IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SAFETY PAPER
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields,
in the County of Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman,.
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SAFETY
PAPER. A communication from Victor Courboulay, of Place du Caire,
Paris in the Empire of France. Civil Engineer.
-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
11th June 1856.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
SAFETY PAPER," a communication from Victor Courboulay, of Place du Caire,
Paris, in. the Empire of France, Civil Engineer, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the production of safety paper by mixing certain
chemical ingredients with the paper pulp, or by steeping or soaking paper
already manufactured in certain chemical solutions. The objects of the In-
vention are,
First, the avoidance as much as possible of substances which are injurious
to health.
Second, to cause the ordinary inks to penetrate into the body of the paper

page_text: upon
the employment of chemical solutions for the purpose of removing the
writing..
Third; to cause all the reactions employed by forgers to leave an indelible
stain on the paper.
Fourth, to prevent the transfer of writings from the prepared paper, whether
the paper was so prepared before or after the writing or impression was made
thereon.
The improvements consist. in the employment of a solution, more or less:
concentrated, either of iodide or bromide of potassimide (a compound known
to chemists of ammonia and potassium), or of sodamide (a similar compound
of ammonia and sodium). The solution employed is mixed with the paper
pulp, or formed into a bath in which the already manufactured paper is
steeped, when it is afterwards dried and made ready for use; but as the
soluble combinations of iodine, bromine, and ammonia are not the only ones
which may be employed in the preparation of safety paper, I desire to include
not only the soluble combinations of iodine, bromine, and ammonia, but also
those combinations which are insoluble, especially those containing cyanogen
and fluorine.
In certain cases it is proposed to use an indelible stamp and water-mark.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th December 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
and of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, send greeting.
:
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria; by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Henry Johnson, Her special license, that I; the said John Henry
Johnson, my executors, administrators, and 'assigns, or such others as I, the
said John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, or assigns should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed; should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN

page_text: THE MANUFACTURE OF SAFETY PAPER," a communication from Victor Cour-
boulay, of Place du Caire, in the Empire of France, Civil Engineer, upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Henry Johnson, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and scal, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of, the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said. Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Henry Johnson, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:
-
The said Invention relates to the production of a safety paper or tissue by
the intermixture of chemicals with the pulp before its manufacture into paper,"
or by impregnating papers or tissues after manufacture with solutions of the
same chemicals.
The objects to be attained by this Invention are, the avoidance in the
manufacture of chemicals injurious to the health of the workmen employed;
the preparation of the paper or tissue in such a manner that the ordinary or
other inks afterwards used upon such papers or tissues will penetrate into and
through them when such inks are attempted to be removed by chemical
means, and so that all the chemical means employed by forgers or others with
a view to remove the writing or printing from such papers or tissues will leave
indelible marks or stains upon them; the preparation of the paper or tissue
in such a manner as to prevent any transfer of any writing or printing being
made from the paper or tissue; the preparation of the paper or tissues
intended to be employed for bills, cheques, shares, coupons, and similar
documents in such a manner that such paper or tissue cannot be tampered
with prior to actual use.
According to this Invention, I employ a solution, more or less concentrated,
either of iodide of potassium, or iodide of ammoniacal sodium, or of bromide
of the same ammoniacal bases, or of any salt or matter which contains iodine
or bromine, either in a free or combined state, whether in solution, combina-
tion, or simple admixture. This solution, combination, or mixture is introduced
into the pulp of the paper before its manufacture; or if used in a thick state
it may be applied to the whole or portions of the paper or tissue in any con-
venient manner, such as by printing or painting with a brush; or I make a
bath with the solution, in which the paper or tissue is immerged, and then
withdrawn and dried as it is required for consumption.

page_text: It will be obvious that the preparations may be applied in the sizing of the
paper or in the dressing of the tissues.
As it is not only the soluble combinations of theso substances (iodine,
bromine, and ammonium) which can be employed in the preparation of safety
paper, propose to use not only the solublo combinations of iodine and
bromine, and ammonium, but also those which are insoluble, especially those
which contain fluorine, cyanogen, and fecula in any state:
In certain cases delible or indelible stamps, marks, signs, or patterns, and
delible or indelible water-marks may be employed, serving as guides, by which
forgeries or transfers may be detected.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Eleventh day of December, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-six.
J. HENRY JOHNSON.
(22.5.)