Improvements in Oil Cloth and other Fabric Printing Presses.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Sept., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Jan., 1891-Accepted, 7th Mar.. 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Oil Cloth and other Fabric Printing Presses.
I, WISNER HELME TOWNSEND, Manufacturer, of 66, Broadway, in the City,
County, and State of New York, United States of America, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to certain improvements in machines for printing oilcloth
and other fabrics and more especially to certain improvements on the oil cloth
printing machine patented in the United States of America by Charles Rommel,
No. 137,962 and dated April 17, 1873 whereby the parts of the machine are
operated in a more effective and reliable manner and thereby the printing of the
oil cloth rendered more uniform and exact.
The invention consists of an oil-cloth printing machine which comprises a
vertically-reciprocating and intermittently-rotating printing roller; a continuously-
rotating spider frame having a number of pivotted colouring rollers and colour
fountains supported below the same, and a printing bed on which the cloth to be
printed is retained by suitable clamping devices, the cloth being fed forward as
soon as one section of the cloth is printed by all the locks of the printing roller.
The invention consists further in certain details of construction, such as the
detachable arrangement of the blocks on the sides of the printing roller the means
by which continuous rotary motion is imparted to the spider frame, the balanced
bearings for the printing roller whereby the vertically-reciprocating motion of the
same is facilitated, and such further additional details which will be fully described
hereinafter.
My improved oil-cloth printing machine consists of a supporting frame con-
structed of wood or other suitable material and of a sufficient size and strength to
support different parts of the machine. The printing roller is constructed with a
number of sides to which detachable printing blocks are applied. The printing
roller is of an octagonal prismatic form, but any number of sides may be used,
according to the number of colours to be printed at each rotation of the printing
roller. The printing roller receives an intermittent vertically reciprocating motion
from eccentrics on the main shaft which is supported in suitable bearings at the top
of the supporting frame the shaft of the printing roller being suspended by rods and
straps from said eccentrics and guided in this motion by fixed vertical guide pieces
which are attached to the sides of the supporting frame. The weight of the
printing roller is balanced so as to permit the casy up and down motion of the same
by means of vertically guided hanger frames, which are suspended from wire or
other cords that are passed over guide pulleys at the top part of the supporting
frame and attached to the upper arm of bell-crank levers which are pivotted to the
upper corners of the supporting frame. To the lower arms of the bell crank levers
are applied pivot rods which are extended below the floor and weighted at the lower
ends sufficiently so as to counterbalance the printing roller in connection with strong
band springs attached to the upper ends of the hanger frames.
The printing blocks are attached to the printing roller by means of longitudinal
dovetailed grooves in their rear sides, said grooves being advantageously lined with
sheet metal so as to permit the ready removal and replacing of the printing blocks
from the dovetailed tongues on the sides of the printing roller. The shafts of the
colouring rollers are supported in slots at the outer ends of radial arms of a con-
tinuously rotating spider frame, which receives its motion from the main shaft by
intermediate transmitting shafts which are supported in bearings at the top part of
the frame and by suitable bevel wheels on the main shaft and intermediate shafts.
To both ends of the shaft are applied pinions which gear with intermediate gear

page_text: wheels that are also placed in mesh with two larger gear wheels at the outer
circumference of the spider frame. The shaft of the spider-frame turns in suitable
bearings of the frame."
From the shafts of the colouring rollers are suspended colour fountains by which
the required colour is applied to the rollers and from the same to the printing
blocks. The shafts of the colouring rollers are extended beyond the slotted arms
of the spider frame and guided along fixed segments after the rollers have passed
over the printing blocks so as to be retained at the outer ends of the slots of the
spider-frame.
The colouring rollers at the lower part of the spider frame and their colour
fountains are supported by their own weight at the outer ends of the slotted
arms the shafts leaving the segments when the rollers are at the lower part of the
spider frame. The portions of the segments which are next adjacent to the printing
roller are made straight so that the shafts of the printing rollers move along the
same and carry the colouring rollers evenly over the blocks of the printing roller.
Additional straight guide pieces are arranged alongside of the straight ends of the
segments and pressed by means of spiral springs against the ends of the shafts of
the rollers so that thereby a certain resistance is given to the action of the rollers
in passing over the printing blocks. The colouring rollers adapt themselves thereby
to the different patterns on the face of the blocks. The slots in the ends of the
arms of the spider-frame and the springs permit the adjustment of and impart the
required flexibility to the colour rollers. Mutilated pinions or gear wheels are
arranged at both ends of the shafts of the colouring rollers and placed in mesh with
racks at both ends of the printing blocks whenever the colouring rollers pass over
said blocks, for the purpose of guiding the rollers over the same and distributing
the color evenly over the blocks.
