CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING OR ORNAMENTING CHINA, EARTHENWARE, AND GLASS
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Elijah Henry Brindley, of Longton, in the County of
Stafford, Engraver, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
PRINTING OR ORNAMENTING CHINA, EARTHENWARE, AND GLASS."
Sealed the 21st November 1854, and dated the 15th July 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Elijah Henry Brindley at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th July 1854.
I, ELIJAH HENRY BRINDLEY, of Longton, in the County of Stafford, Engraver,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN PRINTING OR ORNAMENTING CHINA, EARTHENWARE, AND GLASS" to be as
follows:-
My Invention consists in the use of flexible and elastic blocks, of flat, convex,
conical, spherical, or other suitable form, by means of which the patterns or
portion of a pattern required to be produced upon the material or ware may be
readily adapted to the shape of the article, the surface of which is intended to
be printed or ornamented. These blocks may be used to print or ornament
surfaces with patterns or figures in colours, gold, and lustre. The flexibility of
the blocks admits of their being fitted or adjusted by the hand of the operator
to the particular character and form of the surface to which they are applied,

page_text: whether it be flat or uneven, or of whatever shape. The elasticity of the
spherical, or other than flat blocks, also admits of their being expanded by the
operator, so as to produce variations in the size, shape, and character of
the figures printed from them, as may be required, to adapt the same figures
or pattern, or portions of a pattern, to pieces of ware of different sizes and
shapes. The blocks, when charged with the requisite colouring matter or
adhesive mixture to receive the dust or powder of colour or gold, and applied
to the ware by hand, leave impressions of their respective figures thereon.
SPECIFICATION. in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Elijah Henry Brindley in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 15th January 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ELIJAH
HENRY BRINDLEY, of Longton, in the County of Stafford, Engraver, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Elijah Henry Brindley, Her special licence that I, the said Elijah Henry
Brindley, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Elijah Henry Brindley, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN PRINTING OR ORNAMENTING CHINA, EARTHENWARE, AND GLASS," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Elijah Henry Brindley, by an instru-
ment 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 Scal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Elijah Henry Brindley, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the

page_text: following statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention of "Certain Improvements in Printing or Ornamenting
China, Earthenware, and Glass," has for its object the application of subjects
of ornament in colours, gold, &c. to unyielding and uneven surfaces, by means
of impression from devices in relief, without the use of printing paper or other
flexible medium ordinarily employed for the purpose. It is intended also to
afford the means of multiplying the designs or patterns capable of being pro-
duced upon such surfaces by varying the combinations of the devices, which aro
taken as the elements out of which such designs or patterns are to be consti-
tuted. And it is further intended to afford the means of varying the effect
produced on the printed surface, by different modes of handling the blocks or
types, on the surfaces of which the devices are formed in relief.
And my
Invention for accomplishing the foregoing object consists in the use
of flexible and elastic blocks or types, of flat, convex, conical, spherical, or other
suitable form, by means of which the patterns or portions of a pattern required
to be produced upon the material or ware may be readily adapted to the shape
of the article, the surface of which is intended to be printed or ornamented.
These blocks or types may be used to print or ornament surfaces with patterns
or figures in colours, gold, and lustre. The flexibility of the blocks or types
admits of their being fitted or adjusted by the hand of the operator to the par-
ticular character and form of the surface to which they are applied, whether it
be flat or uneven, or of whatever shape. The elasticity of the spherical, or
other than flat blocks or types, also admits of their being expanded by the
operator, so as to produce variations in the size, shape, and character of the
figures printed from them, as may be required, to adapt the same figures or
pattern, or portions of a pattern, to pieces of ware of different sizes and shape.
The blocks or types, when charged with the requisite colouring matter or
adhesive mixture to receive the dust or powder of colour or gold, and applied
to the ware by hand, leave impressions of their respective figures thereon.
In order, however, that my Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the mode of manufacturing the
blocks or types, and the manner in which they are employed, for the purpose of
printing or ornamenting surfaces.
The first part of the process of manufacturing the block or type is to make
a suitable model of it in wax or clay. This may be done in different ways, but
I will describe a mode which I have found to answer the purpose:-I tako
equal parts of bees' wax and tallow, put them into an earthen vessel, and submit
them to the action of heat in a water bath until the wax and tallow are melted

