A NEW OR IMPROVED METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING ARTIFICIAL FOLIAGE OF VULCANIZED INDIA-RUBBER
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Browne, of the Firm of Browne
and Company, Patent Agents, of 5, Southampton Buildings,
Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "A NEW
OR IMPROVED METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING ARTIFICIAL
FOLIAGE OF VULCANIZED INDIA-RUBBER."—A communication from abroad
hy Casimir Constant Ballin. of Paris in the French Republic.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Browne
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 26th May 1875.
I, ALEXANDER BROWNE, of the Firm of Browne and Company,
Patent Agents, of 5, Southampton Buildings, Holborn, in the County
of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"A NEW AND IMPROVED METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING ARTIFICIAL
FOLIAGE OF VULCANIZED INDIA-RUBBER,' a communication to me from abroad
by Casimir Constant Ballin, of Paris, in the French Republic, to be as.
follows:-
"

page_text: The following is the method hitherto adopted for making artificial
foliage shewing the veins,-
Firstly. A metallic die is made on which is engraved the front of a
natural leaf.
Secondly. Another metallic die is made having engraved on its surface
the back of a natural leaf.
These two dies placed one over the other with the india-rubber
between them will stamp out the artificial Icaf, but by operating as
above one leaf can only be produced, thus rendering the work long,
tedious, and expensive, owing to the number of dies required.
The present Invention consists of a method whereby any number of
leaves may be manufactured at a time. Casts of plaster, gelatine, wax,
gutta percha, or any other suitable substance are taken of the front
and back of a natural leaf, from which two standard dies may be
obtained in metal, either by engraving or electrotyping, one showing
the front of a leaf, and the other the back thereof. Thin metallic plates
or casts are taken from the standard dies aforesaid by electrotyping or
otherwise, which will be the facsimile of the leaf which it is desired
to reproduce, one side of these plates showing the back of the leaf, and
the other side the front thereof. The standard dies, as also the metallic
plates aforesaid, are cut out to the shape of the leaf. A hollow cylinder
is formed of sections or staves suitably shaped and jointed, the interior
of which is made to form the outline of a leaf, so that the standard
die aforesaid (on which is represented the face of the leaf shall fit and
close one end of the said cylinder, and the standard die on which is
represented the back of the leaf shall fit and serve as a lid, or vice versa.
Each of the metallic plates aforesaid representing an entire leaf aro
made to fit in the aforesaid cylinder. A slit is cut out the whole length
of the cylinder so as to allow the parts of the india-rubber to pass through
in order to form the stems of the leaves.
When artificial leaves are made without stems the above slit may be
dispensed with, and the stems added after the india-rubber has been

page_text: by one of the standard dies having that surface on which the leaf is
represented inside the cylinder. On the said die is placed a sheet of
vulcanized india-rubber cut out the shape of the leaf so as to cover
the die, and on the said sheet one of the thin metallic plates or casts
aforesaid is laid with the reverse face to the one on the standard die
towards the india-rubber. A second sheet of india-rubber is placed
on this metallic plate to form the second artificial leaf, and on it another
metallic plate, and so on, until the cylinder is filled. A thousand layers
representing as many artificial leaves may thus be formed, the stem of
the said leaves projecting through the slit aforesaid (when the stems
have been previously soldered on). When the cylinder is full it is closed
with the other standard dic, and the whole is pressed together by means
of bolts passing through lugs provided for that purpose on the dies.
The apparatus is taken to the oven to vulcanize the india-rubber,
after which it is opened and a thousand artificial leaves are thus
obtained at one operation, when they are finished off in the usual
Figure 5 is a horizontal section of the cylinder through the line 1, 2,
גד מ

page_text: a, standard die by means of which the top of the leaf is stamped;
b, standard die for stamping the back of the leaf; c, cylinder formed
of staves & held together by rings or bands e; f, india-rubber sheet
on which the impression of the leaf is made; g, metallic plates or casts
placed between the india-rubber sheets; 7, lugs on the dies d and b
through which pass bolts and ; which serve to press together the
india-rubber and plate contained in the cylinder; i, longitudinal slit
to allow the stems of the artificial leaves to pass through.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander Browne in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 26th November 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
BROWNE, of the Firm of Browne and Company, Patent Agents, of 5,
Southampton Buildings, Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Alexander Browne, Her special
licence that I, the said Alexander Browne, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alexander Browne,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"A NEW AND IMPROVED METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING ARTIFICIAL
FOLIAGE OF VULCANIZED INDIA-RUBBER," a communication to me from abroad
by Casimir Constant Ballin, of Paris, in the French Republic, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alexander Browne, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and scals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the

