An Improved Process for Producing Pictures, Photographs, and other Designs on Potteryware, Glass, Metal Plates, or other similar Substances.
Year: 1886

page_text: An Improved Process for Producing Pictures, Photographs, and
other Designs on Potteryware, Glass, Metal Plates, or other
similar Substances.
I The Honourable DENIS LAWLESS of the Permanent Barracks, Aldershot,
Captain of the Rifle Brigade, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention
for "AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR PRODUCING, PICTURES, PHOTOGRAPHS,, AND OTHER
DESIGNS, ON POTTERY WARE, GLASS, METAL PLATES OR OTHER SIMILAR SUBSTANCES,"
to be as follows :-
My invention relates to a photo-ceramic process for producing pictures, photo-
graphs or other designs on a tile plaque or other object of potteryware or on a
plate or other object of glass, metal or other similar substances by impressing on
the tile, plaque or other object a raised and depressed surface corresponding to the
lights and shades of the picture, photograph or other design by means of a die or
mould into or with which the clay, glass, metal, or other material used for making
the object is pressed or moulded.
The die or mould may be made by casting in metal or by electro-typing from a
reverse mould or it may be otherwise made in plaster, wax, gutta percha or other
material, the mould being taken from a "gelatine relief" or from a reverse mould
thereof, or the "gelatine relief" itself may be used direct for impressing the object
with the raised and dépressed surfaces.
After the object has been moulded or impressed it is glazed or enamelled with a
colored glaze enamel or other vitreous substance which is more or less transparent
and it is then "fired" or heated to a temperature sufficient to melt the enamel,
which then runs into the depressed parts of the object, which correspond to the
darker or shaded parts of the picture or design, leaving the raised parts corre-
sponding to the lighter parts; thus producing the original picture or design with
all its graduations of shade in whatever color the glaze or enamel may be, if the
body of the object is white; or modified if it is colored according to the color of
the glaze or enamel. By the use of various colored enamels the picture or design
on the object may be produced in colors.
The "gelatine relief" may be made according to Poitevin's process by allowing
the light to act through a negative or positive transparency of the picture, photo-
graph or other design, or in some cases the picture or photographic print may itself

