Improvements in the Manufacture of Wrought Metal Letters and Figures applicable to Signs.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Sept., 1891
Complete Specification Left. 27th June. 1892-Accepted. 30th Julv. 1892 ·
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Wrought Metal Letters and
Figures applicable to Signs.
I ROBERT JOHN WORRALL Gate Smith, Art Metal Worker, & Designer, The
Brook Steel & Iron Gate Works, Cuerdon. Street & Byrom Street Liverpool do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:- ·
I form letters, & figures by means of forging, or cutting out of metal sheets
their configurations with flat surfaces. I hammer the said flat surfaces in the
manner practiced by the skilled smith, so that they become raised towards the
eye, or sunk therefrom, & are so subdivided into surfaces of various degrees of
smallness, that they reflect light variously, & give more pleasure to the eye, than
is derived from surfaces produced by the process of rolling, or, casting, & the
letters & figures become more readily observed.
Dated this 24th day of Sentember 1801 -
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Wrought Metal Letters and
Figures applicable to Signs.
I ROBERT JOHN WORRALL, Gate Smith, Art Metal Worker, & Designer, The
Brook Steel & Iron Gate Works, Cuerdon Street & Byrom Street Liverpool, 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:-
I form letters & figures by forging, or cutting out of metal sheets their
configurations with flat surfaces, or by any convenient methods such as has hereto-
fore been the practice. I hammer the said flat surfaces in the manner practiced
by the skilled smith, so that they become raised towards the eye in convex form,
or sunk therefrom in concave form, and are so subdivided into surfaces of various
degrees of smallness that they reflect light variously, and give more pleasure to the
eye, than is derived from surfaces produced by such mechanical processes as rolling,
stamping, and casting and the letters and figures become more readily observed.
To protect when necessary the surfaces of my letters & figures from atmospheric
and similar action I may apply ordinary paint or an electro metal deposit, but
always in such a manner as to retain the effect of the subdivision of the said
surfaces into surfaces of various degrees of smallness as above described.
My process is applicable to letters and figures in any malleable metal, but I
prefer to use mild steel and to form the strokes constituting the letters and figures
convex in the front, and concave at back, or the reverse, and so that the vertical
strokes form a curve in plan, and the horizontal strokes a curve in side elevation.
I now apply paint or electro metal deposit as described above, or to produce
greater brilliancy and durability of surface, I may apply a coating of tin, & solder
thereto sheet silver, sheet gold, or other sheet metal, and in order to retain the
effect of the surfaces of various degrees of smallness I rehammer the surfaces.
When my letters & figures are intended for use where they will be subjected to
wind pressure, I may perforate them in such a manner as to allow wind to pass
through.
Herein by the term letters I refer exclusively to alphabetical characters, and by
the term figures I refer exclusively to numerals.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained, the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is.
I. The hammering of the surfaces of metal letters, and figures, in the manner
described.
II. The coating of the surfaces of metal letters, & figures, hammered as described,
with sheet silver, sheet gold, or other sheet metal, and the rehammering of the
same, as, and for the purpose described.
III. The application to the surfaces of letters and figures hammered as
described of electro metal deposits as described.
IV. The formation of metal letters and figures perforated, so as to permit, and
for the purpose of permitting wind to pass through.
V. The covering of the surfaces of metal letters and figures with sheet silver.
Deted this 95th day of June 1909
ROBERT JOHN WORRALL.