IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF ORNAMENTING VARIOUS SURFACES, AND IN THE MEANS EMPLOYED FOR EFFECTING SUCH ORNAMENTATION
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Gustave Louis Batonnier, of Lombard Street, in the
City of London, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF
ORNAMENTING VARIOUS SURFACES, AND IN THE MEANS EMPLOYED FOR
EFFECTING SUCH ORNAMENTATION." A communication from abroad by
Eugène Amédée Batonnier and Pierre Adrien Michel, both of Paris, in the
Republic of France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Gustave Louis Batonnier
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th June 1880.
GUSTAVE LOUIS BATONNIER, of Lombard Street, in the City of London.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF ORNAMENTING VARIOUS SURFACES, AND IN
THE MEANS EMPLOYED FOR EFFECTING SUCH ORNAMENTATION." [A communi-
cation from abroad by Eugène Amédée Batonnier and Pierre Adrien Michel, both
of Paris, in the Republic of France.]
This Invention relates, firstly, to the mode or modes of applying the coloring
matters usually employed in the dyeing of wool, cotton, silk, and other fibrous
material to the ornamenting of wood, bone, horn, ivory, and celluloid, in imitation
of costly woods, marble, agate, and onyx, and for the purposes of decoration
generally; and, secondly, to the composition and manufacture of colored crayons to
be used during some portions of the process.
In carrying out this Invention a paste of suitable consistence is prepared from
some amylaceous substance, and a thin layer of this paste is spread evenly over a
sheet of paper, cardboard, or metal. Upon this even surface the coloring matters,
in powder, are placed in quantities varying according to the fancy of the operator;
or the coloring matter may be employed in a liquid form, suitably thickened,
similar to that used for printing tissues or wall papers. The article to be treated,
say, a piece of wood, is then placed on the coloring matter, and the wood and the
material carrying the paste are clamped together.
The combined slab is then plunged into boiling water, or is introduced into a
steam chamber, which causes the coloring matters to dissolve and fix themselves
into the surface of the wood. At the same time the paste becomes hard and
retains in their place the colors it supports without permitting the adjacent shades
to mix un.

page_text: The coloring is effected in a time more or less long, according to the nature of
the wood or other material to be treated; but for soft wood half an hour's
immersion is sufficient.
The paste is then removed, and the wood is well washed and dried in the shade,
after which it can be pounced and polished, or varnished.
To produce veining on wood the coloring matters are mixed with solutions of
gum, dextrine, or other suitable substance. This mixture is placed on the paste in
drops, which are extended by blowing with a bellows. The colors thus placed, the
the slab or object to be ornamented is laid thereon, and the combined slab is then
treated as above described.
If preferred, the coloring matters to form the veins may be applied with a brush
to the surface to be treated, the paste in this case carrying only the ground color.
In certain cases, such for instance as decorating the object with bouquets of
flowers or other designs, it is preferred to use albumine instead of paste; a thin
layer being first fixed on the object to be ornamented, the flowers or pattern are
drawn on this layer with a brush or with a crayon (the composition and
manufacture of which forms the second part of this Invention), and the object is
submitted to the action of hot water or steam. The colors will penetrate into the
wood; and the albumine, which coagulates under the action of the heat, will
maintain the colors in place.
In order to ensure the fixing of certain colors some mordant is first applied, such
as alum, acetate of lead, acetate of alumina, chrome alumn, salts of tin, and other
mordants used in dyeing.
The coloring matters comprise all those used in the process of dyeing.
Metallic salts capable of giving, when doubly decomposed, insoluble colored
precipitate may also be employed.
These salts are applied to the wood or other object, as above explained, but
instead of being plunged into hot water are placed in a bath containing a suitable
reactive. The colored precipitates produced soak into the wood at the same time
as the dye, and thus a preservative for the wood is obtained.
