IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PREPARATION PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Calixte André Grenier, Merchant, of
Paris, Empire of France, and of 16, Castle Street, Holborn (City),
London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PREPARATION
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Calixte
André Grenier at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with his Petition, on the 25th November 1853.
I, CHARLES CALIXTE ANDRÉ GRENIER, Merchant, of Paris, Empire
of France, and of Castle Street, Holborn (City), London, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
PREPARATION OF PAINTS FOR BUILDINGS AND OTHER USES" to be as fol-
lows, viz::
My Invention consists in employing for painting a substance called
resinous gun or gum-lac, and in combining it with carbonates, alkalis,

page_text: and alkaline salts capable of dissolving, and of employing gum-lac with
colors pounded in water.
Thus I have observed that by dissolving with sub-carbonate of soda
any carbonate whatever, and adding to it resinous lac, which is poured
in and dissolved by adding it little by little, the whole being upon a
gentle fire, and taking care to stir and move it about constantly, a kind
of mixture is obtained which, added then to a sufficient quantity of
color pounded in water, may be employed when desired for painting
with brushes as with ordinary color used for buildings, &c.
I should add that water alkalized by one means or another, being mixed
with gum-lac or other resinous gum, if not all, at least the greater part
of resins and resinous gums may give the same advantageous results as
regards the application for painting. The resinous lac may be employed
for this use, as it is in commerce, in sticks, grains, or scales; it is the
same with other kinds of -resinous-gums;-they may always be purified
for tints or colors which may require it.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Charles Calixte André Grenier in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 24th May 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
CHARLES CALIXTE ANDRÉ GRENIER, Merchant, of Paris, Empire of
France, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of November, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in
the seventeenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto I, the said Charles Calixte André
Grenier, Her special licence that I, the said Charles Calixte André
Grenier, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Charles Calixte André Grenier, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,

page_text: should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN- THE PREPARA-
TION OF PAINTS FOR BUILDINGS AND OTHER USES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Charles Calixte André Grenier, by
an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles. Calixte André Grenier, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
The colours used for painting of buildings are of two kinds, viz.,
water-colours and oil-colours. When the first kind is used the colour
is diluted with water and glue; for the second kind oil is used instead
of water and colour, and the colour is applied in a cold state. Both
these colours have a very disagreeable smell, and require a good deal of
time for painting, as each layer of colour has to dry first before the next
is laid on.
Water colours require renewing very often, and then must
be washed off,. in order that the interstices or designs of the surface to
which they are applied may not be filled up by the successive. paintings.
The same remark applies to oil painting, of which the old layers are
very difficult to remove, and require the application of essence of
turpentine, scraping, and even of fire. In order to obviate these
numerous inconveniences I have invented a kind of painting which
partakes of the good qualities of both oil and water colours, as it resists
the action of water and of rubbing, and can be applied as easily as
water-colours. This improved colour also dries very soon, and is free
from any obnoxious smell. My improvements consist in preparing paint
with gum-lac combined with alcalis and alcaline salts, or any other
suitable solvent or menstruum which allows to dissolve and use gum-
lac with colours. In order to leave no doubt about what I call gum-lac
I wish it to be understood that I mean the substance which exudes

page_text: from several Indian trees in consequence of stings made by hemipterous
insects called cocus-lacca, the best known of these trees being called
croton lacciferum. The insect settles at the extremities of the branches
of this tree, stings them, and is buried in the matter which exudes.
The gum-lac is gathered by cutting the branches which are covered
with the matter and with nests of insects. The different gum resins
and other succedanea of gum-lac, such as colophany, sandarach, mastic,
may also be used in a similar or analogous way, that is to say, either
with the solvent which I claim for the gum-lac or with other solvents
that allow to mix it with different colours that are or may be used in
painting. Thus by dissolving subcarbonate of soda, or any carbonate
or alcali in water, and by gradually adding lac-resin or gum-lac whilst
the whole is on the fire, and being constantly stirred, a solution is
obtained which is fit to be mixed with colours and to be used for
painting the same as common colour. Also water having been made
alcaline by any suitable means, and being mixed with gum-lac, gum-
resin, or most other resins or gum-resins, will afford the same advan-
tageous results when used in painting. When the paint thus obtained
has to be applied on greasy surfaces or surfaces that have been coated
with oil mastic, it will be found useful to add to the colour mixed
with the above solution about one fifth its volume of linseed oil or
other siccative oil; this addition will not be found to retard much the
drying of the colour, whilst it renders it more durable and more water-
proof. It is to be understood that the resin lac may be used in either
of the three states in which it is sold or retailed to the trade, viz., in
sticks, drops, and flakes or scales.
The same remark holds good with regard to the other resins or
gum-resins above mentioned; that is to say, according to the colour
or shade desired to be produced, they may either be used as they
are found in commerce or else in a purified state as the colours may
require.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be carried into effect, I wish it to be understood
that what I claim as secured by these Letters Patent is, using for
pain ting buildings or other surfaces a solution of resin-lac, and

page_text: especially that called gum-lac, and other resins dissolved in a variable
quantity of water, or by means of a solution of carbonate of soda
or other alcali, for the purpose of mixing & fixing the colours.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Calixte André Grenier,
have hereunto set my hand & seal, this Twenty-second day of
May, in the year of our Lord 1854.
CHLES C. A. GRENIER. (L.S.)