IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR ORNAMENTING, PRINTING, COLORING, ENAMELLING, STAINING, EMBOSSING, CUTTING, CREASING, BENDING, AND MANUFACTURING ARTICLES FROM WOOD AND OTHER MATERIAL
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Tomlinson, of 85, Hatton Garden, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS
AND APPARATUS FOR ORNAMENTING, PRINTING, COLORING, ENAMELLING,
STAINING, EMBOSSING, CUTTING, CREASING, BENDING, AND MANUFACTURING
ARTICLES FROM WOOD AND OTHER MATERIAL."
Sealed the 7th July 1868, and dated the 22nd January 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Tomlinson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 22nd January 1868.
I, EDWARD TOMLINSON, of 85, Hatton Garden, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR ORNAMENTING, PRINTING,
COLORING, ENAMELLING, STAINING, EMBOSSING, CUTTING, CREASING, BENDING,
AND MANUFACTURING ARTICLES PROM WOOD AND OTHER MATERIAL," to be as
follows:
This Invention has for its object improvements in printing and placing
designs on wood, card, paper, metals, or other materials, and particularly
on wood and scaleboard for match and other boxes, and for other similar

page_text: articles, which are cut, creased, bent, and printed, or stamped, at one
operation. This is effected by placing cutters or knives made of any
suitable metal or material in combination with the printing press or any
suitable machine, either (cylindrical or flat pressure). These cutters or
knives are fixed in the required position in the form or that part that
receives the pressure resulting from the action of printing, so that the
wood or other material is first cut through and then stamped or printed,
and with boxes also creased and bent, the whole being the result of
one combined action. In some cases I perform one or more of the
operations at one and the same time, or in some cases however I prefer to
print or place the design or label first before the cutting out, and with
boxes before cutting, creasing, and bending, and in some cases I prefer
to cut, crease, and bend only without printing. In other cases I prefer
to print or stamp designs on paper or other sheets of material, and then
mount the said sheets upon wood, card, or other material, previous to
cutting, creasing, bending, or other processes. In other cases I prefer to
cover the sheets of material by enamelling or staining, and then print
or place the design thereon, and then cut, crease, and bend. In other
cases I prefer to emboss, print, cut, crease, and bend at one operation.
These processes are very advantageous in preparing show and adver-
tisement boards, tablets, facias, also advertising wood, spills, matches,
match and other boxes, envelopes, railway or other cards, and for general
advertising and ornamenting purposes, also for the decorating for the
inside and outside of houses, decorating of the walls, ceilings, and
flooring in lieu of paper hangings and oil cloth.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said Edward Tomlinson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 18th July 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
TOMLINSON, of 85, Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-first year of Her reign, did for Herself, Her heirs, and successors,

page_text: give and grant unto me, the said Edward Tomlinson, Her special licence,
that I, the said Edward Tomlinson, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Edward Tomlinson, 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 MEANS AND
APPARATUS FOR ORNAMENTING, PRINTING, COLORING, ENAMELLING, STAINING,
EMBOSSING, CUTTING, CREASING, BENDING, AND MANUFACTURING ARTICLES PROM
WOOD AND OTHER MATERIALS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Edward Tomlinson, 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 Edward Tomlinson, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in means and
apparatus for ornamenting, printing, coloring, enamelling, staining,
embossing, cutting, creasing, bending, and manufacturing articles from
wood and other materials; for general advertising, ornamenting,
decorating, manufacturing, and for other purposes.
My Invention consists in a new and peculiar method of ornamenting
various sheets of materials according to the processes hereafter men-
tioned for the purposes of publicity, attraction, and general public use,
and for the application of ornamental purposes on the outer and inner
parts of houses and other buildings, railway stations, and carriages, and
for the decoration of articles of art and luxury.
In carrying my Invention into effect I prefer to proceed in the
following manner, namely, I cover or ornament the surface of wood of
different kinds and of various thicknesses, scale board, veneers, and other
sheets, such as cards, paper, millboard, German board, metals, and other
sheets of material. By means of oil, varnish, or waterproof colors, or
in some cases to print in gum, size, or water color in combination with

