IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION OF ORNAMENTAL SURFACES UPON LEATHER
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Julian Bernard, of Guildford Street, Russell
Square, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION OF ORNAMENTAL SURFACES
UPON LEATHER."
Sealed the 16th April 1853, and dated the 21st October 1852.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Julian Bernard
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 21st October 1852.
I, JULIAN BERNARD, of Guildford Street, Russell Square, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION OF ORNAMENTAL
SURFACES UPON LEATHER" to be as follows:-
This Invention relates principally to the production of large dies for
embossing leather by the system or mode already secured to the said
Julian Bernard by Letters Patent, bearing date on or about the
Thirteenth day of November, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-one,

page_text: which system or mode consists in obtaining a die formed to give a fac-
simile of the exact surface of an original skin of morocco leather by
taking a cast of such skin by the electrotype process.
In carrying out this Invention a difficulty has arisen in obtaining
dies of a size larger than one original skin, which is now obviated in
the following manner :-Two or more parts of original skins are taken
and fastened firmly down upon any convenient flat surface, such as
slate, taking care to bring the edges of the skins close together. When
thus laid upon the slate the skins are depressed or cut at the points of
junction by means of any convenient tool, so that the depressed mark
or groove made by the tool will be below the plane of the grain of the
leather or skins from which the die is to be produced. The skins are
now ready for the preparation of the dic, and the deposit produced on
the skins will consequently be thicker on the depressed portions, and
the extra quantity of metal along the joined edges of the leather
will enable an engraver to cut or engrave that portion of the die where
the several pieces of leather come into contact at their edges, so as to
present a uniform appearance or grain over the entire surface of the die
and the leather. It is obvious that this process is equally applicable in
all cases where it is desired to produce a die without any irregularities
in its pattern from a surface in which irregularities occur.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Julian Bernard in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 19th April 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JULIAN BERNARD, of Guildford Street, Russell Square, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the
sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Julian Bernard, Her special license

page_text: that I, the said Julian Bernard, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Julian Bernard, 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 THE PRODUCTION OF ORNAMENTAL SURFACES UPON LEATHER," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Julian Bernard, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 Julian Bernard, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to bo
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement (that is to say):
My said Invention relates to an improved system or mode of making
large dies for graining or ornamenting leather, such ornamentation
being effected by the system or mode already secured to me by Letters
Patent, bearing date on or about the Thirteenth day of November, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-one, which system or mode consists
in obtaining a die formed to give a fac-simile of the exact surface of an
original skin of morocco or other grained leather by taking a cast of such
original skin.
3
In carrying out this Invention it is found to be an object of im-
portance to obtain dies of a larger size than one original skin, and
for this purpose I adopt the following plan:-Two or more portions of
a skin are laid down and firmly secured to any convenient flat surface,
such as polished slate. The junction edges of each separate portion of
the skin are then depressed by a suitable tool so as to press those
portions of the skin below the surface of the grain of the leather from
which the die is to be made. The skin is now ready for the prepara-
tion of the die, and when the electrotype process is used the deposit of

page_text: the copper in the depressions or grooves will of course be thicker, and
will stand up or be raised slightly above the surface of the rest of the
plate. This extra thickness enables an engraver to cut away or engrave
those portions of the die to correspond with the graining of the leather
o as to present an uniform appearance of the grain over the whole
surface of the dic. It is obvious that by adopting this process enlarged
dies of any kind may be produced with perfectly regular surfaces,
although the surface of the pattern from which such dies are taken may
be irregular.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used
or carried into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not con-
fine or restrict myself to the precise details or arrangements which I
have had occasion to describe or refer to, as many variations may be
made therefrom without deviating from the principles or main features
of my Invention; but what I consider to be novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in
part recited Letters Patent, is,-
The system or mode of producing large dies containing regular
patterns from irregular surfaces, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Julian Bernard, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Sixteenth day of April, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-three.
JULIAN BERNARD. (L.S.)