A METHOD OR METHODS OF GILDING OR SILVERING CERTAIN WOVEN FABRICS IN BURNISHED, OR BURNISHED AND DEAD OR MATTED GOLD OR SILVER LACE BORDERING, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1829

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
BURGIS, of Maiden Lane, in the Parish of Saint Paul, Covent Garden, and
County of Middlesex, Ornamental Paper Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Ilis present most Excellent Majesty King the Fourth did, by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Fifth day of February, in the tenth year of Ilis reign,
give and grant unto me, the said John Burgis, is especial licence that I,
the said John Burgis, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, and such others as I,
the said John Burgis, my exors, adñiors, or assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term
of years therein expressed, should and lawfuly might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within England, Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my
Invention of "A METHOD OR METHODS OF GILDING OR SILVERING CERTAIN WOVEN
FABRICS IN BURNISHED, OR BURNISHED AND DEAD OR MATTED GOLD OR SILVER LACE
BORDERING, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES;" in which said Letters Patent there is
contained a proviso, that I, the said John Burgis, shall cause a particular
description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be inrolled in His Majesty's Iligh Court of Chancery
within two calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being there-
unto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Burgis, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described
and ascertained in and by the Drawings annexed to this Specification, and the
following description thereof, that is to say :-
Having for a number of years been employed in the gilding business and

page_text: in making use of leaf gold and silver for a variety of purposes, such, for
instance, as gilding upon paper, wood, &c., and conceiving that it would be
very desirable to produce substitutes for those very expensive articles known
by the names of gold and silver orris lace, fringe, &c., and which should possess
the various advantages of brilliancy, durability, and strength sufficient for the
purposes of winding and twisting into cords, such as bullions, for instance, and
be also made in considerable lengths, so as to prevent the too frequent repe-
tition of joinings when they were to be made up into fringes, gymps, trimmings,
&c. for curtains and other draperies, for lace borders, for borderings for rooms,
and a variety of other useful purposes, for interior decorations or wearing
apparel, after a great number of trials, I found that it could be accomplished
by gilding or silvering woven fabricks, either in burnished gold or silver, or in
burnished and dead or matted gold or silver, and that the following processes
would fully answer the purpose:
Preparations for gilding or silvering woven fabrics in burnished gold or
.silver, fitted for imitating gold or silver orris plate (as this article is termed
in the manufacturing of gold or silver lace and in the embroidery business),
for making bullions, fringes, &c.-I take a piece of woven cotton cloth,
known by the name of jean, of a fine quality, say, such as is usualy sold
at one shilling and sixpence the yard, the picce being about thirty-six
yards in length and three feet in width, and I cause the same to be dyed
of a deep orange colour, if for the purpose of gilding; I then stretch the cloth
upon a straining frame fixed either upon tables or any other fit and proper
supports at a convenient height (say, about three feet,) and in a slanting posi-
tion; when the cloth is strained, either by nailing it upon the frame or in any
other fit and proper manner, I take the parchment size No. 1 (to be described
hereafter) and heat it until it is nearly boiling hot, and with a proper hair
brush or tool I spread it over the surface of the cloth, and taking care to work
it well into its pores, but at the same time avoiding to make it too wet, least
the size should remain thick and glossy upon the surface of the cloth when
dry, and which would also cause it to break up or peel off in the process of
burnishing the gilding. After this size is dry I apply another coat of it upon
the back of the cloth. These two applications of size will cause the cloth to
yield or stretchi considerably, which will render it necessary to draw it tight
again until all the wrinkles are removed, and as the cloth dries it will naturally.
become tight, and present an even surface for the reception of the gold sizes.
Previous to the first gold size being laid on, however, all the knots or ends of
threads which exist either
may
the face or the back of the cloth must be
removed with a knife or scissars, or others proper cutting instruments, as well
upon

