Base or Support as Photographic Films.
Year: 1888

page_text: Base or Support as Photographic Films.
EARNEST SIDNEY WILLIAMS, Manufacturing Chemist, 41 Jones's Road, Drum-
condra Dublin Ireland, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
"
My invention or process consists in a Chemical combination, wherein I ensure the
presence or contact of a Salt of Chromium with Glatinous Photographic Emulsions
(known as sensitive Emulsions) which, when spread on Glasses and as soon as set or
cooled I react on such Emulsions with Sulphurous Acid or any of its compounds,
whereby the salts of Chromium do not affect in any way injurious on the compound
sensitive Silver salts contained in Photographic Emulsions, provided such Emulsions
are thoroughly freed from excess of Sulphurous Acid or its compounds.
Hitherto the attempts to produce Photographic Emulsions for exposure in the
Camera without a base or support to carry the sensitive film have met with no success
to my knowledge.-Every endeavour was centered to improve the supports for such
Emulsions; as Paper, Collodion & various other transparent tissues;-My attempts
were centered to render Sensitive Emulsions capable of being their own supports.
By my method this can be attained and consists in the following operations: I
(make or) prepare a Glatinous Photographic Emulsion by any of the well known
processes, but containing a rather large quantity of Gelatine in its composition, add a
certain quantity of a Chromium Salt, preferably the Bichromate of Potash or
Ammonia, while the Emulsion is yet warm and in a fluid state, mix thoroughly, spread
said Emulsion in a dark room upon levelled Glass plates, which have been previously
well polished and dusted over with french Chalk; leave the Emulsion to cool and when
set I immerse the Glasses containing the Emulsion into a Bath of Sulphurous Acid-
or its compounds until the acid has performed its chemical reaction upon the Bichro-
mated Emulsion. I then wash it in several changes of water to remove all soluble
compounds and the Sulphurous acid. Lastly I dry them in suitable dark chambers
and when quite dry strip the Photographic Emulsion from the Glasses.

page_text: Thus produced the Emulsions can be made in long strips suitable for Roller slides
without any base for support, neither Glass, Paper nor any other transparent hard or
flexible material and which can be worked just as well as if such bases or supports
were used.
Doted this 90th day of March 1900
Base or support as Photographic Films.
EARNEST SIDNEY WILLIAMS, Manufacturing Chemist, 41 Jones's Road, Drumcondra,
Dublin, Ireland, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
My invention or process consists in a chemical combination, wherein I ensure the
presence or contact of a Salt of Chromium with Gelatinous Photographic Emulsions
(known as sensitive Emulsions) which are spread on Glasses, or other suitable smooth
material, and as soon as set-or-cooled I react on such Emulsions with Sulphurous Acid
or any of its compounds, whereby the Salts of Chromium do not affect in any way
injurious on the compound sensitive Silver salts contained in Photographic Emulsions,
provided such Emulsions are thoroughly freed from excess of Sulphurous Acid or its
compounds.
Hitherto the attempts to produce Photographic Emulsions for exposure in the
Camera without a base or support to carry the sensitive film, have met with no
success to my knowledge. Every endeavour was centered to improve the supports
for such emulsions as Paper, Collodion, and various other transparent tissues, My
attempts were centered to render Sensitive Emulsions capable of being their own
supports.
By my method this can be attained and consists in the following operations: I
(make or) prepare a Gelatinous Photographic Emulsion by any of the well known
processes, but containing a rather large quantity of Gelatine in its composition,
add a certain quantity of a Chromium Salt, preferably the Bichromate of
Potash or Ammonia while the Emulsion is yet warm and in a fluid state,
mix thoroughly, spread said Emulsion in a dark room upon levelled Glass
plates or on any other suitable smooth support such as Slate, Ebonite or varnished

page_text: ;
paper, &c. which have been previously well polished and dusted over with french
Chalk leave the Emulsion to cool and when set 1 immerse the Glasses or other
supports containing the Emulsion into a Bath of Sulphurous Acid or its compounds
until the Acid has performed its Chemical reaction upon the Bichromated Gelatine
Emulsion, I then wash it in several changes of water to remove all soluble compounds
and the Sulphurous Acid. Lastly I dry them in suitable dark chambers and when
quite dry strip the Photographic Emulsion from the support.
Thus produced the Emulsions can be made in long strips either to be cut up to the
required sizes or suitable for Roller slides without any base for support, neither Glass,
Paper nor any other transparent hard or flexible material and which can be worked
just as well as if such bases or supports were used.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. The method or process of Chemical combination wherein I ensure the presence
or contact of a Salt of Chromium with Gelatinous Photographic Emulsions (known as
sensitive Emulsions) and react with Sulphurous Acid or its compounds, whereby the
salts of Chromium are rendered uninjurious on such Emulsions by subsequent
development of the image after exposure to light.
2. The novelty of such dried Emulsions not having any base or support for the
production of Photographic Negatives or Positives combined with the simplicity and
cheapness of its manufacture.
3. That such dried Photographic Emulsions can be exposed in a Camera from either
side and that the resulting picture or image will be contained in the Emulsion itself,
consequently can be printed from both sides without loss of sharpness of such
prints.
4. The perfect insolubility of such dried Emulsions, not having any soluble Emulsion
on its surface.
5. That any Photographic Emulsion consisting of compound salts of silver
suspended in Gelatine can thus be treated and be made thick, or thin, light and
unbreakable, yet pliable and firm.
Dated this 7th day of December 1888.
EARNEST SIDNEY WILLIAMS,
Manufacturing Chemist,
41, Jones's Road, Drumcondra,
Dublin, Ireland.