IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OR PROCESS OF PRODUCING DESIGNS ON THE SURFACES OF EARTHENWARE TILES AND OTHER ARTICLES OF EARTHENWARE, SLATE, AND GLASS, HAVING FLAT OR NEARLY FLAT SURFACES."
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Lee, of Leeds, in the County of York, Art
Tile Decorator, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OR
PROCESS OF PRODUCING DESIGNS ON THE SURFACES OF EARTHENWARE TILES
AND OTHER ARTICLES OF EARTHENWARE, SLATE, AND GLASS, HAVING FLAT
OR NEARLY FLAT SURFACES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Lee at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th June 1881.
EDWARD LEE, of Leeds, in the County of York, Art Tile Decorator. " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE METHOD OR PROCESS OF PRODUCING DESIGNS ON THE SURFACES
OF EARTHENWARE TILES AND OTHER ARTICLES OF EARTHENWARE, SLATE, AND
GLASS, HAVING FLAT OR NEARLY FLAT SURFACES."
The method or process by which designs are ordinarily produced on the surfaces
of earthenware tiles and other like articles is as follows:-The design which it is
required to produce on tho said surfaces is printed on paper from engraved blocks
or plates or lithographic stones, and the print is transferred from the paper to the
said surfaces by the ordinary transfer process.
My Invention consists, first, in producing the designs on the said surfaces by
taking impressions or prints from the engraved blocks or plates or lithographic
stones on blocks or cylinders formed of or faced with an clastic or yielding
material, and "setting off" the impressions or prints so obtained onto the surfaces
to be decorated. In carrying out my Invention I use ordinary litho-varnish and
the pigments ordinarily used in painting on earthenware, slate, and glass, and I tako
the impression on the elastic block from the lithographic stone or engraved block
or plate and "set off"" the impression onto the tile or article either by hand or by
the use of a cylindrical lithographic machine constructed to "set off" the impression
received on the cylinder, or by the use of any other suitable machine. When I use
a cylindrical lithographic machine for carrying out my Invention 1 cover the
cylinders with india rubber or other suitable clastic or yielding material. When
the design to be produced requires the use of several colours, a separate lithographic

page_text: stone or engraved block or plato must be used for each color, as in ordinary colour
printing, and the impression from each of such stones, blocks, or plates must bo
separately "set off" onto the article to be decorated. In producing designs on
vitreous surfaces I prefer to take the impressions from the stones or engraved
blocks or plates in varnish, and to dust the required pigment or colour on the
articles to be decorated after "setting off" on them the impressions from the
elastic block or cylinder.
By my improved process the production of designs on the said articles is
effected with greater precision and speed than by the ordinary process, and when
desired a greater body of colour can be got on the said articles than is possible by
the use of the transfer process.
My Invention consists further in "breaking up" the hard lines of the designs,
and producing a "tooled" appearance where required by rolling a cylindrical brush
or a roller over the surface of the article on which the impression has been "set off,"
and while the varnish is fresh.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Edward Lee in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th December
1881.
EDWARD LEE, of Leeds, in the County of York, Art Tile Decorator. "IMPROVE
MENTS IN THE METHOD OR PROCESS OF PRODUCING DESIGNS ON THE SURFACES
OF EARTHENWARE TILES AND OTHER ARTICLES OF EARTHENWARE, SLATE, AND
GLASS, HAVING FLAT OR NEARLY FLAT SURFACES."
The method or process by which designs are ordinarily produced on the surfaces
of earthenware tiles and other like articles is as follows:-The design which it is
required to produce on the said surfaces is printed on paper from engraved blocks
or plates, or from lithographic stones, and the print is transferred from the paper
to the said surfaces by the ordinary transfer process.
My Invention consists, first, in producing the designs on the said surfaces by
taking impressions or prints from the engraved blocks or plates, or from the litho-
graphic stones on blocks or cylinders formed of or faced with an elastic or yielding
material, and "setting off" the impressions or prints so obtained on to the surfaces
to be decorated.
