A CERTAIN APPARATUS, BY MEANS OF WHICH SEVERAL PRINTS OR DRAWINGS MAY BE CONTAINED AND EXHIBITED IN THE SAME FRAME, AND CHANGED OR VARIED AT- PLEASURE, AND WHEREBY EACH PRINT OR DRAWING WILL PRODUCE THE SAME EFFECT, AS IP CONTAINED IN SEPARATE FRAMES
Year: 1793

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
HIтспсоск, of Wellclose Square, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third did,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Twenty-seventh day of February, in the thirty-third.
year of His reign; give and grant unto me, the said James Hitchcock, His
especial licence that I, the said James Hitchcock, during the term of years
therein mentioned, should and lawfully might use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of.
"A CERTAIN APPARATUS, BY MEANS OF WHICH SEVERAL PRINTS OR DRAWINGS MAY
BE CONTAINED AND EXHIBITED IN THE SAME FRAME, AND CHANGED OR VARIED AT-
PLEASURE, AND WHEREBY EACH PRINT OR DRAWING WILL PRODUCE THE SAME EFFECT,
AS IP CONTAINED IN SEPARATE FRAMES;" in which said Letters Patent there is
contained a proviso obliging me, the said James Hitchcock, by an instrument
in writing, under my hand and seal, to cause a particular description of the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within one calendar
month after the date of the said recited Letters Patent, as in and by the
same (relation being thereunto had) may more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
James Hitchcock, do hereby declare, that my said Invention is described in
manner following (that is to say) :-
C
Having chosen the print or drawing, without regard to size or subject, the
first thing necessary to be done is to prepare a board or metal plate as
thin and smooth as possible; which board or plate must be both longer and
broader than the size of the print or drawing intended to be exhibited
(that is, measuring from -the-extremity-of-the-engraving or drawing, or
such parts only as are to appear within the sight of the frame intended to
receive it. Having prepared this board or plate, it must be so fitted either
into a frame of its own thickness with a groove, or else upon a second board or
plate as thin and flat as possible, and which must be something larger every
way than the first, with a narrow slip running up each side, and bevelled off at
the inner edge so as to keep a little over the side edges of the first board or
plate, which also must first be bevelled off in the same direction as the side
slips, whereby the second board or-plate so constructed will receive the first, which
forms a slider (that is, the first board or plate, being something less than the
second, the same will-slip up and down at pleasure upon the surface of the
second, by reason of its side edges being angled off and fitted under the side
edges of the narrow slips running up the sides of the second board or plate
which lap over and receive it). Having made the slider to the size intended,
the print or drawing is to be measured and divided into as many equal parts
as it is thought convenient, that is, measuring from the top of the print 'or
drawing to the bottom, or from such parts only as are to appear within the
sight of the frame (which, for instance, suppose it measured twelve inches,
each inch being marked off exactly opposite to each other at-the sides of the
print or drawing, and a line drawn across at each mark, it will shew twelve
equal divisions, or if cut across would produce twelve slips of paper of equal
width, each slip containing its portion of the print or drawing, which may be
divided and subdivided at pleasure). Having determined what number of
divisions the print or drawing shall contain, cut exactly the same number of
slips of clean paper, making each slip of paper the same length of the slips
of the print or drawing before mentioned, and about twice the width of each
division so intended to be exhibited. Having cut them clean and smooth at the
edges, arrange them upon a table or otherwise, and number them regularly,
beginning with 1, 2, 3, &c., which, supposing it were intended to represent a
print or drawing divided into twelve parts as before mentioned, these twelve
slips of paper so cut and arranged would, if laid edge to edge, produce a sheet
of paper of twenty four inches long, allowing two inches for the width of each

page_text: slip, which would be twice the length of the print or drawing before marked
off; but to reduce the same for printing, so that each slip shall contain its
portion of the print or drawing intended to be exhibited, each slip must be
lapped exactly one half over each other, as follows):-Draw out the slider or
first metal plate or board, then draw a line across the slider about an inch from
the top edge, and begin to lay the first slip of paper with its uppermost edge
against the line drawn across. the slider, the bottom of such slip of paper being
first narrowly touched with paste, glue, or, what is preferable, a cement or
strong size made. of the cuttings of parchment boiled in water, which is
intended to fasten each slip to the first. board or slider. Having fastened the
first slip of paper to the slider smooth and even, the rest are to be proceeded
with regularly in the same manner till. the whole number are compleatly
cemented on, taking care to lap each slip about one half over each other, then
damp the paper-and set it under a screw press for a few hours and it will become
flat and even. Having compleated this part of the process, it will be ready to
receive the impression of any engraved plate of: the same size by preparing the
plate in the usual way for copper-plate printing, having it properly. damped;
then lay the copper plate carefully, with its face, downwards, upon the slider-so
prepared, and pass both between the rollers of a copper-plate printing press 'to
receive the impression in the usual manner (which; supposing it were to be a
print of twelve divisions, each slip of paper would, if taken off the slider again
appear to be one half impression and the other half white paper, occasioned by
the lapping the slips half over each other, as before described). When the
first impression is thus given, the slider must be put. into. its proper position;
either in the frame constructed with a groove, or upon the second board. or
metal plate, in which it may be stopped. by a small bit of wood being glued at
the top and bottom of the second plate or board which receives the slider, so
as to prevent its slipping out again, only taking care to leave as much room
for it to slide up and down within the stops as are equal to the width of one of
the slips of paper before mentioned. Having placed the slider in this situation
with its intended print or drawing so cemented on, it must be pushed up. to
the uppermost stop, and left to remain there till a second range of slips are
introduced between the first range, so managed, which is to be done in the fol-
lowing manner :-Having numbered the slips 1, 2, 3, &c., which must be some-.
what narrower than the first slips, begin with No. 1, and slip it under the
first slip of the print or drawing already fastened to the slider, stretching it
pretty tight across the apparatus, and cement each end only upon the side slips:
of wood or metal, which are described to run up each side of the second:
board or plate, and which lap over the edges of the slider, taking care that no:

