IMPROVEMENTS IN PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING FRAKES, AND IN OTHER APPA- RATUS USED IN CONNECTION THEREWITE
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING FRAKES, AND IN OTHER APPA-
RATUS USED IN CONNECTION THEREWITE."-A communication from abroad
by Claude Léon Lambert, of Paris, France.
Sealed the 28th September 1875, and dated the 17th May 1875.
-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville
.
Clark at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 17th May 1875.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING FRAMES,
AND IN OTHER APPARATUS USED IN CONNECTION THEREWITH," to be as follows:-
'
This Invention relates to an improved construction of frame for
printing photographs either in salts of chromium or salts of silver, and
has for its object to print on two or more tints; and in the case of salts of
Price

page_text: chromium pictures to regulate definitely by means of another apparatus,
termed a photometer indicator, the time of exposure necessary to obtain
any desired tint, both for the image itself as well as for any ornamental
border which it may be desired to obtain with effects of light and shade,
varying from left to right, which are produced with mechanical exactness
by the aid of a cutting apparatus hereafter described, and also forming
part
of this Invention.
I will first describe the frame for printing a positive image from a
negative.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings shows a plan of the printing
frame, and Figure 2 shows an end view of the same.
a, glazed frame, against which are placed the plates b, having as many
apertures of round-cornered, oval, or other desired form as may be
required. Over these apertures the negatives are placed and are held
in position by the hinged flap c provided with apertures of rectangular
form, in which are fitted masks of the desired form, but rather smaller
than the apertures b. The sensitized papers (previously cut up by the
apparatus hereafter described) are then placed in contact with the
negatives, and the flaps d covered with a pad or cushion of felt or other
suitable material are then pressed down upon the sensitized paper and
secured by the springs e and the fastenings shown.
Figures 3 and 4 show, respectively front and back views of another
press of the same form as the first one, but differing therefrom, inasmuch
as it is intended to produce the contrary result, as in this case the mask
is used to protect the image from the luminous rays, and varies in shape
according to the form of the apertures previously employed, and is
consequently placed at exactly the same distance from the top as from
the bottom in the rectangular apertures, which should be slightly larger
(according to the amount of relief required) than the apertures of the
first frame shown on Figures 1 and 2, so that in this way effects of
light and shade may be produced from left to right indifferently by
shifting the sensitized paper to the one side or the other.
To this end in order to obtain a tinted ground with names, arms, or
ornamentations of any kind I employ a transparent tissue, preferably
prepared in the following manner:-I coat with wax a glass made
chemically clean, and cover with normal collodion, which when evapo-
rated I gelatinize, and when this layer is dry I again collodionize, and

page_text: when completely dry I detach the whole from the glass. This flexible
film is unalterable alike by humidity and by dryness and forms a
translucent surface upon which to lithograph any desired device.
Figure 5 shows a perspective view of the cutting apparatus. It
consists of a plate of glass a to support the paper fitted in a frame b so
as to project slightly from the surface thereof; c, is another frame, in
which are fitted so as also to project therefrom several iron bars d
forming guides, and corresponding exactly to the width of the apertures
of the frame shown in Figures 1 and 2. The sensitized paper is placed
between the two frames, which are then locked together by any suitable
means, whereby the paper is held firmly so as not to be displaced in
cutting it.
Figure 6 shows a front view of the photometer indicator closed, and
Figure 7 the same open. It is composed of a box a, having one or more
dials 6 consisting of any number of helical notches, between which are
small holes c at suitable distances apart, forming stops for the index d.
The latter has a small spring catch, which takes into each hole as it
meets the same, so that it is impossible to exceed the time of after
pose
having previously set the photometer without releasing the latch from
the hole in which it is retained by the spring, the holes being spaced for
different lengths of pose. On the axis of the index is a roller, on which
is wound a strip of sensitized paper, and by moving forward the index
it in passing each notch causes the paper which has attained the desired
tint to advance, also to allow the blank part to be again printed to form
a. new tint. In this manner by examining the tinted paper strip on
the completion of each day's work an exact record of the printing done
is obtained.
I also print by the means above described, either with salts of chro-
mium or in other manner, various kinds of ornamentation to serve as a
border for portraits or other pictures for use in illustrating books,
albums, or screens, by which means a highly artistic effect is imparted
to these pictures.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
Eled by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 16th November 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of May, in the year of
our Lord Oue thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Alexander Melville Clark, Her special
licence that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alexander Melville
Clark, 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 terin 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 "Im.
PROVEMENTS IN PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING FRAMES, AND IN OTHER APPARATUS USED
IN CONNECTION THEREWITH,” a communication to me from abroad by Claude
Léon Lambert, of Paris, France, upon the condition (amongst others),
that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, 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 Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
.NOW..KNOW.YE, that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, 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, reference being had to the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that
is to say:-
This Invention relates, first, to improved frames for printing a number

