US962096A - Process of engraving. - Google Patents

Description

H. L. REGKARD. PROCESS 0F ENGBAVING.

APrLIcATloH FILED 00T. s, 1909.

Patented June 21, 1910.

a sums-'sum z.

H. L. RECKARD. Pnoorj'ss of 1;nlGENIE-Naf.`

OATLON FILED Patented June 21,1910. 1

- 3 SERIES-SHEET 3,

if rn sinv s PROCESS F ENG-RAVING.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY L. RECKARD, a.. citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, county of Hartford, State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Engraving` of which the following is a full, clear, and` exact description.

My invention relates to a' process of engraving printing surfaces and has for i object to produce a sim le, accurate, inexpensive and rapid metho of en l avingsuch surfaces for either intaglio or re lef printing. It further has 4for lits object to provide, when necessary, suitable grounds upon the engraved'surface.

The full process as described by me pro-- duces an engraved roller having a'grounded intaglio printing. surface for printing the original design. An intaglio .printing surface is the form which is required for the.

printing of fabrics' such v-as cottons, silks,

' plushes, velvets, carpets,'wall-papers and the thinner kinds of oilcloth known as table oilcloth. A modification thereof produces surfaces for relief printing.

The following is a description of a process involving my invention, reference being .had tothe accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l' illustrates an original drawing of the' design'to be engraved. Fig. l2is a photographic negative of the same somewhat reduced. Fig. 3 is. a photographic positive of Fig. l correspondingly reduced. Fig. 4; is

a photoli-thograph made from the positive of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 represents a Ben Day or simi lar lrn. Fig. 6 represents the Ben Day film being applied-to the lithograph. Fig. 7 represents'the photolithograph after the Ben Day lni has been applied thereto. Fig. 8-

represents a lay-out of transfers Fig. 9 represents a sheet of zinc or the like to which the ink andthe transfers of Fig. 8 have been applied. Fig. 10 represents a sheet ofFig. 8 prepared to transfer the design thereon to a-.ro-ller so thatv the roller may be etched in such' manner as to print repeats of the design'of Fig. 1. Fig. 11 represents-a machine for printing the design ona roller.l

Referring more particularl to the drawings, Fig. 1 represents a drawing of a design to be engraved, which for convenience is shown as a simple design which may be repeated so as to make a continuousfcomposite whole. This drawing-'has limit. marks T,. i .which define its limits.

l Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 21 1910, Application lil October 5, 1909. Serial No. 521,144.

In carrying outJ my process the distance 'covered by one revolution of the roller'to be engraved when in the printing machine isy the desired engraving thereof whichv is to be produced upon the surface to :'be engraved.

This permits of reduction in photographing for the 4purpose of producing sharp, clean-'results. Where a single color .is'to be printed, the' design should preferably' be. made' i-n black. From` the original des' a photographic negative (Fig. 2) is ma e by means of. a' camera. From the negativel a positive (Fig. 3) is made upon a photographic'plate. This positive must have its len th between its limit marks 'I exactly'A equa to one of the number of equal parts into which the dis- 'tance covered by one revolution of the rollen has been divided. Preferably I make. the

negative (Fig. 2) of the desired reducedy size and make. the positive (Fig. 3) of the same size as ,the negative (Fig. 2).

Wet plate photography is preferably used I opacity and transparency.

Having produced the positive photograph upon the photographic plate, which I shallhereafter term the graphic stone or suita le meta plate is prepared and given a sensitive coating and a because of the resulting strong contrast of hotogra h, a lithophotolithograph Ais produced from the 'photograph in the usual manner. The stone or plate with the photol-ithograph thereon I term the photolithograph and is shown in Fig. 4. As is well known the'surfaces of this photolithograph which were exposed to .the light take mk and print whilerthe surfaces whi'ch were not exposed'will not take ink, and a transfer made from the photolithograph will have the'fblack and white reversed frorn what they are in the' photograph and the original sketch. I

In case the designissu'chthat vgrounds I willy have to he provided, I roll ,the photoy i 1-0 soft roller C', as shown in Fig. 6.' The printing film is somewhat stiff and itsstilfness prevents the ridges or dotsthereon from touching the depressed surfaces of the photolithographclose to the portions C where the ink is built up thereon. The large bare surr faces D therefore have printed thereon lines or dots correspondin to the projections 'on the Itlexible plate, as s own in Fig. 7 These .lines ordots do not .extend clear to the edges of' the theretoforebare surfaces but stop short so as to leave clear lines E lbetween the ground and the built up ink.V The clear. v llines thus Iformed are necessary, it havingl longbeen 'known that in intagliofprinting the grounds must not extend to the outlines of `the design since otherwise a. rough and unevenedge will be roduced. The Ben v- ADay lm is preferab y applied to the pho; tolithograph since it is then necessary to apply 1t to only one element of the design. It may, however, be applied at a later stage as hereafter explained." Of course, the photolithograph, when the printin film is applied is dried so. that it will. ta e ink wherever contact. is made.

