A New or Improved Composition of Matters for Cleaning, Renovating, and Preserving Electro-silver-plated Ware for such like Goods.
Year: 1893

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Composition of Matters for Cleaning, Renovating,
and Preserving Electro-silver-plated Ware for such like Goods.
I JOHN WILKIE of 7 Cardeau Street, Dundee Scotland, Mechanical
Engineer 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:―
This invention consists of a new or improved composition of matters, partly
chemical, which are brought together according to the process of compounding as
will be hereinafter described. The powdered and saponaceous " vehicle
" matter
when mixed with the chemical constituents will form a paste which is to be applied
to the article to be cleaned, renovated, preserved or coated in manner to be herein-
after set forth.
The process of the compounding of the matters and the proportions in which
they are to be used is and are substantially as follows:-
Six ounces of pure cyanide of potassium are to be dissolved in a half-pint of
warm distilled water.
Six drachms of nitrate-of-silver are to be dissolved (separately from the cyanide-
of-potassium-solution) in two ounces of distilled-water. To this solution of nitrate-
of-silver there is to be added sufficient of the cyanide-of-potassium-solution as will
serve to precipitate the silver, and this mixture is to be allowed to settle. The
precipitate so gained is to be washed in three waters and then is to have added
thereto and be stirred together with a quantity of the pure cyanide-of-potassium
solution sufficient to redissolve the precipitate thereby forming a solution of
cyanide-of-silver. When the precipitate has become dissolved the remainder of the
cyanide-of-potassium-solution has to be added. To this there are to be added six
drachms of liquor-ammonia-fortis of specific gravity 880.
"
To this liquid so obtained there is to be added, cold, two ounces of "soap-cream
which is to be separately prepared by boiling one pound of white soap of commerce
in two pints of water until they are thoroughly amalgamated and the product
resembles white curd of milk.
To this mixture is to be added a quantity of the prepared powdered chalk of
commerce (that has been passed through a very fine gauze filter) sufficient to form
a soft moist paste.
In order to give a tint or color to the composition there may be added any
desired colorant such as, for instance carnation paste.
The proportions thus given are suitable for the preparation of from 4 to 5 lbs. of
paste.
The method of application and use is as follows:-The paste may be applied by
band to the surface of the article to be treated, as in ordinary plate-cleaning
or by rubbing-on with clean wet linen or flannel cloths then polishing off with
chamois leather or clean duster,-a brush being used for ornamental work.
The effect of such application of the composition may be sumarised as follows:-
The frictional action or rubbing will cause a thin film or coating of silver to be
deposited on the ware thereby preserving the surface where the electro silver plating
is good, and renovating or recoating the surface of the ware in the case when the
surface has become tarnished or faded, and at the same time cleaning and rendering
lustrous the surface of the article.
Copper and brass vessels or goods and vessels or goods made from the various
alloys of these metals can also be coated with a sound coating of pure silver by

page_text: 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 new or improved composition of matters (constituting a so called polishing-
paste) for cleaning, renovating, preserving or adding to the silverous lustre of the
surfaces of electro-silver-plated ware or such like goods as and for the purpose
substantially as herein specified.
Dated 16th February 1893.
HUGHES, ELI & HUGHES,
76, Chancery Lane, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.