IMPROVEMENTS IN TAKING IMPRESSIONS FROM THE GRAIN OF WOOD, AND IN TRANSFERRING THE BAME ON TO VARIOUS SURFACES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Scarratt. of Russell Street, Longton,
Painter, and William Dean, of 22, Stafford Street, and 7, Foley Place,
Longton, Printer and Druggist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
TAKING IMPRESSIONS FROM THE GRAIN OF WOOD, AND IN TRANSFERRING THE
BAME ON TO VARIOUS SURFACES."
Sealed the 4th July 1865, and dated the 21st April 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Scarratt and
William Deau at the Oflice of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 21st April 1865.
We, WILLIAM SCARRATT, of Russell Street, Longton, Painter, and
WILLIAM DEAN, of 22, Stafford Street, and 7, Foley Place, Longton, Printer
and Druggist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN TAKING IMPRESSIONS FROM THE GRAIN OF WOOD, AND IN
TRANSFERRING THE SAME ON TO VARIOUS SURFACES," to be as follows:-
For these purposes supposing a board of oak or other wood is to be
employed, its surface is to be planed, and it is coated over with a solution
of pearlash or other caustic material which hardens the same; it is then to
be sand-papered and rubbed over with linseed or other oil, when it will be
ready for printing from.
The pores of the wood are cleaned and kept open by brushing the wood
well with mineral turpentine or with naphtha and common turpentine with a
common scrubbing or other brush. If the surface of the board should clog

page_text: up by being printed from so as not to give off clear sharp impressions, it is
cleaned as above, and then well rubbed with sawdust, which effectually
cleanses and opens the pores again.
The oil color used in printing is laid on the board by an inking roller
made of glue and treacle or other substance of a pliable and elastic nature
such as are used for printing machines; the surplus color is removed with a
knife or scraper, and the surface is ready for giving off the impression.
The paper or other material on to which the impression is taken is sized
with a preparation of soft soap and soda, which prevents the color of the
impression from sinking into the paper, which consequently gives off a clean
and sharp impression to the article to be decorated by the transferred im-
pression. The prepared paper is laid on the board and an impression is taken
by a roller-printing machine; a portion of the moisture of the paper having
been evaporated, the paper is the more readily removed from the board, and
is ready for transferring to the surface of the article to be decorated thereby,
which is effected by rubbing the back of the paper with a piece of flannel or
other soft substance, and after remaining a short time the paper is removed
and leaves the impression on the wood or other article. In taking the
impression the under roller of the printing machine being fluted firmly grips
the board and passes it with the paper between the cylinders evenly and
rapidly.
When applying this Invention to japanned goods the same materials are
used, and the same processes adopted as above described. When applying
this Invention to oil or to floor cloths, the same process is adopted, except that
in this case veneered oak or other wood cylinders, as the printing surface
should be employed in place of a flat board. For its application to articles
made in clay, the same processes of treating the wood and taking the im-
pressions are observed, but the colors used are mineral, whilst those for
wood, japanned goods, and oil and floor cloths are generally vegetable, as
mineral colors only will stand the requisite amount of heat to which clay
goods are subjected in passing through the fire to fix them.
For inlaid or tesselated patterns, oak and other woods in veneer are used,
and the separate pieces are arranged in patterns according to taste. These
pieces are secured to another piece of wood of the requisite substance, and
can be used either in the flat board or in cylinders, and the surfaces are
then prepared and used, as above described, when using only one piece of
wood for the printing surface.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Scarratt and William Dean in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 20th October 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
SCARRATT, of Russell Street, Longton, Painter, and WILLIAM DEAN, of
23, Stafford Street, and 7, Foley Place, Longton, Printer and Druggist,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said William Scarratt and William Dean, Her special licence that we, the
said William Scarratt and William Dean, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we,the said William Scarratt and William Dean,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 terin therein
expressed, should and lawfully might nake, 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 TAKING IMPRESSIONS FROM
THE GRAIN OF WOOD, AND IN TRANSFERRING THE SAME ON TO VARIOUS SURFACES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said William Scarratt and
William Dean, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under our or their hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us
or them, 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
mouths next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said William Scarratt and William Dean
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 thereof, that is to say :-
For these purposes supposing a board of oak or other wood is to be
employed, its surface is to be evenly planed, and it is coated over on both
sides with a solution of pearlash composed of one ounce of American pearl-
ash to one quart of hot rain water,or other caustic material which hardens the
same and opens the pores may be used; the surface from which the im-
pressions are to be taken is then to be sand-papered and well rubbed over
with raw linsced or other oil, when it will be in a fit state to print from.

