IMPROVEMENTS IN PRODUCING FIGURES OR ORNAMENTS UPON THE SURFACES OF METALS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Skinner, of Sheffield, in the County of York,
Silver Plater, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRODUCING FIGURES
OR ORNAMENTS UPON THE SURFACES OF METALS."
Sealed the 25th April 1856, and dated the 14th November 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Skinner at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 14th
November 1855.
.I, THOMAS SKINNER, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Silver Plater,
do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PRODUCING FIGURES OR ORNAMENTS UPON THE SURFACES OF METALS" to be as
follows:-
My said Invention consists of a mode or modes of producing figures or
ornaments upon the surfaces of plates, or sheets, or other picces of metal of
suitable thickness, by bringing the surfaces of such plates or other pieces of
metal which are intended to have figures or ornaments produced thereon, in
contact with dies, moulds, blocks, or forms of the requisite sizes and shapes,
having engraved or raised patterns thereon, fit and proper for the purpose of
producing the intended figures or ornaments on the surfaces of the plates or
pieces of metal to be ornamented.
The surfaces of these plates or pieces of metal to be ornamented being held
securely in proper contact with the dies, moulds, blocks, or forms, the figures
or ornaments are produced by the action of a tool, upon the reverse or opposite

page_text: sides of such plates or pieces, pressing all the parts of the metallic surfaces to
be ornamented successively against the dies, moulds, blocks, or forms; and if
such dies, moulds, blocks, or forms have engraved or countersunk patterns
thereon, the action of the tool or tools forces the requisito portions of the
metals composing such surfaces into such engraved or countersunk patterns or
parts; and if the dies, moulds, blocks, or forms have patterns raised or pro-
jecting from the surfaces thereof, the action of the tool or tools forces the
raised or projecting patterns into the surfaces of the plates or pieces of metal
to be ornamented. For this purpose burnishers or tools, such as those called
"spinning tools," and used in "spinning britannia metal, or any other convenient
tools which will produce the required pressure and effect, may be used.
For the purpose of producing the required action or effect of the tool or
tools upon the plates or pieces of metal, the plates or pieces of metal properly
fixed in contact with the dies, moulds, blocks, or forms may be mounted in a
lathe and thus have motion given to them, and the tool or tools, upon a rest
or otherwise properly held, brought into contact with and caused to act upon
their reverse sides, and produce the effects above mentioned.
Instead of thus giving rotary motion in a lathe to plates or pieces of metal
thus to be operated upon, they may have a reciprocating motion given to them,
such as the motion given to a piece of metal in a plaining machine; or the
motion may be produced in other convenient way, so as to cause every part of
the reverse sides of the plates or pieces of metal to be brought successively
in contact with the tool or tools, and cause them to be effectively operated
upon.
Instead of thus giving motion to the plates or pieces of metal to be operated
upon, together with the dies, moulds, blocks, or forms, they may be fixed or
held in a state of rest, whilst rotary or other convenient motion is given to the
tool or tools, so as to operate upon the reverse sides of the plates or picces of
metal, and produce the effect above mentioned.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed 30
by the said Thomas Skinner in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
30th April 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
SKINNER, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Silver Plater, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters 35
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord

page_text: One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, tho
said Thomas Skinner, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas Skinner,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas
Skinner, 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 PRO-
DUCING FIGURES OR ORNAMENTS UPON THE SURFACES OF METALS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Skinner, 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 Thomas Skinner, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
My said Invention consists of a mode or modes of producing figures or
ornaments upon the surfaces of plates, sheets, or other pieces of metal of suit-
able thickness, by bringing the surfaces of such plates, sheets, or pieces of
metal which are intended to have figures or ornaments produced thereon, into
contact with dies, moulds, blocks, or forms of the requisite sizes and shapes,
having engraved or raised patterns thereon, fit and proper for the purpose of
producing the intended figures or ornaments on the surfaces of the plates or
pieces of metal to be ornamented; and then subjecting the reverse or opposito
side of such plates or pieces of metal to the action of a tool or tools, so as
to cause all the parts of the plates or pieces of metal which are intended to
be ornamented to be successively pressed against the dies, blocks, moulds, or
forms, and thus have the intended figures or ornaments produced thereon.
For the purpose of thus producing figures or ornaments on the surfaces of
metals, I use dies, moulds, blocks, or forms having faces of the shapes and
dimensions necessary to receive the plates or pieces of metal to be operated
upon, and constructed so as to be capable of being mounted upon some
machine or apparatus, for the purpose of having rotary or other motion given
to them, in such a manner that a tool upon a rest, or otherwise held, may be
brought into contact and caused to press or act upon the back or reverse

