Improvements in Machinery for Printing Floorcloths and similar Fabrics.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Feb., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 31st July, 1889-Accepted, 31st Aug., 1839
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Printing Floorcloths and similar
Fabrics.
I, JOHN WRIGHT, of 13 Townsend Place, Kircaldy, in the County of Fife, North
Britain, Floorcloth Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be
as follows, that is to say :-
My said Invention has for its object to improve the construction and operation, and
increase the accuracy of working, of machinery for printing floorcloths and similar
fabrics by means of small flat blocks.
In carrying out my Invention I employ a fixed table of a breadth at least equal to
the width of the fabric and of a length suitable for the number of colors to be
printed at one time. The fabric is drawn intermittently along the table and is
stationary whilst each set of impressions is being made, the fabric being moved by
means of a ratchet wheel and pawl acted on by a rotating wiper cam and cam frame.
The printing blocks are carried by a longitudinal beam fitted for sliding trans-
versely on guides on frames at the ends of the table, the upper parts of these frames
being high enough to allow the fabric to pass under them. The transverse movements
of the beam are effected by continuously rotating transverse screw shafts which act on
pairs of half nuts fitted to the beam supports and engaged with the screw shafts at the
proper times, the beam being stationary whilst a set of impressions is being given.
Each block is held by a vertical slide moved up and down in guides in the beam by a
cam on a rotating shaft carried by the beam and driven by means of a worinwheel on
one end of it gearing with a worm on a transverse shaft. Whilst each block is raised
it is supplied with color by a pad or by an endless apron moved under it by levers
worked by means of a cam frame and a wiper cam on the shaft carried by the beam.
The block is at the proper time momentarily depressed into contact with color pad or
apron by a suitable prominence on the cam which moves the block slide.
If arranged for printing four colors the machine will operate as hereinafter
described. The four blocks will be placed equidistantly on the beam, with spaces
between the blocks equal to the length of the blocks which length is uniform.
Impressions will be taken of the four blocks close to one edge of the fabric, and the
beam will then be moved transversely to the extent of the width of the blocks and a
fresh set of impressions will be taken beside the first set. After each set of
impressions the beam will be moved transversely until the impressions extend across
the fabric. The fabric will then be drawn along the table to the extent of the length
of each block, and another set of impressions successively across the fabric will be
taken; and the operations referred to will be repeated in order until the piece or
quantity of fabric has all been printed. The positions of the beam when moved
transversely are accurately determined by holes in the end guide frames, into which
holes pins carried by the beam enter on their being reached and out of which they
are raised at the commencement of each transverse movement.
Dated this Thath done a 1000
EDMUND HUNT,
Per pro D. Ferguson,
Applicant's Agent.

page_text: COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Printing Floorcloths and similar
Fabrics.
I, JOHN WRIGHT, of 13 Townsend Place, Kircaldy, in the County of Fife, North
Britain, Floorcloth Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement, that is to say :-
My said Invention has for its object to improve the construction and operation, and
increase the accuracy of working, of machinery for printing floorcloths and similar
fabrics by means of small flat blocks.
In carrying out my Invention 1 employ a fixed table of a breadth at least equal to
the width of the fabric and of a length suitable for the number of colors to be printed
at one time. The fabric is drawn intermittently along the table, and is stationary
whilst each set of impressions is being made. The printing blocks are carried by a
longitudinal beam fitted for sliding transversely on guides on frames, the upper parts
of these frames being high enough to allow the fabric to pass under them. The
several blocks of the set are depressed simultaneously at separate parts of the length
of the fabric; they are, however, of a size to print only a part of the width at each
set of impressions, and after each set of impressions is made, the longitudinal beam is
moved transversely to place the blocks in position for printing another part of the
width, and this action is repeated until impressions are made completely across the
width of the fabric, which is next moved longitudinally to bring fresh parts into
position for being printed.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the same may
be properly understood I hereunto append two sheets of explanatory drawings to be
hereinafter referred to and representing a floorcloth printing machine as made
according to my Invention.
Figure, 1, on sheet, 1, of the drawings is a side elevation with some parts in vertical
section. Figure, 2, is a plan of a portion of the gearing. Figure, 3, on sheet, 2, is
in part an end elevation and in part a transverse vertical section. Figures, 4, and 5,
are sectional views of details. In these drawings the same reference letters and
numerals are used to mark the same or like parts wherever they are repeated.
