Improvements in Producing Casts of Works of Art and Ornamental and other Articles Larger or Smaller than the Model from which they are Produced.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Dec., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 10th Oct., 1889-Accepted, 16th Nov., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Producing Casts of Works of Art and Ornamental
and other Articles Larger or Smaller than the Model from
which they are Produced.
1 EMIL JULIUS KUHN of No. 49 Dearman Road Sparkbrook Birmingham in the
County of Warwick Modeller and Die-Sinker do hereby declare the nature of this
Invention to be as follows:-
In the reproduction of works of art and ornamental and other articles it is often
required that the reproduction shall be larger or smaller than the original article.
To effect this increase or diminution by the ordinary process of modelling is costly
and inefficient as the reproduction necessarily differs in some degree from the
original.
The object of my invention is to make reproductions by the process of casting
conducted with the materials and in the manner hereinafter described whereby the
reproduced object or article may be made either larger or smaller than the original
the details in either case being accurately preserved.
My invention is applicable to the reproduction of busts statuary and the like as well
as to surfaces having ornaments or designs in relief.
I will first describe my invention as applied to the reproduction of a bust larger
than the original and afterwards to the reproduction of a bust smaller than the original.
I make a mould of the bust to be reproduced the said mould being made preferably
of plaster of Paris in the usual way. In this mould I cast a bust by the use of a
composition or compound made and used as follows. To make the said composition
I take fish-bone gelatine and soak it and heat it in water at a temperature somewhat
below boiling heat so as to make a semi-liquid having the consistence of carpenter's
glue when prepared ready for use. To this semi-liquid I add chalk in the proportion
of about one pound of chalk to four pounds of the dry gelatine employed. After the
composition in the mould has cooled and solidified it is removed from the mould.
The bust thus obtained has the size of the original bust. The said composition bust is
soaked in cold water for a time depending on its size. By the soaking of the coni-
position bust in water it swells or enlargos with perfect regularity that is to say
while enlarging it preserves the exact configuration it originally had.
to soak the composition bust in water during from one to four days or longer
according to its size. By the soaking of the composition bust in. water its size may
be increased one half in every direction. From the enlarged composition bust thus
obtained a mould in plaster of Paris may be made in which enlarged reproductions
may be cast.
Where however so great an enlargement is required I prefer to effect
it by two operations that is by first enlarging a composition bust to a moderate extent
by soaking it in water taking a mould of this and casting a second composition bust
in the said mould and enlarging the second composition bust by soaking it in water.
From this second enlarged composition bust a mould may be taken in which the
enlarged reproduction inay be cast in the ordinary way.
It is necessary
In order to obtain a reproduction smaller than the original bust I make a cast of
the composition and in the way described for producing an enlarged reproduction but
instead of soaking the said cast in water I soak it in spirit of wine or methylated
spirit. I prefer to employ spirit of wine of the strength called proof spirit. The cast
by being soaked in spirit slowly contracts without any change of configuration. The
contraction at its maximum may result in a reduction of the size of the cast to two
thirds its original size.
For ornamental work consisting of designs formed on a flat or nearly flat surface a
redwood reprodnation mas he obtained by the use of the gelatinous liquid.obtained by

page_text: boiling peat with water instead of the gelatinous liquid obtained from fish bone
gelatine. When I employ peat I add to the gelatinous liquid obtained from it pipe
clay in place of the chalk I employ with fish bone gelatine. I employ sufficient pipe
clay to give the peat gelatinous liquid the consistence of putty.
This putty like compound is pressed on the surface to be copied the impression
obtained is put on an iron plate preferably heated to about one hundred degrees
Fahrenheit. By the drying of the impression it contracts in the course of three or
four days to a size equal in each direction to two thirds of the original.
Although when employ gelatine I prefer to use fish bone gelatine yet 1. do not
limit myself thereto as gelatine obtained from other sources may be employed either
alone or mixed with fish bone gelatine.
The particular details to be observed and the various manipulations which in
practice I have found convenient I do not consider it necessary to describe in this my
provisional specification.
Dated this 15th day of December 1888.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Producing Casts of Works of Art and Ornamental
and other Articles Larger or Smaller than the Model from
which they are Produced.
EMIL JULIUS KUHN of No. 49 Dearman Road, Sparkbrook, Birmingham in the
County of Warwick, Modeller and Die-sinker, do hereby declare the nature of my
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
In the reproduction of works of art and ornamental and other articles it is often
required that the reproduction shall be larger or smaller than the original article. To
effect this increase or diminution by the ordinary process of modelling is costly and
inefficient as the reproduction necessarily differs in some degree from the original.
The object of my invention is to make reproductions by the process of casting
conducted with the materials and in the manner hereinafter described whereby the
reproduced object or article may be made either larger or smaller than the original
the details in either case being accurately preserved.
My invention is applicable to the reproduction of busts, statuary and the like as
well as to surfaces having ornaments or designs in relief.
I will first describe my invention as applied to the reproduction of a bust larger
than the original and afterwards to the reproduction of a bust smaller than the
original.
I make a mould of the bust to be reproduced, the said mould being made preferably
of plaster of Paris in the usual way. In this mould I cast a bust by the use of a
composition or compound made and used as follows.
To make the said composition I take fish-bone gelatine and soak it and heat it in
water at a temperature somewhat below boiling heat so as to make a semi-liquid
having the consistence of carpenter's glue when prepared ready for use. To this
semi-liquid I add chalk in the proportion of about one pound of chalk to ten pounds
of the dry gelatine employed.
After the composition in the mould has cooled and solidified it is removed from the
mould.
The bust thus obtained has the size of the original bust. The said composition bust
is soaked in cold water for a time depending on its size. I prefer to add to the water
pieces of plaster of Paris for the purpose of hardening it.
By the soaking of the composition bust in water it swells or enlarges with perfect
regularity that is to say, while enlarging it preserves the exact configuration it
originally had. It is necessary to soak the composition bust in water during from

page_text: one to four days or longer according to its size. By the soaking of the com-
position bust in water its size may be increased one half in every direction.
From the enlarged composition bust thus obtained a mould in plaster of Paris
may be made in which enlarged reproductions may be cast.
Where however so great an enlargement is required I prefer to effect it by two
operations; that is by first enlarging a composition bust to a moderate extent by
soaking it in water, taking a mould of this and casting a second composition bust
in the said mould and enlarging the second composition bust by soaking it in water.
From this second enlarged composition bust a mould may be taken in which the
enlarged reproduction may be cast in the ordinary way.
In order to obtain a reproduction smaller than the original bust I make a cast of
the composition and in the way described for producing an enlarged reproduction
but instead of soaking the said cast in water I soak it in spirit of wine or
methylated spirit.
I prefer to use spirit of wine of the strength called proof spirit. The cast by being
soaked in spirit slowly contracts without any change of configuration. The con-
traction at its maximum may result in a reduction of the size of the cast to two thirds
its original size.
For ornamental work consisting of designs formed on a flat or nearly flat surface a
reduced reproduction may be obtained by the use of the gelatinous liquid obtained by
boiling peat with water instead of the gelatinous liquid obtained from fish bone
gelatine. When I employ peat I add to the gelatinous liquid obtained from it pipe
clay in place of the chalk I employ with fish bone gelatine. I employ sufficient pipe
clay to give the peat gelatinous liquid the consistence of putty.
This putty like compound is pressed on the surface to be copied the impression
obtained is put on an iron plate preferably heated to about one hundred degrees
Fahrenheit.
By the drying of the impression it contracts in the course of three or four days to
a size equal in each direction to two thirds of the original.
Although when I employ gelatine 1 prefer to use fish bone gelatine yet I do not
limit myself thereto as gelatine obtained from other sources may be employed either
alone or mixed with fish bone gelatine.
Having described generally the nature of my invention I will proceed to give such
details as are necessary for carrying my invention into effect.
The composition which I employ for general purposes is made of twenty parts by
weight of gelatine (preferably of the kind known in commerce as fish bone gelatine)
two parts by weight of chalk or flake white two parts by weight of Irish moss or
carrageen two parts by weight of peat from which all earthy mattor has been carofully
removed by washing or otherwise. The chalk or flake white may be replaced wholly
or in part by finely powdered slaked lime. I soak the gelatine in water for about ten
minutes then dry it between cloths and melt it by steam or water heat and add the
other ingredients and thoroughly incorporate them by stirring.
There is thus produced a liquid having the consistence of carpenters glue ready
for use.
I will now proceed to give such manipulatory details as it is necessary or desirable
to observe in the practice of my invention in addition to the details already given.
In applying my invention to objects approximately flat such for example as coins
medals and the like I take a cast in plaster of Paris. I raise the cast from the coin or
medal so as to separate the two a short distanco apart from one sixteenth to one
quarter of an inch, the cast being preserved parallel to the coin. In the space
between the coin and the plaster cast I pour the liquefied composition hereinbefore
described so as to obtain an elastic tough gelatine model to be afterwards used as a
mould. It is desirable to prepare the surfaces of the original article and the plaster
cast before pouring the liquified gelatine composition between them.
