CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF PREPARING AND IN THE MEANS OF PRODUCING AND PRINTING MUSICAL NOTATION, AND THE WORDS, SIGNS, MARKS, AND DEVICES EMPLOYED THEREWITH
Year: 1870

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Lacey Davies at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th December 1870.
I, JOHN LACEY DAVIES, of London, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF PREPARING AND IN THE MEANS OF PRODUCING
AND PRINTING MUSICAL NOTATION, AND THE WORDS, SIGNS, MARKS, AND DEVICES
EMPLOYED THEREWITH," to be as follows:-
The two methods hitherto employed for the printing of musical
notation and the words and devices used therewith are, first, by means
of thick metallic plates stamped or engraved deeply with the notes, signs,
marks, and words. These are used for printing by lithography, an ordinary
transfer being taken from the plate and applied to stone. A second
method being by means of type "set up" after the manner of letter type
is used in printing music by ordinary letter-press printing, both methods
being well known. In the use of plates it is necessary that they be
stored and kept for future use, which by accumulation represents con-
siderable value, whereby capital remains unavailable and is temporarily

page_text: useless. By the second method of using type considerable cost is
incurred in the "setting" and in the type.
My Invention is designed, first, for the purpose of dispensing with
the preparation of the said usual metallic plates, and for obtaining copies
or prints of notes, marks, and words without the use of such thick plates,
and also where such plates exist to enable future copies or prints of
the music to be obtained though the plates may have been melted and
converted into value.
The improvements consist, firstly, in the application and use of paper,
gelatine, or other economical material, the cost of retaining which is
inconsiderable when compared with the plates now used, and which is
to be used as a substitute for the comparatively costly metal plates, this
application or use of a substitute being the chief feature of the improve-
ments, as I am aware that musical notes, marks, signs, and words may
be produced on such paper, gelatine, or economical material by various
means.
A second part of the Invention relates to the production of such
musical notation, signs, marks, and words upon the surface of the
material substituted for the thick plates (for example, paper), and
consists in the adaptation and use of novel methods and means to effect
the purpose described as follows:-In the use of paper or other similar
porous and semi-transparent material as a substitute, stamps corre-
sponding with the notes and marks may be used, being inked with
opaque and suitable ink or composition, and the forms thereof may be
imprinted scriatim upon the paper, which may be used as a "positive,"
or the notes may be transferred direct to stone, or the paper or gelatine
may be chemically prepared, and the stamps or forms being made of
metal the notes and designs on the face thereof may be produced on
the material by means of an electric current, the decomposition of the
chemicals in the material being effected by attaching one pole of a
battery to the stamp and the other to a metal plate beneath the pre-
pared paper, the contact being made through the paper, the color being
cither brought out upon or discharged from the paper in the form of
the "face "in contact with its surface, so that white or light colored
notes may be produced on a dark paper, or vice versâ, according to the
requirements of the plan adopted to transfer the work to stone or
printing surface when completed. If the notes are light and the ground
dark the paper may be used as a photographic "negative," and trans-

page_text: ferred to stone or other printing surfaces by ordinary means used in
photolithography or zincography. If the notes are dark and the ground
white a "negative" must be made therefrom by another printing. Or
the notes, marks, and words may be stamped on paper or suitable
porous material in grease or "resist," the surrounding parts being
afterwards darkened, and so form a "negative;" or by inking the upper
surface of plates in existence, leaving the depressions or "intaglio"
clean, a "negative" may be obtained. "Positives" may be obtained by
drawing the notes, marks, or signs by hand, and suitable pens and dark
ink on paper, which may then be used as a positive, or transferred direct
to the stone; or blocks of white wood may be stamped as plates now are,
and the depressions so formed arc to be filled with black composition,
and when sufficiently "set" the uppermost surface is to be planed off,
presenting black marks on a white ground, which is to be copied, and
a photographic " negative" obtained on paper or gelatine; or notes and
marks may be produced on paper, wood, or suitable surface by the inter-
position of "carbonized paper" placed between the stamp and the said
surface. A "negative" once having been obtained is to be kept, so that
the music, words, and signs can be at any time transferred therefrom
and printed by ordinary and well-known means, but a "positive" may
be first produced and transferred to stone or printing surface direct, a
"negative" afterwards being made for future use.
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A third part of the Invention is designed for the purpose of rendering
available plates already in existance, and afterwards they may be melted
and converted into value, as before named. If it be desired to retain a
"negative" of all plates it is simply necessary to print a copy of each
on transparent material and proceed as before described, but when no
'negative" is desired if copies be printed on a surface of gluten, gum,
or starch previously applied to sheets of paper, the printed or starched
side may be laid face downwards on stone, and by damping and rolling
the back of the paper the printed surface will leave the paper and
adhere to the stone; when sufficiently dry it must be sponged to remove
the superfluous starch, left to dry, and afterwards treated as an ordinary
lithographic transfer; or prints may be taken on ordinary paper and
kept for future use, one side only being printed. When copies are to be
reproduced immerse these transfers or proofs in dilute nitric acid, wash
and remove the superfluous liquid, take a plate of zinc (the surface
having been previously ground smooth and polished with pumice stone)

page_text: .
and placing this moistened transfer thereon pass it between the rollers
of a rolling press, and a reverse transfer will be obtained on the zinc,
which is then inked and printed by ordinary means, or lithographic
stone may be used instead of zinc. These latter processes having been
used for other purposes, this part of the Invention consists in the
adaptation and application thereof to this peculiar purpose.
"
❝ relievo thereon.
Lastly. The Invention is designed for the purpose of forming or pro-
ducing blocks, the notes, signs, and words being in "
which blocks and notes are to be used as type or wood blocks.
The improvements consist in stamping or forming the notes, signs,
and words (by means of metal stamps) in soft metal, such as lead,
gutta percha, or any suitable composition, which can be remelted and
re-employed without much loss; the stamping is to be effected by
tapered stamps, and carried to a sufficient depth (or through the material
to a surface plate beneath, if desirable) the cavities in the mould thus
made are to be oiled, and paper pulp, papier maché, plaster of Paris,
or other composition which will set and harden, is to be filled into
them, and when sufficiently set and hard the mould may be melted or
separated by other means from the casting, and if the "relievo" surface
of the casting be not sufficiently even and level it is to be passed beneath
a scraping or cutting machine until surfaced as required, such "relievo"
surface may then be inked over by a roller and used as a wood block or
type set up in frame.