IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SHOW BOARDS, TABLETS, OR CASES CONTAINING REPRE SENTATIONS, ANNOUNCEMENTS, ILLUSTRATIONS, DEVICES FOR ADVERTISING AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Abraham Field and Andrew White Tuer, both
of No. 136, Minories, in the City of London, Manufacturing
Stationers and Printers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF SHOW BOARDS, TABLETS, OR CASES CONTAINING REPRE
SENTATIONS, ANNOUNCEMENTS, ILLUSTRATIONS, DEVICES FOR ADVERTISING
AND OTHER PURPOSES."
Sealed the 9th April 1869, and dated the 12th October 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Abraham Field and
Andrew White Tuer at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 12th October 1868.
We, ABRAHAM FIELD and ANDREW WHITE TUER, both of No. 136,
Minories, in the City of London, Manufacturing Stationers and Printers,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SHOW BOARDS, TABLETS, OR CASES CONTAINING
REPRESENTATIONS, ANNOUNCEMENTS, ILLUSTRATIONS OR DEVICES FOR ADVERTISING
AND OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
Show boards or tablets have been made with grooved surfaces, or, in
others words, with series of vertical projecting parts, ribs, or feathers
having their edges opposite to the eye when looking towards the front
[Price Sd.1

page_text: or face of the show board or tablet, such projecting parts, ribs, or
feathers each having upon its respective sides portions of some letter,
mark, figure, or device, so that on looking towards the show board or
tablet sidewise or from a point of view at an angle to its face the
different marks or devices which are visible on the sides of the project-
ing parts, ribs, or feathers which are towards the observer have all the
appearance of having become united or joined together, so as to present
to the eye of the observer complete letters, words, or illustrations.
Thus, for instance, a show board or tablet provided with a number of
feathers arranged as described might have applied to the left-hand sides
of the feathers parts of letters which combined form the word "Field;"
assuming the board or tablet to be on a wall to the left of the observer,
who would as he came up to it see first the word "Field " represented
by the apparent unity of various parts or portions of letters contained
on the sides of the projecting parts, ribs, or feathers; secondly, as he
proceeded, and when only the edges or front parts of the feathers and
the spaces or grooves between them were visible, he might see parts of
letters placed on the spaces between the ribs forming in combination the
word "and," which would appear on the face of the board; and, lastly,
according to this disposition when the observer had proceeded a little
farther by looking back he might see the word "Tuer" made up of or
composed by various parts or portions of letters affixed respectively on
the right-hand sides of the feathers opposed to those on which the
parts representing the word "Field" are affixed. Hitherto such pro-
jecting parts, ribs, or feathers as have been above referred to have had
the marks or devices painted thereon separately by hand, a process
which occupies considerable time, especially as great accuracy is needed
in the position of the marks or different portions of the devices in order
to ensure the desired effect, and consequently the great expense of pre-
paring such boards or tablets has precluded their practical and general
adoption for commercial purposes.
Now according to our Invention, and in order to render practicable
the extended use of such show boards or tablets for commercial pur-
poses, we make the projecting parts, ribs, or feathers straight, or of a
rectangular or curvilinear form, of plain wood, tin, cardboard, or other
suitable material, and we print the required parts of letters, marks, or
devices by means of lithographic stones, wood blocks, type, or equi-
valent printing surfaces upon material suited to receive the printed
impression and capable of being cut into slips and folded, so that the

