IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING OR ORNAMENTING VARIOUS FABRICS
Year: 1844

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
SMITH, lately residing at the Cross Keys Hotel, Wood Street, in the City of
London, but now of Chesterfield, in the County of Derby, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Seventh day of December, in the eighth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said James
Smith, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the
said James Smith, my executors, administrators, and assigns, and such others
as I, the said James Smith, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
during the term of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING OR ORNAMENTING
VARIOUS FABRICS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso obliging
me, the said James Smith, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the same
to be enrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
James Smith, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following description thereof (that is to say):-
This Invention consists in printing various descriptions of figured or orna-
mental lace fabric with devices or patterns in colours or metals, the process
being only applicable to (or intended to be claimed for) printing upon such
portions of the lace as are formed in figures by what is called clothwork, or
solid, compact, woven, or otherwise closely-worked foundation.
The manner in which I effect these improvements in lace fabric is as
follows: Having devised a certain pattern or figure to be wrought in lace in
groundwork or compact foundation by the machinery and means which are
known and practised for that purpose, I then prepare printing blocks or other
printing surfaces (similar to those commonly used for printing patterns or
devices upon silks, cotton, and other fabrics), such block or printing surface
being formed or cut to such patterns or devices as will correspond with and
work upon those parts of the fabric only which have a solid or compact cloth-
work or other compact foundation wrought in them. Such figured lace having
been produced, it must be bleached or otherwise prepared, as may be required,
in the ordinary way, and got up or dressed evenly and smoothly, but with a
very slight degree of stiffening (if any). The lace is then to be laid and
stretched out flat and tight upon a table in the same way as other fabrics
and paper are usually laid out to be printed. When this is done, the blocks
or other printing surfaces charged with the colouring matter (or adhesive
composition to hold color, or thin sheets of metal or powdered metal to be
afterwards applied) are to be carefully placed upon the wrought patterns or
foundation work of the lace, and the impression given to those parts of the
work in the same way as is usually practised by printers.
Having now described my Invention, I desire it. to be understood, that I do
not intend to claim printing upon lace in general or upon any other fabric,
but only printing upon such parts of figured lace as are wrought with patterns
or devices in clothwork or other close compact ground capable of receiving the
colouring matter, and shewing up the devices or figures so printed.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Smith, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fifth day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and forty-five.
JAMES (L.S.) SMITH.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Fifth day of June, in
the year above mentioned, the aforesaid James Smith came before our Lady
the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification aforesaid,
and all and every thing therein contained, in form above written. And also
the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute
in that case made and provided.
Inrolled the Sixth day of June, in the year above written.