Improvements in and relating to the Forming of Signs, Show-cards, and the like, and to Letters and Numerals to be used in connection with the same.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Jan., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 30th Oct., 1890-Accepted, 6th Dec., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to the Forming of Signs, Show-cards,
and the like, and to Letters and Numerals to be used in
connection with the same.
I, WILLIAM BROWNLIE, of James Street, Bridgeton, Glasgow, Lanarkshire,
Lithographer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object and comprises a new mode and means of
manufacturing or printing in shaded black and white or in colour, or in gold or
metallic leaf or bronze either by lithography or by block or type printing, on paper
or cloth, or a combination of these or other like sheet material, preferably highly
glazed or enamelled on the printed surface, and made opaque, sets of alphabetical
letters and numerals in various styles, plain and ornamental, so that they may be
subsequently cut or punched out, into the individual letters and numerals, so as to be
sold and used for the making up of words by cementing them on to glass, or other
transparent or opaque mediums such as wood boards or cardboards, for signs, tickets
or labels, or on the inside or outside of windows, so as to be cemented on the inside
of the glass and show the printed surface through the glass, or be cemented with
their backs to the outside of the glass or opaque surface material, and in that case
show the printed surface direct, which would be varnished either individually or
along with the whole surface of the ticket, board or sign.
In carrying out these improvements the alphabetical letters would preferably be
drawn in sets from A to Z, and the numerals to correspond from 1 to 10, in the
different plain outline or shaded in black and white, or different ornamental styles
and colours desired on lithograph sheets for being transferred to stones, or on the
lithographic stones themselves, or on metal plates for being engraved, and printed
from these plates or from transfers of these on the stones so as to be printed in litho-
graphic presses. Or otherwise be drawn and engraved on blocks or other equivalent
material for being printed in block or letterpress printing machines. In either of
these systems of printing there would be required a printing from a different stone or
block in the ordinary manner with each colour, and for printing in gold, silver or
other metal leaf or bronzes, the printing would be done in golu size or varnish, where
these parts were desired, and have the leaf or bronzes put on afterwards before the
size was dry. The surface of the paper or other sheet material used, would preferably
be made white and enamelled or glazed, so as to show up for the white surfaces of
the letters where that was required, instead of printing in white colours, or coloured
enamelled papers might be used, where parts of the surface of the letters were
desired to be in colours, or they may be printed in gold, silver, or other inetallic
paper; and in either case the paper or material would be made opaque by being
coloured black or other dark colour on the back surface, to make them so opaque,
when required to show on glass or other transparent surface, so that only the printed
or surface colours of the letters or numerals would show. The sheets of alphabetical
letters or numerals after being so prepared night either be all cut out by attendants
with knives, or have sharp outline dies preferably for the whole alphabet for small
letters, but for large letters might only include one or more letters, and cut a
number of sheets at a time imposed truly over each other. When the letters were so
cut they would be ready for being sold or used individually to make up the words
required by spacing and cementing them to glass windows, or show frames show
cards or other advertising sheets, such as for windows of shops, warehouses, and
tramway cars, and for wood or other signs and such like purposes. The cements
used for attaching these letters or numerals to the glass might be gelatine, varnish, or
other equivalent transparent cement, so as not to injure the printed surface which

page_text: would show through the glass, and they would he rubbed or pressed to the glass so as
to rub out all air between the letters and the glass, and show the printed surface
unimpaired through the glass. They might however in some cases be cemented with
the back of the card to the glass or sign boards or other opaque show frames, in
which case the outer surface of the letters would be coated with a transparent varnish
after they were attached preferably along with the surface of the sign or show frame.
And when these new letters were made up into show cards in glass frames, they
might have any required colours of sheets or a silvered back ground mounted
behind them to show up through the transparent part of the show card, as a ground
colour and give effect to the letters, or the glass itself might be painted in any
desired colour behind after fixing on the letters. By these improvements it will be
seen great saving of labour would be effected and give highly ornamental effects
without having to draw and paint each individual letter or numeral by hand, or get
up special drawings and lithograph sheets for each design or combination of letters
and words as heretofore required.
Dated the 20th Tana10110
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to the Forming of Signs, Show-cards,
and the like, and to Letters and Numerals to be used in
connection with the same.
