IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR MACHINERY FOR PRINTING TEXTILE FABRICS OR MATERIALS
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Jackson Davies, of Carlisle, in the County of
Cumberland, Calico Printer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS OR MACHINERY FOR PRINTING TEXTILE FABRICS OR MATERIALS."
Sealed the 31st October 1861, and dated the 11th May 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Jackson Davies
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 11th May 1861.
I, HENRY JACKSON DAVIES, of Carlisle, in the County of Cumberland,
Calico Printer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR MACHINERY FOR PRINTING TEXTILE FABRICS OR
MATERIALS," to be as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention relates to the arrangement and construction of apparatus or
machinery for facilitating the process of printing textile fabrics or materials.
The apparatus is adapted for printing two or other number of colours at one
operation upon the fabric or material.
Under one modification the apparatus consists of a pot or vessel divided
into a number of cells or compartments for containing the several colours to
be employed in the printing of the fabric or material. The colours placed in
the cells are conveyed by means of suitable ducts to a hollow block, the

page_text: surface of which is cut out to correspond to the pattern to be printed. The
several compartments of this block are made to communicate with the colour
ducts, so that the several colours may be caused to flow up into the com-
partments at pleasure. A portion of the several colours is conveyed by means
of a lifter, and put upon a sieve, which is arranged upon a serving tub near at
hand. This sieve is formed of parts which are raised or stand in relief above
the general surface, and these raised parts, are made to correspond in figure
to the pattern required. The colours, which are transferred to the sieve by
means of the lifter, are then spread evenly over the surface of the sieve by
means of a roller, the periphery of which is also cut in relief with a pattern
corresponding to the raised portions of the sieve. In this way, as the roller
passes over the sieve, the figures on its surface register with those of the sieve,
and thus prevent any blending or confusion of the pattern arising from the
intermixture which would otherwise occur. The sieve has fixed to each side
of it a rack on which two wheels move to and fro. These wheels are keyed
to the shaft of the colour-distributing roller, which is thus caused to traverse
easily and accurately over the surface of the sieve, and to distribute the colours
thereon in an even and perfectly uniform manner. Motion may be imparted
to the roller shaft by means of a winch handle, or in any other convenient
The several colours being uniformly distributed on the sieve, the
printer proceeds according to the ordinary mode for impressing these colours
upon the textile fabric or materials to be operated upon.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Jackson Davies in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 11th November 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
JACKSON DAVIES, of Carlisle, in the County of Cumberland, Calico Printer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Henry Jackson Davies, Her special license that I, the said Henry
Jackson Davies, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Henry Jackson Davies, my executors, administrators, or assigns,

page_text: should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for
IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR MACHINERY FOR PRINTING TEXTILE FABRICS.
OR MATERIALS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Henry.
Jackson Davies, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, or under the hand and seal of one of them, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be
filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Jackson Davies, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings; and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My said Invention relates to the arrangement and construction of machinery,
apparatus, or means for facilitating the process of printing textile fabrics or
materials. The machinery or apparatus is adapted for printing two or other.
number of colours at one operation upon the fabric or material.
Under one modification the improved apparatus consists of a vessel divided
into a number of cells or compartments for containing the several colours to
be employed in the printing of the fabric or material. The colours placed in
the cells are conveyed by means of suitable ducts to a hollow map, the surface
of which is cut out to correspond to the pattern to be printed. The several
compartments of this map are made to communicate with the colour ducts, so
that the several colours may be caused to flow up into the compartments at
pleasure. A portion of the several colours is conveyed by means of a lifter,
and put upon a sieve, which is arranged upon a serving tub near at hand.
This sieve is formed of parts, which are raised or stand in relief, above the
general surface, and these raised parts are made to correspond in figure to the
pattern required. The colours, which are transferred to the sieve by means of
the lifter, are then spread evenly over the surface of the sieve by means of a.
roller, the periphery of which is either cut in relief with a pattern corre-
sponding to the raised portions of the sieve, or left plain, as the pattern may
require. In this way, as the roller passes over
the sieve, the figures on its
surface "register" or fit and work in concert with those of the sieve, and thus

page_text: prevent any blending or confusion of the pattern arising from the intermixture
which would otherwise occur. The swimming tub has fixed to each side of it
a rack, on which two wheels move to and fro. These wheels are keyed to
the shaft of the colour-distributing roller, which is thus caused to traverse
easily and accurately over the surface of the sieve, and to distribute the colours
thercon in an even and perfectly uniform manner. Motion may be imparted
to the roller shaft by means of a winch handle, or in any other convenient
The several colours being uniformly distributed on the sieve, the
printer proceeds according to the ordinary mode for impressing these colours
upon the textile fabric or materials to be operated upon.
manner.
. And in order that my said Invention of "Improvements in Printing Textile
Fabrics or Materials" may be properly understood, I shall now proceed to
describe certain actual detailed modifications of the machinery, apparatus, and
means which I prefer to adopt in practice for the carrying out of my plans,
reference being had to the explanatory Sheets of Drawings which I have
hereunto appended.
Figure 1 on Sheet 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a perspective view of
one modification of my improved machinery or apparatus arranged so that
several colours may be simultaneously transferred to and printed on textile
fabrics or materials.
The Figures delineated on Sheet 2 of the accompanying Drawings represent
the separate parts of the apparatus in detail. Figure 1 is a plan of the colour
box; Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the same, taken on the line 1, 1,
Figure 1 and Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section, taken on the line 2, 2,
Figure 1; Figure 4 is a plan of the "swimming tub;" Figure 5 is a longi-
tudinal elevation or side view of the same; and Figure 6 is a transverse
section, taken on the line 3, 3, Figure 4; Figure 7 is a plan of the sieve; and
Figure 8, a transverse vertical section of the same, taken on the lino 4, 4,
Figure 7; Figure 9 is an elevation of the colour roller; Figure 10 is a plan
of the "map" removed from the colour box, Figure 1; Figures 11 and 12 are
a section and plan of the "lifter" for transferring the colours from the "map"
to the sieve.
13
The colour box or receptacle is arranged at one end of the apparatus ; it
consists of a box made of glass, earthenware, or other suitable material, which
is protected externally by the wooden casing A. This colour box is made
higher at one end than the other part, and in this part are formed a number
of cells B arranged parallel to each other, and communicating with longi-
tudinal channels C formed at the bottom of the colour box. In the example

