Among the time-saving features in this plant are two platen presses which produce bronzed wrappers in connection with two bronzing machines. Running between each platen press and each bronzing machine is an endless conveyor which carries the freshly-inked sheets from the press to the bronzing machine. In other words, the feeder of the press lays the damp sheets on the conveyor as the sheets are taken from the press, and the conveyor automatically “feeds” the sheets into the bronzing machine.
The old way of applying bronze powder to freshly-inked sheets was in first printing the design in gold size, and then sprinkling the bronze powder over the design with the aid of a piece of raw cotton. This is the old method of hand bronzing, and is still being done in some printing offices which do not possess bronzing machines. The hand process of bronzing is slow and very unpleasant to the workers who apply the bronze powder, the worker’s hands, face and clothing soon becoming covered with the bronze which also flies all over the work-rooms.
HAND BRONZING
With hand bronzing, a table is moved near the press where the gold size is being applied to the sheets. At one end of the table is a box containing the bronze powder. The workers who do the bronzing sit on either side of the table. As the feeder of the press removes the printed sheets he lays them on the table where the bronzing is done. After the sheets are thoroughly dry, all loose particles of the bronze powder are wiped off by means of rubbing with raw cotton.
Fuchs & Lang Manufacturing Co. Bronzing Machine.
A first class bronzing machine is a necessity for the printing department of a paper box plant where bronzing is done to a considerable extent. The machine dusts the sheets in addition to applying the bronze, and no hand work is necessary other than feeding the sheets into the bronzing machine. The time-saving method of transferring the sheets from the press to the bronzer, mentioned in the foregoing paragraphs, makes it possible to operate the bronzing machine without a feeder. The conveyor system is a comparatively new idea, however, and the concern referred to had the device built on special order. There is no reason why any box-maker could not have the same kind of device built for his purpose.
There are several good bronzing machines on the market, and one of the most popular machines of this kind is made by the Fuchs & Lang Manufacturing Company, of New York City. This concern also supplies all kinds of bronze powders in all shades, bronze sizes, and all colors of regular printing inks.
Practically all of the printing ink manufacturers will supply bronze powders and bronze sizes in any quantity desired.