Improvements in Sign or Show Plates and the like.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sign or Show Plates and the like.
I, CARL ZAPPE of Gablonz, on the Neisse, Bohemia, Manufacturer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the manufacture of plates designed to serve as sub-
stitutes for painted or printed sheet metal sign or show plates and the like, and
which in appearance will be exactly similar thereto and which can be used in any
desired sizes for the same purposes as such plates.
My new plates have, as compared with painted or printed sheet metal sign
plates heretofore employed, the advantage that the impression or picture applied
to them in accordance with this invention for the purpose of display, is completely
protected against external influences, whilst the cost of manufacture is very small.
The said plates consist of a transparent layer of celluloid, a layer of sheet metal
and an intermediate layer of paper or the like upon which is printed (in ordinary,
printing, colour printing, etc) the matter to be displayed.
To make a plate according to this invention the paper or the like provided
with the desired impression (ordinary printing chrome printing etc.) is placed
with the printed side upon a thin layer of transparent celluloid the two layers
being then united by pressure to form a whole. The plate thus produced is then
provided on the rear side of the paper layer with a backing of sheet metal and
the edge of the latter is beaded or pressed down over the edge of the said plate,
thus serving to protect the printed sheet of paper also on its rear side from external
influences, and also serving to ensure the permanent relative position of the layers
when united as above stated. The union of the three layers (celluloid, paper and
sheet metal layers) which form the said plates may also, without departing from
the nature of this invention, be effected by a single operation, by placing the first
of the three layers in the order stated, one on top of the other, and then uniting the
whole together in a press.
The permanent securing of the layers (united together in such a manner) in
their relative positions is effected as before stated by beading or bending the edge
of the sheet metal layer (which is a little larger than the others) over the edge of
the other two layers.

page_text: Improvements in Sign or Show Plates and the like.
I, CARL ZAPPE, of Gablonz, on the Neisse, Bohemia, Manufacturer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following state-
ment:
This invention relates to the manufacture of plates designed to serve as sub-
stitutes for painted or printed sheet metal sign or show plates and the like, and
which in appearance will be exactly similar thereto and can be used in any
desired places and sizes for the same purposes as such plates.
My new plates have, as compared with painted or printed sheet metal sign
or show plates heretofore employed, the advantages that the impression or picture
applied to them in accordance with this invention is completely protected against
external influences, and that the cost of manufacture is very small. The
said plates consist of a transparent layer of celluloid, a layer of sheet metal
and an intermediate layer of paper or the like upon which is printed in ordinary
printing, colour printing, or the like, the matter to be displayed.
To make a plate according to this invention the paper or the like provided with
the desired impression (ordinary printing, colour printing or the like) is placed
with the printed side against a thin sheet of transparent celluloid, the two layers
being then united by pressure to form a whole. The plate thus produced is then
provided on the rear side of the paper layer with a backing of .sheet metal, which
is a little larger than the plate and the edges of the latter are beaded or pressed
down over the edges of the said plate, thus serving to protect the printed sheet
of paper at its edges and on its rear side from external influences, and also to ensure
the permanent relative position of the layers when united as above stated. The
union of the three layers (celluloid, paper and sheet metal) which form the said
plates may also, without departing from the nature of this invention, be effected by
a single operation, by placing the three layers in the order stated, one on top of the
other, and then uniting the whole together in a press.
The permanent securing of the layers (united together in such a manner) in
their relative positions is effected as before stated by beading or pressing down the
edges of the sheet metal layer over the edges of the other two layers.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
1. A sign or shew plate formed by placing a sheet of paper, printed in any
desired manner, with the printed side against a layer of transparent celluloid,
uniting the paper and celluloid by pressure so as to form a compound plate, pro-
viding the said plate on the rear side of the paper layer with a sheet metal backing,
and finally beading or pressing down the edges of the sheet metal over the edges
of said compound plate so as to produce a permanent union of the three layers,
and protect the plate against external influences, substantially as described."
2. A sign or shew plate formed of a sheet of celluloid, a sheet of printed paper
or the like and a metal backing the whole being united by one pressing operation
and the edges of the metal backing being beaded or pressed over the edges of the

page_text: sheets of celluloid and paper or the like for the purpose specified, substantially
as described.
Dated this 22nd day of November 1897.