AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN ATTACHING DOOR PLATES, LETTERS, AND FIGURES MADE OF GLASS, PORCELAIN, EARTHENWARE, OR OTHER VITREOUS OR SEMI-VITREOUS SUBSTANCE, TO DOORS AND SUCH OTHER SURFACES AS THE SAME MAY BE REQUIRED TO BE ATTACHED TO."
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jos Mayer, of Burslem, in the County of Stafford,
Manufacturer, and John David Kind, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT OR
IMPROVEMENTS IN ATTACHING DOOR PLATES, LETTERS, AND FIGURES MADE OF
GLASS, PORCELAIN, EARTHENWARE, OR OTHER VITREOUS OR SEMI-VITREOUS
SUBSTANCE, TO DOORS AND SUCH OTHER SURFACES AS THE SAME MAY BE
REQUIRED TO BE ATTACHED TO."
Sealed the 31st October 1854, and dated the 2nd May 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jos Mayer and John David
Kind at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 2nd May 1854."
We, Jos MAYER, of Burslem, in the County of Stafford, Manufacturer, and
JOHN DAVID KIND, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT OR
IMPROVEMENTS IN ATTACHING DOOR PLATES, LETTERS, AND FIGURES MADE OF GLASS,
PORCELAIN, EARTHENWARE, OR OTHER VITREOUS OR SEMI-VITREOUS SUBSTANCE, TO
DOORS AND SUCH OTHER SURFACES AS THE SAME MAY BE REQUIRED TO BE ATTACHED
To," to be as follows:-
In attaching door plates, letters, figures, and designs made of glass, porce-
lain, earthenware, or other vitreous or semi-vitreous substance, to doors, sign

page_text: boards or other surfaces, it is usual to affix the same by means of screws
passing through holes in the said door plates, figures, and designs. Our
Invention consists in attaching the same by affixing two springs of sheet
metal to the door or other surface, and making slots or recesses in the back
of the door plate, letter, figure, or design into which said slots or recesses
the said springs enter. We prefer placing the said springs vertically, so
that by placing the door plate, letter, or figure against the said springs, and
depressing the same vertically, it becomes attached to the door or surface.
Or the springs may be attached to the back of the door plate, letter, or
design, and the slots made in the door or surface; but we prefer the former
imethod. By our Invention we avoid the risk of fracture, which exists in
making and attaching door plates, letters, and designs by the ordinary method.
We sometimes use but one spring and one slot, and, where necessary, more
than two springs and two slots may be employed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Jos Mayer and John David Kind in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 1st November 1854..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, Jos MAYER,
of Burslem, in the County of Stafford, Manufacturer, and JOHN DAVID KIND;
of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred-and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her reign,
did; for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
Jos Mayer and John David Kind, Her special licence that we, the said Jos
Mayer and John David Kind, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as we, the said Jos Mayer and John David Kind, our 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 "AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN ATTACHING DOOR PLATES,
LETTERS, AND FIGURES MADE OF GLASS, PORCELAIN, EARTHENWARE, OR OTHER
VITREOUS OR SEMI-VITREOUS SUBSTANCE, TO DOORS AND SUCH OTHER SURFACES AS THE

