IMPROVEMENTS IN WIDDY
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Isaac Broad Shaw, Printer, of Tunstall, in the parish of
Walstanton, in the county of Stafford, for an Invention of
ATTI
TY
"
IMPROVEMENTS IN
WIDDY
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Isaac Broad Shaw at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th September 1882.
ISAAC BROAD SHAW, Printer, of Tunstall, in the parish of Walstanton, in the
county of Stafford "IMPROVEMENTS IN DECORATING BRICKS, TILES AND OTHER
ARTICLES IN CERAMIC WARE"
The object of my invention is to give to the surfaces of bricks, tiles, quarries,
finger plates, slabs, facias, pilasters, columns, trusses and other articles in ceramic
ware as may be desired the appearance of natural or artificial marbles or granites
with designs or figures thereon as may be required.
In carrying out my invention I make a solution of size by mixing about one
pound of gum tragacanth in two gallons of clean cold rainwater in an earthenware
vessel large enough to allow of a considerable swelling of the solution; I leave the
gum to soak for about forty hours, well whipping it up every three or four hours
with a small clean besom, so as to break up the pastilles; after standing forty
hours I strain the size through a hair sieve, then allow it to stand for a day or two,
after which it will be ready for use.
The colors I use are in all cases metallic oxides or their bases and in the first
place I grind them up rather stiffly in clean rain water; for the working of the
colors on the size I use a mixture of about one part by measure of gall to about
seven parts of water and well shake the same; small quantities of turpentine, oil
of lavender, olive oil and pure gall are used as hereafter referred to.
I provide a wooden trough of any desired size and about three inches deep fitted
with a strip of wood two inches broad, with a slot at each end to allow the said
strip to slide easily on the sides of the trough, I fill such trough up to within three
quarters of an inch from the top with the aforesaid size and proceed with the
decorating process; I would here remark that the fluidity of the size should be

page_text: such that when poured in the trough it should appear smooth and bright on the
surface, with a syrupy feel to the fingers. The trough for working is firmly placed
on a bench of convenient height with a vacant space of two or three feet on each
side, so as to allow of passing round easily. The various colours to be used having
been well ground as before mentioned a portion of each colour I wish to use I put
in a separate cup, a small brush being put in those colours which I use to form the
veins only, and a larger brush in the colours to be used as the body colour. I mix
the vein colours with a small quantity of the gall and water mixture, gently
stirring them with the small brush care being taken to avoid frothing until the
colour, on being sprinkled on the size appears to lie smoothly on the surface; if the
colour sinks I add a little gall, or a minute portion of oil of lavender, but if the
colours spread too much I add a little more thereto of the same colour which is
ground with the water only. The body or ground colors I cause to spread by a
free use of the neat gall, oil of lavender, or olive oil as may be found to suit the
various colors.
To produce the various marbles I place the colour pots in the order of the tints
required in the marble or granite desired to be imitated or produced on my right
hand for example, for a green marble I place first red, second yellow, third black,
and fourth green or body colour. The trough being in readiness as before stated
I lightly pass the skimmer over the surface of the size, then quickly sprinkle
thereon the colours before mentioned in the order named by lightly tapping the
small brushes with the vein colours on the forefinger of the left hand, but the body
colour I allow to drop very freely from the large brush; as soon as this is done I
carefully place the surface of the article required to be decorated on the surface of
the colours as they lie on the size as aforesaid, and when covered all over I gently
take it from the size and remove the surplus size by gently pouring clean water
on the face until such surface appears satisfactory.
By these means any kind of natural or artificial marble or granite desired may
be imitated by carefully arranging the various colours necessary to form the veins
and grounds in such order as shall seem best in the judgment of the manipulator.
To make the designs or figures in the marble on the decorated surface I use as
fancy dictates ferns, leaves, lace or otherwise which articles I cause slightly to
adhere to the surfaces previous to their being dipped to receive the colours after
doing which, I remove them leaving their impress-After the articles are decorated
as before mentioned I cause the various colours used in such decoration to assume
brightness of appearance by the usual method of dipping them in glaze and firing
them in a suitable oven.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Isaac Broad Shaw in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th March 1883.
ISAAC BROAD SHAW, Printer, of Tunstall, in the parish of Walstanton, in the
county of Stafford "IMPROVEMENTS, IN DECORATING BRICKS, TILES AND OTHER
ARTICLES IN CERAMIC WARE
"
The object of my invention is to give to the surfaces of bricks, tiles, quarries,
finger plates, slabs, facias, pilasters, columns, trusses and other articles in ceramic
ware as may be desired the appearance of natural or artificial marbles or granitos
with designs or figures thereon as may be required.