page_text: printed slip may be affixed to the two sides of the feather. Paper is the
material which we prefer to employ, although it will be obvious that
other materials may in some cases be used. We arrange the parts of
the letters required to be printed in such a way that the parts proposed
to be affixed on one set of sides are printed in alternate spaces of equal
dimensions with the parts proposed to be affixed on the opposite sides.
The printed sheet is then cut into slips; on the first slip are the parts of
letters required to be fixed on the left side and right side respectively
of the first rib on the left hand of the observer looking at the board or
tablet; on the second printed slip will be the parts required to be
affixed on the left and right sides respectively of the second rib from
the left hand, and so on, an appropriate slip being printed for each rib
in succession. The printed parts should be so arranged that a plain
or blank space is left in the middle of each slip equal in width to the
thickness of the front part of the feather rib or projecting part. Or the
marks or devices for both sides of a feather, rib, or projection, and for
the corresponding front part of the board, may be printed in continuous
series. By the means described the desired marks or devices may be
readily produced at a trifling cost, and accuracy is insured in their
relative positions on the material employed to receive the impressions.
The printed sheet is subsequently cut into slips, as already described,
and these are secured to the feathers, ribs, or projecting parts of the
board or tablet by some suitable adhesive substance, such as paste or
glue. The material impressed or imprinted with the letters, words, or
devices intended to be made visible to the observer who is in front of
the board or tablet when printed separately may be secured in posi-
tion upon the board either in one piece before the feathers, ribs, or
projections are fixed, or may be cut into slips and caused to adhere on
the face of the board or tablet in the spaces between the feathers, ribs,
or projections. Show boards or tablets constructed with ribs or projec-
tions having affixed to them slips of material printed and prepared by
the novel method above described may be finished and varnished in the
usual manner.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Abraham Field and Andrew White Tuer in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 12th April 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ABRAHAM
FIELD and ANDREW WHITE TUER, both of No. 136, Minories, in the City
of London, Manufacturing Stationers and Printers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Abraham Field and Andrew White
Tuer, Her special licence that we, the said Abraham Field and Andrew
White Tuer, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as we, the said Abraham Field and Andrew White Tuer, our
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 THE MANUFACTURE OF SHOW BOARDS, TABLETS, OR CASES CONTAINING
REPRESENTATIONS, ANNOUNCEMENTS, ILLUSTRATIONS OR DEVICES FOR ADVERTISING
AND OTHER PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the
said Abraham Field and Andrew White Tuer, our executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under our or their hands and
seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us or them, should particu-
larly 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 Andrew White Tuer, on behalf of
the said Abraham Field and myself, 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 accompanying Drawings
which form a part of this Specification (that is to say):-
Show boards or tablets have been made with grooved surfaces, or, in

page_text: other words, with series of vertical projecting parts, ribs, or feathers
having their edges opposite to the eye when looking towards the front
or face of the show board or tablet, such projecting parts, ribs, or
feathers each having upon its respective sides portions of some letter,
mark, figure, or device, so that on looking towards the show board or
tablet sidewise or from a point of view at an angle to its face the
different marks or devices which are visible on the sides of the project-
ing parts, ribs, or feathers, which are towards the observer, have all the
appearance of having become united or joined together, so as to present
to the eye of the observer complete letters, words, or illustrations.
Thus, for instance, a showboard or tablet provided with a number of
feathers arranged as described might have applied to the left-hand sides
of the feathers parts of letters which combined form the word "Field,"
assuming the board or tablet to be on a wall to the left of the observer,
who would as he came up to it see first the word "Field" représented
by the apparent unity of various parts or portions of letters contained on
the sides of the projecting parts, ribs, or feathers; secondly, as he pro-
ceeded, and when only the edges or front parts of the feathers and the
spaces or grooves between them were visible, he might see parts of letters
placed on the spaces between the ribs forming in combination the word
'and," which would appear on the face of the board; and, lastly, accord-
ing to this disposition when the observer had proceeded a little farther,
by looking back he might see the word "Tuer," made up of or composed
by various parts or portions of letters affixed respectively on the right-
hand sides of the feathers opposite to those on which the parts repre-
senting the word "Field" are affixed. Hitherto such projecting parts,
ribs, or feathers as have been above referred to have had the marks or
devices painted thereon separately by hand, a process which occupies
considerable time, especially as great accuracy is needed in the position
of the marks or different portions of the devices in order to ensure the
desired effect, and consequently the great expense of preparing such
boards or tablets has precluded their practical and general adoption for
commercial purposes; otherwise in some cases a separate slip of paper
containing part of a letter or device has been attached to each side of
every rib, feather, or projecting part, so that the front edge of the
material composing the rib has been left exposed, and the pieces of
paper have been liable to turn up at the edges, whereby the appearance
of the tablet is entirely spoilt. This method is open to the additional
66

