IMPROVEMENTS IN PRODUCING ORNAMENTED SURFACES OF METAL AND OTHER MATERIALS
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Parkes, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Chemist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRODUCING
ORNAMENTED SURFACES OF METAL AND OTHER MATERIALS."
Sealed the 10th October 1861, and dated the 19th April 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Parkes at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 19th
April 1861.
I, HENRY PARKES, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Chemist,
do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRO-
DUCING ORNAMENTED SURFACES OF METAL AND OTHER MATERIALS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in producing ornamented
surfaces of metal and other materials.
For these purposes in cases where metals only are to be employed, two,
three, or more layers or thicknesses of sheet or other form of metal are com-
bined so as to form a single sheet or other suitable form. This sheet or other
form of metal consisting of several layers is to be embossed or indented in dies
or otherwise, so as to produce indents or recesses on one side and projections
on the other side. In some cases the indents are made of such depth as to
cause the metal which constitutes the back layer or thickness to come level
with that which constitutes the front surface; in other cases the indents are of
less depth and so as to bring an intermediate layer or thickness level with the
front surface, by which means when the front surface is made level, by cutting
or removing more or less of its surface, or the protruding parts on that surface,

page_text: more or less of the layers or thicknesses of the metal at the back will be seen
on the front surface, and the ornamental effect consequent thereon will depend
on the front of the indents and the number of thicknesses or layers of metal
employed. Other materials may be similarly used either in combination with
metal or without metal, such, for instance, as preparations of gun cotton or
similar substances with solvents, which may be produced in separate sheets of
different colors, to be afterwards combined into one sheet, or a succession of
layers or thicknesses of these preparations, either alone or in combination with
other materials, may be otherwise produced. Various other materials may also
be similarly employed in producing ornamented surfaces so long as the several
thicknesses or layers thereof are capable of being pressed into or formed with
indents on one side or surface and projections on the other side or surface, so
that when the projections are wholly or partially removed or cut away, parts of
the layers at the back of the front layer may come into sight, and form parts of
the front surface as above explained.
Other ornamental surfaces or articles are formed when employing gelatine
or preparations of gun cotton with solvents, with or without other materials, by
forming the same in moulds or dies in such manner that different parts may
be of greater thickness than other parts, and consequently capable of admitting
light to pass through more or less freely, depending on the thickness of the
parts; and other ornamental surfaces are produced by employing preparations
of gun cotton with solvents, with or without other matters mixed therewith, by
using such preparations of gun cotton as a means of enclosing ornamental
devices within such preparations in such manner that the ornamental devices
may be seen through the preparations of gun cotton in which such devices
are enclosed, the preparations of gun cotton being in such quantities external
of the enclosed devices, that although the devices are in relief, or project,
or are in intaglio or sunken, the outer surfaces of the preparations of gun cotton
may be smooth, or if undulating or irregular, not partaking of the undulations
of the enclosed devices. In some cases the ornamental devices may be fixed
on to other matters so as to form a backing thereto, the preparation of gun
cotton only being applied to the front, or the material of which a device is
formed may constitute the backing to the device, and have the front only covered
with a preparation of gun cotton in the manner above explained. Or I
ornament various substances by inlaying them with preparations of gun colton,
or vice versa. I inlay gun cotton combinations with dissimilar substances.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Parkes in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th
October 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
PARKES, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Chemist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Henry Parkes, Her special licence that I, the said Henry Parkes
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as 1, the said
Henry Parkes,
"
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 Island, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN PRODUCING ORNAMENTED SURFACES OF METAL AND OTHER MATERIALS,'
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Henry Parkes, 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 per-
formed, 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 Henry Parkes, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:--
This Invention has for its object improvements in producing ornamented.
surfaces of metal and other materials. For these purposes in cases where
metals only are to be employed, two, three, or more layers or thicknesses of
sheet or other form of metal are combined so as to form a single sheet or
other suitable form. This sheet or other form of metal consisting of several
layers is to be embossed or indented in dies or otherwise, so as to produce
indents or recesses on one side and projections on the other side.
cases the indents are made of such depth as to cause the metal which consti-
tutes the back layer or thickness to come level with that which constitutes the
front surface; in other cases the indents are of less depth and so as to bring
In some

