Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Oct., 1886.
Complete Left, 3rd Dec., 1886.
Complete Accepted, 5th Jan., 1887.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of 53,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention, to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the production of a superior quality of photographs and
consists of a process whereby a picture film is produced and transferred to a celluloid
backing in such a manner that the film becomes incorporated with and forms a part of
said card or backing, the two parts, that is the film and the backing-becoming one
integral piece.
In carrying this invention into practice I preferably employ a true plate glass of the
desired size for the picture to be produced and transferred. The glass having been
selected and properly cleaned, I form a safety edge of albumen one-eighth or one-
quarter of an inch wide on the outer edge of the plate, the object of the rim being
to prevent the picture film from washing off, during the manipulation of the plate, and
the absence of albumen on the other part of the plate, being to prevent the picture
from adhering too tight; the picture or transparency may be made by the collodio
chloride process being printed, toned and fixed as usual or it may be made by the
ordinary wet collodion process through a negative in the manner well understood, by
photographers, but if made by the latter process, the transparency should be flowed
with a weak solution of bi-chloride of mercury, after being fixed in a weak cyanide
potass solution, so that the shadows will be toned and blackened, which process of
toning and blackening may be watched from the side of the plate opposite to that
upon which the film is placed. After the film is properly toned it is washed and
placed to dry.
When the film is dry, and ready to be transferred to the celluloid card, said card is
flowed with a solution consisting of gum camphor and alcohol in the proportions of

page_text: one ounce of gum camphor, to one pint of alcohol. Although not absolutely essential,
I prefer to flow the card with a five grain solution of plain collodion, that is 5 grains,
gun cotton to 1 ounce solvent, which is allowed to set and dry previous to flowing
with the camphor solution as above stated. This camphor solution will dissolve the
celluloid surface, and render it viscid or sticky. The flowed surface of the celluloid
card is now applied to the picture film, or transparency being brought into close
contact therewith, in order that all air bubbles may be excluded. In the course of a
few hours or as soon as the parts are sufficiently dry the celluloid card may be stripped
from the plate taking the picture film with it, which film will have a smooth surface
the same as that of the glass, and when, the picture is so stripped from the glass it will
be found that softened celluloid surface will have permeated the picture film, and that
the film and its backing will be in one integrate mass. The picture may now be
trimmed to any desired size.
Pictures produced by the process hereinbefore described possess great beauty of finish
and may be used for any of the purposes to which the ordinary photograph is applied
with the advantage, however, that the celluloid pictures are more permanent, less
liable to abrasion or injury besides being impervious to the action of most acids and
alkalies, these pictures are moreover unchangeable under atmospheric conditions.
I am aware that thin sheets of celluloid have been used for supporting the gelatine
bromide film and also that it is not new to separate or strip the finished negative from
the celluloid, the latter being effected by pouring upon the plate, after leveling, a thin
layer of plain gelatine solution.
A. MELVILLE CLARK.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Process of Producing and Transferring Photographs.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of 53,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention (a communication to me from
abroad by Cornelius Thecdore Cain of Fredrica Street Owensborough in the County
of Daviess and State of Kentucky United States of America Photographer) and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
This Invention relates to the production of a superior quality of photographs; and
consists of a process whereby a picture film is produced and transferred to a celluloid
backing in such a manner that the film becomes incorporated with, and forms a part of,
said card or backing, the two parts-that is, the film and the backing-becoming one
integral piece
In carrying out the Invention into practice, I preferably employ a true plate glass of
the desired size for the picture to be produced and transferred. The glass having been
selected and properly cleaned, I form a safety edge of albumen one-eighth or one
quarter of an inch wide on the outer edge of the plate, the object of the rim being to
prevent the picture film from washing off during the manipulation of the plate, and
the absence of albumen on the other part of the plate being to prevent the picture
from adhering too tightly. The picture or transparency may be made by the collodio-
chloride process, being printed, toned, and fixed as usual; or it may be made by the
ordinary wet collodion process through a negative in the manner well understood by
photographers, but if made by the latter process, the transparency should be flowed
with a weak solution of bi-chloride of mercury after being fixed in a weak cyanide
potass solution, so that the shadows will be toned and blackened, which process of
toning and blackening may be watched from the side of the plate opposite to that upon
which the film is placed. After the film is properly toned, it is washed and placed to
dry. When the film is dry, and ready to be transferred to the celluloid card, said card
is flowed with a solution consisting of gum camphor and alcohol in the proportions of
one ounce of gum camphor to one pint of alcohol. Although not absolutely essential,
I prefer to flow the card with a five grain solution of plain collodion, that is five grains
gun-cotton to one ounce solvent, which is allowed to set and dry previous to flowing
with the camphor solution, as above stated. This camphor solution will dissolve the
celluloid surface, and render it viscid or sticky. The flowed surface of the celluloid
card is now applied to the picture film or transparency, being brought into close contact
therewith, in order that all air bubbles may be excluded. In the course of a few
hours, or as soon as the parts are sufficiently dry, the celluloid card may be stripped.
from the plate, taking the picture film with it, which film will have a smooth surface,
the same as that of the glass, and when the picture is so stripped from the glass it will
be found that the softened celluloid surface will have permeated the picture film and
that the film and its backing will be in one integrate mass. The picture may now
be trimmed to any desired size.

page_text: Pictures produced by the process hereinbefore described, possess great beauty of
finish, and may be used for any of the purposes to which the ordinary photograph is
applied, with the advantage, however, that the celluloid pictures are more permanent,
less liable to abrasion or injury, besides being impervious to the action of most acids
and alkalies; these pictures are moreover unchangeable under atmospheric conditions.
I am aware that thin sheets of celluloid have been used for supporting the gelatine
bromide film, and also that it is not new to separate or strip the finished negative from
the celluloid, the latter being effected by pouring upon the plate, after levelling, a thin
layer of plain gelatine solution.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is ;
The herein described process of producing and transferring photographs, which
consists in preparing a picture film or transparency by the collodio-chloride or by the
ordinary wet collodion process, in toning and fixing the picture film, drying the same,
and in applying thereto a celluloid card that has been flowed with a solution of gum
camphor and alcohol, allowing the card to dry, and stripping it from the glass, sub-
stantially as described.
A. MELVILLE CLARK.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agents.