page_text: part of the second row of slips are glued or cemented to any part of the first
slider, for if any part should become so fastened it would entirely prevent the
motion of the slider. Having fastened the first slip in this manner upon the
sides of the second board or plate only as before mentioned, every succeeding
slip of
paper must be put on in the same manner till each slip of the print,
before impressed on the slider, has each a distinct slip of white paper intro-
duced underneath it in a smooth and equally divided portion, which being all
fastened on, as before directed, the first slider may be slipped down to the
bottom stop, and each slip of paper, before impressed with the print or drawing,
and which is fastened to the slider, will appear to vanish, and the surface will
appear entirely white (the cause of which is, the first slips being cemented only
upon the slider. They are carried down altogether between each slip of white
paper, which are fastened to the sides of the second board or plate, and which
remain immoveable, except when several changes of subject are to be made,
in which case every additional frame or secondary plate or board is moveable
but the last). Having proceeded so far, and the first slider let down to the
bottom stop, the whole apparatus is again to be passed between the rollers of
the printing press to receive the impression of the second engraving, which
will be given without the least injury to the first, and which, when dry may
be shifted up and down alternately, and shew each print or drawing, distinctly.
In like manner sketches or drawings may severally be executed on the slips of
white paper, and which, on shifting, will of course alternately represent each
separate sketch or drawing. When three or more changes are thought necessary
to be made, the outside edges of every additional board or plate is to be
bevelled off and fitted upon an additional board or plate with slide slips to
run up and receive it, as in the first slider, when an additional range of paper
slips being regularly introduced underneath both or all the others, as before
managed, and fastned on only upon the side slips of wood or metal of the
additional or outside plate or receiver, both or all the inner plates or boards,
which now become sliders, may be pushed down, and a third or more impres-
sions of an engraving, &c. given as before. Prints or drawings may be also
done to have nearly the same effect, although not so true or close when
finished; that is, by choosing any print or drawing, and cutting it into as many
slips or divisions as it is thought proper, and cementing each slip so cut upon
a clean slip of paper nearly of its own width, then pasting or cementing those
slips, which will be nearly half a printed slip and half plain, as other paper)
upon the sliding plates or boards, as before described; or clean slips of paper
may be lapped and arranged upon a whole sheet of paper in as many divisions
as it is thought convenient, and then run under the rolling press to receive any

page_text: impression of a print, &c., wished to be manufactured upon the same principle,
afterwards taking them off one by one and glueing or cementing them on the
apparatus before described. Having constructed the apparatus, &c., with its
intended subjects affixed thereon, the next thing requisite to be done will be
to make them shift when framed and glazed, which may be done in the
following manner :-
Having chosen a frame with a deep rabbit, or, which is better, to make one
on purpose, with a broad and deep rabbit to enclose the margin or those parts
which are unnecessary to be within sight, a hole must. be made quite through
the upper part of the frame, about the usual part where a ring is placed, to
hang it by, such hole being intended for the admission of a screw, which is
received by a nut or female screw that is to be fixed quite firm in the upper
edge of the first sliding board or plate, which done, the whole apparatus may
be nailed or fastened into the frame, when it may be either made to change the
subjects so constructed in the hands by pulling the screw up and down at
pleasure, or it may be changed as it hangs on the wall by giving the frame a
gentle pull downwards, there being a ring or pendant head at the top of the
screw, which serves to hang it up by, when it may be shifted and reshifted at
pleasure, and the same may be made to change at a distance by conducting
wires or string, and return the change of themselves by means of a spring or
springs introduced between the upper edge of the slider or the under edge and
the rabbit of the frame.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Hitchcock, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand seven hundred and ninety-throa
JAMES HITCHCOCK. (L.S.)
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Twenty-sixth day of
March, in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid James Hitchcock came
before our Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specifi-
cation aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute in that case made and provided..
Inrolled the Twenty-seventh day of March, in the year above mentioned.