page_text: objection that there is very great difficulty in getting the words on both
sides of the feathers to "line."
Now according to our Invention, and in order to render practicable
the extended use of such show boards or tablets for commercial pur-
poses, we make the projecting parts, ribs, or feathers straight, or of a
rectangular or curvilinear form, of plain wood, tin, cardboard, or other
suitable material, and we print the required parts of letters, marks, or
devices by means of lithographic stones, wood blocks, type, or equi-
valent printing surfaces upon material suited to receive the printed
impression and capable of being cut into slips and folded, so that the
printed slip may be affixed to the two sides of the feather. Paper is the
material we prefer to employ, although it will be obvious that other
materials may in some cases be used. We arrange the parts of the
letters required to be printed in such a way that the parts proposed to
be affixed on one set of sides are printed in alternate spaces of equal
dimensions with the parts proposed to be affixed on the opposite sides.
The printed sheet is then cut into slips; on the first slip are the parts of
letters required to be fixed on the left side and right side respectively of
the first rib on the left hand of the observer looking at the board or
tablet; on the second printed slip will be the parts required to be affixed
on the left and right sides respectively of the second rib from the left
hand, and so on, an appropriate slip being printed for each rib in succes-
sion. The printed parts should be so arranged that a plain or blank
space is left in the middle of each slip equal in width to the thickness
of the front part of the feather, rib, or projecting part. Or the marks or
devices for both sides of a feather, rib, or projection, and for the corre-
sponding front part of the board, may be printed in continuous series.
By the means described the desired marks or devices may be readily
produced at a trifling cost, and accuracy is ensured in their relative
positions on the material employed to receive the impressions. The
printed sheet is subsequently cut into slips, as already described, and
these are secured to the feathers, ribs, or projecting parts of the board
or tablet by some suitable adhesive substance, such as paste or glue.
The material impressed or imprinted with the letters, words, or devices.
intended to be made visible to the observer who is in front of the board
or tablet, when printed separately may be secured in position upon the
boards, either in one piece before the feathers, ribs, or projections are
fixed, or may be cut into strips and caused to adhere on the face of the
board or tablet in the spaces between the feathers, ribs, or projections.

page_text: The manner in which our said Invention may be performed will be
fully understood from the following description of the mode in which we
have found it convenient to make a tablet containing the words "Patent
Show Tablets" (Figs. 1, 2, and 3, Sheet 1). In the first place a piece
of well seasoned board which constitutes the back of the tablet has
grooves cut into it, or otherwise has secured to it a number of vertical
strips of well seasoned wood equal in width to the distances intended
to be left between the ribs or feathers. Between these vertical strips
of wood narrow grooves, slits, or spaces x (Fig. 4) are left to receive
the metal ribs or feathers. These slits or spaces are very slightly wider
than the the thickness of the ribs or feathers, otherwise the burr left by
the paper containing the word "Show" (herein-after mentioned) would
prevent the ribs from entering them. In the next place a piece of paper
having the word "Show" printed thereon (as shewn in Fig. 2), and
intended to form the front face of the tablet, is pasted or glued over the
faces of the whole of the aforesaid strips of wood, and after the paste
or glue has properly "set" a knife or other sharp edged instrument
is passed across the tablet, so as to cut through the paper opposite to
and along each of the slits or spaces between the strips of wood,
and when so cut the edges of the paper form a slight burr on each side,
which is just sufficient to make the metal ribs or feathers fit tightly in
the slits or spaces. The metal ribs or feathers having had the printed
slips of
paper fastened thereon, as herein-after described, are then placed
in position. At present we prefer to make them of zinc or of sheet iron
first cut into strips of the proper size and then tinned or galvanized, but
we do not confine ourselves to these materials. We have found that thin
feathers made of wood are liable to warp or buckle, and that if ordinary
block tin is cut into strips, and paper containing the requisite devices
afterwards pasted thereon, the wet paste may cause the cut edge of the
metal to oxidize, and so spoil the appearance of the ribs or feathers; of
course if it is desired to use tin cut in this manner the evil in question
may be obviated by tinning the edges of the feathers.
In order to prepare the slips of paper containing the devices for the
ribs or feathers we take a block of wood of the kind ordinarily used for
making wood type, and cut it by means of a fine saw into a number of
strips, as shewn in back view at Fig. 1; each of which strips when cut
must be equal in width to the depth (from back to front) of the projecting
part of each of the ribs or feathers.
After cutting the wood into strips, as described, we firmly secure the.

