IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU- FACTURE OF TABLETS, FACIAS, SIGNS, AND SIMILAR ARTICLES, AND IN THE MEANS OF PRODUCING NAMES, NUMERALS, INSCRIPTIONS, AND DEVICES FOR ORNAMENT, ADVERTISEMENT, ILLUMINATION, AND OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES
Year: 1870

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by: Joseph, Skerterly and Ambrose
Maude Hurst at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 25th January 1870..
We, JOSEPH SKERTCHLY; of 25, Margaret Street, Wilmington. Square,.
in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, and AMBROSE MAUDe Hurst;
of 1,, Arthur Street West, in the City of London, Actuary, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF TABLETS, FACIAS, SIGNS, AND SIMILAR ARTICLES, AND IN THE MEANS OF
PRODUCING NAMES, NUMERALS, INSCRIPTIONS, AND DEVICES FOR ORNAMENT,
ADVERTISEMENT, ILLUMINATION, AND OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES," to be as
follows
Firstly. In constructing tablets, facias, signboards, and similar
appliances having inscriptions or devices for the purposes of advertising
or decoration in such manner as to become. luminous and visible by
night. In order to accomplish this object we employ a metallic or other-

page_text: suitable conductor of electricity, which we form into the inscription or
required device, taking especial care that its clectrical connection is
broken at intervals so as to exhibit, when placed in contact with an
electrical apparatus, a series of sparks which will constitute the pre-
determined design. This conductor we affix to a foundation or frame-
work constructed of any convenient material, taking especial care that
the conductor is in a state of insulation with regard to it; but we prefer
to affix it to a non-conducting substance, such as glass, porcelain, or
carthenware.
Secondly. We employ in connection with the electrical conductor a
porous substance, such as soft earthenware, formed into the desired
shape, and protect it on the outer parts, except on those portions where
we wish the luminous device to appear, with a glaze or other coating
impervious to moisture. On saturating this porous body with paraffine
or other analagous substance and applying a light to the surface the
flame will be found to burn in the form and device left unprotected by
the glaze. By this means we obtain a combination of the flame from
the burning body and the spark from the electrical apparatus for the
purposes described.
.
Thirdly. In order to obtain flame for the like purpose instead of
employing a porous body as the medium for containing the supply of
'paraffine we construct a hollow vessel of iron or other suitable material,
and place in it a quantity of fibrous, granular, spongy, porous, or other
well known substance, such as cotton, wool, sponge, or sand, capable
of holding by capillary attraction the fluid substance for combustion,
and place a cover over it pierced with whatever device we desire the
flame to assume. On saturating the mass contained within the
hollow vessel with paraffine or other inflammable liquid and applying
a light, the flame will be found to correspond with the shape of the
perforations.
Fourthly. In order to obtain color and increase the beauty of the
devices herein-before described we place in front of and at some distance
from the foundation of the tablets a plate or screen, either entirely or
partially transparent, and coloured or embossed according to any pattern
that may be desired. This plate may be formed wholly or in part of
wood, glass, earthenware, metal, or any material that will resist moderate

page_text: heat, but when composed of an opaque body we pierco it according
to the required pattern, and cover the openings so produced with
transparent or translucent substances colored, embossed, or otherwise
ornamented so as to exhibit the required pattern.