IMPROVEMENTS IN AND IN CONNECTION WITH THE ORNAMENTATION OR PRODUCTION OF DESIGNS ON GLASS AND GLASS WARE
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Thomson King of Liverpool in the County of
Lancaster Patent Agent for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND IN
CONNECTION WITH THE ORNAMENTATION OR PRODUCTION OF DESIGNS ON
GLASS AND GLASS WARE" communicated to him by Hermann Schulze-Berge
at present residing at Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, one of the United States
of America
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Thomson King at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th May 1883.
JOHN THOMSON KING, of Liverpool, in the county of Lancaster, Patent Agent;
IMPROVEMENTS IN AND IN CONNECTION WITH THE ORNAMENTATION OR PRODUC-
TION OF DESIGNS ON GLASS AND GLASS WARE [communicated to him by Hermann
Schulze-Berge at present residing at Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, one of the United
States of America]
My invention as communicated relates to a new mode of ornamenting glass and
glass ware by which an effect is produced similar to that of etching by hydrofluoric
acid but which entirely dispenses with the use of that material.
Glass as is well known is a silicate of potash or soda compounded with other.
ingredients and is fusible at a higher or lower temperature according to the relative
proportion of the alkali and silica the glass fusing the more readily as the relative
amount of the fixed alkali is increased.
Taking advantage of this fact I have invented a new method of producing fixed
marks upon glass ware and thus impressing any desired design or decoration upon
its surface by means of the application thereto of one or other of the fixed alkalies
or of a mixture of them either as a hydrate or as a salt and then exposing the
glass ware thus coated to a sufficient degree of heat to cause the alkali to unite
with the glass which it will do at a lower temperature than that at which the glass
will melt. This union of the fixed alkali with the glass effects a marked change
in its appearance in some cases producing opacity somewhat similar to that obtained
by the well known action of hydro-fluoric acid

page_text: My invention may be made use of to produce various effects, as for example, the
entire surface of the glass may be rendered opaque or parts of it more opaque than
others or the figures or design only may be opaque or the ground may be opaque
and the design transparent.
The alkalies which I use are those known as fixed alkalies, soda and potash and
may be employed in the form of hydrates as caustic soda and caustic potash, or in
the form of salts, as carbonates, sulphates or phosphates or oleates.
The method of applying them must be such that the alkali will be brought into
close contact with the surface of the glass ware to be ornamented or marked. On
the quantity of alkali applied to the glass, will depend the character of the marks
produced thereby. If but little is used the marks produced are slight or will pass
away entirely on the application of heat. If the alkalies are applied in excess a
soluble silicate is formed on the surface of the glassware which will not withstand
the action of water and the silicate formed thereby will sooner or later separate
from the surface of the glassware. especially is this the case where the caustic
alkalies are used in excess
In order to apply the alkali to the surface of the glass it may be dissolved in
water, a saturated solution being best, and in order to prevent the crystalline
deposit left on the glass by the evaporation of the water from falling off during
the heating process it will be better to add a very small amount of mucilage or of
boiled starch or similar substance to the solution.
When however the salts of the fixed alkalies are used dissolved in water the
crystalline deposit left on the surface of the glass by the evaporation of the water,
contains some water of crystallization, which when the temperature to which the
glass is exposed as bereinafter described is increased, is driven off and the deposited
salt becoming dry scales off from the surface of the glass.
This difficulty may be obviated to a great degree if not entirely by raising the
temperature very slowly but I prefer as a more certain method of preventing the
scaling off of the salt to cover the deposited salt when the water has evaporated
with a thin film of varnish.
The alkaline solution is applied to the surface of the glass to be ornamented
after the glass has been thoroughly cleaned and dried by means of a pen or a hair
pencil care being taken to apply only in such quantity as that the marks or lines
will not run into one another and thus become confused or obliterated.
Instead of using an aqueous solution of the fixed alkalies they may be dried and
finely pulverized and in that condition thoroughly mixed with a few drops of
linseed oil sufficient to moisten the mass and then rubbing them into Venice
turpentine or other resinous liquid or semi-liquid or varnish. They must be very
intimately mixed with the vehicle used so that all parts of the glass designed to be
affected by the alkali may receive a deposit and that it may be applied with the
utmost uniformity. In this condition the alkali may be applied to the surface of
the glass by means of a hair brusb, or by a stencil, or a stamp or otherwise.
If it is designed to render the whole surface of the glass opaque it may be
immersed in the alkaline solution or mixture containing the alkali care being taken
that the whole surface is uniformly coated. In this case especially if the surface
to be coated is large the solution or mixture should be of sufficient consistency to
remain adherent to the glass and not to run so as to be a thicker deposit on some
parts than on others.
When thus coated if it is desired to produce a clear transparent pattern on an
opaque ground the design may be traced on the coated surface after it is dry or
nearly so by removing the deposited alkali by means of any suitable tool, or
instrument.