page_text: pieces in a chase and then engrave on the front surfaces thereof the word
Patent," as shewn dotted in Fig. 1. Upon another similar series of
strips of wood the word "Tablets". is engraved in like manner, as shewn
in back view at Fig. 3. The strips of wood composing the two words are
then placed in a chase, like a forme of type, in the following order, com-
mencing from the right hand so as to print parts of letters in the reverse
order, shown in two lines at Fig. 5, (that is to say), firstly, a plain block
or piece of wood at a' so that the left-hand side of the first slip of paper
may remain unprinted, because the parts of letters forming the word
"Patent" are to be on the left-hand sides of the ribs or feathers, and the
word "Tablets," which is to be read on their opposite sides, is a longer
word than the word "Patent;" secondly, we place in the chase the first
strip of the series of blocks composing the word "Tablets;" thirdly,
another blank block at a² for the left-hand side of the second slip of
paper; fourthly, the second strip of the series composing the word
"Tablets;" fifthly, the first strip of the series composing the word
"Patent;" sixthly, the third strip of the series composing the word
"Tablets," and so on alternately until the whole of the pieces composing
both words have been placed in alternate positions, as described. Im-
pressions thereof, as shewn in Fig. 5, are then taken on paper and after-
.wards cut into siips, as shewn by red lines. The slips of printed paper
are then attached to the ribs or feathers as follows, (that is to say,) the
first slip of paper (commencing from the left) is glued on to the first
rib or feather of the tablet, so that while its left-hand or blank portion a
will be on the left-hand side of the feather, its right hand b (containing
a part of the letter T) will be on the right-hand side of the said feather,
and so on with each slip of paper and feather. The want of fit between
the blocks composing the letters which arises from the saw cuts will
cause a blank space to be left down the centre of each slip of paper
sufficient to cover the front edges of the thin metal ribs or feathers.
We have had great difficulty in making the slips of paper adhere to
the metal ribs or feathers, and for this purpose have found it necessary
in the first place to scour the metal thoroughly with coarse emery or
sand paper, after which we at once proceed to fix on the slips of paper
by means of an adhesive substance, the one which we have hitherto found
to answer best being the finest glue thinly mixed. When quite dry
the tablet may be framed and glazed either by itself or in conjunction
with plane surfaces of paper or other material printed upon in the
ordinary way.

page_text: And having now fully described and ascertained the nature of our
said Invention, and in what manner the same may be performed, we
declare that we claim the novel method of printing and preparing slips
of material for the manufacture of show boards or tablets as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Andrew White Tuer (for the said
Abraham Field and myself) have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twelfth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
ANDREW WHITE TUER. (L.S.)
Witness,
W. LLOYD WISE,
Assoc. Soc. Eng".,
Patent Agent,
Chandos Chambers,
'Adelphi, W.C.