Improvements in or connected with the Illustration of Letterpress.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 30th July, 1895-Accepted, 5th Oct., 1895
COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with the Illustration of Letterpress.
1, ROBERT JOHNSTON FINLEY, of No. 13 Astor Place in the City, County and
State of New York, United States of America, Publisher, 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 :-
"
In printing periodicals, books, and the like, in which the letterpress is interspersed
with illustration blocks, such as "half-tone engravings, wood-cuts or the like,
experience shows that a paper of quality and surface acceptable for letterpress
impression frequently fails to re-produce the cuts or engravings satisfactorily.
For the finer work a paper of superior quality, that is, having a smoother or more
polished surface is often chosen when printing from a composite form having cuts
or engravings interspersed with the usual letterpress. Such practice is objectionable
(a) since it compels the use of high-grade expensive paper for letterpress work
where a lower grade would serve as well and oftentimes better; (b) if the paper
selected be of two qualities suited respectively for the plain letterpress and for the
letterpress associated with cuts or engravings, the pages of the completed magazine
or book lack uniformity and are not so pleasing in appearance; (c) paper of
smoother glossy surface suited for fine cut-printing affects the eye-sight more than
the rough or dull surfaced paper adapted for the letterpress. By the present
improved method illustrated letterpress is printed upon paper having a body
such as would be deemed acceptable solely for the letterpress but as unsuited for
taking impressions from the cuts or engravings.
In the art of printing from a composite form made up of type matter and variably
distributed illustration cuts requiring a different surface from the type matter,
the invention consists in preparing a finished web or sheet of paper not suitable
for the desired printing of such cuts by treating the paper (preferably by coating)
at arbitrary parts pre-determinately selected in keeping with the variant distri-
bution in the form of the cut or cuts and thereafter simultaneously presenting both
the type matter and cuts to the said sheet or web for printing.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a diagrammatical vertical section view of one style of apparatus
designed to coat a paper web or sheet at definitely selected spots according to the
invention.
Figure 2, perspective view of another form of machine.
Figure 3, cross-section view of a pair of the coating rolls, and
Figure 4, a plan view of the upper roll (Figure 3).
Referring to Figure 1, A designates the web of paper to be coated, this web
passing in the direction of the arrow from roll A' over feed rollers B, C, thence
around the drying rollers D, E, and between the calendering rollers F, F. Above
rollers B, C are mounted the rollers B₁, C' around which and over roll H passes
the endless belt G. These various rollers will be mounted in a suitable frame and
will be geared together to effect their unison movement. The belt G has a
series of openings 9 corresponding in number, size and arrangement with the
umber, size and arrangement of the engravings or cuts in the illustrated letterpress
ype forms.
Within the belt G, which is driven by the various rollers around
which it passes, is placed a tray J. This contains a material suitable for coating
hose parts of the web or sheet of paper that are to receive the impression from
he engravings or cuts with which the letterpress is interspersed. To the
underside of tray J are connected a series of atomizer jets through which
D

page_text: After
compressed air is delivered by pipe J. As the web of paper A is fed in the
direction of the arrow beneath the perforated belt G the atomizer jets ; will spray
a requisite amount of the coating material on to those parts of the web or sheet A
that are exposed through the openings or perforations in the belt C. As these
openings correspond in number and position with the parts of the web or sheet A
to receive the impressions of the illustrations, the coating of the web or sheet
will be effected at such points only, the other parts remaining un-coated.
the coating has been applied by the jets ; to the definitely selected portious, the
web or sheet A will pass around the heated rollers D to dry the coating and will
pass between the heated calendering or polishing rollers F, F to receive a perfectly
smooth surface or finish on the coated portions. From the rollers F, F¹ the web may
be delivered either directly to the printing press or be wound upon a roller in readiness
for subsequent use upon a press provided with a type form having letterpress
and illustration cuts arranged thereon in keeping with the un-coated and coated
portions of the prepared web or sheet A. To remove from the inner face of
belt G any excess coating, a scraper K and brush K' are provided which clean the
inner face of the belt.
Another simple form of apparatus is illustrated by Figure 2. In this the web of
paper is ted from roll A' over table L above which are mounted suitable fountain
brushes or pads M serving to apply a coat to the definitely selected spots or
portions of the web which are to receive the impressions from the engravings or
cuts. The web or sheet will be fed across the table L by means of rollers (not
shown) corresponding to the rollers C, 1), E and F, illustrated in Figure 1 or by
other suitable arrangement of rollers. The brushes M are connected by flexible
tubes m with a trough N; said trough contains the liquid coating. Brushes M are
adjustably mounted upon rods O, the ends of which are adjustably held upon side
rods Opivoted at o to a fixed portion of the main frame. The free ends of
rods are furnished with triction rollers o' that bear upon the rins of the cam
wheels P mounted upon a driven shaft p. The periphery of wheel P holds arms O¹
at such height that the brushes or pads M are normally out of contact with the
surface of the paper web. But when the rollers o' at the ends of the arms O¹ drop
into the notches p' of the wheels P the brushes M will come into contact with the
surface of the web A and apply thereto the coating material so long as the brushes
are in the depressed position. The notches p' on the wheels P will be formed in
number and arrangement corresponding with the number and position of the
illustrations as these occur in the type form. For example, it in the make-up of
the type form there are two pages containing illustrations the brushes M will apply
the coating material to such portions of the web of paper as receive the impression
from these illustrations, after which the web A will be subsequently cut up into
sheets. Any desired number of brushes M or pads may be employed and the
shaft P be fitted with any desired number of cam wheels P to operate upon the
carrier frames. The brushes M can be adjusted laterally upon the rods O and as
these rods are longitudinally adjustable upon the side bars or rods O¹, it is
manifest that the brushes M can apply the coating at any desired point.
Various kinds of coating material acceptable for the purpose in view can be
used. One composition consists of baric sulphate with water admixed to the
consistency of thin cream. Ordinary glue (1%-5%) can be added.
composition is made by admixing English clay (first quality) with water to the
consistency of cream and adding about 0.5% ammonia. Still another, by
admixing sufficient water with English white clay to form a cream-like slip and
then adding enough rice-starch to iusure adhesion of the coating to the surface of
the paper.
Other sorts of coating will be easily suggested by the skill of the
mechanic.
Another
In the apparatus shown by Figures 3 and 4, the coating is applied to the
selected portions of the web or sheet by means of a roller R to the surface of which
raised blocks or pads r are attached corresponding in size, number and arrange-
Pads r
ment, with those parts of the type form assigned to the illustration cuts.

page_text: have the liquid coating applied thereto by a roller S revolving within a trough S₁
which contains the coating material The sheet or web is fed by suitable rollers
between the rollers R, R₁ and the coating material is applied at pre-determined
spots by means of the blocks or pads r.
The composite form being made up in readiness to go to press it is obvious that
the location of the illustration blocks or cuts in such form then becomes determined.
A sample impression can thereupon be taken and a temporary endless belt G
(Figure 1) be prepared or the brushes (Figure 2) or pads (Figure 4) be
adjustably set so that the coating of the main web or sheets may proceed
preliminary to the printing of the particular composite form.
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 :―
That improvement in the art of printing illustrated letterpress which consists in
imparting a smoother or more suitable surface or finish to those special parts of
the web or sheet of paper pre-determinately selected to receive the impress of the
illustrations by treating such parts preferably with a suitable surface coating after
the web or sheet has been finished and thereafter simultaneously printing upon the
web or sheet both the illustrations and the letterpress.
Dated this 16th day of July 1895
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.