IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF INK OR PRINTING MATERIAL FOR USE IN PRINTING POSTAGE STAMPS AND OTHER LIKE STAMPS AND BANKER'S CHEQUES AND OTHER MONETARY DOCUMENTS, J
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Anthony Nesbit of N° 38 Gracechurch Street in:
the City of London Consulting Chemist for an Invention of AN IMPROVEMENT
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF INK OR PRINTING MATERIAL FOR USE IN PRINTING
POSTAGE STAMPS AND OTHER LIKE STAMPS AND BANKER'S CHEQUES AND OTHER
MONETARY DOCUMENTS,
J
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Anthony Nesbit at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st February 1883.
ALFRED ANTHONY NESBIT of N° 38 Gracechurch Street in the City of London
Consulting Chemist "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF INK OR
PRINTING MATERIAL FOR USE IN PRINTING POSTAGE STAMPS AND OTHER LIKE
STAMPS AND BANKER'S CHEQUES AND OTHER MONETARY DOCUMENTS
"
The object of my Invention is the manufacture of an ink or printing material
the impression of which will be readily blurred or destroyed or permanently
affected or altered by the application to it of the solvents of fats or oily matters
and my said invention consists essentially in the use in the said manufacture of the
colouring matter known as Anchusine or Alkanine which colouring matter is
readily soluble in benzole bisulphide of carbon ether and other solvents of fats and
oily matters and is ordinarily obtained from the roots of the alkanet plant.
Anchusine or Alkanine obtained from other sources may however be used.
In carrying out my said Invention I make an extract of the roots of the
alkanet plant in alcohol or any volatile or evaporable solvent of the Anchusine or
Alkanine contained in the said roots and evaporate the extract until it becomes of
a pasty consistency and then mix and grind it with oil (preferably castor oil) in
sufficient quantity to produce a composition which will print well. The composition
is then ready for use and may be used in the same manner as ordinary printer's
ink.
In order to facilitate the mixture of the said extract with the oil a small quantity
of glycerine may be added to the oil with which the extract is to be mixed or the

page_text: glycerine may be added to the extract before evaporating it or before it has been
evaporated to the required consistency.
.Instead of mixing oil with the extract it may be mixed and ground with water
or with glycerine or with a mixture of water and glycerine in sufficient quantity
to produce a composition of the consistency required for printing. I prefer however
to mix the said extract with oil as hereinbefore described.
In some cases clay flour or other thickening material may be mixed with the
composition prepared in either of the ways herein before described. When such
thickening materials are used a sufficient quantity of the oil or glycerine or water
must be added to produce the required degree of consistency in the composition or
the thickening materials may be added to the extract before evaporating it or
when it has been so far evaporated that the addition of the thickening material
will produce the required pasty consistency of the extract.
Instead of using a volatile or evaporable solvent and mixing the extract with
oil or water or glycerine as herein before described a composition suitable for
printing may be prepared by macerating the aforesaid roots in oil (preferably
warmed) and filtering or otherwise separating the roots from the extract and
mixing and grinding it with a suitable thickening material such as clay or flour.
The printing material or ink prepared as herein before described is capable of use
in ordinary surface. printing in lithographic printing and in "doctor" printing and
other plate printing.
The advantages attending the use of ink prepared according to my invention
are that the obliterating marks on used 'postage and other stamps when 'such
stamps are printed with the said ink-cannot-be removed by the use of the solvents
hereinbefore referred to without destroying or permanently disfiguring the said
stamps or the designs thereon and those operations of cheque forgers in which the
use of the said solvents is necessary cannot be successfully carried out with cheques
printed with the said ink

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alfred Anthony Nesbit in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
21st August 1883.
"
ALFRED ANTHONY NESBIT of N° 38 Gracechurch Street in the City of London
Consulting Chemist "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF INK OR
PRINTING MATERIAL FOR USE IN PRINTING POSTAGE STAMPS AND OTHER LIKE
STAMPS AND BANKER'S 'CHEQUES AND OTHER MONETARY DOCUMENTS
The object of my invention is the manufacture of an ink or printing material
the impression of which will be readily blurred or destroyed or permanently
affected or altered by the application to it of the solvents of fats or oily matters and
my said invention consists essentially in the use in the said manufacture of the
colouring matter known as Anchusine or Alkanine which colouring matter is
readily soluble in benzole bisulphide of carbon ether and other solvents of fats and
oily matters and is ordinarily obtained from the roots of the alkanet plant.
Anchusine or Alkanine obtained from other sources may however be used.
In carrying out my said Invention I make an extract of the roots of the alkanet
plant in alcohol or any volatile or evaporable solvent of the Anchusine or
Alkanine contained in the said root and evaporate the extract until it becomes of a
pasty consistency and then mix and grind it with oil (preferably castor oil) in
sufficient quantity to produce a composition which will print well. The composition
is then ready for use and may be used in the same manner as ordinary printer's
ink
In order to facilitate the mixture of the said extract with the oil a small
quantity of glycerine may be added to the oil with which the extract is to be
mixed or the glycerine may be added to the.extract before evaporating it or before
it has been evaporated to the required consistency.
Instead of mixing oil with the extract it may be mixed and ground with water
or with glycerine or with a mixture of water and glycerine in sufficient quantity
to produce a composition of the consistency required for printing. I prefer however
to mix the said extract with oil as hereinbefore described.
In some cases flour clay or other thickening material may be mixed with the
composition prepared in either of the ways herein before described. When such
thickening materials are used a sufficient quantity of the oil or glycerine or water
must be added to produce the required degree of consistency in the composition
Or the thickening materials may be added to the extract before evaporating it or
when it has been so far evaporated that the addition of the thickening material
will produce the required pasty consistency of the extract
Instead of using a volatile or evaporable solvent and mixing the extract with
oil or water or glycerine as hereinbefore described a composition suitable for
printing may be prepared by macerating the aforesaid roots in oil (preferably
warmed) and filtering or otherwise separating the roots from the extract and
mixing and grinding it with a suitable thickening material such as clay or flour
The printing material or ink prepared as herein before described is capable of
use in ordinary surface printing in lithographic printing and in "doctor" printing
and other plate printing.
The advantages attending the use of ink prepared according to my invention are
that the obliterating marks on used postage and other stamps when such stamps
are printed with the said ink cannot be removed by the use of the solvents herein
before referred to without destroying or permanently disfiguring the said stamps
or the designs thereon and those operations of cheque forgers in which the use of

page_text: the said solvents is necessary cannot be successfully carried out with cheques
printed with the said ink
Having thus described my invention I wish. it to be understood that I do not
limit myself to the precise details and methods of manufacture hereinbefore
described but I claim as my invention
The use of Anchusine or Alkanine in the manufacture of ink or printing material
"for use in printing postage stamps and other like stamps and banker's cheques and
other monetary documents
In witness whereof I the said Alfred Anthony Nesbit have hereunto set my
hand and seal this twentieth day of August in the year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and eighty three.
.A. ANTHONY NESBIT (L.S.)