IMPROVEMENTS IN PRODUCING DESIGNS AND DEVICES ON GLASS, IRON, WOOD, STONE, OR OTHER SUITABLE MATERIAL, AND IN THE MODE OR METHOD OF 'FIXING' THE SAME
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Augustus Hely, Gentleman, and William Wilmot-
Snook, Glass Decorator, both of No. 1+, Upper Lansdowne Road North, South
Lambeth, in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PRODUCING DESIGNS AND DEVICES ON GLASS, IRON, WOOD, STONE, OR OTHER
SUITABLE MATERIAL, AND IN THE MODE OR METHOD OF 'FIXING' THE
SAME"
Sealed the 18th April 1879, and dated the 12th February 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Augustus Hely and
William Wilmot-Snook at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
12th February 1879.
ALFRED AUGUSTUS HELY, Gentleman, and WILLIAM WILMOT-SNOOK, Glass
Decorator, both of No. 14, Upper Lansdowne Road North, South Lambeth, in the
County of Surrey. "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRODUCING DESIGNS AND DEVICES ON
GLASS, IRON, WOOD, STONE, OR OTHER SUITABLE MATERIAL, AND IN THE MODE
OR METHOD OF 'FIXING' THE SAME."
Our Invention has reference to several improvements in the production of coloured
and metallic designs and devices on glass, iron, wood, stone, or other suitable
material, by the processes commonly known as stencilling, brushing out, and trans-
ferring, whereby superior results, combined with greater economy of labour, may be
obtained.
1. As regards the stencilling process, instead of cutting each stencil-plate by
hand singly, where several plates of the same pattern are required, we cut three or
more such plates at one time by means of a sharp pointed tapering knife or cutter
vertically fixed to a table or bench having a slab or disc placed upon its surface
directly below the blade. This slab or disc carries the several plates required to be
cut accurately piled one on top of another, and posseses a combined rotary and
sliding motion, so that by the simple direction of the hand, the pressure being
regulated by a thumb screw on the hilt of the knife, every part of the topmost
plate (on which the design or device is traced), and consequently of the lowest also,
may be easily brought at will under the action of the cutter, and the work thus,
multiplied several fold by one operation.
4

page_text: 2. Instead of brushing-out by hand designs or devices produced upon glass, iron,
wood, stone, or other suitable material, by means of stencil plates laid upon the
coloured surfaces of the same, we use a brush revolving or rotating upon a fixed
shaft or spindle, and worked either by steam or manual power, above a table or
bench, the top of which carries the subject required to be brushed out, and which
top may be lifted up-to-and-held against the brush and lowered at will by the
action-of-the-foot; thus,-as-in-the preceding improvement, vastly economising the
time-and-labour-now-expended-in-the-work,-and-the. wear-and. tear of the stencil
plates.
3-With-reference-to-the-transferring-process-after-having-placed-the-picture-or-
subject upon the plate of glass, iron, wood, stone, or other suitable material on which
-it-is-to-be-transferred, we pass the same through-rollers composed of india-rubber-
or other stiff but yielding material, so as perfectly to flatten the said picture or
subject, and press thereout all air bubbles, creases, and such other defects, as now so
frequently disfigure the surfaces of transfer.
The three improvements specified above in the production of designs and devices
in colours on glass, iron, wood, stone, or other suitable material, apply equally to
such as have metals interspersed among them, and likewise to those which are
wholly of a metallic character, such as gold, silver, or bronze. Upon these the
pressing process, especially if the rollers are heated, exercises a peculiarly heightening
effect, so that results hitherto unattained in this branch of art may be perfectly and
cheaply realised.
Another feature of our Invention has reference to the production of coloured and
metallic designs and devices on glass by the aid of the photographic process.
As
an example, having first obtained a photographed negative of the subject we
desire to produce, we gild or silver a plate of glass upon one of its surfaces, and:
having rendered that surface sensitive in the usual way, we take upon the same
an impression of the said negative, which appears upon the glass in bright gold
or silver lines or characters so soon as the superfluous gold or silver leaf is washed
out.
