Improvements in Shades, Screens, and the like.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Apr., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 24th Feb., 1890-Accepted, 29th Mar., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Shades, Screens, and the like.
I, ZEPHANIAH SIMPSON of 22 Paternoster Row, in the City of London, Accountant,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
The primary object of this invention is to design a non-inflammable screen or
shade applicable to the usual purpose of such articles and to gas and other lamps
and especially to candles where as is well known the flame is always liable to come
in contact with the shade.
My invention may be carried out in various ways but a satisfactory one may be
described as follows:-I take any suitable form of paper or other material, pre-
ferably tissue or other absorptive paper, and treat this with a solution of some
fire-resisting material, say for example, silicate of soda, of a suitable strength and
carefully applied so that the consistency of the paper when treated may be about
the same all over. The colour of the paper or other material employed does not
matter. Having prepared one sheet or piece of the paper I place upon it fern
leaves, plant leaves, flowers, or other suitable decoration, real or imitation, and over
these again I lay another sheet of the prepared material and upon applying pressure
the sheets will adhere firmly to each other retaining between them the decoration.
I thus produce a shade, screen or other similar article which in the first place
is fire-proof, in the next place is sufficiently transparent or translucent to allow of
its being illuminated by the light within or behind it, and in the third place is
highly ornamental the leaves retaining for the most part their natural colour and
showing off their tracery clearly by the light within the screen and forming an
exceedingly handsome and yet cheap and simple decoration.
The prepared paper or other material may be decorated in any well known or
desired manner.
Dated this 24th day of April 1889.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Shades, Screens, and the like.
I, ZEPHANIAH SIMPSON of 22 Paternoster Row, in the City of London, Accountant,
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:-
The primary object of this invention is to design a non-inflammable screen or shade
applicable to the usual purposes of such articles and to gas and other lamps and
especially to candles where as is well known the flame is always liable to come in
contact with the shade.
My invention may be carried out in various ways but a satisfactory one may be
described as follows ;-
I take any suitable form of paper or other material preferably tissue or other
absorptive paper and treat this with a solution of some fire resisting material, say
for example, silicate of soda, of a suitable strength and carefully applied so that the
consistency of the paper when treated may be about the same all over. The color
of the paper or other material employed does not matter. Having prepared one
sheet or piece of the paper I place upon it fern leaves, plant leaves, flowers, or
ID 21

page_text: other suitable decoration, real or imitation, and over these again I lay another sheet
of the prepared material and upon applying pressure the sheets will adhere firmly
to each other retaining between them the decoration.
With regard to the employment of colored materials care must be taken to
select those colors which will not be spoiled by the action of the fire resisting
material, the strength and qualities of which latter may also be adapted to the
quality of the paper or materials employed and to the dyes or colors used in coloring
them. If necessary the dyeing or coloring of the paper may take place after it
has been rendered non-inflamniable.
When preparing these shades or the fabric from which they are made (that is
the sheets of paper or other material with the fern or decoration between) in large
quantities special machinery may be employed; but in working by hand for small
quantities I may proceed as follows:-In a suitable dish or vessel such for example
as a photographers' developing tray I place the fire-proof solution and in this I steep
the material say paper until it is well soaked and then run off most of the solution
kaving enough to prevent sticking and apply the fern or other decoration to it.
This may be most conveniently managed by means of a brush dipped in the solution
with which the fronds may be spread or smoothed out and arranged; the next sheet
which has also been steeped is now laid upon the decorated first sheet and the two
pressed together by means of a hand roller sufficiently to express the superfluous
solution, then partially dried and submitted to heavier pressure by a press, weights,
rollers, or other suitable means. In submitting the prepared papers to the heavier
pressure the pressure must be regulated according to the amount of dampness left
in the papers; if they are very dry considerable pressure may be used but if they
contain much moisture less pressure must be used or the prepared papers will stick
to the wrapping papers between which they are placed in the press.
I find that a moderate temperature say for instance something like 60° Fah. is
a satisfactory temperature for drying purposes, but the sheets must be sufficiently
dry before putting together to prevent their sticking to the papers between which
they are pressed, to the rollers, to the fingers of the person handling them, or to
other objects which they may touch, as otherwise they would be liable to tear and
would almost certainly be spoiled. They should when put together be merely in a
sufficiently damp condition to enable them to stick together when the pressure is
applied.
If a high temperature say for instance from 100° to 170° Fah. be employed I find
that a result which on the plain paper is sometimes very ornamental, is attained;
this consists in the paper being spotted, figured or granulated owing apparently to
the too sudden action of the heat upon the fire resisting solution.
The strength of the solution may vary according to circumstances, such as the
dyes in the paper or the quality or thickness of the paper itself but generally
speaking I find that a solution formed of about two parts by measurement of ordinary
commercial solution of silicate of soda to one of water suits most purposes.
These shades screens, or the like may be manufactured individually and separately
or the material from which they are to be made may be produced in lengths or
sheets and afterwards cut up as required; when working by hand for small quantities
it is perhaps preferable to manufacture the exact article at once but where machinery
is used and the shades are turned out in quantities, the material may be produced
in lengths or sheets and afterwards cut up.
I thus produce a shade, screen or other similar article which in the first place
is non-inflammable in the next place is sufficiently transparent or translucent to
allow of its being illuminated by the light within or behind it, and in the third
place is highly ornamental the leaves retaining for the most part their natural
color and showing off their tracery clearly by the light within the screen and forming
an exceedingly handsome and yet cheap and simple decoration.
The prepared paper or other material may be decorated in any well known or
desired manner.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed I wish it to be understood
that I am aware that attempts have been made to produce lamp shades by placing
flowers and leaves between two sheets of tissue paper and I therefore make no
broad claim thereto notwithstanding that no results at all approximating to mine
for excellence and the effect of a single thickness of paper with the decoration as
part of its substance, have ever before been achieved, but what I do claim is ;-
1. The herein described manufacture of non-inflammable screen or shade sub-
stantially as specified.
2. The herein described manufacture of screen or shade substantially as specified.
3. The manufacture of material for screens shades, and the like by encasing
between two non-inflammable and approximately transparent or translucent lengths
or sheets of paper or similar material leaves or other natural or artificial ornaments
substantially as specified.
4. The manufacture of material for screens shades and the like by encasing between
two approximately transparent or translucent lengths or sheets of paper or similar
material leaves or other natural or artificial ornaments substantially as specified.
5. The herein described manufacture of non-inflammable shade or screen or
material therefor produced by steeping the paper in a solution of silicate of soda
and rapidly drying the same at a comparatively high temperature substantially as
specified.
COCOT LION 100 T. 10
on max cute no
ZEPH. SIMPSON.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicant.
ZEPH. SIMPSON.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicant.