US885948A - Stereotype. - Google Patents

Description

No. 885,948. PATENTED APR. 28, 190

M. A. MqK EE. v STEREOTYPB.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 28, 1906.

. BACKING REVERSE OVERLAY.

FLONGY FORM.

BACKING REVERSE OVERLAY.

" FLON 6 3% W MATRI x.

Q/vi $1 200% UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MILTON A. McKEE, OF WESTERLY, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO 0. B. COTTRELL & SONS COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

STEREOTYPQEI.

invent-Lon, such as-will enable 0t ers skilled in the a rt to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to printing blocks and processes of producing them, andespe'cially t0 stereotypes. I

The invention contemplates the production of a stereotype plate in whose printing surface shall be inco planes of elevation an depression corresponding with the several tones, dark, intermediate, and light, of the picture or. delineation. w

The object of the inventionis. to roduce by the introduction of a new step in the usual process such a stereo plate having its printing surface in diiierent planes according to the various tones ofthe picture or delineation, parts of the printing surface being raised to correspond to the darkly shaded parts of the subject to be printed and other arts of the printing surface being relatively epressed to correspond to the lightly shaded arts of the subject to be printed, and to there y dispense with the customary cut overlay on the 'plate.

impression cylinder of the printing press.

With the ordinary fiat plate having its printing surface in one plane the effect of differentiated ressure upon the various tones has been iiither'to produced by the use of what is-known in the art as a cut overlay.. This cut overlay is made of S11 erirnposed sheets of paper so. arranged t at its to a portion of the platen or im ression cylinder to register during the act 0 printing with the printing surface of the plate, whereby those partsof the aper upon whlch are to appear the relative y darker ortions of the prmtare forced with relativey greater res.- sure against the darker printing tones 0 the In the formation of the cut-overlay from roofs of the illustration or delineatlon the h lights are first cut out and discarded Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed December 28,1906. Serial N9. 349,821,

orated graduated It is applied Patented A 161 2a, 1908.

leaving a base sheet. Upon thebase sheet is placed the next sheet from which has been cut out and discarded the high lights or lightest tones and also the next lightest tones,

' and so on until in the last proof sheet all but the solidsor darks are cut out and discarded, so that the overlay is thickest at the solids and thinnest at the high lights and tionate 'at the intermediate tones. This Work is the principal part ofthe make-ready or making the press ready, and may be the whole of it in many instances.

Briefly then, the object of the invention is to do away with this cut-overlay the use of stereotype plates by graduating the printing surface to ut the make-ready into the surface of t e plate and to do this by a simple and eflicient process.

In the practice of producing ining a series of tissues and backing sheets intoone body sheet. The flong in a damp state is laidupon the printing surface of the form and beaten in, in the'usu al way to all portions-of the form below the printn g surace, being thus converted into a matrlx possessing the character of the face of the form, but, of course, in reverse.

This matrix or mold is thenlaced in a stereo-casting box and moltenmetal is poured into the casting box and over the matrix producing a replica or facsimile of the form. The printing surface of the plate so cast, the familiar stereo .type plate, is substantially level in plane,

those parts corresponding to 'the darkest,

lightest and intermediate shades of the sub-- ect having-the same level.

If the plate were printed from directly pressure would be'eXerted upon all tones of the plate with e ual force. Printing thus stereotype" plates there is made first atflong by comproporand without any iflerentiation in the'application of the pressures wouldresult not only i i-defective rints, but also in'the destruction of the ace of the stereolate because while the darks or solids woul stand great pressure the ap lication of equal pressure to the. lighter an intermediate tones would, obviously, be destructive in view of the character of the plate, whose printing surface is made u of a multitude of points or dots relative y close and compact in the solids,

open or scatteredili .the high lights and roportionate in the intermediate tones. T ese results are avoided, as previously indicated, by the application of cut-overlays to the impression cylinder of the printing press to plrloplerly distribute the ressure so that it s a be greatest upon t e solids or black.

printing parts, least upon .the high li hts, and in proportion u on the intermegiate tones. This par-t of t 1e;make-ready, or the preparation of the cut-overlay, even in magazine, book work, and high class printing, is a matter of much time and expense art. I not only put this make-ready into the face of the stereotype plate itself, but I also do it by a process coincident with the process generally employed in the production of the stereo-plate, so that when the plate is roduced it is ready for printing without urther treatment and without delaying the press for the a plication of the equivalent make-ready. n advance and to be thus in readiness, I make from proofs what I may term a reverse overlay. That is to say, instead of making this overlay with the highest arts corres onding to the darks or solids of t e plate amFthe'lowest parts corresponding to the light or' highest tones, and so on, I reverse the character of the overlay, making the thickest art correspond with the highest lights of t e pictures and the thinnest parts with the darks of the icture, or, briefly, I make the elevations of t is overlay to correzpondwith the high lights and so on interm'e lately. I- then repare the matrix by beating in the dam ong upon the form as previously describe and then apply this reverse overla to the back of the matrix while it is yet 111' contact with the face of the form, so that,for example, the greatest elevations and the'greatest depressions of the reverse overlay correspond res ectively with the high lights and solids of t e illustration or delineation on the form. The reverse overlay is pasted down firmly to the beaten in sheet and, preferably, in order that the complete matrix may possess the usual standard body, another backing sheet should be applied. I then have a matrix which carrles onfits back the reverse overlay and,

