IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF PRODUCING WRITING AND OTHER MARKS ON PAPER, AND IN GWADRAD
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Ford, of 22, Gloucester Crescent, Regent's Park,
in the County of Middlesex, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
METHOD OF PRODUCING WRITING AND OTHER MARKS ON PAPER, AND IN
GWADRAD"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Ford at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th November 1880.
ALFRED FORD, of 22, Gloucester Crescent, Regent's Park, in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF PRODUCING WRITING AND OTHER
MARKS ON PAPER, AND IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER THEREFOR.'
"
My Invention has for its object improvements in the method of producing
writing and other marks on paper, and in the manufacture of paper therefor, and
consists in imparting to paper by combining therewith suitable chemical agents,
the property of producing or developing dark lines when and where there is passed
over the surface of such paper a pen or instrument moistened with water, or with
other liquid not being a strong acid or alkali.
My Invention may be carried out in various ways.
One mode of making paper according thereto is as follows:-
I tako paper, suitable for writing purposes, and saturate it with a solution of one
or other of the salts of iron. I prefer the sulphate, and having dried it I brush
over it in a dry state a powder containing tannin, tannic, or gallic acid mixed with
powdered resin, or gum, or sugar, or starch, or flour, or French chalk, or some other
amylaceous, or farinaceous, or earthy powder, and then subject the paper to
pre sure, and having brushed off the superfluous powder it is ready for use.
According to another method I reverse this order, and first saturate the paper
a solution of tannin or tannic acid, or gallic acid, or in a vegetable infusion or
decoction containing these, and when dry I brush over it a powder composed
of some one of the salts of iron either alone or mixed with other materials, as
hereinbefore described.
Another mode is as follows:
-
in
I mix in with the pulp of the paper before it is manufactured some preparation

page_text: of tannin, tannic acid, or gallic acid, or vegetable extracts containing the same, and
after the paper is manufactured I apply in some suitable way the iron either alone
or in combination with some other powder, as before described, and then face and
finish the paper.
According to another mode I get the iron into the pulp first, and the tannin or 5
tannic acid, or gallic acid, or vegetable extract containing same afterwards.
The proportion in which I use the iron when in solution depends upon the
intensity of the of the lines or marks I desire the paper to produce or develop
wben written on or passed over with a wet pen or instrument, as described.
It will be evident that paper having the property hereinabove described may be 1
manufactured in various ways without departure from the essential characteristics
of my Invention, as hereinabove set forth.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Alfred Ford in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 13th May
1881.
•
ALFRED FORD, of 22, Gloucester Crescent, Regent's Park, in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF PRODUCING WRITING AND OTHER
MARKS ON PAPER, AND IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER THEREFOR."
My Invention has for its object improvements in the method of producing
writing and other marks on paper, and in the manufacture of paper therefor, and
consists in imparting to paper, by combining therewith suitable chemical agents,
the property of producing or developing dark lines when and where there is passed
over the surface of such paper a pen or instrument, moistened with water or other
liquid, not being a strong acid or alkali.
My Invention may be carried out in various ways, one mode of making paper
according thereto is as follows:-
I take paper, suitable for writing purposes, and saturate it with a solution of one
or other of the salts of iron.
prefer the sulphate, and in a pure state, and
having dried the paper after such saturation I brush or rub over it in a dry state
a powder containing tannin, or tannic, or gallic acid, either alone or mixed with
powdered resin, or gum, or sugar, or starch, or flour, or French chalk, or soda, or
some other amylaceous, or farinaceous, or earthy, or alkaline powder, and then submit
the paper to pressure, and having brushed or rubbed off the superfluous powder it is
then ready for use. According to another method I reverse this order, and first
saturate the paper in a solution of tannin, or tannic, or gallic acid, or in a vegetable
infusion or decoction containing these, and when dry I brush or rub over it a
powder composed of some one of the salts of iron, I prefer the sulphate, in a puro
state and in a very fine state of division, either alone or mixed with other materials,.
as herein before described.
Another mode is as follows:
'
I mix in with the pulp of the paper before it is manufactured some.preperation
of tannin, or tannic, or gallic acid, or vegetable extracts containing the same, and
after the paper is manufactured I apply in some suitable way the iron, either.alone.
or in combination with some other powder, as before described, and then face and
finish the paper.
According to another mode I get the iron into the pulp first, and the tannin
or tannic acid, or gallic acid, or vegetable extracts containing same in a state of
fine division and in a dry state, and mixed with some one or other of the
substances above referred to, or alone afterwards.
The proportion in which I use the iron, or tannin, or tannic, or gallic acid, or
vegetable extracts containing the same, depends upon the intensity of the lines or.
marks I desire the paper to produce or develop whon written on or passed over
with a wet pen or instrument, as described.
It will be evident that paper having the property herein above described may
be manufactured in various ways without departing from the essential charac-
teristics of my Invention, as hereinabove set forth. But of all the methods above
described that which I have found to give the most certain and satisfactory
result is to be carried out as follows :-
After the paper has been manufactured, and is yet in an unsized state, I pass it
through a solution of puro sulphate of iron, made in the proportion of three parts
of iron to one hundred of water, which water has been previously deprived of any
lime or like impurity it may contain by the admixture of about ono part of pure
sulphuric acid to one thousand parts of such water, and the requisite quantity of size
usually employed for the purpose of stiffening, and I fixed it most convenient to carry
out this operation in the size trough, and at a temperature of about one hundred

page_text: degrees Fahrenheit, the paper is then dried by some one or other of the well known
methods, and is then subjected to the following treatment:-A powder composed
of equal parts of tannic acid, carbonate of soda, and French chalk is rubbed into
the surfaces of the paper either by means of friction rollers acting upon both
surfaces at once, or by friction applied in some convenient way to one surface at a
time; the superfluous powder is then removed and the paper glazed and finished,
great care being taken during the manufacture, and after the paper is finished to
keep it from the contact of moisture, as such moisture would deface the paper.
The powders used to be rubbed on the surface of the paper must be in the finest
possible state of division and dry. When this process is reversed and the tannin,
or tannic, or gallic acid used in solution instead of the iron, the same proportions
should be as nearly as possible observed. Although in describing the modes of
carrying out my Invention I have referred to the use of tannin, I wish it to be
understood that I may use either tannin or its equivalent, by which I mean
and include individually and collectively each and all of the following, that is
to say-Tannic, gallic acid, and gallo tannic acid; I prefer tannic acid.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original,
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein before in part
recited Letters Patent is,-
1st. The herein before described method or process of producing writing or other
marks on paper, consisting in imparting to the paper the property of producing or
developing (when subjected to moisture) dark lines or marks, and applying to the
surface of paper so made or prepared by means of a pen or other instrument
water or other liquid, not being either a strong acid, or an alkali, or an alcohol.
2nd. The combination with paper, of iron and tannin, or its equivalent, as herein-
above defined, whereby such paper is rendered capable of producing or developing
dark lines or marks by the application of moisture to its surface, substantially as
herein before described.
3. The manufacture or preperation, substantially as herein before described, of
paper containing iron and tannin (or its equivalent, as herein above defined) not in
combination, but which may by the application to the paper of moisture be
caused to combine in such manner as to produce on said paper writing or other
marks.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Ford, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Thirteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred eighty one.
ALFRED FORD. (L.S.)