IMPROVEMENTS IN MAPS AND CHARTS
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jean David Schneiter, of 8, Rue de l'Abbaye,
Paris, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MAPS AND CHARTS."
Sealed the 25th January 1853, and dated the 29th November 1852.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jean David Schnei-
ter at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Peti-
tion, on the 29th November 1852.
I, JEAN DAVID SCHNEITER, of 8, Rue de l'Abbaye, Paris, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MAPS AND CHARTS" to be as follows:-
To produce geographical maps of the kind which I call "Maps
in optical relief," I prepare and model a map of any country in re-
lief. This bas relief being reproduced in metal, I copy it by a medal-
engraving machine of sufficient size. This engraving being com-
pleted on a metallic plate coated with the usual preparation, various
shades are imparted to it by means of diluted nitric acid. Then
having inserted all the details, in one or several divisions, I take im-
pressions in one or several colours, which are obtained by lithogra-
phy, or in typography by means of the counter impression of the
engraved plates.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, filed by the said Jean David Schneiter in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 25th May 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JEAN DAVID SCHNEITER, of 8, Rue de l'Abbaye, Paris, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of November, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in
the sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Jean David Schneiter,
Her special licence that I, the said Jean David Schneiter, my exccu-
tors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Jean
David Schneiter, my executors, 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 MAPS AND CHARTS," upon
the conditions (amongst others) that I, the said Jean David Schnei-
ter, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should
particularly 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 immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Jean David Schneiter, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be perforined, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof (that is to say):-
To produce geographical maps of the kind which I call "Maps in

page_text: optical relief," I prepare and model a map of any country in relief.
This bas relief being reproduced in metal, I copy it by a medal-en-
graving machine of sufficient size. This engraving being completed
on a metallic plate coated with the usual preparation, various shades
are imparted to it by means of diluted nitric acid. Then having
inserted all the details, in one or several divisions, I take impressions
in one or several colours, which are obtained by lithography, or in
typography by means of the counter impression of the engraved
plates. This process can be applied to globes, to copying charts
and other maps.
And in order that my Invention may be more fully understood, I
will proceed to describe the means pursued by me.
First, I begin by drawing the map intended to be published on a
sheet of paper, as is usually done, with all the features that I intend
to put in; vidclicct, mountains, rivers, coasts, seas, towns, and others.
Second, I draw the map in reverse on a board of wood, iron, or
any other material proper to receive an impression or to be carved.
Then with wax or a mixture of white of zinc and strong paste, I am
enabled to model the whole face of the country I am representing,
which, however, requires the utmost precision, so that all the pecu-
liarities may be faithfully depicted thereon. This finished, I now
give it consistency either with strong paste, or by taking a cast in
iron, copper, or lead, or by electro-plating it, so that a metallic point
may pass over every feature without injury. If I wish, I carve on
a board the mountains, and all other features, representing by level
surfaces the seas, the lakes, and the plains.
Third, I then employ a machine, such as is employed in copying
medals on plain surfaces, large enough to copy the geographical
bas relief. One point of the machine traverses all the points of the
bas relief, and the other, which follow its motions, copies and en-
graves the undulations on the metal chosen for the plate, which has
been previously coated as usual for engraving.
Fourth, I may remark that if I copy a geographical relief similar
to those heretofore executed, the copying machine would produce
at the projections an incorrect effect, by causing the projections to

page_text: appear on the same side as the shadows, and the more the projec-
tions are elevated, the greater is the defective appearance.. To ob-
tain maps I obviate these defects cither by the machine or princi-
pally in modelling or carving. I diminish the height of the elevated
parts, and give more importance to the parts which would not have
been well seen in their natural elevation. I then model or carvo
again that relief, and in its copy all removal is corrected, because
the one is a correction of the other. The difference in the heights
of the mountains is restored, as it will be described.
Fifth, in the places where the coat of the plate has been dis-
turbed by the passing of the graving point, pour diluted nitric
acid to bite the plate deeper. I then recover with the coating the
parts intended to remain faint, such as scas and others, and then
again pour diluted acid on the parts still uncovered to engrave them
deeper, and to give a darker tint to the plains and other parts,
which I coat again and then apply the acid to the mountains and
other parts to strengthen their colours, repeating a similar operation
till I have obtained all the tints necessary to establish the different
levels; I then engrave the coasts, the rivers, and other parts, and
thus have a complete map in reverse.
Sixth, if I wish to obtain a colored impression, after having ob-
tained the tones as before stated, I transfer to different lithographic
stones as many tints as I intend to appear in the map and its orna-
ments. In order to give more relief to the mountains, they must
be retouched with the graver, or if on stone, with the pen, in order
to impart more depth of shade where required. In order not to
spoil the appearance of the maps when I wish to insert many details,
such as names, I make many separate boards for the names, signs,
&c., and use different sorts of pale-colored ink, in order that the
features of the relief always predominate. Suitable tones can like-
wise be placed on the parts in relief. The colours can be replaced
at pleasure by means of bronzes applied after and on the fresh
impression.
A globe can be produced by the same process, except that the
original drawing must be cut into pieces corresponding with the

page_text: parallel of longitude, and which are reversed, as in the above process,
on a flat board, where the modelling of each is done separately.
Then, after the impression is taken, they will be fastened together,
if the globe is to be filled with air; or if the globe is to be solid, to
be fastened to the globe itself.
This principle can be applied to all sorts of plans, whether geogra-
phical, or of towns, &c., and may be printed on any substance capable
of receiving an impression.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jean David Schneiter, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of May, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty
three.
Witness,
T. BASSET,
JEAN DAVID SCHNEITER. (L. s.)
2, rue Drouot.