The crayons for use in drawing designs are formed of aniline colors, or of any
colors in powder or capable of being pulverized, or soluble in water, or capable of
becoming so when treated with some dissolvent, such as tartaric, oxalic, or citric
acid. To the color is added black lead, plumbago, kaolin, talc, or other inert
powder, in order to modify the quantity of color which it is desired to deposit on
the object. These powders are mixed with a suitable quantity of some viscous
liquid to the consistency of a thick paste, which is then moulded to the desired
form.
If desired, a suitable mordant may be included in the composition, but crayons
prepared in this manner will be used only when the wood or other object to be
treated has not been impregnated before-hand with a mordant..
The crayons may also contain some hygrometric substance, which will absorb the
water of condensation when introduced into the steam chamber and cause the
soluble matters to dissolve.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Gustave Louis Batonnier in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th December 1880.
GUSTAVE LOUIS BATONNIER, of Lombard Street, in the City of London.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF ORNAMENTING VARIOUS SURFACES, AND IN
THE MEANS EMPLOYED FOR EFFECTING SUCH ORNAMENTATION." A communication
from abroad by Eugène Amédée Batonnier and Pierre Adrien Michel, both of Paris,
in the Republic of France.
This Invention relates, firstly, to the mode or modes of applying the colouring
matters usually employed, whether animal, vegetable, or mineral, in the dyeing of
wool and other fibres to the ornamenting of wood, bone, horn, ivory, celluloid, and
other absorbent materials in imitation of costly woods, marble, agate, and onyx,
and for the purposes of decoration generally; and, secondly, to the composition and
manufacture of colored crayons to be used during some portion of the process.
The essential character of the Invention consists in fixing one or more colors or
shades of color by one application, and without the liability of the color or colors
running, or any mingling and confusion of the tints occurring.
In carrying out this Invention a paste of suitable consistence is prepared from
some amylaceous substance, such as flour from various kinds of grain, or potato
starch, and a thin layer of this paste is spread evenly over a sheet of paper, card-
board, metal, or other suitable material. Upon this even surface the coloring
matters in powder are placed in quantities varying according to the fancy of the
operator; or the coloring matter may be employed in a liquid form, suitably
thickened, similar to that used for printing tissues or in the manufacture of wall
papers. The article to be ornamented (say, a slab of wood) is then laid face
downwards on the prepared surface, and the wood and the material carrying the
paste are clamped together in any convenient manner so as to ensure close contact
between the wood and the colored surface.
The combined slab is then plunged into boiling water or is introduced into a
steam chamber, which causes the coloring matters to dissolve and fix themselves on
or in the surface of the wood. At the same time the paste becomes hard, and
retains in their places the colors it supports without permitting the adjacent
veinings or shades to spread or mingle.
The time required for the transference of the color will vary according to the
nature of the wood or other material to be treated.
In the case of hard woods the penetration will be more slow than when soft
woods are under treatment.
The immersion of the slab may be prolonged for several hours, but should only
a superficial coloring be required half an hour will in some cases suffice. In all
cases the judgment of the workman must be exercised with respect to the time of
immersion, as the penetrating power of colors greatly varies, as does also the
absorbing power of various materials.
On the withdrawal of the slab from the fixing bath the paste is removed and
the wood is well washed and dried in the shade, after which it can be rubbed down
and polished or varnished.
It is necessary to carefully wipe the object after "rubbing down," because should
any of the colored dust be left on the surface the alcohol of the varnish or polish
will dissolve the color and produce spots and blemishes.
To produce veining on wood the coloring matters are mixed with a solution of
This mixture is placed on the paste in
gum, dextrine, or other suitable substance."
certain places in drops more or less large, and in the direction of the veins to be
produced. These drops are then extended by blowing with a bellows, thus

page_text: producing the effects wished for by the operator, and which can be greatly varied.
The colors thus placed, the slab or article to be ornamented is laid thereon, and the
combined slab is then treated as above described.
If preferred the coloring matters to form the veins may be applied with a brush
to the surface to be treated, and the paste will in this case carry only the ground
color.
The contact of the paste with the surface carrying the veining color or colors
will have the effect during the fixing operation of preventing the spreading of the
veinings, as in the first described process.