page_text: sides of the plates or pieces of metal; or such dies, moulds, blocks, or forms
may be constructed so as to be capable of being held firmly in a proper
position whilst a tool is caused to act upon the back or reverse sides of the
plates or pieces of metal, and press them against the dies, moulds, blocks, or
forms, so as to have the intended figures or ornaments produced thereon.
The dies, moulds, blocks, or forms have their faces engraved, or have them
made with figures in relief thereon, according to the nature of the figures or
ornaments to be produced upon the surfaces of the plates or pieces of metal
to be operated upon. If figures or ornaments raised or in relief are intended to
be produced upon the surfaces of the plates or pieces of metal, the faces of the
dies, moulds, blocks, or forms are engraved, or have countersunk parts made
thereon, into which the surfaces of the plate or piece of metal may be pressed
by the action of a tool acting against the back or reverse side of it. But if
undersunk or depressed figures or ornaments are intended to be produced-upon
the surfaces of the plates or pieces of metal, the faces of the dies, imoulds,
blocks, or forms have raised or projecting figures or parts made thereon,
which may be pressed into the surfaces of the plates or pieces of metal, and
make therein the intended indentations or undersunk or depressed figures or
ornaments.
Screws, clamps, or other convenient means must be provided for holding the
plates or pieces of metal securely against the faces of the dies, moulds, blocks,
or forms during the process. The tools to be used in performing this process
may be burnishers, or tools such as those called "spinning tools" and used in
spinning "britannia metal, or any other tools which can be conveniently used
so as to apply the requisite pressure to the backs of the plates or pieces of
metal to be ornamented, for producing the desired effect without injury to the
plates or pieces of metal operated upon.
66
For the purpose of producing the action or effect of the tool or tools upon a
plate or piece of metal, the dic, mould, block, or form having such plate or
piece of metal properly secured upon the face thereof, as herein-before men-
tioned, may be mounted in a lathe, or upon the end of a spindle, so as to have
rotary motion given to it; the die, mould, block, or form being fixed in a
convenient manner for having the tool or tools held upon a rest, or other-
wise brought into contact with and applied to the plate or piece of metal
during its rotation, so as to act upon it and produce the effect herein-
before described, by what may be termed a description of continuous rubbing
pressure.
Instead of thus giving rotary motion in a lathe or otherwise to a plate or
piece of metal to be operated upon in the manner which I have described, it

page_text: may have motion given to it in straight lines in a reciprocating manner, or
backwards and forwards in the same manner as motion is given to pieces of
metal in some planing machines; or the motion may be produced in any other
convenient way, so as to cause every part of the reverse side of the plate or
piece of metal to be brought successively into contact with the tool or tools,
and cause it to be effectually operated upon, in manner and for the purposes
which I have above described. And in lieu of giving motion to the die,
mould, block, or form holding a plate or piece of metal, for the purpose
berein-before mentioned, it may be held in a state of rest whilst rotary or other
convenient motion is given to the tool or tools, which whilst in motion shall
be caused to press against and rub or operate upon the reverse sides of the
plates or pieces of metal, and produce the effects above described.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in
which it is to be performed, I declare that I claim as of my Invention, the
mode or modes of producing raised or countersunk figures or ornaments upon
the surfaces of plates or pieces of metal, by causing them to be pressed against
the faces of dies, moulds, blocks, or forms by the action of an appropriate tool
or tools, rubbing and pressing against the reverse sides of such plates or pieces
of metal, in manner herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Skinner, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of April, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-six.
Signed and sealed by the above-named
Thomas Skinner, in the presence of
CHARLES A. BRANSON,
of Sheffield, Sol'.
THOMAS SKINNER. (Ls.)