IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION OF ORNAMENTAL SURFACES IN GLASS, PORCELAIN, METALS, AND SIMILAR MATERIALS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields,
in the County of Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North Britain, Civil
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION
OF ORNAMENTAL SURFACES IN GLASS, PORCELAIN, METALS, AND SIMILAR
MATERIALS."A communication.
Sealed the 8th September 1853, and dated the 6th April 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 6th April 1853.
I, WILLIAM JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North Britain, Civil Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the "said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
PRODUCTION OF ORNAMENTAL SURFACES IN GLASS, PORCELAIN, METALS, AND
SIMILAR MATERIALS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the production of ornamental surfaces by
incrustation or inlaid work, and consists, in the first place, in the
employment of different colored pieces of glass, porcelain, or earthenware,

page_text: two pieces of different colors being laid one on the other, and united by
heat; they are then softened in an enamelling furnace, and a design of
any kind impressed upon their surface. By this means the upper
colored piece is squeezed into and partially penetrates the lower one,
according to the design on the impressing die. The entire surface may
be then ground flat on the superfluous material cut away, leaving the
actual design imbedded in the lower piece. If two different substances
are required to be used, then the lower one is impressed with the
required design by a suitable die, as before described, and may then be
united with the substance to be inlaid. The two materials are after-
wards ground, as before described, producing a similar effect, though in
different colors and materials. By another mode of ornamenting, the
die employed is simply a punch corresponding in outline to the contour
of the design. A number of plates of glass, porcelain, metal, &c., of
uniform thickness, but of different colors, are perforated by this punch,
and the pieces so cut out are exchanged, and inserted into the holes in
the different plates; thus, the piece cut from a blue plate may be inserted
into the opening in a red plate, whilst the piece from the red plate is
inserted into the opening of the blue plate, and so on throughout the
series; different coloured glass and metal being inlaid together. It will
be obvious that these inlaid plates are applicable to the ornamenting of
surfaces generally by being attached thereto.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Johnson, in the Great Seal Patent
Office, on the 6th October 1853.
SHALL
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
WILLIAM. JOHNSON, of. 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North Britain, Civil Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the sixteenth

page_text: year of Her reign, did, for Herself,. Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Johnson, Her special licence
that I, the said William Johnson, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Johnson, my executors,
administrators, or 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
THE PRODUCTION OF ORNAMENTAL SURFACES IN GLASS, PORCELAIN, METALS,
AND SIMILAR MATERIALS," being a communication to me from abroad,
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Johnson,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should parti-
cularly 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 William Johnson, 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 accompanying
drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is
to say:
:
The said Invention relates to the production of ornamental surfaces by
means of incrustation or inlaid work, and consists, in the first place, in the
employment of pieces of glass, porcelain, or earthenware of different
colours, two pieces of different colours being laid one on the other, and
united by heat; they are then softened.in an enamelling furnace, and a
design of any kind is impressed upon their surface. By this means the
upper coloured piece is squeezed into and partially penetrates the lower
one, according to the design on the impressing die. The entire surface may
then be ground flat, or the superfluous material may be cut away, leaving
the actual design imbedded in the lower piece. If two different substances
are required to be used, then the lower one is impressed with the required
design by a suitable die, as before described, and may then be united

