IMPROVEMENTS IN ORNAMENTING SURFACES OF GLASS, WOOD, PLASTER, AND OTHER MATERIALS, AND IN PROTECTING THEM FROM THE ACTION OF FIRE AND MOISTURE
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ernest Stelzl, of Nancy, in the Empire of France
Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ORNAMENTING
SURFACES OF GLASS, WOOD, PLASTER, AND OTHER MATERIALS, AND IN PROTECTING
THEM FROM THE ACTION OF FIRE AND MOISTURE."
Sealed the 13th July 1860, and dated the 31st March 1860.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Ernest Stelzl at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and Declaration on
the 31st March 1860, pursuant to the 9th Section of the Patent Law
Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ERNEST
STELZL, of Nancy, in the Empire of France, Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
ORNAMENTING SURFACES OF GLASS, WOOL, PLASTER, AND OTHER MATERIALS, AND IN
PROTECTING THEM FROM THE ACTION OF FIRE AND MOISTURE," and have petitioned
Her Majesty to grant unto me, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
Her Royal Letters Patent for the same, and have made solemn declaration
that I am the true and first Inventor thereof:-
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Ernest Stelzl, do hereby declare that
the following Complete Specification under my hand and seal fully describes
and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed.
This Invention relates to the production of ornamental painting or coloring
Price8d1

page_text: upon wood, plaster, glass, or other surfaces of that kind known as fresco
painting or coloring in distemper, and consists in the employment for that
purpose of certain substances by which great economy and a superior result
are obtained. The substances which I prefer to employ for this purpose are
alkaline silicates, but any other compounds may be used which shall have the
effect of saturating with selica the surfaces to be ornamented,and thus render-
ing them insoluble and indestructible. The surface to be thus saturated with
silica must be capable of resisting the action of the brush, so as not to scale or
rub off when the selica compound is applied. It must also be of such a nature
as to be capable of receiving layers of silica compound sufficiently concentrated
not to require many applications. Th results are obtained by the employment
of the following composition:-I take twenty pounds of cuttings of whiteskins,
two hundred pounds of water, and after well boiled and strained it. I mix
therewith two pounds of gum tragacanth previously dissolved in a sufficient
quantity (say from fifteen to twenty times its weight) of water. When this
has been laid on two layers of silicate of potash are to be applied, the first being
diluted with water at ten degrees (Baumé), and the second at twenty degrees
(Baumé), these two layers of selicate of potash will suffice to render the
surface prepared as above described insoluble and incombustible.
Instead of applying two or three layers of sized upon the wood, plaster, or
other surface, and then two successive layers of silicate of potash, as above
described, I may, according to the nature of the work required, apply two or
three preparatory coatings, and then according to the degree of finish and
durability required apply two layers of the same tint,ground with water,and
mixed with silicate of potash at twenty-five degrees (Baumé).
This method possessed considerable advantages over those hitherto in use,
and which may be briefly summed up as follows:-The application of silicates
upon ordinary distemper colors requires so much care that it is almost im-
possible to employ them for the following reasons:-The colors rum and are
spoilt on applying the first layer of silicate; the layers of silicate must be at
least four or five in number to arrive at the requsite degree of insolubility as
the first can only be applied at five degrees (Baumé); the second must be
nearly as weak, the third at ten degrees, the fourth at fifteen, and the fifth at
twenty degrees. This requires much time, and the result is always doubtful.
Another disadvantage is that when colors are laid on with silicates the
coatings must be numerous, as the silicate gives great transparency to the
colors, and the greater the number of coatings the greater is the tendency
to scale off, this being always the case when the colors are employed with
the colors alone.

