Ax IMPROVED METHOD OR PROCESS FOR ORNAMENTING WALLS AND OTHER SURFACES OF BUILDINGS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Howard, of Berners Street, Oxford Street,
in the County of Middlesex, Cabinet Maker, for the Invention of "Ax
IMPROVED METHOD OR PROCESS FOR ORNAMENTING WALLS AND OTHER SURFACES
OF BUILDINGS."-A communication from abroad by Carl Friedrich Güntter,
T
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Howard at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
18th August 1865.
I, GEORGE HOWARD, of Berners Street, Oxford Street, in the County of
Middlesex, Cabinet Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "AN IMPROVED METHOD OR PROCESS FOR ORNAMENTING WALLS AND
OTHER SURFACES OF BUILDINGS," to be as follows:-
This Invention of an improved method or process for ornamenting walls
and other surfaces of buildings, consists in covering them with thin sheets
of ornamental wood or thin veneers instead of the paper coverings or.

page_text: painted surfaces usually employed. In carrying out the Invention the wall
or other surface is prepared in the ordinary manner as for papering, that is,
a smooth and even surface is to be made; this surface is then covered all
over with canvas which is caused to adhere thereto by means of glue prepared
from animal substances that have not been salted. The surface of the canvas
is to be well payed over with a solution of this glue, and when this is dry the
interstices between the threads of the canvas are to be filled in with a cement
or composition prepared of glue dissolved in water in the proportion of
about 1 lb. of glue to 5 pints of water, to which is added sufficient pounded
whitening to bring the solution to about the consistence of linseed oil or
cream. The surface must then be allowed to dry again, after which it is
to be again payed over with a mixture of glue and whitening, made a little
thicker by the addition of more pounded whitening in order to bring the
mixture to the consistence of a thick paste, so that the surface of the canvas
may be brought up quite smooth and level. When this has become dry the
thin sheets or veneers of wood may be applied to the surface and made to
adhere with tenacity thereto by means of a liquid preparation composed of 1 lb.
of glue dissolved in four pints of water and boiled. To this is added a small
quantity of whitening to thicken it, and two or three ounces of gum arabic
reviously dissolved in warm water. In laying on the sheets or veneers of
wood the outer surface may be coated or soaked with this adhesive preparation,
which will prevent the wood from cracking during the process of hanging.
The preparation before it becomes dry and hard may afterwards be washed
off the outer surface of the wood by means of a sponge with warm water.
I would here remark that it is important that the glue employed throughout
the several stages of the process, and in the preparation of the mixtures above
mentioned, should be made of leather or animal matters that have not been
salted.
It will be understood that woods of different colours may be combined
together in order to produce an ornamental surface, and as very thin sheets
are employed the process will be inexpensive, in fact, not more costly than
painting and graining of good quality, and of course much more durable,

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Howard in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
17th February 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HOWARD, of Berners Street, Oxford Street, in the County of Middlesex,
Cabinet Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said George Howard, Her special licence that I, the said George
Howard, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said George Howard, 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 "Ax
IMPROVED METHOD OR PROCESS FOR ORNAMENTING WALLS AND OTHER SURFACES
OF BUILDINGS, being a communication from Carl Friedrich Güntter, of
Stuttgart, in the Kingdom of Wurtemburg, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said George Howard, 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 George Howard, 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 Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):
This Invention of "An Improved Method or Process for Ornamenting
Walls and other Surfaces of Buildings," consists in covering them with thin
sheets of ornamental wood or thin veneers instead of the paper coverings or
painted surfaces usually employed.
In carrying out the Invention the wall or other surface is prepared in the
ordinary manner as for papering, that is, a smooth and even surface is to be

page_text: "made; this surface is, then covered all over with canvas, which is caused to
adhere thereto by means of glue prepared from, animal substances that have
*not been salted. The surface of the canvas is to be, well payed. over with a
solution of this glue, and when this is dry the interstices between the threads
of the canvas are to be filled in with a cement or composition prepared of
glue dissolved in water in the proportion of about one pound of glue to five
pints of water, to which is added sufficient pounded whitening to bring the
solution to about the consistence of linseed oil or cream. The surface must
then be allowed to dry again, after which it is to be again payed over with
a mixture of glue and whitening made a little thicker by the addition of
more pounded whitening, in order to bring the mixture to the consistence of
a thick paste, so that the surface of the canvas may be brought up quite
smooth and level: When this has become dry the thin sheets or veneers of
wood which may be dyed of various colors in order to form ornamental or
elegant patterns may be applied to the surface and made to adhere with
tenacity thereto by means of a liquid preparation composed of one pound of
glue dissolved in four pints of water and boiled: To this is added a small
quantity of whitening to thicken it, and two or three ounces of gum arabic
previously dissolved in warm water. In laying on the sheets or veneers of
wood the outer surface may be coated or soaked with this adhesive preparation,
which will prevent the wood from cracking during the process of hanging:
This preparation before it becomes dry and hard may afterwards be washed
off the outer surface of the wood by means of a sponge with warm water. I
would here remark that it is important that the glue employed throughout
the several stages of the process, and in the preparation of the mixtures above
mentioned, should be made of leather or animal matters that have not been
salted.
It will be understood that woods of different colors may be combined
together in order to produce an ornamental surface, and as very thin sheets
are employed the process will be inexpensive, in fact not more costly than
painting and graining of good quality, and of course much more durable.
In the accompanying Drawing I have shewn two designs of parts of a
wall ornamented in this manner. In producing an ornamental surface the
thin sheets of wood to form the ground are first laid on, and when they are
firmly set and secure the more ornamental parts, such as the pilasters, capitals,
mouldings, and styles are secured thereon by-pasting, glueing, or otherwise.
Sometimes it will only be necessary to support the sheets of wood at the
back by pasting thin paper thereon. It will be evident that if a clean white

page_text: wood, such as pine free from knots, be stained to imitate various colored
woods, and applied to the walls in the manner already explained, a highly
ornamental and at the same time inexpensive decoration can be produced.
By passing the thin sheets of wood between heated rollers a smooth glossy
and brilliant surface may be produced without the use of varnish, which may
therefore if desired be dispensed with.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Howard, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Seventeenth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
0
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
GEO. HOWARD. (L.B.)