Multiple Colour Printing Machine.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 31st May, 1892-Accepted, 21st Jan., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Multiple Colour Printing Machine.
We RUDOLF ANDRIESSEN, Engineer, FRITZ DANNERT Chemist, both of
116 Alt Moabit, Berlin and JULIUS LINCKE, Merchant, of Gr. Rosen, in the
Grand Duchy of Rosen, all in the German Empire, 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 :-
The object of this invention is to prevent the repeated setting in different chases
of a line of a column or page of the paper surface requiring to be printed, when
the latter has to be printed in several colours, that is to say, to allow of each
line column or type mass being printed in different colours with the machine
hereinafter described, by a single setting of such line in a chase, and a single
insertion thereof in the printing machine this being effected at the will of the
printer.
In the colour printing machines hitherto used, the matter of a column or of
a whole page had to be set in chases as many times as there were colours to be
used and each matter of different colour had to be placed separately in the printing
machine a number of times equal to the number of colours which the paper had to
receive.
This mode of operating, independently of wasting a great deal of time, had the
great defect that the paper has to be laid down very accurately in order to fit the
colours with precision in close proximity to one another.
All these defects led to experiments being undertaken with a view to remedying
them, but the machines made accordingly only half fulfilled the object to be
attained, as owing to the dropping down of the colouring rollers, only one strip
was printed in colour, this strip taking the whole width of the paper without
allowing for interruptions.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 shows the slotted upper plate a and the various arrangements of the
matter.
Fig. 2 shows the truck or lower plate and the roller track for the lifting
blocks.
Fig. 3 shows the upper plate a, the rollers for the lifting blocks, the guard or
9 for the rollers P, the supports r. r. and the lower plate t.
rails
Fig. 4 shows the upper plate a and the slots in the same.
Fig. 5 is a side view of a roller with lifting block, rail or guard for roller
the supports r. r.
Fig. 7 shows a type case h.
Fig. 8 shows a device for fixing the chase and the type-case.
Figs. 9 and 10 show details of the lower t.
Fig. 11 shows a device for fixing the type case.
Fig. 12 shows the lead at the beginning and end of the chase.
Fig. 13 shows the bar or support for the chase.
P and
Fig. 14 shows at an enlarged scale the lower part of Figs. 11 and 13, particularly
the positions of 1 m n.
Fig. 15 shows the upper plate and the slots 6 therein.
To enable each colour to be placed upon each separate part of the paper
requiring to be printed we have constructed our improved machine in such a
manner that the setting or adjusting plate is dependent of a lower plate or truck
which moves forward and backward. Likewise the type or matter is enclosed in
fixed frames or chases (Figs. 7 and 8) which can be raised or lowered at will.
A great number of these chases must obviously be kept in store to fit any given

page_text: size of matter. The upper plate a consists of a board furnished in the direction of
the length of the printing machine, with a number of slots or openings (Figs. 1, 4
and 15). These slots have a width of about one centimetre and extend throughout
the thickness of the plate as clearly shown in the above figures. The rods c
(Fig. 4) move up and down within these slots, there being two different kinds of
rods required for printing.
The first kind is provided, as shown in Fig. 12 with a transverse bar d fixed at
the top thereof and the width of which is double that of the vertical rods e the
projection Fig. 11 being used to fix the type case thereon by means of the
hooks . The lower ends of these rods c carry likewise a transverse bar e which is
arranged to turn with the rods c in order to guide the latter through the slots 6 and
so that these movable bars can be placed at right angles to the rods c and hence to
the said slots.
с
The india-rubber rings fare fixed by means of pins to the lower cross bars e.
The second kind of rods c are furnished at their upper ends with a fixed cross
bark which has no projection and is half the length of the former rods & Fig. 12
being furnished like the latter rods with a movable bar which is much shorter
than the bar e and has no india-rubber ring.
The first kind of rods c are always used at the beginning and at the end of a
chase while the second kind serves to fill the empty space between the beginning
and end rods. Both rods are connected together by pins m. To prevent the to
and fro motion of these rods and to render their access convenient for the com-
positor, they are provided on both sides with lugs n (Fig. 14) which are let in the
said rods.
After the rods are placed together, the lugs n are opened and inserted in the
openings formed accordingly in the adjoining rods, whereby the rods are rigidly
connected together. These rods are used to raise and lower the chases / whenever
required and it is obvious that for such manipulation the whole of the under surface
of the chase need not be fixed to the above mentioned rods but may be changed
according to size.
When the matter to be printed assumes large dimensions, for instance extends
over two columns, a row of such rods would be required on both sides of the
above chases, while when the matter occupies only a small surface such as a
column, a row of rods under the centre of the chases would be sufficient to be
able to raise and lower uniformly the said chases and the type which they
contain.
As it may occur that when a chase is raised it may not sink again, the rods
descending by means of the india-rubber rings, it is necessary to firmly connect the
chases with the upper cross bars of the rods c.
The chases have a strong bottom which is perforated at two opposite ends as
shown in Fig. 8 to receive a peg o which is used to fix the chases to the two
hooks i. i. (Figs. 8 and 11) so that the chases are compelled to follow the up and
down motion of the rods. Above the chases are placed the coloring rollers, the
number of which varies according to the size of the machine; in the case illustrated
there are five coloring rollers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and a black inking roller v.
various coloring rollers come first and are followed by the inking roller, the former
being placed higher than the latter to prevent, during the motion through the
slots, the type requiring to be colored black from striking against the coloring
rollers.
The
Exactly below the coloring rollers and below the adjusting plate, there are as
many rows of lifting blocks as there are coloring rollers, that is to say, in the
present case four rows 1ª 2" 3" 4". These lifting blocks do not move with the
machine, they merely ascend and descend, and raise the chases as shown in
Fig. 4.
On each side of these blocks are arranged two spiral springs which have for
their object to assist the motion of the same so that they may be easily raised
and brought down again into their former position. The lower surface of these

