An Improved Method of Producing Prints of the "Lines” of the Human Hand and the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Jan., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 19th Aug., 1899-Accepted, 7th Oct., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of Producing Prints of the "Lines” of the
Human Hand and the like.
I, MABEL HELEN ROBINS, of 24, Harcourt Terrace, West Brompton, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The present method of smearing printers ink and other pigments upon the
hand and impressing the same upon paper, has two objections viz., want of clear-
ness in the imprint and the difficulty of cleaning the hand after the process.
By the present invention the impression of the hand can be reproduced from
the original imprint by photographic methods; and the printing medium is in
no way objectionable.
The palm of the hand is rubbed thinly with a greasy composition such as a
mixture of two parts spermaceti, and three parts beeswax mixed with turps to a
moderately stiff paste. The odour of the turps may by preference be rendered
imperceptible by the addition of any perfume.
The hand is then pressed sharply on a sheet of some transparent substance,
preferably "clear base" xylonite.
Upon the greasy print so obtained silver bronze powder or the like is lightly
dusted and adheres to the grease but not to the clean xylonite; or the powder
may be mixed with the grease.
The object of dusting as described is to render the outline more dense, and to
enable a photographic print to be obtained.
In general this will be found sufficient to obtain clear photographic prints, but
should greater density be required, the image can be intensified by the ordinary
photographic methods.
Dated thie 23rd day of Jonu 1800
An Improved Method of Producing Prints of the "Lines" of the
Human Hand and the like.
I, MABEL HELEN ROBINS, of 24, Harcourt Terrace, West Brompton, 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;―
The-present method of smearing printers ink and other pigments upon the
hand and impressing the same upon paper, has two objections viz., want of clear-
ness in the imprint and the difficulty of cleaning the hand after the process.
077

page_text: By the present invention the impression of the hand can be reproduced from
the original imprint by photographic methods; and the printing medium is in
no way objectionable.
The palm of the hand is rubbed thinly with a greasy composition, such as a
mixture of two parts spermaceti, and three parts beeswax mixed with turps to a
moderately stiff paste; or ordinary grease paint may be used. The odour of the
turps may by preference be rendered imperceptible by the addition of any
perfume.
The hand is then pressed sharply on a sheet of some transparent substance,
preferably "clear base" xylonite; or the xylonite may be fastened around a
movable cylinder and lightly rolled over the palm of the hand.
Upon the greasy print so obtained silver bronze powder or the like is lightly
dusted and adheres to the grease but not to the clean xylonite; or the powder
may be mixed with the grease.
The object of dusting as described is to render the outline more dense, and to
enable a photographic print to be obtained.
In general this will be found sufficient to obtain clear photographic prints, but
should greater density be required the image can be intensified by the ordinary
photographic methods.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. Producing prints of the "lines" of the human hand and the like by first
taking an impression on a transparent surface and then reproducing it by photo-
graphy substantially as described.
2. The improved method of producing prints of the "lines" of the human
hand and the like substantially as described.
Dotad this 16th
J
1000