IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR PRINTING SEVERAL COLOURS AT THE SAME TIME
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ernest de Pass, of the Office for British and Foreign
Patents, 68, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent Agent, for an
Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR PRINTING SEVERAL COLOURS
AT THE SAME TIME Communicated to him from abroad by Joseph Krayer
trading as Klein, Forst and Bohn, Nachfolger (Successor) of Johannisberg on
the Rhine, in the German Empire
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ernest de Pass at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th July 1882.
ERNEST DE PASS, of the Office for British and Foreign Patents, 68, Fleet Street,
in the City of London, Patent Agent, IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR PRINTING
SEVERAL COLOURS AT THE SAME TIME Communicated to me from abroad by
Joseph Krayer, trading as "Klein, Forst and Bohn, Nachfolger" (Successor)
of Johannisberg on the Rhine, in the German Empire,
According to this invention the machine consists of an impression cylinder
around which several form-cylinders are suitably mounted. The object of the
impression cylinder is to receive the material to be printed upon, by preference,
paper, and to conduct it to the form-cylinders, so that the form-cylinders will, by
reason of the pressure produced between the same, and between the pressure
cylinder, give off the colour upon them to the material to be printed upon. The
form-cylinders are covered with zinc which, as is well known, has the same
property as lithographic stone, viz; that it will take colour only on the greasy
parts if the rest of the surface is kept damp in a suitable manner. For the
purpose of utilizing this property of the zinc on the form-cylinders, they are
provided not only with a colouring or inking device for laying the colour or ink
upon the zinc, but also with a damping apparatus, which moistens the zinc before
it is exposed to the action of the colouring or inking apparatus. The impression
cylinder and form-cylinders are so connected by toothed gearing that they move
with equal circumferential speed, and that sufficiently heavy pressure is produced
at the line of their contact, to transfer the colour or ink from the form-cylinders to
Dion B31

page_text: the material on the impression cylinder. The impression cylinder, which takes
the material to be printed upon either in separate sheets by means of grippers, or
unwinds it from a roll, conducts the said material past all the form-cylinders
successively for the purpose of impression, and then, after it has received as many
impressions as there are form-cylinders, conveys it out of the machine. As the
material to be printed upon does not change its position during the printing, all
the impressions must necessarily "register.'
If a more saturated colouring or inking be required, it can be attained in two
ways, vis:
The sheet to be printed upon, instead of being conducted to the "taking off"
device, after once passing through the machine, is allowed to pass through the
machine several ares by causing the mechanism which opens the grippers to open
only at every second, third &c &c rotation. Or by causing the machine, instead
of taking a sheet at each revolution to effect this only at each second, or third &c
revolution whilst the sheet is removed after once going round. By this means the
form-cylinders are provided with colour or ink twice, three times, and so on, before
they give off one impression, to which end the impression cylinder, when it is not
to operate, is moved away from the form-cylinder by mechanical means, to such a
distance, that no pressure takes place between them, and it is brought back again
as soon as a sheet to be printed upon passes through the machine.

