CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OR PROCESS OF ORNAMENTING OR DECORATING ARTICLES OF GLASS, CHINA, EARTHENWARE, AND OTHER CERAMIC MANUFACTURES
Year: 1852

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
RIDGWAY, of Cauldon Place, in the County of Stafford, China Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date the
Twentieth day of April, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said John
Ridgway, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I,
the said John Ridgway, my exors, adññiors, and assigns, and such others as I,
the said John Ridgway, my exors, adñors, or assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the
term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OR PROCESS
OF ORNAMENTING OR DECORATING ARTICLES OF GLASS, CHINA, EARTHENWARE, AND
OTHER CERAMIC MANUFACTURES;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a
proviso that I, the said John Ridgway, shall cause a particular description of
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be enrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said.
in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being there-
unto had, will more fully and at large appear..

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Ridgway, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described
by the following explanation thereof, that is to say:-
My Invention applies to the ornamentation or decoration by electro-plating
any articles formed of earthenware, glass, or other non-conducting material,
whether the same may be applied to useful, ornamental, or architectural or
other purposes. My Invention consists in the application of certain novel
and peculiar media, such as are herein-after described, to the surface of the
glass, china, earthenware, or other ceramic manufacture, whereby such
surface may be caused to combine with gold, silver, copper, zinc, platinum,
and other metals for ornamental purposes, by means of voltaic electricity or
galvanic agency, in such a manner that the metals will be incorporated with
or adhere to them so as not to be separable except by violence. This object
I attain by applying to the surface of the glass, china, eartheware, or other
ceramic manufacture a new glaze or coating substance which is of a porous
character, possessing the property of capillary attraction to fluids, and which
admits of metals in solution being united with it. The deposition of metals
from their respective salts has hitherto been for the most part confined to
metallic bodies, in consequence of their known affinity and conducting
influence for and with such metallic bodies; and as non-conducting bodies
have been coated with plumbago or bronze powder by brushing, and the
metallic deposit precipitated thereon, but owing to these preparations, metallic
surfaces not possessing the properties of adhesion and cohesion, the deposited
metal did not adhere to the non-conducting body, but was easily separated
therefrom. But by the employment of my Invention the metallic particles
become actually incorporated with the non-conducting material upon which
they are deposited, thus rendering their separation almost impossible.
Having thus explained the nature and objects of my said improvements, I
will proceed to describe the manner of carrying the same into practical effect.
In the first place, it is necessary to give the articles of china, glass, or other
ceramic manufacture an affinity for copper as a first coating. This object I
effect in various ways as follows:-The articles to be operated upon are first
to be submitted to strong alcohol, or a gelatinous solution, or a thin coating of
mastic varnish applied to them, or a varnish composed of asphaltum and
mastic, fused and dissolved in spirits of turpentine of the consistence of cream,
may be employed. When the above coating is nearly dry, the articles
must be immersed in a solution composed of phosphorus reduced by bisul-
phuret of carbon, and then immersed in nitrate of silver, and afterwards