Downwardly projecting lugs are arranged at both ends of the color fountains and
at the side which is adjacent to the printing blocks said lugs serving to move along
smooth ledges at the ends of the printing blocks so as to prevent the upsetting or
tilting of the colour fountains.
The colour is adjusted on the colouring rollers in the usual manner by means of
blades or doctors" arranged alongside the same. The color fountains may be
divided into two or more parts by transverse partitions, so as to allow thereby a
number of colours to be used on one block. The gear wheels at both ends of the
spider frame impart a steady-continuously-rotating motion to the same so that the
colouring rollers are evenly moved over the printing blocks as they are presented
successively to the rollers, the intermittently-rotary motion of the spider frame
being so timed that one of the printing blocks faces one of the colouring rollers,
as they are moved up towards the former by the rotation of the spider frame.
The intermittent rotary motion is imparted to the printing roller from the main
shaft by a crank-dise at one end of the same, which disc is connected by a pivot-rod
with an oscillating arm that engages by a pawl a ratchet wheel the shaft of which
turns in bearings of the frame.
The oscillating arm turns loosely on the shaft of the ratchet wheel so as to follow
freely the motion of the crank disk. To the ratchet wheel is attached a gear wheel
which meshes with a pinion. A bevel wheel on the shaft of the pinion meshes with
a bevel wheel on the shaft of an upright toothed cylinder which meshes with teeth
formed at the end of the printing roller.
When the roller is raised by its eccentrics it is simultaneously turned by the
transmitting mechanism described without passing out of mesh with the toothed
cylinder so that another printing block is brought in contact with a colouring
roller. By the downward motion of the printing roller one of the printing blocks
is brought in contact with the cloth on the printing bed so that the colour on the
same is deposited on the cloth to be printed.
It is customary to use seven blocks for printing while the eighth block-the so
called finishing block-is not supplied with colour as it serves to mingle or blend
those printed on the cloth. The fountain of that colouring roller which passes

page_text: over the nisning DIOCK is therefor not supped with colour, so as to impart HO
colour to the same.
The same object may also be reached by constructing the spider-frame with as
many rollers as there are blocks on the printing roller and providing a blind or
false roller for the finishing block.
The printing action takes place quickly by the vertically-reciprocating motion
imparted to the printing roller at the time when a printing block is vertically
above the printing bed. The colour fountains are moved out of the way by the
ledges on the printing blocks which ledges press against the lugs of the fountains
so that the roller can pass over the surfaces of the printing blocks.
When all the blocks have been printed and the finishing block has blended the
colours on the printed section of the cloth it is necessary to feed the cloth forward,
so as to expose the next adjacent part of the cloth to the blocks of the printing
roller.
For this purpose a feed mechanism is arranged by which the cloth is inter-
mittently moved forward over the printing bed. The feed mechanism receives its
motion from the driving shaft by means of eccentrics and long rods having hooked
shaped lower ends which rods act in the nature of pawls on ratchet wheels that
are arranged at the lower part and at diagonally opposite ends of the supporting
frame. The ratchet wheels mesh by suitable gear wheels with a shaft at one end
of the supporting frame said shaft carrying fixed pulleys. One ratchet wheel has
as many teeth as there are printing blocks and is larger than the other ratchet-
wheel and is placed loosely on the shaft of the latter so as to be carried along by
the pawl over the teeth of the fixed ratchet wheel when the printing roller has
completed its rotation. A deep notch of the loose ratchet wheel allows the pawl
to take hold of the fixed ratched wheel so as to turn the shaft on its axis and move
thereby a sliding frame and the cloth clamped thereto. The sliding frame is con-
nected by cords with pulleys on the shaft and with pulleys on the shaft of the cloth
roller at the opposite end of the machine. The cloth roller is loose on its shaft
so as to turn when the sliding frame is moved for feeding the next section of the
cloth on to the printing bed.
The transmission of the motion from the ratchet wheels to the shaft must be so
timed and calculated that the sliding frame is moved forward at the proper time
and for the required distance, so that a new section of the cloth is placed over the
printing bed into position for the action of the printing blocks of the roller. The
pawl and ratchet wheels at the opposite end of the supporting frame serve to impart
motion to the pulleys on the shaft of the cloth-roller so as to bring the sliding
frame back into its former position as soon as the forward feeding of the cloth is
accomplished.