page_text: E
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Ernest de Pass in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 4th January
1883.
;
ERNEST DE PASS, of the Office for British and Foreign Patents, 68 Fleet Street,
in the City of London, Patent Agent IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR PRINTING
SEVERAL COLOURS AT THE SAME TIME. Communicated to me from abroad by
Joseph Krayer, trading as Klein, Forst and Bohn Nachfolger (Successor) of
Johannisberg on the Rhine, in the German Empire
According to this Invention the machine consists of an impression cylinder
around which several form cylinders are suitably mounted. The object of the
impression cylinder is to receive the material to be printed upon, by preference
paper, and to conduct it to the formcylinders, so that the form cylinders will, by
reason of the pressure produced between the same and between the pressure
cylinder, give off the colours upon them to the material to be printed upon. The
form cylinders are covered with zinc, which as is well known, has the same
property as lithographic stone, vis, that it will take colour only on the greasy
parts, if the rest of the surface be kept damp in a suitable manner. For the
purpose of utilizing this property of the zine on the form cylinders they are
provided not only with a colouring or inking device for laying the colour or ink
upon the zinc, but also with a damping apparatus, which moistens the zinc before
it is exposed to the action of the colouring or inking apparatus. The impression
cylinder and form cylinders are so connected by toothed gearing that they move
with equal circumferential speed, and that sufficiently heavy pressure is produced
at the time of their contact to transfer the colour or ink from the form cylinders to
the material on the impression cylinder. The impression cylinder which takes the
material to be printed upon either in separate sheets, by means of grippers, or
unwinds it from a roll, conducts the said material past all the form cylinders
successively for the purpose of impression, and then, after it has received as many
impressions as there are form cylinders, conveys it out of the machine. As the
material to be printed upon does not change its position during the printing all
the impressions must necessarily "register." The main difficulty of polychrome
printing is thus obviated, as up to the present, one colour could only be printed,
and the paper had to be introduced into the machine as many times as colours
were to be printed, and every irregularity on the part of the "layer on" or of the
machine however had for its consequence that the separate impressions did not
register."
The machine therefore supplies a much felt requirement.
In the accompanying drawings I have assumed that the machine is required to
print two colours, it therefore. has only two form cylinders and one impression
cylinder and the material is to be supplied in single sheets.
A indicates the impression cylinder, B and C the two form cylinders. The
sheet is placed upon the feed table a, in such a manner that a part of the sheet
projects beyond the table or board, so that the grippers 6 of the impression
cylinder may seize the same. As soon as the grippers 6 arrive at this place, they
close and carry the sheet with them, this then first receives an impression from
the cylinder B and then a second impression from the cylinder C. The grippers b
then carry the sheet to the "taking off" cylinder D, and then open, so that the
grippers c in the cylinder D lay hold of the sheet and by the bands or ribbons d
may carry the same to the "taking off" device. The grippers b after passing the
cylinder D remain open so as to close again for seizing a fresh sheet which has
meantime been placed upon the board a, so as to recommence the operation.

page_text: For damping the zinc, damping rollers e¹ e and e³e are provided, and water
is supplied thereto by the rotating cylinders h¹ and hª and the raising rollers g¹ g³.
The inking is effected in the following manner.
In the inkwells the ink is placed which by the conducting rollers k³ k³ is
taken to the raising rollers and from these is transferred to the rotating
rollers m³, m³ from the said cylinders, the ink is carried by the rollers n¹ n³ to
that part of the form cylinders which is not covered with zinc, and is there
rubbed up, so that the inking rollers o², o³, o³, o' and 05 06 07 08 respectively will
transfer the ink or color in a finely divided state to the zinc printing surface.
If a more saturated colouring or inking be required, it can be attained in two
ways. The first method is as follows.
The sheet to be printed upon, instead of being conducted to the "taking off"
device after once passing through the machine is allowed to pass through the
machine several times by causing the mechanism, which opens the grippers, to
open only at every second, third &c rotation. The second method consists in
causing the machine instead of taking a sheet at each revolution to effect this
only at each second or third &c revolution, whilst the sheet is removed after once
going round; by this means, the form cylinders are provided with colour or ink
twice, three times and so on before they give off one impression, to which end the
impression cylinder, when it is not to operate, is moved away from the form
cylinder by mechanical means to such a distance that no pressure takes place
between them, and it is brought back again as soon as a sheet to be printed upon
passes through the machine.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed; I declare that I claim, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent,
A colour printing machine, consisting of several form cylinders B. C, arranged
round an impression cylinder A which form cylinders are covered with zinc plates
prepared for printing, and each provided with a damping apparatus consisting of
the rollers e, e, cylinder h¹ and raising roller g², and an inking device consisting
of an inkwell, conducting roller k³, raising roller A, cylinder m³, raising roller n
and inking rollers o' o³ o³ o*, all acting in the manner specified and shown in the
drawings.
In witness whereof I the 'said Ernest de Pass have hereunto set my hand
and seal this Second day of January in the year 1883