Improvements in or relating to the Decoration of Earthenware, China, Glass, Tiles, Bricks, and the like.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Jan., 1897-Accepted, 3rd Apr., 1897
Improvements in or relating to the Decoration of Earthenware,
China, Glass, Tiles, Bricks, and the like.
A communication from PAUL ARTHUR JOSEPH GASSE, of 32, Rue de la
Révolution, Colombes (Seine), in the Republic of France, Proprietor.
1, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 111 Hatton Garden in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, 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 application to various materials such as earthen-
ware, china, glass, tiles, bricks and the like of decorative designs which may be
applied in the following manner to the clay biscuit raw glazed or glost ware.
The primary object of the invention is to dispense with that kind of hand
labour now generally used for the purpose of applying the design to the ware,
and to substitute mechanical power therefor, more especially as it is impossible
to reproduce by the usual hand labour of rubbing or bossing the fine half tones
of an etching for instance on the clay or biscuit ware.
According to this invention apparatus employed to apply the design to the
article is constructed with a yielding cushioning device, either to support the
article treated or to constitute a backing for the part of the apparatus by which
pressure is exerted in applying the design; or the cushiou may be applied to
both such parts.
Conveniently, cushions or chambers are employed on both sides of the article
which is to receive the design and by suitably shaping them and adopting if
necessary, a mould, profile or backing plate at the back of one or both of them,
the pressure can be first applied to the central part of the pattern and have its
action gradually extended towards the outer parts; this mode of operation, when
a paper design or a transfer is employed, applies it smoothly and evenly all over,
and obtains the best result. One of the cushions, preferably the lower end, may
be fixed in the machine, the other one being carried upon a spindle operated by a
cam or equivalent means, to press it towards or upon the design when required.
The cushions may be inflated by air or other fluid, and the pressure of the fluid
may be regulated as desired.
Although air cushions have herein before been mentioned by way of example it
is to be understood that any cushioned or yielding pressure device can be employed,
for instance cushions or rollers charged with liquid, elastic or indiarubber cushions,
cushions of flannel, or pressure devices supported by springs or hydraulically, or
other equivalent devices. The cushions or rollers or other pressure devices
employed can if desired be kept hot by any convenient means say by the circulation
of steam or other heating-fluid through or around them.
Paper of the usual description may be employed to carry and transfer the
design but it is preferred to use a special paper which receives an impression from
rollers, and imparts it to the ware or other article in a well-known manner.
This
paper is preferably composed in the pulp state of vegetable matter and after
manufacture is glazed with gum arabic or isinglass and starch or equivalent
materials. It is possible to print coarser designs direct from the face of the
cushion, but for finer work, the use of paper as described is preferred.

page_text: The accompanying drawing is a perspective sectional elevation of a hydraulic
transfer press provided with cushioning devices according to this invention.
A is the frame, B is the cylinder and C the ram or plunger, the lower end of the
latter being provided with a die or backing piece C₁ approximating in the for.n of
its lower face to the form of the interior of the article upon which the design or
transfer is to be impressed. A' is the companion die fixed to the framing A below
the die C and having its' cavity of a shape corresponding to the exterior of that of
the article under treatment.
Both these dies are provided with flexible covers D preferably of indiarubber so
secured to the dies as to make a fluid tight joint therewith at their edges so as to
retain fluid, which may be delivered to their interiors through non-return valves
such as A2 C2. A plate E is shown in section on the cover of the lower die in
readiness to be pressed between the face of the cover D on the latter and that on
the upper die C₁; when thus pressed the plate will be forced downward so as to
approximately fill the cavity of the lower die, and so that the upper die will
approximately fill the concave portion of the plate.
The transfer to be impressed upon the plate is laid on those parts of the plate
intended to retain it, or laid on the lower cushion.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said inven-
tion as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In the decoration of ceramic ware and the like the employment of a cushion
or yielding pressure device for the purpose described.
2. In the decoration of ceramic ware and the like the combination with a die or
backing such as C³ of a fluid cushion for the purpose described.
3. In the decoration of ceramic ware and the like with the aid of rollers or
cushions the employment of paper glazed with gum arabic or isinglass and starch
or like materials substantially as and for the purpose described.
"
4. In the decoration of ceramic ware and the like the combination of a "shaped
die or backing such as C¹, and flexible cover such as D containing Huid substantially
as and for the purpose described.
5. In the decoration of ceramic ware and the like a pressing-device comprising
two dies and their cushions, between which the article treated is pressed
substantially as and for the purpose described.
6. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete
apparatus for the application of pressure to the article treated substantially as
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 19th day of January 1897.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.