IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION OF ORNAMENTAL SURFACES SUITABLE FOR ADVERTISEMENT TABLETS, PLATES FOR SHOP FRONTS. AND FOR OTHER USES
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Morris Johnson and Edmund Johnson, of
Castle Street, Holborn, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
PRODUCTION OF ORNAMENTAL SURFACES SUITABLE FOR ADVERTISEMENT TABLETS,
PLATES FOR SHOP FRONTS. AND FOR OTHER USES."
led the 19th October 1859, and dated the 20th April 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Morris Johnson and
Edmund Johnson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 20th April 1859.
We, JOHN MORRIS JOHNSON and EDMUND JOHNSON,, of Castle Street,
Holborn, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE PRODUCTION OF ORNAMENTAL SURFACES SUITABLE FOR ADVERTISEMENT
TABLETS, PLATES FOR SHOP FRONTS, AND FOR OTHER USES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the production of orna-
mental surfaces suitable for advertisement tablets, plates for shop fronts, and for
other uses. For this purpose a design is printed or painted on to a sheet of
colorless gelatine with opaque color or material, so as to render the sheet
opaque in parts, and behind the parts of the sheet still left transparent strips
of silk or other material of two or more different colors are placed, so as to
give the transparent portion of the sheet the appearance of being of two or
more different color, and an outline is given to such colored portions of the
design by the opaque printing or painting originally applied to the sheet.
The article thus produced is mounted in a frame or otherwise, and protected
by a glass. In some cases we employ strips of colored gelatine to give color
to the transparent portions of the printed or painted sheet, and afterwards

page_text: place behind such colored strips, metal foil, or paper crushed so as to produce
an irregular surface, which gives a glittering appearance to the transparent
portions of the painted or printed sheet. In some cases we employ sheets or
strips of glass in place of gelatine.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Morris Johnson and Edmund Johnson in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 20th October 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, Jonn
MORRIS JOHNSON and EDMUND JOHNSON, of Castle Street, Holborn, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
John Morris Johnson and Edmund Johnson, Her special licence that we, the
said John Morris Johnson and Edmund Johnson, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said John Morris Johnson
and Edmund Johnson, 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION OF ORNAMENTAL SURFACES SUITABLE FOR ADVER-
TISEMENT TABLETS, PLATES FOR SHOP FRONTS, AND FOR OTHER USES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said John Morris Johnson and
Edmund Johnson, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under our or their hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of
one of us or them, 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 Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said John Morris, Johnson and Edmund
Johnson, do bereby 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 thereof, that is to say :-

page_text: This Invention has for its object improvements in the production of orna-
mental surfaces suitable for advertisement tablets, plates for shop fronts, and
for other uses. For this purpose a design is printed or painted on to a sheet
of colorless gelatine with opaque color or material, so as to render the sheet
opaque in parts, and behind the parts of the sheet still left transparent strips
of silk or other material of two or more different colors are placed, so as to
give the transparent portion of the sheet the appearance of being of two or
more different colors, and an outline is given to such colored portions of the
design by the opaque printing or painting originally applied to the sheet. The
article thus produced is mounted in a frame or otherwise, and protected by a
glass. In some cases we employ strips of colored gelatine to give color to the
transparent portions of the printed or painted sheet, and afterwards place
behind such colored strips metal foil, or paper crushed so as to produce an
irregular surface, which gives a glittering appearance to the transparent por-
tions of the painted or printed sheet. In some cases we employ sheets or
strips of glass in place of gelatine.
In carrying our Invention into effect, we prefer to proceed in the following
manner: We produce a design on a sheet of colorless gelatine by printing
upon it with size or adhesive compound in the manner ordinarily practised
when printing on gelatine, and then dusting over the sheet the opaque color
or material to be used in producing the design; that which we prefer to employ
is silver, gold, or bronze powder, or French white or leaf metal may be applied,
but this may be much varied according to the taste of the operator. The
color may, if preferred, be transferred directly from the block to the gelatine
in place of using a dusting color. These methods of printing gelatine are
such as are ordinarily practised, and are not claimed by us unless the sheet
of gelatine so printed be afterwards combined in the manner herein-after
described. The sheet of gelatine is placed face downwards on a sheet
of glass, and the design is backed with strips of materials of different
colors. In some cases we employ strips of an opaque material, and then we
prefer to use silk; the portion or portions of the design which are to appear
of any particular color are backed with a strip or strips of this color, and the
portions of the design which are to appear of another color or colors are
backed with corresponding strips; the strips may be kept in their places by
attaching them to a sheet of paper or other material of the size of the sheet of
gelatine, the whole is then mounted in a frame or otherwise. We, however,
prefer in place of employing strips of an opaque material, to employ strips of
transparent and colored gelatine to give color to the transparent portions of
the design. These strips are applied in a similar manner to those already

page_text: described, and they may, if desired, be applied in combination with opaque
strips. Usually we apply strips of colored gelatine to give color to the
central portions of the design, and the color being given to the marginal por-
tions of the design by an opaque material. For this purpose we frequently
employ paper, and we then find it convenient to attach the strips of colored
gelatine to the margin of paper in order to keep them in their places; after-
wards we place behind the whole, metal foil or paper crushed so as to produce
an irregular surface, and we mount the combination thus produced in a frame
or in other convenient manner.
When the design is seen from in front through the glass at those portions
of the design which were left transparent by the original printing, the metal
foil or paper at the back will be visible through the colored strips of gelatine,
and it will appear of the color of these strips. In this manner a pleasing
effect is produced. In some cases we produce the design in metal, or other
opaque color or material on glass in place of on gelatine, and in some cases we
employ strips of colored glass to give color to the transparent portions of the
design in place of strips of gelatine. We, however, for each of these pur-
poses prefer to employ gelatine.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention and the manner of per-
forming the same, we would have it understood that we do not confine ourselves
to the exact details described; but what we claim is, the combining a sheet
of gelatine having a design produced on it in opaque color or material, with
strips of colored gelatine, and also with metal foil or paper in the manner
described.
We also claim the mounting a sheet of gelatine having a design produced
on it in the manner described, in combination with opaque strips of two or
more colors as above described.
We also claim the substitution of sheets or strips of glass for sheets or strips
of gelatine as above described.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Morris Johnson and Edmund
Johnson, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twentieth day
of October, in the year One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
JOHN MORRIS JOHNSON. (L.S.)
EDMUND JOHNSON.
(L.S.)