page_text: an intermediate layer or thickness level with the front surface, by which means
when the front surface is made level by cutting or removing more or less of
its surface, or the protruding parts on that surface, portions of the layers or
thicknesses of the metal at the back will be seen, and the ornamental effect con-
sequent thereon will depend on the form of the indents and the number of thick-
nesses or layers of metal employed. Other materials may be similarly used
either in combination with metal or without metal. such, for instance, as prepara-
tions of gun cotton or similar substances with solvents, which may be produced
in separate sheets of different colors and afterwards combined into one sheet,
or a succession of layers or thicknesses of these preparations, either alone or in
combination with other materials, may be otherwise produced.
Various other materials may also be similarly employed in producing orna-
mented surfaces, so long as the several thicknesses or layers thereof are capable
of being pressed into or formed with indents on one side or surface and pro-
jections on the other side or surface, so that when the projections are wholly
or partially removed or cut away, parts of the layers at the back of the front
layer may come into sight and form parts of the front surface, as above
explained.
In manufacturing sheets or other forms of ornamental metal. I unite two or
more metals either by pressure through a pair of rolls. by sweating together.
soldering one to the other by electro-deposition, or by other means, and by
rolling or other pressure I force the metal into or on dies, or tools engraved,
sunk, or in relief; this must at all times be done in such manner as to suit
the thickness of the compound sheet or other forms, so that the parts of the
design intended to be seen on the front surface shall be sufficiently forced up
from the back, so that on cutting or otherwise removing the raised surface of
the metal, the various thicknesses or layers shall be cut through, and according
to the angle of the ornamental design, more or less of the different metals will
be seen, thus producing a great variety of effects of an ornamental character at
a cheap cost.
In producing such design in glass, glass stratified or plated is forced into or
on moulds, having formed in or on them the required design, sunk or in relief;
the sheets or other forms are in this case to be made hot, as is well known by
glass pressers or blowers, and in this state forced into or on the moulds or fools,
so as to force up the design; the articles must now be annealed and treated in
the usual manner as practised by glass makers, and after the annealing, the
prominent parts of the design are to be removed by grinding or otherwise,
when the various thicknesses of different colors will be cut through, and as in
the case of metal, according to the angle or slope of the ornamental parts of

page_text: the design, more or less of the different thicknesses or colours will be seen, and
a most beautiful effect produced. Or, I take metal or metal foil, textile fabric,
wood, leather, horn, tortoiseshell, india-rubber, vulcanite, or gutta percha, and
coat or overlay it with one or more thicknesses of preparations of gun cotton,
plain or colored; these sheets or other forms are, as in the case of the metal
sheets or forms, forced into or on dies or moulds by rolling or otherwise, so as
to force the material into the figure of the design, and the prominent parts are
removed, so as to cut through or partly cut through the different thicknesses
or strata forming the compound sheets or forms, and as must be obvious, a
very great variety of pleasing and effective designs may be produced, and the
above-mentioned substances may be used without coatings of gun cotton pre-
parations. Or, I employ gelatine, taking sheets or other forms of a compound
nature and of dissimilar colour; this I roll or press into suitable dies or tools,
and force up a portion of the material into the design, sunk or in relief, and
the prominent parts of the surface are to be removed, as in the cases before
mentioned, and thus the ornamental effect is produced with a cheap material.
Other ornamental surfaces or articles are formed when employing gelatine or
preparations of gun cotton with solvents, with or without other materials,
by forming the same in moulds or dies in such manner that some parts may be
of greater thickness than other parts, and consequently capable of permitting
light to pass through more freely, the quantity of light passing depending on
the thickness of the parts.
I produce ornamental articles with a plain surface only by taking sheet or
other forms of preparations of gun cotton or gelatine, having a transparent or
semi-transparent nature, and by pressing, forcing, or casting this material into
or on moulds having the required design thereon; but in this case I do not force
up prominent parts to the surface, but I rely for the effect of the ornamentation
on the transmission of light through or partly through the front surface, which
is left plain or nearly so.
Other ornamental articles are produced by employing preparations of gun
cotton, by using such preparations of gun cotton as a means of enclosing or
covering ornamental devices, which may be of metal, ivory, porcelain, or other
materials or natural objects; the sheets or other forms being arranged imbed
or coat over the articles by pressure or casting such a thickness of prepared
gun cotton, plain, colored, of a transparent or partly transparent nature. so
that the surface is left plain or smooth, or nearly so, and by the transmission
of light the enclosed device is seen; the surfaces of articles so made arc
polished or varnished so as to produce as high a finish as possible.
In some cases the ornamental device or design is fixed on to other

page_text: materials, so as to form a backing thereto; by this means I am enabled to
make ornamental articles having the appearance of Wedgwood ware. In doing
so, I prefer to make the ground or body of a mixture of gun cotton combined
with various substances, so as to produce the color required for the ground or
body; having first formed these by dies and pressure, or by casting or coating
on forms or into dies or moulds. If by pressure, the preparation to form the
ground or body is used in a hard or stiff state; if by casting or coating, the
preparation must be more or less fluid, and after being so formed, they must
be stoved or dried at a low heat from 80° to 150° Fahrenheit; having thus
formed the ground, I make the ornamental parts or figures separately in
moulds, having first combined the colour with the preparation of gun cotton for
white or other colour, and when so moulded, carefully trimming them, cutting
away any superfluous parts from the figures or ornaments, and this I attach to
the bodies or ground by using a cement of dissolved gun cotton, by preference,
which will firmly fix the ornamental parts thereon, or the ornamental parts
may be formed, as before stated, of combinations of gun cotton, and then
attached to different substances from gun cotton to form the ground; or lay
on to a ground as above explained, the ornamental device by gum or other
cement, and place the ground with the ornaments thereon in or on moulds or
tools of the same form, and by pressure I cause the devices to be firmly fixed
thereto, and in this case I prefer to finish up the surface by polishing or by
varnish.
I produce ornamental articles of gun cotton by pressure in dies or by saw
piercing, and these 1 inlay with different colored combinations of gun cotton or
other substances capable of being cast or pressed therein; or I inlay ornamental
metallic articles or other substances with gun cotton compounds by pressure
or otherwise the surfaces of these are to be brought to a polish by the usual
means of finishing such surfaces.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Parkes, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of October. in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
HENRY PARKES. (L.S.)