Improvements in Photographic Sensitized Films or Cards.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Apr., 1891-Accepted, 6th June, 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Photographic Sensitized Films or Cards.
I, HENRY KUHN, of the City of Springfield, State of Missouri, United States
of America, Gentleman, 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 photographic-mounts, and consists in the new article of
manufacture and the method or process of making same, hereinafter specified and
claimed.
In the improved process of preparing my improved articles, I first take a sheet
of cardboard preferably of such size as will make a considerable number of mounts,
and first render it waterproof by dipping it into a solution of insoluble-soap, such
for instance as ordinary castile-soap having a quantity of alum incorporated there-
with, and then I dry the sheet by exposure to heat or otherwise, and thereby form
a shell upon its outer surfaces, which will be substantially waterproof.
The sheet is now treated in a bath composed of celluloid-varnish, or other
suitable compound which will impart an acid-proof coating to the sheet.
It is evident that the coating of celluloid-varnish may be applied to but one side
of the sheet, if so desired.
After the coating last named has been suitably dried it is evident that the sheet
will be encased in a perfect waterproof and acid-proof film, which however will be
found to have a comparatively rough or raw external-surface, and as this would
show in the finished photograph I place upon the coating of celluloid-varnish upon
one side of the sheet a comparatively thick and smooth coating of barium-sulphate
and gelatine, or a series of such coatings, one superposed upon another, and of any
suitable color or colors, or this coating or these coatings may be composed of any
other harmless material, such as chalk, which will make a very smooth and polished
surface.
The sheet is now passed between polishing-rollers, and is then ready to receive
the sensitizing-solution or sensitive-coating, which preferably consists of a collodion
or gelatine-emulsion of suitable nature, and this is spread or coated evenly over the
smooth surface last mentioned.
Three or more colors, either distinct or blended, may be brought out by coating
the cards with different colored superposed coatings of aniline-emulsions, and one
color being applied after the first has dried.
To be more explicit, I first prepare a suitable aniline-emulsion, or a number of
them of different colors, which may be composed of equal parts of alcohol, ether,
pyroxyline, and chloride of strontium, or chloride of lithium, and the necessary
quantity of coloring matter (aniline) and nitrate of silver.
The colors will be held as I have found, by the emulsions, and the whole will
form a very thin sensitive film on the cards, when spread on them.
In placing different-colored emulsions upon the cards an initial coating should be
first flowed over them, or applied by suitable machinery (not shown or specified)
and this coating should be dried and another coating of different color applied over
the first.
Cards so treated present a very peculiar and pleasing appearance, as one color
melts away in the other.
For landscape-work, three or more colors may be employed according to taste or
as the subject may require.
After drying, by heat or otherwise, the cardboard-sheet will be ready for the
cutting or stamping machine, whereby it may be cut or stamped into "cabinet,
panel, etc. sizes," and during this stamping-operation the cards may or may not be
provided with the usual beveled-edges. Then, after cutting up a large sheet into
[Price 6d1

page_text: small cards it will be evident that the edges thereof will not be waterproof, and
must be made so, unless the waterproofing solution penetrated through the
thickness of the sheet.
These raw-edges are waterproofed by handling the cut cards what I may term
"en block "—that is, one-hundred or so are clamped in a single package by suitable
clamps, and their edges are impregnated by a thoroughly warm mixture of rosin,
paraffin and white-wax and olive oil, which may be applied to them with a brush
and dried by heat, whereby the mixture will penetrate and saturate the edge of
each card, and form thereon a waterproof shell.
The card-mounts so prepared may now be worked through the different processes
by the photographer, viz., toning, fixing and final washing, and the water and
chemical-solution will not penetrate their edges or any portion of them, as will
be readily seen.
It will thus be seen that I provide sensitized, waterproof cards ready to print
upon, and the pictures being developed directly thereon, without the intervention
of the usual sensitized paper.
The sensitized-cards, as prepared, should be preserved in suitable envelopes,
and after being printed they are passed through the usual different manipulations
well known to the photographer's art, and they can either be bodily drawn
through a washringer or otherwise dried, and are then ready to be burnished, as
no cutting of paper or mounting is necessary.
In some cases, instead of treating the sheets by the waterproofing process above
set forth, I may treat the paper-pulp in the paper-mill before it is rolled into
sheets, with the waterproofing material, then roll such pulp into sheets, and
afterwards as before specified, and the effect will be about the same in either case.
The card-board may be provided with a peripheral depression on the face
thereof, thus dispensing with the waterproofed material as above described to
that portion of the card. This is accomplished by means of a machine provided
with a suitable dic for the purpose.
The card pressed as above described, possesses the following features, and the
manufacture thereof may be carried out in preference:
1. By pressing the edges adjacent to the face, the fibre of the material is
packed solid, thereby making it waterproof to the bath for a certain length
of time.
2. By forming a compressed border around the card it stiffens the same,
preventing it from warping and getting out of shape.
3. The depressed or packed portion, riz., the entire edge thereof. can be printed
in any color without disturbing the raised portion during the process of pressing
the same, or afterwards, as may be desired.
4. The raised portions of the card or portions not depressed can be very easily
sensitized independent of the pressed border by passing the entire card through
suitable rollers prepared for that purpose, without sensitizing the depressed portions
or edges of the card.
5. The raised portion of the card has the appearance of a print or independent
piece of sensitized paper mounted thereon, which is very desirable.
6. The name of the photographer or any other words can be printed or pressed
into the card simultaneously with forming the peripheral depression.
The peripheral depression may also be formed by passing the card through
suitable rollers, instead of using the die as above described.
The novelty and advantages possessed by my improved article and process over
the ordinary process of photographic-printing, is obvious.
1. No albuinized-paper is used, as such necessitates subsequent mounting upon a
card.
2. The surface of my improved card-mount is hard and produces what I may
term a “crystal” gloss upon simple burnishing, which an ordinary paper does not.
3. The thickness of the card prevents all curling when placed in the solutions,
which is evidently not the case with ordinary thin paper, and therefore the card-

page_text: HERBERT J. ALLISON,
Agent for the Applicant.