Improvements in or connected with Transferring Designs to Glass or other Surfaces.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Oct., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 6th June, 1893—Accepted, 12th Aug., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Transferring Designs to Glass
or other Surfaces.
I, ARTHUR MARTYN, of 209 The Grove, Hammersmith, in the County of
Middlesex, Glass Tablet Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my said
invention to be as follows:-
According to a method now in use, lithographic and other prints, and designs of
various kinds, are applied to and fixed on glass and other surfaces by means of
gummed transfer papers, the design or print being secured to the glass or other
surface by means of varnish or other suitable adhesive material applied to the face
of the transfer paper, or to the glass or other surface, or to both the transfer paper
and the surface. But heretofore in the practice of this method it has generally
been the custom to coat the entire surface of the design, or the entire surface to be
covered by the design, and sometimes both those surfaces, with varnish so that
not only have the parts of the design, which it is necessary to attach to the glass
or other surface, been covered with varnish, but also those parts which should by
preference remain quite clear of varnish, so as to leave the glass or other surface at
those parts clearly visible without the intervention of the varnish which when
present causes such parts to appear dull or somewhat discoloured.
The object of the present invention is to provide a method whereby only those
parts of the design which are intended to adhere to the glass or other surface shall
receive the coat of varnish, or other suitable adhesive material, in a condition such
that it will adhere to the said glass or other surface, the other parts intended to be
left plain not receiving the varnish or other adhesive material in a condition such
that it will adhere to the glass, whereby when the transfer paper is stripped off by
damping the back thereof with water in the usual way the design or print remains
attached to the glass with the spaces between the parts of the design or print
entirely free of varnish.
For this purpose I print or otherwise apply the design to a gummed or other
suitable transfer paper, such paper being more or less porous or absorbent.
When
this printed design has become dry I wash off with a sponge or otherwise the gum
or other adhesive matter which appears between and around the parts of the
design, leaving the surface of the more or less porous or absorbent paper exposed
and free of gum or other adhesive material. When the paper has been again
thoroughly dried, I coat the face, on which the design has been printed, with a
suitable varnish or other adhesive material, for example copal varnish mixed with
a little Canada balsam, and thinned as desired with turpentine. This coat of
adhesive material remains on the surface of the printed part of the design and is
available for attaching such design to the glass or other surface; but sinks into
and is absorbed by the paper between and around the parts of the design in such
manner that the said parts of the paper remain non-adherent.
While the coat of varnish, on the parts of the printed or otherwise applied
design, is still tacky, the transfer paper with the varnished design thereon is applied
to the glass or other surface, and pressed to it by any suitable means to cause the
parts of the design to adhere thereto. When the varnish has dried sufficiently, the
back of the transfer paper is wetted and stripped off, leaving the design adhering
to the glass by the varnish, those parts of the paper between and around the parts
of the design coming away with the rest of the paper because they have not
adhered to the glass, by reason of the varnish having been absorbed into them
instead of remaining on the surface, as it would have done if the gum had not been
previously removed.

page_text: In cases where it is not desired to apply the design to the glass or other surface
soon after the varnish has been applied, but instead thereof the said varnish is
allowed to become dry so that the prepared designs can be stored until required
for use, I restore the tacky condition of the varnish when the design is about to be
applied to the glass or other surface by brushing the surface of the varnish over
with a suitable solvent such as benzoline for example.
Instead of washing off the gum in the spaces between and around the design and
the applying varnish, I sometimes form an adhesive surface on the design by
dusting over the same, before ink or colour is dry, powdered resin which forms
with the oil in the ink or colour a kind of varnish or highly adhesive material well
adapted to secure the design to the glass or other surface.
In order to secure the close contact of all parts of the design with the glass or
other surface without the intervention of air between such surface and the varnish
on the design, I thoroughly wet the surface of the design, and the surface to which
the same is to be fixed, with water or other suitable liquid. I then apply the
design to the glass or other surface with the film of water between, and I apply
pressure to the back of the design by means of an indiarubber or other squeegee
and thereby force the water from between the varnished design and the glass or
other surface, thus bringing the tacky varnished design into close contact with the
said surface without the intervention of air which has been displaced by the water
or other liquid, and when the design adheres sufficiently the transfer paper is soaked
with water and removed in the ordinary way.
Dated this 5th day of October 1892.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Transferring Designs to Glass
or other Surfaces.
1, ARTHUR MARTYN, of 209 The Grove, Hammersmith, in the County of
Middlesex, Glass Tablet Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
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:-
According to the method heretofore in use for transferring lithographic and
other prints or designs to glass or other surfaces, the entire surface of the design,
or the entire surface to be covered by the design, and sometimes both those surfaces,
is or are coated with varnish or other suitable adhesive material, so that not only
are the parts of the design, which it is necessary to attach to the glass or other
surface, covered with varnish but also those parts which should by preference
remain quite clear of varnish, so as to leave the glass or other surface at those parts
clearly visible without the intervention of the varnish, which, when present, causes
such parts to appear dull or somewhat obscured.
To obviate this defect I provide a method whereby only those parts of the design
which are intended to adhere to the glass or other surface receive the coat of
varnish or other adhesive material, in a condition such that it will adhere to the
said glass or other surface, the other parts intended to be left plain not receiving
the varnish or other adhesive material in a condition such that it will adhere to the
glass; whereby when the transfer paper is stripped off, by damping the back
thereof with water in the usual way, the design or print remains attached to the
glass with the spaces between the parts of the design or print entirely free from
varnish.
For this purpose I print or otherwise apply the design to an ordinary gummed
or other suitable transfer paper or to any other suitable fabric having a gummed
surface, such paper or fabric being more or less porous or absorbent. When this

page_text: printed design has become dry, I wash off the gum or other soluble matter which
appears between and around the parts of the design, leaving the surface of the
more or less porous or absorbent paper or fabric exposed and free of gum or other
soluble material. For example, supposing the design to consist of a bull's head in
combination with the word "Bovril" I take the gummed transfer paper or fabric
with the said design printed thereon and I pass a wet sponge for example over the
entire surface of the gummed side of the paper by which means the whole of the
gum is removed except in those places which are covered and protected from
the action of the wet sponge by the ink or other printing or colouring medium in
which the bull's head and the lettering are printed. As soon as the paper is
sufficiently dry after the sponging operation, I coat the entire upper surface, on
which the design has been printed, with a suitable varnish or other adhesive
material such as, for example, one composed of Canada balsam mixed or not with
copal varnish thinned to the required consistency with turpentine. The design
(the bull's head and the letters forming the word "Bovril" for example) being
impervious, receives and retains the varnish on its surface; but the intervening
spaces of the paper between and around the bull's head and the letters of the word
Bovril," being no longer impervious (owing to the removal therefrom of the gum
in the sponging process) allow the varnish to sink into and be absorbed by the
pores of the paper at those parts. The coat of varnish on the surface of the
printed part of the design, is available for attaching such design to the glass or
other surface; but the paper or fabric between and around the parts of the design
remains non-adherent.
While the coat of varnish on the parts of the printed or otherwise applied design
is still tacky, the transfer paper or fabric with the varnished design thereon is
applied, preferably after wetting with water as hereinafter more fully described, to
the glass or other surface and pressed to it by an indiarubber squeegee or any
suitable means to cause the parts of the design (the bull's head and the word
"Bovril" for example) to adhere thereto. When the varnish has dried sufficiently,
the back of the transfer paper or fabric is wetted and stripped off, leaving the
design (the bull's head and the word "Bovril" for example) adhering to the glass
by the varnish, those parts of the paper or fabric between and around the parts of
the design coming away with the rest of the paper or fabric because they have not
adhered to the glass, by reason of the varnish having been absorbed into them
instead of remaining on the surface, as it would have done if the gum had not been
previously removed.
Instead of washing off the gum before applying the varnish, the parts forming
the design only (the bull's head and the word "Bovril" for example) may be
provided with a coating of varnish by printing or otherwise, and the gum may then
be removed more or less from the portions of the transfer paper or fabric where the
design and varnish do not occur, by soaking, rinsing or washing off by means of
water before applying the sheet to the glass or other surface.