In carrying out my Invention I use ordinary "stiff litho varnish," and the
pigments ordinarily used in painting on earthenware, slate and glass, and I charge
the engraved block or plato or the lithographic stone, with the said varnish, or
with a mixture of the said varnish and the required pigments in the ordinary way;
and I take the impression or print on the elastic block or cylinder (which I term
the "set off" block or cylinder) by pressing the elastic surface of the said block
on or by rolling the said set off cylinder over the surface of the said engraved
block or plate or lithographic stone, and I then remove the said set off block or
cylinder from the said engraved block or plate or lithographic stone, and set off
the print or impression on to the tile or article to be decorated by pressing the set
off block on or by rolling the set off cylinder over the surface of the said tile or
article. This process may be performed either by hand or by means of any
suitable machine.
When the design to be produced requires the use of several colours, a separate
engraved block or plate or lithographic stone must be used for each colour as in
ordinary colour printing, and the impression from each of such blocks, plates, or
stones, must be separately set off on to the article to be decorated, and provision
must be made for insuring a correct "register," ie., for insuring that the different
colours shall occupy the required positions on the said tile or article. This may
be done by placing or securing the blocks, plates, or stones from which the
impression is to be taken and the tiles or articles on which the said impressions
are to be set off in frames or on surfaces, each of which frames or surfaces is
marked with corresponding marks, or is provided with pins secured in corresponding
positions, the said marks or pins corresponding with marks or holes formed on or
in the set off blocks or cylinders. By this arrangement (which is very similar to
that used in ordinary colour printing), the set off block or cylinder after being
removed from the engraved block or plate, or lithographic stone, and pressed on
or roller over the tile or other article, may be readily replaced on either the block
or the tile in exactly the same position relatively to the design thereon.
The engraved blocks or plates which I use for receiving the colours or the
varnish which is to bo set off on the tiles or other articles are such as are engraved
with raised designs, similarly to ordinary wood blocks. Blocks or plates in which
the designs are sunk (as in engraved copper plates) are not suitable.

page_text: In producing designs on vitreous surfaces I prefer to take the impressions or
prints from the engraved blocks or plates or lithographic stones in varnish alone,
and to dust the required pigment or colour on the articles to be decorated after
setting off on them the.impressions from the set off block or cylinder.
By my improved process the production of designs on tiles and the like is
effected with greater precision and speed than by the ordinary process, and when
desired several prints of the samo colour may be set off (one over the other) on
the article to be decorated, and a greater body of colour may thus be produced on
the said article than is possible by the use of the transfer process, and when
desired the tile or other article may be fired after one or more of the colours
forming the design has or have been set off on it, and after being fired the
remaining colours may be set off and the tile or article again fired.
My Invention consists further in "breaking up" the hard lines of the designs and
producing a "tooled" appearance where required by rolling a cylindrical brush or
a roller over the surface of the article on which the impression has been set off,
and while the varnish is fresh the brush or roller being of such a diameter that
the same part shall not come twice in contact with the decorated surface.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and the manner in which
it is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my said Invention
of "Improvements in the Method or Process of Producing Designs on the Surfaces
of Earthenware Tiles, and other Articles of Earthenware, Slate, and Glass, having
Flat or nearly Flat Surfaces,"-
First. Setting off on the said surfaces prints or impressions which have been
received on blocks or cylinders from engraved blocks or plates or lithographic
stones charged with tho required pigments or material, essentially as hereinbefore
described.
Secondly. Breaking up the hard lines of designs produced as herein before
described, and producing a "tooled" appearance in the said designs by rolling a
cylindrical brush or roller over the surface on which the print or impression bas
been set off and while the varnish is fresh.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Lec, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eighth day of December, in the year of our Lord Ono
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
EDWARD LEE. (L.S.)