Process or Means for Producing Coloured or Decorative Effects on Paper or other Surfaces.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 1st May, 1897
Complete Specification Left, 24th Jan., 1898-Accepted, 26th Feb., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Process or Means for Producing Coloured or Decorative Effects on
Paper or other Surfaces.
I, JOHN IMRAY, of No. 28, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the
County of London, Consulting Engineer and Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention (as communicated to me from abroad by
Societe Anonyme A. Roudillon et Cie. of 3, Rue Thenard, Paris, France,) to be
as follows:
When drops of oil fall on water they spread out presenting beautiful interference
colours which however soon disappear. This invention relates to means of fixing
these colours so that they resist rubbing or other rough treatment, For this
purpose a solution about 10 per cent. judea bitumen in crystallisable benzene
with addition of a few drops of essence of lavender or spikenard is employed. A
drop of this falling on water contained in a vessel having paper or other suitable
receptive surface at the bottom gives beautiful colours which on running off the
water become fixed on the paper or other receptive surface. By agitating the
water the forms assumed by the colours may be varied. The colours may be
received on any paper but it is better to coat with gum such as gum tragacanth
paper previously immersed in a solution of ammoniacal zinc chloride and dried.
Besides paper other smooth surfaces may be employed such as glass, wood, certain
fabrics, metals skins &c. suitably prepared. Such being the principle of the
present invention, it may be practically carried out as follows:
1. The formation of the coloured pellicle can be obtained more slowly by
employing as solvent rectified or ordinary benzene, and the evaporation of the
solvent is slower when a little essence of turpentine is added to the benzene..
Brilliancy of the colours is obtained by adding a little colophon dissolved cold,
and the elasticity of the pellicle is increased by adding
a little kauri gum.
2. The judea bitumen is somewhat brown in colour; when the ground is
desired to be white solution of pure damar gum in essence of turpentine with
addition of gum kauri and colophon may be used.
3. Other substances besides those mentioned may be employed, for instance
damar gum dissolved in chloroform, anylene &c. colophon dissolved in benzene,
turpentine, chloroform, ether, alcohol, acetone &c., but with these substances the
pellicle spreads too much or too little on the water, and becomes fixed too soon
or not soon enough.
4. The superiority of judea bitumin lies in this that when exposed to light it
becomes insoluble in benzene and turpentine, and as the solvent is eliminated
the pellicle is well fixed.
5. The process may be carried on by hand in zinc tanks provided with suitable
cocks for running out the water at any desired speed. But the process may be
carried on mechanically as follows
At the bottom of the vessel about its middle the recipient sheet is rolled on a
roller. The vessel being filled with water, excess of the pellicle forming material

page_text: is put on the water, but no colours appear as the pellicle is too thick. Then
the sheet being unrolled at the rate of about a yard per minute, as it emerges
from the water takes on the colours, and being led through heated chambers is
dried, the colours being fixed upon it. The surface of the liquid in contact with
the sheet may occasionally be broken to prevent too thick deposit.
6. The pattern of the colours may be varied by varying the form of the jets
or drops of the mixture employed, and varying the places where they meet the
water.
7. Decorative effects may be obtained by adding substances which become
insoluble when exposed to light as for instance bichromated gum.
8. Before the pellicle forms, the colours may be changed by slight agitations
of the water surface, as for instance by sounds.
9. After formation of the pellicle but before running off the water, imperfections
of the pellicle may be remedied by dipping in these places a needle wetted with
the mixture.
10. To prevent tearing of the paper in removing it from the bottom of the tank
it is laid on a wooden board coated with bitumin, this board with the paper on it
being removed from the tank, and after half an hour's drying the paper may be
stripped off and hung on cords.
11. In order to prevent the paper from floating up, all air bubbles should be
carefully forced out from under it.
12. The paper may have various designs shewn upon it.
1. By patterns in zinc, aluminium, or impermeable card board &c. which pre-
vent deposit of pellicle in those parts.
2. By printing on the coloured paper when dry with ordinary blocks inked
with benzene or essence of turpentine &c., either alone or mixed with printing
inks.
3. By making openings in the board which carries the paper so that the parts
of the paper over these openings dry sooner than the others, and present stronger
colouring.
Dated this 1st day of May 1897.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
A Process or Means for Producing Coloured or Decorative Effects on
Paper or other Surfaces.