page_text: blocks is plane and is provided with two wheels p which are so arranged that in
the blocks 1 the two wheels are placed on the outer side, in the blocks 4* they are
in the centre while in the blocks 2ª and 3" they are mounted so as not to come in
the way of either of the other wheels. To prevent too great a thud against these
wheels from the plate arranged below them and hereinafter to be described, the
wheels are protected as far as the outermost part of their periphery, with slant
rails & Figs. 3 & 5. The number of lifting blocks in a row depends upon that of
the columns, or of the chases to be colored or of the matter in the frames which
has to be impressed crosswise on the paper which is being printed. On both sides
of each row of lifting blocks are arranged two side supports r. r. which consolidate
the same and are provided with slots wherein the pins s of the lifting blocks move
up and down. The platform t (Figs. 2, 3, 4, 9, and 10) which has for its object to
operate the raising and lowering of the type chases, must have precisely the same
length and breadth as the upper plate, and is moved uniformly forward and back-
ward with the aid of suitable toothed wheels and racks W & R. This platform is
really a box which is filled partly with dies and partly with quadrangular and
rectangular prisms the under surface of which is plugged like that of the dies.
The blocks or prisms which have a different form to that of the dies, are used,
when the latter are standing, for raising the lifting blocks which in their turn raise
the type cases.
The action of the mechanism is as follows: After the compositor has selected the
required chase and has filled it with type, he fixes the same by means of the above
described rods, on the parts of the upper printing plate where the matter is to be
placed. Fig. 1 shows several such arrangements.
After the chases of various colors are all fixed on the upper plate the intervals
are filled with the chases which should receive a black impression. The latter
have no rods but a plate which raises the surfaces to be printed black to the proper
height for such printing to take place. After the upper printing plate is thus
arranged, the printer draws forth the under plate and arranges the rectangular
pieces thereof on their quadrangular bases or under surfaces, so that their reliefs
may come into contact with the lifting blocks, as the slide travels through. In
Fig. 2 the raised parts which have for their object to raise the type chases of
different colors, are surrounded by heavy black lines and form exactly the parts
or surfaces shown in Fig. 1. For instance assuming that the surface 6 (Fig. 1) is
to be printed with the color of the coloring roller 2, the lifting blocks 1ª must
pass on before the lifting blocks 2ª come into operation. The printer must
therefore remove the dies from the 1st and 2nd row lengthwise of the matter, and
replace them by prisms which are higher. When the machine starts working, the
raised parts or reliefs slide under the lifting blocks 1ª and strike against the lifting
blocks 2, raising the same and therewith the corresponding type case which is thus
brought against the coloring roller 2, so that the type receives its proper color.
As the slide continues to move, the type chase slides away and returns to its
original position which is lower than that assumed by the types which are to be
colored black.
The slide continuing its forward motion, the black types are colored by the
inking roller 5, while the coloring rollers remain untouched, as they are laying
deeper than the said roller 5.
In order to bring the type in the proper printing surface and to give it a firm
base such as is required for printing, a plate u is so arranged as to come after all
the colors have passed on, exactly below the printing roller v, being of the same
size as the adjusting plate before-mentioned. In front of this plate is a roller to
and in front of the latter is arranged a plate inclined relatively to the said
roller w in order to effect the gradual raising of the colored type chases upon which
bears now the colored adjusting plate ready for printing, while the printing roller
brings the paper required to be printed and placed thereon in the ordinary manner,
being raised off behind the said roller.
To give a second instance of this mode of printing we shall now describe the

page_text: colored type chase No. 7 as shown in Fig. 1. Assuming that this type should now
he colored by the coloring roller 4, the compositor should withdraw for this
purpose the dies from the rows 4 and of the lower plate and replace them by as
many prisms standing on their quadrangular bases, according to the length of the
type chase.
When the machine is set in motion the raised part passes under
the lifting blocks 1, 2, 3, and comes into contact with the lifting block 4", which
is raised and thus effects the coloring of the type by means of the coloring
roller 4.
The remaining stage of the operation is similar to that above described.
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:
A multiple color printing machine in which the printing of any given number of
colors is effected by passing once through the machine the paper or material
requiring to be printed the type being set in suitable chases, substantially as herein
described and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 31st day of May 1892.
HUGHES, SON & Co.,
38, Chancery Lane, London, Agents.