An Improved Mode of Producing Designs in Enamelled Metal Work.
Year: 1884

page_text: An Improved Mode of Producing Designs in Enamelled
Metal Work.
We, WILLIAM FREDERICK SIMPSON and EDWARD HENRY SIMPSON both of
100 St Martin's Lane W.C. in the County of Middlesex, Decorative Art Work-
men do hereby declare the nature of my invention for AN IMPROVED MODE OF
PRODUCING DESIGNS IN ENAMELLED METAL WORK to be as follows:-
The present invention relates to an improved mode of producing designs or
artistic compositions in enamelled metal work and is especially applicable to the
mural decoration of churches and interiors and to the construction of slabs or
panels for the ornamentation of furniture and other purposes.
The object of our invention is to afford facilities for the production of designs of
greater richness and force than heretofore of any desired size and of the most
elaborate character, in enamelled metal work without detriment to the enamelling
process or the marring of the finished work by unsightly joins:
Hitherto in the production of designs of large size in enamelled metal work the
design has been distributed over a series of rectangular slabs or sheets of metal
after the manner of tile panelling the result being that the finished design or
picture is marred by the presence of prominent division lines which catch the eye
and cut up the picture into square or rectangular pieces without regard to the
lines of the design. Such panels of enamelled metal work are moreover wanting
in force and richness of colour as they are dependent for these attributes entirely
upon the drawing and colouring upon a uniformly smooth flat or slightly rounded
surface and it is one object of our invention to enhance the richness of colouring
and add to the force of the design by giving an actual relief where necessary in
place of or in addition to the apparent relief given by the drawing and modelling
of the design upon the metal surface.
To this end we divide or map out the design which is to be produced in enamelled
metal work into a number of sections with outlines corresponding with the leading
lines of the design or composition taking care that the size and form of each
section shall be such as is suitable and convenient for reproduction in enamelled
metal work both as regards colour and firing.
We then cut out of sheet metal preferably copper a set of pieces corresponding
in outline to the several sections of the design and we separately complete the

page_text: working up and enamelling of the several pieces applying to the surface of each its
appropriate colour and modelling and enhancing the general effect of the drawing
and colour by the free use of respousée or hammering up of the metal before
enamelling at such parts as it may be desirable to represent in actual relief or
give roundness to.
We then build up the design or composition whether it be ornament landscape
or figure or a group of figures or a combination design fitting together the inter-
locking or adjacent edges of the several completed sections after the manner of a
stained glass window, and securing them in place upon a suitable backing or
support by suitably headed metal pins or their equivalent.
In some cases if the metal used.be thin or the degree of relief such as to require
it, it may be desirable to back the several sections before or at the time of fitting
them together, with cement or suitable composition but in ordinary cases
dispense with such backing.
we
By the above described mode of producing designs in enamelled metal work any
sections may receive special and particular treatment either as to the colour of the
enamel upon it or the degree of relief to be given to the metal before enamelling
and thus the highest quality of work and the greatest richness of colour may be
imported into the construction of designs of the largest size; while the intricate
or interlocking outlines of the several sections being in accordance with the
principal lines of the principal lines. of the design or composition are hardly
apparent and can only be traced by close inspection, and emphasize the drawing
and give force and vigour to the design and colour in a manner similar or analogous
to the lead lines in a stained glass window.
This method of producing designs in enamelled metal work combining as it does
the free use of repouseé work where required with sectional construction or
building up of the design, affords facilities for the faithful reproduction of works
of art of the largest size in imperishable material with even greater force than
the original.
For covering ceilings and other large surfaces (where enamelled iron would be
too heavy,) with enamelled copper according to our invention we may employ dies
or moulds and mechanical pressure or hammering up for the production of the
repouseé in the several sections before enamelling and fitting together, so that a
number of counterpart sections may be produced and a considerable reduction in
the cost of decoration in the said enamelled work according to our invention be
thereby effected though the work thus mechanically produced will necessarily not
be so artistic as that produced by hand alone.

