IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ORNAMENTAL FABRICS FOR DECORATING WALLS OR SURFACES
Year: 1854

page_text: L
TERS PATENT to Edouard Au ste
aris,
Empire of France, Designer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF ORNAMENTAL FABRICS FOR DECORATING WALLS OR
SURFACES."
Sealed the 21st July 1854, and dated the 18th May 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edouard Auguste Désiré
Guichard at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 18th May 1854.
I, EDWARD AUGUSTE DESIRE GUICHARD, of Paris, in the Empire of France,
Designer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ORNAMENTAL FABRICS FOR DECORATING WALLS OR
OTHER SURFACES" to be as follows:-
My Invention of Improvements in the Manufacture of Ornamental Fabrics
for Decorating Walls or other Surfaces consists in the application of certain
substances as substitutes for the woollen and cotton flock ordinarily employed
in the manufacture of fabrics, having surfaces somewhat resembling that class
of paper hangings known as flock paper.
The substances which I propose to employ for the purpose of producing the
flock or velvet, or other ornamental appearance, are the following, viz.:-1st,
pulverized freestone, which may be stained to any color desired, either before
or after it has been applied to the surface of the paper. 2nd, metallic powders,

page_text: obtained either by simply pulverizing metals or ores of metals, or by reducing
chemical compounds (such as metallic salts) to powder; 3rd, sawdust produced
from any kind of colored wood; also pulverized bark and tan and bone and ivory
dust; 4th, powdered paper of various shades and colors; 5th, textile plants
of various kinds, such as the plant known as oriental or vegetable silk, hemp,
flax, &c.
These various substances are to be applied in the state of powder to the
paper, after the manner ordinarily.employed for the manufacture of flock paper.
When color is required to be imparted to them, this may be done by staining
them either before or after pulverization; or the color may be imparted to them
after they have been applied to the paper.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edouard Auguste Desiré Guichard in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 18th November 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME,. I, EDOUARD
AUGUSTE DESIRE GUICHARD, of Paris, in the Empire of France, Designer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Edouard Auguste Desiré Guichard, Her special license that I,
the said Edouard Auguste Desire Guichard, my executors, administrators, and
.assigns, or such others as I, the said Edouard Auguste Desire Guichard, my
exccutors, 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 Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
ORNAMENTAL FABRICS FOR DECORATING WALLS. OR OTHER SURFACES," upon the
condition (amongst others). that I, the said Edouard Auguste Desiré
Guichard, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should par-
ticularly 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 Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edouard Auguste Desire Guichard, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement (that is to say):-
My Invention of "Improvements in the Manufacture of Ornamental Fabrics
for Decorating Walls or other Surfaces consists in the application of certain
substances as substitutes for the woollen and cotton flock ordinarily employed
in the manufacture of fabrics, having surfaces somewhat resembling that class
of paper hangings known as flock papers. The substances which I propose to
employ for the purpose of producing the flock or velvet, or other ornamental
appearance, are the following, viz:-First, pulverized freestone; second,
metallic powders; third, sawdust produced from any kind of colored wood,
also pulverized bark and tan, and whalebone reduced to powder or small
particles; fourth, powdered paper of various shades and colors; fifth, textile
plants of various kinds, such as the plant known as oriental or vegetable silk,
hemp, and other similar vegetable matters.
These various substances are to be applied in the state of powder to the
paper, after the manner ordinarily employed for the manufacture of flock paper.
When color is required to be imparted to them, this may be done by staining
them either before or after pulverization; or the color may be imparted to them
after they have been applied to the paper.
It is well known that for the manufacture of paper hangings known in
commerce as velvet-faced or flocked papers, it has long been the custom to
employ dyed wool of various colors reduced to powder, which material is dusted
over the surface of the paper previously prepared with flocking varnish, the
object being to impart to the paper an ornamental pattern, the surface of which
will somewhat resemble velvet. This process is, however, very expensive, by
reason of the various manipulations which it is necessary for the wool to
undergo before applying it to the paper to produce the flock surface. By my
improvements I am enabled to attain the same object at much less' expense,
and moreover I obtain effects of much greater variety than it was possible to
produce by the ordinary plan. The pulverized freestone may be colored
either by previous immersion in a bath of coloring matter or by printing upon
it after it has been applied to the paper. The pulverized metallic powders.
which I employ are obtained either by simply pulverizing metals or ores of
metals, or by reducing chemical compounds, such as metallic salts, to powder.
The sawdust I obtain from various kinds of wood, either dyed or undyed; or
from oak bark or tan, which are to be reduced to powder by rasping or trituration;
or from wood cuttings or shavings, stained either before or after being reduced

