Improvements in Producing Facsimile Copies of Writing, Delineations, and the like in Black Ink, and in Apparatus Used therein.
Year: 1885

page_text: Improvements in Producing Facsimile Copies of Writing,
Delineations, and the like in Black Ink, and in Apparatus
Used therein.
I FREDERICK FRIEND of 1 Sulyard Street, Lancaster, Wesleyan Minister do
hereby declare the nature of the said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRODUCING
FACSIMILE COPIES OF WRITING DELINEATIONS AND THE LIKE IN BLACK INK AND
IN APPARATUS USED THEREIN to be as follows:-
I prepare a stencil paper by coating a very thin, highly sized and well rolled
paper as follows. I apply to one side of the paper two or three coats of varnish
made of shell lac, methylated spirit or wood naphtha, spirit of nitre and a small
quantity of glycerine.
These substances are well mixed together before being applied and each coat
after being applied upon the paper must be well dried by gentle heat. The paper
is then dipped in a dilute solution of bichromate of potash or if preferred chromic
acid combined with glycerine and methylated spirit.
After being well dried again without heat I apply to the other i.e. the writing
side of the paper one thin coat composed of lac or gamboge (or the two combined)
glycerine and methylated spirit. This coating is then allowed to dry.
The proportions of both waterproofing varnishes are variable, and require to be
adapted to the quality of the paper used for the purpose the closer the texture and
the heavier the sizing of the paper, the less will be the proportion of gum necessary
to render it waterproof. Upon the writing side of this prepared paper I write or
draw with an ordinary writing or drawing pen charged with a strong caustic
solution composed of hydrate of soda or potash dissolved in achil or other vegetable
colouring fluid: to which is added a small quantity of a mixture of glycerine and
water in equal proportions.
When the writing etc. is dry the stencil paper is floated for a few minutes on a
bath of clean water the writing side being upwards and care being taken to keep
this side dry and when the varnish has been displaced from the stencil paper where
the writing etc. has been traced the paper stencil is carefully dried by being placed
between two sheets of blotting paper.
To the written side of the paper stencil (after slightly damping it again on the
other side, is then applied a light and even coating of the ink or printing fluid

page_text: described in another application for Letters Patent dated May 3rd 1884 N° 7160
and composed of strong iron liquor (Liqui: ferri: perchlor fort) tannic acid and
glycerine.
The stencil with the written and inked side downwards is then evenly laid on a
smooth pad, on the surface of which a small quantity of the printing fluid has
previously been spread. I prefer the following mode of making the pad and placing
the stencil upon it.
The pad is made of a few sheets of good blotting paper, cut to the required size,
that is, to a size slightly larger than the surface covered by the writing, but smaller
than the stencil paper, and covered with a piece of satin, the back of which has
been coated with a waterproof substance, such as a solution of indiarubber or
preferably the oil mixture or compound used for making artificial leather or
American cloth used for table covers and technically known as "table baize."
The satin covering overlaps the blotting paper on each side and is stretched
smooth and glued or otherwise securely fastened at all sides to the wooden or other
backing or foundation of the pad. The pad thus covered is preferably surrounded-
by a light frame which may be made of wood or metal and which clamps the
edges of the satin covering and is securely fastened to the backing of the pad by
screws or otherwise. This frame should not project above the upper surface of
the pad.
The stencil paper is stretched in a sort of tympan or moveable clamping frame
that fits around the pad above described. This frame may be made of wood or zinc
and should be so constructed as to clamp the edges of the stencil firmly and so that
it can be removed and replaced as frequently as required without injury and in
precisely the same position. I use for the purpose a pair of frames made of two
pieces of sheet zinc having an opening cut in them corresponding to the shape and
size of the pad with slips of American cloth pasted on the inside, and fastened
together, when the stencil paper is put between them, with small screws and
'butterfly nuts.
The stencil held in this frame being laid on the pad, the paper to be printed
upon is placed on the stencil, and a platen made of a smooth metal plate corre-
sponding exactly to the size of the soft pad (and carried by a backing or sheet of
millboard or other suitable material hinged at one edge to the foundation of the
pad so as to ensure accurate register therewith) is brought down on the paper.
With a suitable press such as an ordinary copying press, the printing fluid is
forced through the fibrous stencil where the waterproofing is removed and by
repeating the application of the printing fluid to the pad after each batch of
60 to 80 successive copies have been taken a great number of facsimile copies of
the original writing or delineation may be procured with the same stencil, the
impression in a few hours becoming a brilliant and permanent black. The stencil
may be preserved for obtaining further copies at a subsequent time.
An unsized paper is preferred for printing upon, but any paper may be used if
slightly damped. One or two copies should be taken in the first instance on
blotting paper.

