Improvements in and relating to Ornamental Glass Tablets, Panels, and like Glass Surfaces.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Jan., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 30th Sept., 1889-Accepted, 16th Nov., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Ornamental Glass Tablets, Panels,
and like Glass Surfaces.
I. GABRIEL FYFE, of 1 Hume Street, Clydebank, Dumbartonshire, Ornamental
Japanner, do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as follows:-
My Invention has reference to a new or improved mode and means of forming the
artistic and illumination work, particularly gold and silver effects on the back
surface of glass tablets, used for trade advertising and other purposes, and for the
ornamentation of glass panels, doors, or windows, and seen through the glass from
the front, showing a bright or mirror like effect where the silver and gold leaf is put
on the polished surface, and dim where the surface of the glass is grained or etched,
in the Hat or in ornamental outlines; which improvements will give more artistic and
ornamental effects, with finer and clearer lettering and all either in shade, colour, or
outline, and with much less skilled or direct hand labour and manipulation than has
heretofore been required.
The nature and novelty of the improvements consist all as follows:-First, as
regards producing the said illumination and ornamental work on the glass in gold
and silver; the whole surface of the glass over which the work is required, is first
coated with the usual clear transparent painter's or gilders' size used for glass, and
over which the gold or silver leaf is laid and pressed gently with the usual light
brushes. When the metallic leaf is dry and fixed, a "transfer" is taken on
thin fine smooth surface transfer paper, as hereinafter more fully stated, from
a drawing on a lithographic stone, etched or engraved plate, wood-cut, electrotype,
or stereotype, and drawn reverse both in the lettering and shading to that
of the tablet to be produced. A good medium for taking the transfer with,
is lithographers' varnish thinned with what is technically known as "medium," (or
other equivalent varnishes,) mixed with a little light colour to give some body to it.
This transfer so taken before it dries, is rubbed gently down, with a roller or other
equivalent, over the prepared gold or silver surface, where it is allowed to dry, when
the paper is then washed and rubbed with water off the surface of the gold or silver
leaf, which would be quite fixed wherever the varnish was transferred, and as sharp
in outline as if it had been an actual print, leaving all the other parts of the metallic
surface free to be washed off with a soft damp sponge or chamois leather. All the
parts of the glass so cleaned would be quite transparent, and might have black or
other body colour paint brushed over it to give a usual ground effect and relief to the
illuminations and drawing. Other designs, pictures, or figure drawings in every
variety of colours, might be transferred in this way, by these improvements, on to
the unoccupied surface parts of the clear glass, either before or after having so
applied and fixed the gold or silver leaf work. But it will be obvious that the
sequence of transferring each different colour by separate transfer sheets, taken from
their respective colour stones, will require to be in the reverse order to that for
printing ordinary coloured lithographic pictures from their stones, as in these
tablets the colours have to be laid close on to the back of the glass through which
they are seen. The transfer paper would be of a fine thin character, such as tissue
paper thinly coated two or three times with any of the usual transfer solutions, as
paste, gum arabic, starch, and alum, or other preparation well known to the trade,
each being applied after the previous one is dry, after which this prepared surface
of the paper would be very highly glazed in a calender or other press, when it is
ready for taking the transfer from the drawing on the stone, "rolled-up" with the
varnish transfer medium, all as hereinbefore described.
Dated the 31st day of December 1888.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Ornamental Glass Tablets, Panels,
and like Glass Surfaces.
I, GABRIEL FYFE of 1 Hume Street, Clydebank, Dumbartonshire, Ornamental
Japanner, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement in writing, that is to say :-
My Invention has reference to a new or improved mode and means of forming the
artistic and illumination work, in gold and silver effects on the back surface of glass
tablets used for trade advertising and other purposes, and for the ornamentation of
glass panels, doors and windows, also in imitation of colour stained glass on these,
all which would be seen through the glass from the front, showing a bright or mirror-
like effect where the silver and gold leaf is put on the polished surface; and dim
where the surface of the glass is grained or etched, (or commonly known as embossed)
in the flat, or in ornamental outlines; which improvements will give more artistic
and ornamental effects with finer and clearer lettering either in "shade" lines, colour,
or outline, and with much less skilled or direct hand labour and manipulation than
has heretofore been required.
