Auckland Invention Purchased by Ame rica

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 792, 12 October 1929, Page 1

Auckland Invention Purchased by Ame rica

PRINTING PLATES SUBSTANTIAL PRICE Work on the invention of durable plates for use in the offset printing process which has occupied the time of Mr. T. E. Richards, of I Must rations, Ltd.. Albert Street, for the past ten years came to a satisfactory conclusion this morning when a cable was received from a big financial group in America offering to purchase the invention at a very substantial figure.

A short time ago Mr. Richards, with Mr. C. M. Burley, also of Auckland, went to America with a view to interesting a prominent financial group in the process. Demonstrations were arranged at which representatives of the Government Printing Works, the Chicago Tribune and other leading papers were represented.

The plates were subjected to very trying tests and the results were said to exceed the expectations of all the experts present. ■ Following receipt of the cable this morning a meeting of the directors of the Duro Plate Company, or Auckland, the owners of patent rights, was held, when It was decided to accept the offer. The group concerned also notified the company that as soon as the deal was completed it would require the services of Mr. Richards in connection with the manufacture of the plates. The financial group -which is purchasing the world rights is said to include the manufacturers of one of the best-known printing presses in the world. Mr. Richards, who was interviewed

by a Sun representative this morning, naturally was very pleased with the success achieved, particularly as it means that a development of great importance to the printing trade throughout the world has had Its origin in Auckland. Following the tests, the Government officials expressed the desire to take the process up. Mr. Joseph Kornmann, one of the world's leading printing experts, who was present representing large printing interests, including the “Chicago Tribune,” afterward wrote congratulating the inventor on his success in “bringing before the printing and newspaper industry something they had been waiting patiently for.” Previously the plates used in the offset process would not stand up to a sufiicient number of runs to make the process altogether satisfactory, particularly for newspaper work. The standard set by the newspaper representatives at the test as being what they considered satisfactory was 200,000 runs. This was easily achieved, the opinion being expressed by Mr. Kornmann that the durable plates would easily manage 300,000. runs.