page_text: The pores of the wood are cleaned and kept open by brushing the surface
of the wood to be printed from with a common scrubbing or other brush,
using therewith mineral turpentine, or naphtha, or common turpentine, or a
mixture of any of these articles. If the pores or grain on the surface of the
board should clog up or fill with the printing material by being prinied from
so as not to give off clear sharp impressions, it is cleaued as above and then
well rubbed with sawdust, which effectually cleanses and opens the pores of
the wood again. If through neglect the color should set in the pores of the
board, it must be coated over with soft soap and a solution of soda or pearl-
ash; let it remain on 8 or 9 hours, then scrub the board well with hot
water.
The oil color used in printing for imitation oak is composed as follows,
namely, 4 oz. of Italian or Oxford ochre finely ground in boiled oil, 1 oz. of
the finest burnt Turkey umber, 1 oz. of purest bees' wax lowered down with
boiled oil, 2 oz. of very strong boiled oil (this is produced by boiling the oil
to the consistency of thick treacle, )to which is added loz. of sugar of lead, and
for winter use 1 oz. of sugar of lead is added to these quantities. This
preparation forms a good oak graining color for ordinary use; if wanted
lighter,add a little more ochre; if darker, add a little more burnt umber and
oz. burnt sienua. These materials are to be ground together till intimately
mixed. The tone of the impression depends entirely on the preparation of
the printing material, and impressions can be obtained from the same board
from the most delicate to the deepest tint. This preparation if kept in a
covered tin free from dustimproves with age. If the graining color is wanted
to keep open for use for one, two, or three days after the impressions are
taken off the board, add a little nut oil to the above materials; in this case,
after the impression has been transferred to the wood or other article, it takes
longer to dry before varnishing. The oil color so prepared is laid on the
board by an inking roller made of glue and treacle, or made of any other sub-
stances of a pliable elastic nature such as are used in printing machines, or
the oil graining inaterial may be laid on with a brush. The surplus color is
removed with a knife or scraper of metal or any other suitable material, and
the surface is ready for giving off an impression; any color may be used
according to taste.
The paper or other material on to which the impression is taken has a
coating of size given to it; this size is composed of the following materials,
namely,lb.of soft soap,and 2 oz. of common washing soda, put with 3 quarts
of hot rain water,and mixed well together. The size thus prepared is laidon the
paper or other material with a brush either flat or round. The sizing prevents

page_text: the color used from sinking into the paper or other material, and consequently
a clean, sharp, and full impression is given off therefrom to the article to be
decorated by the transferred impression. An impression is taken from the
board by passing the board with the paper thereon through a roller printing
machine having two cylinders, or by passing over the paper on the board a
roller or cylinder made of wood, or metal, or other suitable material covered
with flannel, cloth, or other suitable soft and yielding textile substance or
fabric. It is found desirable that a portion of the moisture should be evapo-
rated by placing the board and impression in the vicinity of a fire or stove for
a short time, say about two minutes, as the paper may then be more easily
removed from the board, when it will be ready for transferring the impression
to the surface of the article to be decorated thereby. The transfer is effected
by laying the printed surface of the paper on to the article to be decorated,
and by rubbing the back of the paper with a roll of flannel or other soft
substance, or by passing over it a paperhanger's roller; then after letting the
paper remain for a short time it is to be removed, and it will leave the
impression on the wood or other article, and in a fow hours the impressed
surface will be ready for varnishing in the usual way. For paperhangings,
the impressions are taken from the boards at once either by the printing
machine or by a single cylinder, or both ways, as the operator may prefer.
Intaking the impression with the printing machine, the under roller being
fluted, firmly grips the board, and it passes with the paper or other material
between the cylinders evenly and rapidly. Impressions can also be taken
from the boards by the use of one roller or cylinder; when the latter method
is adopted, the board from which the impression is taken is placed in a frame
of wood or metal, or fixed or attached to the work table or work bench in
any other way for the purpose of keeping it firm and steady whilst the roller
or cylinder is passing over it in taking off the impression on to the paper or
other material either for the purposes of transferring to wood and other
surfaces, or for paper for decorating walls, hand power or steam power can be
employed at the will and discretion of the person employing it, and for this
process veneered cylinders as well as flat boards cau be employed.
When employing this Invention to japanned goods, the same materials
are used, and the same process is adopted as above described. After the
impression has been transferred to the article to be decorated, it is either
varnished as ordinary oak graining, or it is passed through an enamelling
or other kiln of sufficient heat to fix the color.
When applying this Invention to oil cloth or other similar material, the
same process is adopted as above, with this addition, that impressions can be

page_text: taken from veneered oak or other wood cylinders as the printing surface as
well as from the flat board. For its application to articles made in clay,
the same processes of treating the wood and taking the impressions are
observed, but the colors used for clay articles are mineral, as mineral colors
alone will stand the requisite amount of heat to which clay goods are sub-
jected in passing through the fire to fix them.
For inlaid or tesselated patterns, oak and other woods, solid or in veneer,
are used, and the separate pieces are arranged in patterns according to taste;
these pieces are secured to another piece of wood of the requisite thickness.
and can be used either in the flat board or in cylinders, and the surfaces are
then prepared and used, as above described, when using only one piece of
wood for the printing surface, and applied, as above described, either
for decorating wood or any other surface.
Machines having a perpendicular as well as a cylindrical pressure can be
employed in carrying out this Invention as the person using it may choose.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Scarratt and William Dean,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Sixteenth day of
October, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-five.
Witness to their signatures,
CHARLES HEATH.
WILLIAM SCARRATT. (L.s.)
WILLIAM DEAN.
(L.S.)