Improvements in and relating to Printing in Colours and Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1890

page_text: Complete Specification Left, 11th Jan., 1890-Accepted, 15th Feb,
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
1890
Improvements in and relating to Printing in Colours and Apparatus
therefor.
I PAUL AUGUSTE-GODCHAUX of 10, Rue de la Douane, Paris in the Republic of
France, Printer, 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 has for its object a printing machine, especially adapted for printing
in colours.
Referring to the annexed drawings, which form a part of this specification
-.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine constructed and arranged according to my
invention and consisting (in this case) of four printing appliances grouped symmetri-
cally on a common frame.
Figure 2 is a sectional view of the two printing appliances shown at the left hand
side of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is an end elevation.
Figures 4 to 11 inclusive show some of the varied tracks which the paper may
follow, and are hereinafter more fully explained.
Figure 12 is a section, and
Figure 13 a corresponding elevation of the paper cutting and collecting devices of
my invention.
Figure 14 is an elevation corresponding to Figure 12 but looking from the reverse
side of the machine.
Figure 15 is an elevation of the cutting and collecting mechanism detached.
Referring first to Figures 1, 2 and 3-
In these
A is a pressure cylinder, whose pressure may be regulated by means of a set
screw a.
B is a printing cylinder carrying the stereotyped forme.
b ink feeding roller which feeds the ink from the trough D, and transfers it to an
absorbent roller c; from which it is passed as below described to a metal roller d.
e is a roller of suitable material transferring the ink to the revolving inking
table C.
f represents a lever having a toothed sector g¹ serving to give the lever g a back-
wards and forwards motion in order that the absorbent roller c may pass from the ink
feeding roller b to the metal roller d. h is a cam which oscillates the lever f and is
keyed on the shaft of the table C.
m n, m¹ n' are ink distributing rollers, which are oscillated in the direction of their
axes, by means of levers oo¹, which are themselves actuated by means of grooved
cams (on the axis of the ink table.
represent rollers for absorbing the ink from the inking table C in order to
convey it to the ink distributing rollers m m¹n n'.
S S S are the inking rollers proper which ink the forme.
K K³ K³ K™, gearing, transmitting the motion from one printing appliance to

page_text: LL, reversing gear which may be substituted for one of the gears K¹ for causing
the cylinders to revolve to right or left.
ii, rollers for guiding the paper and for keeping it at a proper tension.
vv, indiarubber rollers for keeping the paper always in contact with the pressure
cylinders A.
p is an eccentric, which, by means of a rod p' and pawl p' turns the feed rollers b of
the ink trough.
B
D is the ink trough.
Z, spool of paper. This spool may be placed in any convenient position relative to
the printing rollers (see Figures 4 to 11).
D¹, ink trough of the upper set.
6', ink feeding roller of the ink trough D¹.
c¹, absorbent roller absorbing the ink from the roller &¹ and communicating it to the
roller e¹.
g', lever giving a backward and forward motion to the roller c¹.
e, composition roller.
table C¹.
, inking rollers having a backwards and forwards axial motion on the inking
kkk, metal rollers connecting the distributors having a slight backwards and
forwards motion.
C', revolving inking table.
rr¹, composition rollers, absorbing the ink on the table in order to convey it to the
inking rollers.
SSSS, rollers inking the formes or stereotype on the printing cylinder B¹.
t t¹¹¹, metal rollers connecting the inking rollers having a backward and forward
motion.
B', upper printing cylinder.
A', pressure cylinder of the upper printing appliance.
P¹, cross piece of the main frame.
11, connecting rods with double screw adjustment for regulating the exact position
of the supports of the inking rollers.
Each printing appliance is composed of the complete apparatus of a simple rotary
machine.
1. A printing cylinder B fixed in a light and, if desired, movable frame. If this
frame is movable. and adjustable, different sized printing cylinders B may be
employed.
2. A pressure cylinder A fixed in a frame of variable size and arranged in such a way
that it maintains a constant pressure on the printing cylinder B whatever may be the
size of the paper; the pressure cylinder A is removed from or brought closer to the
printing cylinder B by means of a set screw a, actuated by a milled head or hand
wheel.
3. An inking arrangement comprising the revolving ink table Cand ink trough D.
The ink is drawn from the ink feeding roller b by the absorbent roller C, which com-
municates it to the metal roller d. The absorbent roller c receives a back and forward
swinging motion by means of a cam h, which acts on the extremity of a lever f
connected with a toothed sector engaging with another toothed sector g¹ which forms
part of the lever g. The ink received from the ink trough by the absorbent roller c
is conveyed on to the metal roller d in contact with roller e, which itself touches the
inking table C... From the table, the ink is distributed by means of the two oscillating.
rollers m and n (which might also or instead be placed at m' and n³, according as the
table and the cylinders turn to right or left as described further on). These distributing
rollers m mnn' have a backwards and forwards axial motion given them by means
of a cam C on the axle of the table C, working on rocking levers o and o'. The
ink feeding roller b is brought into action through an eccentric 'p keyed on the table
axis, by means of a pawl p² and ratchet; an arrangement which allows of the
cylinder 6 being always turned from the same side, whether the table C turn to the
right or left. The ink absorbed from the inking table C by the rollers and is

