Improvements relating to Marquetry and Inlaid Work.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Oct., 1898-Accepted, 18th Mar., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Marquetry and Inlaid Work.
I, ALFRED DUNSKY, Architect, of Krausenstrasse 11, Berlin, Germany, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
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This invention relates to the ornamentation of surfaces by means of inlay work.
According to the method hitherto practised, ornaments in the shape of patterns
or designs corresponding to the style to be used, are laid into the surface to be
decorated.. The materials used for this purpose may be either of the same kind
as the base, for instance wood in wood, or the ornaments may consist of thin
sheets of ivory, metal or other suitable material laid in a base of a different
material.
This ancient method has been found to possess the drawback, that wooden
surfaces ornamented with inlay work could not be subsequently stained or
similarly treated, without at the same time changing the colour or appearance
of the wooden pattern laid into the base, although all kinds of dyed wood or of
wood in natural colours have been tried for this purpose.
The present invention has for its object, to avoid the drawbacks of the methods
hitherto known, and to provide highly artistic effects at low cost, in such a
manner that after the ornamental pattern has been laid into the base, the entire
surface may be finished in the same way or by the same operation, like a plain
surface.
The present process includes two varieties or groups, viz;--Firstly, the produc-
tion of coloured ornaments by means of dyes or pigments; secondly, the
production of coloured ornaments by means of a coloured backing of any suitable
material.
In the accompanying drawings:-
Fig. 1 is a plan of an ornament embodying my invention (first group); Fig. 2
is a section along line A-B of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a plan of an ornament represent-
ing the second group, and Fig. 4 a section along line CD of Fig. 3.
According to the method represented by Figs. 1 and 2, the outlines of the
ornamental pattern are sawn out of a wooden plate b, so as to form bevelled edges
adapted to hold the transparent filling a, which may be made of celluloid, horn
or other transparent or translucent material. The latter is painted on the back
or obverse side with a pigment which has the desired colour and shade, and
which at the same time serves as an adhesive substance adapted to fix the
ornamental filling a on its base c.
The surface of the plate b together with the filling may now be operated upon
bodily, like the surface of a homogeneous substance. For example, it may be
dressed with a plane or knife-blade, or polished or stained or varnished, "and
generally treated by any process adapted to embellish the surface without thereby
changing the colour or colours of the ornament.
The adhesive pigment is preferably applied in a hot state, and instead of

page_text: colouring matter, a chemical process may be employed for producing the desired
colour on the back of the filling. The entire plate b, together with the filling a
and base c may be mounted on a stronger plate f, and the latter may be backed
with vencer (fixed by means of glue), in order to protect it against moisture. By
this combination and by glueing on or inserting different kinds of wood, the
ornamental plate or board may be prevented from warping.
For producing ornaments of the second group represented by Figs. 3 and 4, I
proceed as follows:-
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The outlines of 'the ornamental figure or pattern are sawn out of a wholly
transparent plate a and the ornamental pattern of ivory, brass or other suitable
material is laid into the same. On the base or back is fixed a layer c of coloured
textile fabric metals or other ornamental material by means of an adhesive sub-
stance, as indicated by Fig. 4. On the back of this are glued several layers of
wood, d, e, f, and finally an outer layer of wood h. The face or top of the
ornamental plate may be stained, polished or otherwise finished as a whole like the
first group or according to the first method.
Both groups have this feature in common, that a filling medium is used for
their preparation, which, in addition to the requisite transparency, possesses those
physical properties which are necessary to render the inlaid surface capable of
being polished, stained, varnished or similarly treated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. The improvement in the production of ornamental inlay or tarsia-work,
which consists in using as a covering or filling, a transparent or translucent
material, capable of being planed, polished or otherwise finished on its face,
painting or dyeing the said material on its underside with an adhesive substance,
and then applying it to the suitably prepared surface, substantially as described.
2. The improvement in the production of ornamental inlay or tarsia-work,
which consists in using as a covering or filling a transparent or translucent
material capable of being planed, polished or otherwise finished on its face or
top, applying to the underside of the said filling a coloured fabric, layer of metals
or other ornamental backing, and then fixing the filling in the suitably prepared
surface, substantially as described.
3. Inlay or tarsia-work produced by means of a transparent or translucent
filling and ornamental backing, substantially as described.
Dated this 31st day of October 1898.
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
Agenis, 37 and 39, Essex Street, Strand, London.