Ix- PROVEMENTS IN PRODUCING ORNAMENTAL SURFACES TO PAPER AND OTHER SUBSTANCES
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas De la Rue, of Bunhill Row, in the
County of Middlesex, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "Ix-
PROVEMENTS IN PRODUCING ORNAMENTAL SURFACES TO PAPER AND
OTHER SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 27th April 1858, and dated the 24th February 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas De la Rue
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 24th February 1853.
I, THOMAS DE LA RUE, of Bunhill Row, in the County of Middlesex,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PRODUCING ORNAMENTAL SURFACES TO PAPER AND OTHER
SUBSTANCES" to be as follows:-
It is well known that by coating surfaces with very thin films of
transparent matter that iridescent colours are obtained on the surfaces,
and for means of producing such results Letters Patent were granted
to me in 1848. My present Invention consists of producing films on
paper and other substances by dipping them into or spreading on them

page_text: a solution of gun cotton, or other similar products, resulting from the
action of nitric and sulpho-nitric acids on vegetable matters dissolved
in ether or other solvent, they being used either with or without resinous
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas De la Rue, in the Great Seal Patent
Office, on the 24th August 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
THOMAS DE LA RUE, of Bunhill Row, in the County of Middlesex,
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Thomas De la Rue, Her special
licence that I, the said Thomas De la Rue, my executors, administra-
tors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas De la Rue, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS
IN PRODUCING ORNAMENTAL SURFACES TO PAPER AND OTHER SUBSTANCES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas De la Rue,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 Scal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas De la Rue, 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 thercof, that is to say:

page_text: It is well known that by coating surfaces with very thin films of
transparent matter that iridescent colours are obtained on the surfaces
of substances, and for means of producing such results Letters Patent
were granted to me in One thousand eight hundred and forty-eight.
My present Invention consists in the producing of films on paper
and other substances by dipping them into, or spreading on them, a
solution in ether or other solvents of gun cotton, or other similar
products, which are called by chemists xyloidine, and result from the
action of nitric or sulpho-nitric acid on vegetable matters, the solutions
being used either with or without resinous varnishes.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, I will
now proceed to describe the manner in which the same is to be
performed.
In the Specification of a former Patent, granted to me on the
Fifteenth day of August, One thousand eight hundred and forty-eight,
for improvements in producing ornamental surfaces to paper and other
materials, I described a process for producing iridescent films on the
surfaces of substances by dropping varnishes and other materials on to
the surface of water beneath which the substances to be coated had
been previously immersed, and which were lifted up when the film was
sufficiently set in such a manner as to cause the film to become
attached to the surfaces intended to receive the film. The present
Invention is for the production of similar iridescent films, substituting
for the varnishes and materials before used a solution of gun cotton or
gun linen (xyloidine), known as collodion, which possesses advantages
in some cases, and more particularly when it is desired to produce a
film on very long lengths of goods, as, for instance, on paper-hangings,
as I have found that it is not necessary for the production of an
iridescent film with collodion for the solution to be first dropped on the
surface of water, and allowed to set, although beautiful results may be
obtained by so doing, whether the collodion be used with or without a
varnish, as formerly described. The chief advantage of the employment
of collodion is, that it produces iridescent films on substances merely
dipped therein, and also when the solution is brushed or floated over

page_text: them, provided the strength of the solution is properly attended to. The
preparation of collodion may be varied, and I shall hereafter give the
means practised by me. At the same time I wish it to be understood
that I do not confine myself thereto, as almost any solution of xyloidine
(gun cotton and similar substances) may be made to produce good
results when proper attention is paid to its dilution to suit the various
substances on which it is to be applied. I would remark that the
substance which I prefer to use in the preparation of xyloidine is
unsized and unblued paper, and I prepare it in the following manner :
I first prepare a nitro-sulphuric acid by mixing five fluid ounces of sul-
phuric acid, specific gravity 1-846; six and a half fluid ounces of nitric
acid, containing nitrous acid, and usually sold as nitros acid, specific
gravity 1-340; two fluid ounces nitric acid, specific gravity 1.500. Hav-
ing prepared the acid, I immerse therein two sheets of demy paper cut
into convenient strips. This paper is allowed to remain in the acid for
a period varying from five minutes to one hour, according to the
thickness of the paper.
When the reaction is complete, which may be
known by the paper becoming throughout as translucent as horn, the
paper is withdrawn and carefully washed repeatedly in water, to remove
all trace of free acid, and then allowed to dry in the atmosphere.
When dry the gun paper (xyloidine) is dissolved to the point of
saturation in ether of the specific gravity 0.720 to 0-730. Of this
saturated ethereal solution of xyloidine I take two volumes and mix
them with one volume of absolute alcohol, and either brush the
resulting fluid over the surface on which I require an iridescent film
to be produced, or pass the substance into the solution, or pour the
solution on the surface, or otherwise conduct long lengths of the
material over a roller revolving in a trough or vessel containing the
solution.
I would remark that for every variation in the mode of operating a
little change will require to be made in the strength of the collodion,
but a correct knowledge of this will quickly be obtained by practice, and
cannot be readily conveyed by description.

page_text: What I claim is the application of a solution of the matter called
xyloidine to the production of iridescent surfaces on paper and other
surfaces.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas De la Rue, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of August,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-three
TH". DE LA RUE. (LS.)
Witness, JN. ALCOCK.