The table on which the fabric lies whilst being printed consists of a number of
horizontal plates, A, carried by longitudinal side beams, A1, fixed upon standards, A2,
these plates, A, being of a size longitudinally a little greater than that of the printing
blocks, and transversely at least equal to the width of the fabric to be printed. The
fabric is moved along the table by means of two endless chains indicated by peculiarly
dotted lines, B, these chains being armed with stenter points to take hold of the fabric
and engaging with sprockets at the ends of rollers, B1, B2, round which the fabric is
guided and which are by preference covered with wire card. The fabric is drawn off
a roll (not shown) and enters the machine over the guide roller, B1, at the right-hand
end (figure 1) leaving it at the other end and passing round the guide roller, B2, and
thence down through an opening in the floor into a drying chamber below. The
roller, B 1, is moved at the proper times by means of a pinion, B3, on its shaft,
gearing with a spurwheel, B4, on a shaft which has also on it a ratchet wheel, C
The ratchet wheel, C, is moved by a pawl lever, C 1, connected to a tappet frame, C2,
sliding horizontally in guides, and acted on by tappets, C3, on a shaft, C4, which is
turned by bevil wheels, C5, from a vertical shaft, C6, having on it a wormiwheel, C7,
driven by a worm, C8, on a tubular shaft loose on the first-motion shaft, D, of the
machine, and having on it a pulley, C9, driven by a belt from a pulley on an over-
head shaft.
The first-motion shaft, D, has on it two pairs of pulleys, D1, D2, the larger
pair, D 1, being a fast and a loose pulley for an open driving belt from an overhead
pulley and shaft to give a slow motion for moving the printing blocks across the
table (as hereinafter explained) and the smaller pair, D2, being a fast and loose

page_text: pulley for a crossed driving belt to give a quick return motion for moving the
printing blocks back to what may be regarded as the starting side. The forks, D3,
D4, for shifting the driving belts are fixed to a bar, D 5, which is moved by a tappet
frame, D 6, worked by tappets on the shaft, C4.
The printing blocks, E1, E2, E 3, E 4, are carried by a longitudinal beam, F, fitted
for sliding transversely on guides, G, on frames, G 1, at the ends of the table, these
frames being supported upon standards, G 2, at their ends and at the sides of the
ends of the table, in a position high enough to allow the fabric to pass under them.
The transverse movements of the beam, F, are effected by screw shafts, F 1, which
act on pairs of half nuts, indicated by dotted lines in figure, 1, being fitted in
boxes, 2, formed on plates, F 3, fixed to the undersides of the ends of the beam,
the half nuts being engaged with the screw shafts at the proper times, and the beam
being stationary whilst a set of impressions are being given. The mechanism for
moving the half-nuts will be more conveniently explained when other parts of the
apparatus have been described.
Each printing block E, is held by a vertical slide, E 5, moving up and down in
guides in the beam, F, being depressed by a cam, H, on a rotating shaft, H 1, carried
by the beam, F, and driven by means of a wormwheel, H 2, on one end of it gearing
with a worm, H 3, on a transverse shaft, H 4, the worm being carried along the shaft.
by the beam and being turned by means of a groove and key. The shaft, H 4, is
driven by means of spur wheels, J, J 1, the latter being loose on a shaft, J 2, with
which it can be made to gear by a clutch, J 3, moved by a bellcrank lever, J 4, con-
nected to the bar, D 5, herein before referred to, the wheel, J 1, being put into gear
when the driving belt is on the large fast pulley, D 1. The shaft, J 2, is a continua-
tion of one of the screw shafts, F 1. The vertical slides, E 5, of the printing blocks.
are made with upper parts, E6, by means of which they are raised these parts being
connected by links to levers, E7, on a shaft, E8, which is carried by brackets fixed.
on the beam, F, and which has fixed on it a counterweighted lever, E 9, capable of
raising the printing blocks, E, and the parts moving with them. Each block slide, E 5,
is fitted with an antifriction roller on which the cam, H, acts, and the shape of the
cam controls the movement both downwards and upwards as the counterweight
lever, E 9, keeps the slides with their rollers in contact with the cams.