page_text: carried on to the printing cylinder B by the inking rollers S S S"; a slotted plate
connects the inking rollers SS'. The annexed drawing (Figure 1) will enable the
arrangement of each of these four printing appliances to be easily understood. The
paper, the track of which is represented in several different arrangements in
Figures 4 to 11, is always delivered from a spool such as Z, but the position of this
spool may be varied to suit the track the paper to follow.
The motion is first given to the upper part of the machine by belting or gearing
of any suitable kind.
The upper printing appliance is connected with the lower one by means of the gear
wheels K K K K The gear wheel K₁ can be taken away and replaced by two
spur wheels L L', which reverses the relative motion.
According to the direction given to the printing cylinders, (see Figures 4, 5 and 6)
we can print 4 colours all on one side, the reverse being left blank, see Figure 4 ;
3 colours on the same side and 1 on the reverse, as in Figure 5; or, 2 colours on
one side and 2 on the reverse, as in Figure 6.
All the rollers are preferably placed in frames with adjustable bearings and have
the requisite movements to correspond with all the sizes of cylinders which it is
intended to use.
Printing in several colours on rotary machines presents, as regards the registering
and joining, difficulties hitherto regarded as insurmountable. By a very simple
arrangement, I obtain as perfect a register as is the case in the connecting together
of the flat machines used hitherto for colour printing. This arrangement is composed
of three rollers; one of them, i, which is free to move perpendicularly, serves to loosen
or to check the paper as required, it can also be inclined to right or to left; the
two other rollers vand v¹ press on the pressure cylinder. These rollers are of elastic
substance, such as indiarubber, or any like suitable material; their surface is preferably
smooth, or it may have depressions and reliefs so that the blank parts of the paper fit
over the reliefs and the printed portions sink into the depressions. These rollers serve
to maintain the paper constantly pressed on the pressure cylinder, so that its
unwinding is regular and continuous; by the aid of suitable set screws, these rollers
may be regulated in such a manner as to press the paper more or less on the cylinder.
The rollers and above mentioned can, if desired, be connected. If these rollers
become coated at any time with ink or paper shreds, the substance can be removed by
means of some substances capable of dissolving ink, as for instance, paraffine.
By means of this machine, I can not only print in colours placed side by side,
but also in colours superposed one on another, so as to yield the most varied and
complex shades.
To do this, stereotypes are prepared, as is done in printing in superposed colours with
the flat machines at present in use; they are then curved and fixed on the printing
rollers, or they may be cast in a curved mould; the projecting surfaces of these
stereotypes catch the ink and imprint it on the paper.
The spacing of the machine is so arranged that the ink has time to dry during its
passage from one set of rolls to another. In order that this drying may be complete,
I may also cause the paper to pass over plates heated by gas or otherwise, or I
employ a special drying system which consists in placing in the track of the paper
a certain number of metal cylinders in which I cause steam, hot air or the like to
circulate; the number of these cylinders is greater or less and their dimensions are
variable according to circumstances, which consequently allows of the printing of as
many colours one on top of another as is desired. I may also make use of another
special drying process, which consists in placing in suitable positions a number of
fans R (Figures 1 and 2) having a rapid revolution; a powerful current of air is
produced by the action of the vanes of these fans (of various shapes and dimensions,
suitable to the requirements) which effects the drying of the impressions; it may
often be of advantage to print various colours one upon the other without letting
them dry completely; by special combinations of colours I thus obtain more varied
and different results than those which the same colours produce if superposed when
dry.