page_text: set aside to dry. The above object may be attained by vaporizing the
articles in phosphoric vapor (which allows the deposit to proceed freely), or
by a solution of phosphorus in sulphuric ether. Other modes and combina-
tions may be employed to attain the same end, but the most easy, safe, and
economical method of imparting an electric conductor to the surface of non-
conducting bodies, and which I prefer, is by brushing them over with an
impalpable powder composed of equal parts of carburet of iron and sulphate of
copper until a high polish is attained. The vessels are then to be corroded by
means of the fumes of hydrofluoric acid, which has the effect of giving a
tenacity or adhesion to the deposit, or of more perfectly incorporating the metal
with the glaze of the ware. The solution of copper to which the articles are
next submitted is to be composed of one part of sulphate of copper thoroughly
saturated, and four parts of filtered water, to which is to be added one half
part of sulphuric acid, or a few crystals of sulphate of zinc added to the
solution will have a better effect in facilitating the precipitation of the metallic
deposit on the ware. The above solution being placed in a vat of convenient
size lined with gutta percha, the articles under operation are immersed
therein, being suspended from a brass rod and connected by means of a copper
wire to the terminal of a galvanic battery of suitable intensity and quantity.
The precipitation of the particles of metallic copper (previously held in
solution) upon the said articles will immediately commence, and must be
allowed to continue until they are entirely coated. When the coating of
copper has attained the required density, the articles are removed from the vat
and plunged into cold water, for the purpose of neutralizing any acid which
may remain upon the surface of the copper. They are then carefully dried,
which may be effected in a kiln of moderate temperature; but I prefer drying
them by placing them in heated sawdust, and allowing them to remain therein
for about twenty-four hours, in order to prevent oxidation or tarnishing. It
will be evident that various other modes of drying and preventing the action
of the atmosphere may be employed. The next operation is to remove any
granulation or roughness of surface which the articles may have acquired in
receiving the deposit. This must be effected by the use of sand paper,
pumice stone, and water, or by scouring with silver sand. They are then
polished in the ordinary way or brushed with a fine wire brush to prepare the
surface for the operation of plating; or should the configuration of the article
be such as not to admit of the employment of the "scratch brush," the same
end may be attained by plunging them into a liquor formed of the following
ingredients:Six quarts of sulphuric acid, four quarts of aquâfortis, three
quarters of an ounce of muriatic acid, and six quarts of water, or in similar

page_text: proportion, according to the quantity required. If any greasy appearance shall
be discovered upon the surface of the copper, which would render the cleaning
or "dipping" process useless, care must be taken to remove this obstacle.
The most convenient method of effecting this object is to boil the articles in a
solution consisting of half a pound of pearlash or American potash to one
gallon of water, and afterwards to immerse them in cold water; after
which process the " dipping" will take effect, or they may be cleansed
by means of the voltaic battery, which will produce the desired effect more
speedily and thoroughly. I would here remark, that the solution or pickle
employed for the cleansing process must be varied to suit the metal or alloy
of metals with which the article has been coated, as it is necessary that the
solution should be such as will have no action upon the metal itself, but
will simply remove the oxide from the surface thereof. For articles coated with
copper, the solution given above I prefer to all others; for silver surfaces, a
solution of cyanide of potassium should be employed; and for iron, a saturated
solution of sulphate of soda. A voltaic battery of two or three "pairs" will
serve for this purpose. It now becomes necessary to prepare the surface of
the copper in such a manner that silver being deposited upon it, shall become
alloyed, amalgamated, or incorporated with the copper, in order to prevent the
separation of the two surfaces by what is technically called "stripping." To
obtain this alloy or amalgamation a film of mercury must now be dissolved in
nitric acid, in the proportion of one pound of mercury to one pound of nitric
acid. This solution must be slightly diluted with water, and set aside to
crystallize, and the crystals (nitrate of mercury) thus formed are to be
dissolved in water. A solution consisting of an ounce of nitrate of mercury
to one gallon of water is thus prepared, and is employed for "quicking" the
articles which are dipped into it, and on being removed are passed through the
water in order to neutralize any trace of the solution, and they are imme-
ditely immersed into the precipitating vat of silver solution. The quantity of
mercury that is employed must be exceedingly small, that is, just sufficient to
The silver solution
produce a perfect combination of the metals, and no more.
consists of metallic silver dissolved in nitric acid, diluted with an equal
quantity of distilled water. The diluted acid is heated in a vessel, and the
silver added by degrees. To this solution of nitrate of silver a solution of
cyanide of potassium is added so long as any white precipitate is formed.
fifty ounces of silver be dissolved in three and a half pounds of concentrated
nitric acid diluted as above, it will require thirty and a half ounces of cyanide
of potassium to precipitate the silver. This precipitate is then washed, and
thirty ounces more of cyanide of potassium is added, which will dissolve the
If

