IMPROVEMENTS IN ORNAMENTING GLASS
Year: 1844

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
GIBSON, Junior, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Japanner, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Tenth day of February, in the seventh year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Joseph Gibson, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said Joseph Gibson, my exors, adiñors, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Joseph Gibson, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the
term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exer-
cise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ORNAMENTING GLASS;" in which
said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said Joseph Gibson,
shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be enrolled in Her said
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in
and by the same, reference being thereunto bad, doth more fully and at large
appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Joseph Gibson, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,

page_text: and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described
and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, that is to say:―
My Invention of Improvements in Ornament Glass consists,―
Firstly, of attaching ornaments made of thin sheets of pearl to the back or
interior surface of plates and articles of coloured or colourless glass, in such a
manner that the said ornaments may be seen or viewed from the front or
exterior surface of the glass, that is to say, through the substance of the said
plates and articles of glass.
Secondly, of ornamenting glass with pearl in connection with other
substances.
The manner in which my Invention is carried into effect is as follows:-
I either form the ornament or ornaments on the surface of the glass by cutting
the said ornament or ornaments from sheets of pearl, and attaching them to
the said surface in the manner herein-after particularly described, or I paint
the said surface to which the said ornament or ornaments are to be attached
with black or colored paint, leaving unpainted that part of the glass cor-
responding to the ornament or ornaments to be made thereon. I then take a
sheet of pearl and attach the said sheet of pearl to the glass in the manner
herein-after described, or instead of one such sheet I sometimes use two or
more smaller sheets of pearl for that purpose. When I carry my Invention
into effect by the first-described method, that is to say, by cutting the orna-
ment or ornaments out of sheet pearl, and attaching the same to the surface of
the glass, I proceed as follows:-I take sheets of pearl, one or both of the
surfaces of which have been rendered flat and smooth by filing or grinding;
such sheets of pearl are known in commerce as " ground pearl," and being
commonly prepared and extensively used for manufacturing purposes, and the
method of preparing them constituting no part of my Invention, I deem a
particular description of the method of preparing them unnecessary. I cut the
ornament or ornaments out of the said sheets of "ground pearl" either with a
knife, or by means of dies and pressure; I then lay on that surface of the glass
to which the ornament or ornaments of pearl are to be attached a thin stratum
or coating of some transparent adhesive varnish or cement, I prefer copal varnish;
I then lay the ornament or ornaments of pearl (or the various parts of the same
if the said ornament or ornaments have been cut out of two or more pieces of
pearl) on the varnished surface of the glass, at the same time pressing the
said ornament or ornaments or the several parts of the same in order to bring
the surface of the pearl and that of the glass into as close contact as possible.
I now subject the whole to a gentle heat, in order to harden the varnish
or cement. I prefer to use a japanner's stove for this purpose; and although

page_text: the exact temperature to which the ornamented glass may be exposed is
of little consequence, yet I prefer a temperature at or about one hundred.
and twenty degrees of Fahreneits thermometer. A higher temperature
should be avoided, as it is likely to produce a discoloration of the varnish.
After the ornamented articles have been exposed in the stove for six or seven.
hours, more or less, they are removed, and the side of the glass on which the
ornament or ornaments have been attached is covered with a second stratum.
or coating of varnish, and the ornamented glass is again subjected to heat in-
the stove as before. When this last-mentioned coating of varnish is dry, the
surface of the glass to which the ornament or ornaments are attached is.
painted with black or colored paint, and when the said paint has "set" or
become hard the ornamenting of the glass is completed. When I carry.
my Invention into effect by painting the surface of the glass on which
the ornament or ornaments are to be attached with black or colored paint,
leaving unpainted that part of the glass corresponding to the ornament or,
ornaments to be made on it, and attaching to the surface of the glass so
painted a sheet or sheets of ground pearl sufficiently large to cover the
unpainted parts of the glass, I proceed as follows:-I trace the outline of the
ornament or ornaments on the surface of the glass, and carefully paint over
with black or colored paint all those parts of the glass not occupied by the
ornament or ornaments traced thereon. I then allow the paint to become
hard, and afterwards cover both the painted and unpainted portions of that
side of the glass on which the ornament or ornaments are formed with a
stratum or coating of copal varnish. I then take a sheet of ground pearl of
sufficient size to cover the whole of the unpainted parts of the glass, or instead
of one sheet several smaller sheets may be employed, and press the said sheet
or sheets of pearl into close contact with the glass. I then subject the whole
to a gentle heat in the manner herein-before described, and when the varnish
has become sufficiently hard the process is completed. I sometimes vary the
appearance of the ornament or ornaments by the introduction of other
substances (such as gold and silver) with the pearl, but the use of such sub-
stances constitutes no part of my Invention, except in combination with pearl.
The thickness of the glass to which my Invention is applied is of little conse
quence, but I prefer it as thin as is compatible with sufficient strength. I use
different kinds of pearl in carrying out my Invention, such as mother-of-pearl,
aurora pearl, and white pearl, but I prefer mother-of-pearl. Although I prefer
copal varnish for attaching the ornament or ornaments to the surface of the
glass, any of the other resinous varnishes may be used with nearly equal
advantage. The articles to which (among others) I believe my Invention to

page_text: be particularly applicable are the following, namely, buttons, panels for articles
of furniture, or for decorating rooms, door or finger plates, table tops, fire
screens, chimney pieces, work boxes, and cabinet work generally.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not
limit myself to the manner of carrying my Invention into effect herein-before
described, as the same may be varied without departing from the nature of
my Invention; but I claim exclusive right to the use of the method of orna-
menting glass herein-before particularly described; that is to say, by affixing
ornaments of pearl to one side of the piece of glass to be ornamented, so that
the said ornament or ornaments shall be seen or viewed from the other side or
surface of the said piece of glass, whether such ornament or ornaments of
pearl be formed and attached to the said glass in either of the ways herein-
before described or in any other way, and whether the said ornament or
ornaments of pearl be used alone or in connection with other substances.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Gibson, Junior, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-four.