IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS AND APPLIANCES FOR PRESS-COPYING LETTERS AND OTHER WRITTEN DOCUMENTS.
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Denton Abel, of No. 20, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS AND
APPLIANCES FOR PRESS-COPYING LETTERS AND OTHER WRITTEN DOCUMENTS.'
-A communication from abroad by Jean George Kugler, Leather
Manufacturer, of Nuremberg, in the Kingdom of Bavaria.
"
Sealed the 2nd October 1868, and dated the 20th April 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Denton Abel
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 20th April 1868.
I, CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of No. 20, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS
AND APPLIANCES FOR PRESS-COPYING LETTERS AND OTHER WRITTEN DOCUMENTS,'
to be as follows:-
This Invention has reference to an improved system of copying letters
and other documents by moistened paper and pressure whereby the
imperfections of such copies as at present produced are obviated. For

page_text: this purpose a number of pieces of linen, cloth, or other suitable fabric
capable of absorbing moisture are placed between two pieces of card-
board previously soaked in water and contained in an ordinary book
cover, which is then subjected to pressure in the copying press. For
copying a letter the ordinary copying paper is placed on the letter in
a dry state, and upon this is placed one of the pieces of linen moistened
by the above process, which is then covered with oiled paper and the
whole is subjected to pressure in the ordinary copying press. After
removal the piece of linen is carefully replaced in a stretched condition
in the cover containing the other pieces, which should be kept under the
press when not in use, and the cardboard should be moistened once a
day. If the cardboard and linen should have a tendency to become
mouldy they should be treated with camphor. By this system any ink
containing saccharine matter may be employed in place of copying ink
specially prepared, and a greater number of letters may be copied at one
time than by the present process; the copies produced will be perfect
and the letters be left in their original state.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Charles Denton Abel in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 5th October 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
DENTON ABEL, of No. 20, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Charles Denton Abel, Her special licence
that I, the said Charles Denton Abel, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles Denton Abel, 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, 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

page_text: will be perfect and very legible, and the letters be left in their original
state.
Figure 1 on the accompanying Drawing shows the book cover A
containing the pieces of moistened cardboard B, B, between which are
placed the pieces of linen C, C; Figure 2 shows the cardboard B, B,
and linen C, C, separately.
The advantages of this improved system of copying letters are, firstly,
the pages of the copying book are moistened in a uniform manner and
to the exact degree required, so that any writing, whether fine or coarse,
will furnish a neat and perfect copy; secondly, the copies always succeed
and always remain good; thirdly, the use of the sponge, brush, or other
moistening implement is entirely obviated; fourthly, a greater number
of letters may be copied at one time; fifthly, the letter itself remains
perfect and without folds and the writing is in no way altered; sixthly,
the leaves of the copy book are better preserved and are more readily
turned over; seventhly, the cardboard and linen, being made of good
strong materials, will not deteriorate and may be used for several years.
Having thus described the nature of this Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, what I claim is,―
First. The before described improved system of copying letters.
Second. The employment of moistened cardboard and pieces of linen,
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Denton Abel, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Second day of October, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
eight

page_text: THE MEANS AND APPLIANCES FOR PRESS-COPYING LETTERS AND OTHER WRITTEN
DOCUMENTS," a communication to me from abroad by Jean George
Kugler, Leather Manufacturer, of Nuremberg, in the. Kingdom of
Bavaria, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Charles
Denton Abel, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 Denton Abel, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon, that is to say:-
This Invention has reference to an improved system of copying letters
and other documents by moistened paper and pressure whereby the
imperfections of such copies as at present produced are obviated. For
this purpose a number of pieces of linen, cloth, or other suitable fabric
capable of absorbing moisture are placed between two pieces of
cardboard previously soaked in water and contained in an ordinary
book cover, which is then subjected to pressure in the copying press.
For copying a letter the ordinary copying paper is placed on the letter
in a dry state, and upon this is placed one of the pieces of linen
moistened by the above process, which is then covered with oiled paper,
and the whole is subjected to pressure in the ordinary copying press.
When two or more pages are to be copied simultaneously a piece of
the linen and a piece of oiled paper are placed upon each page of
copying paper which is to receive the impression. After removal the
piece of linen is carefully replaced in a stretched condition in the cover
containing the other pieces, which should be kept under the press when
not in use, and the cardboard should be moistened once a day. If the
cardboard and linen should have a tendency to become mouldy after
long usage they should be treated with oil of camphor. By this system
any ink containing saccharine matter may be employed in place of
copying ink specially prepared, and a greater number of letters may be
copied at one time than by the present process; the copies produced