When the alkali has been applied to the surface of the article of glassware to be
ornamented in the manner described it is placed in an oven and dried by means of
a gradually increasing heat. If varnish has been used as before described the heat
should be increased to a point (say 200° F) sufficient to evaporate or volatilize the
oily and resinous matters and then to a point sufficient to char and burn off the

page_text: carbonaceous matter or other organic substances deposited by the burning off of
the varnish or mucilage. After this the heat of the oven or furnace is raised
gradually to a degree sufficient to cause the desired reaction to take place between
the alkali or salt of alkali and the silica of the glass. This degree of heat is about
a dark red heat; but no specific direction can be given as to the exact amount of
heat required because that will vary with the composition of the glass accordingly
as it contains a greater or less proportion of silica and also with the description of
alkali employed. The potash salts act on the glass at a lower temperature than the
soda salts; a mixture of soda salt and potash salt acts on the glass at a still lower
temperature and the caustic alkalies at a lower temperature still. This however
is a matter which can be readily determined by experience.
When the requisite degree of heat has been reached the glass article should
remain in the furnace for a few minutes according to the temperature after which
the heat is gradually reduced until the glass is cool enough to be removed. It is
then thoroughly washed with water in order to remove any particles of alkali
which may still remain adherent thereto and not combined with the glass,
The operation is then complete.
The sulphates and phosphates of the alkalies used in the manner described do
not render the surface of the glass opaque but merely produce a crystallized
appearance leaving the glass transparent or nearly so while the caustic alkalies and
the carbonates of the alkalies produce a decided opacity. In decorating glassware
by the method I have described it will therefore be only necessary to use the
several alkalies named on different portions of the surface to be decorated in order
to produce a varied and pleasing effect.
It should be noticed that where the caustic alkalies are used in my process the
articles of glassware should not be permitted to remain long with the alkaline
deposit upon them before being placed in the oven because the hydrates of the
alkalies readily absorb moisture from the atmosphere and deliquesce which would
cause the deposit to run and spoil the pattern or design.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Thomson King in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
3rd November 1883.
JOHN THOMSON KING of Liverpool in the County of Lancaster, Patent Agent.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AND IN CONNECTION WITH THE ORNAMENTATION OR PRODUCTION
OF DESIGNS ON GLASS AND GLASS WARE." A communication to him by Hermann
Schulze Berge, at present residing at, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, one of the United
States of America.
My invention (as communicated) relates to a new mode of ornamenting glass
and glass ware by which an effect is produced similar to that of etching by
bydrofluoric acid, but which entirely dispenses with the use of that material.
Glass as is well known is a silicate of potash or soda compounded with other
ingredients and is fusible at a higher or lower temperature according to the relative
proportion of the alkali and silica, the glass fusing the more readily as the relative
amount of the fixed alkali is increased
Taking advantage of this fact I bave invented a new method of producing fixed
marks upon glass ware and thus impressing any desired design or decoration upon
its surface by means of the application thereto of one or other of the fixed alkalies
or of a mixture of them either as a hydrate or as a salt and then exposing the glass
ware thus coated to a sufficient degree of heat to cause the alkali to unite with the
glass which it will do at a lower. temperature than that at which the glass will
melt. This union of the fixed alkali with the glass effects a marked change in its
appearance in some cases producing opacity, somewhat similar to that obtained by
the well known action of hydrofluoric acid.
My invention may be made use of to produce various effects as for example the
entire surface of the glass may be rendered opaque or parts of it more opaque than
others or the figures or design only may be opaque or the ground may be opaque
and the design transparent.
The alkalies which I use are those known as fixed alkalies soda and potash and
may be employed in the form of hydrates as caustic soda and caustic potash or in
the form of salts as carbonates sulphates or phosphates or oleates.
The method of applying them must be such that the alkali will be brought into
close contact with the surface of the glass ware to be ornamented or marked. On
the quantity of alkali applied to the glass will depend the character of the marks
produced thereby. If but little is used the marks produced are slight or will pass
away entirely on the application of heat. If the alkalies are applied in excess a
soluble silicate is formed on the surface of the glass ware which will not withstand
the action of water and the silicate formed thereby will sooner or later separate from
the surface of the glass ware; especially is this the case where the caustic alkalies
are used in excess.
In order to apply the alkali to the surface of the glass it may be dissolved in
water a saturated solution being best and in order to prevent the crystalline
deposit left on the glass by the evaporation of the water from falling off during
the heating process it will be better to add a very small amount of mucilage or of
boiled starch or similar substance to the solution.
When however the salts of the fixed alkalies are used dissolved in water, the
crystalline deposit left on the surface of the glass by the evaporation of the
water, contains some water of crystallization which when the temperature to which
the glass is exposed as hereinafter described is increased is driven off and the
deposited salt becoming dry scales off from the surface of the glass.

page_text: This difficulty may be obviated to a great degree if not entirely by raising the
temperature very slowly but I prefer as a more certain method of preventing the
scaling off of the salt to cover the deposited salt when the water has evaporated
with a thin film of varnish
The alkaline solution is applied to the surface of the glass to be ornamented
after the glass has been thoroughly cleaned and dried by means of a pen or a hair
pencil care being taken to apply only in such quantity, as that the marks or
lines will not run into one another and thus become confused or obliterated.