The cloth is pressed on the sliding frame as well as on the printing bed by
clamps which hold the cloth in position thereon. The clamps are operated by
means of two cams which are applied to longitudinal shafts that are supported in
side bearings of the supporting frame parallel to the longitudinal axis of the same.
These cams act alternately on the outer ends of the fulcrumed levers of the clamps
so as to clamp the cloth alternately to the sliding frame and the printing bed, that
is to say, to the sliding frame when the same is moved forward and to the printing
bed after the new section of the cloth is in position thereon.
Motion is imparted to the cams by means of ratchet wheels which are actuated
by pawls operated by arms on the shaft of the printing roller the motion of the
ratchet wheels being transmitted by cogwheels to the shafts and to the eccentrics.
The loose ratchet wheels however have instead of one deep notch, two deep notches
so that when the pawls enter into the first notch the cams which are slightly greater
in length than the printing block, raise the outer ends of the clamp levers and press
the clamp tightly on the cloth so as to carry the same forward as soon as the last
block is lifted from the cloth. The pawls then take hold of the next notch which
turns the short cams and presses thereby the clamps on the cloth so as to secure it
in position on the printing bed. Simultaneously the longer cams are released from

page_text: the levers of the clamps so as to permit the sliding back of the frame into its former
position below the cloth to be printed.
By the successive printing of the colors on the cloth section located on the
printing bed this section is quickly and accurately printed in the different colours
required.
As soon as all the printing blocks and the finishing block have done their work
the forward feeding of the cloth takes place, so that the next adjacent section of
cloth is brought below the printing roller which is then printed in the manner
described; and so on, until the whole piece is finished.
The machine is also applicable for printing other fabrics, as I do not desire to
confine myself to oil-cloth exclusively.
In this manner the printing of the patterns on the cloth is produced by power in
a quick uniform and economical manner so that the oil cloth or other fabric can be
manufactured at a greatly reduced price.
Printing blocks with any suitable pattern may be placed on the roller, as the
exchanging of the same is readily accomplished by removing them sideways from
the sides of the printing roller and sliding new blocks into position on the same.
I do not claim in this application a spider frame with its colouring rollers and
fountains nor the printing roller and the mechanism by which vertically-reciprocating
motion is imparted to the same. Neither do I claim the device for feeding the
cloth and clamping the same alternately to the sliding frame and the printing bed,
as these features are well known and described in prior Patents; but I claim in this
Application the motion transmitting gearing by which a continuous rotary motion
is imparted to the spider frame and its coloring rollers supported thereon. I also
claim the connection of the printing blocks with the printing roller by means of
dove-tailed tongues and grooves, so as to permit the convenient interchange of
blocks, and, lastly, the improved lever-balance by which the printing roller is
counter-balanced, so that the rotary, as well as the vertically-reciprocating motion
can be easily accomplished.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Oil Cloth and other Fabric Printing Presses.
I, WISNER HELME TOWNSEND, Manufacturer, of 66, Broadway, in the City,
County, and State of New York, United States of America, 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 :-
This invention relates to certain improvements in machines for printing oil cloth
and other fabrics and more especially to certain improvements on the oil cloth
printing machine patented in the United States of America by Charles Rommel
No. 137962 and dated April 17th 1873, whereby the parts of the machine are
operated in a more effective and reliable manner and thereby the printing of the
oil cloth rendered more uniform and exact.
The invention consists of an oil cloth printing machine which comprises a vertically
reciprocating and intermittently rotating printing roller a continuously rotating
spider frame having a number of pivoted coloring rollers and color fountains
supported below the same and a printing bed on which the cloth to be printed is
retained by suitable clamping devices the cloth being fed forward as soon as one
section of the cloth is printed by all the blocks of the printing roller.
The invention consists further in certain details of construction such as the
detachable arrangement of the blocks on the sides of the printing roller the means

page_text: by which continuous rotary motion is imparted to the spider frame the balanced
bearings for the printing roller whereby the vertically reciprocating motion of the
same is facilitated and such further additional details which will be fully described
hereinafter and finally pointed out in the claims.
And in order that my present invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into practice I will proceed to fully describe same with reference to the
drawings hereunto annexed.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my improved oil cloth printing machine.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the same on the line 3-3 Figure 3.