page_text: shown in the accompanying Drawings there are four colour cells B shown, but
the number may be varied according to the number of colours required to
be printed. The channels C form a series of longitudinal chambers, the
bottoms of which are made concave, and slope downwards in the direction of
the spouts D, the egress of the colours being prevented by sliding doors, or.
other equivalent means. Above the channels C is formed a series of transverse
cells E, the lower parts of which are formed of a concavo figure, as shown in
Figure 2. An aperture F is made through the bottom of each cell E, so as
to communicate with one of the channels C; the positions of these apertures
are so arranged that the several cells are made to open into the colour
channels C in a predetermined order or sequence.
In the arrangement delineated in Figures 1 to 3, Sheet 2, there are sixteen
transverse cells E, each series of four being in communication with one of the
channels C. It follows from this, that when the colours are poured into the
cells B, each colour flows into its separate channel C, and up through the
apertures F into the cells E. Upon the cells E is placed a "map" G, which
is bolted down to the box A, and made colour-tight by means of india-rubber
or other suitable material being put between the map and the colour box, and
is shown separately in Figure 10; and this map is formed of a block of wood,
metal, earthenware, or other suitable material; it has formed in its surface a
series of sunk or recessed figures H, each of which is devoted to a distinct
colour. These recessed parts communicate by means of tubular apertures I
with the colour cells E beneath, so that when the map is fitted into its place
the colours flow up into the figures H. The colours are maintained at a
uniform height, and prevented from overflowing the map G by means of
bottles filled with colour, and immersed with their necks downwards, in the
colour cells B, so as to regulate and keep the colours at the required height in
the several compartments of the map. Adjoining the color box A is
arranged a "swimming tub," which consists of a rectangular wooden vessel J,
having a longitudinal rack K fitted at each side of it. These racks are carried
in laterally projecting brackets L, in which are fitted thumb screws L', by
which means the racks may be adjusted up or down with great accuracy. On
the upper part of the swimming tub J is fitted the sieve M, which is shown
separately in Figures 7 and 8; this sieve is formed of a rectangular frame of
wood, on the lower side of which is stretched a piece of textile fabric or other
material, upon which is arranged a series of figures N corresponding to the
figures of the "map" G. The Figures N are formed in relief on the sieve, as
shown in Figures 8, and they may be formed of one or more layers of thick

page_text: woollen or other suitable material. The swimming tub J below the sieve M
is filled by means of the tube O with mucilage or other suitable fluid, so as to
form an elastic or yielding substratum below the figures on the sieve M. A
portion of the several colouring matters is transferred by means of a lifter
corresponding in its general configuration to the pattern that is to be printed;
the colours taken up by the lifter are transferred to the sieve. M, upon which
they are laid smoothly, and the excess of colour is taken off by means of a
'roller P. This roller is made of wood or other suitable material; it is either
raised or smooth on the surface as the pattern may require; these figures Q, if
raised, may be formed of metal, gutta percha, or other suitable material. The
roller is mounted upon a shaft, one end of which extends through a slot
formed in the guard or fence R, and at each extremity of the shaft is keyed a
spur wheel S, which traverses to and fro on the racks K. The roller P is
moved to and fro either by hand or motive power, communicating motion to
the shaft T attached to the saddle-piece U, or in any other convenient manner.
By moving the roller over the surface of the sieve M, the colours are evenly
distributed thereon, and the pressure of the roller is accurately adjusted by
shifting the racks K up or down by means of the screws L', so as to obtain an
even film or layer of colours on the sieve M. From the map G the colours are
transferred by means of a lifter, a transverse section of which is shown in
Figure, 11, taken on the line 5, 5, Figure 12; this Figure shows a portion of
the face of the block in plan. The teeth of the lifter V. are arranged in
accordance with the design to be printed on the fabric, so that when the lifter
is pressed on the map G, a certain quantity of colour is taken up from each
compartment of the map. The lifter so charged with colour is then pressed
down upon the sieve M, and then the block is dipped upon it by the printer,
and thence upon the fabric or material to be printed, and which is stretched
over a table covered with blanket, arranged in convenient proximity to the
apparatus herein-before described. In this way the printing of fabrics by
means of this apparatus adapted for imparting several colours simultaneously
to the printing block may be carried on with great rapidity, accuracy, and
economy.
Having now described and. particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the general arrangement, construction, and combination of parts.

page_text: forming the machinery or apparatus for printing fabrics or textile materials, as
herein-before described and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any
nere modification of the same.
Second, the system or mode of printing fabrics or textile materials with
several colours simultaneously, with the aid of the machinery or apparatus
herein-before described and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Jackson Davies, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of November, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-one.
HENRY JACKSON DAVIES. (L.S.)
HENRY JACKSON DAVIES. (L.S.)