page_text: with borders of the same, or a different tint or shade to that of the
picture, and with or without names and addresses, monograms, or other
devices thereon.
It also relates to an improved apparatus termed a registering photo-
meter used when printing in salts of chromium to regulate definitely the
time of exposure necessary to obtain any desired tint or shade, both of
the picture and the border. The latter may be plain or ornamental, and
is separated from the picture by a light and dark border line, producing
a relief effect in imitation of the bevel of a passe-partout mount.
The Invention also relates to an apparatus for use in cutting sensitized
paper, by means of which this effect may be produced with mechanical
exactness, and all soiling of the paper with the fingers is also prevented.
'I will first describe the frame:for printing the picture.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings shows a plan, and Figure 2
an end view of the frame.
a, glass, plate fixed in a suitable frame. The glass is obscured (by the
ordinary black paper used for masks or by other means), with the
exception of any convenient number of apertures 6 of round-cornered,
oval, or other desired form. Upon these apertures the negatives are
placed, and are held securely in position by the frame c. hinged to the
main frame of the press, which is then folded down upon the negatives.
This frame has rectangular apertures covered on the side next the
negatives by masks, having openings of the size and form for the picture
only, which coincide with, but are about ¼ of an inch smaller than the
apertures b. The sensitized papers, previously cut of the proper size,
are then placed in the apertures of frame c, and the hinged flaps d which
are covered on the inner side with a pad or cushion of felt or other
suitable material are then folded down and pressed upon the sensitized
papers by springs and the fastenings shown, or by other means, as in
ordinary presses.
The frame for printing the border is shown in front and back view in
Figures 3 and 4 respectively. It is constructed in much the same way
as that above described, but differs therefrom inasmuch as in the former
case the place for the border was masked, whereas in this frame the
picture is protected by a mask of corresponding shape fixed to the glass
in the middle of a larger aperture of rectangular form, and which should

page_text: be slightly larger (according to the amount of relief required) than the
apertures of the first frame. By this means the desired relief effect may
be produced from left or right by shifting the sensitized papers towards
one side or the other.
In order to obtain a tinted border with names, arms, or ornamentations {
of any kind, I employ a transparent tissue, preferably prepared in the
following manner :-)
-I coat with wax a glass plate made chemically
clean, and then cover the same with "2 per cent." collodion, which
when evaporated I gelatinize with a 20 per cent. solution of gelatine at a
temperature of 86 Fah., and when this layer is dry I again collodionize,
and when completely dry 1 detach the whole from the glass. This
flexible film is unalterable both by humidity and dryness, and forms a
flexible translucent surface, which may either be ieft plain or upon
which any desired device or designs to represent the veinings of marble
or imitations of other substances may be printed, lithographed, or
photographed.
Figure 5 shows a perspective view of the cutting apparatus. It
consists of a glass plate a to support the paper fitted in a wood frame b
so as to project slightly from the surface thereof; c is another wood
frame, in which are fitted a number of iron bars & which project from
the surface of said frame, said bars having a number of transverse slits,
and corresponding exactly to the width and height of the apertures of
the frame c, Figures 1 and 2. The sensitized paper, whether in sheets
or from the roll, is placed between the two frames, which are then locked
together by any suitable means, whereby the paper is held firmly whilst
cutting it.
The space between each bar should not exceed #ths of an
inch.
.
Figure 6 shows a front perspective view of the registering photometer
closed, and Figure 7 the same open. It consists of a rectangular
oblong box a, having a number of dials 6 (or a square box may be used
for a single dial) provided with ratchet teeth, between which are small
holes cat suitable distances apart, forming stops for the index d. The
latter has a small spring latch, which takes into each hole c as it comes
opposite thereto, so that it is impossible to exceed the time of exposure
after having previously set the photometer without releasing the latch
from the hole in which it is retained by the spring, the holes being spaced
for different lengths of exposure. On the axis of the index is a roller,
on which is wound a strip of sensitized paper, and by moving forward

page_text: the index the paper which has attained the tint indicated is caused as
the index passes each notch to advance and expose another blank portion
to be printed to form a new tint. In this manner by examining the
tinted paper strip on the completion of each day's work an exact record
of the printing done is obtained.
I also print by the means above described, either in salts of chromium
or otherwise, various kinds of ornamentation to serve as a border for
portraits or other pictures for use in illustrating books, albums, or
screens, by which means a highly artistic effect is imparted to these
pictures.
To obtain a tinted border with names, armorial bearings, or other
ornamentation I may employ besides the transparent tissue before referred
to, either a lithographed, engraved, or other glass.
Having described the nature of the Invention and the manner of per-
forming the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be
protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,- .
The construction and use as described of the improved printing
frames illustrated in Figures 1, 2, and 3, 4, of the Drawings.
I also claim the improved paper-cutting apparatus, Figure 5, by the
use of which all soiling of the paper with the fingers is avoided.
I also claim the improved registering photometer shown in Figures 6
and 7.
Lastly, I claim the application of ornamental borders, produced as
above described, to portraits and other pictures, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of November,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.