A NEW OR IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF STREET PLATES, NAME PLATES, AND OTHER PLATES PROALCES HAVING INSCRIPTIONS OR DEVICES THEREON
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Clutton Blair Salt, of Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "A NEW OR
IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF STREET PLATES, NAME PLATES, AND OTHER PLATES
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Clutton Blair Salt
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 11th July 1861.
I, JOHN CLUTION BLAIR SALT, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "A NEW
OR IMPROVED MANUFACIORE OF STREET PIATES, NAME PLATES, AND OTHER PLATES
OR SURFACES HAVING INSCRIPTIONS OR DEVICES THEREON," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in making street plates, name plates, and other
plates or surfaces having iuscriptions or devices thereon by fusing upon a plate
or surface of wrought or cast iron, or steel, a layer of enamel constituting a
ground, and afterwards fusing upon the said ground the inscription or device
made or produced in enamel of a different colour. I enamel the plate or
surface of iron or steel in the ordinary manner, and by means of stencil plates
I stencil or produce upon the enamelled plate or surface the inscription or
device to be produced, the enamel used for producing the inscription or device
being somewhat more fusible than that covering the plate or surface, and of a
different colour. By the use of two or more stencil plates, inscriptions or

page_text: may
devices of two or more colours may be produced. Instead of applying the
enamel of which the inscription or device is composed by means of stencilling,
it be applied by means of a brush or otherwise. After the inscription or
device has been stencilled or otherwise produced in enamel colour upon the
plate or surface, the said plate or surface is heated sufficiently to fuse the
inscription or device, and fix it on the said plate or surface.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Clutton Blair Salt in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 6th January 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
CLUTTON BLAIR SALT, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manu-
facturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Clutton Blair Salt, Her special licence that I, the said John
Clutton Blair Salt, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said John Clutton Blair Salt, 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 "A NEW OR IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF STREET PLATES.
NAME PLATES, AND OTHER PLATES OR SURFACES HAVING INSCRIPTIONS OR DEVICES
THEREON," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Clutton
Blair Salt, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 John Clutton Blair Salt, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, that is to say :-

page_text: My Invention consists in manufacturing street plates, nameplates, and other
plates or surfaces having inscriptions or devices thereon, by first fusing upon
a plate or surface of wrought or cast iron, or steel, a layer of enamel consti-
tuting a ground, and afterwards fusing upon the said enamel ground the.
inscriptionordevice made or produced upon the said enamel ground in enamel
of a different colour from that of the said enamel ground.
In carrying my Invention into effect, I enamel the plate or surface of iron
or steel by fusing a coating or layer of enamel thereon in the ordinary manner,
so as thereby to produce the before-named enamel ground, and by means of
stencil plates I stencil or produce upon the enamelled plate or surface the
inscription or device to be produced, the enamel used for this purpose being
somewhat morefusible than that covering the plate orsurface andconstituting
the enamel ground. The enamel in which the inscription or device is made
is also of a different colour from that constituting the ground. The inscrip-
tions or devices may be made in two or more colours, in which case different
colored enamels may be applied to different parts of the same stencil plate;
or stencil plates to suit each particular color may be employed, as is
well understood and commonly practised in stencilling for various purposes.
Although I prefer to apply the enamel of which the inscription or device is
composed by means of stencilling, yet the said enamel constituting theinscrip-
tion or device may be applied by means of a brush or in any other manner.
Inapplying the enamel constituting the inscription or device, I prefer to reduce
the said enamel to a fine powder, and mix it with water to which a small
quantity of gum arabic or other adhesive matter has been added, enough of
the said gum water being added to make, with the enamel, a mixture having
about the consistency of cream. The enamel thus prepared is fit to be used
for the stencilling process, or to. be applied by means of a brush cr other
painting or drawing instrument. Or the enamel of which the inscription or
device is made inay be applied in either of the following manners, that is to
say, that part of the enamel ground on which the inscription or device is to
be made is covered with gum water or other adhesive liquid, which is allowed
to become nearly dry. A stencil plate is then applied to that portion of the
plate thus prepared, and the enamel,in fine powder, is dusted upon the stencil
plate. That portion of the enamel which passes through the cuttings in the
stencil plate adheres to the gum water or other adhesive liquid. Or the
enamel ground has gum water or other adhesive liquid applied to it through
the stencil plate, so as to produce the inscription or device in the said
gum water or adhesive liquid. On removing the stencil plate the enamel
powder is dusted on the enamel ground, which powder attaches itself to the

page_text: said gum water or adhesive liquid which has been stencilled on the enamel
ground, and forms the inscription or device on the said ground. After the
inscription or device has been produced bystencilling or otherwise in enamel
colour upon
the enamel ground on the plate or surface,the said plateorsurface
is heated sufficiently to fuse the enamel in which the inscription or device has
been produced, and fix it on the said plate or surface.
I do not think it necessary to describe the composition of the different kinds
of enamel which are employed in carrying my Invention into effect, or the
details of the several stages of the enamelling process, as the same are well
known and commonly practised, and constitute no part of my Invention.
Street plates, name plates, and other plates or surfaces having inscriptions or
devices thereon, made according to my Invention are very legible and easily
kept clean; they are also very durable, being little or not at all affected by
the atmosphere.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not
limit myself to the precise details herein described, as the same maybe varied
without departing from the nature of the Invention; but I claim as my Inven-
tion, the new or improved manufacture of street plates, name plates, and
other plates or surfaces having inscriptions or devices thereon, herein-before
described; that is to say, manufacturing the said plates or surfaces by first
coating or covering with enamel plates or surfaces of cast or wrought iron, or
steel, and fusing the said enamel thereon, so as to form an enamel ground on
the said plates or surfaces, and afterwards applying to and fusing upon the
said enamel ground the inscriptions or devices to be produced, the said
inscriptions or devices being made or produced in an enamel of a different
colour from and more fusible than that of the enamel ground.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Clutton Blair Salt, have hereunto
hand and seal, this Fourth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
set my
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
JOHN CLUTTON BLAIR SALT. (L.S.)