Improvements in the Manufacture of Playing Cards.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Mar., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 29th Dec., 1898-Accepted, 4th Feb., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Playing Cards.
I, WILLIAM THOMAS SHAW, of 110, Bumhill Row, in the City of London,
Director of Thomas De La Rue & Co. Ld., Manufacturers, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Playing cards are now commonly made with their surfaces, back and front,
highly enamelled and burnished in order that they may readily slide over each
other in the act of dealing the pack out, card by card, amongst the players. The
easy separation of the cards in this operation is, however, militated against by two
circumstances; first, by the tendency of the thumb to slip over the smooth surface
of the card without giving it the requisite push forward; and secondly, by the
tendency to cling or adhere together manifested by all bodies when their surfaces,
previously made perfectly smooth and flat are pressed together. It has been
proposed to overcome this adhesive tendency by roughening the backs of the
cards, leaving the faces perfectly smooth the roughening being effected by an
embossing process which produces minute indentations all over the back of the
cards.
My improved process dispenses with the roughening but secures in a highly
efficient manner the non-adhesion of the cards, and perfect facility in dealing
them. My process consists in adding to the back a coat of varnish which does
not form a continuous film or layer, but is broken up into numerous channels and
interstices so as freely to admit air between the several cards composing the pack.
This I accomplish by means of an ordinary printing forme, suitably engraved,
from which I take impressions on the cardboard by means of a printing machine
or press, the vehicle used being ordinary printing varnish, so that the impression
taken may be only faintly, if at all, visible on the enamelled surface of the
cardboard. The cards are then carefully dried and finished off in the usual
manner. The impression in varnish may be printed on the face of the card instead
of the back as being practically invisible, it does not deface the honours and pips
previously printed there.
1. 1000
Improvements in the Manufacture of Playing Cards.
I, WILLIAM THOMAS SHAW, of 110, Bunhill Row, in the City of London,
Director of Thomas De La Rue & Co., Ld., Manufacturers, do hereby declare the
Price 8d1

page_text: 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:-
Playing cards are now commonly made with their surfaces, back and front,
highly enamelled and burnished in order that they may readily slide over each
other in the act of dealing the pack out, card by card, amongst the players. The
easy separation of the cards in this operation is however, militated against by two
circumstances; first, by the tendency of the thumb to slip over the smooth surface
of the card without giving it the requisite push forward; and secondly, by the
tendency to cling or adhere together manifested by all bodies when their surfaces,
previously made perfectly smooth and flat are pressed together. It has been
proposed to overcome this adhesive tendency by roughening the backs of the
cards, leaving the faces perfectly smooth the roughening being effected by an
embossing process which produces minute indentations all over the back of the
cards.
My improved process dispenses with the roughening but secures in a highly
efficient manner the non-adhesion of the cards, and perfect facility in dealing
them. My process consists in adding to the back a coat of varnish which does
not form a continuous film or layer, but is broken up into numerous channels and
interstices so as freely to admit air between the several cards composing the pack.
This I accomplish by means of an ordinary printing forme, suitably engraved,
from which I take impressions on the cardboard by means of a printing machine
or press, the vehicle used being ordinary printing varnish, so that the impression
taken may be only faintly, if at all, visible on the enamelled surface of the
cardboard. The cards are then carefully dried and finished off in the usual
manner. The impression in varnish may be printed on the face of the card instead
of the back as being practically invisible, it does not deface the honours and pips
previously printed there.
The drawing shows a suitable pattern magnified four times, the lines are black
although as explained above they are usually invisible or nearly so.
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:-
--
The manufacture of. playing cards substantially, as described.