I, JOHN IMRAY, of Birkbeck Bank Chambers, Southampton Buildings, Chancery
Lane, in the County of London, Consulting Engineer, and Chartered Patent Agent,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention (as communicated to me from abroad
by Societe Anonyme A. Roudillon et Cie. of 3, Rue Thenard, Paris, France,) and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
-
When drops of oil fall on water they spread out presenting beautiful interference
colours which however soon disappear. This invention relates to means of fixing
these colours so that they resist rubbing or other rough treatment. For this
purpose, a solution about 10 per cent. judea bitumen in crystallisable benzene with
addition of a few drops of essence of lavender or spikenard is employed. A drop
of this falling on water contained in a vessel, having paper or other suitable
receptive surface at the bottom, gives beautiful colours which, on running off the
water, become fixed on the paper or other receptive surface. By agitating the

page_text: water the forms assumed by the colours may be varied. The colours may be
received on any paper but it is better to coat with gum such as gum tragacanth
paper previously immersed in a solution of ammoniacal zinc chloride and dried.
Besides paper, other smooth surfaces may be employed such as glass, wood, certain
fabrics, metals, skins &c. suitably prepared. Such being the principle of the
present invention, it may be practically carried out as follows:
1. The formation of the coloured pellicle can be obtained more slowly by
employing as solvent rectified or ordinary benzene, and the evaporation of the
solvent is slower 'when a little essence of turpentine is added to the benzene.
Brilliancy of the colours is obtained by adding a little colophony dissolved cold,
and the elasticity of the pellicle is increased by adding a little kauri gum.
2. The judea bitumen is somewhat brown in colour; when the ground is desired
to be white, solution of pure dammar gum in essence of turpentine with addition
of gum kauri and colophony may be used.
3. Other substances besides those mentioned may be employed, for instance
dammar gum dissolved in chloroform, aniline &c. colophony dissolved in benzene,
turpentine, chloroform, ether, alcohol, acetone &c., but with these substances
the pellicle spreads too much or too little on the water, and becomes fixed too
soon or not soon enough.
4. The superiority of judea bitumen lies in this that when exposed to light it
becomes insoluble in benzene and turpentine, and as the solvent is eliminated
the pellicle is well fixed.
5. The process may be carried on by hand in zinc tanks provided with suitable
cocks for running out the water at any desired speed. But the process may be
carried on mechanically as follows.
At the bottom of the vessel about its middle the recipient sheet is rolled on a
roller. The vessel being filled with water, excess of the pellicle forming material
is put on the water, but no colours appear as the pellicle is too thick. Then the
sheet being unrolled at the rate of about a yard per minute, as it emerges from
the water takes on the colours, and being led through heated chambers is dried,
the colours being fixed upon it. The surface of the liquid in contact with the
sheet may occasionally be broken to prevent too thick deposit.
6. The pattern of the colours may be varied by varying the form of the jets or
drops of the mixture employed, and varying the places where they meet the water.
7. Decorative effects may be obtained by adding substances which become
insoluble when exposed to light, as for instance bichromated gum.
8. Before the pellicle forms, the colours may be changed by slight agitations of
the water surface, as for instance by sounds.
9. After formation of the pellicle but before running off the water, imperfec-
tions of the pellicle may be remedied by dipping in these places a needle wetted
with the mixture.
10. To prevent tearing of the paper in removing it from the bottom of the
tank it is laid on a wooden board coated with bitumen, this board with the paper
on it being removed from the tank, and after half an hour's drying, the paper
may be stripped off and hung on cords.
11. In order to prevent the paper from floating up, all air bubbles should be
carefully forced out from under it.
12. The paper may have various designs shewn upon it.
(1.) By stencil patterns in zinc, aluminium, or impermeable card board &c.
which prevent deposit of pellicle in those parts.
(2.) By printing on the coloured paper when dry with ordinary blocks inked
with benzene or essence of turpentine &c., either alone or mixed with printing
inks.
(3.) By making openings in the board which carries the paper so that the parts
of the paper over these openings dry sooner than the others, and present stronger
colouring.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. As a material for forming interference coloured pellicles on the surface of
water, a solution of judea bitumen or dammar gum in benzene with addition
of solution of colophony and kauri gum dissolved in benzene and essence of
turpentine, also with addition of essence of lavender, substantially as described.
2. The method of fixing interference colours on paper or other suitable receptive
surface by forming a pellicle on the surface of water, running off the water in
which the surface is immersed until the pellicle reaches the said surface, and
drying, substantially as described.
3. The modified method of fixing the colours on paper or other suitable flexible
material by drawing the material from an immersed roller through the pellicle,
and drying, substantially as described.
4. Varying the pattern of the colours to be fixed by varying the form and
positions of the drops which form the pellicle, agitating the pellicle during for-
mation or adding drops of substances which become insoluble on exposure to light.
5. Forming designs on the coloured surface by means of stencils laid upon it
so as to prevent local deposit of pellicle, or by printing on the coloured surface.
Dated this 24th day of January 1898.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.