586 



CALICO-PRINTING 



to the oilskin cover of the tub. At one end is now put the colour reservoir u B, which 

 consists of a wooden or metal box, divided into water-tight compartments longi- 

 tudinally by strips of thin metal ; this box is of such a width as to fit easily into one 

 end of the frame, and resting on a board of the same size, fixed across the frame ; the 

 depth of the box may be about 4 inches, and the width about 8 inches ; but this is 

 regulated by the number of colours to be blended or rainbowed. A. semi-circular piece 

 of wood, of nearly the same width as the frame, is covered with printers' blanket, 

 and a handle formed on the top, so that the teerer can move backwards and 

 forwards. The colour-lifter, c c, is a flat piece of wood just covering the colour-box; 

 on the under side of this are inserted wooden pegs, as D, at certain places determined 

 by the width of the stripe of rainbowed colour and the number of shades composing it. 

 These pegs are of turned wood, about |th of an inch thick at the small end, and about 

 gths of an inch at the thick end, this end being also recessed so as to lift more colour; 

 they are nearly as long as the colour-box is deep. In the figure, suppose it is desired 

 to produce on the sieve two stripes, say E of a dark green in centre, and two shades of 

 green at each side, and F of chocolate in centre, purple next, and drab next, at each 



side, the colour-box is filled thus : In No. 1 compartment is put the darkest green ; 

 in No. 2. the medium green ; in No. 3, the palest green ; in No. 4, the chocolate ; in 

 No. 5, the purple ; and in No. 6, the drab. The colour-lifter is so studded with pegs, 

 that when put into the colour-box, the pegs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 respectively dip into 

 their appropriate colours. The brush, or semi -circular roller, o, is then moved up to 

 the top, as shown in the dotted lines, the colour-lifter being then lifted up out of the 

 colour-box is held a moment till the colour has ceased dropping from the pegs, and 

 then lifted over, and the pegs allowed to deposit the colour on the sieve, as shown by 

 the black spots 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. The lifter is then returned to the box, and a 

 fresh portion of colour lifted, and deposited, as before, at a different part of the sieve, 

 the spots of colour being of necessity all in straight lines ; the brush G is then moved 

 backwards and forwards by the teerer till the colours are sufficiently rubbed together 

 or blended at the edges. It is necessary to observe, that the thickness of the colours 

 must be pretty uniform, and sufficiently thin to allow them to mix at the edges. By 

 this means one colour is made to melt insensibly into another, and a beautiful shaded 

 effect produced on the sieve, and consequently on the piece, when printed from a 

 block dipped on it. 



The Perrotine is a machine for executing block-printing by mechanical power; 

 and it performs as much work, it is said, as 20 expert hands. It is in use in many 

 factories in France and Belgium, in a very satisfactory manner ; but there is reason 

 to believe that there are none of them now working in this country. Three wooden 

 blocks, from 1\ to 3 feet long, according to the breadth of the cloth, and from 2 to 5 

 inches broad, faced with pear-tree wood, engraved in relief, are mounted in a powerful 