page_text: the printing press or any suitable machine, either cylindrical or flat
pressure in the ordinary way of printing of basements for the covering of
the aforesaid sheets with color, I also produce grounds, basements, or
surfaces with enamel or surface color for the covering of the aforesaid
sheets of wood or other material in the usual way of enamelling by hand
or machine, the machine generally termed a grounding or surfacing or
brushing machine; after the ground or basements of the said sheets are
so prepared I proceed to print or place the required design or label in
one or more colors as the case may be; and when cards, labels, and
other similar articles required to be cut into their various sizes the
design and cut or stamp at one and the same time, and with boxes and
other similar articles requiring to be so treated I print, cut, crease, and
bend at one and the same time, or one or more of the said operations
at one and the same time. This is effected by placing knives or cutters
made of any suitable metal or material in combination with the printing
press or any suitable machine, either cylindrical or flat pressure, these
"cutters or knives are placed in the required position in the form, or
that part that receives the pressure resulting from the action of
printing, so that by the action and pressure of the machine these knives
are made to cut through that part of the design, or in some cases to
partially cut through, and with boxes cut, crease, and bend, the whole
being the result of the same combined action. In some cases before
printing, coloring, cutting, creasing, and bending I prefer to mount the
said sheets with paper or other similar sheets for strength.
To perfect my Invention for the production of ornamental surfaces
on sheets of different kinds of wood of various thicknesses, scale board,
veneers, and other sheets, such as card, millboard, German board,
paper, metals, and other sheets of materials for general advertising,
ornamenting, decorating, manufacturing, and other purposes, I wish
particularly to claim as new the use of the paper-hanging printing
machine for the above purposes, and for general color printing, stich as
shew and advertisement boards, tablets, facias, labels, hand bills, posters,
book and music titles, book covers, and for all kinds of color printing.
For general printing as newspapers, periodicals, books, railway, and
other cards, in fact all kinds of printing except paper hangings, which
I do not claim, as I am aware it is already done. If the said sheets are
required for labels, railway and other cards, advertising spills, and other
similar articles that require cutting I print or place the design, and cut
or partially cut through the said sheets at one and the same time, and

page_text: "
with boxes, envelopes, and similar articles print, cut, crease, and bend
at one operation by the same action in the pressure of printing by means
of knives or cutters placed in the required position. I wish to claim the
printing by the aforesaid machine a design in any number of colors for
ornamenting of various sheets of materials for purposes before mentioned
in size, gum, water, or any known color suitable for the purpose. In
some cases to use oil, varnish, gold, size, or water-proof colors, but
I prefer to print the design in gum, size, or water color, as I can print
the ground or basement, and the whole of the design complete in any
number of colors at one operation, which is very economical and expe-
ditious in its working, as in the ordinary way of printing I have to
allow one color to dry before the other is printed, or in some cases to
print one or more of the said colors at one and the same time. In some
cases I print part of the design with the paper-hanging printing machine,
and then to complete the design with the printing or lithographic press,
or any suitable machine. In most cases I prepare the ground or base-
ment of the said sheets by enamel surface or water color by means of
a grounding machine or by hand apparatus, and then pass the said sheets
through a brushing or rolling machine to produce a surface on the color
by pressure or friction, and then proceed to print the design. When the
sheets of designs are printed in gum, size, or water color I prefer to give
the sheets a coating of any suitable composition to fix the design either
before or after printing. In some cases I prefer to ornament the various
sheets of materials with colored designs by means of hand blocks in
size, gum, or water color, also in oil, varnish, or waterproof color.
In preparing the surface of metals requiring to be ornamented I give
it a coating of enamel, size, gum, or water color, also by oil, varnish
or waterproof color. I prepare the grounds or basements by means of
a grounding machine, and then produce a surface on the said colors by
means of a rolling and brushing machine as before mentioned, and then
proceed to print or place the design on the said sheets of metal in one
or more colors as the case may be. I prefer to prepare the surface of
the metal with enamel or surface cold as it gives it a soft surface or
covering, and it will then take the ink or color more freely than the
raw metal without covering. For economy in working I prefer to print
the ground or basement and the colored design thereon at one operation,
and sometimes to give it a suitable composition on the surface to fix
the design either before or after printing; besides, I employ other
methods to render designs and coloring on the said sheets by means

page_text: of staining of the grounds and basements by means of hand brushes or
by a grounding machine, or by dipping the said sheets into stain or
dye, and in some cases I color the surface by size, gum, or water colors
by means of a ruling machine. I also ornament the said sheets with
ground or basement and design in colors by means of the calico printing
machine, I generally prefer to give the said sheets a coating of water-
proof or any suitable composition to fix the color and keep it from
fading before and after printing; I employ other means for the production
of a covering on the surface of the said sheets of wood, scale board,
metals and other sheets by depositing a coating or covering of pulp, and
the said surface to be rolled and levelled on to the said sheets, and then
cover the surface by means of size, gum, or water color as a ground or
basement, also by oil, varnish, or waterproof color by the methods before
mentioned. This process is very advantageous in preparing show cards,
railway tickets, and other cards, boxes, or other similar articles, as the
pulp covering gives the said sheets strength and dispenses with the paper.
After boxes and other similar articles are manufactured with metals
it gives it a soft covering for taking the ink or color. In some cases
in preparing the aforesaid articles I first emboss, cut, crease, and bend at
one operation or one or more of the said operations at one and the same
time. In other cases I prefer as improvements in manufacture in
preparing the aforesaid sheets for advertising, bottle boxes, or a substitute
for bottle envelopes, or other similar articles to give the said sheets for
fragile articles, such as glass bottles, &c. a coating of the interior of
the boxes by some soft covering in the process of manufacture to
prevent the bottles from breaking in the carriage or transit. I either
claim this box plan or ornamental with or without label or design.
As improvements in manufacture after the boxes are cut up out of
the sheets previously to being glued together into shape, I prefer when
the said boxes are flat and all one size to bevel their several edges and
to give the edges a coating of enamel or any suitable color to color and
finish the rough cut edges of the same which gives them a much better
appearance. With round or octagon or other similar shape boxes, I
prefer to bevel the edges of the said boxes to make the top or bottom
to fit properly and to make them air-tight.
The machine used for improvements in manufacture is to be made
as follows: A. bench is fitted with a roller extending its entire length
leaving just sufficient room for the sheets of material of which the
boxes are made, the said sheets pass between the surface of the bench