Figure 2 is a detail vertical section of one of the printing blocks shown detached
from the printing roller and
Figure 3 is a plan partly in section on the line 1-1 Figure 1 showing the
arrangement of the stationary printing bed the feeding devices and the intermittently
actuated clamping devices for the cloth to be printed.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
Referring to the drawings A represents the supporting frame of my improved oil
cloth printing machine. The frame A is built of wood or other suitable material
and of a sufficient size and strength to support different parts of the machine. B is
the printing roller which is constructed with a number of sides to which detachable
printing blocks B' are applied. The printing roller B is shown in the drawings of
an octagonal prismatic form but any number of sides may be used according to the
number of colors to be printed at each rotation of the printing roller. The printing
roller B receives an intermittent vertically reciprocating motion from eccentrics
on the main shaft S which is supported in suitable bearings at the top of the
supporting frame A the shaft of the printing roller being suspended by rods
and straps from said eccentrics and guided in this motion by fixed vertical guide
pieces which are attached to the sides of the supporting frame A. The weight
of the printing roller B is balanced so as to permit the easy up and down motion of
the same by means of vertically guided hanger frames which are suspended from
wire or other cords f' that are passed over guide pulleys at the top part of the
supporting frame A and attached to the upper arm of bell crank levers f³ which
are pivoted to the upper corners of the supporting frame A. To the lower arms of
the bell crank levers f³ are applied pivot rods f* which are extended below the
floor and weighted at the lower ends sufficiently so as to counterbalance the printing
roller B in connection with strong band springs attached to the upper ends of the
hanger frames as shown in Figures 1 and 2.
5
The printing blocks B are attached to the printing roller B by means of
longitudinal dovetailed grooves 3 in their rear sides said grooves being advan-
tageously lined with sheet metal as shown in Figure 2 so as to permit the ready
removal and replacing of the printing blocks from the dovetailed tongues 4 on the
sides of the printing roller B. The shafts of the coloring rollers C are supported
in slots at the outer ends of radial arms of a continuously rotating spider frame D which
receives its motion from the main shaft S by intermediate transmitting shafts S1 S2
which are supported in bearings at the top part of the frame A and by suitable
bevel wheels on the main shaft S and intermediate shafts S1 S2 as shown in Figure 2.
To both ends of the shaft S2 are applied pinions p which gear with intermediate
gear wheels p' that are also placed in gear or mesh with two larger gear wheels p²
at the outer circunference of the spider frame D. The shaft a of the spider
frame D turns in suitable bearings a* of the frame A.
From the shafts of the coloring rollers C are suspended color fountains C' by
which the required color is applied to the rollers and from the same to the printing
blocks B. The shafts of the coloring rollers C are extended beyond the slotted
arms of the spider frame D and guided along fixed segments after the rollers have
passed over the printing blocks B' so as to be retained at the outer ends of the slots
of the spider frame. The coloring rollers at the lower part of the spider frame D

page_text: and their color fountains C₁ are supported by their own weight at the outer ends of
the slotted arms the shafts leaving the segments when the rollers are at the lower
part of the spider frame.
The portions of the segments which are next adjacent to the printing roller are
made straight so that the shafts of the printing rollers move along the same and
carry the coloring rollers C evenly over the blocks of the printing roller B.
Additional straight guide pieces m are arranged alongside of the straight ends of
the segments and pressed by means of spiral springs m¹ against the ends of the
shafts of the roller C so that thereby a certain resistance is given to the action of
the rollers in passing over the printing blocks. The coloring rollers C adapt
themselves thereby to the different patterns on the face of the blocks. The slots in
the ends of the arms of the spider frame and the springs m' permit the adjustment
of and impart the required flexibility to the color rollers C.
Mutilated pinions or gear wheels are arranged at both ends of the shafts of
the coloring rollers C and placed in gear or mesh with the racks at both ends of
the printing blocks B' whenever the coloring rollers pass over said blocks for the
purpose of guiding the rollers over the same and distributing the color evenly over
the blocks.
Downwardly projecting lugs are arranged at both ends of the color fountains C¹
and at the side which is adjacent to the printing blocks B' said lugs serving to move
along smooth ledges at the ends of the printing blocks so as to prevent the
upsetting or tilting of the color fountains C¹.
The color is adjusted on the coloring rollers C in the usual manner by means of
blades or "doctors" arranged alongside of the same. The color fountains C¹ may
be divided into two or more parts by transverse partitions so as to allow thereby a
number of colors to be used on one block.
