Improvements in Burning or Heating in the Process of Etching Lithographic Work on Lithographic Stones.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Feb., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 27th Sept., 1889-Accepted, 30th Nov., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Burning or Heating in the Process of Etching
Lithographic Work on Lithographic Stones.
I JOHN ALEXANDER REID of No. 36 Ronald Street Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, Lithographer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in burning or heating in the process of
lithography, and has for its object to effect the operation in a simple and economical
manner.
In accordance with my Invention I effect the burning by means of a blow-pipe with
gas and air supplied thereto. I may use a length of india-rubber tubing affixed to the
gas supply of the premises and I employ a piece of brass or similai tubing to take the
Hame into the said tubing I lead an air pipe, the pressure of air being produced from
any convenient source.
I first turn on the gas supply and then turn on the pressure of air supply, the effect
being that the flame is rendered very active, producing an intense heat and the flame
spreads itself over the stone.
The air may be supplied in any convenient manner such as by a large cylinder,
divided into two chambers; the lower chamber is partially filled with water and air is
forced into the said chamber so that it forces the water into the upper chamber and the
said head or weight of water acts as an accumulator for supplying a pressure of air
from time to time, as required an india rubber tube conveying the air from the lower
chamber of the accumulator to the tube of the gas burner; cocks are supplied both
on the air pipe and on the gas pipe for regulating the pressure of either air or gas.
Dated this 10th day of Tabruan 1880
JOHNSONS,
115, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Petitioner's Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Burning or Heating in the Process of Etching
Lithographic Work on Lithographic Stones.
I, JOHN ALEXANDER REID, of No. 36, Ronald Street, Glasgow, in the County
of Lanark, North Britain, Lithographer, 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 which relates to improvements in burning or heating in the process
of etching lithographic work on lithographic stones, has for its object to effect the said
burning or heating operation in a simple, efficient, and economical manner.
In accordance with my said Invention I employ a blow-pipe through which I cause
a blast of air and gas to pass, the gas being obtained from the ordinary supply of the
premises and the necessary pressure of air being obtained from any convenient sourco
such as from a head or weight of water.
In using the said gas and air blast in accordance with my invention, the lithographic
drawing, engraving, writing and other kind of work, which is transferred to the stone,
is rolled up in the ordinary way, that is to say, well inked up. The stone having then
been dusted over with very fine rosin, or other suitable material, and rubbed over with
a piece of flannel, felt, or any other soft material, the gas and air blast is then brought
into contact with the face of the stone where the litho work is on. The said blast,

page_text: which is capable of being regulated at will so as to suit the various kinds of work, is
operated backward and forward over the face of the stone as often as it may be
required, until the rosin or other suitable material is melted and amalgamated or
combined with the ink. As soon as the blast is taken off the stone, the amalgamated
rosin, or other suitable material, and ink, hardens, and thus protects the work from
being over etched or destroyed by the acid employed for etching. Nitric and oxalic
or any other acids suitable for lithographic purposes, may now be used at nearly full
strength if desired, thus enabling the work to he raised up on the stone, even type high
if necessary. By this process of etching, long runs of work can be taken off, the work
being as good at the finish as at the commencement.
In order that my said Invention may be readily understood and easily carried into
effect, I will proceed to describe it with reference to the accompanying Drawings,
Figures 1 and 2, of which are front elevation and sectional side elevation of
my improvements, and Figure 3, a plan partly in section of my blow-pipe on a
larger scale.
A. Figures 1, 2 and 3, (more particularly Figure 3,) is a blow pipe, formed of brass
or other metal tubes a, a' each of which is provided with suitable regulating cocks a³, a³,
and formed with a wood, born, or otlier suitable material handle B, so as to enable the
operator to hold it in his hand while operating with it. The use of the tubes a¹,
being for the passage of the air and gas, thus combining them one with the other. The
gas tube or passage a, passes from end to end of the blow-pipe, and has the handle B,
mounted on it as also the regulating cock a³, and has provision formed on it for
allowing the air tube a¹, to pass through its side into the centre and thence along until
near its one end, this air tube a', having the regulating cock a³, formed on or attached
to it, and to enable the blast to be better regulated, I mount at the lighting end A', of
the tubes, a suitable bell or cup mouth C, made of brass or other suitable metal.
The whole arrangement being such that on the supply of gas being turned on by
means of the cock a (the said supply being obtained from the gas supply or fittings
of the premises and led from thence to the one end of the tube a, by india-rubber
tubing, or its equivalent,) and the air supply being turned on at cock a³, (the said
air supply being fed from a suitable chamber hereinafter described where it obtains a
certain amount of pressure, by means of india-rubber tubing ', or its equivalent,) it
is then lighted, and gives forth a very active blast of air and gas which spreads over
the surface of the stone with an intense heat, owing to the pressure of the air foreing
the gas. The said blast being at the same time under the entire control of the operator,
who may regulate it at will by means of the cocks a², a³.
In order to obtain the required pressure on the air so as to cause the blast, I may employ
a large cylinder, oblong box, or as shown, a square box D, (Figures 1 and 2) having
a suitable cover or lid D¹, and made of wood, iron, or other suitable material and lined
with zinc, lead, tin, or other suitable material d, and divided into two chambers E and F,
by means of the partition ', this box having the necessary openings for inlet and outlet
pipes, and cleaning out plug. G, formed in it.
The inside of the lower chamber E, being filled with water, the air is pumped into
it through the pipe H, by means of any suitable air pump J, which may be operated
by hand or steam power. On the air being forced into this chamber it forces the
water into the well or recess k, formed in the bottom of the box and thence up through
the perpendicular tube K, (which may be covered if desired with a small grating )
into the top chamber F, thus forming a head or weight of water which presses on the air,
and gives the necessary pressure, the supply of pressed air to the blow-pipe being
drawn off from the top of a small equalizing chamber L, which I form of zinc, lead,
tin or other suitable material and which is mounted by suitable means near the top of
the upper chamber F, the drawing off being regulated by the cock 1, to which is
attached the india-rubber tubing , of the blow-pipe, the air being led into this
equalizing chamber I, from the lower chamber E, by means of the pipe M, which may
be provided if desired with a coupling m, and bell mouth rose m¹.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
In burning or heating in the process of etching lithographic work on lithographic
stones, the combined use of gas and air, through the medium of a blow-pipe, to produce
a blast all substantially as and for the purposes bereinbefore described and shown in
the accompanying Drawings.
Dated this 26th day of Sentember 1889
JOHNSONS,
115, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicant's Agents.