Improvements in and relating to Mounts for Entomological and other Specimens of Natural History.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 10th July, 1894-Accented. 11th Aug., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
Improvements in and relating to Mounts for Entomological and
other Specimens of Natural History.
I, SHERMAN FOOTE DENTON, a citizen of the United States of America,
residing at Orchard Avenue, in the Town of Wellesley, County of Norfolk, and
State of Massachusetts, one of the United States of America, Artist, 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:-
My invention has relation to means for mounting various objects of natural
history upon a suitable support or backing in a permanent manner, so that said
objects will be indefinitely preserved and kept for inspection and reference, and
The invention consists in the means hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the
drawings, and pointed out in the appended claims.
In the drawings-
Figure 1 is a plan view illustrating the manner of mounting a specimen upon the
backing or support.
Figure 2 is a vertical section thereof.
Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, showing a different construction of
backing.
Figure 4 is a vertical section of Figure 1 taken at right angles to Figure 2.
Figure 5 is a plan view showing the support without the specimen.
In carrying out my invention 1 provide suitable means adapted to serve as a
support or backing for the article, object, or specimen to be mounted, which
backing or support may be constructed of any suitable or desired material, such as
plaster of Paris, paper, wood, wood-pulp, metal, celluloid, hard rubber, etc., and
said backing may also be constructed in any suitable or desired external shape,
whether square, rectangular, round, oval, or other shape, and it may also be
made in various sizes, so as to adapt it to receive a number of specimens, if
desired.
In the 'drawings, 1 indicates the backing or tablet which may be constructed of
any desired material and have any dimensions, as above set forth, and within said
backing or tablet, I form at any point therein, preferably towards its ceuter, a
depression or cavity, 2. The size and shape of said depression or cavity may
vary, and will depend upon the size and shape of the specimen to be received
therein.
Inasmuch as I intend to apply my invention simply to mounting specimens of
natural history, I usually give to the depression or cavity, a somewhat elongated
concave shape to adapt it to receive the body of the specimen, whether it be a
butter-fly, dragon-fly, grass-hopper, or the like, and usually make the depression
sufficiently deep to receive the body of the specimen, so that it will lie flush with
the upper surface of the tablet, or substantially so, whereby I am enabled to
secure over the specimen so mounted, a transparent plate, preferably of glass,
whereby the specimen will be preserved, and adapted to be readily viewed at
any time.
A further advantage resulting from the formation of the depression 2, resides iu
the fact that the specimen is adapted to be more conveniently mounted on the
tablet, since the wings of the same may thus be laid out flat on the upper surface
of the tablet and secured in such position, thus bringing out in better relief.the
various markings of the specimen, which would not be the case were the depression

page_text: or cavity 2 not provided, as in such case it would be impossible to spread the wings
of the specimen flat on the tablet.
3 indicates any suitable specimen mounted on the tablet, the body of which
specimen is contained within the depression and having its wings spread out flat on
the tablet, all as shown.
4 indicates any suitable transparent plate, preferably of glass, said plate being
arranged over the specimen and being secured to the tablet in any suitable manner.
I preferably give to the plate 4 a shape and size corresponding to the tablet, and
secure said plate in position by means of strips 5, of paper or the like, pasted to
the sides of the tablet and being folded down over the ends of the plate 4 and
pasted thereto. Thus the plate will be firmly secured in position, and serves to
seal the specimen, to thereby preserve the same indefinitely and keep it from
injury.
If desired, the tablet may be made solid, as seen in Figure 2, or it may be made
hollow at the back, as seen in Figures 3 and 4.
By making the tablet in various lengths a variable number of specimens may be
mounted thereon.
The advantages to be derived from the use of my invention will be readily seen
aud appreciated, especially by entomologists, and collectors of specimens of natural
history.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is-
1. The herein-described means for mounting entomological objects and other
specimens of natural history and the like, consisting in a backing or tablet with a
concave depression or cavity therein adapted to receive the body of the specimen
so that it will lie flush with the upper surface of the tablet, the portion of said
upper surface surrounding the depression being flat and affording a support on
which may rest the wings or other projecting parts of the specimen, and the
transparent plate covering the specimen.and the tablet, substantially as described.
2. The herein-described means for mounting entomological objects and other
.specimens of natural history and the like, consisting in a backing or tablet moulded
or cast from some suitable plastic material with a concave depression or cavity
therein adapted to receive the body of the specimen so that it will lie flush with the
upper surface of the tablet, the portion of said upper surface surrounding the
depression being a plain flat surface on which the projecting wings or other parts
of the specimen may be spread, and the transparent plate fit down neatly over the
flat surface of the tablet and covering it as well as the specimen, substantially as
.described.
Dated this Tanth dow of Tul 1904
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.