IMPROVEMENTS IN PRODUCING COPIES OF WRITINGS, FIGURES, DRAWINGS, OR DELINEATIONS." PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Eugenio de Zuccato, of Padua, in Italy, and of
Great College Street, Camden Town, in the County of Middlesex,
Licentiate in Law of the University of Padua, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PRODUCING COPIES OF WRITINGS, FIGURES, DRAWINGS, OR
DELINEATIONS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Eugenio de Zuccato
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 29th June 1872.
I, EUGENIO DE ZUCCATO, of Padua, in Italy, and of Great College
Street, Camden Town, in the County of Middlesex, Licentiate in Law of
the University of Padua, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRODUCING COPIES OF WRITINGS, FIGURES, DRAWINGS,
OR DELINEATIONS," to be as follows:-
My Invention has reference to the use in manner hereafter described
of chemical agency for the above-named purposes.
The writing, or figure, or delineation is to be made with an ordinary
pen and an ink made with a strong caustic solution (such as that of

page_text: caustic soda or that of caustic potash, which may be coloured with a
colouring matter such as cochineal in the proportion, say, of about two
ounces of coloured water to one ounce of alkali) upon the uncoated
surface of a sheet of paper previously coated on one side with an im-
permeable or waterproof substance such as resin dissolved in sprits of
wine or oil of turpentine, to which a small quantity of Venice turpentine
may be added in order to soften it.
The uncoated side of the paper upon which the writing, drawing, or
delineation has been made is when the caustic ink is dry coated either
with the same or a similar kind of waterproof substance as that pre-
viously used for coating one side of the paper, and the sheet of paper
coated on both sides when dry is immersed in water and washed.
The caustic ink corrodes portions of the varnish of both sides of the
paper, and the water frees and uncovers the paper where the lines of
the writing or drawing are required to be produced. The side of the
paper upon which the writing or drawing or delineation has been made
is then placed upon a sheet or sheets of paper; blotting paper may be
used which has been previously soaked with a solution such, for instance,
as that of persulphate of iron. A certain quantity of gum arabic should
be added to this solution before soaking with it the paper upon which
the coated paper is to be placed in order to give it the requisite con-
sistency and to prevent it from flowing too freely.
On the coated paper is placed a sheet of paper soaked with another
solution, such, for instance, as that of prussiate of potassa (which might
be in the proportion of, say, one part of saturated solution of prussiate
of potassa to about eleven parts of water) when a blue colour is required
to be produced, and when the above solution of persulphate of iron is
used for soaking the paper upon which the coated paper ought to rest.
The sheet or sheets of paper soaked as in the above instance with the
solution of persulphate of iron, the coated sheet of paper upon which the
writing, figure, drawing, or delineation has been written or drawn, and
the paper soaked with caustic potash or prussiate solution are then
pressed together by means of suitably arranged pressing apparatus, such,
for instance, as that used in an ordinary copying press.
For ordinary purposes such an apparatus might have the outward
form of an ordinary bound book out of which the leaves have been taken
and the boards of which whilst stiff are rendered by any suitable means

page_text: waterproof and elastic. Such an apparatus might be used in connection
with an ordinary copying press.
In the above instance both the prussiate solution and the solution of
persulphate of iron coming in contact under pressure of the pressing
apparatus through the exposed parts of the coated paper, that is, where
the varnish has been corroded by the caustic ink and afterwards washed
away, form a blue colour and cause writing, letters, figures, drawings,
or delineations corresponding to those on the coated paper to be marked
or deposited upon the paper soaked with the caustic potash or prussiate
solution.
By varying the solution used for soaking the paper upon which the
coated paper is placed or the solution used for soaking the copying
paper or both these solutions, other colours well known to chemists
may be obtained when copies are formed in the manner above described.
When it is found more convenient the process may be slightly varied
in detail. The copying paper might be manufactured beforehand with
the prussiate solution and then when dry and required to be used it may
be soaked simply with water.
the
Instead of writing, or drawing, or delincating upon the uncoated side
of the coated paper the user might write, draw, or delineate upon
coated side of the same paper and then the coating of its uncoated side
would be omitted.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Eugenio de Zuccato in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 24th December 1872. .
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EUGENIO
De Zuccato, of Padua, in Italy, and of Great College Street, Camden
Town, in the County of Middlesex, Licentiate in Law of the University
of Padua, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,