page_text: also as all grittyness or any hairs left by the brush; the gold size No. 1, (to be
described hereafter), is then to be spread or laid all over the surface of the
cloth as evenly as possible; when this is become dry, the gold size No. 2,
(likewise to be described hereafter) is to be laid over the coat No. 1, with tho
same precautions, and when this coat is likewise become dry, then a third coat
is to be laid over it with the gold size No. 3; (this will be afterwards described).
These three preparations of gold size must all be laid on when they are only a
little or lukewarm. The third coat of gold size having become dry, the cloth.
will be ready to receive the gold, and which is to be laid on in the following,
manner, namely:-Take clear spring water and with a large flat camel's hair.
or other proper brush or tool wet a yard or more of the prepared surface of the
cloth therewith, making it very evenly wet, so that no dry parts appear, then with.
the hair tip used by the gilders in size, take up the leaves of gold out of the.
books in which they are usually sold, one by one, and carefully lay them upon
the wetted surface of the cloth, and so proceed, until the whole extent of the
surface of the cloth is become gilt, also taking care as the work proceeds to
stop up all the faults or little breaks or defects in the gold which require it; tho.
cloth must be then allowed to become dry, if in mild or warm weather, without.
the use of fire, but if in cold or damp weather, the room may be made warm,
but not too hot. When the cloth is become dry, all the dust must be removed
from its surface either with a dry camel's hair brush or the application of cotton.
wool, and it is then to be taken off the straining frame and removed to either
of the burnishing machines, (which will be described hereafter), where it is,
to be burnished, and from thence to the large cutting machine (also to be.
described hereafter), where it may be cut into strips from balf an inch broad
to any other larger breadth which may be required; but if it may require
to be reduced into still narrower strips, then I take it to the smaller cutting
machine (likewise to be described hereafter), and where I cut it into nar-
When
rower strips proper to be used in the imitation of the orris plate.
the cloth is required to be gilt on both sides, one side must be first gilt and.
burnished, and then a piece of paper must be tacked or otherwise secured
over it, and then the back of the cloth must be gilt and burnished in the
manner already described in respect to silvering the the surface or surfaces of
the cloth, the dying of it is to be omited, and silver sizes (the preparation of will.
be given hereafter) to be used in a similar manner with the gold sizes
already described, as well also as the preparation of the cloth previous to the.
laying on of the silver sizes, and the silver after burnishing must be secured.
from tarnishing in the manner to be hereafter described. The parchment.
size No. 1, and which I term strong size, is prepared in the same manner as

page_text: by carvers and gilders, namely, to two pounds of clean parchment cuttings
I put eight quarts of water, and let them simmer over a gentle fire until
reduced to five quarts; I then strain it through a cloth for use.
The parch-
ment size No. 2 is made by taking two quarts of the strong size No. 1 and
adding one quart more of water to it. Both these sizes must be allowed to
cool, and before using them a thin slice is to be taken off their surfaces, as
they are apt to be greasy, and also the dregs or sediment at the bottom of the
vessels must not be removed or used. The gold size is likewise similar to that
used by carvers and gilders, but with the addition of chrome yellow and orange
red lead, in the proportion of about three ounces of chrome yellow and eight
ounces of orange red lead to two pounds and a half of gold size. I prepare
this gold size in the following manner, namely:-To four pounds of tobacco-
pipe clay I add one ounce of the best black lead, one ounce of clarifyed mutton
suet, , one ounce and a half either of red chalk or stone ochre, four ounces of
chrome yellow, and eight ounces of orange red lead, and grind the whole
carefully together in the usual manner. To prepare this gold size for use, to
three pounds of it I add three quarts of the parchment size No. 2 and
incorporate them well together in a gentle heat; I then divide this quantity
into three equal portions, place each in a separate vessel, and to form
gilding size No. 1, I take this composition so prepared; then to form the
gilding size No. 2, I add to another portion or third part the eighth part of a
pint of water and one ounce more gold size and thoroughly mix them together
at a
a gentle heat. The gilding size No. 3 is formed of the remaining third"
portion by adding to it one quarter of a pint of water and one and a half ounces
of gold size. These three gilding sizes must all be strained through a fine
sieve, and be spread over the surface of the prepared cloth with a soft hogs'
hair brush or tool. The silver size is prepared in a similar manner with the
gold size above described, but with the omission of the chrome yellow and the
orange red lead, and is to be separated into three distinct portions, and bo
mixed with parchment size likewise in a similar manner. The cloth when
gilt or silvered is next to be burnished, or to be left partly burnished and
partly matted, and which I effect in the following manner-For burnishing it,
I can either employ the glazing or callendering machine now used for those
purposes, and wherein a flint or agate burnisher is made use of, the cloth
being supported by or resting upon a plank of sycamore or other hard wood
properly curved, as usual, for glazing or calendering cloth, or for burnishing
gilt or silvered paper; or instead of the above machine, I can also employ a
pair of cast-iron cylindrical rollers, mounted in a proper frame, with a con-
trivance for adjusting and tightening or keeping them in proper contract with