Having produced the photolithograph with .y the ground` lines thereon, an accurate laywout or development of the areacovered by 'the roller inmaking one revolution is made 40 on a smooth stiii' card or metal plate faced with paper. This is divided into areas of exactly the sizeof the photograph. A numl vber of lithographie transfers are then made from the photolithograph in the usual mannerv suilicient to v cover the lay-out.. The

transfers are then cut to size and stuck up inthe-usual way, vtheir edges abutting together as shown atF in Fig. 8. The limit marks may be extended asshown in dotted lines in Fi .7.`L I .f-ter the transfers have been stuck up, as shown in Fig. 8,1 mayroll the roller to be en aved over .the transfers thus Iarrange transferrinfrthe'ink ofthe transfers removed, but L freasons to vtransfer 4the ink vof the transfers to a thin sheet offzincG about 1/100 of-an'v inch r in thickness. This is done in the usual transferred to the zinc sheet and the paper directlyto the roller where itwicll remain., after the pa er of the vtransfers has been prefer for accuracy and other;

oeaoee ,projections applied to the zinc sheetso as to Aprintground lines thereon wherever grounds are necessary, in the manner described in connection with the photo-lithograph. The zinc'sheet when the film is applied is of course dried so that ink will be deposited wherever contact is made.

Obviously if the surfaces are very small the steps relating to the production -o f grounds may be omitted altogether.

' After the zinc plate has thus been prepared, with or lwithout .the grounds, it is etched. In doing this it isv first powdered with line asphalt and dusted clean with cotton or With a brush (preferably with cotton) The plate is then warmed until the asphalt is melted into the ink, fermier/l a hard, smooth acid resist. The'exposedand backv of the zinc plate are then coated with asphalt varnish, except a space H about 1/ 16 of an inch wide at the beginning of the` design, as shown in 9. The plate is I then immersed in dilute nitric acid about sixteen parts water to one part nitric acid) until the exposed portions are eaten away to a depth of about 2/1090 of an inch, so that it may be inked with an acid resisting ink applied with a smooth inking roller. Etching must-be of such depth that the inking vroller will deposit no ink in the depths of the plate'. The 'surface of the plate is a type surface and not a planographic surface. The design to be engraved upon the roller is in the depths of the plate. After etching, the-acid resist and asphalt are washed off the zinc plate with turpentine and one edge is cut oifuon a line with the remote edge or end of the design, as

shown at I at the bottom of Fig. 10.l The ios plate is then inked with a stiff acid resisting ink and'placed on the smooth table ,I of a transfer machine as shown at Z (Fig. 11). This table has an edge ',K, with which the edge of the plate when in proper position Will exactly coincideand brackets L, which engage the trunnionsL of the roller and support it justas it leaves the zinc plate. The plate is laid upon the table sol thatvits cut edge I coincides exactly'with the edge K of the table J and is securely clamped in that position vby clamps M. The roller N lto be engraved .is then supported above thetable. A vstrip of thin c'lean paper O is placed on the zinc plate in a line parallel with the edge or beginning of the design.

about 1/-16 ofl van inch raway from the-deink holds the paper in place.

sign so as to leave uncovered the etched line at the beginningvof the design. The sticky The roller is then lowered Von to the strip of paper (which is to provide a perfectly clean rest for the roller) and pressure applied. Theroller is then caused to make one complete revolution, rolling over the surfaceA of the inked plate, its axis being maintained parallel to the edge K and the edge of the plate which coincides therewith, so that the ink is thereby transferred to the surface of the roller. In order to make the zinc plate contact more perfectly with the roller to be engraved, I preferably place between it and the table a yielding backing l). The supporting of the roller just as it leaves the zinc plate permits a uniform pressure to begiven 'to all parts of the zinc plate and thus produces a uniform impression upon the roller.

'Ihe rolling of the roller over the zinc plate covers the ywhole surface of the roller with the design and if the lay-out was an accurate development of the roller andvdue.

care taken in sticking up the transfers and placing the zinc sheet, there will be a perfect joint and no overlapping. The design shows on the roller in clean copper filled in with grounds, where grounds are used, the field around the design being covered with acid resisting ink. The space I-I after etching is depressed and carries no ink, thus making the beginning of the design as printed on the roller clean and sharp. It assists in transferring the design to the roller, but does not appear on the roller since the design on the plate is of such dimensions as to entirely cover the circumference of the roller.