In carrying out my invention I make a solution of size by mixing about one
pound of guin tragacanth in two gallons of clean cold rainwater in an earthenware
vessel large enough to allow of a considerable swelling of the solution; I leave the
gum to soak for about forty hours, well whipping it up every three or four hours
with a small clean besom, so as to break up the particles; after standing forty
hours I strain the size through a hair sieve, then allow it to stand for a day or two,
after which it will be ready for use.
The colors I use are in all cases metallic oxides or their bases and in the first
place I grind them up rather stiffly in clean rain water; for the working of the,
colors on the size I use a mixture of about one part by measure of gall to about
seven parts of water and well shake the same; small quantities of turpentine, oil
of lavender, olive oil and pure gall are used as hereinafter referred to.
I provide a wooden trough of any desired size and depth fitted with a strip of
wood two inches broad, with a slot at each end to allow the said strip to slide
easily on the sides of the trough; I fill such trough up to within three quarters of
an inch from the top with the aforesaid size and proceed with the decorating
process; I would here remark that the fluidity of the size should be such that when
poured in the trough it should appear smooth and bright on the surface, with a
syrupy feel to the fingers. The trough for working is firmly placed on a bench of
convenient height with a vacant space of two or three feet on each side, so as to
allow of passing round easily. The various colours to be used having been well
ground as before mentioned a portion of each colour I wish to use I put in a
separate cup, a small brush being put in those colours which I use to form the
veins only, and a larger brush in the colours to be used as the body colour. I mix
the vein colours with a small quantity of the gall and water mixture, gently
stirring them with the small brush care being taken to avoid frothing until the
colour, on being sprinkled on the size appears to lie smoothly on the surface; if
the colour sinks I add a little gall, or a minute portion of oil of lavender, but if
the colours spread too much I add a little more thereto of the same colour which
is ground with the water only. The body or ground colors I cause to spread by
a free use of the neat gall, oil of lavender, or olive oil as may be found to suit the
various colors.
To produce the various marbles I place the colour pots in the order of the tints
required in the marble or granite desired to be imitated or produced on my right
hand for example, for a green marble I place first red, second yellow, third black,
and fourth green or body colour. The trough being in readiness as before stated I
lightly pass the skimmer over the surface of the size, then quickly sprinkle thereon
the colours before mentioned in the order nained by lightly tapping the small
brushes with the vein colours on the forefinger of the left hand, but the body colour

page_text: I allow to drop very freely from the large brush; as soon as this is done I carefully
place the surface of the article required to be decorated on the surface of the
colours as they lie on the size as aforesaid, and when covered all over I gently
take it from the size and remove the surplus size by gently pouring clean water ou
the face until such surface appears satisfactory.
By these means any kind of natural or artificial marble or granite desired may
be imitated by carefully arranging the various colours necessary to form the veins
and grounds in such order as shall seem best in the judgment of the manipulator.
To make the designs or figures in the marble on the decorated surface I use as
fancy dictates ferns, leaves, lace or otherwise which articles I cause slightly to adhere
to the surfaces previous to their being dipped to receive the colours, after doing
which, I remove them leaving their impress. After the articles are decorated as
before mentioned I cause the various colours used in such decoration to assume
brightness of appearance by the usual method of dipping them in glaze and firing
them in a suitable oven.
In order to be able to marble the inside (or hollow) of any article I employ a
pipe, the mouth of which is level with and in the centre of the surface of the size
and troughs in and on which the colours are sprinkled, the other end of such pipe
being passed through the side of the trough so that when any article is pressed
down on such surface the air that would otherwise prevent the size and colors
rising up to and against the surfaces of the hollows to be marbled escapes by the
said pipe, thereby allowing the size and colours to act properly. My improvements
may be applied to all articles either in their clay, biscuit or glazed state.
Having thus described the nature of my said invention and the manuer of
performing the same I wish it to be understood that what I claim is :-
The herein described method of ornamenting bricks, tiles and other articles in
ceramic ware by fixing metallic colours thereto from the face of a size of gum
tragacanth or other such suitable gum or vehicle in the manner and for the purposes
herein before described.
In Witness whereof I the said Isaac Broad Shaw have hereto set my hand
and seal this Third day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and eighty three.
ISAAC BROAD SHAW
(L.S.)