page_text: each other, or with a hard wood plank placed between them. These rollers
may be between four and five inches in diameter, and I mount upon the axis
of the uppermost roller or cylinder a pinion, and upon that of the lower
cylinder a toothed wheel, which is four or five times the diameter of the
pinion; and the consequence of this arrangement is, that the upper roller or
cylinder moves faster than the lower one, which supports and carries the plank
forwards, and it thus acts by producing a slide or rub upon any substance laid
upon an elastic cushion on the plank or table, and which said slide or rub
produces a burnishing effect upon the gold or silver leaves which are laid upon
the surfaces of the woven fabrics and submitted to its action. I can also
produce a dead or matted gold or silver intermixed with the burnished gold or
silver by interposing between the upper cylinder or roller and the gilt or
silvered surfaces of the woven fabrics any thin and stout material proper for
the purpose of hindering the surface of the upper roller from acting upon the
gilt or silvered surfaces, and I can either form the edges of the said thin and
stout material into straight linear shapes, or cut them into various figures, or
pierce the material itself with holes in many different patterns, and according to
the dead or matted effects I would produce amongst the said burnished gilt and
silvered surfaces; but as the action of this machine is confined to the burnish-
ing of short pieces of gilt or silvered woven fabrics, so when I wish to produce
a continuous action, such as is adapted to burnishing whole lengths of cloths
or other woven fabrics, in place of the plank I substitute another and larger
cylinder, covered or surrounded with a stout but elastic material, upon which
the gilt or silvered woven fabric is to be supported and carried along in order
to experience the burnishing effect of the upper roller or cylinder, the periphery
of which is moved with a greater speed than that of the lower cylinder by the
action of a pinion mounted upon the axis of the upper cylinder, and of a
toothed wheel mounted upon that of the lower one, and as will be more par-
ticularly described hereafter.
Fig. 1, of Drawing No. 1, is a side view or elevation of the large
cutting machine, and Fig. 2 a plan thereof, in both of which Figures tho
same letters of reference indicate the similar parts of the machine. A, A,
&c. part of the machine frame; B, a cylinder, upon which the cloth or
woven fabric is to be wound, and then be passed underneath the roller C
(shown by dotted lines), and up again between the pinching and holding
roller D (also shown by dotted lines,) from whence it passes over the
carrying and cutting cylinder E, to which motion is to be communicated by a
winch or handle applied upon a squared part formed on the exterior end of the
axis of the cylinder, but not shown in the Figure; the cut or divided cloth

page_text: then passes to and is wound around the receiving roller F, and as indicated by
the darts or arrows in Fig. 1, the cloth is kept tight in its passage over the
carrying and cutting cylinder E by the counterweights G and H, which are
hung upon lines or cords passed around the barrels I and K, mounted upon
the axis of the cylinders or rollers B and F. The knives or cutters L, L, &c.
are held each in a metal socket, which has a hole through it, by which they
are fixed upon a cylindrical rod M with axes at its ends, which pass through
holes made in two metal bars or guides N, N, affixed to the sides of
the frame A, A, by passing through the staples 0, 0, with binding screws
in them; each socket is also provided with two binding screws P and Q,
shewn in Figs. 3 and 4, which represent them on a larger scale, the one
of which P serves to adjust and retain the socket in its place upon the
bar or cylindrical rod M, and the other Q to fix and retain the knife
or cutter L in its place within the socket. Upon the exterior ends of the
rod M are hung the graduated levers R, R, into any of the gaps or
notches formed upon the upper edges of which the hooks S, S, may be placed,
to the lower ends of which the weights T, T, are hung, in order to regulate
the degree of pressure to be made upon the knives or cutters in their action
upon the cloth or other woven fabric. The smaller cutting machine may be
constructed upon a similar plan with the larger one, but as the knives or
cutters require to be placed nearer together, so instead of mounting each in
a separate socket I combine several of them together in one common socket
or frame, such as is shown in plan in Fig. 5, and in a side view in Fig. 6,
where L, L, &c. represent the knives or cutters; M, the cylindrical bar or
rod; P, P, the screws which bind the frame or socket containing the knives
in its place upon the bar M; and Q, Q, the screws which bind the knives
together in the frame or socket sideways. This frame or socket has also a
plate U fitted upon its upper part, and secured in its place by the screws
V, V, &c., and which also cause the plate U to press upon the knives or
cutters, and retain them in their places still more firmly. I can either lay
between and on each side of the knives the metal plates W, W, &c. in order
to keep them at a proper distance apart, and as shown in Fig. 7; or I can
lay the knives or cutters side by side in close contact with each other in
cutting the still narrower strips, and as shewn in Fig. 8. Fig. 9, L shews
a single knife or cutter sideways; and Fig. 10, a plan of it with a plate
W, W, on each side of it; Fig. 11 is a side view, and Fig. 12 a plan, of the
burnishing, or burnishing and matting machine, for long pieces of gilt or
silvered woven fabrics, in which X, X, is part of the machine frame; Y, the
upper or smaller metal cylinder or roller; and Z, the larger or lower oue.

