AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR PRODUCING RAISED PRINTING SURFACES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Daniel Fruwirth, of Norwood, in the County
of Surrey, Artist, and Abdiel Hawkins, of Camberwell, in the
same County, Glyphographer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
PROCESS FOR PRODUCING RAISED PRINTING SURFACES."
Sealed the 26th January 1869, and dated the 10th August 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Daniel Fruwirth and
Abdiel Hawkins at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 10th August 1868.
We, DANIEL FRUWIRTH, of Norwood, in the County of Surrey,
Artist, and ABDIEL HAWKINS, of Camberwell, in the same County,
Glyphographer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR PRODUCING RAISED PRINTING SURFACES," to be
as follows:-
Our Invention of an improved process for producing raised printing
surfaces has for its object producing metallic surfaces in relief suitable
for surface printing in an ordinary letter-press printing press by the
combined use of photography with a process somewhat resembling in its

page_text: main features the known glyphographic process for the production from
engraved plates of other plates or blocks with the design in relief so as
to be suitable for printing in typographic presses. Various attempts
have been made to produce printing surfaces from plates on which a
photographic picture has been obtained in any of the known ways, and
this has been effected by first removing from the sensitive surface on
which the photographic image has been produced such parts as have
been unaffected by the rays of light, and then taking a cast or electro-
type mould therefrom. Such processes however have not been found
to be of any practical use, as it is impracticable to obtain sufficient relief,
and the high lights are very imperfect.
In carrying out our Invention we first produce by any of the known
photographic processes a negative on glass or paper (or any transparent
substance) of the print, or drawing, or object it is intended to produce
in relief as a printing surface. The negative must be capable of giving
positive impressions by transmitting chemical rays of light in the well-
known manner. With this negative a reversed image is produced on a
copper or any other metal plate, glass, or ebonite paper, or flexible
substance, according to the work it is required to produce. To render
the surface sensitive and suitable to receive the photographic image a
paste is made of a bichromate of potash, soda, or ammonia pulverized
and mixed with a solution of gum or any suitable glutinous or organic
substance which is not soluble in alcoholic mixtures, and this paste is
spread evenly over the metal or glass plate and artificially or spon-
taneously dried. The plate is then to be brought in contact with the
aforesaid negative or transparent medium in an ordinary photographic
printing frame, and exposed to light for a short time until the photo-
graphic image has been produced. When removed from the printing
frame the prepared surface is to be covered with a mixed solution of
alcohol or methylated spirit with acetic acid, which when applied to the
bichromate surface all the unaltered bichromate will be dissolved out,
leaving behind a faint reversed impression capable of being transformed
into a surface in relief. This surface in relief is obtained by means of
a process somewhat resembling in its main features the well-known
glyphographic process, and will be hereafter explained.
For some kinds of work we employ equal parts of dissolved gelatine
and gum or other glutinous substance mixed with one-eighth part of
bichromate, thus forming a paste which may be spread upon ebonite,

page_text: glass, or any other material. The paste must be dried on the plate as
in the former instance, and after exposure to the action of light under
a negative or positive taken for the purpose the plate is put into a dish
with cold water, which will dissolve out the unaffected bichromate, after
which the surface must be dried. This will produce a surface from
which a cast may be made, but in some cases the high lights should be
built up with wax or varnish to a certain extent, care being taken not to
cover any part of the picture. The plate must then be put into water
and allowed to swell; it may then be taken out and carefully dried
with blotting paper, after which the surface is to be brushed over with a
solution of ox gall, and coated with a substance or composition consisting
of one part of sulphur to four parts of refined tar, melted with a gentle
heat, during which a small quantity of india-rubber or gutta percha
solution may be added. Or a cast may be taken in plaster of Paris as in
making stereotype plates. From the plaster mould thus obtained a
stereotype cast in intaglio in metal is taken, and if any defects in the
plate are found they are repaired by hand.
In order to obtain a surface for printing by a letter-press machine we
first of all build up the fine work by passing over the surface a roller.
covered with copal or other varnish. This operation is repeated until a
sufficient thickness or depth is obtained. The high lights may be still
further built up by the application of varnish with a brush. When the
intaglio is completed we prepare it to receive a coating of copper by the
electrotype process, and on the back of the film or sheet of copper thus
produced is placed a suffieient thickness of type metal to give strength
to the copper, which when mounted on a wooden block will be ready for
printing in an ordinary printing press.
0
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Daniel Fruwirth and Abdiel Hawkins in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 10th February 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, DANIEL.
FRUWIRTH, of Norwood, in the County of Surrey, Artist, and ABDIEL.
HAWKINS, of Camberwell, in the same County, Glyphographer, send.
greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said Daniel Fruwirth and Abdiel Hawkins, Her
special licence that we, the said Daniel Fruwirth and Abdiel Hawkins,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the
said Daniel Fruwirth and Abdiel Hawkins, our 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 "AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR PRODUCING
RAISED PRINTING SURFACES," upon the condition (amongst others) that
we, the said Daniel Fruwirth and Abdiel Hawkins, our executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or
one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was
to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Scal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Daniel Fruwirth, on behalf
of myself and of the said Abdiel Hawkins, do hereby declare the
nature of our 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):-
Our Invention of "An Improved Process for Producing Raised
Printing Surfaces" has for its object the production of metallic surfaces
in relief suitable for surface printing in an ordinary letter-press printing
press by the combined use of photography with a process somewhat
resembling in its main features the known glyphographic process for the
production from engraved plates of other plates or blocks with the design
in relief so as to be suitable for printing in typographic presses. Various
attempts have been made to produce printing surfaces from plates on
which a photographic picture has been obtained in any of the known
ways, and this has been effected by first removing from the sensitive
surface on which the photographic image has been produced such parts
as have been unaffected by the rays of light, and then taking a cast or

