AN IMPROVEMENT IN TREATING OR PREPARING PAPER
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Gainc, of 4, Harewood
Street, Harewood Square, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT
IN TREATING OR PREPARING PAPER."
Sealed the 7th April 1854, and dated the 6th December 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward
Gaine at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 6th December 1853.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD GAINE, of 4, Harewood Street, Harewood
Square, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for "AN IM-
PROVEMENT IN TREATING OR PREPARING PAPER," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to treat or prepare paper in a manner
to obtain peculiar effects on the surfaces and in the substance of the
paper, thereby rendering paper so prepared or treated more usefully
applicable for a variety of purposes. And the Invention consists of
immersing paper in, or applying sulphuric acid thereto, and then wash-
ing the same.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Edward Gaine in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 5th June 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
WILLIAM EDWARD GAINE, of 4, Harewood Street, Harewood Square,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
seventeenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and succes-
sors, give and grant unto me, the said William Edward Gaine, Her
special licence that I, the said William Edward Gaine, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Edward Gaine, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter 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 Inven-
tion for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN TREATING OR PREPARING PAPER," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Edward Gaine, by
an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 Scal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Gaine, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof (that is to say) :-
The object of this Invention is to treat or prepare paper in a manner
to obtain peculiar effects on the surfaces and in the substance of the
paper, thereby rendering paper so prepared or treated more usefully
applicable for a variety of purposes. And the Invention consists of
immersing paper in, or applying sulphuric acid thereto, and then wash-
ing the same.

page_text: Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed
to describe the manner of performing the same. The paper, when to
be treated according to my Invention, is of the ordinary kind, and
either sized or not, according to the effect desired to be obtained, a
somewhat different effect being produced according as the paper is first
sized or not. Unsized paper, when treated according to my Invention,
has a character and appearance given to it very like parchment, whilst
sized paper appears to be more acted on in respect to the surfaces only
and not so much in the substance of the paper. The process or treat-
ment also produces great toughness in the paper, admitting of much
handling and folding without cracking, and may be immersed in water
without injury. But whether the paper is sized or unsized the process
of treatment, according to my Invention is the same, and it consists of
immersing the paper in a dry state into or applying sulphuric acid to
the surface or surfaces of the paper, and quickly removing the acid by
washing in water. For this purpose I take at the rate of two parts by
measure of sulphuric acid of commerce (sp. g. 1845), and one part
of water; this mixture I keep in a closed vessel till cold, and then,
whether the paper be in slicets or a web, it is (supposing both sides are
to be treated) to be quickly immersed and removed quickly from the
acid, and is then to be immersed in water to wash off as perfectly as may
be the acid. Or when only one surface is to be treated the mixture of
sulphuric acid is to be quickly spread over one surface of the paper, or
the paper may be floated on to the acid, and then the acid is to be
washed off with water. The strength of acid above given is what I
prefer, but the same may be varied. The paper is to be dried and may
be pressed or not according to the purpose to which it is to be used.
I have found that by applying a very thin solution of gutta percha, or
of india-rubber, or of white wax in camphine to paper, and then sub-
sequently treating according to my Invention, that a smooth equal
surface is obtained. I, however, make no claim to the use of solutions
of gutta percha, india-rubber, or wax, for coating paper. I have also
found that the process may with advantage be applied to papers which
have been printed, and the printed impressions are thus rendered less
liable to injury.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I would have it understood that what
I claim is, the immersing sized and unsized paper in or applying sul-
phuric acid thereto, and washing the same, as described.
In witness whercof, I, the said William Edward Gaine, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of June, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
Witness,
A. CARPMAEL.
W. E. GAINE. (L.S.)