IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PENCILS FOR WRITING OR MARKING ON LINEN AND OTHER TEXTILE FABRICS AND ON OTHER SURFACES."
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Hickisson, of Southgate Road, Hackney,
in the County of Middlesex, Marking Ink Manufacturer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PENCILS FOR
WRITING OR MARKING ON LINEN AND OTHER TEXTILE FABRICS AND ON OTHER
SURFACES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Hickisson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
10th November 1868.
I, JAMES HICKISSON, of Southgate Road, Hackney, in the County of
Middlesex, Marking Ink Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PENCILS
FOR WRITING OR MARKING ON LINEN AND OTHER TEXTILE FABRICS AND ON
OTHER SURFACES," to be as follows:-
The object of my Invention is the manufacture of pencils for writing
or otherwise marking on linen and other textile fabrics, especially such

page_text: as garments and other articles intended to be washed, also on garden
labels and other surfaces, particularly those which are exposed to damp,
liquid, or moisture.
My Invention consists in manufacturing a pencil of a composition of
materials which will fuse, melt, or dissolve in such manner that the
mixture when fused, melted, or dissolved may be run or cast into moulds
of a desired form and may set or harden therein, the composition in this
condition will be fit for writing or marking purposes. Or sometimes
the compositions of materials instead of being fused, melted, or dissolved,
and run or cast into the moulds may be reduced to powder or made into
a paste and pressed into the moulds or otherwise formed into the required
shape.
In carrying the Invention into effect various ingredients may be
used having the above qualities or conditions, but the ingredients and
proportions which I recommend are the following:-
Nitrate of silver
Nitrate of potash
Black platinum
-
100 parts.
-
100
"
20
And I sometimes propose to mix these ingredients together, and then
fuse them in a vessel by means of heat applied by a spirit lamp or other
heating medium, and when in a condition of complete fusion the
composition is run into a heated mould and there allowed to cool and
set and harden. When cool and set it can be fixed in a case ready for
use.
I do not confine myself however to these proportions, nor to the
ingredients just mentioned, as they may be varied. For instance, instead
of or in addition to the nitrate of silver other salts of silver, also per-
chloride of gold and other salts of gold, and other metallic salts or
compounds may be used. Also instead of or in addition to the nitrate
of potash, nitrate of soda, or other alkaline or earthy or metallic salts or
compounds may be used. I likewise use instead of or in addition to
black platinum purple of cassius, oxide of manganese, plumbago, or
other metallic oxides and powders. Any of these or other agents may be
mixed with or substituted for certain of the ingredients in order to
impart a black, red, or other colour to the pencil or the desired degree
of harness to the compound or required qualities thereto. The compo-
sition may be moulded to form what is called "points" for ever-pointed
marking pencils.

page_text: When the pencil is to be used on textile fabrics they should be
damped preferably by using water holding neutral tartrate of potash or
ordinary washing soda in solution.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Hickisson in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 10th May 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
HICKISSON, of Southgate Road, Hackney, in the County of Middlesex,
Marking Ink Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, hearing date the Tenth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said James Hickisson, Her
special licence that I, the said James Hickisson, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James
Hickisson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PENCILS FOR WRITING OR MARKING
ON LINEN AND OTHER TEXTILE FABRICS AND ON OTHER SURPACES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Hickisson, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Hickisson, do hereby
declare the nature of the said 'Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
The object of my Invention is the manufacture of pencils for writing

