Improvements relating to the Production of Ornamental and other Designs upon Marble, Stone, Wood, Metal, and similar Materials.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 18th July, 1887.
Specification Accepted, 13th Sept., 1887...
Improvements relating to the Production of Ornamental and other
Designs upon Marble, Stone, Wood, Metal, and similar Materials.
I HENRY HARRIS LAKE of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex 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 :-
This invention relates to the production upon solid bodies of marble, stone, wood
metal or similar material, of designs in relief or intaglio, and either pierced through
or simply engraved, the work being performed by mechanical means instead of by a
special artist who has heretofore been required, especially for engraving intaglios or
designs upon marble, stone, wood, metals, and in general upon any solid bodies.
By this process not only is a very advantageous result obtained from an economical
standpoint but the best finish can be given to the work, and the finishing of the most
delicate details which the chisel of the sculptor is often unable to effect are obtained.
Having thus set forth the principle and the object of my invention, I will herein-
after describe the manner of carrying it into effect for the different cases, that is
to say
1st. For obtaining simple designs in clear outlines;
2nd. For obtaining intaglios of any form upon flat or curved grounds;
3rd. For obtaining open work designs.
To obtain these different results I subject the material to be worked upon to the
action of a machine which is already used for cutting glass and which produces a
violent jet of hard sand or any other similar material. These machines can be
horizontal, vertical, or inclined, and the jet of sand can be produced by compressed
air, steam or in any suitable manner.
The piece to be operated upon is previously covered with a special material in
order to protect the parts which must not be attacked by the action of the sand jet.
1 will hereinafter state the composition and the manner of using this protecting
CD..
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page_text: material which forms one of the essential points of this invention, and which must
serve to obtain the design in relief or engraved upon the piece under operation.
Thus if engravings of little depth are to be produced the design is executed with
less dense protecting material and the work is accomplished by a single passage under
the machine and in very little time.
If however an intaglio or an engraving with several planes is to be produced the
whole surface of the piece to be worked upon is first covered with the protecting
material the said material is then removed from those points which are intended
to attain the greatest depth, and the piece is subjected to the action of the jet
of sand.
If the protecting material is still in a good state when the deepest points are
attained the protecting material on the parts which must be less deep are proportionally
removed and the operation is repeated.
The work is accordingly formed upon the bottom towards the surface, but the
operation can also be performed in the opposite direction if desired.
Engravings upon curved surfaces are produced by applying the protecting material
upon these parts gradually, thinnest from the point which must remain most in relief,
so that the jet of sand will attack the material of the piece to be worked upon
more or less deeply and in proportion to the resistance that is offered to it by the
protecting material.
It need not be feared that the finished parts which remain successively uncovered
and upon which the action of the sand jet is renewed in their fresh passages under
the machine can be deformed, for the proportions between the different planes always
remain constant.
Under cuts can be obtained in intaglio by arranging the object to be worked upon
obliquely to the jet of sand.
Lastly to obtain open worked designs it is sufficient to leave the piece exposed to
the jet of sand the desired time so that upon the unprotected parts the material shall
be consumed through the whole thickness.
From the foregoing description it will therefore be seen that by successive passages
under the machine of the object to be worked upon to which the protecting material
has been suitably applied, any design engraving intaglio representing animals figures
fruit, leaves, or any other combination of lines and surfaces forming an ornamentation
for an artistic or industrial purpose can be produced easily and with promptidude,
and consequently with economy, upon any material susceptible of being working upon
by the process described.
The composition of the material which I employ, for protecting, against the
mechanical action of the jet of sand or similar material, the parts of the piece which
are intended to form the design is as follows, that is to say.
The protecting material is composed of glue and glycerine dissolved in water in a
water bath with the addition of alcohol and nitric acid or honey. The proportions in
which I introduce the various components are hereinafter stated they are however
exposed to the action of the water bath according as a more or less thick paste is to
be obtained. Moreover the proportions of these components can be changed
provided the materials are not used inconsistently with the object of their employment
in the composition.

page_text: The proportions of the components vary however according to the tenuity or hardness
of the body to be worked upon; the force of expression or delicacy to be given to the
design, the fineness of the grain to be given to the work, the degree of depth that
is to be attained; the thickness of the sand employed; and the time during which
the object remains exposed to the jet of sand.
Sometimes a little varnish or other gummy or resinous substance, or muriatic acid
is also added to the composition according as it must be more or less dense or
siccative.
and
In the case of simple designs in one or more parallel planes upon the parts which
are to remain in relief can be applied thick drawing paper or indiarubber in a sheet
upon cloth to replace the paste which would be applied in a uniform manner,
removed in proportion to obtain the drawing in different planes. For designs
perforated through, the operation is the same.
If it is desired to obtain modelled forms, recourse must then be had to one of the
pastes, the components of which I have given above and which are applied in the
manner of a wash in order to render the piece more or less easily attackable by
the jet of sand which will penetrate more or less deep relatively to the resistance
which the paste offers it, thus producing the modelling in the most varying and the
most delicate thicknesses.
The parts which are not to be attacked by the jet of sand will be protected by
the thickest layer of paste and progressively thinner for those parts which must be
attacked.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is
The process and the means above described for producing upon marble, stone,
wood, metals &c. and in general any hard body, intaglios in several different planes,
engravings, open worked designs, inscriptions and the like, forming objects of
ornamentation of any kinds for the use of the arts and industries, and enabling the
employment of special hand work to be dispensed with with great economy, as has
been above described and specified.