The gear wheels p² at both ends of the spider frame D impart a steady continuously
rotating motion to the same so that the coloring rollers are evenly moved over the
printing blocks as they are presented successively to the rollers the intermittently
rotary motion of the spider frame D being so timed that one of the printing blocks
faces one of the coloring rollers as they are moved up towards the former by the
rotation of the spider frame.
The intermittent rotary motion is imparted to the printing roller 13 from the
main shaft S by a crank disc d (see Figure 2) at one end of the same which disc is
connected by a pivot rod d' with an oscillating arm d² that engages by a pawl d³ a
ratchet wheel d the shaft of which turns in bearings of the frame A. The
oscillating arm d² turns loosely on the shaft of the ratchet wheel d' so as to follow
freely the motion of the crank disc d. To the ratchet wheel d' is attached a gear
wheel which meshes with a pinion de. A bevel wheel d' on the shaft of the
pinion meshes with a bevel wheel do on the shaft of an upright toothed cylinder d³
which meshes with teeth formed at the end of the printing roller B as shown in
Figure 2. When the roller B is raised by its eccentrics it is simultaneously turned
by the transmitting mechanism described without passing out of mesh with the
toothed cylinder de so that another printing block is brought in contact with a
coloring roller.
By the downward motion of the printing roller one of the printing
blocks is brought in contact with the cloth on the printing bed so that the color on
the same is deposited on the cloth to be printed.
It is customary to use seven blocks for printing while the eighth block—the so
called finishing block or "masher "-is not supplied with color as it serves to
mingle or blend those printed on the cloth. The fountain of that coloring roller
which passes over the finishing block is therefore not supplied with color so as not
to impart any color to the same.
The same object may also be reached by constructing the spider frame D with as
many rollers as there are blocks on the printing roller and providing a blind or false
roller for the finishing block.
The printing action takes place quickly by the vertically reciprocating motion

page_text: imparted to the printing roller at the time when a printing block is vertically
above the printing bed E. The color fountains are moved out of the way by the
ledges on the printing blocks which ledges press against the lugs of the fountains so
that the roller can pass over the surfaces of the printing blocks.
When all the blocks have been printed and the finishing block or "masher" has
blended the colors on the printed section of the cloth it is necessary to feed the
cloth forward so as to expose the next adjacent part of the cloth to the blocks of
the printing roller. For this purpose a feed mechanism is arranged by which the
cloth is intermittently moved forward over the printing bed. The feed mechanism
receives its motion from the driving shaft S by means of eccentrics and long.
rols having hook shaped lower ends which rods act in the nature of pawls on
ratchet wheels 13 that are arranged at the lower part and at diagonally opposite
ends of the supporting frame A. The ratchet wheels 23 mesh by suitable gear
wheels with a shaft F at one end of the supporting frame A said shaft carrying
fixed pulleys F The ratchet wheel 2 has as many teeth as there are printing
blocks and is larger than the other ratchet wheel and is placed loosely on the
shaft of the latter so as to be carried along by the pawl t¹ over the teeth of the fixed
ratchet wheel t³ when the printing roller has completed its rotation. A deep notch
of the loose ratchet wheel 2 allows the pawl to take hold of the fixed ratchet
wheel so as to turn (by means of the intermediate wheels and ¹) the shaft F
on its axis and move thereby a sliding frame G and the cloth clamped thereto in
the direction of the arrow shown in Figure 3. The sliding frame G is connected
by cords with the pulleys F on the shaft F and with pulleys F on the shaft of
the cloth roller F3 at the opposite end of the machine.
The cloth roller F3 is loose on its shaft so as to turn when the sliding frame G
is moved for feeding the next section of the cloth on to the printing bed E.
The transmission of the motion from the ratchet wheels 23 to the shaft F must
be so timed and calculated that the sliding frame G is moved forward at the proper
time and for the required distance so that a new section of the cloth is placed over
the printing bed into position for the action of the printing blocks of the roller B.
The pawl and ratchet wheels t² at the opposite end of the supporting frame A
serve to impart motion to the pulleys F on the shaft of the cloth roller F³ so as to
bring the sliding frame G back into its former position as soon as the forward
feeding of the cloth is accomplished.
The cloth is pressed on the sliding frame G as well as on the printing bed E by
clamps which hold the cloth in position thereon.