page_text: electrotype mould therefrom. Such processes however have not been
found to be of any practical use, as it is impracticable to obtain sufficient
relief, and the high lights are consequently very imperfect.
In carrying out our Invention we first produce by any of the known
photographic processes a negative on glass or paper (or any transparent
substance) of the print or drawing or object it is intended to produce in
relief as a printing surface. The success of the printing process depends
mainly upon the negatives, and every means must be taken to render
them as intense and black as possible. The negative must be capable of
giving positive impressions by transmitting chemical rays of light in the
well-known manner. With this negative a reversed image is produced on
a copper or any other metal plate, glass, or ebonite, paper, or flexible
substance according to the work it is required to produce. To render
the surface sensitive and suitable to receive the photographic image a
paste is made composed of bichromate of potash and a salt of soda or
ammonia pulverized and mixed with a solution of gum or any suitable
glutinous or organic substance which is not soluble in alcoholic mixtures.
This paste is composed of the ingredients above mentioned mixed in
about the following proportions, viz., one ounce of bichromate of potash,
half an ounce of hyposulphite of soda, and half an ounce of hydro-
chlorate of ammonia, commonly called sal ammoniac. These ingredients
are to be pulverized and dissolved by means of gentle heat in a mucilage.
composed of one ounce of albumen, two and a half ounces of gelatine,
and two and a half ounces of Nuremberger glue or best French trans-
parent glue dissolved in from two to three pints of water. This paste is
spread evenly over the metal or glass plate and artificially or spontaneously
dried. The plate thus prepared is then to be brought in contact with the
aforesaid negative or transparent medium in an ordinary photographic
printing frame, and exposed to light for a short time until the photo-
graphic image has been produced. When removed from the printing
frame the prepared surface is to be covered with a mixed solution of
alcohol or methylated spirit with acetic acid, which when applied to the
bichromate surface all the unaltered bichromate will be dissolved out,
leaving behind a faint reversed impression, which is capable of being
transformed into a surface in relief. This surface in relief is obtained by
means of a process somewhat resembling in the main features the well-
known glyphographic process, and will be hereafter explained.
.
11
م

page_text: equal parts of dissolved gelatine and gum or other glutinous substance
mixed with one-eighth part of bichromate, thus forming a paste which
may be spread upon ebonite, glass, or any other material. The pro-
portions we prefer are as follows:-Two and a half ounces of each of the
solutions of gum, gelatine, and Nuremberger glue, one ounce of solution
of bichromate of potash, and half an ounce of oxalic acid. The mixture
may be thinned down to any desired extent according to the season of
the year and the temperature. This paste must be dried on the plate
as in the former instance, and after exposure to the action of light under
a negative or positive taken for the purpose the plate is put into a
dish with cold water, which will dissolve out the unaffected bichromate,
after which the surface must be dried. This will produce a surface from
which a cast may be made, but in some cases the high lights should be
built up with wax or varnish to a certain extent, care being taken not
to cover any part of the picture. The plate must then be put into water
and allowed to swell, after which it may be taken out and carefully
dried with blotting paper; the surface is then to be brushed over with
a solution of ox gall and coated with a substance or composition con-
sisting of one part of sulphur to four parts of refined tar melted with a
gentle heat, during which a small quantity of india-rubber or gutta
percha solution may be added. Or a cast may be taken in plaster of
Paris, as in making stereotype plates. From the plastic or other mould
thus obtained a stereotype cast in intaglio in metal may be taken, and
if any defects in the plate are found they may be repaired by hand.
In order to obtain a surface for printing by a letter-press machine we
first of all build up the fine work by passing over the surface a roller
covered with copal or other varnish, and this operation is repeated until
a sufficient thickness or depth is obtained. The high lights may be still
further built up by the application of varnish with a brush. When the
intaglio is completed we prepare it to receive a coating of copper by the
electrotype process, and on the back of the film or sheet of copper thus
produced is to be placed a sufficient thickness of type metal to give
strength to the copper, which when mounted on a wooden block will
be ready for printing in an ordinary printing press.
Having now described our Invention of "An Improved Process for
Producing Raised Printing Surfaces," and having explained the manner
of carrying the same into effect, we claim as the Invention secured to
us by Letters Patent, producing surfaces in relief (suitable for printing

page_text: in ordinary typographical printing presses) by the combination of any
suitable photographic process with the glyphographic process, as herein
set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Daniel Fruwirth, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Eighth day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
D. FRUWIRTH. (L.S.)