US1377503A - Printing-plate - Google Patents

Description

E. E. NOVOTNY.

PRINTING PLATE.

APPLICATION FILED 050.1.1916.

1,377,503. Patented y 10,1921.

5 wvewlo'c, lmzzjjlmiig $513 alike Lung) STES nMII. n. NOVOTNY, or RIVERSIDE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 3. STOGDELL stones or moonns'rown, new JERSEY.

PRINTING-PLATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May MD, 19211..

Application filed December 1, 1916. SerialNo. 134,323.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, EMIL E. NovoTNY, a citizen of the United States and resident of Riverside, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Printing-Plates, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to stereotype plates such as are used in printing and embossing, and particularly in an improved method of making the same.

In the present instance it is my purpose to provide a plate of this character wherein the impression face is formed of a smooth, close-grained, durable material, such as copper, brass or other suitable metal of relatively high melting point which is intimately united with the body of the plate, the latter being composed of the usual soft metal such asa lead alloy having a relatively low melting point.

As is well known to those skilled in the art, ordinary stereotype plates are made either entirely of a soft metal, such for example as an alloy of lead and antimony, or are composed of some such soft metal, coated or faced electrolytically with a very .thin film of copper "or nickel. Furthermore in the manufacture of such plates it is the common practice to employ a papier-mach matrix which is made by laying the flong, or matrix forming sheets on the face of the locked type, and heating or rolling the flong against the type to reproduce the type faces, then drying the matrix and subsequently casting the stereotype plate therefrom. Such a plate possesses certain inherent disadvantages among which might be mentioned excessive and objectionable porosity, resulting in granular printing; softness of metal, which is conducive to the rapid wearing of the printing surface of the plate; and finally inability to produce in printing, sharp clear outlines, thus incurring the loss of details. I I

The above mentioned objections and others of a similar nature are overcome or eliminated by my plate which possesses the further advantage that it may be made by the exceedingly. simple, rapid and economical method herein recited, which obviates the ncessity of having recourse to tedious complicated and expensive manufacturing processes.

With the above recited objects and others of a similar nature in view, my invention conslsts 1n theimproved plate and in the method of making the same set forth-in and falling within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings,-

Figure 1 is a cross sectional view taken through a complete plate embodying my 1nvent1on.'

Fig. 2 is a view of a conventional form of press and showing a step in the manufacture of the matrix or mold for the plate.

Fig. 3 is a similar view of a second step 1n the manufacture of the plate.

In the practice of my invention, the body of type, which is indicated by the numeral 1, is locked in the chase as usual, and is placed on the bed 2 of any preferred or suitable form of plress which also includes the platen 3. S110 press is herein merely conventionally shown. Upon the face of the type body I superpose a thin wafer-like sheet of malleable, ductile metal as shown at 5, copper, brass or soft steel being preferably employed. 1 then superpose upon the metalv sheet a second sheet shown at 6, and which may be composed entirely of a phenolic condensation'product, such as that known as condensite, or may be in the nature of a composite sheet comprising a facing layer of the phenolic condensation product, and a backing layer of any suitable, inexpensive'material, such as paper. This phenolic sheet if desired may have an asbespressi'ons form the type faces and rounded non-printing portions, as such phenolic product when in 'a proper state of plasticity has but a restricted surface flow, while providing a rigid back. This phenolic sheet 6 is preferably heated prior to its application to the metal sheet 5, so as to give it the required plasticity, but in some instances it may be advisable to heat it while in the press. After themetal sheet and the phenolic sheet have been assembled relative to the type body, as described, the upper platen '3,of the press, is lowered toward the bed 2 and into contact with the phenolic sheet in a manner and under sufficient pres-' sure to cause the type faces to be embedded in the metal sheet 5, preferably to a prede termined or definite depth so that while the lower or type-contacting face of the sheet 5 will have type-formed depressions 7 therein,

and the upper or outer face of such sheet will have type elevations or printing portions 9 formed thereon which are faithful reproductions of the type faces of the original type body, the non-printing portions 8 between these type elevations or printing portions 9 of the sheet being swelled or I curved by reason of the surface tension exercised on the metallic sheet, and the pressure exerted on'the sheet against the supporting action of the individual type underlying the sheet, as will be understood by reference to my co-pending application filed May 20, 1916, Serial No. 98,906. Likewise,-

that face of the phenolic sheet 6 which contacts with the metallic sheet 5 will have type depressions formed therein, by the type elevations of the metallic sheet; After the pressure has been exerted for a sufiicient length of time to form the. sheets as above described, it is released, and the next step is to remove the imposed sheets 5 and 6 from the type body in the press.

