IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS A communication AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN TRANSFER PRINTING
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Imray, of No. 28, Southampton Buildings, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS
A communication
AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN TRANSFER PRINTING."
from abroad by Heinrich Schmitt, of Prague, Bohemia, in the Austrian
Empire.
Sealed the 6th February 1880, and dated the 24th November 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Imray at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th November 1879.
JOHN IMRAY, of No. 28, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex. " IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN
TRANSFER PRINTING." [A communication from abroad by Heinrich Schmitt, of
Prague, Bohemia, in the Austrian Empire.]
This Invention relates to that process of transfer printing in which writing,
designs, or the like are produced upon a gelatine surface by chemical inks or fluids,
such portions acted upon being made to take up printers' ink so that impressions
can be taken therefrom on paper in the ordinary way.
According to the present Invention the gelatine surface is prepared with as little
glycerine as possible. About 10 parts gelatine and 1 part glycerine of 30° Baumé
are mixed in about 100 parts hot water, and poured upon zinc, paper, or other
surface, and allowed to solidify by evaporation, which may be accelerated by
heating.
If the surface has solidified to the extent of about a twentieth or a thirtieth of an
inch in thickness this may be advantageously used as the transfer printing surface
by attaching it to some rigid base, such as a zinc plate, which is readily effected by
moistening the surfaces.
For preparing the transfer an ink is employed consisting of an aqueous solution
of a metallic salt, or of substances containing tannin, to which colouring matter is
added.
The following inks are suitable for the purpose:-
1 One part alum. ten parts water. 1th part aniline-induline.

page_text: 3. One part chloride of iron, with 14 parts distilled water, in which Indian ink
is rubbed up until sufficiently black.
4. One part nitrate of silver dissolved in 10 parts water, and rubbed up with
Indian ink.
5. One part tannin, 10 parts water, and 10th part aniline-induline.
6. One part sulphate of iron, ten parts of water, and th part fluid extract of
logwood.
The original writing or design having been prepared with either of the above
inks the surface of the gelatine is moistened, and the original laid upon it with
moderate pressure.
After from 15 to 25 seconds the original is removed, leaving on
the gelatine the reverse impression thereof. To this is applied printers' ink by
means of a roller, and after removing superfluous ink with a sponge, and
moistening the surface with a wet cloth, impressions can be taken therefrom upon
paper by means of a roller or other press. As impressions are taken best when the
gelatine surface is on a zinc plate, this should be placed on a rigid bed having a
permanently adhesive surface. This surface is prepared from a mixture of one part
gelatine, 3 parts glycerine, and 11th part sugar, melted together under moderate heat,
and poured in a metal trough or tray. On the compound solidifying the zinc plate
with gelatine surface is placed upon it for the purpose of printing, after which
it may be removed again.
For rendering the zinc plate with gelatine surface available for receiving a new
impression either the zinc plate is placed in a vessel containing a base in solution
(preferably ammonia) which destroys the action of the chemical ink on the gelatine
Burface, or the gelatine surface is removed and replaced by a fresh one.
If in place of applying printers' ink lithographic ink be used an impression may
be taken on sized paper, which is then transferred to a lithographic stone or other
suitable surface for the production of lithographic, zincographic and such like
impressions.
To avoid the necessity of taking an impression on sized paper for effecting the
transfer, the writing or designs may be produced directly but reversed upon the
gelatine surface, using for this purpose by preference the inks No. 1 or No. 4 above
described. The gelatine surface is in this case laid on paper; after writing or
drawing upon
it with the chemical ink lithographic ink is applied to it, and it is
placed with the gelatine surface uppermost in cold water for about 10 minutes; the
superfluous ink is then removed by the light application of a sponge, and the
gelatinized paper is dried between sheets of blotting paper, after which it is applied,
almost dry, to the lithographic stone for transfer.
