IMPROVEMENTS IN THE REPRODUCTION OF CHARACTERS, DEVICES, AND DESIGNS, AND IN THE APPARATUS AND COMPOSITIONS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1880

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Henry Johnson at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd April 1880. A communication
from abroad by Henri, Nicolas Frey, of Paris, in the Republic of. France,
Captain of the French Marine Infantry.
נו
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE REPRODUCTION OF CHARACTERS, DEVICES,
AND DESIGNS, AND IN THE APPARATUS AND COMPOSITIONS EMPLOYED THEREIN."
A communication from abroad by Henri Nicolas Frey, of Paris, in the Republic of
France, Captain of the French Marine Infantry.
This Invention relates to improved compositions and apparatus to be employed
in the reproduction of characters, devices, and designs, and consists, firstly, in the
improvements in the preparation of what are termed chromographic sheets, and
in restoring or reviving the same after having been in use for a certain time.
Secondly. In improvements in the preparation of what are termed transfer
sheets, which, by means of a composition applied to one or both of their surfaces
when required to be used or previously, are rendered available for the production
of a number of copies of writing, or devices, or designs of any description, obtained
either by means of the chromographic sheets or by means of any ink having a
soluble base.
Thirdly. In various modes of employing chromographic and transfer compositions
in different forms.
Fourthly. In special apparatus for facilitating the employment of the said sheets
or of the substances employed in their manufacture.
In carrying out this Invention a mixture of coloring matter of any suitable
description, but by preference consisting of aniline colours combined with other
substances, such for examplo as lard, resin, tallow, any oils or essences, alcohol,
glycerine, ether, any flour or fecula, carbonates, phosphates, pulverized pumice stone,
stearine, virgin, and other wax, and the like, as well as all descriptions of hard and
soft grease is employed to produce the composition used in the preparation of the
chromographic sheets.
This mixture may be prepared in various proportions; greater or less proportions
of lard and hard fat (mutton fat for example), and carbonate or phosphato are
employed according to the degree of solidity which it is desired to impart to the

page_text: When aniline colours are employed, each negative impression may be laid upon
a sheet of ordinary paper which has been previously moistened with a sponge simply
soaked in water or in any suitable solution of transfer paste (soap dissolved in water
may be employed).
After a few seconds the sheet is taken off, and a positive impression will be
produced on the paper; the operation may be repeated about twenty times with
each negative impression.
It is evident that separate sheets may be employed in lieu of the apparatus here-
inbefore described, such sheets being either prepared before hand or when required
for use, and being of any suitable dimensions.
The composition employed in the preparation of the transfer sheets may bo
employ in a solid, liquid, or pasty condition.
The transfer sheets may consequently be prepared in the same manner as the
chromographic sheets, or the composition may be incorporated in the substance of
the sheet in the process of manufacturing them.
In order to obtain this composition, the substances hereinafter specified are
employed, either alone (as regards those first hereinafter enumerated) or mixed or
combined together, or with other substances in proportions capable of infinite
variation, the quantities being modified according to the form in which it is desired
to obtain the composition. The said substances consist of all descriptions of gelatine,
paste, gum, soap, glycerine, which may, either be mixed together or with starch
fecula or flour pectine, lichen, varec, albumen boiled, any description of syrup,
mucilage, lye, alum, wax, and the like; small quantities of acid may be added to
preserve the mixture, as well as colouring matter and perfumes.
Good results may be obtained by employing soaps having glycerine as a base, or
a mixture consisting of,-
About thirty parts of water.
»
"
"
ten
twelve
»
"
"
one hundred
" "
"
gelatine.
white soap.
glycerine.
To which a small quantity of acid is added in order to preserve the mass, and from.
about 6 to about 8 parts of starch to give it body.
In order to prepare transfer sheets before hand, the composition is melted in a
bain marie or water bath, and spread on one or both sides of the sheet.
It is preferred to employ sheets of woven material, such for example as muslin,
tarlatan, or calico, in the manufacture of these sheets.
Aniline, crayons, or pencils, may be employed in lieu of employing concentrated
aniline ink when using the transfer sheets.
When it is desired to preserve the transfer sheets in a moist condition when
prepared for future use, it is simply necessary to add a larger proportion of glycerine
or of sugar, syrup, and the like. When on the other hand it is desired that the
sheets may dry quickly after being prepared, the proportion of these ingredients
should be reduced.
In order to make use of these sheets it will be simply necessary, if they are not
sufficiently moist to admit of their immediate employment, to pass a wet sponge
over the gelatinous surface and after removing the excess of water by means of a
sheet of blotting paper, the sheet is applied to the writing or drawing which has
been obtained either by a positive impression taken off a chromographic sheet
prepared with aniline, or by means of an ink having a soluble base.
Copies may then be obtained by placing upon the transfer sheet which has
received a negative impression from the original, a sheet of paper of any description,
either dry, or by preference, slightly moistened with a transferring solution, such as
soap and water, for example. The sheet of paper is allowed to remain in this
position for a few seconds only, and a large number of copies may be obtained by
this means. The same transfer sheet may be used several times, it being sufficient
to wash it before using for copying another original.
Transfer sheets may also be prepared for immediate use as hereinafter described.

