IMPROVEMENTS IN PRODUCING FACSIMILE COPIES OF WRITINGS, DRAWINGS, AND DELINEATIONS."
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Eugenio de Zuccato, of Frith Street, Soho, London, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRODUCING FACSIMILE COPIES OF
WRITINGS, DRAWINGS, AND DELINEATIONS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Eugenio de Zuccato at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th March 1876.
EUGENIO DE ZUCCATO, of Frith Street, Soho, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PRODUCING FACSIMILE COPIES OF WRITINGS, DRAWINGS, AND DELINEATIONS."
My Invention relates to improvements in producing facsimile copies of writings,
drawings, and delineations.
In the first place, it is requisite to obtain a thin sheet of paper close in texture,
and which has been highly sized and well rolled, and is of the substance or thick-
ness generally known in commerce as bank post. Other kinds of paper may be
used as substitutes, but I recommend as being best adapted for the purpose of
carrying out my Invention the use of such paper as I have above named.
"
In the next place the sheet of paper before described should be covered or coated
over on the side which is to be written on or drawn upon, herein-after called
'writing side," with an impermeable or waterproof substance, and by preference I
uso a solution of gamboge in spirits of wine in the proportion, say of half pound
gamboge to 5 pints of methylated spirit, to which may be added one ounce and a
quarter of Venice turpentine. The other side of the sheet of paper should also be
coated or covered over with an impermeable or waterproof substance, such as resin
dissolved in spirit of wine or oil of turpentine, but I prefer the composition
known in trade as gilders' lacquer, to three parts of which I usually add one part
of methylated spirit and one-sixteenth part of the whole of Venice turpentine.
The above compositions or substances are to be laid evenly over the surface of the
paper, which will be best done by means of a broad and soft brush, and sometimes
it may be necessary to apply two or three coats, according to the consistency of
the waterproof substances and the quality of the paper. The paper when so coated
must be thoroughly dry before being used. The sheets of paper thus prepared
should be kept ready for immediate use.
In the next place, upon the writing side of a sheet of paper prepared in the
foregoing manner, and being perfectly dry the writing, drawing, or delineation of
Price 6d1

page_text: which facsimile copies are intended to be produced should be executed with an
ordinary steel pen, using for ink the liquid preparation herein-after described, and
which writing must be allowed to dry.
The liquid preparation I employ for executing such writing, drawing, or delinea-
tion consists of a caustic preparation, such as water, which has been dipped in or
saturated with hydrate of sodium or hydrate of potassium, which preparation may
be coloured with a suitable coloring matter, such as indigo, or other coloring matter
capable of withstanding the action of the alkali, and which matter will not
neutralize the caustic properties of the preparation.
In the next place, in order that the prepared paper which has been written, 1
drawn, or delineated upon with the above described ink may be used for producing
facsimile copies, it is necessary to remove those parts of the varnish that have been
acted upon or corroded by the action of the said ink. This removal may be mado
in several ways, but I recommend the following method, namely, upon a piece of
textile fabric, such as calico or linen that has been saturated with cloan water, the 1
unwritten side of the manuscript is to be placed, and is to be firmly and evenly
prossed down, first covering it with a sheet of blotting paper. The water from the
calico or linen will, within a few minutes, commence to ooze through the lines of
the writing, drawing, or delineation, and the moisture appearing on the "writing
side" should be immediately removed by means of the blotting paper before alluded
to in order to stay any lateral action of the ink. This process should be continued
until all the lines of the writing are perfectly clear, which is a certain indication
that the ink has operated sufficiently.. The manuscript may now be removed, and
any portions of corroded varnish that still remain may be washed away with a soft
brush and water.
The effect produced by the operation before described is to remove such portions
of the waterproofing as have been acted upon or corroded by the action of the ink
along the lines of the writing, drawing, or delineation which have been made, thus
forming a porous paper "stencil."
It is next necessary to form a pad, the use of which is to support the stencil and
to supply a gummy or sticky preparation, herein-after described, in the course of
printing by taking a piece of pasteboard of the required size and about 12 sheets
of good blotting paper, and enclosing the whole in a piece of waterproof cloth, such
as macintosh, which must be stuck upon the piece of pasteboard.
To render thoroughly waterproof the edges of the paper a waterproof solution,
such as a solution of india-rubber, must be used, and on the top of this pad a piece
of blotting paper, cloth, velvet, or some such absorbing substance is caused to adhere
by any sticky matter, and this is to be saturated with a gummy or sticky solution,
such as that of gum arabic and glycerine. The aforesaid pad must be made slightly
larger than the space occupied by the writing, drawing, or delineation that has
been written or drawn on the prepared paper, and which it is desired to copy, whilst
it must be smaller than the area of the said prepared paper which must overlap its
edges.