page_text: be used as a transparency, on to a surface of bi-chromated gelatine of such a
thickness as will be necessary for the amount of relief required. The bi-chromated
gelatine is made by adding bi-chromate of potassium or ammonium to a warm
solution of gelatine and afterwards allowing it to set and dry on a level surface
such as a glass plate, or the gelatine mass may be bi-chromated after it is set by
soaking it in a solution of bi-chromate of potassium or ammonium. After the
dried surface or film, of bi-chromated gelatine has been sufficiently exposed to the
light under the transparency of the picture or design, it is placed to soak in water
which causes those parts which have been protected from the light to swell up by
absorbing the water, while those parts protected from the light remain unswollen
in a greater or less degree according to the transparency or opaqueness of the
various parts of the negative or positive transparency. The mould is then taken
from the "gelatine relief" while the mass remains in a swollen condition. .
The "gelatine relief" may also be produced according to the " Stanotype
process by washing away in hot water those parts which have not been rendered
unsoluable by the action of light, in this case some pigment such as Indian ink
should be added to the bi-chromated gelatine forming the surface or film.
"
ROBT. ED. PHILLIPS, M.I.M.E.,
Consulting Engineer & Patent Agent,
Royal Courts Chambers,"
.70, 71, & 72, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: other Designs on Potteryware, Glass, Metal Plates, or other
similar Substances.
I The Honourable DENIS LAWLESS of the Permanent Barracks Aldershot in the
County of Surrey Captain of the Rifle Brigade do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described in and by the following statement:—
My invention relates to a photo ceramic process for producing pictures, photo-
graphs or other designs on tiles plaques or other objects of potteryware or on plates
or other objects of glass, metal, or other similar substances by impressing on them
a raised and depressed surface corresponding to the lights and shades of the picture;
photograph, or other design by means of a die or mould into or with which the
clay, glass, metal, or other material used for making the object is pressed or
moulded.
The die or mould is made by casting in metal or by electrotyping from a reverse
mould, or it may be otherwise made in plaster, wax, gutta percha or other material, .
the mould being taken from a "gelatine relief" or from a reverse mould thereof, or
the "gelatine relief" itself may be used direct for impressing the object with the
raised and depressed surfaces.
After the object has been moulded or impressed it is glazed or enamelled with a
coloured glaze, enamel, or other vitreous substance which is more or less trans-
parent, and is then "fired "or heated to a temperature sufficient to melt the enamel
which then runs into the depressed parts of the object, which correspond to the
darker or shaded parts of the picture or design, leaving the raised parts corre-
sponding to the lighter parts, thus producing the original picture or design with
all its graduations of shade in whatever colour the glaze or enamel may be, if the
body of the object is white, or modified, if it is coloured according to the colour of
the glaze or enamel. By the use of various coloured enamels the picture or design
on the object may be produced in colours.
"
The "
gelatine relief" may be made according to "Poitevin's process by
allowing the light to act through a negative or positive transparency of the picture
photograph or other design, or in some cases the picture or photographic print may
itself be used as a transparency, on to a surface of bi-chromated gelatine of such a
thickness as will be necessary for the amount of relief required. The bi-chromated
gelatine is made by adding bi-chromate of potassium or ammonium to a warm
solution of gelatine and afterwards allowing it to set and dry on a level surface
such as a glass plate, or the gelatine mass may be bi-chromated after it is set by
soaking it in a solution of bi-chromate of potassium or ammonium. After the
dried surface or film of bi-chromated gelatine has been sufficiently exposed to the
light under the transparency of the picture or design, it is placed to soak in water
which causes those parts which have been protected from the light to swell up by
absorbing the water, while those parts protected from the light remain unswollen

page_text: in a greater or less degree according to the transparency or opaqueness of the
various parts of the negative or positive transparency. The mould is then taken
from the "gelatine relief" while the mass remains in a swollen condition.
The "gelatine relief" may also be produced according to the "Stanotype" process
by washing away in hot water those parts which have not been rendered unsoluable
by the action of light, in this case some pigment such as Indian Ink, should be
added to the bi-chromated gelatine forming the surface or film.
In making the bi-chromated gelatine mass I find a suitable proportion of
quantities to be ten grains of bi-chromate of potassium or ammonium, to one
ounce of gelatine; or instead of using only gelatine I sometimes use a mixture of
sugar and gelatine in the proportion of one part of sugar and eight parts of gelatine.
In the application of the process to metals or other substances that can only be
moulded in a molten condition or stamped or impressed under great pressure;
I prefer to take an electrotype of the cast or mould from the "first" or gelatine
mould, and the proceed as herein before set forth.
I am aware that it is not new to produce "first moulds" by the bi-chromatised
gelatine process, neither, is new to glaze articles by dipping them in, or coating
them with, glaze or enamel and then firing them, but by the combination of these
known processes carried out in the manner hereinbefore described I produce artistic
results never before attained by a purely physical process.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
The process for producing photo-ceramic pictures on potteryware, glass, metal
plates, and other substances, which consists of first forming a relief copy of the
picture upon a surface of bi-chromatised gelatine, the raised and depressed parts
of which correspond with the shades and lights of the picture, then using the said
relief copy as a mould to form the picture upon the plastic surface of a permanent
background, and finally glazing the said background with a coloured semi-trans-
lucent enamel which forms a level surface over it, and reproduces the graduations
in light and shade of the original picture, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 20th day of October 1886.
1880.
ROBT. ED. PHILLIPS, M.I.M.E.,
Consulting Engineer & Patent Agent,
Royal Courts Chambers,
70, 71, & 72, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicant,