Improved Means for the Production of Stencilled Words, Letters, or Devices.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 12th June, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 25th Feb., 1890-Accepted, 22nd Mar., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for the Production of Stencilled Words, Letters, or
Devices.
I THOMAS BOWDEN of 41 Percy Street Russell Street Hulme Manchester in the
County of Lancaster, Poster Writer do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to supply means for producing readily from stencil
plates words letters or devices which have hitherto been only produced by competent
operatives by free hand, thereby enabling an ordinary operator to write posters signs
and the like in very ornamental and effective styles.
The means which I have invented for this purpose consists mainly of an adjustable
frame of sheet metal (tin for example) or other suitable material provided with a series
of holes at convenient distances apart and equidistant from the inner edge of the said
frame.
These holes are for the purpose of adjusting the frame to any desired length
or height and also for fixing the words letters or other devices as hereafter
described.
.
The horizontal and vertical sides of the frame are held together by suitable fastenings
passing through the holes aforesaid at each corner of the frame and if desired
strengthening pieces provided with corresponding holes may be fixed at each corner
which may be cut to a pattern or shape to form a design at each end of the stencilled
background (when the ground is to be coloured).
The fastenings which I prefer to employ are those ordinarily known as paper
fasteners.
The stencil plates are also preferably made of sheet tin and are provided with a hole
or holes at the top and bottom at such a distance apart that they will correspond with
the holes in the frame.
Thus it will be understood that each letter word or device may be produced by more
than one stencil plate and consequently several colors or shaded tints may be combined
in the formation thereof, with the greatest accuracy of register.
For example, in the case of a word, by the use of one series of stencil plates the
letters may be left white when working on white paper, the background may be
colored in an ornamental panel, and by substituting a second series of plates for the
first, the white letter may be embellished with a central straight line or ornamental
device stencilled in another color or shaded tint,
The holes in the top and bottom of each set of plates must of course be accurately
cut so that the different series will exactly register and by the use of the frame
above described they will always be true and can be used by the most inexperienced
operator.
It will be evident that by cutting the stencil plates in the ordinary manner to be
used in this frame it would be impossible to obtain a colored background or panel to a
word or device which would entirely surround the same, without some portion of the
white, or other surface remaining uncolored and vice versa it would be impossible to
produce an entirely isolated spot or portion of uncolored surface in a colored letter or
device.
I propose however to produce these effects by joining such isolated letter device or
spot to those parts of the plate which are attached to the frame by means of bent wire
or suitable material of sufficient strength to hold the said letter or device in position
and curved sufficiently to allow a brush to pass beneath it; this can obviously be
applied to the ordinary stencil plates now in use.

page_text: By making the stencil frame and plates of sheet tin the frame and the series of letters
words or other devices can be cleared after use and stored ready for a subsequent
occasion.
Datal thin 11th dog of Inno 1800
CHARLES A. DAVIES,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for the Production of Stencilled Words, Letters, or
Devices.
I THOMAS BOWDEN of 41 Percy Street Russell Street Hulme Manchester in the
County of Lancaster Poster Writer do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The object of this invention is to supply means for producing readily from stencil
plates words letters or devices which have hitherto been only produced by competent
operatives by free hand, thereby enabling an ordinary operator to write posters signs
and the like in very ornamental and effective styles.
The nature of my said invention and the manner in which the same is to be
performed, or carried into practical effect will be readily understood on reference to
the annexed sheet of drawings and the following explanation thereof.
Fig. 1 on the drawing illustrates my invention as applied to the production of
white or light colored letters upon a black or dark colored solid ground and Fig. 2
illustrates the same as arranged to produce black or colored letters upon a white or
light colored ground.
Figs. 3 and 4 are detached views hereinafter more particularly referred to.
The invention consists principally of an adjustable frame a of sheet metal (tin for
example) or other suitable material provided with a series of holes b at convenient
distances apart and equidistant from the inner edge of the said frame.
These holes bare for the purpose of adjusting the frame to any desired length and
also for fixing therein the words, letters, or other devices.
The horizontal sides a and the vertical end pieces a¹ of the frame are held together
by suitable fastenings preferably ordinary paper fasteners e passing through the holes b
aforesaid at each corner of the frame, and if desired strengthening pieces all provided
with corresponding holes may be fixed at each corner which may be cut to a pattern
or shape to form a design at each end of the stencilled back ground as shown at
Fig. 1. (where the ground is to be colored) or as shown at Fig. 2 when the letters
are to be colored.
In some cases (as shown at Fig. 2) the end pieces a¹¹ may be used in place of the
vertical end pieces a¹ of the frame.
"
The horizontal strips a are preferably strengthened at their outer edge either by
curling or bending the edge over or by soldering a wire thereto as shown at d and
are provided with a peg or spike holes as shown at e for obtaining a true "register
when more than one color is to be employed and to keep the stencil in proper
position.
.
The stencil plates f (which may be placed edge to edge or allowed to overlap) are
also preferably made of sheet tin or zinc and are provided with a hole or holes
at the top and bottom at such a distance apart that they will correspond with the holes
in the frame a; the overlap may be made by simply cranking one edge of the metal
or other material as shown at Fig. 2 or by cementing or soldering on a strip as
shown at Figs. 2b & 2°.
Thus it will be understood that each letter, word or device may be produced by
more than one stencil plate and consequently several colors and panelled or shaded
effects may be combined in the formation thereof as represented by the dotted lines on
the letters Figs. 1 and 2 with the greatest accuracy of™“ register.”

page_text: For example in the case of a word by the use of one series of stencil plates the
letters may be left white (when working on white paper) and the back ground may
be colored in an ornamental panel, and by substituting a second series of plates for
the first the white letters may be embellished with a straight line or border line or
other ornamental device stencilled in another color or shaded tint.
The holes in the top and bottom of each set of stencil plates f must of course
be accurately cut so that the different series will exactly "register," and by the use of
the frame a above described they will always be true and can be used by the most
inexperienced operator.
It will be evident that by cutting the stencil plates in the ordinary manner to
be used in this frame it would be impossible to obtain a colored back ground or
panel to a word or device, which would entirely surround the same without the use
of connecting strips to support the letters whereby some portions of the back ground
would remain uncolored and vice versa it would be impossible to produce an entirely
isolated spot or portion of uncolored surface in a colored letter or device.
I propose however to produce these effects by joining such isolated letter, device, or
spot by means of bent wire or suitable material of sufficient strength to hold the said
isolated letter, or device in position, and curved sufficiently to allow a brush to pass
beneath it as shown at 9 in the detached front view and section of a stencil plate
Figs. 3 and 4, and also at Figs. 1 and 2.
This can obviously be applied to the ordinary stencil plates now in use.
By making the stencil frame and plates of sheet tin or zinc the frame and the series
of letters or words, or other devices can be cleaned after use and stored ready for a
subsequent occasion.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
The combination of an adjustable frame and movable stencil plates constructed
arranged and utilized substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the
drawings annexed and especially I claim the application to such or to ordinary stencil
plates of the bent wires or other suitable material (for supporting isolated letters or
devices) so curved as to allow a brush to pass underneath them.
Dated this 24th day of February 1890.
CHARLES A. DAVIES,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.