page_text: or otherwise marking on linen and other textile fabrics, especially
such as garments and other articles intended to be washed, also on
garden labels and other surfaces, particularly those which are exposed
to damp, liquid, or moisture.
My Invention consists in manufacturing a pencil of a composition
of materials such as are herein-after mentioned which will fuse, melt,
or dissolve in such manner that the mixture when fused, melted, or
dissolved may be run or cast into moulds of a desired form and may
set or harden therein; the composition in this condition will be fit for
writing or marking purposes. Or sometimes the composition of materials
instead of being fused, melted, or dissolved, and run or cast into the
moulds may be reduced to powder or made into a paste and placed in
the moulds or otherwise formed into the required shape.
In carrying the Invention into effect various ingredients may be used
combined substantially as herein-after mentioned and having the above
qualities or conditions, but the ingredients which I have found to answer
are the following,-
Nitrate of silver
Nitrate of potash
Black platinum
-
100 parts
-
100 parts
20 parts
I mix these ingredients together, and then fuse them in a vessel by
means of heat applied by a spirit lamp or other heating medium.
The composition when in a condition of fusion is run into a heated
mould and there allowed to cool, set, and harden. When cooled and
set it can be fixed in a holder ready for use.
The proportions and ingredients mentioned above may be varied by
using their ordinary equivalents, but it will be found necessary in all
cases to employ a sufficient proportion of nitrate of potash or other
nitrate of a similar character or its equivalent. For instance, instead
of or in addition to the nitrate of silver other salts of silver, also
perchloride of gold and other salts of gold, and other metallic salts or
compounds may be used. Among such equivalents I may mention that
I likewise use instead of or in addition to black platinum purple of
cassius, oxide of manganese, plumbago, or other metallic oxides, and
powders of similar character. The ingredients employed are mixed as
required in order to impart a black, red, or other colour to the pencil,
and to give the desired degree of hardness to the compound. The
compositions may be moulded to form what is called "points" for ever-

page_text: pointed marking pencils. When the pencil is to be used on textile
fabrics those fabrics may be damped with water holding neutral tartrate.
A composition suitable for being used according to my Invention is
made by mixing—
Nitrate of silver
Nitrate of potash
Oxide of manganese
Black platinum
Another suitable composition is made by mixing-
Nitrate of silver
44 oz.
-
30 oz.
-
12 oz.
2 oz..
•
32 oz.
-
21 oz. 2 drachms
Nitrate of potash
Chromic acid
3 oz.
Another suitable-composition is made by mixing-
Nitrate of silver
Nitrate of potash
100 parts
100
"
Black platinum
20 "
Other salts of silver, such as the sulphate, phosphate, carbonate,
tartrate, oxide, chloride, bromide, or iodide, may be used. Also other
alkaline earthy or metallic nitrates, such as nitrate of soda, ammonia,'
baryta, manganese, or lead, may be substituted as equivalents for the
above nitrates. Also other colouring substances such as plumbago,
oxide of manganese, or other chemical colouring matter imparting a
black colour, or oxide of iron imparting a red colour, or oxide of
chromium imparting a green colour, or other colouring compound,
natural or artificial, imparting any colour whatever to the mixture may
be employed or added to colour the pencil.
The following proportions may be used:-.
Sulphate of silver
-
Sulphate or nitrate of ammonia
Oxide of iron
or Chloride of silver-
Nitrate of baryta
Oxide of manganese-
100 parts
70
"
15
"
150
"
100
33
25
"
Among the equivalents which may be used I may mention sulphates,
carbonates, and phosphates of potash, soda and other alkalies; and
chlorides and bromides of magnesium, lime, aluminum and other earths,
Hedidos fluorides acetates tartrates and horates of manganese load tin

page_text: nd other metals. The number of ingredients need not be limited to
hree but other number of the substances may be mixed up together.
But I sometimes use for each when employed the following parts :-
Nitrate of silver
Chloride of silver
Sulphate of silver
Oxide of silver
-
35 parts
- 20 "
•
40
"
-
29
"
Nitrate of potash
Nitrate of soda
Sulphate of potash or of alumina
Acetate of lime
Chloride of magnesium
Black platinum
Plumbago
Oxide of manganese
•
220
- 20
39
50
"
-
30
"
"
10
"
-
40
وو
- 15
وو
-
10
"
15
"
The refuse from the manufacture of a red pencil (when chromic acid is
sed) when exposed to heat turns dark and the chromic acid evaporates
that it loses its red colour, and I can then use it for the manufacture
f black pencils.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention and in
hat manner the same may be performed, I declare that I claim the
anufacture of marking or writing pencils in the manner above
escribed.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Hickisson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.