Improvements in the Method of Preparing Colours for Making Writing Inks.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Sept., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 12th June, 1890-Accepted, 12th July, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of Preparing Colours for Making
Writing Inks.
I RALPH ASHTON of No. 14 Market Place, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Manufacturing Chemist do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of my invention is to prepare soluble colours, suitable for making writing
inks, in a dry, neat, and convenient form for handling, in order that ink may be readily
made as required for use, by simply placing portions of them with water in an ink-
stand, thereby doing away with the necessity of keeping ink stored in bottles which
are cumbrous and often the source of dirt and serious damage.
I effect my object by taking any of the colours known as coal tar colours which are
suitable for the purpose and making them into a strong solution. To this solution I
sometimes add gum, gelatine, dextrine, or other like substance.
To the solution of such colours as are improved by it I also add an acid. And to
facilitate the drying of the solution when spread on paper or other material I some-
times add methylated spirits.
Having prepared a solution of colour by one or other of the methods named I cover
with it paper, vegetable parchment, gelatine sheets, gelatine powder, shavings of wood,
sponge, a textile or other suitable material, by spreading it over the surface or dipping
the material into the colour solution.
Or, instead of covering various materials as described, I make a strong solution of
gelatine and mix it with a strong solution of colour. After drying this combination of
gelatine and colour I cut it into convenient portions for use.
In some cases I take the sheets which have been covered with colour, whilst they
are still wet, and lay over them sheets of very thin gelatine which adhere to the colour
and when dry protect very effectually the colour from being rubbed off.
The materials which have been treated as described are then dried and after-
wards, if necessary,
cut up into portions of more convenient size and shape. One
or more of these pieces put into a little water in an inkstand or other vessel will
make an ink, of the same colour as that with which the pieces had been covered,
suitable for ordinary writing purposes and for such other purposes as writing ink
is ordinarily used.
Instead of placing pieces of the prepared colour with water in an inkstand to form
ink, I sometimes take a piece of the prepared colour on sponge or other material,
and fix it to the stopper of an inkstand or in a recess formed for the purpose in.
the inkstand. In this case in order to make ink it is only necessary to place
water in the inkstand and, having replaced the stopper, shake the inkstand so that
the water may come into contact with the colour and dissolve off sufficient to
make the ink. This operation can be repeated every time fresh ink is required until
the supply of prepared colour is exhausted when it can be renewed.
In the cases where the colour has been prepared by laying a thin sheet of
gelatine over the colour, and where a thick solution of colour and gelatine have
been mixed, it will be necessary to use warm water when dissolving the prepared
colour to make ink.
The prepared colours are concentrated, elegant in appearance, and may be
handled with scarcely any perceptible soiling of the fingers. They can therefore
be kept on a writing desk or in a drawer with other writing materials conveniently
for use in the same way as pens, wafers etc.
Dated this 10th day of September 1889.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of Preparing Colours for Making
Writing Inks.
I RALPH ASHTON of 14 Market Place, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Manufacturing Chemist 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 object of my invention is to prepare soluble colours suitable for making writing
inks in a dry, neat and convenient form for handling, in order that ink may be readily
made as required for use by simply placing portions of them with water in an ink-
stand, thereby doing away with the necessity of keeping ink stored in bottles which
are cumbrous and often the source of dirt and serious damage.
I effect my object by taking any of the colours known as coal tar colours, or other
soluble colours suitable for the purpose, and making them into a strong solution. To
this solution I add dextrine or gelatine, or other like substance. I also add an acid to
the solution of such colours as are improved by it; and where it is desirable to hasten
the drying of the solution I add to it methylated spirit if the colour used is soluble
therein. It is not absolutely necessary that dextrine or gelatine should be added to
the colour but I prefer to do so as thereby much more satisfactory results are obtained.