page_text: precipitate. The solution is then formed. I prefer, however, the employment
of the battery to form a silver solution. Two of Daniel's batteries of five
pairs of plates will be found sufficient to dissolve from sixty to eighty ounces
of the metal in ten or twelve hours. There are also other forms of silver
solution which may be employed, such as the cyanide, sulphate, sulphite,
bypo-sulphite, and acetate, and the solution of most of its salts in ammonia,
but I prefer the solution first described. Gold may be precipitated from the
solution of its hypo-sulphate, which is formed by adding chloride of gold to a
solution of hypo-sulphate of soda. The gold solution may also be prepared
by dissolving gold in three parts of niuriatic acid and one part of nitric acid,
which will form the cholride. This being now digested with calcined magnesia,
the metal is precipitated as an oxide. The oxide is then boiled in strong
nitric acid, in order to dissolve the magnesia which is in combination with it.
The oxide is next well washed and afterwards dissolved in cyanide of potassium,
which forms cyanide of gold and potassium. I prefer, however, the employ-
ment of the battery also for preparing the gold solution. The film of gold
deposited upon articles by the agency of voltaic electricity does not always
possess the rich color which is essential for commercial purposes. The deposit
upon the articles on being removed from the vat should present a dark
yellow color, approaching to brown, and when scratched should yield a fine
deep gold. If such is not the case the following mixture may be employed
to give the requisite color to the gilding. Three parts of nitrate of potash,
one and a half alum, one and a half sulphate of zinc, and one and a half
common salt. These ingredients being formed into a paste by the addition of
a little water, the articles are coated therewith. They are then placed upon an
iron plate over a clear fire, and there kept until they nearly attain a black heat.
They are then plunged instantly into cold water, which immediately remedies
the deficiency of color. The time of exposure to the heat must be varied
according to its intensity and the color desired to be produced. The longer
the heating process is continued the darker the color will be. They are
immersed as before stated into water (which removes the mixture or
coating) and well washed, they are then rubbed with a suitable brush, and if
required finally burnished. Many varieties of gold do not require the coloring
process, but on their removal from the precipitating trough simply require to
be washed with soap and water. In this state the deposit has the appearance
of dead or mat gold, which may be greatly improved by adding a small quantity
of ammoniuret of gold to the solution, and again submitting the articles to the
precipitating trough for a few minutes, on removal from whence they may be

page_text: left in the dead or mat state, or burnished as required. The process of
burnishing gold and silver is so familiar as to need no explanation here,
except that some articles require the use of soap and water, whilst for others
old porter, stale beer, &c. may be employed. Zinc is reduced from its sulphate,
cholride, iodide, and acetate-the solution I prefer is formed of six pounds of
the crystallized salt in four gallons of water (distilled), and employing a battery
of eight pairs, care being taken to agitate the solution with a rod or stick, or
to keep the article in constant motion, and platinum from its bi-chloride
dissolved in aquâ regia. From the above description it will be evident that
the application of my Invention has an almost unlimited range, comprising the
ornamenting or decorating the Parian marble with china figures, vases, and
other articles both useful and ornamental or architectural, whether composed
of glass, china, earthenware, or other non-conducting material possessing
the same or similar compounds and properties.
Having thus described the nature and object of my said improvements,
together with the manner of carrying the same into practical effect, I would
remark in conclusion that I do not claim the use of any of the above
processes for depositing metals, as such, but what I do claim as my Invention
is, the application of the art of "electrotype" or "electro metallurgy" to the
ornamenting or decorating of articles of glass, china, earthenware, and other
ceramic manufactures (whether applied in the manner above described, or by
any other suitable process), provided always that the surface of the non-conduct-
ing body is so prepared that the metal deposited thereon shall become alloyed
or combined therewith, whatever may be the ulterior purposes to which
such articles so ornamented or decorated may be applied.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Ridgway, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of October, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-two.
Signed, sealed, and delivered (being
first duly stamped) by the within-
named John Ridgway, in the
JOHN (L.S.) RIDGWAY.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Fifteenth day of October, in
the year of our Lord 1852, the aforesaid John Ridgway came before our said
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Sixteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-two.