Improvements in the Manufacture of Roses and other Artificial Flowers.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Nov., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 19th Aug., 1892-Accepted, 1st Oct., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Roses and other Artificial
Flowers.
I MARIE SOPHIE GRILLON of 45 Rue St. Sebastien Paris in the Republic of
France, Spinster, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of my invention is very important improvements in the manufacture
of roses and other artificial flowers, by which properties may be constituted in them
assimilating them to natural flowers in such manner that it will be well nigh
impossible to distinguish them from natural flowers.
The flowers prepared according to my invention possess a flexibility quite com-
parable to that of natural flowers and, moreover, present the sensation of cold
which they convey to the touch similar to that communicated by contact with the
trne flowers.
They are, moreover, susceptible of perfect execution as to form and continue to
preserve the forms that have been given to them, they do not hold dust and they
retain for a long time the perfumes which have been incorporated with them.
To impart to the leaves of papyrus or pith of aralia (moelle d'aralia)--known
in commerce under the name of rice paper (papier de riz) the flexibility and the
natural coldness of flowers, I already had the idea some 3 years ago of immersing
them in a bath of glycerine but I soon recognised that glycerine alone did not yield
satisfactory results.
After many researches, I thought of adding soap to the solution of glycerine and
in thus employing for the immersion of leaves of aralia a solution of soap and
glycerine in distilled water or ordinary water in suitable proportions I have at
length obtained the results above described.
6
By soap" I designate not only the ordinary soap of commerce but the whole
series of bodies included in chemistry under the name of "soaps."
Such are the stearates, oleates, palmitates, margarates &c. having an alkaline
base such as soda, potass, ammonia &c.
Several trials have shewn the following proportions to be especially suitable.
With ordinary soap in powder or in cake
Soap
Glycerine
40 gr.
35 gr.
1 litre
Distilled water
With stearate of soda (stéarate de soude)
40 gr.
Stearate
35 gr.
Glycerine
1 litre
Distilled water
With oleate of soda (oléate de soude)
Oleate
Glycerine
50 gr.
35 gr.
1 litre
Distilled water
With the palmitates or margarates analogous proportions will serve.
Whilst the above proportions are those by the use of which a most satisfactory
result may be attained, I may nevertheless use, in any other suitable proportions, a
combination of soan alecerine and distilled or ordinary water for any such would
0

page_text: to impregnate the leaves of pith of aralia. Or, I may employ as a bath the
compound resulting from the reaction of a fatty body with an alkaline base with or
without the addition of glycerinc. It is known that, by the.reaction of a fatty body
upon a base, a soap is obtained with some glycerine and therein will be found if not
such as the above mentioned proportions at least a combination for use according
to my invention. By adding a suitable excess of glycerine proportions such as the
above mentioned may be obtained.
In place of the water I may employ a solution of suitable colouring matter or
matters serving to impart colour to the flowers. I may also use soap perfumed
with the essence of perfume of the flower it is desired to imitate.
The perfume
thus incorporated in the flower lasts very much longer than such as may be
imparted by being put upon already finished flowers.
My mode of operation is very simple. The solution of soap and glycerine in
the water having been prepared I take the leaves of papyrus (moelle d'aralia) and
I soak them in that solution, I leave them to dry and they are then ready to be
worked up as easily as petals of muslin.
I will here make an important observation: the papyrus leaves of commerce
are translucent and preserve a certain transparency even when they have been
impregnated in my bath.
To overcome this inconvenience which injures the appearance of the flower, I
employ two thicknesses of petals superposed-the one on the other. The difficulty
here to be overcome was to maintain these two leaves stuck together without
recourse to the use of special agents which might deprive the leaves of their
flexibility and desired appearance. Immersion in a bath of glycerine does not
alone suffice to obtain this adhesion; but by the addition of soap in the bath
according to my invention a perfect adhesion of the two thicknesses of petal may
be obtained and such that they will not come apart during the subsequent operation
to which the petal is subjected.
It will be understood that I may use leaves of much greater thickness which are
not translucent, but these last are less easily manipulated than much thinner
leaves doubled. Also that any other leaves of suitable character besides leaves of
papyrus or pith of aralia (moelle d'aralia) may be employed.
Flowers prepared by my process do not absorb dust; it will be sufficient to blow
upon the flowers, to at once remove any dust which may have settled on them but
which will not adhere to them.
The petals may be easily manipulated and when they have once received the
desired form they retain the same.
By my invention are afforded the important advantages that the petals possess
a remarkable flexibility and yield to the touch the impression of natural coldness
as in true flowers, which impression of coldness is entirely due to the soap and
cannot be obtained by the use of glycerine alone.
Dated the 20th day of November 1891.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Roses and other Artificial
Flowers.
I MARIE SOPHIE GRILLON of 45 Rue St. Sebastien, Paris, in the Republic
of France, Spinster 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 :-
The object of my invention is very important improvements in the manufacture
of roses and other artificial flowers, by which properties may be constituted in them