Finally, as regards "fixing" coloured and metallic designs and devices produced
on glass, iron, wood, stone, or other suitable material, by either of the foregoing
processes, or by any other process, such as painting or printing, we fix the same so
as to obtain transparent, translucent, or opaque effects, as desired, by means of a
certain composition which we term enamel, and which we brush over the coloured
or metallised surface of the article required to be fixed. If the same be glass, the
effects produced may be either transparent, translucent, or opaque; but if iron,,
wood, stone, or other similar material, the effect would of course be transparent only,,
the degree of transparency or opacity in the effect being regulated by the compo-
sition of the enamel itself.
To produce perfect transparency our enamel is composed of hard drying white
copal varnish, any suitable metallic oxide, such as the acetates of zinc, and linseed
oil; but to obtain.a.translucent-or-partially-transparent effect, we add-trisaitrate-of
bismuth or oxychloride of bismuth.
To secure, however, total opacity we use any opaque colour, either in addition to
or instead of the trisnitrate or oxychloride of bismuth, whilst in order to realize.
tinted transparency we mix in a corresponding color with the ingredients herein-
before first specified.
Opaque coloured lines traced upon the clear coloured designs or devices previous
to coating with enamel produce a fac-simile of leaded or lead-joined glass.
In all case the enamel is used liquid and cold, and is then set to dry and
harden with a vitreous or porcelain like surface, all "firing" being entirely dispensed
with.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Alfred Augustus Hely and William Wilmot-Snook in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 12th August 1879.
ALFRED AUGUSTUS HELY, Gentleman, and WILLIAM WILMOT-SNOOK, Glass
Decorator, both of No. 14, Upper Lansdowne Road North, South Lambeth, in the
County of Surrey. "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRODUCING DESIGNS AND DEVICES. ON
GLASS, IRON, WOOD, STONE, OR OTHER SUITABLE MATERIAL, AND IN THE MODE OR
METHOD OF FIXING' THE SAME'
-Our Invention has reference to several improvements in the production of colored
and inetallic designs and devices on glass, iron, wood, stone, or other suitable
material, by the processes commonly known as stencilling, brushing out, and trans-
ferring, whereby superior results, combined with greater economy of labor, may be
obtained.
.2
First. As regards the stencilling process, instead of cutting each stencil-plate-by
land singly, where several plates of the same pattern are required, we cut three or
more such plates at one time in a machine similar to that shown in Figure 1 of the
annexed Drawings, by means of a sharp pointed tapering knife or cutter a vertically
fixed on an adjustable arm b, which is carried on a standard c bolted to the floor' or
foundation on which the machine may be standing, or the arm b may be supported
on the framing of the machine itself. A table or bench d capable of a sliding
motion by means of the screw e, which latter is actuated by the hand wheels fis
carried on the guide bars ġ which form a portion of the machine frame. 'The table d'
has a slab or disc directly below the cutter a, and which can slide on the rails
as desired:
ف
J
of 0
This slab or disc h carries the several plates required to be cut accurately piled'
one on top of another, and it is also capable of a combined rotary and sliding
motion, so that by' the simple direction of the hand, the pressure being regulated by
a' thumb-screw on the hilt of the knife, every part of the topmost plate (on which
the design or device is traced); and consequently of the lowest also, may easily. be
brought at will under the action of the cutter, and the work thus multiplied several
fold by one operation:
The rotary motion of the 'slab is obtained by means of the thumb screw 7,
shown in Figures 2 and 3. This screw passes through the table & from the under
side, and when in the position shown in Figure 2 the slab h rests upon table d, but
when the screw is in the position shown in Figure 3 the slab h is resting upon the
tip of the screw and clear of the rails i, so that it can be rotated as desired.
The slab h is provided with grooves m² intersecting each other, as shown in
Figure 4, which represents a view of the underside of the slab. This arrangement
of the grooves enables the slab to take the rails i and be placed on the table d'in
either way desired.
Second. Instead of brushing-out by hand designs or devices produced upon glass,
iron, wood, stone, or other suitable material, by means of stencil-plates laid upon
the colored surfaces of the same, we use a brush n revolving or rotating upon -or
with a shaft or spindle running in fixed bearings, as in Figure 5, and worked either
by steam or manual power, above a table or bench o, the top of which carries the
subject required to be brushed 'out, and which top is lifted up to, and held against
the brush, and lowered at will by the action of the foot acting on the treadle p,
thus, as in the preceding improvements, vastly economising the time and labor now
expended in the work and the wear and tear of the stencil-plates.
