An Improved Manufacture of Feathers Printed in Colors and Appliances therefor.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 19th May, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 9th Feb., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 30th Mar., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Manufacture of Feathers Printed in Colors and
Appliances therefor.
We, OSCAR SCHEURER, Chemist, and ALPHONSE FOREST, Feather Dealer both of
23 Boulevard de Strasbourg, Paris, France do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
Our invention consists in printing upon feathers, more particularly Ostrich feathers,
by employing for this purpose processes similar to those that are used for printing on
wool silk or cotton fabrics. This impression is effected by clichés or blocks which have
the pattern thereon either in relief, as is usual for hand printing, or in intaglio; or
metal or other template plates may be employed having openings of a configuration
corresponding to that of the design to be printed.
In order to keep the feathers to be printed perfectly smooth and in perfect condition
to receive the printing, and to enable the printing blocks to be removed without
disturbing the beard, the feathers are retained flat upon a board or other flat surface
by means of threads stretched across them in both directions, which threads may be
secured either by pins or nails or by adjustable tension screws, or they may be fixed
permanently in a frame which is placed over the board.
The beard of the feathers might also be retained in position by gumming them on
to a sheet of paper or woven fabric &c.
In order that the stem of the feather may not interfere with the printing, and to
avoid the necessity of cutting the same, the board on which the feather is fixed has a
sheet or pad of caoutchoue, felt, or other elastic yielding material, fixed upon
it, into which the stem beds itself when the printing is effected, so that the upper
surface is sufficiently level to receive the impression all over it. Or in place of
making the board surface of yielding material, the cliché or block may be of yielding
or elastic material, or both arrangements inay be used in combination.

page_text: The holding threads employed being very fine, they leave no perceptible mark on
the feather on being removed, and what little marking there is, becomes obliterated
by the spreading of the colors.
After printing, the colors are fixed by steam, and the feather is then washed.
The above process is applicable to all kinds of feathers for ornamental purposes,
such as for wearing apparel, hats, fans &c.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Manufacture of Feathers Printed in Colors and
Appliances therefor.
We, OSCAR SCHEURER, Chemist, and ALPHONSE FOREST, Feather Dealer both of
23 Boulevard de Strasbourg, Paris, France 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 :-
Our invention consists in printing upon feathers, more particularly ostrich feathers,
by employing for this purpose processes similar to those that are used for printing
on wool, silk or cotton fabrics. This impression is effected by clichés, plates or blocks
which have the pattern thereon either in relief, as is usual for hand printing, or in 2
intaglio or metal or other templates may be employed having openings of a
configuration corresponding to that of the design to be printed.
In order to keep the feathers to be printed perfectly smooth and in perfect
condition to receive the printing, and to enable the printing blocks to be removed
without disturbing the beard, the feathers are retained flat upon a board or other 2
flat surface by means of threads stretched across them in both directions, which
threads may be secured either by pins or nails, or by adjustable tension screws, or
they may be fixed permanently in a frame which is placed over the board.
The beard of the feathers might also be retained in position by gumming them on
to a sheet of paper or woven fabric &c.
In order that the stem of the feather may not interfere with the printing, and to
avoid the necessity of cutting the same, the board on which the feather is fixed has
3

page_text: a sheet or pad of caoutchouc, felt, or other elastic yielding material fixed upon it,
into which the stem beds itself when the printing is effected, so that the upper
surface is sufficiently level to receive the impression all over it. Or in place of
making the board surface of yielding material, the cliché or block may be of yielding
or elastic material, or both arrangements may be used in combination.
The accompanying drawing shews the appliances for carrying out the above
described invention. Fig. 1 shews a plan of the table A on which the feather P to
be treated is held in a flat condition by means of longitudinal and transverse threads f
which are streched round pins c so as to press upon the feather. Fig. 2 shews a
cross section of the table and feather and of the block for printing on the latter.
Fig. 3 shews an arrangement in which the threads are permanently stretched on a
frame C surrounding the table A, to which it is hinged at o so that it can be turned
up so as to leave the table free for placing the feather thereon, and be then turned
down so as to cause the threads to press upon the feather, the requisite pressure
being produced, if necessary by applying a weight C₁ to the free end of the frame,
or by acting upon it by a spring or other means.
The feather being fixed in position, it is printed upon by means of the block or
cliché X, which is then removed, and the threads having been taken off, the feather
will have an impression on which the minute blank parts previously covered by the.
threads will hardly be discernable, and will become, more or less covered by the
running or spreading of the colors before drying.
After the impression the colors are fixed by steam, and the feather is then washed
and smoothed.
The colors employed for this purpose may be thickened with starch, gum or
dextrine, being then applied to the feather by means of either clichés, engraved
plates, or by stencil plates, and brushes.
"
The thickened coloring matter has the advantage of not spreading, that is to say,
of retaining the exact configuration of the impression, and resisting the action of
capillary attraction which would take place with unthickened colors, such as are
ordinarily used for dyeing feathers.
The feathers may also be held in position by a heavy bar applied to the stem, or
by small pins or staples which secure the stem to the table.
The printed feathers are by preference treated with steam inside a closed vessel
or autoclave of any suitable known construction.
It will be evident that all kinds of feathers can be printed with colors according
to the above described invention, whether singly or in groups, such as the entire
wings &c. of birds, and such printed feathers may be used for ornamenting costumes,
head dresses, fans &c. the printing being effected either in single or in several colors,
which may be made to correspond or harmonize exactly with the colors of the costumes
&c. to which they are to be applied
Such printing may be effected in a similar manner to any of the known processes
for printing on cotton, silks or woolen fabrics, such as by the use of mordants &c.
the ornamental pattern being produced either directly by impression, or by printing
on the ground, leaving the pattern uncolored or by removing the color from the
pattern by the action of chemical agents, upon a colored ground.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. The herein described manufacture of feathers, printed upon in colors by blocks,
clichés, engraved plates or stencil plates, while the feather is held in a flat condition
upon a board or table.
2. The method of printing upon feathers in colors by securing the feathers in a flat
condition upon a board or table and then applying colors thereto by impression blocks,
cliches engraved plates or stencil plates substantially as herein described.
3. The method of holding the feathers while being printed upon in colors, by means
of threads stretched across them while lying flat upon a board or table.

page_text: 4. The use for printing upon feathers in colors of a board or table having an
elastic cushion in which the stem of the feather can imbed itself during the
impression.
5. The use for printing on feathers when laid upon a rigid or elastic bed, of
impression blocks of caoutchouc or other elastic materials, substantially as herein
described.
6. The use for printing upon feathers with colors in the manner set forth in the
preceding claims of thickened coloring matters that are afterwards fixed by steam,
substantially as herein described.