Having prepared the pad the prepared paper bearing the writing, drawing, or
delineation desired to be copied, the mode of producing the facsimile copies of the
writing, drawing, or delineation which has been executed on the prepared paper is
as follows:-Place the pad saturated with the gummy preparation upon a perfectly
flat surface, such as a piece of pasteboard or wood, and flat upon the surface of the
pad place the prepared paper so that the writing side thereof upon which the
writing, drawing, or delineation has been executed may be next to the pad and the
unwritten side uppermost. Flat upon the surface of the prepared paper put a piece
of blotting paper, and upon the top of the whole thus arranged place another piece
of pasteboard, which might be bound with the other piece of pasteboard herein-
before mentioned and press the whole together in an ordinary letter copying press,
or some modification thereof. After a few seconds the exposed lines of the drawing,
writing, or delineation will be found impregnated with the gummy preparation.
Upon removing the blotting paper any pigment may be applied to the stencil,

page_text: the former adhering only to the parts of the stencil which are impregnated with
the gummy solution. I prefer to use the pigments in the form of a powder, which
may be applied by means of a brush or velvet dabber.
Without disturbing the arrangement of the pad and stencil a sheet of the paper
to be printed upon can be placed upon the stencil, and upon submitting it to
pressure in the manner before described it will be found that a facsimile of the
stencil copy has been produced, and by continuing the process a great number of
copies can be successively obtained by using other sheets of paper.
The action that ensues is as follows, that is to say:-The gummy solution with
which the pad is saturated is forced, by means of the pressure exerted by the press,
through the exposed parts of the prepared paper along the lines of the writing,
drawing, or delincation, where the wateproofing of the prepared paper has been
already acted upon or corroded by the action of the ink as before described, and
causes the pigments when applied to adhere to the exposed parts of the stencil, .
allowing them to be subsequently transferred to the paper which is to be printed
upon; I prefer to use powdered aniline colors, as by so doing the application of color
to the stencil each time that a copy has been taken is rendered unnecessary, the
gummy solution of glyceriue dissolving the aniline color.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said Eugenio de Zuccato in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th
September 1876.
EUGENIO DE ZUCCATO, of Frith Street, Soho, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PRODUCING FACSIMILE COPIES OF WRITINGS, DRAWINGS, AND DELINEATIONS."
My Invention relates to improvements in producing facsimile copies of writings,
drawings, and delineations.
In the first place it is requisite to obtain a thin sheet of paper close in texture,
and which has been highly sized and well rolled, and is of the substance or thick-
ness generally known in commerce as bank post. Other kinds of paper may be
used as substitutes, but I recommend as being best adapted for the purpose of
carrying out my Invention the use of such paper as I have above named.
Ef
In the next place the sheet of paper before described should be covered or coated
over on the side which is to be written on or drawn upon, herein-after called
writing side," with an impermeable or waterproof substance, and by preference I
uso a solution of gamboge in spirits of wine in the proportion, say of half a pound
gamboge to five pints of methylated spirit, to which may be added one ounce and a
quarter of Venice turpentine. The other side of the sheet of paper should also be
coated or covered over with an impermeable or waterproof substance, such as resin
dissolved in spirits of wine or oil of turpentine, but I prefer the composition known
in trade as gilder's lacquer, to three parts of which I usually add one part of
methylated spirit and one-sixteenth part of the whole of Venice turpentine. The
above compositions or substances are to be laid evenly over the surface of the paper,
which will be best done by means of a broad and soft brush, and sometimes it may
be necessary to apply two or three coats, according to the consistency of the water-
proof substances and the quality of the paper. The paper when so coated must be
thoroughly dry before being used. The sheets of paper thus prepared should be
kept ready for immediate use.
In the next place, upon the "writing sido" of a sheet of paper prepared in the
foregoing manner, and being perfectly dry the writing, drawing, or delineation of
which facsimile copies are intended to be produced should be executed with an
ordinary steel pen, using for ink the liquid preparation hercin-after described, and
which writing must be allowed to dry.
The liquid preparation I employ for executing such writing, drawing, or

page_text: delineation consists of a saturated solution of the with hydrate of sodium or the
hydrate of potassium, which preparation may be colored with a suitable coloring
matter, such as indigo or other colouring matter capable of withstanding the action
of the alkali, and which matter will not neutralize the caustic properties of the
preparation.
In the next place, in order that the prepared paper which has been written,
drawn, or delineated upon with the above described ink may be used for producing
facsimile copies, it is necessary to remove those parts of the varnish that have been
acted upon or corroded by the action of the said ink. This removal may be made
in several ways, but I recommend the following method, namely, float the manu-
script upon clean water in a suitable tray "the writing side upwards." The water
will will in a few minutes commence to ocse through the lines of the writing,
drawing, or delineation, then remove or lift up the manuscript by means of a zinc
cradle made of a sheet of zinc slightly larger than the manuscript, the edges of
the zinc being on two sides suitably bent in order to hold the manuscript, as shown
at A and B in the Drawing hereunto annexed. This cradle should be immersed
at the beginning of the operation. The moisture appearing on the writing side
of the manuscript should be removed whilst the manuscript adheres to the zinc
by means of blotting paper, and the blotting should be repeated at intervals of
a few seconds until all the lines of the writing are perfectly clear, which is a certain
indication that the ink has operated sufficiently. The manuscript may now be
removed from the zinc cradle.