page_text: Metal Work.
We WILLIAM FREDERICK SIMPSON and EDWARD HENRY SIMPSON, both of
100 St Martin's Lane, W.C. in the County of Middlesex, Decorative Art Workmen,
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:-
The present invention, relates to an improved mode of producing designs or
artistic compositions in enamelled metal work, and is especially applicable to the
mural decoration of churches and interiors, and to the construction of slabs or
panels for the ornamentation of furniture and other purposes.
The object of our invention is to afford facilities for the production of designs
of greater richness and force than heretofore, of any desired size, and of the most
elaborate character, in enamelled metal work, without detriment to the enamelling
process, or the marring of the finished work by unsightly joins.
Hitherto, in the production of designs of large size in enamelled metal work,
the design has been distributed over a series of rectangular slabs or sheets of
metal, after the manner of tile panelling, the result being that the finished design or
picture is marred by the presence of prominent division lines, which catch the eye,
and cut up the picture into square or rectangular pieces, without regard to the lines
of the design. Such panels of enamelled metal work are moreover wanting in
force and richness of colour, as they are dependent for these attributes entirely
upon the drawing and colouring upon a uniformly smooth, flat, or slightly rounded
surface, and it is one object of our invention to enhance the richness of colouring
and add to the force of the design by giving an actual relief, where necessary, in
place of, or in addition to the apparent relief given by the drawing and modelling
of the design upon the metal surface.
To this end we divide or map out the design which is to be produced in
enamelled metal work into a number of sections, with outlines corresponding with
the leading lines of the design or composition, taking care that the size and form
of each section shall be such as is suitable and convenient for reproduction in
enamelled metal work, both as regards colour and firing.
We then cut out of sheet metal, preferably copper, a set of pieces corresponding
in outline to the several sections of the design, and we separately complete the
working up and enamelling of the several pieces, applying to the surface of each
its appropriate colour and modelling, and enhancing the general effect of the
drawing and colour by the free use of repousée or hammering up of the metal,
before enamelling, at such parts as it may be desirable to represent in actual relief
or give roundness to.
We then build up the design or composition, whether it be ornament, landscape,
or figure, or a group of figures, or a combination design, fitting together the inter-
locking or adjacent edges of the several completed sections after the manner of
a stained glass window, and securing them in place upon a suitable backing or
support by suitably headed metal pins or their equivalent.

page_text: In some cases, if the metal used be thin, or the degree of relief such as to
require it, it may be desirable.to back the several sections before or at the time of
fitting them together with cement or suitable composition, but in ordinary cases
we dispense with such backing.
The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
-
Figure 1 represents a design on paper divided by bold lines into some eight
sections, lettered A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, (the number might be greater or less); each
of a size convenient for enamelling in the usual manner.- -This figure also shows
the shading by which it is intended to give greater force to the several parts of
each section during the enamelling process, and indicates what parts are to be
repousée or hammered up to give slight actual relief, to assist and give greater
force to the apparent relief obtained by the shading.
Figure 2 represents the finished design enamelled on metal (preferably copper),
and shows clearly the several sections of the design in their proper relative
positions. Colour has been employed in both these Drawings the better to convey
an idea of the Invention.
The several successive stages by which we prefer to carry out the invention are
as follows:-
1. We prepare a drawing of the Design, on paper, after the manner usually
practised for stained glass.
2. This design we divide up into several interlocking sections by bold lines,
following the principal lines of the figure or other subject matter of the Design,
as shown in Figure 1, and we also, by means of shading and touches of white
representing high lights, indicate how the design is to be shaded up, and where
actual relief is to be given to aid the apparent relief of the shading by hammering
up or repousée.
3. We next transfer the design to a sheet of metal, preferably copper, in any
usual and well known manner, and then cut up the metal sheet into sections whose
edges correspond with the bold lines marked on the design, and which follow the
principal lines of the said design.
4. We then hammer up such parts of the several sections as are required to be
in actual relief; and
5. We then clean the copper, enamel it, fire it, and finish it according to the
methods usually practised by Limoges enamellers.
The shaded design on paper (Fig. 1) is not cut up, but preserved for further use
if required.
In Figure 2 the intervals left between the several sections are exaggerated on
purpose to show more distinctly the separate character of each section, but when
fitted together, the interlocking or adjacent edges of the completed sections fit so
closely that the division lines are scarcely discernible, and following, as they do,
the principal lines of the composition, do not offend the eye, and are not perceptible
at a little distance. We preferably mark the contour of the several pieces of colour
by shading, merging into deep black or dark coloured lines, which still further
tends to conceal the junction of the several sections; as will be clearly perceived
on reference to Figure 2.
By the above described mode of producing designs in enamelled metal work,
any sections may receive special and particular treatment, either as to the colour
of the enamel upon it, or the degree of relief to be given to the metal before
enamelling, and thus the highest quality of work and the greatest richness of
colour may be imported into the construction of designs of the largest size; while
the intricate or interlocking outlines of the sections, being in accordance with the
principal lines of the design or composition, are hardly apparent, and can only be
traced by close inspection, and emphasize the drawing and give force and vigour
to the design and colour, in a manner similar or analogous to the lead lines in a
stained glass window.
This method of producing designs in enamelled metal work, combining, as it
does, the free use of repousée work, where required, with sectional construction or

page_text: building up of the design, affords facilities for the faithful reproduction of works
of art of the largest size, in imperishable material, and possessing even greater
force than the original.
For covering ceilings and other large surfaces (where enamelled iron would be
too heavy) with enamelled copper, according to our invention, we may employ dies
or moulds and mechanical pressure or hammering up for the production of the
repousée in the several sections, before enamelling and fitting together, so that a
number of counterpart sections may be produced, and a considerable reduction in
the cost of decoration in the said enamelled work, according to our invention, be
thereby effected, though the work thus mechanically produced will necessarily not
be so artistic as that produced by hand alone.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is
The means above described for reproducing designs suitable for the ornamentation
of walls and large surfaces in enamelled metal work, such reproduction being
composed of sections repousée or not, the outlines of which correspond with the
leading lines of the design or composition, after the manner of rendering figure
subjects in stained glass.