page_text: According to this improved method the coloring matters employed as basis
are those which cost the least, for instance, instead of zinc white, baryta white
is used, chalk white instead of white lead, the colors employedbeinggenerally
earths. From this it will be seen that great economy is effected. It is found
that neither alkaline silicates nor distemper colors will hold on any surface
where saltpetre exists; and in order to avoid this evil it is only necessary to
apply to the surface which is found to be in this condition several coatings of
a liquid prepared as follows:--To one quart of sulphuric acid at sixty-six
degrees (Baumé),add two gallons of water and one hundred grammes of crys-
tallized chloride of zinc. This composition is to be applied by means of a
brush or flannel, and allowed to sink into the wall as far as possible, and this
operation is to be repeated two or three times, according to the quantity of
saltpetre which exists. It is even found necessary in some cases to disjoint
the stones or bricks of which the wall is composed. The proportion of acid
or of chloride of zinc may be varied according to circumstances.
In order to produce glass of white, blue, red, green, lilac, or any other color
or shade, I grind and dilute the color in a liquid, having a silicate for its base,
and the proportions of which may be variously modified. I prefer,however, to
employ the following, videlicet, three parts of silicate of potash at thirty-five
degrees (Baumé), half a part of silicate of soda at fifty degrees, and one part
of line water. A layer of color prepared with this liquor is to be applied evenly
to the sheet of glass, and softened down by means of a flat brush, after which
it is left to dry for a day or more as thought desirable.
In order to produce white designs standing out upon a blue, green, yellow,
or black ground, or pink upon lilac, and red grounds, or white upon these
various grounds, if the colors employed are susceptible of being attacked by
the acid which I employ, hydrochloric acid is to be applied to all those parts
from which the color is required to be extracted. The hydrochloric acid at
the same time that it decomposes the colors acts upon the silicate, so that the
parts attacked by the acid have not much hold upon the glass. In order to
avoid this, as soon as the designs upon one sheet of glass have been subjected
to the acid the glass is well washed in water in order to remove the acid; it is
then lightly wiped, and when dry is coated over with a liquid composed of
four parts of silicate of potash at thirty-five degrees (Baumé), half a pint of
silicate of soda at fifty degrees (Baumé), and two parts of lime water. When
this coating is dry the glass is put into a furnace or oven for about five minutes,
where it is exposed to a temperature of about eighty degrees (centigrades).
Any even surface of any material, or ground glass or stoneware, may be
painted upon in different colors, and various ornaments thus produced in any

page_text: desired manner,
which may be used for windows of apartments or churches,
numbers of houses, plates for the names of streets, or for shop fronts, trans-
parencies for illuminations, and other purposes,and in general for all purposes
where painted glass may be employed. I also draw upon glass either ground
or painted of any color by the process above described designs in lead pencil,
chalk, or crayon, in the same manner as upon paper; the silicate liquor above
mentioned is then applied, and the glass is passed through the oven. Photo-
graphs may also be produced upon glass and afterwards treated with the
silicate liquor in the same way, by which means the photographs being
vitrified will be rendered indestructible. All sorts of fabrics and designs may
be imitated by means of the acid upon a uniform ground and with various
colors applied together in such manner as to obtain the desired result.
The two sides of a plate may also be painted in different colors and designs
the more perfectly to imitate various fabrics and ornaments.
Having thus described my Invention and set forth the best means with
which I am acquainted for carrying the same into practical operation, I desire
it to be understood that I do not mean or intend to confine myself rigidly to
the materials or proportions above mentioned, as they may doubtless be varied
according to circumstances without departing from the nature and object of
my Invention; but that which I consider to be new and desire to secure by
Letters Patent is,―
First, the size or drier above described to be employed for painting upon
wood or other surfaces generally painted upon in oil or distemper colors,
and having some alkaline silicate or silicates for its base.
Second, the liquid or composition above described which has the effect of
removing saltpetre from surfaces, and thus facilitating the application of the
colors.
Third, the method above described of producing ornamental designs upon
glass or other surfaces by the employment of alkaline silicates.
In witness whereof, I, the said Earnest Stelzl, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twenty-sixth day of March, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty.
ERNEST STELZL. (L.S.)