page_text: As the printed surface of the paper passes between the pressure cylinder A or Al
and the guide rolls and vl, the latter may become coated (maculated) after a time if
the ink be not well dried; to avoid this maculation I may employ guide rollers
covered with materials to which ink does not adhere; I obtain especially very good
results with tale and paraffine.
The machine I have described comprises a group of four printing cylinders, but it
is to be distinctly understood that this number may be varied; it can be doubled or
even trebled so as to have as large a number of printing cylinders as may be desired
this machine can also be divided into two parts, and two cylinders only used simul-
taneously for printing, printing can even be performed with each appliance separately.
I have represented, on sheets 3 and 4 of the drawings, various combinations which I
may adopt, but they are in no sense limited to these, I can also divide one or more of
the ink troughs into two or more compartments and place in each of them ink of a
different colour.
With this machine, different sized impressions may be produced or different sizes
of paper may be printed; the printing and pressure cylinders are fitted up according
to the directions given in my previous patent specifications Nos. 3479 of 1887
1655 of 1888, the arrangements therein described being applicable to the machine
represented on the annexed drawings.
Referring now more particularly to Figures 12 to 15 inclusive :-
:-
The printing machine is provided with a paper cutter with two or more collectors
for the detached portions, the special mechanical arrangement of which is represented
in Figures 12 to 15. E and F are the cutting rollers which are geared as hereinafter
described to make the same number of revolutions as the printing cylinders of the
machine. My machine being for various sizes, the linear speed of the printing
cylinders varies with the diameter of the cylinders employed, whilst the speed of the
cylinders of the paper cutter remains unchanged, seeing the latter are always of the
same diameter; the result of this would be that the cutter blade Y would have some-
times a different linear speed to that of the paper, which would cause tearing in case
the blade Y had a greater speed than the paper, or a temporary stoppage in the
opposite case which would cause the paper to crumple up, preventing it from being
presented straight to the guide rollers I and J. The paper cutter of my invention
overcomes this disadvantage by causing the cutter blade to have the same linear speed
as the paper, whatever be the size of the printing cylinder employed.
In order that the speed of the blade may be constantly similar to that of the paper,
I actuate the rollers E F by means of two elliptical or eccentrically geared wheels M N,
the fixing of one of which, N, on the axle of the cutting cylinder may be made variable.
By making the blade Y correspond with the greater or less axis of the ellipse or with
intermediate positions, I am able to give the cutter blade exactly the same speed as
the paper.
G H I J are two pairs of rollers which are mounted in stationary bearings and serve
to feed the paper coming from the printing machine through the cutting rollers E F.
The regulation of the speed of revolution of the rollers G H I J corresponding to
the various sizes is obtained by means of the cones WX; the latter of which is
actuated from the printing machine itself by means of bevel gearing. The speed
desired is attained according to the position of the belt on these cones. Another
belt Tt drives the rollers. Two rollers O P, between which the pieces of paper pass
after leaving the rollers I J, are fixed on a lever which gives them an up and down
motion by means of the cam Qwhich sends the paper either in the direction of the
exit Q R S T or in the direction U V.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
:-
1. A machine for printing in colours, consisting of the combination of a number of
rotary printing appliances adjustably mounted in a common frame, each appliance
being provided with pressure rolls and inking devices, the whole being so geared

page_text: together that a continuous piece of paper may be fed from one to another, being suit-
ably guided and kept in proper tension, whereby each or any of the printing appliances
may be caused to print the desired colour in its proper place relative to the others,
substantially as described and shown.
2. A process for printing in colours, which consists in passing the paper through a
series of printing appliances, each printing a special colour, and in so guiding and
feeding the paper that one or both of its sides may receive the colours desired, sub-
stantially as described with reference to Figures 4 to 11 of the accompanying
drawings.
3. In a colour printing machine such as described, the employment of fans, or
heated cylinders or plates for drying the ink printed upon the paper by one appliance,
before it passes into the next appliance, and thus preventing smudging or running of
the colours, substantially as described.
4. In a printing machine such as described, the employment of ink troughs, one or
more of which are divided into two or several compartments adapted to contain
differently coloured inks, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
5. In combination with a machine adapted to print with different sized printing
cylinders, an automatic paper cutter consisting of a pair of rollers, one of which carries
a cutter blade, the other acting as a pressure roller, the said rolls being coupled
together by movable elliptical or eccentric gearing, whereby the said cutter blade may
be adjusted to have the same linear speed as the paper at the moment of cutting, the
said paper being fed and guided by suitably actuated appliances, substantially as
described and shown.
Dated this and dave of Lon
1900
1800
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.