In cases where it is not desired to apply the design to the glass or other surface
soon after the varnish has been applied, but instead thereof the said varnish is
allowed to become dry so that the prepared sheets having the designs thereon can
be stored until required for use, I restore the tacky condition of the varnish, when
the design about to be applied to the glass or other surface, by brushing over the
surface of the varnish on the design with a suitable solvent such as benzoline or
turpentine for example, or the solvent may be applied to the glass or other surface
just before applying thereto the design sheet with the dry varnish on it.
The dry
varnish on the design itself (the bull's head and the word "Bovril" for example)
becomes tacky when it comes in contact with the solvent on the glass or other
surface and in that condition readily adheres to the said surface.
In order to secure the close contact of all parts of the design itself (the bull's
bead and the word "Bovril" for example) with the glass or other surface without
the intervention of air between such surfaces and the varnish on the design, I
thoroughly wet the surface of the varnished design sheet and sometimes also the

page_text: surface to which the design is to be fixed, with water, or other suitable liquid. I
then apply the design sheet to the glass or other surface with the film of water or
other suitable liquid between and I apply pressure to the back of the transfer by
means of an indiarubber or other squeegee. I thereby force the film of liquid from
between the varnished design and the glass or other surface, thus bringing the
tacky varnished design into close contact with the said surface without the
intervention of air, which is displaced by the water or other liquid. When
the design itself adheres sufficiently the transfer paper or fabric is soaked with
water and removed in the ordinary way.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
First. The method of preventing the varnish on the parts of the transfer paper
or fabric between and around the parts of the design from remaining in such a
condition that it would adhere to and obscure the glass or other surface to which
the design is to be transferred, which consists in removing the gum from such parts
after the design has been applied to the transfer paper or fabric but before the
varnish has been applied thereto whereby such varnish when applied enters the
pores of the paper or fabric at such parts and being absorbed there does not adhere
to the said glass or other surface when the design is applied thereto, substantially
as described.
Second. The method of transferring a design to a glass or other surface which
consists in first applying the design to an ordinary gummed transfer paper or fabric,
removing the gum from those portions of the paper or fabric which it is desired
should not adhere to the glass or other surface, then coating the paper and design
with varnish, and allowing the varnish to partially dry, then wetting the transfer
or the surface to which it is to be applied or both the transfer and the surface,
applying the transfer to the surface and squeezing out the water substantially as
described.
Third. As an improvement in the art of transferring designs to glass or other
surfaces a gummed transfer paper or fabric to which the design has been applied
and from which the gum has been removed in those portions where the design does
not occur, and which it is intended should not adhere to the glass or other surface
to which the design is to be applied, substantially as described.
Fourth. The method of preventing the parts of the transfer paper or fabric
between and around the parts of the design from adhering to the glass or other
surface to which the design is to be transferred, which consists in removing the
gum from such parts after the design has been applied thereto, and after the design
only has been coated with varuish by printing or otherwise, substantially as
described.
Fifth. The method of transferring a design to a glass or other surface which
consists in first applying a design to an ordinary gummed transfer paper or fabric,
coating the design only with varnish by printing or otherwise, allowing the varnish
to partially dry, removing more or less of the gum from from those portions of the
paper or fabric which it is desired should not adhere to the glass or other surface
by soaking, rinsing or washing in water, applying the transfer to the said surface
and squeezing out the water, substantially as described.
Sixth. As an improvement in the art of transferring designs to glass or other
surfaces a gummed transfer paper or fabric to which the design has been applied,
and the said design only varnished by printing or otherwise, and from which
transfer paper or fabric the gum has been removed from those portions where the
design and varnish do not occur, by soaking, rinsing or washing in water, sub-
stantially as described.
Seventh. The method of transferring a design to a glass or other surface which
consists in applying the design to an ordinary gummed transfer paper or fabric,
removing the gum from those portions of the paper or fabric which it is desired

page_text: should not adhere to the glass or other surface either before or after the varnish is
applied, allowing the varnish to dry, and when it is required to effect the transfer
of the design to the glass or other surface wetting the transfer paper or fabric with
water and fixing the design by means of a solvent applied to the said surface, or to
the varnished design, or to both, substantially as described.
Dated this 6th day of June 1893.