Instead of using an aqueous solution of the fixed alkalies they may be dried and
finely pulverized and in that condition thoroughly mixed with a few drops of
linseed oil sufficient to moisten the mass and then rubbing them into Venice
turpentine or other resinous liquid or semi-liquid or varnish. They must be very
intimately mixed with the Vehicle used so that all parts of the glass designed to be
affected by the alkali may receive a deposit and that it may be applied with the
utmost uniformity-In this condition the alkali may be applied to the surface of
the glass by means of a hair brush or by a stencil or a stamp or otherwise.
If it is designed to render the whole surface of the glass opaque it may be
immersed in the alkaline solution or mixture containing the alkali care being
taken that the whole surface is uniformly coated. In this case especially if the
surface to be coated is large the solution or mixture should be of sufficient
consistency to remain adherent to the glass and not to run so as to be a thicker
deposit on some parts than on others.
When thus coated if it is desired to produce a clear transparent pattern on an
opaque ground the design may be traced on the coated surface after it is dry or
nearly 80 by removing the deposited alkali by means of any suitable tool or
instrument.
When the alkali has been applied to the surface of the article of glassware to be
ornamented in the manner described it is placed in an oven and dried by means of
a gradually increasing heat-If varnish has been used as before described the heat
should be increased to a point (say 200° F.) sufficient to evaporate or volatalize
the oily and resinous matters and then to a point sufficient to char and burn off
the carbonaceous matter or other organic substances deposited by the burning off
of the varnish or mucilage After this the heat of the oven or furnace is raised
gradually to a degree sufficient to cause the desired reaction to take place between
the alkali or salt of alkali and the silica of the glass. This degree of heat is about
a dark red heat, but no specific direction can be given as to the exact amount of
heat required, because that will vary with the composition of the glass accordingly
as it contains a greater or less proportion of silica and also with the description of
alkali employed The potash salts act on the glass at a lower temperature than the
soda salts, a mixture of soda salt and potash salt, acts on the glass at a still lower
temperature and the caustic alkalies at a lower temperature still-This however is
a matter which can be readily determined by experience.
When the requisite degree of heat has been reached the glass article should
remain in the furnace for a few minutes according to the temperature after which
the heat is gradually reduced until the glass is cool enough to be removed. It is
then thoroughly washed with water in order to remove any particles of alkali
which may still remain adherent thereto and not combined with the glass-The
operation is then complete.
The sulphates and phosphates of the alkalies used in the manner described do
not render the surface of the glass opaque, but merely produce a crystallized
appearance leaving the glass transparent or nearly so, while the caustic alkalies
and the carbonates of the alkalies produce a decided opacity-In decorating glass
ware by the method I have described it will therefore be only necessary to use the
several alkalies named on different portions of the surface to be decorated in order
to produce a varied and pleasing effect.
It should be noticed that where the caustic alkalies are used in my process the
articles of glassware should not be permitted to remain long with the alkaline

page_text: deposit upon them before being placed in the oven because the hydrates of the
alkalies readily absorb moisture from the atmosphere and deliquesce which would
cause the deposit to run and spoil the pattern or design.
Having now described and particularized the nature of my said invention in
such manner that others will be enabled to carry my improvements into effect I
would have it understood that I do not confine myself to the exact details described
but I claim
First. The method herein before described of treating glassware so as to produce
an opaque or partially opaque and crystallized appearance on its surface by first
applying thereto a thin deposit of fixed alkali, either the hydrate or some of the
salts thereof and then exposing the glassware so treated to a temperature which is
gradually increased to nearly a dark red heat until a reaction is produced between
the deposited alkali and the silica of the glass ware, substantially as and for the
purposes described
Second. The method of decorating glassware herein before described consisting
of first painting or drawing on the surface of the glassware with an aqueous
solution of one of the fixed alkalies using the hydrate or some of the salts of such
alkali or a mixture thereof thickened with mucilage or starch or equivalent
substance and then exposing such glassware to a gradually increasing heat in a
furnace until a reaction takes place between the silica of the glassware and the
deposited alkali, substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.
Third. The method hereinbefore, described of decorating glassware by painting
drawing or otherwise applying to the surface of glassware any desired marks, lines
or designs, with a mixture of varnish or its equivalent and finely powdered salt of
soda or equivalent fixed alkali, then exposing the glassware so prepared to heat in
a furnace sufficient to volatalize the volatile portions of such vehicle and then
increasing the heat until the solid particles are charred or burned away and then
to à further degree of heat until a reaction takes place between the deposited alkali
and the silica of the glass, substantially as described.
Fourth. The use of the fixed alkalies in the form of caustic soda, caustic potash
or the carbonates sulphates or oleates or other salts of these alkalies, for the
purpose of ornamenting glass substantially as described.
In witness whereof I the said John Thomson King have hereunto set my hand
and seal this second day of November in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and eighty three.
JAMES JOHNSON
Patent Office
4 Clayton Square
Liverpool
Witness
J. T. KING
(LS.)