page_text: The pinion and part of the toothed wheel are shewn as mounted upon the
outer ends of the axes of the two cylinders. Motion is to be communicated
to this machine by means of a cross handle affixed upon a squared part
formed upon the outer end of the axis of the upper or smaller cylinder, when
the woven gilt or silvered fabric have been reduced to proper widths by
either of the methods above described. In case they are to be embossed to
imitate cords, gymps, laces, braids, borderings, or other decorations, I employ
engraved metal cylinders or rollers having the desired pattern sunk into their
cylindrical surfaces, in the usual manner of die sinking, and either soft metal
cylinders or counter rollers, or those formed of paper, similar to those used by
the embossers of ribands and gold and silver paper embossers, and as these
machines are well known so they need not be more particularly described
here, and the more especially as I do not claim the Invention thereof, but
only their application to the purpose of embossing the gilt or silver woven
fabrics, and either in the burnished or the burnished and matted states; and it
should be observed, that in the case of silvered woven fabrics, whether
burnished, or burnished and matted, and in order to prevent the silver from
being tarnished or blackened from exposure to the air, I defend the silver
by coating it with two layers of a very weak or diluted parchment size in
water, and which is so very weak that when cold it merely appears in the
form of a thin gelly, and can be used without warming it, and that in the
case of matted gilding being mixed with burnished gilding, the matted parts
are also to be coated with a single layer of the same weak size, in order to
protect the gold, and prevent it from being rubbed off. I combine theso
said burnished, or burnished and matted gilt or silvered woven fabrics, in
various ways, suited to the different purposes they are designed for, examples
of which I shall proceed to afford by referring to the Figures contained in
Drawing No. 2 annexed to this Specification, and in which Fig. 1 represents
a plain picce of plate, or rather any substitution of a gilt or silvered and
burnished woven fabric in place of it, and which may be used for covering
threads, twines, cords, and gymps, or for any other purposes to which plate is
usually applied; Fig. 2, a single and embossed gilt and burnished cord;
Fig. 3, a double cord of the same description; Fig. 4, a bordering or striping,
composed of two cords and a centre between them; Fig. 5, a gymp for chair
covers and other purposes; Figs. 6, 7, 8, and 9, different lace borderings and
bindings; Fig. 10, another gymp with open work; Fig. 11, another gymp upon
a larger scale, with open work formed with gilt and burnished plate, applied
to cover thread, twine, cord, or gymp, and these are woven in the loom in
the usual manner of making trimmings, and combined with coloured silk or

page_text: other materials; Figs. 12, 13, and 14, fringes intermixed with silk or other
materials, and decorated with my gilt or silvered woven fabrics, either
embossed or not, and also either burnished, or burnished and matted; Fig. 15
a bell-rope formed of the usual materials, and enriched by the addition of
the striping, Fig. 4; Fig. 16, an ornamental tassel, decorated with the
stripings and cords above described; Fig. 17, an ornament designed to be
introduced in fringes, and for other purposes, and is enriched by the embossed
and burnished single cord, Fig. 2; Fig. 18, part of a piece of drapery formed
of a piece of gilt and burnished woven fabric, intermixed with matted parts
and embossed, so as to imitate watering, bordered with the lace, Fig. 8, and a
fringe formed of my imitation of gold twine or bullion; Fig. 19 is an
embossed gilt and burnished woven fabric bordering, for rooms or other
purposes, and in which a blue colour is also introduced.
Having thus afforded examples of various methods of carrying my said
Invention into effect, I hereby declare that I do not mean or intend thereby
to limit myself to the employment of those methods only, but to avail myself
of every other mode by which my said Invention can be carried into effect;
neither do I mean or intend to confine myself to the employment of jean only,
but to employ every kind of woven fabric which may be fit and proper for
the purpose. I do not, however, mean or intend hereby to claim the entire
Invention of the different sizes and machines herein described, but only their
application to the purposes specified herein.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Burgis, have hereunto set my
hand and scal, this Fourth day of April, in the year of our Lord