1838 - Alden Sibley's Patent Model of a Calico Printing Machine
date: label: model constructed
content: before 1838-07-09
label: patent date
content: 1838-07-09
name: label: inventor
content: Sibley, Alden
notes: label: Description
content: Calico Printing Machine Patent Model
label: Description
content: Patent No. 823, issued on July 9, 1838
label: Description
content: Alden Sibley of Pawtucket, Massachusetts
label: Description
content: Sibley’s improvement concerned the arrangement of the color box, which held the coloring matter used in printing; the furnishing roll, which supplied the coloring matter to the printing roll; and the doctor, which acted as a scraper to remove any superfluous color from the cylinder. In his patent specification, Sibley stated that the advantage of his machine was “being able to work as heavy an Engraving, last as first, or second, and by which means you can place the Light, delicate colors, first and Black or Chocolate last or as you please.” His patent model shows only one engraved copper roller although the machine was designed to do three- or four-color work with multiple rollers.
label: Description
content: Sibley recommended using flour instead of gum to thicken the coloring matter. He calculated that to print 175 pieces, it was necessary to use 42 pounds of gum senegal at 22 cents a pound, which added up to $9.24; whereas 42 pounds of flour cost only 5 cents a pound, for a sum of $2.10. That totaled up to a savings of $7.14 if the flour was used. Whether the use of flour was ever adopted is not known.
label: Description
content: By 1836, textile mills in the United States had printed 120 million yards of calicoes. Calico printing was popular among manufacturers largely due to the fact that the printing only added one step to the finishing process and did not affect or complicate the weaving process.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Rhode Island, Pawtucket
topic: label: classified
content: Patent Models
label: classified
content: Invention
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Textiles
label: See more items in
content: Patent Models, Textile Machinery
label: See more items in
content: Textiles
label: See more items in
content: Patent Models
publisher: label: Related Publication
content: Janssen, Barbara Suit. Patent Models Index
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: TE.T11398.012
label: catalog number
content: T11398.012
label: patent number
content: 823
label: accession number
content: 89797
objectType: label: Object Name
content: calico printing machine patent model
label: Object Type
content: Patent Model
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: ferrous; brass; wood; copper (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 18 1/2 in x 13 7/8 in x 14 in; 46.99 cm x 35.2425 cm x 35.56 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall: 18 1/2 in x 16 in x 17 in; 46.99 cm x 40.64 cm x 43.18 cm