CERTAIN COMBINATIONS OF VITRIFIED AND METALLIC SUBSTANCES APPLICABLE TO THE MANUFACTURE OF ORNAMENTS AND THE DECORATION AND IMPROVEMENT OF ARTICLES OF DOMESTIC UTILITY, AND OF HOUSEHOLD FURNITURE, ALSO APPLICABLE TO CHURCH WINDOWS AND SHIP LIGHTS
Year: 1841

page_text: LACEY'S SPECIFICATION. : ..
"
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS. SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
LACEY, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Agent, send greeting..
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under. the. Great Seal of Great, Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Eleventh day of January, in the fourth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Lacey, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, .Her especial licence, full
power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said William Lacey, my
exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Lacey, my
exors, adñors, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times hereafter during the term of years therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of
"CERTAIN COMBINATIONS OF VITRIFIED AND METALLIC SUBSTANCES APPLICABLE TO
THE MANUFACTURE OF ORNAMENTS AND THE DECORATION AND IMPROVEMENT OF
ARTICLES OF DOMESTIC UTILITY, AND OF HOUSEHOLD FURNITURE, ALSO APPLICABLE
TO CHURCH WINDOWS AND SHIP LIGHTS;" in which said Letters Patent is
contained a proviso that I, the said William Lacey, shall cause a particular
description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of

page_text: Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of
the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference
being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Lacey, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention, and the
mauner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being had to
the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon..
The nature of my Invention consists in various modes of ornamenting,
moulding, casting, engraving, and working glass, enamel, and other vitrified
substances, and combining the same with metals, in a manner not hitherto
practised, and which renders it applicable to a variety of purposes both useful
and ornamental. I will now proceed to describe more fully the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner of carrying the same into effect.
I take pieces of plate glass of any convenient or desirable size and figure,
and cut or etch on one side thereof certain ornamental devices or figures; that
is to say, by the operation of cutting or etching certain parts of the glass are
removed, and an ornamental figure or device is thus produced on one surface
of the glass. These ornaments, figures, or devices are cut and polished in the
ordinary manner well known to glass cutters, preserving the brightness of
these devices. I afterwards roughen the original surface or plane out of which
they have been cut or etched by means of any well-known convenient process,
and afterwards silver over the whole surface, both cut, etched, and ground;
and in order to defend the "silvering" from being rubbed off by accident, I
paint it over with a composition of copal varnish and white lead or other
pigment, which, when dry, effectually secures the "silvering." The slabs or
pannels thus formed I apply to the decoration of any place or article of
furniture to which it can be applied; for instances, the ornamenting of picture
or other framed pannels for wainscotting, slabs for tables, finger plates, &c. &c.
Another way in which I combine metallic and vitrious substances is in the
manufacture of knife and fork handles. My improvement consists in the
'introduction of thin tubes or ferrules of metal into the knife or fork handles in
order to secure more effectually the tang of the knife or fork. The tube or
ferrule is introduced into the handle during the process of forming the latter,
that is, while the glass or enamel of which it is made is in a soft or semi-fluid
state. The moulding of the knife handle, as well as the introduction of the
ferrules, are effected by the aid of a machine of the following description:-
Figure 1 exhibits a partial elevation, and Figure 2 a plan of the machine,
and Figure 3 a diagram explanatory of the action of a lever bar. At a and b

page_text: i
are represented the upper and lower jaws of a pair of stout pincers, fixed by
the bolts c, c, to a bench or stand d. To the jaws a, b, is fixed a pair of
corresponding dies e, f, by means of the screw bolts g, h. The hollow space
between the dies, when closed, is of the exact figure of the knife or fork
handles to be made, and it forms the mould for the reception of the soft glass
or enamel, wherein the latter is compressed, by the agency of the pincers, to
the desired figure or pattern. During the latter operation, that is, before the
compression of the glass or enamel is completed, and while it is yet soft, the
metallic ferrule is inserted, by means of a simple apparatus delineated only on
the plan Figure 2. At j, j, is a cast-iron frame screwed down to the bench d,
having a slot k, made through nearly its whole length, to serve as a guide to a
lever bar l, which is used to propel the carriage m, that carries the ram'n, on
which is placed the ferrule o. To the carriage is fixed two centre studs; these
studs are the ends of a pin that passes laterally through the lever bar l, the ends
which form the studs traversing in slots q, q, made in the parallel bars i, i, of.
the frame. It will now be obvious that if the bar / be moved forward in the
direction of the arrow shewn in the diagram, Figure 3, it will force the carriage
along the guide slot, and thrust the ferrule o into the centre of the dies, which
being done before the dics are quite closed, the enamel will close around the
ferrule, and permit only the carrying point to be withdrawn when the motion
of the lever shall be reversed. The handles are finished by cutting and
polishing in the usual way.
Another mode of ornamenting plate glass, which I apply in the formation of
church windows, consists as follows:-I take plates of glass of the sizes
required to fit the compartments of the window frame, particularly as respects
the horizontal breadth, and impart the desired tint or color to one of their
surfaces by means of a suitable metallic oxide, which I afterwards burn in, in
the usual manner employed by glass-stainers. On the plates of glass thus
permanently colored or tinted on one side, I proceed to produce bright and
transparent designs or ornaments by etching or cutting, or by means of a
combination of these processes, according to the nature of the subject, giving
the preference in general to cutting where the figure is produced by rigid lines,
as exemplified in those of a star; but in the representation of foliage, free
curves, and the effect of shadow, I consider etching by means of the fluoric
acid to be the most eligible, employing the liquid acid for those designs' or
for those parts of a design that are to shew a clear, transparent, or polished
surface, and the gaseous acid for those that are to have a clouded or ground.
appearance. In the employment of the fluoric acid for etching glass, I do not
profess to have invented anything; it will nevertheless be proper to. explain

