Improvements in the Method of and Means for Producing Indelible Designs upon the Surface of Glass, Marble, Metal, and similar Material.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of and Means for Producing Indelible
Designs upon the Surface of Glass, Marble, Metal, and similar
Material.
We, WALTER SAMUEL HADLEY and FREDERICK WILLIAM SEPHTON, of Bridg-
water Glass Works, 42, Oxford Arcade, Oxford Street, Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, Glass Merchants, Silverers, Bevellers, Benders, and Brilliant Cutters,
and REES MILLS, of 23, Etruria Street, Longsight, Manchester, aforesaid, Glass
Embosser, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our said invention relates to improvements in the method of and means for
producing indelible designs upon the surface of glass, marble, metal and similar
material.
In carrying our invention into effect we first prepare the pattern or transfer
plate. This plate is preferably of plate glass of a true plane surface.
We cover the plate with acid resisting medium such as metallic foil, wax,
asphaltum or the like and work the design on the same with suitable tools or
instruments.
The design or pattern is then "bitten in" preferably with hydrofluoric
acid.
We then treat the plate with ammonium fluoride, technically known as
"white acid" by flowing the same over the surface of the plate or in any other
suitable manner. This treatment with ammonium fluoride or "white acid"
leaves the surface of the plate in a very suitable state for the after process of
transferring enabling the operator to take off the pattern cleanly and entirely.
To obtain a transfer the surface of the etched pattern plate is sponged with
glycerine or water and then covered with an ink consisting largely of fatty
matter.
}
The ink is by preference composed of suitable proportions of wax, Canada
balsam, soap and lamp black although we do not confine ourselves to these
ingredients.
The ink is used in a more or less fluid state and is poured upon the surface of
the etched plate. A metallic scraper is then applied to the surface of the
printing plate so that the ink is scraped off the raised parts of the plate leaving
the ink in the "bitten in " parts of the design alone. Waxed paper or other
suitable material is then placed upon the plate and the design transferred
thereto by suitable pressure.
The design is then transferred from the paper to the surface of the glass, marble,
metal or the like to be treated.
This surface having received the ink design is then etched by means of suitable
acid or sandblasted.
By means of our invention we are enabled readily to transfer from the pattern
017

page_text: plate any desired number of designs to be etched, embossed or sand blasted upon
the surface of glass, marble, metal or the like.
Dated this 7th day of October 1897
Improvements in the Method of and Means for Producing Indelible
Designs upon the Surface of Glass, Marble, Metal, and similar
Material..
We, WALTER SAMUEL HADLEY and FREDERICK WILLIAM SEPHTON, of Bridg-
water Glass Works, 42, Oxford Arcade, Oxford Street, Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, Glass Merchants, Silverers, Bevellers, Benders, and Brilliant Cutters,
and REES MILLS, of 23, Etruria Street, Longsight, Manchester, aforesaid, Glass
Embosser, 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, that is to say:-
Our said invention relates to improvements in the method of and means for
producing indelible designs upon the surface of glass, marble, metal, pottery ware
and similar material.
In carrying our invention into effect we first prepare the pattern or transfer
plate. This plate is preferably of plate glass of a true plane surface.
We cover the plate with acid resisting medium such as metallic foil, wax,
asphaltum or the like and work the design on the same with suitable tools or
instruments.
The design or pattern is then "bitten in" preferably with hydrofluoric
acid.
"
We then treat the plate with ammonium fluoride known commercially as
"white acid" by flowing the ammonium fluoride over the surface of the plate.
This treatment with ammonium fluoride or white acid breaks up the surface of
the plate, with which it comes into contact, to a suitable extent so as to leave
it in a very suitable condition for the after process of transferring, enabling
the operator to take off the pattern on to the transfer paper cleanly and entirely.
Instead of treating the bitten in design upon the glass plate with ammonium
fluoride as described we may produce the suitable surface by means of sand
blasting.
After the treatment with ammonium fluoride or sand blasting has taken place,
the "resist" material such as the metallic foil or the like is next removed.
To obtain a transfer the surface of the etched pattern plate is sponged with
glycerine, water, or oil, and then covered with an "ink" consisting largely of
fatty matter.
The ink is composed preferably of equal parts of beeswax and commercial
pitch, or it may be with a slight preponderance of beeswax, and sufficient
colouring matter is added to give the desired tint.
The colour of the ink is of more importance in cases where it would appear
on the finished article such as pottery or glass to be fired or silvered.
The colouring matter consists of the metallic oxides, vegetable or aniline
colours.
The ink is used in a more or less fluid state and is poured on the surface of

page_text: the etched plate. The ink is rendered fluid by the application of heat. We
find between 75 and 100 Centigrade to be a suitable temperature. An inflex-
ible metallic scraper heated to a temperature slightly in excess of the ink is
then applied to the surface of the pattern or printing plate so that the ink is
scraped off the higher parts of the plate leaving the ink in the "bitten in" parts
of the design alone.
.
"Waxed" paper, or it might be paper alone but this is not so suitable, is then
placed upon the plate and the design transferred thereto by suitable pressure.
The design is then transferred by a slight rubbing or pressure, from the
waxed" paper to the surface of the glass, marble, metal, pottery ware or other
material to be treated.
This surface having received the "ink" design is etched by means of suitable
acid, sandblasted, silvered or fired.
By means of our invention we are enabled readily to transfer from the pattern
plate any desired number of designs to be etched, embossed, sandblasted, fired
or silvered to the surface of glass, marble, metal or other material.
Further under our improved process the design is at once transferred from the
waxed paper transfer thus obviating the necessity of damping the transfer paper
as is the present practice.
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: -
1) The improved process for producing indelible designs upon the surface of
glass, marble, metal and other material substantially as described.
.
2) As means for producing a receptive surface for the glycerine, oil or water
used in sponging the pattern plate prior to inking same, the employment of
ammonium fluoride to act upon the etched pattern plate, or sandblasting the
same, so as to enable the operator to transfer the ink design to the waxed paper
eleanly and entirely substantially as described.
T
1
1141.
1000
E. K. DUTTON & Co.,
Chartered Patent Agents, 5, John Dalton Street, Manchester.