page_text: and thoroughly mixed, by being frequently well stirred; I then pour the
mixture while hot into glazed earthenware or tin moulds, 'approximating in size
and form to the intended model, such moulds having been previously oiled to
a slight degree. Less than an equal weight of tallow to that of wax may be
used, if preferred, but a greater proportion of, tallow than the forgoing would
make the composition unsuitable for the more delicate parts of the device
intended to stand in relief. The mass, when delivered from the mould and
sufficiently cooled and hardened, may be formed into the intended figure by
the ordinary modelling tools adapted to such purposé.
These models may be made in all varieties of form and size to correspond
with the blocks or types required. A few forms, by way of illustration, will be
herein-after referred to..
;
The next part of the process of manufacturing the block or type is to make
a mould in plaster of Paris from the clay or wax model. This is done in the
usual manner as practised by moulders in plaster, espécial care being taken,
however, to avoid air bubbles, by carefully working the plaster into the deeper
interstices of the model by means of a hair pencil, or, if preferred, a stick of
gutta percha drawn to a narrow and flattened point. If the model is in clay
(potters or common pipe clay well tempered in the band) it may be removed
from the mould in about a quarter of an hour; but if in the abovo composition
of wax and tallow, it should remain in the mould from twelve to twenty-four.
hours. When the plaster is found to be strongly set; the model. may be.lifted
out of the mould, by means of two blades inserted in the back of the modél at
opposite points. The mould should then be dried thoroughly, and afterwards
made hot in an oven or before a fire, and while in a heated state. should have
its inner surface dressed with melted wax by means of a camel-hair, pencil.
Continue the dressing long enough to insure its permeating the surface of the
plaster to the depth of about onc-eighth of an inch, then fix the wax to the
surface by a sudden cooling of the mould. The mould thus seasoned is ready.
for use.
From this mould a casting is taken in the composition required to produce
a flexible and elastic block. And I will proceed to describe a composition
which I have found to answer the purpose:-Break up eight pounds of
transparent glue, add as much rain or river water as will just cover it, and.
occasionally stir it about. When the glue has absorbed the water, put it into
an earthenware vessel, and place this in a saucepan deep enough to adinit of
the water in the saucepan rising around the vessel containing the glue to a level-
higher than that of the glue, place it on the fire, and the glue will soon become
dissolved; remove it from the fire as soon as froth is seen to rise, and mix with

page_text: it seven pounds of molasses, which has been previously made tolerably hot;
stir the composition well together in the water bath over the fire, but without
allowing it to boil, adding as much hot water as will bring it to the proper
consistency to admit of its flowing freely into the interstices of the mould. As
often as water is added to thin the composition it should be well stirred. This
being done, remove the composition from over the fire, and set it aside until it
has considerably cooled, then pour it slowly into the mould which has been
previously oiled with a camel-hair pencil and best olive oil.
In a cool room or in cool weather the castings will be ready to be taken out.
of the moulds in two or three hours, but in a warm room or in warm weather"
it will be necessary to leave them therein for a longer time. They are ready
to be taken out when they are so far set as to bear the pressure of the finger.
without holding or stickiness to the touch. In order to take a casting out of.
its mould, cover the exposed part of the casting with tissue paper, rubbing it
down with the end of the finger, and it will adhere sufficiently to enable the
operator to draw the casting out of the mould. By damping the tissue paper
with a wet sponge it will draw off the casting, and leave it in a fit state to be
applied to the holder, which may be done by means of a slight pressure. The
casting thus combined with the holder constitutes a block or type. Before,
however, it is fit for use, it should be cleansed from the oil that may adhere to
its surface from the mould by being carefully bathed with a little spirit of
turpentine.
It may be here remarked, that in some cases, in order to insure a perfect
casting, it may be advisable before pouring the composition into the moulds to
drop it from the end of a pointed stick or skewer into each separate hollow of
tho mould, or work it carefully through the lines or channels thereof. I would
also remark, that the proportions of glue and molasses for the composition-
above referred to may be varied. I have used as little as five and a half
pounds of molasses to eight pounds of glue in warm weather, and as much as
nine and ten pounds of molasses to eight pounds of glue in cold weather.
The holder of the block or type is a piece of plaster of Paris, gutta percha,
metal, or earthenware, of a suitable form to be held in the hand, so as to be
conveniently used for regulating the effect of the pressure in applying the
impression to the surface to be ornamented. The holder should correspond in
shape with the back or base of the block or type, but should be somewhat
larger. If it be made of plaster of Paris, it should be dressed or seasoned with
wax, as in the case of the moulds. Flat. holders will generally be used, but
when sharp curves or angles occur in the surface to be ornamented, it will be..
desirable to use a holder corresponding therewith in shape. The holder in