I might here mention that if it is desired *to produce a flat matrix for making flat printing plates the sheets may be permitted to remain in the press until the phenolic sheet has set to hard, inflexible'form, but

if it is intended to ,make acurved matrix,

for producing curved printing plates, then .the sheets are removed from the type body and press while the phenolicsheet still posse$es a certain degree of flexibility or be- .fore it is completely set so that it may be bowed or bent to curved form, along. with the metal sheet as may be required, and as will be readily understood. When the two contactin .sheets 5 and 6 are removed from the type body-"and press they are carried to a casting box 11, and clamped in proper position therein, and a body of molten metal is poured therein and against the face of the metal sheet 5 having the type-formed depressions 7 therein, so that when cooled a soft metal backing 12 results which-is faced by the metal sheet 5, the type-portions 9 of.

which are intended to form pr nting or impression faces. The backing 12 may be a soft metal such as a lead alloy, or it may be aluminum or any other suitable substance. Preferably the metal sheet 5, before being used is treated on the backing face b being chemically cleaned with a suitable c emical such as a soldering fluid, and while still moist from the cleaning chemical is coated on this face with a thin layer of alcohol rosin solution which dries out to a thin film of rosin to prevent the greasing or. soiling of the surfacetand the ormation of oxids and to furnish a proper flux for the union of the backing.

After the backing 12 has been applied by casting, the whole isremoved from the box and the backing 12, is then trimmed or shaved, preferably while the metal sheet 5 is still in contact with the phenolic sheet. If pressure is used in casting it may not be necessary to shave the back face of the soft metal backing 12. The phenolic sheet which of course lies at the opposite face of the metal sheet from the backing 12, may now be stripped from the metal sheet, and we have a complete stereotype plate composed of a backing faced with a hard,.closegrained metal sheet, which will in printing produce effects simulating electrotype work, the plate itself closely resembling an electrotype in appearance. I also desire to call attention to the fact that when the phenolic sheet is stripped from the metal sheet, after the casting operation, it, of itself, .constitutes a'matrix with type depressions and as such may-be used in the production or duplicationof other cast plates or printin faces. In other words, it provides a bar durable rigid matrix or mold which may be used an indefinite number of times for the manufacture of duplicate plates or printing faces. phenolic matrix I may employ a resilient or plastic backing constituting a blanket or pressure surface against which pressure is exerted to force the metallic sheet or plate matrix with the aid of aresilient yieldable body such as a rubber blanket, or with a plastic material such as a fusible phenolic composition. The casting of'the soft metal back on the metal sheet would be accomplished in this instance just as above described.

fWhile I have herein shown and described one embodiment of my invention I wish it to be understood that do not confine myself to all the details herein set forthbyway of illustration, as modification and variation may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or exceeding the scope of the appended claims. What claimiis: 1. The herein described method ing a, rinting plate which comprises plac ing a acing sheet in contact with the printing face of'a body of type, imposing a secof mak-- In forming a plate with such a to impress the type faces in the facing sheet and to transfer such impression to the second sheet, removing the two contacting sheets from the type body, and then depositing a backing body of soft material against the exposed face of the facing sheet while the latter is still in contact with the second sheet, said backing body being subsequently hardened to form a permanent backing for the facing sheet, and then stripping the facing sheet with its backing body from the second sheet.

2. The herein described method of making a printing plate which comprises placing a.

second sheet and substantially harden and set the latter, removing the two contacting sheets from the type body and then depositing a body of molten metal against the exposed face of the metallic sheet while the latter is still in contact with the second sheet,

said molten metal forming a metallic backing for the said metallic facing sheet, and then stripping the second sheet from the metallic facing sheet.

3. The herein described method of making a printing plate which comprises placing a metallic facing sheet in contact with the printing face of a body of type, imposing a second sheet containing a phenolic condensation product on the metallic sheet, subjecting the two sheets to heat and pressure to impress the type faces in the metallic sheet and to transfer such impression to the second sheet and to substantially harden and set the latter, removing the two contacting sheets from the type body and then depositing a body of molten metal against the exposed face of the metallic sheet while the latter is still in contact with and supported on the second sheet, said molten metal formin a permanent metallic backing for said meta lic facing sheet, and then stripping the second sheet from the metallic facing sheet.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York this th day of November, A. D. 1916.

EMIL E. NOVQTNY.

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