IMPROVEMENTS IN ORNAMENTING SURFACES OF PAPER, WOVEN FABRIC, AND OTHER MATERIAL TO RENDER THEM SUITABLE FOR BOOKBINDING AND OTHER SIMILAR USES
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Parkes, of Birmingham, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ORNAMENTING SURFACES OF PAPER, WOVEN FABRIC,
AND OTHER MATERIAL TO RENDER THEM SUITABLE FOR BOOKBINDING AND OTHER
SIMILAR USES."
Sealed the 6th December 1867, and dated the 8th June 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Parkes at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 8th
June 1867.
I; ALEXANDER PARKES, of Birmingham, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ORNAMENTING SURFACES OF PAPER,
WOVEN FABRIC, AND OTHER MATERIAL TO RENDER THEM SUITABLE FOR BOOKBINDING
AND OTHER SIMILAR USES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in ornamenting surfaces of
paper, woven fabric, and other material to render them suitable for book-
binding and other similar uses. For this purpose I emboss the paper, fabric,
or material so as to form on the surface numerous small hollows or un-
dulations, and then coat the surface with a thin varnish consisting of dissolved
pyroxylin or parkesine and fish scales, such as is described in the Specification
of a former Patent granted to me, and dated the 19th day of October, 1866,
No. 2709. The fish scales for the most part settle into the hollows, and as
the solvent evaporates they there become fixed, and then the light playing on

page_text: the undulations, and being strongly reflected by the fish scales where it strikes
at a suitable angle, a very brilliant and pleasing effect is produced; the
paper, fabric, or material may also be embossed subsequently to the appli-
cation of the pearly varnish. In place of a varnish made with fish scales and
parkesine the varnish may be made with shellac, gelatine, or other material
in lieu of the parkesine. In some cases I prepare a varnish with dissolved
pyroxilin or parkesine and aniline dye, which when crystallized is of a metallic
lustre, and I apply this varnish to the surface of the paper, fabric, or other
material, and as the solvent evaporates the dye is deposited with a metallic
In a similar
lustre; the surface may be embossed as in the former case.
manner I sometimes apply a varnish containing bronze powder to an embossed
surface of paper, fabric, or other material, so that the powder may be
deposited in the hollows, as already described: The spreading in each case
may conveniently be effected by means of a spreading roller, and the excess
then struck off with a scraper or gauge knife.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alexander Parkes in the Great Seal Patent Office, on the
7th December 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
PARKES, of Birmingham, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the.
said Alexander Parkes, Her special licence that 1, the said Alexander Parkes,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Alexander Parkes, 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
ORNAMENTING SURFACES OF PAPER, WOVEN FABRIC, AND OTHER MATERIAL TO
RENDER THEM SUITABLE FOR BOOKBINDING AND OTHER SIMILAR USES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alexander Parkes, 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

page_text: '
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 Alexander Parkes, 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 thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in ornamenting surfaces of
paper, woven fabric, and other material to render them suitable for book-
binding and other similar uses. For this purpose I emboss the paper, fabric,
or material so as to form on the surface numerous small hollows or undula-
tions, and then coat the surface with a thin varnish consisting of dissolved
pyroxylin or parkesine and fish scale lustre. The paper, woven fabric, or other
material should be such as is suitable for embossing, it should have a fine
surface and sufficient firmness to retain the pattern impressed upon it; it may
either be white or colored according to the effect desired. The surface is.
embossed in the usual manner with by preference any minute pattern, such as
bookbinders' cloth. makers commonly employ.. The parkesine and fish scale
lustre compound, which may be prepared by processes herein-after set forth, is
then applied to the embossed surface, and for this purpose the paper or material
may.conveniently be held distended and in contact with the under side of a
small roller of sufficient length to extend from side to side of the sheet; the
liquid compound is then poured on to the sheet in front of the roller, and the
sheet being drawn forward under the roller an even distribution of the com-
pound is effected. The surface dries rapidly, and the paper, fabric, or material
is then ready for use; or in place of spreading the compound in the manner
above described the sheet may be laid on a flat surface, the compound being
then poured over it, and the excess struck off with a straightedge; other
means of spreading the compound.regularly may also be resorted to, such as
that employed by india-rubber workers. The parkesine compound I prepare
by thoroughly mixing in a vessel with a mechanical stirrer one part by weight
of pyroxylin with 6 or 8 parts of dehydrated or strong alcohol; the alcohol
obtained by distilling the commercial alcohol off fused chloride of calcium,
and other similar substances is suitable; I also add in the mixing vessel
cotton seed oil or castor oil in the proportion of from 5 to 10 per cent. by
weight of the cotton. The plastic mass of pyroxylin and solvent and oil which.
is obtained from the mixer is passed repeatedly through grinding rolls, until
perfect uniformity throughout the mass; is obtained, and at the same time from