page_text: same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander Browne, 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 :-
This Invention consists in a new and improved method and apparatus
for manufacturing artificial foliage of vulcanized india-rubber.
The following is the method hitherto adopted for making artificial
foliage shewing the veins,-
Firstly. A metallic dic is mado on which is engraved the front of a
natural leaf.
Secondly. Another metallic dic is made having engraved on its surface
the back of a natural leaf.
These two dies placed one over the other with the india-rubber
between them will stamp out the artificial leaf, but by operating as
above one leaf can only be produced, thus rendering the work long,
tedious, and expensive, owing to the number of dies required.
The present Invention consists of a method whereby any number of
leaves may be manufactured at a time. Casts of plaster, gelatine, wax,
gutta percha, or any other suitable substance are taken of the front
and back of a natural leaf, from which two standard dies may be
obtained in metal, either by engraving or electrotyping, one showing
the front of a leaf, and the other the back thereof. Thin metallic plates
or casts are taken from the standard dies aforesaid by electrotyping or
otherwise, which will be the facsimile of the leaf which it is desired
to reproduce, one side of these plates showing the back of the leaf, and
the other side the front thereof. The standard dies, as also the metallic
plates aforesaid, are cut out to the shape of the leaf. A hollow cylinder
is formed of sections or staves suitably shaped and jointed, the interior
of which is made to form the outline of a leaf, so that the standard
die aforesaid (on which is represented the face of the leaf) shall fit and
close one end of the said cylinder, and the standard die ou which is
represented the back of the leaf shall fit and serve as a lid, or vice versa.

page_text: Each of the metallic plates aforesaid representing an entire leaf are
made to fit in the aforesaid cylinder. A slit is cut out the whole length
of the cylinder so as to allow the parts of the india-rubber to pass through
in order to form the stems of the leaves.
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position by rings, belts, or other suitable means, and one end is closed
by one of the standard dies, having that surface on which the leaf is
represented inside the cylinder. On the said die is placed a sheet of
vulcanized india-rubber cut out the shape of the leaf so as to cover
the die, and on the said sheet one of the thin metallic plates or casts
aforesaid is laid with the reverse face to the one on the standard die
towards the india-rubber. A second sheet of india-rubber is placed
on this metallic plate to form the second artificial leaf, and on it another
metallic plate, and so on, until the cylinder is filled. A thousand layers
representing as many artificial leaves may thus be formed, the stem of
the said leaves projecting through the slit aforesaid (when the stems
have been previously soldered on). When the cylinder is full it is closed
with the other standard die, and the whole is pressed together by means
of bolts passing through lugs provided for that purpose on the dies.
The apparatus is taken to the oven to vulcanize the india-rubber,
after which it is opened and a thousand artificial leaves are thus
obtained at one operation, when they are finished off in the usual
manner.
It is to be understood that this Invention is not intended to be limited
to the use of caoutchouc, as india-rubber cloth or vulcanized tissues
may be employed, such as sheets of caoutchouc attached to one or both
sides of any woven or textile fabric, or sheets composed of a mixture or
compound of india-rubber with any other matter or substance which
will increase its consistence.
It is also intended to manufacture the plates that are placed between
the moulds not only of copper but also of cast iron engraved or
chased in combination with the galvano-plastic or other suitable process.

page_text: These plates may be of any thickness, and of any metal, alloy, com-
position, or matter, or substance.
In order to explain this Invention more fully reference is had to the
illustrative Sheet of Drawing accompanying these Presents, and to the
numeral figures and letters of reference marked thereon, as follows:-
Figure 1 is a natural leaf from which are taken the front and back
casts in plaster or other suitable substance.
Figure 2 is a section of the standard die which embosses the back of
the leaf.
Figure 3, a section of the standard die which embosses the front of
the leaf.
Figure 4 shews an elevation partly in section of the cylinder of
staves; this cylinder is filled with metallic plates and sheets of india-
rubber which are compressed by the dies placed at each extremity.
Figure 5 is a horizontal section of the cylinder through the line 1, 2,
of Figure 4.
In each of the above Figures similar letters of reference are employed
to denote corresponding parts.
a, standard die by means of which the top of the leaf is stamped;
b, standard die for stamping the back of the leaf; c, cylinder formed
of staves & held together by rings or bands e; f, india-rubber sheet
on which the impression of the leaf is made; g, metallic plates or casts
placed between the india-rubber sheets; h, lugs on the dies a and b
through which pass bolts i and j which serve to press together the
india-rubber and plate contained in the cylinder; i, longitudinal slit
to allow the stems of the artificial leaves to pass through.
Having now described the nature of this Invention for "A New and
Improved Method and Apparatus for Manufacturing Artificial Foliage
of Vulcanized India-rubber," as communicated to me by my foreign
correspondent, and the means by which it may be effected, I hereby
declare this Invention to consist in and I claim, superposing any number
of moulds or matrices representing on one of their faces the "
of a natural leaf of foliage, and on the other of their faces the "
thereof, and in placing between each of these moulds the caoutchouc,
as above described, the whole series being comprised between two
recto
verso
"
"

page_text: matrices, types, or forms, and then subjecting them to compression for
giving the required impress or conformation to all the pieces of caout-
chouc at one time, and in this compressed state placing the whole in a
sulphurizing furnace, as above stated, and by these means producing
a great number of artificial leaves at one time, instead of forming each
leaf separately, as heretofore practised.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Browne, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of November,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.