V
The clamps are operated by means of two cams H and H' which are applied
to longitudinal shafts a that are supported in side bearings of the supporting
frame A parallel to the longitudinal axis of the same.
These cams H and H' act
alternately on the outer ends of the fulcrumed levers of the clamps and ¹ so as
to clamp the cloth alternately to the sliding frame G and the printing bed E that is
to say to the sliding frame when the same is moved forward and to the printing bed
after the new section of the cloth is in position thereon.
Motion is imparted to the cams H H¹ by means of ratchet wheels 2 and u³
which are actuated by pawls ut operated by arms on the shaft 6* of the printing
roller B the motion of the ratchet wheels u u³ being transmitted by cog wheels u u
to the shafts a¹ and to the eccentrics H. H¹. The loose ratchet wheels 2 however
have instead of one deep notch two deep notches so that when the pawls u enter
into the first notch the cams H which are slightly greater in length than the
printing block raise the outer ends of the clamp levers and press the clamp v
tightly on the cloth so as to carry the same forward as soon as the last block is
lifted from the cloth. The pawls 2 then take hold of the next notch which turns
the short cams H' and presses thereby the clamps on the cloth so as to secure it
in position on the printing bed. Simultaneously the longer cams H are released
from the levers of the clamps e so as to permit the sliding back of the frame G into
its former position below the cloth to be printed.

page_text: By the successive printing of the colors on the cloth section located on the
printing bed E this section is quickly and accurately printed in the different colors
required.
As soon as all the printing blocks and the finishing block have done their work
the forward feeding of the cloth takes place so that the next adjacent section of
cloth is brought below the printing roller which is then printed in the manner
described and so on until the whole piece is finished.
The machine is also applicable for printing any other fabrics for which it is
suitable as I do not desire to confine myself to oil cloth exclusively.
In this manner the printing of the patterns on the cloth is produced by power in
a quick uniform and economical manner so that the oil cloth or other fabric can be
manufactured at a greatly reduced price.
Printing blocks with any suitable pattern may be placed on the roller as the
exchanging of the same is readily accomplished by removing them sideways from
the sides of the printing roller and sliding new blocks into position on the same.
I do not claim in this application a spider frame with its coloring rollers and
fountains nor the printing roller and the mechanism by which vertically reciprocating
motion is imparted to the same. Neither do I claim the device for feeding the
cloth and clamping the same alternately to the sliding frame and the printing bed
as these features are well known and described in prior patents but I claim in this
application the motion transmitting gearing by which a continuous rotary motion is
imparted to the spider frame and its coloring rollers supported thereon. I also
claim the connection of the printing blocks with the printing roller by means of
dovetailed tongues and grooves so as to permit the convenient interchange of
blocks and lastly the improved lever balance by which the printing roller is
counterbalanced so that the rotary as well as the vertically reciprocating motion
can be easily accomplished that is to say that
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. The combination with a spider frame having radial arms slotted at their outer
ends coloring rollers supported in said slotted arms and color fountains suspended
from the shafts of the coloring rollers of an intermittently rotating and vertically
reciprocating printing roller having a number of printing blocks and transmitting
gear wheels by which a continuous rotary motion is imparted from the driving
shaft to the spider frame substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set
forth.
2. The combination of a printing roller having printing blocks applied to its
sides said printing blocks being provided with racks and ledges at its ends a spider
frame having slotted arms transmitting gear wheels for imparting a continuous
rotary motion to said spider frame coloring rollers supported in the slotted arms of
the spider frame the shafts of said coloring rollers being provided with pinions
meshing with the racks of the printing blocks color fountains suspended from the
shafts of the coloring rollers and provided with lugs that move along the ledges of
the printing blocks so that the coloring rollers can pass over the surface of the
blocks and color the same while the fountains are out of the way substantially as
and for the purposes herein before set forth.
3. The combination with a printing roller mechanism for imparting vertically
reciprocating motion to the same vertical hanger frames for supporting said printing
roller ropes applied to the upper ends of the hanger frames guide pulleys for said
ropes bell crank levers connected with said ropes and weighted rods applied to said
bell crank levers so as to counterbalance the printing roller substantially as and for
the purposes herein before set forth.
4. The combination of a polygonal printing roller having as many sides as
there are colors to be printed each side being provided with longitudinal dovetailed

page_text: tongues and detachable printing blocks having dovetailed grooves engaging said
tongues substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.
Dated this 23rd day of January 1891.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Patentee.