AN IMPROVED METHOD OF PRODUCING ELECTROTYPING MOULDS FROM TYPOGRAPHIC PRINTING AND OTHER SIMILAR SURFACES
Year: 1884

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SPECIFICATION,
We WILLIAM LOWE and DOMINIC CAVAGNA both of Greengate in the Borough
of Salford and County of Lancaster Electrotypers do hereby declare the nature of
our Invention for AN IMPROVED METHOD OF PRODUCING ELECTROTYPING
MOULDS FROM TYPOGRAPHIC PRINTING AND OTHER SIMILAR SURFACES and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Our Improvement relates to the moulds employed in producing "electros" for
typographic printing and in producing other electrotypes of a similar character and
has for its object to produce such moulds in a shorter space of time and at a lower
cost than heretofore has been practicable.
In carrying out our Invention we place upon the surface of the warmed wax or
composition customarily used for such moulds and contained in the ordinary
moulding box, a fold or layer of flexible tough paper, of linen or cotton cloth, of
thin American oil cloth or of other similar and suitable material. For fine work
such as engravings we prefer to employ the American oil cloth or other highly
glazed or smooth material with the smooth side next to the wax or moulding
composition. In addition to the layer or fold of paper cloth or other material in
contact with the wax it is generally but not invariably necessary to employ one or
more additional layers or folds of a softer material such as chamois leather or thin
fine felt. Having laid the folds of material as described upon the warmed wax or
composition the forme containing the type or the other surface to be moulded is
laid with its face in contact with the leather or other material and the whole is
then subjected to pressure in the usual manner rather less pressure being required
than is usually given when moulding by the ordinary processes. The fold or fulds
of cloth leather or other material being now removed from the surface of the wax
or moulding composition a more or less indistinct outline of the desired mould will
be discovered having the hollows or "whites" well raised. The forme of type or
other surface is now brought into direct contact with the partially formed mould
in a corresponding position to that occupied by it in the first part of the process,
the wax having sufficiently cooled in the meantime, and both are again subjected
to pressure. The moulding box is then withdrawn from the press and the forme
of type or other object removed from its face when after trimming and blackleading
Price 2d1

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it will be ready for use, no "building up or raising" being required and the
preliminary partial filling up of the hollow spaces or "whites in the surface of
the type or other object being altogether omitted.
Having thus described the nature of this our Invention and the best means
known to us for carrying the same into practical effect we desire it to be understood
that we do not limit ourselves to the precise details as the same may be varied but
that what we claim is
The process of forming or producing moulds for "electros" or electrotypes which
consists in first making a partial or outline mould by pressing the typographic or
other surface upon the surface of the moulding composition one or more folds of 1
suitable material being interposed, and second in comploting the mould by pressing
the typographic or other surface in actual contact with the partially formed mould
substantially as describod.