The preparation consists in brushing over both the original article and the plaster
cast with a solution of soap in water and when dry applying a thin coating of
rape oil.

page_text: The plaster cast is soaked in water until bubbles of air cease to appear; it is then
removed from the water and coated externally with pipe clay. This treatment
prevents the absorption of the gelatine composition by the plaster.
If both sides
of the object have to be reproduced each side is treated as described with respect
to one side. If the cast of the coin is to be enlarged the impression in gelatine
herein before called a gelatine model to be afterwards used as a mould is soaked in
water and if the cast of the coin is to be reduced the impression in gelatine is
treated with alcohol as herein before described.
By means of the two enlarged or reduced impressions nioulds may be made in
plaster of Puris from which may be cast enlarged or reduced reproductions of
the coin.
In reproducing enlarged or reduced busts statuary and the like I embed the bust
or article in plaster of Paris so as to produce a high relief in which one half of
the bust projects above the horizontal surface of the plaster. I then take a slab
or layer of plastic clay of uniform thickness and apply it to and press it uniformly
upon the said high relief. The said slab of clay does not extend to the margin of
the horizontal base of plaster in which the bust is embedded. Pluster of Paris is
cast upon the embedded bust prepared as described with a layer of plastic clay.
The plaster cast thus made is removed and the clay carefully cleaned from the
half embedded bust. The plastic cast is replaced on the partially embedded bust
and the gelatine compound poured into the space previously occupied by the clay.
The other half of the bust is treated in a similar way and there is thus obtained
a gelatine mould in two parts of the original bust. These gelatine half moulds
may by being soaked in water or in alcohol be either enlarged or diminished and
afterwards used as a mould in which may be cast the required enlarged or diminished
bust.
When the figure or object is of complicated form it has to be reproduced in parts
which are afterwards joined.
The process last described is especially applicable to the reproduction of large
articles which by its employment may be rapidly reproduced. In the employment of
the last described process for other than very small articles great care is required to
avoid distortion of the gelatine impression or cast to which it is liable in consequence
of its thinness and flexibility.
This I effect by using Irish moss cut very fine with which fill up the concave
parts of the gelatine mould. When the mould with the Irish moss is soaked in water
the moss expands as the gelatine mould expands and thus affords a support to the
mould which prevents distortion.
I prefer to support the gelatine cast while being exposed to the action of water or
alcohol on a sheet of glass by which it can be conveniently transferred to and
removed from the water or alcohol.
In taking the cast in plaster from the impression or cast in gelatine I prefer to
harden the gelatine by pouring over the said gelatine impression a solution of alum
in water. After the gelatine impression has been well wetted by the alum water the
excess is removed by careful wiping or brushing. In mixing the plaster to take a.
cast from the gelatine impression I prefer to add to the water employed a table
spoonful of the solution of alum to each pint of water.
The solution of soap heroinbefore referred to is inade by dissolving two pounds of
soap in half a gallon of water, and the solution of alum referred to is made by
dissolving three pounds of alum in four gallons of water.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my_Invention
and the manner in which the same is to be performed I declare that I claim as
my invention of "Improvements in producing casts of works of art and ornamental
and other articles larger or smaller than the model from which they are
produced."
First: The employment of gelatine or gelatine like substances either singly or
combined together with earthy inatters or flake white for the production of a model

page_text: of the article to be reproduced which model by soaking in water enlarges and by
soaking in alcohol or methylated spirit contracts, and making a mould from the said
enlarged or reduced model from which mould the required enlarged or reduced
models or casts may be obtained also employing the said mould for obtaining a
gelatine cast to be used for the further enlargement or reduction of the model
substantially as hereinbefore described.
Secondly-The employment of gelatine or gelatine like substances either singly or
combined in conjunction with earthy matters or flake white for the production of
gelatine moulds by casting in plaster a mould on the model to be reproduced,
separating the said mould a short distance from the model on which it has been
formed and pouring the liquified gelatinous composition into the space between the
said mould and the model, thereby forming a gelatinous mould which may be
expanded or contracted by water or alcoliol and used either for the production of
enlarged or contracted reproductions of the original model or for the production of
other gelatine moulds to be still further enlarged or contracted substantially as
herein before described.
Dated the 10th day of Onthher 1880
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.