in the example stated, a backing sheet over the reverse overlay. The matrix being properly dried is ready for the,casting of the plate it being understood from the'previous description t at the matrix is now thickest or deepest where the lightest tones occur upon its surface and thinnest where the darkest tones occur, so that when the stereotype late is cast upon the matrix it shall have in its face the desired make-ready which will be in opposition to the graduated planes of the matrix. The matrix after passing through the customary drying operation as indicated, is then placed in the casting box, either flat or curved, and themolten metal is poured in or forced in by the aid of a pump. The combined heat, weight, and impulse forces the molten metal into every depression in the face of the matrix. The thinnest part of the matrix yields and is forced back to a seating against the rear side or bottom of the casting box while those parts of the matrix bearing the several layers of the overlay and the elevations of the overlay, are relatively supported during the casting rocess. The matrix is really transformed om one having elevations and depressions in its back to one having elevations and depressions in its face, producing a corres onding cast. The resulting stereo plate w en taken out and finished in the usual manner possesses in its printing surface depressions and elevations accurately predetermined and regulated by the matrix and is at the same time even and level on the back whether a fiat or a curved;

plate. The matrix is a reverse of the form and carries a reverse overlay. Therefore in correspondence with it, the resulting stereomatrix and itsxoverlay and will be a re lica or facsimile of he form, with the addition of relative elevations and depressions in its printing surface.

Another mode of describing the matrix is to say that it has formed in or on its back graded elevations corresponding in order with the high lights and intermediate tones of the subject on the face of the matrix, so

plate will, of course, bea reverse of the that the resulting cast or stereotype shall have graded elevations in its printing face corresponding with the darks or solids. and

intermediate tones of the subject the higher elevations corresponding with'the dark tones.

And again, the fact that when the reverse overlay 1s fixed to the back of the matrix it is then the back of the matrix and substan-. tlfilly integral with the. matrix, provides another definition in that the matrix has formed in its back graded depressions .corresponding respectively with the darks or solids andthe intermediate tones of the subject on the face of the matrix. It will also be observed that the matrix has a level face and a' level back and that the face is supported by the body of the matrix at those parts which correspond to the high lights of the object on the face of the matrix, so that there are depressions intermediate the face and back of the matrix. Of course in a subject having but two tones there would be no intermediate tones, but for convenience I have referred in the illustration employed to subresulting jects having more than two tones. In a plateso treated the hi h lights or those printing parts or tones w 'ch usually Wear out the- It will thus be observed that my process does'not vary from the usual process of producing a stereo plate excepting that at a cer tain point in that process apply to the matrix a reverse overlay and, preferably, a

backing. In short, I place a reverse overlay within the structure of the matrix during the course of carrying out the usual process of producing a stereotype plate and thereby secure as a result a stereotype plate having in its printing surface elevations and relative depressions corresponding with the darks or solids and the high lights and intermediate tones of the picture or delineation to be printed. c A simple illustration of this process and the product is given in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 represents the backing, the reverse overlay, the flong and the form in their relative order to carry out the process; Fig. 2 represents the flong applied to the form, the reverse overlay to the back of the matrix, and the backing to the back of the reverse overlay. Fig. 3 represents the matrix with its face uppermost and the reverse overlay and backing applied to it, that is the original and the supplemental or secondary matrix combined to form the new matrix; Fig. 4'

represents the matrix, reverse overlay and backing combined to form a new matrix resting upon the bottom or side of a stereo casting box into which the metal has been poured so that the metal has run into all the incisions or indentations of the' face of the matrix and has also forced the matrix down into the depressions of the reverse overlay; Fig. 5 represents the complete stereotype p'late'having elevations and depressions in its printing surface corres onding with the tones of the icture or de 'neation desired,- and even and evel on its back.

I have for convenience illustrated the parts by horizontal or flat sections, such illustrations being more appropriate. also'in view of the fact that the drawingis of a diagram matic nature. I

In the accompanying drawings '1' represents a form 2 a flong; 3 a reverse overlay; and 4 a backing. These are shown as before indicated in Fig. 1- in their relative positions. The flong is'shown as made up of two tissues .and a body sheet, the tissues being indicated by the lighter lines and the body'sheet b the heavier line above. The'flong 2 is p aced upon the face of the form, here shown in section, and is then beaten into the form resulting in the formation of a matrix 5'wh1ch bears on its back, secured to it, a reverse overlay and backing, or what might be brieflytermed a matrix having elevations on its back. 6 represents a stereo casting box and 7 represents the molten metal which has been run in upon the face of the matrix. 2