Whilst the printing blocks, E, are raised each is supplied with color by an endless
apron or a pad carried in a fraine, K, (indicated by dotted lines in figure, 3) which is
fitted with wheels, K 1, to run on rails formed on flanges, K 2, fixed to the underside
of the beam, F. Each pad frame, K, is moved by a pair of levers, K 3, fixed on a
rocking shaft, K 4, carried by the beam, F, this rocking shaft, K4, being moved by
means of a lever, K 5, on it moved by a tappet or cam frame, K 6, acted on by
tappets, K 7, on the shaft, H 1. Each block, E, is at the proper time momentarily
depressed into contact with the color pad or apron by a suitable prominence on the
cam, H.
The machine is shown as arranged for printing four coio., the four blocks, E,
being placed equidistantly on the beam, F, with spaces between the blocks equal to
the length of the blocks which length is uniform. Impressions are taken of the four
blocks close to one edge of the fabric, and the beam, F, is next moved transversely to
the extent of the widths of the blocks, and a fresh set of impressions are taken beside
the first set. After each set of impressions the beam, F, will be moved transversely
until the impressions extend across the fabric. The fabric will then be drawn along
the table to the extent of the length of each block and another set of impressions will
be taken successively across the fabric on the parts previously in the spaces between
the blocks and in a space previously to the right of the first block, E1; and the
operations referred to will be repeated in order until the piece or quantity of fabric
has all been printed. The positions of the beam, F, when moved transversely are
accurately determined by holes in bars, L, fixed to the end guide frames, G 1, into
which holes pins, L1, carried by the beam enter on their being reached, and out of
which they are raised at the commencement of each transverse movement by cams, L2,
on the shaft, H 1, these cams acting as will be understood from figure, 4, on weighted

page_text: levers, L3, to which the pins, L1, are connected. When the pins, L1, enter down
into holes in the bar, L, each depresses a pin which act on one arm of a weighted
lever, L4, and two arms of this lever act by links, L 5, L 6, and pins entering through
slots in the box, F 2, and move the half nuts away from the screw shaft, F 1. The
weighted levers, L4, put the half nuts in gear again whenever the pins, L 1, are drawn
up by the action of the cams, L2.
Whenever the pad frame, K, moves back (or towards the right hand as seen in
figure, 3,) color is supplied to the pad by a roller M, (indicated by dotted lines in
figure, 3.) the end journals of which are in vertical slots in the flanges, K 2, which
slots allow the roller, M, to descend into a color trough, N, fixed to the end of the
pad frame, K, when that frame moves under the printing block, E. On the pad
frame, K, moving back the color roller, M, is made to rise out of the color trough, by
inclines on the sides of the frame. Á modification of the apparatus for supplying
color to the printing blocks, E, is shown on figure, 5, in sheet, 2. In this apparatus a
color trough, P, guided on rails on the flange, K 2, is by the levers, K 3, made to
move under the printing block, E. In the trough, P, there is fitted a main roller, P 1,
with smaller equalising rollers, P 2, on each side of it, and with doctors to regulate
the quantity of color taken up. The main roller, P 1, has on one or on each end
journal a pinion which gears with a toothed rack, P 3, fixed to the flange, K 2, and as
the trough, P, is moved under the printing block, E, the roller, P 1, is by the action
of the rack or racks made to turn so as to apply the color properly to the printing
block.
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 I am aware
that it has formerly been proposed to print fabrics by a block moved intermittently
across the fabric, and I am also aware that it has been proposed to print by a series
of blocks arranged along the line of fabric, but not having a transverse movement,
and I make no claim, therefore, for any such arrangements, but what I claim is :-
1. The improved combination of parts forming as a whole the machine for
printing floorcloths and similar fabrics substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. The combined gearing, engaging devices, and automatic appliances connected
with the movements of the printing blocks substantially as herein before described.
3. In a machine for printing floorcloths or similar fabrics with blocks the com-
bination of a longitudinal beam parallel to the direction of movement of the fabric
with gearing and automatic devices for moving the beam transversely, and with
parts and gearing for carrying and depressing two or more printing blocks sub-
stantially as herein before described.
Dated this Twenty-ninth day of July 1889.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.