In certain cases, such, for instance, as when decorating the article with bouquets
of flowers and like designs, it is preferred to use instead of paste albumen as the
isolating material. The article to be ornamentated is washed over with a solution
of albumen, which is left to soak into the wood. The flower pattern is then
drawn on the surface thus prepared, either with a brush in liquid color or with a
crayon, the composition and manufacture of which forms the second part of this
Invention. The decorated article is then submitted to the action of steam, which
will cause the albumen in the wood to coagulate. At the same time the albumen
will suck in the applied colors and prevent their spreading.
The coloring matters may be previously prepared, for the purpose of obtaining
effects as varied as possible, with wood dust or other inert dust, which should be
strongly impregnated with the color, and this preparation is applied like the color
in powder, that is, by dusting over either evenly or unequally according to the
effect desired to be produced. Under the influence of beat and water the wood dust
will give up its coloring matter, which fixes itself on the article under treatment.
This process is economical, inasmuch as less color is used than when the color is
applied in its pure state.
In order to ensure the fixing of certain colors, some mordant, such as alum,
acetate of lead, acetate of alumina, chrome alum, or salts of tin, is first applied to
the article to be treated.
The colouring matters employed in ornamenting the absorbent surfaces comprise
those used in the process of dyeing fabrics, such as murexide, picric acid, logwood,
catechu, fustic, Brazil wood, and aniline blue; metallic salts capable of giving by
double decomposition insoluble colored precipitates may also be employed.
These salts are applied to the wood or other article by means of the paste, but
instead of being plunged into hot water are placed in a bath containing a suitable
reagent.
As the paste has the property of isolating the salts, it is easy to understand
that several salts can be applied at one time, and consequently several colors can
be obtained simultaneously, the reagent being common to all and constituting the
fixing bath.
The depth of penetration of the coloring matters varies according to the length
of the immersion in the bath and the quantity of the matter employed.
For the purpose of making veining in imitation of costly wood, or for drawing
flowers, foliage, and designs, or for imitating marble, agate, and such like stones,
colored crayons are sometimes used.
These crayons are formed of aniline or other colors in powder or capable
of being pulverized, such colors being soluble in water or capable of becoming
soluble when treated with a dissolvent, such as tartaric, oxalic, or citric acid. To
the colored powder is added powdered plumbago or inert powdered material, in
the proportions of about one thousand grammes of plumbago to one hundred
grammes of color, so as to modify the quantity of color which it is desired to
deposit on the article. These powders are mixed together with a suitable quantity
of some viscous liquid, such as a solution of dextrine or gum arabic, to the
consistency of a thick paste. This paste is then moulded to form crayons. In
preparing this paste it is essential that the coloring matters and the inert material
should be finely pulverized before mixing. If desired a suitable mordant may be
included in the composition of the crayon, but in general the wood or other article

page_text: to be treated will have been impregnated with mordant before the color is
applied.
The flowers, foliage, or other picture or design is drawn with the crayons thus
formed. Before being introduced into the bath the lines of the designs will appear
black or dark, but in the bath the colors will be dissolved and will penetrate the
wood, and the plumbago or other inert body will be washed away, leaving the
design in color.
The crayons may also contain some hygroscopic substance, which will absorb the
water of condensation when introduced into the steam chamber and cause the
soluble matters to dissolve.
These crayons are intended to be used more particularly when albumen is the
isolating material, but when used with paste the design is drawn on the surface
to be ornamented and not on the paste.
Having now described the Invention of " Improvements in the Mode of Orna-
menting Various Surfaces, and in Means Employed for Effecting such Ornamentation,"
as communicated to me from abroad, and explained the manner of carrying the
Bame into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited
Letters Patent I claim,-
First. In the ornamenting of wood, ivory, and other like absorbent surfaces, the
method above described for applying colors and preventing the spreading and
mingling of the same during the fixing of the colors.
Second. Preparing the colors to be used in the ornamenting of the color absorbing
surfaces in the form of crayons, in the manner above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Gustave Louis Batonnier, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Ninth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
G. L. BATONNIER. (L.S.)