page_text: and the roller. There is also a groove cut along the bench; beyond
the groove is a rim or edge rising above the level of the bench; into
the groove in the bench is laid a gripper or holder with handles at
each end and pierced at regular intervals with holes, the number of
boxes required are then passed under the roller until their ends are
flush against the rim of the bench, the end of each box laying over
one or more holes in the gripper, a moulder is next used to be formed
as follows: The moulder is an instrument of the exact size and shape
of the boxes intended to be made, it is pierced or cut its entire length
with a slit, into this slit is inserted a piercer the same length as the
moulder but somewhat shallower than the slit in which it is inserted
but of the exact width of the slit, and armed along its outer edge with
a number of metal points which by pressing it forward can be made
to project beyond the edge of the moulder or by drawing back the
piercer its points are withdrawn within the outer edge of the moulder.
The boxes to be manufactured the moulder is placed firmly upon them
and pressed forward so that the points pierce through the boxes, the
gripper and the moulder with the boxes held between them are then
given three-quarter turns, at the same time being pressed firmly against
the bench, the gripper is then removed, the boxes are held in their
place by the points of the piercer; a glue brush is then passed along
the entire length of the boxes, the mould is then given a final fourth
turn to complete the shape of the box, and the whole is pressed against
the bench to secure the contact of the glued parts, the points of the
piercer are then withdrawn by pulling that part of the instrument back
in its slit, the boxes being formed round the moulder but only held in
position by their ends being glued together are slid off the moulder
in a complete state. I produce also designs on planks of wood of
different kinds and various thicknesses, veneers, &c. I give the said
sheets of wood a coating of thick color as a ground or basement, and
then print or place the design thereon, or in some cases to print by
means of the hand or machine blocks in one or more colors according
to the design required in the ordinary way of producing designs on
floorcloth, kamptulicon, or oilcloth in strong drying and durable water-
proof inks; I also produce designs on the said sheets by size, gum,
or water color by hand, block, or machine as before mentioned, and
then varnish, polish, or waterproof the said planks or sheets to fix
the design and give durability. In some cases I prefer to prepare
the grounds cr basements for other purposes to imitate-kamptulicon

page_text: and make it soft to the tread, I proceed by giving the planks of
wood a strong waterproof solution or any suitable composition and
then before dry to deposit powdered cork, sawdust, or any soft powder
or material on to the said sheets so prepared which adheres tightly.
In some cases I prefer to roll or level the said powder before or after
drying of the said solution, and then print or place and complete
the said design in one or more colors as the case may be, in the usual
way of printing floorcloth, kamptulicon, or oilcloth. Sometimes I
prefer to mix the powdered cork, &c. with the quick drying color
instead of dusting the same, and then print or place the design as
aforesaid. In some cases I prefer to print or place the design with
india-rubber solution, this solution to be mixed thickly with color
instead of the usual oil color as the india-rubber color dries more
quickly than the ordinary oil colors used by floorcloth manufacturers,
and is more durable and softer to the tread. I ornament the said
planks, veneers, &c. and use them in lieu of and in the place of
floorcloth, kamptulicon, oilcloth, paper hangings, and painting, and
graining and decorations of all kinds inside and outside of houses
and buildings, halls, railway stations, and carriages, and general
decorating purposes, such as furniture, venetian blinds, backs of
brushes, work boxes, &c. and for general purposes as advertising boards,
boxes, and other similar articles where durability is an object; I gene-
rally prefer after shew boards and other similar articles to produce
the design on stout wood, and then to produce the frame out of the
same piece of wood either OG or any frame pattern and then to gild
or color the said frame or border in any color preferred, as it gives the
show board a finish and durability, thus making show board and frame
together. And finally I wish to state that a few of the principal
objects of this Invention are the covering of wood and other sheets
of material with color and colored designs when flat in lieu of a
paper covering after boxes and other similar articles are
factured, and in many cases I prepare the surface of the various sheets
of materials with enamel or water color, also by oil yarnish or water-
proof color in lieu of mounting sheets of paper on the surface as now
done for shew, railway, and other cards, and general advertising and
ornamental purposes, thus saving a great deal of time and material,
which is a great improvement, which articles are now covered with
paper after being made into shape. Also the printing, cutting, or
partially cutting or stamping of cards, labels, and other similar articles
manu-

page_text: at the same operation. Also with boxes, pit, cut, crease, and bend,
the whole being the result of the same combined action. Also the
printing of any number of colors at one operation by means of the
paper-hanging printing machine, which is very advantageous to perfect
my Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Tomlinson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
EDWARD TOMLINSON. (L.S.)