applied
progressively over the whole surface of the plate, without necessitating absolute
truth over the whole plane of the plate surface simultaneously. The lead plates
thus produced are used for printing from in manner similar to the ordinary
"Woodbury" type.
Second When the surface of the lead plate has been grained abraided, or
roughened by the application of wire gauze, or the like, such surface is applicable
for printing purposes with ordinary, printers, fatty inks.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Richard Brown, Robert William Barnes, and Joseph Bell in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th April 1883.
RICHARD BROWN and ROBERT WILLIAM BARNES and JOSEPH BELL, all of the
City of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Photographers "IMPROVEMENTS
IN AND RELATING TO THE PRODUCTION OF PRINTING SURFACES FROM GELATINE
RELIEFS
"
Our Invention relates to certain improvements on what is known as the
"Woodbury Process," and has for its object the simplifying of the process, namely
that process by which impressions of the gelatine reliefs are by pressure reproduced
upon lead surfaces. Previous to our Invention it has been the practice to produce
impressions from gelatine reliefs on lead plates, brought to a true and even surface,
by placing such reliefs between the lead plate and a steel face plate and applying
hydraulic pressure in a suitable press by which the impression of the gelatine
relief was reproduced, or impressed in upon the lead plate, such lead plate after
trimming serving as the plate, or type for printing from. The use of the hydraulic
press as a means of producing these printing plates, or type renders the process
expensive and limits materially the dimensions of the plates and necessitates such
plates having perfectly true, level and even surfaces, inasmuch as it is necessary
that the pressure which puts the impression from the gelatine relief onto the
lead plate should be evenly applied over the whole surface of such lead plate
simultaneously.
According to our method of producing impressions upon lead plates, or sheets
from gelatine reliefs, we take a plate, or sheet of lead and place above and beneath
it sheets of steel, and outside these sheets of steel, we place above and beneath
other sheets, of cardboard, so that the lower sheet is cardboard, or other like
material to give elastic pressure the next is steel, then comes the lead sheet, or
plate; over this is the second sheet of steel, and lastly the second sheet of card-
board or its equivalent. Having arranged the sheets as above, we then pass them
between an adjusted adjustable spring roller press with a required adjustment,
or sett, until the lead sheet is reduced to the limit of adjustment, or sett of the
roller press. By thus reducing the lead plate, it is brought to a true even and
proper surface and thickness for receiving the impression from the gelatine relief.
What we mean by the sett of the roller press is the distance between the pressing
surfaces, and when this sett is reached the press ceases to further reduce the lead
plate.
To imprint the gelatine relief upon the sheet, or plate of lead prepared as abovo
we use a gelatine relief obtained in the manner well known and in use which wo
place between the lower or the upper sheet of steel and the lead plate, or sheet and
pass the thus packed sheets of cardboard, steel and lead with the gelatine relief
through the roller press having the same sett, or adjustment, as used in producing
the lead plate, with the result that the addition of the gelatine relief causes an
impression from the gelatine relief to be produced upon the lead plate which serves
as the type for printing from, with gelatinous inks, or the like.
When it is desired to print with greasy or fatty inks we use a grained surface
which we obtain by placing a gauze, or perforated sheet between a positive and the
gelatine sheet to receive the print, or relief. This causes the gelatine relief to have
a grained surface and such grained surface is transferred to the lead plate, or sheet
in going through the roller press
As another method of obtaining a grained surface we grain or rough the type

page_text: To produce printing surfaces from gelatine reliefs to be used for printing from
with fatty, or greasy inks, we apply the grained gelatine relief produced as herein
described, or the graining medium, or a gelatine relief and sand paper together to
the lead plate and pass it through the rollers e, f in the manner described in
reference to Figures 1 and 2.
Having now described our Invention and shown how the same may be carried
out we would have it understood that although we have described our Invention as
applied to producing printing surfaces it will be evident that surfaces produced
by our process are also applicable for embossing from in relievo and intaglio.
We claim;-
First The mode substantially herein described of producing printing surfaces for
printing from in processes in which are employed gelatinous inks, which mode
consists of imparting to lead, or soft metal plates a true and even surface and
thickness by roller pressure and impressing into such prepared lead, or soft metal
plate a gelatine relief by roller pressure in the manner and by the means herein
set forth.
Second The mode substantially herein described of producing printing surfaces
for printing from in processes in which are employed greasy, or fatty inks which
mole consists of imparting to lead, or soft metal plates a true and even surface and
thickness by roller or other pressure and impressing into such prepared lead, or soft
metal plate a grained gelaine relief, or a graining medium by roller or other
pressure in the manner and by the means herein set forth.
Third The use in connection with the process herein described of the steel, or
equivalent metal sheets c, c' and the cardboard, or equivalent elastic sheets d, d¹,
arranged and operating substantially as herein set forth.
In Witness whereof, we, the said Richard Brown and Robert William Barnes
and Joseph Bell, have hereunto set our hands and seals this twenty third
day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and
RICHARD
ROBERT.
JOSEPH
(L.S.)
W.
BROWN.
(Ls.) BARNES
(L.S.) BELL.