The treadle p taking against the block q prevents the table o rising too high and
too much pressure being brought against the stencil-plate being operated upon.
The same effect may be produced by the stop pins 7, which are passed-through holes
in the guides 8.
20
:

page_text: or subject upon the plate of glass, iron, wood, stone, or other suitable material on
which it is to be transferred, we pass the same between rollers composed of india-
rubber_or_other_stiff but yielding material, so as perfectly to flatten the said picture
or subject, and press thereout all air bubbles, creases, and such other defects as now
-so frequently disfigure-the-surfaces of transfers.
The rolling apparatus_is_shown in Figures 6 and 7, which are a front and side
elevation respectively..
The rollers t run in bearings u carried in the upper part of the side frames v.
-The-springs-w-(one-in-each-side-frame)-between-the-roller-bearings-are-arranged-to-
support the greater portion of the weight of the top roller, so as to prevent injury
-to the plate while passing between-them, and the upper springs x, acted upon by the
hand wheels y, serve to control and impart the necessary pressure. "The rollers are
geared together by the wheels 2, and are driven or stopped by the fast and loose
pulleys a, a². The lower roller is heated by steam through the pipe b' (or it may
be by gas), and both rollers may be heated if required; c is a table to receive the
plate as it issues from between the rollers.
The three improvements specified above in the production of designs and devices
in colors on glass, iron, wood, stone, or other suitable material, apply equally to such
as have metals interspersed amongst them, and likewise to those which are wholly
of a metallic character, such as gold, silver, or bronze.
Upon these the pressing process, especially if the rollers are heated, exercises a
peculiarly heightening effect, so that results hitherto unattained in this branch of
art may be perfectly and cheaply realised.
Finally, as regards "fixing" colored and metallic designs and devices produced
on glass, iron, wood, stone, or other suitable material, by either of the foregoing
processes, or by any other process, such as painting or printing, we fix the same so
as to obtain transparent, translucent, or opaque effects, as desired, by means of a
certain composition which we term enamel, and which we brush over the colored
or metallised surface of the article to be fixed. If the same be glass, the effects
produced may be either transparent, translucent, or opaque; but if iron, wood,
stone, or other similar material, the enamel used would of course be transparent
only, the degree of transparency or opacity in the effect being regulated by the
composition of the enamel itself."
To produce perfect transparency our enamel is composed of hard drying white
copal varnish, any suitable metallic oxide, such as the acetate of zinc and linseed
oil, in or about the following proportions:-To one quart of hard drying white
copal varnish we add 2oz. of metallic oxide, such as acetate of zinc, and 4 ounce
linseed oil; but to obtain a translucent or partially transparent effect, we add one
quarter of a pound of trisnitrate of bismuth or oxychloride of bismuth.
To secure, however, total opacity, we use any opaque color, either in addition to
or instead of the trisnitrate or oxychloride. of bismuth; whilst in order to obtain
tinted transparency, we mix_in_a_corresponding-color-with-the-ingredients-herein-
before first specified.
Opaque colored lines traced upon the clear colored designs or devices previous to
coating with enamel, produce a fac simile of leaded or lead joined glass.
In all cases the enamel is used liquid and cold, and is then set to dry and
harden with a vitreous or porcelain like surface, all "firing" being entirely dispensed
with.
And having now described the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, we declare that we claim,-
First. The improved machine hereinbefore described, whereby three or more
stencil plates may be cut simultaneously.
Secondly. The improved machine for "brushing out," as herein before described.
Thirdly. The improvements in transferring the designs or devices, consisting of
passing the material with the subject to be transferred upon it between rollers either
heated or not, as herein before described.

page_text: Fourthly. The employment of the ingredients bereinbefore mentioned, and in or
about the proportions specified, for the purpose of "fixing" the design, as herein-
before respectively described for transparency, translucency, or opacity.
In witness whereof, we, the said Alfred Augustus Hely and William Wilmot-
Snook, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Eleventh day of August,
One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
ALFRED A. HELY.
WILLIAM
(L.S.)
WILMOT-SNOOK. (L.S.)