An Improved Process for Imparting to Bookbinders' Cloth and other Material a Variegated or Marble-like Appearance.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Mar., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 9th Dec., 1892-Accepted, 29th Jan., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Process for Imparting to Bookbinders' Cloth and other
Material a Variegated or Marble-like Appearance.
HENRY KERNOTT STEVENS 85 Meyrick Road Clapham Junction in the County
of Surrey, Book Marbler, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to a novel process for imparting to bookbinders cloth or
other suitable material a variegated or marble-like appearance. Such class of
material has a very important use for the coverings of books and many other useful
purposes.
Heretofore so far as known to me the marbling of bookbinders cloth and paper
has either been produced by printing or by floating pigments upon the surface of a
solution of gum or other similar mucilage contained in a trough, then carefully
laying the cloth or other material on the surface of the colours floating and
arranged in the desired form, then removing it carrying the colours as they were
so arranged on the gum, with it.
According to my invention, I dispense with the trough containing the solution of
gum and produce a variegated appearance direct upon the surface of the material
to be marbled:
In carrying this invention into effect I prepare the surface of the material to be
marbled with a solution of colouring matter, by preference those giving very little
colour in themselves or lacking intensity, but capable of yielding several colours,
that is to say very decided and distinct coloured bodies according to the means
employed for their production. I then lay the material with the so prepared side
upwards on any convenient support that is capable of adjustment, such as the raising
one side higher than the other so that water would slowly run or trickle from the
highest to the lowest side. I then splash sprinkle or otherwise throw on water
over the surface to be marbled the quantity of water is governed by the effect
desired, but generally when the drops begin to touch and run into each other, I
splash or otherwise throw on one or more solutions of metallic salts or mordants
that is capable of fully developing the colouring matter the material was prepared
with the choice of metallic salts or mordants should be determined by the colours
desired to produce. The object of throwing water over the surface of the material
to be marbled is to cause the mordants or reagents to run or trickle more freely in
various directions and thereby getting more diluted and exhausted in its course, and
so producing gradation and softness of tint that would be very difficult if not
impossible to obtain by any other means.
Dated this 10th day of March 1892.
HENRY KERNOTT STEVENS.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Process for Imparting to Bookbinders' Cloth and other
Material a Variegated or Marble-like Appearance.
HENRY KERNOTT STEVENS, 7 Falcon Grove, Falcon Road (formerly
85 Meyrick Road) Clapham Junction, S. W. Surrey, Book Marbler, 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 relates to a novel process for imparting to bookbinders cloth or
other suitable material a variegated or marble-like appearance. Such class of

page_text: .
material has a very important use for the coverings of books and many other useful
purposes.
Heretofore so far as known to me itlic marbling of bookbinders cloth and paper
has either been produced by printing or by floating pigments upon the surface of a
solution of gum or other similar, mucilage contained in a trough, then carefully
laying the cloth or other material on the surface of the colours floating and
arranged into the desired form, then removing it carrying the colours with it as
they were so arranged on the gum.
".
According to my invention I dispense with the trough containing the solution of
gum and produce a variegated or marble-like appearance direct upon the surface
of the material to be marbled.
In carrying this invention into effect I prepare the surface of the material to be
marbled with a solution of colouring matter by preference those giving very little
colour in themselves or lacking intensity but capable of yielding several colours,
that is to say very decided and distinct coloured bodies according to the means
employed in their production. I then lay the material with the so prepared side
upwards on any convenient support that is capable of adjustment such as the
raising one side higher than the other so that water may slowly run or trickle
from the highest to the lowest side, I then splash sprinkle or otherwise throw on
water over the surface to be marbled, the quantity of water is governed by the
effect desired, but generally when the drops begin to touch and run into each other,
I splash or otherwise throw on a solution of metallic salts or mordants that is capable
of fully developing the colouring matter the cloth was prepared with, the choice of
metallic salts or mordants should be determined by the colours desired to produce,
the object of throwing water over the surface to be marbled is to cause the
mordants or reagents to run or trickle more freely in various directions and thereby
getting more diluted and exhausted in their course and producing gradation and
softness of tint that would be very difficult if not impossible to obtain by any other
means.
The colouring matters mordants and reagents for the purposes of my invention
are very numerous and are well known to dyers, colour-makers and others they
need not be enumerated but I will give the following example.
Suppose it was desired to produce a marble of a blue shade, I prepare the
surface of the material to be marbled with a ten per cent. solution of ferrocyanide
or ferridcyanide of potassium (there being great latitude in the strength of the
solutions that can be used for this purpose) although it may be operated upon at
once I prefer to allow it to dry. I then throw water over the surface and while
it is still trickling about I splash or otherwise throw on a solution of iron by
preference a per-chloride which will produce a blue coloured reaction and a marble-
like clouding or viening, which may be farther acted on by a splashing of a solution
of carbonate of potash or other alkaline solution the effect of which will be to more
or less discharge or alter the blue colour already formed, it may then if desired to
produce a more variegated appearance have a sprinkling of diluted sulphuric or other
acid or mordant which will restore or modify the shades of colours altered by the
alkaline splashing. To produce the best result this should be done without delay
and before the water ceases to flow, the cloth or other material may then if
considered sufficiently acted on by the above treatment be rinsed and allowed to
dry in any convenient manner.
The material which for the purposes of-my invention 1 regard as suitable are
those natural or constructed capable of absorbing sufficient colouring matter to form
& decided coloured reaction according to the means employed in developing, it, but
it should be sufficiently hard to allow water to run or trickle about on its surface
and giving time for the reactions to be completed before sinking in the material
and ceasing to run, and those of a very porous nature such as textile material will
require to be sized or stiffened after the manner of bookbinders cloth and in some
cases it will be found convenient to mingle the preparing colouring matter with the
size or stiffening agent before applying it to the material.

page_text: 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.
The method substantially as herein set forth of producing a variegated or marble-
like appearance upon the surface of bookbinders cloth or other suitable material, by
preparing the surface with one or more colouring matters that is capable of yielding
decided and distinct coloured bodies according to the means employed for their
production.
Dated this 9th day of December 1892.