Having prepared a solution of colour by one or other of the methods named, I cover
with it paper, vegetable parchment, gelatine, sugar, shavings of wood, sponge, or
other suitable material, by spreading it over the surface or dipping the material into
the colour solution; these materials act as carriers of the colour. When I use a
material that is soluble in water as a carrier of the colour, I employ a solvent for the
colour that will not dissolve the carrier, as for instance if I use sugar as a carrier, I
use as a solvent for the colour methylated spirit to such colours as will dissolve in
alcohol. When sugar is used as a carrier of the colour and the proportion of the sugar
is about five or six parts to one part of colour the compound makes an ink suitable for
press copying purposes, but for ordinary writing ink the proportions are about one
part of colour to two parts of sugar.
The materials so covered with colour are dried in any suitable way, but by
preference in a hot chamber or on a steam chest, and are afterwards, if necessary, cut
into portions of convenient size and shape. One or more of these pieces put into a
little water in an inkstand or other vessel will make an ink of the saine colour as that
with which the piece had been covered, suitable for writing purposes or such other
purposes as writing ink is used. Where gelatine has been used as a carrier it may be
dissolved by using warm water in making the ink.
Instead of placing loose pieces of the prepared colour with water in an inkstand,
portions may be fixed above the ink-line to the stopper, or in a recess or cavity, or
other convenient way in the inkstand. In this case it is only necessary to place water
in the inkstand and by agitation or otherwise cause it to come into contact with the
colour and dissolve off sufficient to make the ink. This operation can be repeated
every time fresh ink is required, until the supply of the prepared colour is exhausted
when it can be renewed.
The prepared colours are concentrated, elegant in appearance and may be handled
with scarcely any perceptible soiling of the fingers. They can therefore be kept on a
writing desk, or in a drawer with other writing materials conveniently for use in the
same way as pens, wafers &c.
I find the following method of preparation and proportions of materials to give good
results, but, as the method may be somewhat varied as well as the proportions and the
materials employed, I do not bind myself to them
FOR BLUE.

page_text: FOR RED.
5 lbs. of a coal tar red, say rose pink, dissolved in 2 quarts of hot water, forming
solution No. 1.
5 oz. gelatine dissolved in 5 pints warm water, forming solution No. 2.
In the formula for black the blue and orange are not absolutely necessary but are
added to modify and darken the shade. Other colours may be prepared in a similar
way by varying the proportions and nature of the solvents according to the known
properties of the colour so as to obtain a suitably dense solution or partial solution.
The solutions Nos. 1 and 2 in each formula are made in separate vessels and are mixed
together whilst warm. The resulting solution or partial solution thus obtained in each
case is then ready to be applied to the material intended to be covered with it. I take
strips or sheets of paper, or other suitable material, and by means of a brush paint the
solution over them, allowing one side of the material to dry before covering the other.
To cover large crystals or lamp sugar, and sponge, I place them in a net with a small
mesh and dip it into the colour solution. I lay the materials that have been covered
with colour on netting stretched on a frame and place them over a steam chest, or in
a heated chamber to dry. These operations are repeated until a sufficient amount of
colour is left adhering to the material. When the covered materials are well dried I
sometimes spread over them a thin solution of gelatine, or like substance, by means of
a spray producer, and then re-dry them; this tends to render the colour less liable to
rub off when handled. Finally the covered materials are, if necessary, cut into pieces
of any suitable size or shape for use. The covered materials have when dried and
finished a glossy surface resembling enamel.
The nature and novelty of my improvements consist in preparing colours for making
writing inks by making an enamelled surface or covering with them on paper or other
suitable material as hereinbefore described so as to give them an elegant and neat
appearance and to permit of handling with scarcely perceptible soiling of the fingers;
also to permit of their being put up in envelopes, packets, or boxes in a compact form,
so that they may be kept conveniently at hand to make ink as required for use by
simply placing portions of them with water in an inkstand, thereby doing away with
the necessity of keeping ink stored in bottles which are cumbrous and often the source
of dirt and serious damage, which forms the essential feature purpose and advantage
of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
The preparation of colours for making writing inks by making an enamelled
surface, or covering with them on paper or other suitable material in the manner and
for the purposes as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 10th day of June 1890.