CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WAFERS AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS CON- NECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1850

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PETER
ARMAND Lecomte DE FONTAINE MOREAU, of 4, South Street, Finsbury, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Twenty-third day of
April, One thousand eight hundred and fifty, in the thirteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
Peter Armand Lecomte de Fontaine Moreau, my exors, admors, and assigns,
Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said
Peter Armand Lecomte de Fontaine Moreau, my exors, admňors, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Peter Armand Lecomte de Fontaine Moreau, my
exors, adññiors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in the Islands of Guernsey,
Jersey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, and also in all Her said Majesty's
Colonies and Plantations abroad, the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WAFERS AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS CON-
NECTED THEREWITH," communicated to me by a certain foreigner residing
abroad, in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that I, the said

page_text: Peter Armand Lecomte de Fontaine Moreau, shall cause a particular de-
scription of the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, to
be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters
Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully
and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Peter Armand Lecomte de Fontaine Moreau, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention communicated to me, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the fol-
lowing statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto
annexed, and to the figure therein contained (that is to say):-
The Invention communicated to me consists, firstly, in the mode of
manufacturing wafers by means of properly prepared metallic bands or slips;
and secondly, in the construction of a press cutting machine.
Firstly, improvement in the manufacture of wafers by means of metallic
bands. This part of the Invention relates to wafers manufactured by means
of a metallic band, which is afterwards coated with the ordinary farinaceous
paste. For that purpose on one of the jaws of the ordinary iron-mould ma-
chines (too well known to require any description) the metallic slip is laid,
and over it a spoonful of flour paste duly prepared and having the proper
consistency is poured; the mould is then shut and the paste is baked as it is
usually done for ordinary wafer paste. The metallic bands being thus coated
with adhering paste are cut up into the required shape and dimensions for
wafers. All kinds of metals and alloys of metals can be employed for making
the bands which are on the upper surface, either plain or ornamentally
worked. It is optional to let these metallic bands retain either the natural
color of the metals or of the metallic alloy, or to give them the colors of
the sealing wax now in use; this is obtained by passing on their upper
surface a coating of paint made of litharge and oil. This paint, coloured
red with sulphate of mercury or black by means of soot, is susceptible also
of receiving any other kind of hue by using the well-known mineral or
vegetable coloring preparations. The metallic bands after being colored
in the manner herein-before described, are put in the drying room at a tem-
perature of one hundred and twenty-two degrees Fahrenheit, and are left in it
to dry from twenty-four to thirty-six hours, after which they receive a coating of
varnish prepared with alcohol, and, lastly, they are cut up in the proper shape.
The mode of manufacturing wafers with metallic bands, prepared as

page_text: herein-before stated, consists in coating the said metallic bands with paper or
with very thin tissue of any color, cut in slips similar in shape and size to the
metallic bands, and on which they are rendered adhering when united to them
by means of ordinary paste, gelatine, arabic or any other gum, producing a
similar effect. The coating thus obtained is afterwards gummed underneath
by any of the well-known modes so as to render it perfectly adhesive, and
produce a good wafer; the metallic bands of the gummy wafers so prepared
can also on their upper surface be either plain or ornamentally worked at
discretion, like those of the first kind of wafers herein-before described.
Another mode of manufacturing wafers with the afore described metallic bands,
consists in coating these metallic bands with a composition which is prepared
as follows: Common sealing wax is melted at a low temperature, and to it
some Venetian turpentine and bee's-wax in its natural state are added; this
composition is kept in rather a soft state, which enables it to be spread on a
very thin tissue or paper slip, and in such proper layers that it may serve to
reproduce impressions when this composition, prepared as herein-before stated,
is cooled; the metallic bands, herein-before described, are pasted upon the
thin tissue or paper slip by means of varnish or any other analagous adhering
solution; the whole is then dried in the open air, and is afterwards cut up
by the cutting press as before stated. The metallic bands or baked parts
(covered with the aforesaid metallic bands) are coated with a thin layer of an
adhering composition, or mordant, prepared of equal parts of copal varnish and
distilled turpentine; when this mordant begins to dry on the metallic bands on
which it is applied, as before stated, a light coating of gold, silver, copper,
brass, or vanturine, or any other metallic amalgam, prepared in a state of fine
powder, is spread over them. After being thus gilded, silvered, bronzed, &c.,
&c., the pasted metallic bands are cut up as usual according to the size and
shape of the wafers. It is easily understood from what has been herein-before
described, that the coating of the pasted and metallic bands can be indefinitely
varied in color and outward ornaments. The two first kinds of wafers, manu-
factured as before stated, are used as follows:-They are slightly wetted with
the tongue or otherwise, and, being set on the article to be sealed, they are
pressed by means of a seal, a stamp, or anything else, the representation of
the impression is immediately obtained, and remains real and permanent. The
last kind of wafer, herein-before described, is used after having been heated
and when it is properly softened.
Secondly, improvement in the construction of the press cutting machine.—
This part of the Invention relates to the cutting machine serving to cut into
wafers the metallic bands of paste, prepared as herein-before stated; this

