mprovements relating to the Gilding of Articles of China, Earthen- ware, Porcelain and the like.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Anglication. 3rd May, 1898-Accepted, 13th Aug., 1990
Date of Application, 3rd May, 1898-Accepted, 13th Aug., Toyo
D
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
mprovements relating to the Gilding of Articles of China, Earthen-
ware, Porcelain and the like.
I, GEORGE WASHINGTON TOOKER, of No. 19, West 88th Street, in the City of
New York, in the County and State of New York, United States of America,
mporter, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the
ame is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
he following statement:--
The invention relates to the gilding of china, earthenware and porcelain articles,
uch as dishes and the like, and consists in the novel processes hereinafter described
and claimed, whereby the gold applied to the plain hard or finished ware is
rendered entirely permanent thereon.
It is well understood that the question of retaining gold or gilding on ware so
that it is permanent thereon and not readily worn off by abrasion has been a
subject of serious consideration, and the object of the present invention is to
preserve the gold decorations and render them practically as lasting as the ware
to which they are applied.
In the practice of my invention I prepare the gold which is to be applied to
the dishes or other articles in the following manner, that is to say, I take one part
of gold prepared by precipitation with mercury, and one part of gold precipitated
with potash carbonate and oxalic acid, and then mix these two parts of gold
together. The gold thus prepared is then fluxed with about one and one half
grains of oxide of bismuth to each pennyweight of the gold, and thereafter the
gold is mixed with oil of turpentine in suitable quantity to render the same of
proper consistency for use in hand painting.
In preparing the precipitates I proceed as follows:
First I precipitate the gold with mercury, as follows: I dissolve one ounce of
gold in four ounces of muriatic acid and two ounces of nitric acid, and I then
precipitate this gold in a solution prepared by dissolving twenty ounces of mercury
in twelve ounces of nitric acid. I then wash the gold with warm distilled water,
and place the gold while still moist upon a glass slab and eliminate the water
with Dresden thick oil of turpentine.
Second: I precipitate the gold with potash carbonate and oxalic acid, as
follows: I dissolve one ounce of gold in four ounces of muriatic acid and two
ounces of nitric acid. The solution for the precipitation of the gold is prepared
by dissolving sixty pennyweights of potash carbonate in twenty ounces of warm
distilled water, and gradually adding thirty-two ounces more of warm water.
5 This solution is then set aside to cool, and when cool I add to it a solution of forty
pennyweights of oxalic acid dissolved in twenty ounces of water. This final
solution is then used to precipitate the gold, and when the precipitate settles I
wash the gold with warm water, and thereafter the gold is dried first by natural
heat and then by slight artificial heat.
The gold thus prepared will then be applied to the plain finished or hard ware
(that is, ware which has been glazed and fired) by hand painting, and thereafter

page_text: .
the ware will be subjected to a heat or firing of about fifteen hundred degrees
Fahrenheit. After this firing the gold surfaces of the ware will be burnished
and rendered smooth and uniform, a "glass brush" being preferably used for the
purpose, and thereupon a grounding oil will be brushed over the decorated sur-
faces and upon this oil will be dusted a glaze preferably composed of a mixture
of about four parts of "No. 8 flux" and one part of "special soft flux," after
which the ware is again fired under a heat slightly less than that used in the
previous firing, this completing the process and leaving the gold surfaces smooth,
protected against abrasive action and a permanent part of the 'ware.
When the decoration is to be applied to the ware by printing or transferring, I
mix the gold prepared as above described with printing oil in lieu of oil of tur-
pentine and then proceed to carry out the process above described, the burnishing
of the gold' surfaces after the first firing being preferably performed by a "blood
stone."
When it is desired to use a powdered gold in the application of the decoration
and dust the same upon the outlines formed in oil upon the ware by a rubber
stamp, I mix the potash gold in a dry state with calomel (bright chloride of
mercury) in the proportion of about two grains of the calomel to one penny-
weight of the gold. A ground of oil is then applied to the ware by means of a
rubber stamp bearing the desired ornate outlines or figures and upon this ground
is dusted the dry gold powder, after which the general process above explained is
proceeded with to completion, the burnishing of the gold surfaces after the first
firing being preferably performed with a blood stone, and the final glaze being
preferably applied by a brush and formed by mixing the fluxes above described
with oil of turpentine in lieu of grounding oil.
The gold used in accordance with my invention is a precipitate of gold as
distinguished from a bright chloride of gold, and I am enabled thereby to attain
results never before, so far as I know, accomplished, and not possible, I believe,
of being secured with bright chloride of gold.
The No. 8 flux and special soft flux herein before referred to are articles of com-
merce, and No. 8 flux is formed by melting in a crucible eight parts of red lead,
six parts of fused borax and two parts of flint, the resultant composition being
ground into a powder. Special soft flux is produced by melting in a crucible ten
parts of red lead, six parts of fused borax and four parts of flint-glass, then adding
two parts of sal-prunelle, and thereafter reducing the composition by grinding
into a powder.
From the methods above described it will be seen that the material steps of, the
present process consist, first, in applying the gold to the finished plain ware;
second, firing the ware; third, burnishing the gold surfaces; fourth, applying
the glaze substance to cover the gold decorations, and, fifth, again firing the ware.
The result of my invention is that the gold is rendered lasting on the ware and
the decorated articles have imparted to them a highly attractive appearance. The
methods of carrying the invention into effect will vary with individual judgment,
and hence I do not wish to be limited to them.
my
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of
said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. The process herein before described of gilding plain finished china, earthen-
ware and porcelain articles, which consists in, first, applying the gold to the
articles, second, firing the articles, third, burnishing the gold surfaces, fourth, 5
applying the glaze substance to cover the gold decorations, and, fifth, again firing
the article but at a lower temperature than the previous firing to fuse the glaze
substance; substantially as set forth.
2. The process herein before described of gilding plain finished china, earthen-
ware and porcelain articles, which consists in first applying precipitate of gold to 5
the article, second, firing the article, third, applying the glaze substance to cover

page_text: the gold decorations, and, fourth, again firing the article, but at a lower tem-
perature than the previous firing, to fuse the glaze substance; substantially as
set forth.
3. As a new article of manufacture, a plain finished china, earthenware or
porcelain article having a gold decoration fired and burnished upon it, and
covered with a fired glaze; substantially as set forth.
4. As a new article of manufacture a plain finished china, earthenware or
porcelain article having a gold decoration fired upon it and a fired glaze covering
the decoration; substantially as set forth.
Dated this 5th day of Apr 10.
GEORGE WASHINGTON TOOKER
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.