1, WILLIAM BROWNLIE, of James Street, Bridgeton, Glasgow, Lanarkshire,
Lithographer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement in writing, that is to say:-
My invention has for its object and comprises a new mode and means of manu-
facturing or printing in shaded black and white or in colour, or in gold or metallic
leaf or bronze either by lithography or by block or type printing, on paper or cloth,
or a combination of these or other like sheet material, preferably highly glazed or
enamelled on the printed surface, and made opaque, sets of alphabetical letters and
numerals in various styles, plain and ornamental, so that they may be subsequently
cut or punched out, into the individual letters and numerals, so as to be sold and
used for the making up of words by cementing them on to glass, or other transparent
or opaque mediums such as wood boards or cardboards, for signs, tickets or labels, or
on the inside or outside of windows, so as to be cemented on the inside of the glass
and show the printed surface through the glass, or be cemented with their backs to
the outside of the glass or opaque surface material, and in that case show the printed
surface direct, which would be varnished either individually or along with the whole
surface of the ticket, board or sign.
In carrying out these improvements the alphabetical letters are preferably drawn
in sets from A to Z, and the numerals to correspond from 1 to 10, in the different
plain outline or shaded in black and white, or different ornamental styles and colours
desired on lithograph sheets for being transferred to stones, or on the lithographic
stones themselves, or on metal plates for being engraved, and printed from these
plates or from transfers of these on the stones so as to be printed in lithographic
presses. Or otherwise be drawn and engraved on these metal plates or on blocks or
other equivalent material for being printed direct from these plates or blocks in
block or letterpress printing machines or from transfers of these on stone.
either of these systems of printing there would be required a printing from a different
stone, plate, or block in the ordinary manner with each colour, and for printing in
gold, silver or other metal leaf or bronzes, the printing would be done in gold size or
varnish, where these parts were desired, and have the leaf or bronzes put on after-
wards before the size was dry. The surface of the paper or other sheet material
used, would preferably be made white and enamelled or glazed, so as to show up for
In

page_text: the white surfaces of the letters where that was required, instead of printing in
white colours, or coloured enamelled papers might be used, where parts of the
surface of the letters were desired to be in colours or they may be printed on gold,
silver, or other metallic paper; and in either case the paper or material would be
made opaque by being coloured black or other dark colour on the back surface, to
make them so opaque, when required to show on glass or other transparent surface, so
that only the printed or surface colours of the letters or numerals would show. Or
the printing may be done on thin transparent papers, such as oiled tracing papers or
thin parchment papers, and by this means the letters might show through the glass
from either surface. The sheets of alphabetical letters or numerals after being so
printed and prepared might either be all cut out by attendants with knives, or have
sharp outline dies preferably for the whole alphabet for small letters, but for large
letters might only include one or more letters, and cut a number of sheets at a time
imposed truly over each other. When the letters were so cut they would be ready
for being sold or used individually to make up the words required by spacing and
cementing them to glass windows, or show frames show cards or other advertising
sheets, such as for windows of shops, warehouses, and tramway cars, and for wood or
other signs and such like purposes. The cements used for attaching these letters or
numerals to the glass might be gelatine, varnish, or other equivalent transparent
cement, so as not to injure the printed surface which would show through the glass,
and they would be rubbed or pressed to the glass so as to rub out all air between the
letters and the glass, and show the printed surface unimpaired through the glass.
They might however in some cases be cemented with the back of the card to the
glass or sign boards or other opaque show frames by a glue or cement put on the
back of the paper after being printed or cut, in which case the outer surface of
the letters would be coated with a transparent varnish after they were attached,
preferably along with the surface of the card, sign, or show frame on which the
letters were so cemented by their back surface. And when these new letters were
made up into show cards in glass frames, they might have any required colours of
sheets or a silvered back ground mounted behind them to show up between the letters
or the transparent part of the glass or show card, as a ground colour and give effect
to the letters, or the glass itself might be painted in any desired colour behind after
fixing on the letters. By these improvements it will be seen great saving of labour
would be effected and give highly ornamental effects without having to draw and
paint each individual letter or numeral by hand, or get up special drawings and
lithograph sheets for each design or combination of letters and words, as heretofore
required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the saine is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The system or mode and means of manufacturing and printing plain, ornamental,
or coloured sets or sheets of alphabetical letters and numerals, and subsequently
panching these out into the individual letters and numerals, so as to be cemented on to
glass or other transparent or opaque mediums for use in forming signs, show cards
and the like, substantially as and in the manner herein described.
2. The use of alphabetical letters and numerals first printed and formed in sets or
sheets either plain, ornamental, or coloured for being cemented or attached individually
to the surfaces of glass or other transparent or opaque mediums to form signs show
cards and the like, substantially as herein described.
Dated the 20th October 1800.
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.