AN IMPROVED INK ERASING COMPOUND
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London,
for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED INK ERASING COMPOUND."-A
communication from abroad by John Charles De Voy, of San
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition
and Declaration, on the 6th August 1872, pursuant to the 9th
Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "AN IMPROVED
INK ERASING COMPOUND," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto
me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent

page_text: for the same, and have made solemn Declaration that it has been com-
municated to me from abroad by John Charles De Voy, of San Francisco,
California, United States of America.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and 5
scal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, in and by the following
statement :-
The said Invention relates to a fluid compound to be used instead of a
knife or scraper for crasing ink in order to instantly rectify a mistake or 1
clean off a blot without any injury to the paper, the same leaves the
paper clean and as fit to write upon as before the mistake or blot was
made, and will not injure the printer's ink upon any printed form or the
ruling upon any good paper.
In practising my said Invention I take of chloride of calcis (chloride 1
of lime) onc pound, thoroughly pulverized, and distilled water one
gallon. The above must be thoroughly shaken when first put together,
and must stand twenty-four hours to dissolve the chloride of lime. I
then strain through a cotton cloth, after which I add a teaspoonful of
acetic acid (No. 8 of commerce) to every one ounce of the chloride calcis 2
water.
I prefer to put the chloride calcis (or chloride of lime) water in onc
bottle and the acetic acid in another bottle, as in mixing the two
ingredients together a gas is formed which will drive out the cork, but
the acetic acid, No. 8, should be reduced by adding to every two drachms 2
six drachms of water, it is then put into bottles of convenient size.
The erasing fluid is used by reversing the pen holder in the hand and
dipping the end of the same into the fluid and applying it (without
rubbing) to the word, figure, or blot to be erased. When the ink has
disappeared the fluid must be absorbed with a blotter, the paper will 3
then immediately be ready to write upon again. In case the ingredients
are put up in separate bottles the chloride calcis water should be used
first and the diluted acetic acid afterwards, in the manner above
described.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to 3
me by my foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the

page_text: same, I wish it understood I am aware that chloride of lime has before
been used with acids for the purpose herein specified, but hitherto the
chloride of lime has been mixed with acids that burn and destroy the
paper; but I claim, the fluid ink eraser composed of acetic acid and a
solution of chloride of lime compounded, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto
set my band and seal, this Sixth day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
Witness,
CHA. J. Gooc.
W. ROB². LAKE. (L.S.)