page_text: with the substances to be inlaid. The two materials are afterwards
ground, as before described, producing a similar effect, though in different
colours and materials. By another mode of ornamenting, the die
employed is simply a punch corresponding in outline to the contour of
the design. A number of plates of glass, porcelain, or metal of uniform
thickness, but of different colours, are perforated by this punch, and the
pieces so cut out are exchanged and inserted into the holes in the
different plates; thus, the piece cut from a blue plate may be inserted
into the opening in a red plate, whilst the picce from the red plate is
inserted into the opening in the blue plate, and so on throughout the
series; glass and metal of various colours being inlaid together. It will
be obvious that these inlaid plates are applicable to the ornamenting of
surfaces generally by being attached thereto.
And in order that the said Invention may be properly understood, I
shall now proceed to describe the several figures on the sheet of drawings
hereunto annexed. Figure 1, on the sheet of drawings represents a
side view of two pieces of glass of different colours, blue and purple, but
united together by the aid of heat; and Figure 2, is a corresponding
plan of the same. They are shaped roughly to suit the form of a lady's
brooch, or other similar article; and after having been made plastic by
being subjected to the action of an enamelling furnace, a device, such
as a rose, for example, is impressed upon the upper surface by means of
a corresponding die, shewn in partial section at Figure 3, and in plan
at Figure 4. This die may either be worked by hand, or by any simple
mechanical contrivance; and its action is to press or squeeze the upper
layer of purple glass into the lower or blue mass of glass. This die at
the same, by means of its raised rim A, cuts out the glass or other
substance to the required size and shape, giving it the appearance
shewn in Figures 5, and 6; that is, with the design in intaglio on its
surface, as shewn by the darker portions in Figure 6. The next
operation is the grinding flat and removal of the superfluous glass,
or that which has not been impressed by the raised design on the die.
At the completion of this last operation the article is polished and
finished, when it will have the appearance shewn at Figures 7, and 8,
that is, a brooch with a perfectly even and smooth face, having a purple

page_text: flower imbedded or incrusted into it. A precisely similar effect is pro-
duced by a slight difference in the process, which consists in impressing
the device upon a piece of glass or other suitable substance, of one
colour only, as shewn in section and plan at Figures 9, and 10; the
fusion or uniting of the second layer not being effected until after this
impression has been made, as shewn at Figures 11, and 12. The sur-
face is then ground flat, and the whole presents the appearance shewn
in Figures 13, and 14. Figures 15, 16, 17, and 18, represent the
extent to which this system may be carried out, the examples there
given being of much greater complexity. Another mode of ornamenting
or effecting the incrustation of one substance in another, consists in
punching out a design of any kind by means of a punch, shewn in eleva-
tion at Figure 19, and corresponding plan at Figure 20. The design so
punched out is then inserted into a corresponding opening in the article
to be ornamented, as shewn in section at Figure 21, and in plan at
Figure 22. Figures 23, and 24, represent in section and plan the
appearance of the article after the design has been inserted. Figures
25, 26, 27, and 28, represent the mode of carrying out the same system
with two or more colours, one colour being inserted into another to
almost any extent if required, as shewn by the specimens, Figures 29,
and 30. In cases where several colours are employed, all the different
pieces of material are made use of, as the portion cut out of one
coloured material is inserted into another one, and the hole left by
the punch is filled by a third colour, and so on. It will thus be seen
that the difference between the first and second mode is, that while the
coloured design in the first system only penetrates about half through
the lower layer, the design in the second system is of equal depth with
the groundwork, penetrating completely through the ground or base of
the pattern. By the systems or modes herein-before described, plastic
materials of any kind may be inlaid with various colours of the same
substance, or of different substances. The same process may also be
applied to the ornamenting of metals, one coloured metal being pressed
or inserted into a metal of another colour.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used

page_text: or carried into effect, I may observe, in conclusion, that I do not con-
fine or restrict myself to the precise details or arrangements which I
have had occasion to describe or refer to, as many variations may be
made therefrom without deviating from the principles or main features
of the Invention; but what I consider to be novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before
in part recited Letters Patent, is,
First, the general arrangements of apparatus and means for pro-
ducing ornamental surfaces as herein-before described.
Second, the system or mode of producing ornamental surfaces by
pressing one coloured material into another, and afterwards removing
the superfluous portions, as herein-before described.
Third, the system or mode of ornamenting surfaces by inlaying one
within the other, and afterwards uniting the same by heat, as herein-
before described.
In witness whereof, 1, the said William Johnson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
W JOHNSON. (L.S.)