page_text: I, FREDERICK FRIEND of 1 Sulyard Street Lancaster Wesleyan Minister 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:—
I prepare a stencil paper by coating a very thin highly sized and well calendered
paper as follows.
With a soft brush or by any other suitable means I apply to one side of the
paper two or three coats of varnish made of one part of shell lac; 4 parts
methylated spirit or wood naphtha; two parts spirits of nitre and one fourth of
one part of glycerine.
These substances are well mixed together before being applied and each coat
after being applied upon the paper must be well dried by gentle heat. The paper
is then dipped in or otherwise saturated with a dilute solution of bi-chromate of
potash; or if preferred a solution of chromic acid combined with glycerine and
methylated spirit, in the proportions of, say, 1 grain of the acid to 1 oz. glycerine,
4 oz. methylated spirit and 24 oz water.
After the paper has been well dried again, but this time without heat, I apply to
the other side of the paper one thin coat composed of one part lac, or gamboge
(or the two combined) one eighth of one part glycerine and 8 parts methylated
spirit. This coating is then allowed to dry. The proportions of both waterproofing
varnishes are variable, and require to be adapted to the quality of the paper used
for the purpose; the closer the texture and the heavier the sizing of the paper, the
less will be the proportion of guin necessary to render it waterproof. Upon the
writing side of this prepared paper (ie the side coated as last described) I write or
draw with an ordinary writing or drawing pen charged with a strong caustic
solution composed of one part of hydrate of soda or potash dissolved in two parts
of archil (or other coloring fluid that will not destroy the caustic properties of the
soda or potash) to which is added one twentieth of one part of a mixture of
glycerine and water in equal proportions.
When the writing etc is dry, the stencil paper is floated for a few minutes on a
bath of clean water, the writing side being upwards and care being taken to keep
this side dry. A chemical action then takes place which causes the varnish gradually.
to fall away, and the water to penetrate through the fibres of the paper redissolving
the soda or potash of the writing fluid.
The paper stencil is then carefully dried by being placed between two sheets of
blotting paper.
The paper stencil is then stretched in a sort of tympan or movable clamping
frame that fits around the pad hereafter described. This frame may be made of
wood or zinc and should be so constructed as to clamp the margin of the stencil

page_text: firmly and so that the stencil can be removed from the pad and replaced thereon
as frequently as required without injury and in precisely the same position. I use
for the purpose a pair of similar frames each made of a piece of sheet zinc having
an opening cut in it corresponding in shape to, and rather larger than, the pad with
slips of American cloth pasted with the "leather" side outwards on one surface of
the metal and around the four sides of the opening so as to form a soft but adherent
nipping surface for the margin of the stencil, the frames being fastened together,
when the stencil paper is put between their cloth coated surfaces, with small screws
and butterfly nuts.
To the written side of the paper stencil (after slightly damping it again on the
other side) is then applied a light and even coating of the ink or printing fluid
described and claimed in the Specification of another patent granted to me dated
May 3rd 1884 N° 7160 and composed of one part strong iron liquor (Liqui: ferri:
perchlor fort) 2 parts tannic acid and 8 parts glycerine.
These proportions may be varied but I find those given the best.
The stencil held in the tympan above described is then laid with the written
and inked side downwards on a smooth pad on the surface of which a small
quantity of the printing fluid has previously been spread.
The pad is made of say 12 or 14 superposed sheets of good blotting paper (of a
size slightly larger than the surface covered by the writing but smaller than the.
stencil paper) covered with a piece of satin which has been coated on its back with
a waterproof substance such as a solution of indiarubber, or preferably the oil
mixture or compound used for making artificial leather or American cloth used for
table covers and technically known as "table baize."
The satin covering extends beyond the blotting paper on all four sides and is
stretched smooth and glued or otherwise securely fastened at all sides by its margin
to a wooden or other backing. The pad thus covered is surrounded by a light
frame which may be made of wood or metal and which clamps the glued down
margin of the satin covering and is securely fastened to the backing of the pad by
screws or otherwise. This frame should not project above the upper surface of
the pad.
The stencil held in its tympan being laid on the pad, the paper to be printed
upon is placed on the stencil and a platen made of a smooth metal plate corre-
sponding exactly to the size of the pad (and carried by a backing or sheet of
millboard or other suitable material hinged at one edge to the foundation of the
pad so as to ensure accurate register therewith, is brought down on the paper and
submitted to pressure in an ordinary copying press whereby the printing fluid is
forced through the fibrous stencil wherever the waterproofing has been removed
from such stencil and a facsimile of the original writing &c is obtained which in a
few hours becomes a brilliant and permanent black.
An unsized paper is preferred for printing upon but any paper may be used if
slightly damped.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I would have it
understood that I do not confine myself to the precise proportions herein specified
but which I believe to be the best and I declare that what
claim is
1st The herein described mode of preparing paper for use as a stencil in the
process of producing facsimile copies of writings, &c, as herein described, which
mode of preparation consists in coating one side of the paper with a varnish
composed substantially of the ingredients herein specified, then saturating the
varnished paper. with a solution of bichromate of potash, or of chromic acid
combined with glycerine and methylated spirit, and finally coating the other side of
the paper with a varnish composed of lac or gamboge (or both) mixed with glycerine
and methylated spirit, all as herein described.
2nd The employment in the process of preparing paper for use as a stencil in and
for the purposes of the herein described process of reproducing writings, &c, of

page_text: bichromate of potash or of chromic acid combined with glycerine and methylated
spirit, in the manner and for the purpose herein specified.
3rd The employment in the process of preparing paper for use as a stencil in and
for the purposes of the herein. described process of reproducing writings, &c, of
glycerine in combination with the other substances herein specified, or their
equivalents.
4th The composition of the writing fluid for use upon a stencil paper prepared as
herein described for the production of a paper stencil, said fluid consisting of the
combination with hydrate of soda or potash, of archil and a mixture of glycerine
and water, substantially as specified.
5th In the preparation of a writing fluid for the purposes herein described the
employment of archil as the coloring fuid for hydrate of soda or potash, as
specified.
Gth An inking pad for use in connection with a paper stencil in the process of
producing facsimile copies of writings, &c, inade of blotting paper or other semi-
elastic material covered with satin, which has been coated with a water proof
substance on its back or under surface.
7th An inking pad for the purpose herein specified, constructed of blotting paper
covered with satin waterproofed on the under surface and clamped by its margin
around the blotting paper by means of a frame in combination with a hinged
platen, substantially as herein described.
8th The means herein described of holding the paper stencil consisting of a
tympan composed of a pair of flat frames with their inner or adjacent surfaces
covered with American cloth or equivalent material and clamped together, substan-
tially as specified.