IMPROVED METHODS OR PROCESSES FOR COLORING METALS OR ALLOYS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Harris Lake of the firm of Haseltine Lake
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings London for an Invention
of "IMPROVED METHODS OR PROCESSES FOR COLORING METALS OR ALLOYS 32
communicated to him from abroad by La Société A. Trélat et C³, of Paris,
France
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Harris Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th August 1883.
HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, "IMPROVED METHODS OR PROCESSES FOR COLORING
METALS OR ALLOYS" [a communication to him from abroad by La Société A. Trélat
et Cie, of Paris, France]
This invention relates to improved methods or processes for coloring metals or
alloys by means of electricity.
Heretofore it has been sought to deposit metallic colors directly upon the metals
themselves and this result has been partially attained by the employment of baths
with a base of lead or other substance; the results thus obtained only gave
uncertain colors, very frequently having no intensity and offering no resistance to
the action of the atmosphere or even to that of light.
By the present invention I am enabled to apply one color or a number of colors
in any shade to metals and alloys as desired. These colors are adherent and fixed,
and resist the action of air, light, and moisture or damp.
To produce these colors I employ what I call polychromisation baths, that is to
say organic alkaline baths with a base of soda and copper and an organic salt of
any kind, the objects to be colored are immersed in these baths after having been
subjected to the following operation, that is to say ;-The objects are immersed in
nitric or sulphuric acid according to the nature of the metal, to carefully cleanse
the surface thereof; they are afterwards washed in water, and then passed through
a hot solution of soda and again passed through water and then brushed or scraped.
The cleanness or distinctness and intensity of the colors, which it is desired to
obtain depend generally upon the care with which the above described operation is
performed.

page_text: The objects thus prepared are immersed in what I term a polychromisation bath.
They are then subjected to the influence of a feeble electric current, the circuit
being so arranged that it can be interrupted and re-established at the will of the
operator, the action of the bath manifesting itself in a greater or less degree as
the current acts upon one or other part of the object. In practice it will bo
possible, by operating in the proper manner, to vary at will the intensity of the
colors upon the different parts.
The objects are steeped in these baths and in a solution of soda. In order to
obtain certain colors the successive immersion in one and then in the other bath
is sufficient for other colors the operation must be repeated a number of times.
The intensity either of the bath or of the current can be varied for different
reasons; experience and the eye of the operator alone can estimate the time
necessary for the different phases of the phenomena which occur.
By the above described operation I obtain transparent and brilliant colors; in
order to obtain dead and velvety colors, after two successive steepings in the two
baths indicated, I steep the objects in a solution of potash and continue to operato
as above described.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Henry Harris Lake in the Patent Office on the 29th February
1884.
HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, "IMPROVED METHODS OR PROCESSES FOR COLORING
METALS OR ALLOYS" a communication to me from abroad by La Société, A. Trélat
et Cie, of Paris, France
This invention relates to improved methods or processes for coloring metals or
alloys by means of electricity.
Heretofore it has been sought to deposit-metallic colors directly upon the metals
themselves and this result has been partially attained by the employment of baths
with a base of lead or other substance; the results thus obtained only gave
uncertain colors, very frequently having no intensity and offering moreover no
resistance to the action of the atmosphere or even to that of light.
.
By the present invention I am enabled to apply one color or a number of
colors in any shade to metals and alloys as desired. These colors which I term
'Polychrome" are adherent and fixed, and resist the action of air,, light and
moisture or damp.
To produce these colors I employ what I call polychromisation bathis, that is to
say, organic alkaline baths with a base of soda and copper and an organic salt of
any kind; the objects to be colored are immersed in these baths after having been
subjected to the following operation, that is to say-The objects are immersed in
nitric or sulphuric acid according to the nature of the metal in order to carefully
cleanse the surface thereof; they are afterwards washed in large quantities of
water, and then passed through a hot solution of soda and again passed through
large quantities of water and then brushed or scraped. The distinctness and
intensity of the colors, which it is desired to obtain, depend generally upon the care
with which the above described operation is performed.
The objects thus prepared are immersed in what I term a polychromisation bath.
They are then subjected to the influence of a feeble electric current, the circuit
being so arranged that it can be interrupted and re-established at the will of the
operator, the action of the bath manifesting itself in a greater or less degree as the
current acts upon one or other part of the object. In practice it will be possible,
by operating in the proper manner, to vary at will the intensity of the colors upon
the different parts.
•
The objects are successively steeped in these baths and in a solution of soda. In
order to obtain certain colors the successive immersion in one and then in the other
bath is sufficient; for other colors the operation must be repeated a number of
times. The intensity either of the bath or of the current can be varied for different
reasons, experience and the eye of the operator alone can estimate the time necessary
for the different phases of the phenomena which occur.
By the above described operations I obtain transparent and brilliant colors; in
order to obtain dull and velvety colors, after two successive steepings in the two
baths above indicated, I steep the objects in a solution of potash and continue to
operate as above described.

page_text: Having thus fully described the said invention as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondents and the manner of performing the same, I wish i
understood that I claim :-
The improved methods or processes for coloring metals or a'loys, subs'antially as
hereinbefore described.
In witness whereof I the said Henry Harris Lake, have hereunto set my hand
and seal this twenty-ninth day of February, in the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and eighty four.
HENRY. H. LAKE (L.S.)