page_text: to powder or fine filaments. Paper of various colors may be reduced to powder 1
by rasping or grinding, or any other mechanical means by which powder of
any required degree of fineness may be produced.
I also propose to use such metallic or other ores as contain mica or tale for
the production of ornamental designs upon paper, as these substances, by their
color and lustre, strongly resemble gold or copper powder. These materials.
might be employed either alone or mixed with plain or colored sand, or with
any of the other substances which I employ for the production of the flock,
surface.
Hemp and some other textile materials are also applicable for the purposes
of my Invention when reduced to powder, by which means I am enabled to
utilize the refuse of spinning, which is now nearly worthless.
Other vegetable matters, such as bran, straw, mosses, marine plants, lichens,
and tan, reduced to powder, will also produce a very fine flock surface.
For some purposes, baked earths of various kinds and colours, when pulverized,
may be employed, either alone or in combination, and will produce very superior
flock surfaces.
The following is the method I have found by experience to be the most
advantageous when employing wood for the purpose of carrying out my
Invention: The wood is first to be reduced to shavings or cuttings by a planc
or any suitable apparatus; these shavings are then to be dyed or stained of any
desired colour, and finally reduced to powder by means of tan stampers, or by a
tan-grinding mill. Or, instead of operating as above mentioned, I produce the.
wood dust in the following manner:-I first reduce the wood to shavings,
which I pulverize by any suitable apparatus, in order to produce a powder or
small fibrous fragments of greater or less length; and, lastly, I dye or stain the
product of any required color. It is evident that this wood powder may be
obtained from any kind of wood or ligneous matters. The powder of wood or
other substance must be sifted or screened before being employed, in order to
ensure a uniform degree of fineness.
When ligneous matters other than wood are to be employed, it will not be
necessary in many cases_to_reduce them previously to cuttings or shavings, and
in this case they are to be reduced to powder (which I denominate woolly
powder), either by means of stampers or other mechanical means.
It will be understood that I do not confine myself to any particular arrange-
ment of apparatus for the production of my woolly powder from wood or other
ligneous matters, as my Invention is based upon the substitution for the wool
hitherto employed for the production of flock papers of mineral and vegetable
substances, particularly wood and all other ligneous matters, which may be

page_text: rendered as soft as wool by means of beaters, as above described, or by any
other suitable arrangement of apparatus.
Having now described the nature and object of my Invention, and set forth
the best means with which I am acquainted for carrying the same into effect,
I desire it to be understood, in conclusion, that what I claim as my Invention,
and desire to secure under the above in part recited Letters Patent, is the pro-
duction of ornamental designs upon paper hangings by the employment of
pulverized freestone, sand, metals, or metallic salts; sawdust of all kinds of
wood, or shavings or cuttings reduced to fragments of greater or less fineness;
paper reduced to powder either by rasping or by trituration; tale, mica, or other
similar mineral substances, either alone or in combination with other matters;
hemp and other textile substances; bran, straw, mosses, marine plants, lichens,
and tan; also whalebone shavings or cuttings reduced to powder, or whalebone
raspings; and, lastly, baked earths of all kinds also reduced to powder. These
various substances may either be employed separately, or two or more of them
combined in any required proportions, and dyed or stained either before or
after being reduced to powder.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edouard Auguste Desiré Guichard, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Twenty-first day of October, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
A. PERPIGNA,
46, R/ Sto Anne.
E. A. D. GUICHARD. (L.S.)