CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN INKS, AND IN THE PROCESSES BY WHICH THE SAME ARE MANU- FACTURED, AND THE APPLICATION OF SOME OF THESE PROCESSES TO THE PRODUCTION OF CERTAIN SALTS
Year: 1846

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
BANCROFT READE, of Stone Vicarage, Aylesbury, in the County of Buckingham,
Clerk, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Hen
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Third day of December,
One thousand eight hundred and forty-six, in the tenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Joseph Bancroft Reade, my exors, adiñors, and assigns, Her especial licence,
full power, sole priviledge and authority that I, the said Joseph Bancroft
Rcade, my exors, adñors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Joseph
Bancroft Reade, my exors, adññors, or assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in all
Her Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, and also in the Islands of
Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, my Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN INKS, AND IN THE PROCESSES BY WHICH THE SAME ARE MANU-
FACTURED, AND THE APPLICATION OF SOME OF THESE PROCESSES TO THE PRODUCTION
OF CERTAIN SALTS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I₁
the said Joseph Bancroft Reade, shall cause a particular description of the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, to be inrolled in Her

page_text: said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in
and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large
appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said!
Joseph Bancroft Reade, hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described
in and by the following Specification thereof, that is to say:-
Firstly, I manufacture in manner following a blue writing ink, which is
wholly free from acid, and therefore well adapted for use with steel pens :-I
first obtain a solution of iodine of iron by the process ordinarily followed for
that purpose, and then dissolve therein half the weight of iodine already
employed. I next pour this mixture into a semi-saturated solution of yellow
prussiate of potash, employing a weight of this salt nearly equal to the whole
weight of iodine used in the above iodine solution. A decomposition of 'the
materials thus brought together immediately takes place, when the cyanogen
(of the prussiate of potash) and iron combine, and are precipitated in a solid
form, and the potassium (of the prussiate) and iodine combine to form a neutral
iodide of potassium, which remains in solution with a little excess of iodide of
iron. I next filter and wash the solid precipitate of cyanogen and iron, which
is a soluble Prussian blue, and finally dissolve it in water, which forms the
blue writing ink required. In this process it will be observed that neither
any acid nor per-salt of iron is employed as is usual in the formation and
solution of Prussian blue. I was led to these results by a microscopical
examination of the metallic colours in salts of the ashes of plants. I employed
iron and iodine to produce the same effects on pure salts; and in the course
of my experiments I ascertained that these two substances (iron and iodine)
have so great an affinity for each other that when placed together without
any water, or when rubbed togther, they very speedily form a liquid containing
an excess of iodine in solution, which, being added to a solution of prussiate of
potash, gives the compound of cyanogen and iron, or soluble Prussian blue
which has been just described. The addition of water alters the character of
this iodine solution; without water it turns litmus paper green, and with
water it has the usual acid reaction, thus apparently confirming Davy's original
doubt as to the elementary character of iodine.
Secondly, I form a neutral iodide of potassium of great purity, and wholly
free from alkaline reaction, in manner following:-I take the solution which
remained over from the process first herein-before described after the Prussian
blue had been precipitated, which solution consisted, as before stated, of a

page_text: neutral iodide of potassium with iodide of iron in excess, and I get rid of
that excess by the well-known processes of fusion and crystallization. The.
result is an iodide of potassium, which is as pure as when iodine and potassium
are made to act directly on one another, and which is perfectly free from the
alkaline reaction on turmeric paper, which invariably characterizes the most
careful preparations of this salt when carbonate of potassa is employed (as.
usual) in its manufacture. It is also much less 'deliquescent than the ordinary
iodide of potassium of commerce, and on account of its great-purity much to
be preferred in medicinal preparations.
Thirdly, I manufacture a blue ink of peculiar intensity, and therefore par-
ticularly suitable for printing purposes, by using the same materials and
manipulating them in the same way as first herein-before described, with the
exception that for the iodine, wherever it is used, I substitute bromine, and
rub up the precipitate in oil.
Fourthly, I form a bromide of potassium of great purity, and wholly free.
from alkaline reaction, by treating the bromide of potassium which remains
over in a state of solution from the process last herein-before described, in the
same way as the iodide of potassium solution is directed to be used under the
second head of this Specification.
Fifthly, I manufacture a very superior, black writing ink, by adding, to gall
ink of a good quality from a tenth to a twelfth part of the soluble Prussian.
blue described under.the first head of this Specification. The addition of this.
Prussian blue makes the ink, which was already proof against alkalies, equally
proof against acids, and forms a writing fluid which cannot be erased from
paper by any common method of fraudulent obliteration without the destruc-
tion of the paper.
Sixthly, I manufacture, in manner following, a red writing ink, which is
greatly superior to the common solutions, from peach wood and Brazil wood,
not only in permanent brilliancy of color, but also in its freedom from acid,
and consequent fitness for use with steel pens. I first boil cochineal repeatedly
in successive quantities of pure water till it ceases or nearly so to give out
coloring matter. I then boil it in water containing liquor-ammonia,, which
combines after the manner of an alkali with an acid with the residue of
coloring matter, and leaves the insect matter nearly white. The liquid pro-
ducts of these successive boilings are then thrown together into an earthenware
vessel; and in order to get rid of a peculiar element or principle still combined
with the coloring matter, and which has a great affinity for iron, I precipitate
the coloring matter with animonio-bichloride of tin. The precipitate is after-
wards dissolved in ammonia and protiodide of tin added till a sufficient degrco

