New or Improved Process for Producing Decorations or Orna- mentations in Relief or Intaglio on Wood, Leather, or other Materials.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Dec., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 27th Aug., 1900-Accepted, 27th Oct., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
New or Improved Process for Producing Decorations or Orna-
mentations in Relief or Intaglio on Wood, Leather, or other
Materials.
I, FRANZ PFANZELTER, of Judengasse 3, Salzburg, in the Empire of Austria,
Decorator, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In the processes hitherto used for the production of decorations or graining
on the surface of wooden or leather objects different but always mechanical methods
have been employed, such as burning with red hot irons known as "poker-work,"
whilst decorations or ornamentatious on celluloid and paper were produced by
pressure or stamping.
According to the present process the objects mentioned are provided with the
desired decorations or ornamentations in the following manner.
In producing graining of no predetermined pattern on wood, the wooden object
is coated with concentrated sulphuric acid either by dipping the wood into the
said acid or by pouring the latter upon the wood.
After the wood is sufficiently influenced, the acid is washed away with water and
the weaker parts of the wood (the green wood) are thus dissolved by the acid,
and so removed whilst the stronger parts (yearly rings or matured wood) which
have not been affected by the acid appear in relief and completely show the
structure of the wood.
If it is desired to obtain predetermined patterns or decorations, the surfaces or
parts to be occupied thereby are coated with a material resisting the action of the
acid such as, for instance wax, asphaltum or the like. When the acid has taken
effect on the unprotected parts, and been washed away, the protecting material is
removed and the pattern appears in relief and may be colored as desired.
Inversely the surfaces forming the pattern may be exposed to the influence of the
acid and the remaining surfaces covered with an acid resisting material so that in
this case the pattern appears in intaglio.
In some cases the acid is allowed to affect only the outlines of the pattern by
covering the whole surface and exposing only the said outlines to the influence of
the acid.
Patterns and decorations in relief or intaglio on leather, celluloid, card-board,
or paper are produced in the same manner by covering the parts which should
appear in relief, but parts which shall eventually apear in intaglio are exposed
to the action of the acid.
The process described can also be performed in such a manner that paper or the
like on which the pattern is made is pasted on the wood or the like which is to
be used.
A suitable pasting material is a mixture of glue an glycerine. The paper is
then removed from those surfaces which are to be exposed to the influence of the
acid, and the process performed in the manner hereinbefore described.
Dated this 12th day of December 1899.

page_text: New or Improved Process for Producing Decorations or Orna-
mentations in Relief or Intaglio on Wood, Leather, or other
Materials.
I, FRANZ PFANZELTER, of Judengasse 3, Salzburg, in the Empire of Austria,
Decorator, 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:-
In the processes hitherto used for the production of decorations or graining on
the surface of wooden or leather objects, various mechanical methods have been
employed, such as burning with red hot irons, known as "poker-work," while
decorations or ornamentations on celluloid and paper were produced by pressure
or stamping.
According to the present process, the objects mentioned above are provided with
the desired decorations or ornamentations in the following manner.
In graining wood, so as to bring out the natural grain without any definite
pattern, the wooden object is coated with concentrated sulphuric or other corrosive
acid, either by dipping the wood into the said acid, or by pouring or otherwise
applying the latter upon the wood; and when the wood has been sufficiently in-
fluenced, the acid is washed away with water. The weaker (soft, green, or com-
paratively soluble) parts of the wood are thus destroyed or dissolved by the acid,
and so removed, whilst the stronger parts (yearly rings or matured wood) which
have not been affected by the acid, appear in relief and completely show the
structure of the wood.
1
If it is desired, to obtain predetermined patterns or decorations on materials
of vegetable or animal origin, the surface to be treated is coated with an acid-
proof substance, such as, for instance, wax, asphaltum, or the like, and the latter
is removed from the parts which are to be etched, or stencils of acid-proof material
are applied to the surface.
If the objects thus prepared are exposed to the influence of the acid, the latter
can only act on the unprotected parts and etch the same. If subsequently the
protective material and the material destroyed by the acid is removed, the
previously protected parts appear smooth and in relief, provided that the material
had not been rough or specially prepared before the application of this process.
It is evident, that lines may be produced in the same manner, as surface
patterns. The material to be treated may have various colours. It may, for
instance be dyed or stained before the treatment with acid. In that case the dye
will remain unaltered at those parts of the surface which are protected by acid-
proof coating, but is removed from the other parts by the acid. If dark-stained
wood is treated with acid, and the layer which has been penetrated by the stain
is removed more or less completely, according to its hardness or acid resisting
power, as mentioned above, the colour will also show variations.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is: :-
1. The process for graining or ornamenting objects of vegetable or animal
origin, such as wood, leather and paper, which consists in treating the surface
of the said objects with concentrated sulphuric or other corrosive acid, until the
comparatively soft or soluble portions have been destroyed, and then washing the

page_text: acid away, while the hard or acid-resisting portions appear in relief, substantially
as described.
2. The process for ornamenting surfaces of wood, leather, celluloid, paper or
similar material with a given design or pattern, which consists in coating or
protecting suitable portions of the surface with an acid resisting substance, then
exposing the entire surface to a corrosive acid, and subsequently removing the
protective coating, substantially as described.
Doted this 27th day of August 1900
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
Agents, 37, 39, Essex Street, Strand, London.