Improvements in the Method of Embossing Photographs.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Aug., 1896-Accepted, 10th Oct., 1996
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of Embossing Photographs.
J, FREEMAN AUGUSTUS TABER, of 609 Broderick Street, San Francisco, in the
County of San Francisco, State of California, U.S.A., Photographer, 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 :-
Heretofore and before this my invention difficulty has been experienced in pro-
ducing enibossed photographs on account of the failure of the embossing mold and
photograph to be embossed to register, which difficulty may be effectually overcome
by the use of the process which I will now describe by the aid of the accompanying
drawings, of which-
Fig. 1 is a view of a photographic negative with guide or register marks thereon ;
Fig. 2 is a back view of the block with the embossing mold and register marks ;
Fig. 3 is a view of the photograph with the register marks cut out;
Fig. 4 is a view of the mold with guide or register bars attached thereto.
This invention relates to the embossing of photographs so that the surface of the
figure or figures thereof will be raised or projected from the plain surface, and consists
of providing on the photograph guide or register marks removed from the figures to
be raised, transferring to the surface of a block in which the embossing mold is to be
made the outline of the figure or figures to be embossed, and guide or register marks
corresponding with those on the photograph; forming in the block a mold in
accordance with the outline of the figure or figures thus transferred to the block,
and adjusting a photograph having thereon the guide or register marks to the
mold, in accordance with the register marks on the block and on the photograph,
and pressing the photograph to the surface of the mold, and the various modifications
hereinafter specified and set forth, as will more clearly appear hereafter.
The usual manner in which I carry on this process is to provide on the negative,
shown in Fig. 1, the guide or register marks R, R, which may be produced by
pasting on the negative strips of paper, or painting the same on the negative with
any suitable material so that they will show upon the sensitized paper on which
the prints or photographs are made. The surface of the block to be used as a
mold is sensitized and the reverse of the negative A is printed thereon, shown in
Fig. 2 and marked B, where the picture to be embossed is shown on its surface with
the guide or register marks R, R. The embossing mold is now made in accordance
with the picture on the block by hand engraving or any appropriate means to such
depth and to such degree of nicety of detail as may be desired. A photograph
from the negative A, is now made and the same is trimmed so as to bring the
register marks R, R, at the edge of the sheet. The photograph C; with the register
marks thus trimmed is placed on the embossing mold so that the register marks of C,
and the register marks of B will correspond. The photograph C is then fastened to
the block D by any appropriate means so that it will retain its position on the block
with the figure of the photograph directly coincident with the figure of the embossing
mold. The photograph sheet having preferably been moistened to soften it, a
backing of soft and elastic material, such as rubber sponge is applied to the back
of the photograph and the whole is subjected to pressure whereby the rubber
sponge forces the photograph into conformity with the embossing mold, giving to
the surface of the photograph the contour of the mold. If desired, the face of the
block B may be provided with guide bars or frame, as shown at D in Fig. 4, where
they are put on in accordance with the guide or register marks. When a frame of

page_text: this character is used on the face of the mold block, the photographs to be molded
should be trimmed in accordance with the register marks on them, which will make
the edges of the photograph prints correspond with the frame D on the mold block,
causing the photograph of the figures to correspond with the mold when they are in
the frame D.
I do not wish to limit my invention to the particular manner above-described of
carrying the same into effect, as good results may be obtained by drawing the outlines
to be molded for a photograph, as shown in Fig. 1, on a piece of transparent paper
or other like material placed over the same, and transferring the outline thus made
to the block B by placing on the block B a piece of carbon paper, and placing over
that the tracing of the photograph face down, when, by following the outlines on the
tracing paper with a pencil or like instrument, the lines will be transferred to the
block through the medium of the carbon paper placed thereon; the guide-marks R, R,
being preferably placed on the block at the same time.
One of the advantages of this way of carrying on my invention is that it may be
applied to any photograph without the necessity of having the negative or more than
one copy of the photograph to make a proper mold to emboss the photograph.
It is manifest that instead of placing a guide or register mark on the negative, the
edge of the negative may be used as the guide or register mark, and be shown on the
photograph and on the block in which the mold is made and serve as a register mark
without departing from the nature of my invention.
I am aware that embossed photographs have been made before this my invention
a patent for a method of producing embossed photographs having been granted to me
by Letters Patent No. 21,422, A.D. 1895-but never before this my invention has a
method been set forth whereby the photograph and mold may be made to readily
register with accuracy, as is accomplished by the process here described.
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
(1) The method herein described of embossing photographs which consists in
providing on the photograph to be embossed, guide or register marks removed from
the figures to be embossed; transferring to the surface of a block in which the
embossing mold is to be made the outlines of the figure or figures to be embossed,
and the guide or register marks; forming in the block a mold in accordance with
the outlines of the figure or figures thus transferred thereto; and adjusting a photo-
graph, having thereon the guide or register marks, to the mold, in accordance with
the register marks on the block and on the photograph; and pressing the photograph
to the surface of the mold, substantially as specified and set forth.
(2) The method herein described of embossing photographs, which consists in
providing on the photograph guide or register marks removed from the figures to be
embossed; tracing on a transparent material placed over the photograph the outlines
of the figures to be embossed, and the register marks; transferring to the surface of
a block the outlines of the figures and register marks thus made, and cutting out the
figures in accordance with the outline; adjusting a photograph having thereon guide
or register marks to the mold, in accordance with the register marks on the block and
on the photograph, and pressing the photograph to the surface of the mold,
substantially as specified and set forth.
Dated this 20th da
1000
CASTLE SMITH,
"Invention" Office, Mitre Court, Fleet Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.
,