Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1891-06-04
EXPENSIVE PATTERNS.
COLLECTIONS THAT MANUFACTURE
ING CONCERNS HOARD.


or Piece of Ornamental Ironwork Costs
Many Times More Than Subsequent Du-
plicates-Government Plates.
Fortunes are invested in models and |
patterns used in various branches OF
manufactures. The pattern room of any |
of the large iron molders or machine
shops that have been long in operation
presents an array of woodwork that has
cost good deal of money. Take, for in
stance, the iron front of building. The
various columns, panels, cornices, sills
and ornaments have all been made in
wood, which is used to mold the sand in
which the iron is cast.
Generally the cost of the patterns is
paid for on the first order. Subsequent
orders for castings of the same patterns
are executed more cheaply because the
patterns are ready made. Sometimes the
foundry owns the patterns and supplies
duplicates to all customers, but in many
cases owners of buildings prefer to own
their own patterns, 80 that no other
building may look like theirs.
The preservation and duplication of
patterns is feature and source of great
profit in many manufacturing opera
tions. It is characteristic of all kinds
of printing. The type founder procures
matrices of various fonts of type at great
cost, but having once secured his mold
he can go on producing any number of
duplicates at trihing cost. The first cost
of the mold is the main cost, compared
with which the cost of metal and casting
is trihing. The same is true of all pro-
cesses of printing pictures.
The wood engraving, the ithograph1c
stone, the steel plate, all cost much at
the outset, but, being once produced,
they may be duplicated by various pro-
cesses at comparatively trif1ing cost.
Thus picture may be sold for a profit
at a penny, although to produce the first
one may have cost thousands of dollars
GOVERNMENTAL PATTERNS.
The application of duplicating process
ses to the building trade has worked an
industrial revolution. 1t is true that one
result is to produce buildings much
alike. The designs for doors, windows,
stairways, stoops, vestibules, towers,
locks, bolts, mantels, sideboards, pier
glasses, cornices, and, in fact, all parts
of building are used over and over
again, and the cost of building is there
. fore much cheapened. The fact is that
many parts of buildings may be pur-
chased ready made and in any desired
quantities, and buildings constructed OF
such material are put up very cheaply.
, But when new designs are needed, odd
{ shapes, fancy styles, novel ornamental
ton, the cost is greatly increased.
D Before the war all the paper money il
! the United States was printed by private
companies, who owned all the plates and
patterns. Even the United States gov
ernment did not own the plates from
which its notes were printed, and in ont
I famous case the counterfeiter, by subter
D fuge, procured from these private parties
i for nominally honest purpose, the us'
Of the devices used in printing a United
States treasury note; and the device
thus fraudulently obtained were actual
ly used to produce spurious treasur.
u note, which was in many respects an ex
Q act duplicate of the original. That risl
a led to the adoption of new plan b,
: which, when the government got an
L notes printed, the contractors were com
u pelled to surrender all the designs, pat
q terms, dies and plates used to produc
u the issue, SO that they could not by an
9i possibility be used for any but legiti
g mate purposes.
n Ultimately that led to the establish
n ment of the bureau Of engraving an
printing, and the government now cor
" trolls all the patterns of its paper none
u in the same way that it controls the die
J. of its metal coinage. The expense c
70 steel engraving is so great that it is onl
o by duplicating and using the same d.
= sign again and again that it is mad
% profitable to use such beautiful design
ID as are used in commercial work, as note
3 bonds, bills of exchange, etc.
y ABOUT DUPLICATES.
T. The pattern room of a great machir
IN shop or locomotive works or engi1
Us builder contains the accumulation {
20 years Of Improvement and invention
at AS machine is developed and change
VI the patterns are altered and used ov'
ls and over again. To produce the patterl
new every time new machine is wante
would require great expense A fire
as pattern shop is therefore great calar
rv ity, for it destroys patterns that ci
a hardly be replaced.
Id 1t often happens that one spoon or
pd fork of an old set is lost or stolen. If Il
in silversmith has preserved the die ne
nd spoon or fork may be made at trifi1
m cost. But if a new die has to be cut, Il
he. expense is very great.
.as There are thousand and one ways
IN using the same pattern for duplicate
ar in various branches Of industry. II
ar most beautiful products Of the sculptor
art are duplicated in plaster. The mo
,is ern parlor stove is a marvel of the use
on models in castings.
nit Lots of things are stamped. All kin
10. of brass and tin ware-pots, pans, k'
Of ties, ash cans, walters, dishes and t
nd thousand articles of domestic use th
of are made from metals-go through t
its stamping machine The very best tale
ed is therefore used to produce the origin
,at patterns. Sometimes artists of very hi
repute, who would be very much avel
to- have it known that thew do pure