page_text: 2 to 5 per cent. of resin, by preference gum copal of good quality, may be
worked in. The grinding rolls should be enclosed in a casing and heated by.
steam; there are shelves in the casing to enable the workman' to handle the
material. The solvent which evaporates is recovered by passing the. vapour
through a condenser, In the plastic state the material may be stored in close
vessels until required for use, and then a further quantity of strong alcohol is
added so as to make a thin solution, which is filtered or allowed to settle until
it is perfectly clear; or a thin solution may be made at once, but the method
described is preferable. To 100 parts of the clear solution there is then added
from 1 to 10 parts of fish scale lustre and the compound is ready for use. The
fish scale lustre in France is well known to commerce, in this country it is not
so well known, but it may be prepared from clean fish scales (those of the
ablette are the most suitable) by crushing them and then selecting the finest
particles by washing in the way in which emery is washed to sort it into
different degrees of fineness. In place of using alcohol alone for the solvent of
the pyroxylin, as above described, I sometimes use a mixture of equal parts of
light mineral naptha sp. gr. 850, and strong alcohol sp, gr, '825, or methylated
alcohol sp. gr. 835. I use the mixed solvents in the preparation. of the plastic
mass in the proportion of 5 or 6 parts to one part of pyroxylin. Or I some.
times make a compound solvent of equal parts of light mineral naptha, purified
vegetable naptha sp. gr. 840, and alcohol, and in preparing the plastic mass I
use it in the proportion of 5 or 6 parts to one part of pyroxylin. When the
fish scale compound is applied to the embossed surface the fish scale lustre for
the most part settles into the hollows, and as the solvent evaporates it there
becomes fixed, and then the light playing on the undulations and being
strongly reflected by the fish scale lustre, where it strikes at a suitable angle, a
very brilliant and pleasing effect is produced. In place of a varnish mada
with fish scale lustre and parkesine the varuish may be made with shellac,
gum copal, gelatine, or other material in lieu of the parkesine. In these
cases I take a clear varnish, or a clear solution of gelatine, as the case may be,
and work with it in the same way as with the clear solution of parkesine; the
varnish and the gelatine, however, produce results which are inferior to that
obtained with parkėsine, In some cases I prepare a varnish with dissolved
pyroxylin or parkesine and aniline dye, which when dry or crystallized is of
a metallic lustre, and I apply this varnish to the surface of the paper, fabric,
or other material, and as the solvent evaporates the dye is deposited with a
metallic lustre; the surface is embossed as in the former cases before applying
the varnish. I take 100 parts of the clear parkesine solution, prepared as
already described, and I add to it from 1 to 10 per cent. (according to the
'

page_text: effect it is desired to obtain) of dry or crystallized aniline color having a
metallic lustre; I apply the preparation to the embossed surface in the manner
already described, and then as the solvent evaporates the aniline color. is
deposited with a bronze-like lustre in the hollows of the surface and a very
beautiful effect is obtained. In a similar manner I sometimes apply a varnish-
containing bronze powder to an embossed surface of paper, fabric, or other
material, so that the powder may be deposited in the hollows, as already
described. I use silver bronze or other bronze powders in the same way as
the aniline color, except that these powders remain suspended only in the par-
kesine solution in the same way as the fish scale lustre; they are not dissolved
in it like the aniline color. Or when bronze powder is used a shellac or
similar varnish, or a solution of gelatine may be substituted for the parkesine
solution, and the mixture made and used in the way, as already explained, in
respect to the fish scale lustre, but these modifications are not recommended;
the aniline color cannot with success be used with the gelatine, except such of
them as are soluble in water.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Parkes, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
ALEXANDER PARKES.
(L.S.)