page_text: such case may be a casting taken from the surface itself in plaster of Paris, or
a piece of gutta percha, softened by immersion in hot water, and pressed
against such surface, and allowed to get cold upon it, then removed.
Such is a general description of the mode of manufacturing the blocks or
types, which may be of various forms, and have various devices on their
printing surfaces. I will however, for the sake of illustration, refer to three
different classes of blocks or types, as represented in the accompanying
Drawing, and point out the mode of using them. Fig. 1 represents in plan
and vertical section a block or type, with a device in relief on its printing
surface.; Fig. 2 shews the same, with a device on a flat printing surface; and
Fig. 3 represents a block or type, with a device or a semi-spherical printing
surface, by means of which the device may be printed so as to produce
impressions of different sizes and different effects, as will be herein-after
explained. Fig. 4 shews a section of a block on a holder curved to suit a
curved surface to be printed. In manufacturing blocks or types of the first
class, it is important to make them so as to give due prominence to those parts
which require to stand up in effect in the impression, and to cause a properly
diversified effect of shading. For instance, in the case of a flower, the petals
should be made prominent, and in the case of a leaf, the main fibre. To
produce this effect it is necessary that the model be duly shaped, with the
prominent parts raised, and the other parts sloped off, and it is possible by this
means to make the models and blocks capable of producing considerable
diversity of effect as to light and shade in the impression. Blocks of this
description, when applied to the surface to be printed, do not come at once in
contact with it, but gradually. And I would remark, that when the blocks are
in good working order (that is to say) not too hard, the prominences may be
made to produce the shades; for the colour in such case, following the
gradual release of the block, causes the deepest shades to form in the direction
of the prominences.
In the blocks or types shewn at Fig. 2, the breadth of the lines should not
exceed one-sixteenth of an inch. These blocks present their whole surface at
once to the surface to be printed. The blocks or types of the class shewn at
Fig. 3 are capable of producing varieties from a small to a large flower, and
from a single to a double flower. The block or type shewn has a semi-
spherical surface with eight rounded or convex divisions. Take this block,
charge it with colour, and apply the nib lightly to the surface to be printed;
a small single flower of eight petals will be the result; but apply it with
adequate pressure, and a flower larger than its base or greatest diameter may
be produced. To make a double flower from the same block: having pressed