The effect produced by the operation before described is to remove such portions
of the waterproofing as have been acted upon or corroded by the action of the ink
along the lines of the writing, drawing, or delineation which have been made, thus
forming a porous paper "stencil."
It is next necessary to form a pad, the use of which is to support the stencil and
to supply a sticky preparation, such as that of glycerine in the course of printing
by taking a piece of pasteboard of the required size and about twelve sheets of
good blotting paper, and enclosing the whole in a piece of waterproof cloth, such
as macintosh, which must be stuck upon the piece of pasteboard.
To render thoroughly waterproof the edges of the paper a waterproof solution,
such as a solution of india-rubber, must be used, and on the top of this pad a picco
of blotting paper, cloth, velvet, or soine such absorbing substance is caused to adhere
by any sticky matter, and this is to be saturated with a sticky solution, such as
that of glycerine. The aforesaid pad must be made slightly larger than the space
occupied by the writing, drawing, or delineation that has been written or drawn on
the prepared paper, and which it is desired to copy, whilst it must be smaller than
the area of the said prepared paper which must overlap its edges.
Having prepared the pad the prepared paper bearing the writing, drawing, or
delineation desired to be copied, the mode of producing the facsimile copies of the
writing, drawing, or delineation which has been executed upon the prepared paper
is as follows-Place the pad saturated with the glycerine upon a perfectly flat
surface, such as a piece of pasteboard or wood, and flat upon the surface of the pad
place the prepared paper, so that the "writing" side thereof upon which the
writing, drawing, or delineation has been executed may be next to the pad and the
unwritten side uppermost. Flat upon the surface of the prepared paper put a pieco
of blotting paper, and upon the top of the whole thus arranged place another piece
of pasteboard, which might be bound with the other piece of pasteboard herein-
before mentioned, and press the whole together in an ordinary letter copying press,
or some modification thereof. After a few seconds the exposed lines of the drawing,
writing, or delineation will be found impregnated with the glycerine.
Upon removing the blotting paper any pigment may be applied to the stencil,
the former adhering only to the parts of the stencil which are impregnated with
the glycerine, I prefer to use the pigments in the form of a powder, which may be
applied by means of a brush or velvet dabber or cotton wool.
Without disturbing the arrangement of the pad and stencil a sheet of the paper

page_text: to be printed upon can be placed upon the stencil, and upon submitting it to
pressure in the manner before described it will be found that a facsimile copy of
the stencil has been produced, and by continuing the process a great number of
copies can be successively obtained by using other sheets of paper.
The action that ensues is as follows, that is to say:-The glycerine with which
the pad is saturated is forced by means of the pressure exerted by the press through
the exposed parts of the prepared paper along the lines of the writing, drawing, or
delineation where the waterproofing of the prepared paper has been already acted
upon or corroded by the action of the ink, as before described, and causes the
pigments when applied to adhere to the exposed parts of the stencil, allowing them
to be subsequently transferred to the paper which is to be operated upon, I profer
to use powdered aniline colours, as by so doing the application of colour to the
stencil cach time that a copy is taken is rendered unnecessary.
Instead of applying the pigments to the stencil they might be applied to the
paper to be printed upon aftor its having been pressed upon the stencil, the lines of
which, being impregnated with glycerine, would allow the glycerine to be deposited
upon the paper, the glycerine in this case when pressed against the stencil would
hold the piginents when they are applied to the paper in those places only where it
has been deposited, that is, in the lines corresponding to those of the stencil.
Instead of using a powdered pigment a powder might be used which by being
dissolved when put into contact with the glycerine, whether upon the stencil or
the paper, produces a colour or a stain, for instance, a combination of po rdered
extract of logwood and powdered sulphate of iron, when dissolved by the gl erino,
produces a black stain. The extract of logwood might also be dissolved before
land in the glycerine, and then the powdered sulphate of iron alone may either be
applied to the paper when printed with the solution of logwood and glycerine or to
the stencil, where it would adhere only to the lines impregnated with the solution
of glycerine and logwood.
In the above example the sulphate of iron might also be used dissolved in water,
in which instance it would be applied to the paper which has been printed with
the solution of glycerine and extract of logwood by means of a sponge, or
otherwise.
There are numerous chemical substances which, combined together, would produce
different colours. I have restricted myself to the description of the production of
a black stain or color only for brevity's sake.
In witness whereof, I, the said Eugenio de Zuccato, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
0 Witness,
CHARLES BARLOW,
Patent Agent,
23, Southampton Buildings, W.C.
EUG. DE ZUCCATO. (L.S.)