page_text: give and grant unto me, the said Eugenio de Zuccato, Her special
license, that I, the said Eugenio de Zuccato, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Eugenio de Zuccato,
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 PRODUCING COPIES OF WRITINGS, FIGURES, DRAWINGS, OR
DELINEATIONS,' upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said i
Eugenio de Zuccato, 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 Eugenio de Zuccato, 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 :—
My Invention has reference to the use in manner herein-after described
of chemical agency for the above-named purposes.
The writing or figure or delineation is to be made with an ordinary
steel pen and an ink made with a strong caustic solution (such as that
of caustic soda or that of caustic potash which may be colored with a
suitable coloring matter, such as cochineal, vandyke brown, or other
suitable color in the proportion, say, of about two ounces of colored
water to one ounce of alkali) upon the uncoated surface of a sheet of
paper previously coated on one side with an impermeable or waterproof
substance, such as resin dissolved in spirits of wine or oil of turpentine
to which a small quantity of Venice turpentine may be added in order to
soften it.
The uncoated side of the paper upon which the writing, drawing, or
delineation has been made is, when the caustic ink is dry, coated either
with the same or a similar kind of waterproof substance as that previously
used for coating one side of the paper, and the sheet of paper coated on
both sides when dry is immersed in water and washed.

page_text: The caustic ink corrodes portions of the varnish of both sides of the
paper, and the water frees and uncovers the paper where the lines of
the writing or drawing are required to be produced. The side of the
paper upon which the writing or drawing or delineation has been made
is then placed upon a sheet or sheets of paper, blotting paper may be
used which has been previously soaked with a solution, such for instance
as that of per-sulphate of iron. A certain quantity of gum arabic
should be added to this solution before soaking with it the paper upon
which the coated paper is to be placed in order to give it the requisite
consistency and to prevent it from flowing too freely.
On the coated paper is placed a sheet of paper soaked with another
solution, such for instance as that of prussiate of potassa (which might
be in the proportion of, say, one part of saturated solution of prussiate of
potassa to about eleven parts of water) when a blue colour is required to
be produced, and when the above solution of persulphate of iron is used
for soaking the paper upon which the coated paper ought to rest.
The sheet or sheets of paper soaked as in the above instance with the
solution of persulphate of iron, the coated sheet of paper upon which
the writing, figure, drawing, or delineation has been written or drawn,
and the paper soaked with the prussiate solution are then pressed
together by means of suitably arranged pressing apparatus, such for
instance as that used in an ordinary copying press.
For ordinary purposes such an apparatus might have the outward
form of an ordinary bound book out of which the leaves have been
taken and the boards of which whilst stiff are rendered by any suitable
means waterproof and clastic. Such an apparatus might be used in
connection with an ordinary copying press.
In the above instance both the prussiate solution and the solution of
persulphate of iron coming in contact under pressure of the pressing
apparatus through the exposed parts of the coated paper, that is, where
the varnish has been corroded by the caustic ink and afterwards washed
away, form a blue color and cause writing, letters, figures, drawings, or
delineations corresponding to those on the coated paper to be marked or
deposited upon the paper soaked with the prussiate solution.
By varying the solution used for soaking the paper upon which the
coated paper is placed or the solution used for soaking the copying paper,

page_text: or both these solutions, other colours well known to chemists may be
obtained when copies are formed in the manner above described.
When it is found more convenient the process may be slightly varied
in detail. The copying paper might be manufactured beforehand with
the prussiate solution, and then when dry and required to be used it may
be soaked simply with water.
Instead of writing or drawing or delineating upon the uncoated
side of the coated paper, the user might write, draw, or delineate upon
the coated side of the same paper, and then the coating of its uncoated
side would be omitted, this variation however presents some disadvantages
and is not recommended when a large number of copies are required to
be produced.
Another modification of the above-described process is the following:-
Instead of writing or drawing or delineating upon the uncoated side of
the coated paper the user might write, draw, or delineate upon suitable
writing paper both sides of which are uncoated, and when the ink is
dry coat the paper with varnish on both its sides, proceeding afterwards
as above described.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention and the mode
in which I carry the same into effect, I would have it understood that I
do not confine myself to the employment of the chemical and other
substances nor to the proportions thereof herein described, although such
are in my opinion the best and cheapest which can be employed; but
what I do claim is, the producing copies of writings, figures, drawings,
or delineations by chemical agency, in manner substantially as herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Eugenio de Zuccato, have hereunto
set my hand and scal, this Twentieth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.