In the drawings, for example Fig. 4, I have illustrated the greatest elevation at 8, the next 9 and the least 10 of that part of the reverse overlay to the left of Fig. 3. l' At 1,1 I have indicated a cut out portion which with relation to the otherarts maybe called a depression; When the molten metal is poured in u on the matrix with its attached reverse over ay and-backing resting upon the bottom or side of the stereo casting box as illustrated in Fig. 4 the part of .the matrix at the extreme left, forexample, will be depressed'to correspond with the steps made y the planes 8, 9 and 10. This is shown,

for example, inFig. 5 where reference numeral 20 indicates the stereo plate t having graduated planes in its surface. At the extreme left it will be observed that the first step 21 is' lower than the elevations 22 and 23 and that it coincide s, for example, with the elevation 24. diately below the step 21', and, 'finally, the lowest step at 25 corresponds with a similar step at the other end at 26. It will be ob-, served as hereinbeforeindicated that these steps of the stereo-plate 20 are in reverse of the back ofthe matrix 5. The lowest parts are the depressions 25 and 26, for instance, being formed by the settling of metal under pressure on each side of the elevation 8, in

graduation u Ward as indicated. It will be understood tiat all of these drawings are 'exaggeratedin outline and that, of course, no

stereo plate will exhibit to the eye the various tones of a picture or delineation as illustrated for convenience in Fig. 5. 1

In this specification I have used the phrase picture or delineationas a generic term covering any printing eflect secured by varying tones, shades or colors, For example, my invention is a plicable to the production of a stereotype aving varying size type faces, or light, medium'and black faced types,

and also, for example,for rounding a plate or its edge to prevent blurring. In short, it is plate to propin printing.

There is then one step imme-" broadly applicable to create elevations and trix,

I subject on the face of the matrix,

' 2. The herein described process of producing stereotypes, which consists in making a matrix, making a reverse overlay from proofs of the subject to be printed, and applying it to the back of the matrix, and then casting.

I 3. The herein described process of producing stereotypes, which consists in making a matrix, then applying to the back of the matrix elevations and depressions corres onding respectively to the high lights and ark or solids of the subject upon the face of the matrix, and then casting.

4. The herein described process of produc ing stereotypes, which consists in applying a flong to a form, then applying to the back of the resulting matrix'resting on the form an overlay, then removing the combined matrix and overlay, and casting.

5. The herein described process of producing stereotypes, which consists in placing a flong upon a form, beating in to form a mafixing to the-back of the matrix resting on the form an overlay having elevations and v depressions corresponding respectively to the high li hts and the darks or solids of subject upon t e face of the form, placing a backing sheet over the overlay, removing the matrix, and casting. j

6. The herein described process of producing stereotypes, which consists in making a matrix, forming on the back of the matrix elevations corresponding respectively with the high lights and intermediate tones of the and casting.

7. The herein described process of roducing stereotypes which consists in ta ing an impression or matrix of a form, a pl in the face of a' reverse overlay to the acli of-the impression or matrix and then casting upon the face of the impression or'matrix.

' 8. The herein described process of producing stereotypes, which consists in making a matrix, formingin the back of the matrix depressions corresponding respectively with the darks or solids and the intermediate tones of the subject on the face of the matrix, and castin...v Y

' 9 T e" cess' of making a stereotype plate, whlch consists in formin a matrix withgraded elevations on its bac or aded depressionsinits back, and then owing metal upon the face of the matrix so that the metal will-force down the body ofthe matrix until it issupported at all the different levels.

a '10. The processnf making a stereotype (plate, which consistsin castin the late'and' y thesame act altering the ace 0 the maseams then pourmg metal upon the face of the matrix, thus carrying down the face of the matrix to transform the matrix into one having elevations and depressions in its face and at the same time forming complementary depressions and elevationsin the face of the cast plate.

13. The rocess of ,making a stereotype plate, whic consists in forming a .matrix with a'v yielding face that is, with a face partly supported and partly unsupported and then castmg upon the face of the matrix to form relative elevations and depressions in the face of the plate.

14. The ,process of making a stereotype plate, which consists in forming a matrix of varying thickness, then casting upon the face of the matrix and depressing the face at all points except the thickest. j

15. As a new article of manufacture, a matrix for casting printing blocks, having on its the tones of, the subject.

' 16.. As a new article of manufacture} backdepressions corresponding with some of the tones of the subject.

17. Asa new article of manufacture, a maface the subject of the form from which it was made in reverse and on its back a reverse overlay of the subject. 4 1

18. As a new article of manufacture, a maing respectively to the igh lights and solids of the subject onthe face of the matrix,

19. A matrix havingaflevel face a level In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

, MILTON it. MoKEE. Witnessesz.

A. R. STILLMAN, A. C. WHrrFoRD.

back elevations corresponding with some of' a matrix for casting printing blocks, having in its trix for casting printing blocks, having on its I back and intermediate elevations and de-' 105 trix for casting printing blocks having on it's. j back elevations and de ressions correspond- I

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