page_text: assimilating them to natural flowers in such manner that it will be well nigh
impossible to distinguish them from natural flowers.
The flowers prepared according to my invention possess a flexibility quite com-
parable to that of natural flowers and, moreover, present the sensation of cold which
they convey to the touch similar to that communicated by contact with the true
flowers.
They are, moreover, susceptible of perfect execution as to form and continue to
preserve the forms that have been given to them, they do not hold dust and they
retain for a long time the perfumes which have been incorporated with them.
To impart to the leaves of papyrus or pith of aralia (moelle d'aralia)-known
in commerce under the name of rice paper (papier de riz) the flexibility and the
natural coldness of flowers, I already had the idea some 3 years ago of immersing
them in a bath of glycerine but I soon recognised that glycerine alone did not
yield satisfactory results.
After many researches, I thought of adding soap to the solution of glycerine and
in thus employing for the immersion of leaves of aralia a solution of soap and
glycerine in distilled water or ordinary water in suitable proportions I have at
length obtained the results above described.
66
By soap I designate not only the ordinary soap of commerce but the whole
series of bodies included in chemistry under the name of "soaps."
Such are the stearates, oleates, palmitates, margarates, etcetera, having an alkaline
base such as soda, potass, ammonia, etcetera.
Several trials have shewn the following proportions to be especially suitable.
With ordinary soap in powder or in cake
Soap
Glycerine
Distilled water
40 gr.
35 gr.
1 litre
With stearate of soda (stéarate de soude)
Stearate
Glycerine
Distilled water
With oleate of soda (oléate de soude)
Oleate
Glycerine
Distilled water
40 gr.
35
gr.
1 litre
50 gr.
35 gr.
1 litre
With the palmitates or margarates analogous proportions will serve.
1
Whilst the above proportions are those by the use of which a most satisfactory.
result may be attained, I may nevertheless use, in any other suitable proportions,
a combination of soap, glycerine and distilled or ordinary water for any such would
afford the advantages resulting from the introduction of soap into the bath serving
to impregnate the leaves of pith of aralia. Or, I may employ as a bath the com-
pound resulting from the reaction of a fatty body with an alkaline base with or
without the addition of glycerine. It is known that by the reaction of a fatty body
upon a base, a soap is obtained with some glycerine and therein will be found if not
such as the above mentioned proportions at least a combination for. use according
to my invention.
By adding a suitable excess of glycerine proportions such as the above
mentioned may be obtained.
In place of the water I may employ a solution of suitable colouring matter or
matters serving to impart colour to the flowers. I may also use soap perfumed
with the essence of perfume of the flower it is desired to imitate. The perfume
thus incorporated in the flower lasts very much longer than such as may be
imparted by being put upon already finished flowers.

page_text: My mode of operation is very simple. The solution of soap and glycerine in
the water having been prepared I take the leaves of papyrus (inoelle d'aralia) and
I soak them in that solution. I leave them to dry and they are then ready to be
worked up as easily as petals of muslin.
4
I will here make an important observation: the papyrus leaves of commerce are
translucent and preserve a certain transparency even when they have been
impregnated in my bath.
To overcome this inconvenience which injures the appearance of the flower, I
employ two thicknesses of petals superposed the one on the other. The difficulty
here to be overcome was to maintain these two leaves stuck together without
recourse to the use of special agents which might deprive the leaves of their
flexibility and desired appearance. Immersion in a bath of glycerine does not
alone suffice to obtain this adhesion; but by the addition of soap in the bath
according to my invention a perfect adhesion of the two thicknesses of petal may
be obtained and such that they will not come apart during the subsequent operation
to which the petal is subjected.
It will be understood that I may use leaves of much greater thickness which are
not translucent, but these last are less easily manipulated than much thinner leaves
doubled. Also that any other leaves of suitable character besides leaves of papyrus
or pith of aralia (moelle d'aralia) may be employed.
Flowers prepared by my process do not absorb dust; it will be sufficient to blow
upon the flowers, to at once remove any dust which may have settled on them but
which will not adhere to them.
The petals may be easily manipulated and when they have once received the
desired form they retain the same.
By my invention are afforded the important advantages: that the petals possess
a remarkable flexibility and yield to the touch the impression of natural coldness
as in true flowers, which impression of coldness is entirely due to the soap and
cannot be obtained by the use of glycerine alone.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in wbat manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
In the manufacture of roses or other artificial flowers;―
1. The use of a bath composed of suitable soap and glycerine dissolved in water
in suitable proportion, for the impregnation of leaves of papyrus or moelle d'aralia
(rice paper) or other analogous matters, substantially as and for the purpose
hereinbefore described.
2. The composition of the bath-soap, glycerine, water, approximately according
to the proportions as and for the purposes herein before described.
3. As new manufactures roses or other artificial flowers obtained by the use of
the bath described and claimed as above.
Dated the 18th day of August 1892.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.