page_text: A stick of transfer composition, or glycerine soap simply, is soaked in very
hot water and smeared over the sheet which it is desired to render capable of
transferring..
The composition may in the same manner be spread upon any suitable surface,
such, for example, as wood or iron and the like, and this gelatinous surface is then
used in the same manner as the transfer sheet.
The transfer composition may also be employed in the form of cubes, blocks,
inking rollers, cylinders analogous to press cylinders, and the like; negative
impressions will be produced upon these cylinders by any of the means herein before
described, and copies may then be obtained by the same processes.
When it is desired to obtain a very large number of copies, say five hundred and
upwards, the combination of the chromographic and transfer compositions herein-
after described is employed.
In preparing the original, ink having a base of concentrated perchloric acid or
any other analogous ink or liquid is employed, enabling the paper to be perforated
at the points where this ink is deposited, either by the employment of some such
apparatus as the electric or pneumatic pen, or by the employment of a roughened
surface upon which the paper forming the original is laid. When the original has
been produced by these or any other suitable means it is applied to a sheet conted
with a composition obtained by a mixture of one part of the transfer composition,
and three parts of highly concentrated chromographic composition.
In lieu of employing sheets of paper, woven material, and the like, this com-
position may be employed in the form of cylinders and other convenient forms;
sheets of paper or woven material and the like are then laid upon the reversed
'original, and positive impressions are obtained by pressing gently on the whole
surface with the hand, or in any other convenient manner.
A considerable quantity of colouring matter will have been absorbed by the
gelatinous substance, and will be gradually discharged again through the perforations
in the original.
If preferred, it will suffice to make use of any gelatinous composition spread
⚫ upon a sheet of fine woven fabric or even made up into thin sheets itself, and to
cover these sheets with highly concentrated aniline ink, or to rub them with a stick
of solid aniline. The original is then applied and the copies pulled off as herein-
before described. This method has the advantage of enabling the gelatinous sheet
to be moistened with ink during the process of taking off the copies when the
impressions commence to appear faint.
Thus the production of the copies may be continued as long as the original is not
deteriorated.
Stamps or printed characters when prepared with these gelatinous materials, care
being taken to employ the hardest transfer substances, may be used a great number
of times without requiring inking,
According to another modification the stamp itself may be made of ordinary
materials, the inking pad being made of gelatine so as to contain a supply of colouring
matter.
In the like manner printed copies may be produced by supplying ink to 4
characters formed in gelatine by means of an ink reservoir arranged, for example,
in proximity to or on the interior of the characters during the printing. Inking
rollers may consequently be dispensed with.