The roller when the ink has been transferred thereto is next etched. In doing this il is th st powdered with fine asphalt powder applied'y witlrsoft cotton and then dusted with a clean piece of cotton. The asphalt adheresl to the inked parts but does not adhere to the clean copper. The roller is then warmed from the inside unt-il the asphalt blends with the ink. Then cooled the roller is immersed in a bath of acid being rotated to insure even etching. 4I prefer to use as an etching solution chlorid of iron two parts, water one part, but nitric acid may be used.

By the process above described, from a single sketch or element of the design. -a pattern which ,will completely cover a roller of any given dimensions, bo'th longitudinal and circumferential, 'and in such manner as to print a continuous pattern on fabric can be qulckly and cheaply made. The use of a zine plate is particularly desirable since it forms a permanent structure which does not warp or get out of shape and can be used repeatedly. Thus, for instance, if during the transfer of ink from the zinc plate to 'served indefinitely thereon.

gotten upon the roller. Furthermore, when the zinc plate is used, the design can be pre- The rollers are costly on account of the amount of copper therein and a:design is seldom kept upon a roller for any great length of time. rlhe zinc of the plates, however, is not costly and after the-engraved' zinc plate is once obtained, it can be used for printing any roller of proper size, and, if necessary, a roller of slightly larger size than the proper diameter can be worked down at any time to just the proper size for the use of any zinc plate.

Manufacturers engaged in fabric printing and the like have a large variety of rollers of different sizes and thus have on hand rollers which closely approximate any given size.

, The production of grounds by my method is simple and accurate and leaves the required marginal line. In producing such grounds by my process, comparatively little time is required. The production of grounds in the manner above described is not, however, a necessary feature of my process broadly considered which may be used when no groundis necessary or where grounds are supplied by other methods. Thus, the foundation for the ground may be supplied in any known way upon the original sketch or upon the photographic plates or upon the hotolithograph without inter! fering with tie other features of my process. I prefer to put them on the photoA lithograph in the manner described.

In the process above described when the zinc plate is used, the design, printed byv the engraved roller, is turned wend for end lrelatively t'o what it was in he original drawing. -In a great 'many designs this is of no importance. Vhen the design is produced by rolling the roller over the transfers so as to eliminate the use of the zinc plate, the design as printed by the roller is not turned end for end relatively to the original drawing.

' In case it is desired to use the zinc plate and the design is such that it must not be turned end for end as printed by the engraved roller, various eXpedients may be em ployed. Thus, what is known as turning the negative may be resorted to, that is, the film of either one of the plates shown ,in Figs. 2 orv 3 may be transferred from'its process -is then carried on es above described,

the design as printed by 'the engraved roller when the zinc plate is used will not be turned end for end. A second method less liable-to l distort the design is top hotograph the orig-` inal deslgn' through a rism which gives the required results. A third method consistsin obtaining the photographof Fig Sturned endA for end by placing the negative of Fig. 2 in the front end of a camera and exposing a sensitive plate to light'pass'ing through the negative from rear to front and through a lens located Wit-hin the camera between the two plates. In doing this the negative of Eg. `2 isused as a transparency which is photographed on to the second plate, producing a positive which, when used in carrying out the remainder of the process above described, will result in producing a roller which will print the original design not turned end for end. Still another-Way', consists in ap lying the etched zinc plate prop-` erly inke to another zinc sheet, thereby transferring the ink to said secondsheet; applying" asphalt powder' to this second sheet, as above described; properly dusting and Warming the sheet, and etchin this second zinc sheet. When this secon zinc sheet is used to apply ink to the roller, the

' which the .first photographic .plate is made design as printed by the roller will not be turned end for end relatively to what it was in the original drawinny It is also obvious that in the case ofa simple design, the original drawing from the design to be printed by the engraved.

roller or the roller is to be va type face roller instead of an intaglio roller the photo- -graphic negative of the original drawing 1s the necessary photograph and the step represented by Fig. 3 is omitted.'

In inking upk the lithograph on the 'zinc plate, it is done in the ordinary lithographie manner, in which the exposed surfaces are ordinarily very slightly etched4 for purposes Well understood in lithography. I

In order to define the limits of the design so as to make it repeat properly, I pla-ce limit marks T thereomwhich I term trimming marks. These are reproduced upon the photographs, pliotolithographs and l transfers and serve to indicate the lines along which the transfers are to be trimmed.'

I also provide registration marks R, which,

When reproduced upon the transfers7 serve as registration marks andlassist in sticking up the transfers onthe lay-out so that they ses If the remainder of the registration marks are, before etching, erased or blotted out on the zinc sheet or other surfaceto 'be engraved, where necessary. When vthey will appear on the groundcdi or ungrounded inta lio surfaces of rollers for fab- -iic printing, t ey need not be erased, Since they 'will be obliterated on the faliric'printed'i l .by reason of the flow ofcolor thereon.

" What I claim is:

1. Inv a engraving o process of photo-mechanically" l metal rollers, the improvement' .L

which consists in producing a photographic negative of the design to bey engraved, producing therefrom a photogra h the opaque portions of which correspon in form and dimensions to the parts of the metal surface lto be removed fronnthe roller, producing au photo-lithograph therefrom, producing a transfer from said photolithograph, transferring the ink from such transfer to a thin metal sheet, etching said sheet so as to remove the surface of the portions uncovered by said ink, appl Ting ink to the raised portions of said etched metal sheet, printin said ink'upon a metal rollerl and etching sai metal roller so asto remove the surfa of the portions uncovered by the ink printed thereon,

2. In a process of engraving desiofns on metal, the improvement which consists in producing a lithograph upon a plain sur- 'i face, producing a transfer from said lithograph, transferring ink from said transfer to a plain metallic surface, etching said metallic surface so as to remove the portionsA thereof uncovered by ink, building up with ink one of said plain surfaces when the design has first appeared thereon, and applying thereto a yielding body having closely adjacent inked projections'so as -to print upon the -uninked 4portions not closely adjacent to the built up' portions.

3. In a process of engraving designs-.on metal, .the improvement which consists in producing a lithograph, building up the ink on said lithograph, applying to said lithograph a tlexiblecpheet having closely ad- ]acent inked 'proJections thereon? so as to print upon the uninked portions lnot closely adjacent to the built up portions, producing av transfer from said lithograph, transferring the ink from said transfer to a metal surface and etching said metal surface so as lithograph therefrom upon a plain surface,

producing a transfer from said photo-lithograph, transferring ink from said transfer to a plain4 metallic surface, .etching said= .metallic surface so as to remove the portions ing thereto a yielding body having closely adjacent inked projections so as to print upon the uninked port-ions not closely adjacent to the built up portions.

Q y 5. In a process of photo-mechanically en- 7 grating of metal, the improvement whichconsists in producing a photograph the opaque portions of Which correspond in form and dimensions to the metal surfaceto be removed, producing a photo-lithograph therefrom, building up ink on said photolithograph and applying thereto a yielding body having closely adjacent inked projec-e tions so as to print upon the uninked portions not closely-adj acent to the built up portions, producing a transfer from said photolithcgraph, transferring the 'ink of said transfer to a metal surface and etching said metal surface so as to remove the portions thereof uncovered by ink,

G. In a process of photo-mechanically engraving of designs on metal, the improvementjwhich consists in producing a photograph the opaque portions of Which are of the forni and dimensions of the portion of the metallic surface to be removed, producing a photo-lithograph therefrom, buildingY (he ink up upon said photo-lithograph, applying lo said photo-lithograph a fiexible sheet. having closely adjacent inked projections thereon so as to print upon the uninked portions not closely adjacent to the built up portions, producing a transfer from saidt photo-lithograph, transferring the ink from said transfer to a metal surface and etching said metal surface so as to remove the portions uncovered by ink.

7 In a process of photo-mechanically engraving of metal, the improvementy which consists in producing a photograph the opaque portions of which areV of the form and dimensions of the portion of the metallic surface to be removed, producing a photo-lithograph therefrom, building the ink up upon said photo-lithograph, applying to said photo-lithograph a flexible sheet having closely adjacent inked projections thereon so as to print upon the uninked portions not closely adjacent to the built up portions, producing a transfer from said I photo-lithograph, transferring the ink from said transfer to a metal surface and etching said metal surface so as to remove portions uncovered by said ink, inking the metal surface thus etched, transferring the ink therefrom to a metal roller, and etching said metal' roller.

8. In a rocess of hote-mechanically engraving o metal sur aces, the improvement which consists in producing a photograph, the opaque portions of Which correspond in form and dimensions to the portions of the transferring 'sheet along t metal surface to be removed, producing a.v photo-llthograph therefrom, producing a plurality of transfers from said photo-lithogaph, trimming and sticking up. said transrs so as to produce a continuous design, transferring ,the ink of said transfers to a thin vmetallic sheet, etchingfsa'id thin metallic sheetl so as to remove the portions thereof uncovered by ink, removing a portion of said plate adjacent to the `remote edge of the design thereon, laying'said metallic sheet upon a table, rollingametallic roller over said metallic sheet roperly inked from the beginning of .said cfesign to saidl remote edge, the 'axis of said roller being maintained parallel to said ed e.

9. In a` rocess of beto-mechanic y engraving o metal surfaces, the improvement which consists in .producrn a photograph, the opaque/portions of Whic correspond in form and dimensions to thev ortions of the metal surface' to be remove producing a photo-lithograph therefrom, producing a plurality of transfers from said photo-litho-- graph, trimming and sticking up said transfers'so as to reduce a continuous design, I t e ink ofv said transfers to-"a thin metalllc sheet, etching said thin metallic sheet s0 as to remove the portions thereof uncovered b ink, trimming said 'metallic fie remote edge of 'the composite design so as to leave a straight edge, laying said metallic sheet upon a table so' that its trimmed edge corresponds With the edge of the table, rolling a metallic roller over said metallic sheet properly inked from' the beginning of said design to said trimmed edge, the axis of said roller being maintained parallel to said edge.

10. In a process of photo-mechanically engraving of metal surfaces, the improvement which consists in producing a photograph, the opaque portions of which correspond in form and dimensions to the portions of the metal surface to be removed, producing a photolithograph therefrom, producing a plurality of transfers from said photo-lithograph, trimming and sticking up said transers so as to produce a continuous design, transferring the ink ofsaid transfers to a thin metallic sheet, etching said thin metallic sheet so as to remove the portions thereof uncovered by ink, trimming said metallic sheet along the remote edge of the composite design so as to leave a straight edge, laying said metallic sheet upon a table so that its trimmed edge corresponds with the edge of the-table, rolling a metallic roller over said metallic sheet properly inked from the be: ginning of said design to said trimmed edge, the axis of said roller being maintained parallel to said edge, and supporting said roller independently of said plate at the instant it passes the edge of said plate.

11. In a process of photo-mechanically tions of the surface o engraving 'of designs on metallic rollers, the improvement which consists in producing an inked metallic plate of greater length than the .periphery of -the roller, the portions thereof uncovered by ink corresponding to 'the portions of the surface of the roller to be'removed, a plyin Ian acid resist to the margin of sai metalic plate, except for a space along the beginning of the design, so

as to provide after etching a depressed area at that point, etching said plate. thus prepared, inking the raised portions of said platea rollinga metallic roller over said late 1n contact with the portions originally inked and etching said ro ler.

12. In ,a process of photofmechanically engraving of designs on metallic rollers, the improvement which consists in producing an inked metallic plate, the portions thereof covered' by ink corres onding to the porremoved, applyin an acid resist to the margin of said metal ic plate except for a narrtv space along the be inningof the design, and etchin said p ate thus prepared, cleaning and in ing said plate andl applying. a thin protecting strip to the ink on said. plate 'adjacent -to the space which was uncovered by said acid reslst, applying a roller -to the originally inked-.parts of said plate l and etching said roller.

l engraving o 13. In a designs on metallic rollers, the improvement which consists in producing an inked zinc plate, the portions thereof uncovered by ink corres )onding tov the portions of the surface o moved, applying an acid resist to the edges of said zinc plateexcept for a narrowspace along the edge of the beginning of the design, and etching said plate thus prepared,

the, roller not to be'v process of photo mechanicallyl the roller to be .re-l

cleaning and inking said plate and applying a thin protecting strip to the ink on said vmaking one complete revolution in a printing machine, dividing said distance 'into an integral nnmber of parts corresponding to the number of repeats desired, producing a photograph of the design to be engraved,

the opaque portions of whichare of the form and dimensions of.the portion of the metallic surface to be removed from the roller, said photograph being of a lenl l1 exactly equal to one division of said istance covered' by said roller, vproducing a photo-lithograph, producing a plurality of `transfers from said photo-htliograph, trim- 4ming and sticking up said transfers arranged s as to form a continuous design upon a lay-out of the roller,'applying said transfers to a thin metallic sheet, etching said t-hin metallic shee't, applying ink to the raised portions of said metallic sheet, trans-` ferring said ink under pressure in said printing machine to the metallic roller to be engraved so that the edges of the design impressed upon theroller abut, the circumkference of the roller being covered by the design, and then etching said metallic roller.

HENRY L. RECKARD.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM A. LORENZ, Wat. H. Homss.

Images