IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PREPARATION OF SURFACES FOR PRINTS, PRINTING AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas James Denne and August Hentschel,
both of Phoenix Works, Cambridge Road, Mile End, Middlesex,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PREPARATION OF SURFACES
caled the 26th May 1871, and dated the 18th March 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas James Denne
and August Hentschel at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 18th March 1871.
We, THOMAS JAMES DENNE and AUGUST HENTSCHEL, both of Phoenix
Works, Cambridge Road, Mile End, Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PREPARATION OF
SURFACES FOR PRINTS, PRINTING, AND OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
:-
This Invention relates, first, to a method of surfacing prints, drawings,
photographs, &c., thereby making them practically permanent by the
protection given to their faces, and protecting them from the action of
damp.

page_text: We dissolve caseine in boiled white soap, add to it glycerine to
give it more flexibility, and with this composition cover the surface of a
print, &c., either by swimming it or by brushing it on. When this is
dry we plunge the print for a few seconds in weak acetic acid, and
withdrawing it lay it face downwards on to a glass, the surface of which
has been previously wiped over with ox gall; when on the glass we press
with, what is termed a "squeezee," or anything answering the same
purpose, the superfluous water away. In doing this the print is pressed
flat upon the glass, and any air bubbles there may be between it and the
glass are expelled. Presuming this print to be a photograph a few
drops of ammonia added to the composition will heighten the colour of
it. When dry the print will leave the glass easily, having a brilliant
polish with an insoluble surface.
Instead of using the soap, as above shown, we can omit it and dissolve
the caseine in water, to which has been added a few drops of ammonia
with glycerine or salt, and proceed as above shown. No precise quantities
can be given for these compositions, because it is not material to have an
exact quantity of either.
Another part of our Invention refers to a method of covering the
surface of paper, which may be either plain. or. coloured, or otherwise
prepared, as in the case of the present well known gelatine paper.
We take either of the compositions as above shown, and add to it ox gall
(an exact quantity is not material), swim or brush it on the paper,
plunge it in acetic acid, throw it on a glass previously prepared with
gall, squeezee" it, and let it dry, as previously shown, and when dry
remove it from the glass, when it will be found to have a brilliant
polished surface, which can be printed upon in the usual manner for
such surfaces. If it is desired to made this surface of any colour it can
be done by mixing with the composition colouring matter to make it the
desired colour.
66
For all the above purposes our "improved naturally made caseine " as
described in our Patent No. 2464, dated September 13th, 1870, has a
great advantage over the commercial or chemically made caseine because
of its greater transparency.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas James Denne and August Hentschel in
the Great Seal Patent Office, on the 16th September 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, WC, THOMAS
JAMES DENNE and AUGUST HENTSCHEL, both of Phoenix Works,
Cambridge Road, Mile End, Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs, and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Thomas James Denne and August
Hentschel, Her special licence that we, the said Thomas James Denne
and August Hentschel, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as we, the said Thomas James Denne and August Hentschel,
our 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 PREPARATION OF SURFACES FOR PRINTS, PRINTING, AND OTHER PURPOSES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Thomas James
Denne and August Hentschel, our executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under our, or one of our, 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 Thomas James Denne, on behalf of
myself and the said August Hentschel, 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:-
This Invention relates to a method of surfacing prints, drawings,
photographs, wall papers, coloured, plain, printed, or other papers with a
coating or surface, thereby making them practically permanent by the

page_text: protection given to their faces and protecting them from the action of
damp, and which surface may be made similar to that of the well-known
"gelatine" paper.
We take the substance cascin and dissolve it, and we prefer for the
purpose of dissolving the casein to employ a solution of boiled soap and
water, preferably white soap, or otherwise water to which a few drops of
ammonia have been added, and with this dissolved casein we cover the
piece of paper, presumably a print about to be surfaced, either by
swimming it or brushing it on. We then dry the paper, which may be
done by natural process or by artificial heat. In this way we obtain a
bright coated surface or covering of casein upon any required paper or
paper foundation, which, by a subsequent process, we render smooth and
glass like, with an appearance resembling that of ordinary gelatine paper,
being insoluble in water and a protection against the action of damp.
To effect this we take a sheet of glass and wipe it over with gall for the
purpose of preventing the paper from adhering to the glass, and in order
to soften and prepare the paper for the final treatment we make a bath
of water, to which we add an acid, by preference we use acetic acid by
reason of its property of rendering casein insoluble in water, or we add
in place of the acid either alum or gall, but we find that the best result.
is obtained by the use of both acetic acid and gall in the bath, securing
thereby the double purpose of rendering the new surface insoluble in
water and of causing it to leave the glass more easily. We plunge the
print for a few seconds into this bath, and, withdrawing it, lay it with
the "casein " face downwards on to the glass. We then wipe the back
of the print over with a squeezee in order to press the paper perfectly
smooth and flat upon the glass, to remove any air that may remain
between the paper and the glass, and to drive off superfluous water.
When dry the paper will leave the glass, having the glazed and polished
appearance which is presented by ordinary gelatine paper.
In preparing the solution of casein for surfacing the paper a portion of
gall may be added in the first instance to the solution, but paper
resembling the ordinary gelatine paper may be produced without this
admixture by following out the process as above described.
If we desire to make paper of any particular colour we can add any
colouring ingredient in the first instance to the casein.
If we desire to give greater flexibility to the casein surface we add to
the dissolved cascin a little glycerine.

page_text: We particularly state that no precise quantity of any of the ingredients
named has been given for use in any part of this process, as widely
different quantities will give the desired result and the proportions may
be varied according to the different articles surfaced and the results
aimed at.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our
said Invention and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, we would observe that what we consider to be
novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the preparation of
surfaces for prints, drawings, photographs, and other papers or paper
foundations by the use of cascin, substantially as herein-before described,
whereby they are protected from the action of damp, and have a smooth
and glass like surface.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas James Denne, on behalf of
myself and the said August Hentschel, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.