If a warm solution of 1 part gelatine with 1/10th part glycerine and 8 parts of
water is poured directly into a shallow metal dish it will solidify, and the transfer
can be effected thereon by means of the above chemical inks by first moderately
moistening its surface, allowing the moisture to penetrate, and then producing the
impression thereon by the said inks, using by preference the ink No. 3 above
described. A gelatine surface thus prepared has the advantage of always remaining
moist, and therefore requiring no removal of superfluous ink after the application of
the inking roller.
For preserving the gelatine surface from putrifying it may be covered with
blotting paper dipped in glycerine, or alcohol may be added to the water used in
melting the glycerine in the proportion of one sixth part; or an admixture of an
antiseptic substance, such as an aqueous solution of arsenious acid, may be used.
For removing the impression from the gelatine surface this may be melted by
means of a flat blowpipe flame, and the ink being skimmed off by a wood scraper
the surface is allowed to solidify again.
Instead of gelatine other vegetable or animal gelatinous substances, glues, or gums,
or even white of egg may be used.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Imray in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th May
1880.
JOHN IMRAY, of No. 28, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN TRANSFER
PRINTING." A communication from abroad by Heinrich Schmitt, of Prague,
Bohemia, in the Austrian Empire.
This Invention relates to that process of transfer printing, in which writing,
designs, or the like are produced upon a gelatine surface by chemical inks or fluids,
such portions as are thus acted upon being made capable of taking up printers' ink,
so that impressions can be taken therefrom on paper in the usual way.
According to the present Invention the said surface is prepared by mixing
gelatine with glycerine, by preference in the proportion of about 1200 parts
by weight of gelatine to 375 parts glycerine of 30° Beaumé dissolved in about
2000 parts of warm water, which mixture is poured in a thin layer upon a rigid
base, such as a zinc plate, and allowed to solidify by the evaporation of the water.
I do not limit myself to the above proportions, as they may be varied to suit
different conditions of temperature. This mixture of the glycerine and gelatine is
by preference rendered of increased consistency by mixing there with a small pro-
portion of a metallic salt or tanning substance, such for instance as bichromate of
potash, which may be added as a solution containing about 178 parts by weight to
4000 parts of water, of which solution about 530 parts by weight are added to the
above proportions of the other ingredients. I do not however limit myself to these
proportions, as they may be varied to suit different conditions of temperature.
This coating of gelatine compound is best applied to a surface impervious to water.
If a zinc plate is employed it is advisable to preserve it from oxydation, for which
purpose it should either be previously rubbed clean, or be coated with varnish or
with tin.
The inks or fluids by means of which the requisite induration of the surface of
gelatine compound is effected to enable it to take up the printers' ink consist of
aqueous solutions of either a metallic salt or a tanning substance, to which colouring
matter is added. The metallic salts may be alum, chrome alum, chloride of iron,
nitrate of silver, and the tanning substance, tanning, and the like, but of all other
salts it is preferred to employ the compounds of uranium, such as the nitrate,
acetate, or sulphate of uranium. About one part by weight of nitrate of uranium
is dissolved in about 7-5 parts of water, to which is added indian ink, or a solution
of any dye stuff, such as aniline, induline, or logwood to the requisite extent to
render the writing clearly visible. I do not limit myself to the above propor-
tions, as they may be varied according to variations of temperature and other
circumstances.
For effecting the transfer printing from an original prepared with the above inks
the plate coated with the gelatine compound is placed during from 5 to 10 minutes in
cold water, and after removal of the superfluous water by the application of blotting
paper the original writing or design is laid upon the gelatine surface face downwards,
and is pressed lightly thereon. After about from 10 to 15 seconds the original is
again removed, leaving on the gelatine surface an impression of the writing or
design. A dry sheet of paper is then applied to the surface and removed, whereupon
a roller supplied with printing ink is passed over it, leaving a supply of ink adhering
only to those parts that have been acted upon by the chemical ink. The roller
employed for this purpose is by preference of caoutchouc. Any small portion of
ink that may have adhered to the other part of the gelatine surface having been
removed by a wet cloth or sponge, the sheet of paper or other material on which
the printing is to be effected is laid upon the gelatine surface, and after applying

page_text: gentle pressure is removed with the required impression thereon.