The nature and novelty of the improvements consist all as follows.-
23
First, as regards producing the said illumination and ornamental work on the
glass in goid or silver; the whole surface of the glass, on which the work is required,
is first coated with a preparation of Isinglass water over which the gold or silver
leaf is laid and pressed gently with a i.
gilders tip" or light brush. When the
metallic leaf is dry and fixed, a "transfer is taken on a fine smooth surface transfer
paper (as hereinafter more fully stated) from a drawing on a lithographic stone,
etched or engraved plate, wood cut, electrotype or stereotype and drawn reverse, (to
show direct through the glass both in the lettering, and shading) to that of the
tablet to be produced. The material used for taking the transfer is lithographic
varnishes, such as thin, medium, or strong, with copal varnish added, mixed with a
little colour to give a body to it. This transfer, so taken before it dries, is rubbed
gently down, with a roller, over the prepared gold or silver surface and allowed to
dry to fix the design; or otherwise a first transfer may be taken in like manner on
the clear glass, and when dry or hard, and in either case the surface of the gold or
glass not coated or protected by the varnish transfer would be etched with Fluoric or
other equivalent acid or vapours of these, and the glass is then washed with spirits
and the gold or silver leaf and a new transfer applied all as before stated over the
clear surface of the glass. The paper of the transfer in either case is then washed
off the surface of the gold or silver leaf, which will adhere firmly wherever the
varnish has been transferred, and quite sharp in outline, leaving all the other parts of
the metallic surface free to be washed off with a damp sponge, or soft cotton, or
chamois leather. All the parts of the glass so cleaned would be quite transparent,
and a good black or other body colour, might be brushed on or applied to give a
ground effect, and relief to the illuminations and drawings. Other designs, pictures,
or figure drawings in every variety of colour, might be transferred in this way (by
these improvements) on to the un-occupied surface parts of the clear glass, either
before or after having so applied and fixed the gold or silver leaf work. But it will
be obvious that the sequence of transferring each different colour on transfer sheets,
taken from their respective colour-stones, will require to be in the reverse order to
that for printing ordinary coloured lithographic pictures, as in these tablets the
colours have to be laid close on to the back of the glass through which they are
seen. The transfer paper would be of a smooth surface and thinly coated two or
three times with any of the transfer solutions, such as paste, gum-arabic, starch,
alum, or other preparation well known to the trade (each coat being applied after the
previous one is dry) after which the prepared surface of the paper should be very
highly glazed in a Calender or other press, when it would be ready for taking the

page_text: "transfer "from the drawing on the stone, rolled up with the litho varnish, all
as hereinbefore described. For producing the decorations or coloured effects in
accordance with my improvements transferred from drawings on lithographic stones,
on said glass tablets or panels, or on glass doors or windows, (in imitation of glass
stained windows) after the various colours are printed on to the paper transfer, the
glass is varnished over with a mixture of copal varnish, raw linseed oil and naphtha ;
but to give extra solidity to some colour transfers, they would be dusted with a little
dry colour before being transferred to the glass. The transfer is then rolled with a
damp roller on to the surface of the glass as hereinbefore described as coated; after
which the paper is lifted off, or it may be left on, as the case requires, when the glass
would then be subjected to the usual furnace heat to burn the colours well on to it.
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 :-
First. The mode and means of forming ornamental glass tablets, panels, windows,
and like glass surfaces, to show through the glass, consisting in coating their surfaces
with Isinglass or equivalent "size," and gold or silver leaf, and then transferring
over the glass and this a print or transfer from the drawing on the lithographic stone,
in varnish or equivalent medium, to etch and fix the gold or silver in the print
illuminations or decorations on the glass, either with or without coloured grounds,
substantially as herein described.
Second. The mode and means of forming ornamental glass tablets, panels, windows,
and like glass surfaces described in the preceding claim, in combination with
subsequently transferring in reverse order to the usual practice and fixing coloured or
ornamental backgrounds from prints or transfers of drawings on lithographic stones
to show through the glass, substantially as herein described.
Third. The mode and means of forming ornamental glass tablets, panels, windows,
and like glass surfaces by transferring in reverse order to the usual practice the
colour prints from lithographic stones to the glass surfaces and fixing the same to
show through the glass, substantially as herein described.
Dated the 28th September 1889.
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.