page_text: of brilliancy of color is obtained, which completes the process, water being
added ad libitum, according to the degree of body desired to be given to
the ink.
Seventhly, I manufacturé, by the improved process following, a marking ink;
which may be used with steel pins, and is not only of great intensity of colour
but comes out most readily on the application of heat. I rub together in a
mortar nitrate of silver and the proper equivalent of tartaric acid in a dry
'state. I then add water, on which crystals of tartrate of silver are formed
and the nitric acid set free. I next neutralize this acid by adding liquor-
'ammoniae, which also dissolves the tartrate of silver. I finally add gum,
'coloring matter, and water in the usual way, and in quantities which may be
varied at pleasure. By this process the nitric acid which is essential to a good
marking ink is retained, and the tartrate of silver formed is soluble in less than
half the quantity of liquor-ammoniæ ordinarily required when tartrate of silver
is the basis of the ink. The tedious operation of filtering and washing the
'carbonate of silver, in order to form the tartrate, is also thereby entirely
'dispensed with.
Eighthly, I manufacture, in manner following, a marking ink differing from
the preceding and all other marking inks containing salts of silver only in this
respect, that it cannot be acted upon by the common solvents of salts of silver,
as cyanide of potassium or chloride of lime, and is so far therefore more
indelible. I take the ink as it has been formed by the process last herein-
'described, and add to it an ammoniacal solution of an oxide or salt of gold.
I have used for this purpose the purple of cassius, the hyposulphite of gold,
'ammonio-iodide of gold, and ammonio-periodide of gold. The two last, which
I believe to be new salts, I obtain by dissolving iodine in liquor-ammouice
under the application of heat, an operation, however, which requires to bo
'conducted with great caution in order to prevent the formation of the
'explosive compound, the teriodide of nitrogen. This iodine solution is a very
speedy solvent of gold. If gold leaf be placed upon it without the addition of
water a black oxide of gold is formed, which immediately dissolves, but if it
be diluted with water the process of oxidation is less rapid and the gold leaf
assumes a fine purple color (not black) before solution. This salt of gold crystal-
lizes in four-sided prisms, which are soluble in water. A few drops of the solution
placed on a slip of glass generally form microscopic arborescent crystals, from
which, under the application of heat, both the iodine and ammonia may be
volatilized when arborescent metallic gold alone remains. If a moderate heat
only is employed one equivalent only of iodine is dispelled, and white crystals of
anmonio-iodide of gold remain.

page_text: Ninthly, I manufacture a blue printing ink by taking the soluble precipitate
of cyanogen and iron obtained by the process described under the first head of
this Specifification, and rubbing up the same in oil after the manner ordinarily
followed in the manufacture of printing inks, or by boiling down the blue
writing ink produced by the said process to a sufficient consistence, and then
rubbing up the same in oil.
Tenthly, I manufacture a black printing ink by boiling down the black
writing ink produced by the materials and process described under the fifth
head of the Specification; and rubbing it up in oil as aforesaid.
Eleventhly, I manufacture a red printing ink by taking .the ammoniacal
solution of cochineal obtained by the process described under the sixth head
of this Specification, and rub it up in oil, adding protiodide of tin, according
to the degree of lustre required; or by boiling down the red writing ink pro-
duced by the said process to a sufficient consistence, and then rubbing up the
same in oil as aforesaid; and,
Twelfthly, I manufacture a black printing ink by boiling chips of logwood
(for which an extract of logwood may be substituted) or other dyewoods con-
taining coloring matter and tannin along with as much of a protosalt or per-
salt of iron or copper, or other precipitant of tannin, as will be equal to about
twice the weight of the tannin contained in the wood or extract, whereby I
obtain a black or bluish black precipitate, the blueness of which I diminish as
may be required by the addition of bichromate of potash, more or less. I
finally rub up the whole in oil as aforesaid, adding a small quantity of the
lamp black or other black coloring matter ordinarily employed in the manu-
facture of black printing inks.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that the improvements which I
claim as constituting my said Invention are as follows:-
.
First, I claim the manufacture of a blue writing ink free from acid by
neans of the materials and process described under the first head of this
Specification.
Second, I claim the production of iodide of potassium by the means and in
manner before described.
Third, I claim the manufacture of a blue ink especially suitable for printing
purposes by the means and in manner described under the third head of this
Specification.
Fourth, I claim the production of bromide of potassium by the means and
n manner before described.

page_text: Fifth, I claim the manufacture of a superior black writing ink by the
means and process described under the fifth head of this Specification.
Sixth, I claim the manufacture of a red writing ink by means of the
materials and process or processes before described.
Seventh, I claim the manufacture of a marking ink, having a salt of silver 5
for its base, by means of the materials and processes described under the
seventh head of this Specification.
Eighth, I claim the manufacture of a marking ink which cannot be acted
on by the common solvents of salts of silver by the means and in manner
before described.
Ninth, I claim the production of ammonio-periodide of gold and ammonio-
iodide of gold by the means and in manner described under the eighth head of
this Specification; and,
1
Tenth, I claim the manufacture of blue, black, and red printing inks from
the materials and by means of the processes pointed out under the ninth, tenth, 1
éleventh, and twelfth heads of this Specification respectively.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Bancroft Reade, have hereunto
set my hand and scal, this Third day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-seven