page_text: it to the desired extent, relax the pressure a little, and give it a slight turn
forward, relax the pressure again and turn backward, and repeat the same
motions more or less frequently, as the flower to be produced is to have the
effect of being more or less doubled. Simple pressure and release of the block
will always produce a flower corresponding with the form and character of the
block, but many different effects may be produced by changing the motion of.
the hand during the release of the block from the surface to be printed. I
may instance the gyratory and tremulous motions of the hand with these
expanding blocks as the most useful and pleasing in addition to the above
mode of proceeding for making a double flower.
The foregoing reference to a few different forms of blocks, and the mode of
applying them to the surface to be printed, will serve to illustrate the important
feature of my Invention, that it affords abundant scope for variety of effect in
the separate devices on the respective blocks, as well as variety of pattern, by
different modes of combining such devices to form patterns. With blocks
answering to the design or pattern to be executed, the operator may proceed to
work as follows:-The color being ground fine, and mixed in the proper
vehicle, as herein-after described, is spread evenly by means of a palette knife
or large hair pencil on the paletto or feeder, herein-after described. The
operator then proceeds to charge the face of the block or type with the
requisite colour, and to apply it to the surface to be printed, in such manner
and with such amount of pressure as is requisite to produce the effect required,
thus leaving an impression on the said surface of a flower or knot of flowers,
a leaf or a cluster of leaves, as the case may be. This is to be repeated as
often as the use of the same colour and block are required for the work in
hand. The second and after courses are similar in operation, requiring only
the necessary change of block and colour to suit the pattern.
Thus, suppose the first block prints subjects in red, the second those in blue,
the third green, and so on.
The following is a vehicle for the colours, suitable for printing on glazed
surfaces, and is intended to be added to the colours prepared in turpentine :-
Dissolve three ounces of Canada balsam (by gentle heat) in sixteen ounces of
spirits of turpentine, when cold add eight ounces of spirit of tar, shaking it up
well; keep this mixture in a well-corked bottle ready for use.
I propose to
use this mixture instead of and in the same way as the "fat oil" of "enamel
painters."
The following is a vehicle for colours for printing on porous or unglazed sur-
faces, and is intended also to be added to the colours prepared in turpentine:-
Dissolve six ounces of common pitch in eighteen ounces of spirits of turpentino

page_text: (by gentle heat), when cold add two ounces of spirit of tar. This mixture
must be shaken up well, and kept in a well-corked bottle ready for use:
I propose to use this mixture instead of the gum water used by "biscuit
painters."
This kind of ware has (before printing) to be immersed in water, and to
remain in soak for about an hour, then taken out and drained until no water
lies on the surface. It is afterwards printed, and subsequently baked in the
ordinary manner to prepare it for glazing.
The following is a mixture for gold size :-Dissolve twelve ounces of black
pitch, by gentle heat, in twelve ounces of spirits. of turpentine; when cold add
four ounces. of spirits of tar; bottle the mixture. For printing in gold, a
piece of oalico or thin woollen cloth may be saturated with the above gold
size, and secured evenly on an elastic cushion, then charge the block or type,
by pressing it upon this saturated cloth, and apply it to the surface to be
printed; allow the work to stand until the size is found fit to receive the gold
dust or powder, when the latter may be applied by means of cotton, wool, or a
camel-hair pencil. Lustre is applied in. the same way as the gold size, no
dusting, however, being required.
=
..
I now proceed to describe the feeder, by means of which the blocks or types
are charged with the requisite colours in the manner adapted to produce the
desired effect on the printed surface. It consists of a thin flat bat or cake of
the same, composition as that out of which the blocks are made, with its
surface grooved or channelled according to the kind of work for which it is
intended. For instance, when the colour is to be equally disposed over the
whole face of the blocks, the grooving or channelling should be uniform,
but for giving a light and a strong side to. the printed device, the grooving or
channelling should commence fine, and become gradually coarser, or broader
and deeper. The grooving or channelling will also be finer or coarser
according to the work.
For all small sized blocks the feeder may be on a stone slab, and it should
be cast of about half an inch in thickness; but when large convex or expanding
blocks or types are used, the feeders should be on an elastic cushion (such as
travellers' air cushions, and made of a proper size), in order to allow of the
extremities or sides being coated with colour, and in this case it will be
desirable that the feeder should be cast thinner (say, from one-eighth to a
quarter of an inch), so that it may yield the more readily with the cushion.
I would here remark that there are various details respecting the prepara-
tion and use of colours, with other particulars in the process or operation of
printing, which I have not thought it necessary to describe, as they are well

page_text: known to persons engaged in the trade, and my Invention does not specially
relate to them.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I would have it understood that I do not mean or
intend to confine myself to the precise forms of the blocks or types represented
and described, nor to the precise materials and processes described; but what
I do claim as of my Invention is the use of flexible and elastic blocks or types
for the purpose described, such blocks or types being capable of being adapted
to the particular form of the surface to be printed, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Elijah Henry Brindley, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Twelfth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
THOMAS WILTSHAW.
ELIJAH HENRY BRINDLEY. (L.B.)