page_text: that in the frequent repetition of any device, such, for, instance; as a rosette, 1,
make use of flexible plates or printing. "patterns similar to those used by
stencillers in the imitation of paper-hangings;: but instead of the simple.
coloring matter, I employ a coating of beeswax for stopping out, those parts of i
the design which are to be defended from the action of the acid. For those
parts of the device which it is desirable to have of a semi-transparent or
ground-like appearance, I prefer applying the acid in the gaseous state.
(obtained by pouring' sulphuric acid. on fluor spar), but for those parts which
it is desirable to be lighter or more transparent. I employ the liquid acid.. In.
whichever of the modes mentioned the design.upon the glass may be produced;:
or however, the same may be combined, the result is: a colourless and more or
less brilliant ornament represented upon a tinted ground, as imperfectly illus-
trated in. 'the accompanying Drawing of a church window, marked Figure 4.
In some cases I stain the two surfaces of the same colour, in others I stain.
the two surfaces of different colors, and by cutting or otherwise removing a
portion of one or both surfacés produce. a variety of tints...For example, I.
sometimes. colour glass blue..on one side and yellow. on the other ;.. the light:
transmitted through such a pane is green, as shewn at a, a,. Figure 7. If. I.
cut figures on the blue surface; they will appear of a yellow colour, as shewn.
at y; Figure 7; if they are cut on..the yellow surface, they will appear
of a
blue colour, as represented "at za Another example is given at Figure 8;
wherein the two surfaces are coloured, one of a red, the other of a blue colour,
producing by their union a purple, as shewn at u, v, and by cutting away.one
surface shewing a blue u, or by cutting the other a red colour w, and by
cutting through both colours. a white. figure t.
:
The construction of the window is as follows:-At a, a, a, a, Fig. 4, is.a.
series of vertical and parallel bars, constituting the chief part of the window
frame, without any transverse bars between them, the upper ends of the vertical.
bars being merely prolonged to form the Gothic arching in the top of the
window. The, compartments b, b, b, b, b, formed by the intersection of. the '
curved lines, may be glazed in the ordinary manner, but, the rest of
the window I propose to glaze by a different method, which, while it pre->
serves 'unbroken .the style of architecture adopted, will effectually .exclude.
wind as well as rain. By reference to Figure 5 (which exhibits a vertical.
section through 'Figure 4, in the. direction of the dotted line.d, d) and to:
Figurë 6 (which represents a transverse section at right angles to that of
Figure 5), it will be observed that the upper and lower edges of the plates
of glass 'e, f, g, h, i, 'are cut or ground off to an angle of about 45°, so that:
the lower edge of the upper shall overlap the upper edge of the lower. .By:
-9

page_text: this disposition it becomes only necessary to slide the plates one after the other
along the grooves in. the vertical bars, when they all become fixed in their
proper places, except the upper or lower plate, which will require a piece of
the beading to be made movable for completing the series. For rendering
the bevilled joints impervious to wind and rain, it is proposed to lute them.
with a transparent hard varnish, such as the copal. For the square edges of..
the glass plates, common glazier's, putty may be used, but I prefer a compo-
sition of copal varnish and white lead for that purpose.. My improved ship's
lights consist in the application of glass of adequate thickness ornamented in
the manner I have described, instead of the plain or colorless glass in-
common use..
:4
$
Having now explained the nature of my combinations of vitrified and
metallic substances, and shewn the mode of applying them to various objects
of ornament or utility, and illustrated their application to church windows and
ship lights, I desire it to be distinctly understood that I do not claim all and
every part of the same which have been introduced into my description and
Drawings. But what I claim as original are as follows, videlicet:-
First, I claim the mode of ornamenting plate glass by the combined pro-
cesses described, of cutting, etching, roughing, and silvering.
Second, I claim the insertion of metallic tubes or ferrules in knife and fork
handles, and in the handles of other cutlery made of glass, enamel, or other
vitrified substances, whilst the same are in a hard or soft state, or before or
after the process of vitrification.
Third, the construction of the metallic frames of church windows, grooved
to receive the glass plates, as described.
Fourth, the construction of glass panes for windows, whether plain or
ornamented, with bevilled edges.
Fifth, ornamenting by etching, cutting, or any other means, panes of glass
for windows, stained or colored on one or both sides.
Sixth, the formation of ship's lights made of glass, ornamented in the
manner described, of adequate thickness, and fixed in suitable metallic
frames.
.
And such my Invention being, to the best of my knowledge and belief,
entirely new in this Kingdom, I hereby declare it to be my intention to
maintain an exclusive privilege for the same.
As witness my hand and seal, this Fifth day of July, in the year of our
A night hundand and fouter and
WILLIAM (L.S.) LACEY..

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Fifth day of July, in the year
of our Lord 1841, the aforesaid William Lacey came before our said Lady
the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification aforesaid,
and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the
Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Tenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and forty-one.