page_text: SAME MAY REQUIRE TO BE ATTACHED TO," upon the condition (amongst others)
that we, the said Jos Mayer and John David Kind, by an instrument in
writing under our hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us,
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 we, the said Jos Mayer and John David Kind, 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:―
In attaching door plates, letters, figures, and designs made of glass, porce-
lain, earthenware, or other vitreous or semi-vitreous substance, to doors, sign
boards, or other surfaces, it is usual to affix the same by means of screw
passing through holes in the said door plates, figures, and designs into the said
doors, sign boards, or other surfaces. Our Invention consists in attaching the
said door plates, letters, and figures to the said doors, sign boards, or other
surfaces by means of two springs of metal or other suitable substance
attached to the door or other surface, and making slots or recesses in the back
of the door plate, letter, or figure into which said slots or recesses the said
springs enter. We prefer placing the said springs vertically, so that by
placing the door plate, letter, or figure against the said springs, and depressing
the said door plate, letter, or figure vertically, it becomes attached to the door
or other surface. Or the springs may be attached to the back of the door
plate, letter, or figure, and the slots made in the door or surface; but we prefer
the former method. We sometimes use but one spring and one slot, and,
where necessary, more than two springs and two slots may be employed.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing represents in vertical section a
portion of a door, with a door plate attached according to our Invention; and
Figure 2 is a front view of the door plate of porcelain; and Figure 3 is a
back view of the said door plate. a is the door to which the springs b, b, are
attached by screws c, c; d, 'd,, are slots, into which the springs. b, b, enter, as
represented. The position of the springs at the back of the door plate is
indicated by dotted lines in Figure 2. We sometimes modify our Invention
in the manner illustrated in Figures 4 and 5. c is the door plate shewn in
vertical section; f, f, are studs fixed at the back of the said door plate; g is a
plate of metal, shewn in front view in Figure 4, and in edge view in Figure 5.
The said plate g may be made of iron, steel, or other elastic metal. The

page_text: plate g has two slots h, h, of the form represented, and is screwed to the door,
as shewn in Figure 5. The said plate g is bent at its upper part, as shewn in
Figure 5. When the door plate e is placed upon the plate g, so, that its studs
ff, shall be opposite to the holes h, h, and the said door plate is pressed upon
the plate g, the said plate g is flattened more or less, and the studs ff, enter
the holes h, h; by then depressing the door plate e vertically, the necks of the
studs f, f, enter the narrow parts of the slots h, h, and the door plate e is
fixed to the door. The bent upper part of the plate 9 presses against the
back of the door plate e, and prevents the shaking of the said door plate. The
bend in the plate g, which causes the said plate to act as a spring against the
back of the door plate, may be made at the bottom of the said plate; or in
any other convenient place instead of at the top. We sometimes modify our
Invention in the manner illustrated in Figures 6 and 7. Two wedge-shaped
slots i, i, are made in the back of the door plate k, as shewn in Figure 6, and
two wedged-shaped pieces of wood 1, 1, Figure 7, are attached to the door m
by screws or otherwise. By placing the door plate k upon the door in such
a position that the wedges 1, 1, may enter the slots i, i, and then depressing
the door plate k vertically, the inclined edges of the wedges 1, 1, engage under
the inclined edges of the slots i, i, and the door plate k is fixed to the door.
Figure 8 represents a transverse section taken through the line n, Figure 7.
The inclined sides of the wedges 1, 1, and slots i, i, arè seen in the said section,
Figure 8.
one attach-
Although we prefer two attachments for the door plate, yet only
ment may be employed, or more than two of the said attachments may be
used when desirable.
The application of our Invention to letters and figures is effected in the
manner herein described with reference to door plates, and we believe will be
sufficiently understood by the description already given. Door plates, letters,
and figures attached to doors or other surfaces according to our Invention are
more readily attached to and detached from the said surfaces than when
attached by the ordinary method, and by the use of our said Invention_the
risk of fracture of the said letters and figures by the pressure of the heads of
screws thereupon is avoided.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, we wish it to be understood that we do not
limit ourselves to the precise methods herein described and represented in
the accompanying Drawing, as the same may be varied without departing
from the nature of our said Invention; but we claim as our Invention; attach-

page_text: ing door plates, letters, and figures made of glass, porcelain, earthenware, or
other vitreous or semi-vitreous substance, to doors and such other surfaces
as the same may be required to be attached to, by causing springs, studs, or
wedges fixed on the door or surface to engage in slots in the back of the letter
or figure; or by causing springs, studs, or wedges fixed on the back of the
letter or figure to engage in slots in the door, or in a plate attached to the
door, as herein described and represented in the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, we, the said Jos Mayer and John David Kind,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Thirty-first day of
October, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-four.
(L.S.)
JOHN DAVID KIND. (L.S.)
Witness to the signature of Jos Mayer,
THOMAS HAYES.
Witness to the signature of John David Kind,
GEORGE SHAW.