Improvements in the Production of Letters, Lines, or Designs on Surfaces, by the Application by way of Inlaying or otherwise of Metals, Alloys, or Amalgams.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Jan., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 28th Oct., 1896-Accepted, 16th Jan., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Production of Letters, Lines, or Designs on
Surfaces, by the Application by way of Inlaying or otherwise of
Metals, Alloys, or Amalgams.
RICHARD BRYANT BOULTON Acton House, Newport Road, Cardiff, occupation-
Dental Surgeon, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The application or inlaying of metal or alloys or amalgams in a softened condition
in or upon any hard substance such as stone marble wood slate artificial stone metals
paper machê glass porcelain or any substance which can be cut or moulded so as to
form patterns letters lines or designs. The application of the said softened metals to
the said patterns letters lines or designs in or upon the said or any hard substance is
what I claim as my patent.
The said softened metals are made soft by heat alone or by metalic mercury
alone or both heat and metalic mercury in combination. The said softened metals
can be finished off flat or raised up higher than the surface of the said hard
substances or finished to any design by cutting or moulding.
Dated this 27th day of January 1896.
RICHARD BRYANT BOULTON.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Production of Letters, Lines, or Designs on
Surfaces, by the Application by way of Inlaying or otherwise of
Metals, Alloys, or Amalgams.
I, RICHARD BRYANT BOULTON, of Acton House Newport Road, Cardiff in the
County of Glamorganshire, Dental Surgeon do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention as it regards lettering is intended for use generally, but more
particularly to replace the method of packing letters with lead as now used on
sign plates and tombstones by monumental masons. The superiority of my method
is that the letters can not be cut out like lead letters can be, that the finished work
is very superior to lead in finish and can be done at about half the cost. For letters
that turn black as ink on exposure to the weather.
The letters being ready with retaining pits as for lead, or better still let the
retaining pits be about one third of the usual depth and cut in the sides of the letters
and nearer approaching to right angles to each other. Put of copper precipitate,
one part, mercury one part by weight into a mortar, cover with sulphuric acid and
water, five parts water to one of sulphuric acid by measure, rub the metals with the
pestle until an amalgam is formed, pour off the acid, wash the amalgam with soda
and water, two ounces of washing soda to the pint of water. Pack the amalgam
into the letters using a small point to fill up the retaining pits, then fill up the letters
with the points of the fingers using any suitable tool to compress the metal, smooth
off with the point of the finger, set aside for 24 hours, then with fine grit stone and

page_text: water, rub down, if there are any defects, scrape away the defective part or drill a
small hole, fill up with amalgam, lay aside for 24 hours then finish with snake stone
and water, wash clean, polish with the heel of the hand or cream of whitening and
water. The foregoing is for use principally on white marble.
A silver like alloy-Melt one part cadmium one part lead two and a half parts
mercury by weight. This is suitable for inlaying dark granite, wood and other
substances. Melt the lead and cadmium together in a ladle, when melted, add the
mercury, pour into a mortar previously warmed, rub to a fine powder, take a little of
this powder in the palm of the hand, sprinkle a little mercury over it, rub it up to
an amalgam, wash by pouring a little soda and water over it to clean it, squeeze
out any superfluous mercury, pack, lay aside to harden for 24 hours, finish as per
instructions for copper amalgam.
Silver alloy-Melt 3 parts of silver and one part of tin in a crucible, pour into a
mould and file up to fine filings. Put a little into the palm of the hand, sprinkle
it with mercury, rub and knead to an amalgam, wash with soda and water, squeeze
out all the mercury you can, pack and finish as per copper amalgam.
Note I have made hundreds of experiments on amalgams or alloys; the three
foregoing are the only reliable ones I have discovered.
All metals used must be as near as can possibly be attained chemically pure.
I will not be answerable for any alloys or amalgams not supplied by myself. The
two last amalgams are suitable for designs in wood and other hard substances and
the working of them is just the same as copper amalgam, except that with wood,
water can not be used, so that the finish must be done with glass cloth and dry
polishing powders such as rotten stone, whitening or any suitable powder, or by
burnishing.
Any turned wooden box with a needle hole made in the top will make a good
mercury sprinkler.
Letters, lines and some designs can be raised up by using brass moulds the shape
required. Say it is a letter, fill up the letter as in said directions, fill the mould also
with amalgam, cut down the letter nearly flat to the surface of the stone or wood or
whatever you are putting the letter on, cut the amalgam flat or nearly so in the mould,
put the two amalgam surfaces together, slide one surface against the other backwards
and forwards until it becomes one, leave the mould in the proper position for 24 hours
until the amalgam is set, then put a penknife under the edge of mould carefully
getting it off, polish with aforesaid glass cloth or powders or burnish. These said
brass moulds can be used to put letters on plain surfaces without the letters being cut
or formed in the surface, one way is by having pits cut or formed in the surface, but
inside of where the mould is to stand on the surface, that is to say, when the mould
is in its place no pits can be seen, fill the pits with amalgam also the mould, apply both
together, leave for 24 hours, raise the mould as before directed, polish as before
directed; if the hard substance on which you operate will admit of it, such as wood,
you can screw in studs in place of making pits, small screws or small French nails
driven in will answer; the studs nails or screws should stand above the surface to
half the depth or height of the mould;
Having now particularly described or 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
That my invention is quite a new thing and has never been used before in any
country to the best of my belief and consists in the adaptation of metals in a softened
condition in or upon hard substances.
Dated this 26th day of October 1896.
RICHARD BRYANT BOULTON.