The above
operation of inking and printing is then repeated as often as may be required. In
order to avoid the necessity of frequently moistening the gelatine surface it is
advisable to mix a small quantity of glycerine with the printers' ink, a proportion
of about one part of glycerine to eight parts of the ink being sufficient.
For facilitating the manipulation it is of advantage to temporarily fix the
gelatinised plate in any convenient known manner, or it may be held sufficiently
by placing it upon a surface composed of a permanently adhesive compound.
If a melted compound consisting of about three parts of gelatine, fifteen parts of
water, and one part of glycerine is poured in a shallow tray it will solidify, and can
be employed for transfer printing in the above described manner by means of the
said inks, employing by preference those containing uranium salts. I do not limit
myself to the above proportions, as they may be varied to suit different conditions
of temperature and other circumstances. This permanently moist mass can be
preserved from putrifying by the application of antiseptic substances, and when the
writing or characters imprinted thereon are no longer required the mass may be
employed for receiving the impression of a new copy by slightly melting its surface
by the application of heat, so as to remove the impression previously made
thereon.
If in place of gelatine ordinary glue be employed a compound may be used con-
sisting of about four parts of glue, four parts of water, and five parts of glycerine,
the water being afterwards evaporated, and with this compound it will be found
that an impression made with uranium salts can be removed by mere mechanical
rubbing. I do not limit myself to the above proportions, as they may be varied to
suit different conditions of temperature and other circumstances.
If it be desired to obtain by impression white characters upon a black ground a
sheet of paper soaked in a solution of a metallic salt or of tanning substances is
written upon with lithographic ink, and is then laid upon the gelatine surface and
pressed thereon. On removing the paper and passing an inking roller over the
gelatine surface those portions thereof that have not been in contact with the litho-
graphic ink take up the printers' ink, and consequently the written characters will
appear in white.
If it be desired for lithographic or zincographic purposes to transfer writing to a
stone or zinc plate the inking of the transfer on the gelatine surface is effected by
means of lithographic transfer ink, and the impression taken therefrom on paper is
then transferred to the stone or zinc plate, from which impressions are then taken
in the usual manner.
If it be desired to transfer writing directly from the gelatine surface on to a
lithographic stone or zinc plate the writing is made directly upon the gelatine-
surface with the above named indurating inks, and after letting this become
perfectly dry lithographic transfer ink is applied. The turpentine is then allowed
to evaporate, and the gelatine surface is laid in cold water. After about 10 minutes
any lithographic ink adhering to those parts of the surface that have not been acted
upon by the indurating ink is removed by means of a soft sponge applied with a
circular motion. The gelatine surface is then dried by the application of damp
blotting paper, and the writing thereon is then transferred to the stone or zinc plate
in a lithographic press. It is advisable to add to the gelatine compound a salt of
chromium, such as bichromate of potash, in about the same proportions as those
before mentioned, in order to partially harden the gelatine surface and prevent it
from adhering to the stone.
Instead of gelatine other substances, such as different kinds of glue, gum arabic,
albumen, traganth, and the like gelatinous substances may be employed for the
purposes of the above described Invention.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, I
claim,
First Renroducing writing or designs by annluing to a qu-fana onmanneed of a

page_text: mixture of gelatine or its equivalents, and glycerine, a writing or design in inks
containing a salt of a metal, such as uranium or a tanning substance, and then
applying to the said surface printers' ink, which is taken up by those parts of the
surface written upon, so that impressions can then be taken therefrom, substantially
as herein described.
Second. The use for the purpose of reproducing writing or designs in printers' or
lithographic ink of a surface composed of gelatine or its equivalents, with an admix-
ture of glycerine, to which surface is applied the said writing or designs prepared
with solutions containing metallic salts or tanning substances, substantially as and
for the purposes herein set forth.
Third. The method herein described of employing a surface composed of gelatine
or its equivalents, with an admixture of glycerine, for transferring writing or designs
on to stones or plates for lithographic or zincographic processes.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Imray, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty fourth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty.
JOHN IMRAY. (LS.)