page_text: apparatus, represented by Drawing 1, Figure 1, which shews a sectional
elevation of one of its sides. In that figure, A represents the frame of the
cutting machine. B is a screw which is raised by means of a spiral spring,
after each stroke of the punches. C is the balance lever, by which the acting
screw B is put in motion. D is a group formed of several small frames or
boxes without bottoms, and containing each of them four punches soldered
together, and fixed to the sides of the frames. The group can be formed of
an indefinite number of united frames jointed together by means of an iron
bridle, their bases being set in a mortise or groove, and being kept in the
proper position by means of a cramp screw on cross pieces forming a grating,
having large openings, and screwing as a plate board, on which the bases of
the said frames repose, which otherwise would bend towards the centre of the
if they were not kept with great strength on a plan perfectly horizontal.
The drawer, or recipient chamber for the wafers after being cut, is placed
immediately under the herein-before described grating. E represents the
cramp screw serving to screw tight the iron bridle set in the groove, and
serving to maintain in their proper position several frames together. F is a
metallic plate falling very flat on the edges of the cutting punches. When
the screw B is set in motion, the plate F is formed of a metallic alloy in order
to affect very little the edges of the punches when coming in contact with
them; it could be made of a piece of wood, but this would have the incon-
venience of wearing out much quicker. The metallic alloy of the plate F is
composed of twenty-five parts of lead and seventy-five parts of tin, but any
G is the drawer
other suitable composition will answer the same purpose.
group
or receiver, into which the wafers fall when they have been subjected to the
operation of the cutting punches. H is an internal grating on which, as herein-
before stated, the bases of the frames are made to repose. The cutting
punches are grouped together by means of tin soldering, and in order to lessen
the loss of the pasted metallic bands, the punches are no more than five and a
half to six inches high; whatever be their shape and diameters, the above
height is quite sufficient to obtain the requisite width by which the wafers are
prevented from being frayed when they are cut by the action of the punches.
The groove or mortise herein-before stated is also disposed so as to receive
the numbers of frames which are wanted; and the metallic plate F must be of
a width proportionate to the size of the metallic pasted band to be cut. I, I,
represent the secrews by which the platform L, L, is permanently fixed to the
working table. To put the apparatus in motion, the metallic pasted band is
placed on the cutting parts of the punches, the screw B is made to turn by
the action of the balance lever C, and takes hold, when lowered, of the metallic

page_text: pasted band, which it presses between the plate F and the punches. This
operation cuts the bands into wafers without any difficulty; they enter the
punches, which cause them to fall into the lower receiver or drawer G, the
plate F rising with the screw, allows to take away the pairings or residue of
the bands after being cut, and the operation continues as herein-before
described.
And having now described the Invention communicated to me, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that
I do not confine myself to the precise details, nor to the exact modi operandi
herein-before stated, provided the general features be similar to what I have
laid down; nor do I claim the several component parts of the apparatus or
machinery, nor the materials employed for carrying out the said Invention.
But what I claim as new, and intended to be protected by the in part recited
Letters Patent is,-
Firstly, the coating or covering the ordinary wafer paste with a thin band
or slip of any metal or alloy of metals, as herein-before described.
Secondly, the baking of the wafer paste simultaneously in the ordinary
iron moulds with metallic bands or slips, by which baking the immediate
adhesion is obtained between the paste and the metallic bands which coat it
as herein-before described.
Thirdly, the coating or covering of light paper or tissue slip gummed on
its lower surface with thin metallic bands by means of any kind of size, as
herein-before described.
Fourthly, the coating with a composition of wax and rosin the metallic slips
by means of a siccative pigment, as herein-before described.
Fifthly, the production of wafers colored or not colored, and of the metallic
bands, perfectly reproducing under a suitable pressure the impression either
sunk in or in relievo, of seals, stamps, or of any other object, as herein-before
described.
Sixthly, the cutting apparatus with its punches, as herein-before described,
reference being had to the letters of the Figure 1, Drawing 1.
And seventhly, the mode of soldering together a certain number of punches,
as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Peter Armand Lecomte de Fontaine
Moreau have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of
October, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
L' DE FON (L.S.) TAINE MOREAU..

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Eighteenth day of October, in
the year of our Lord 1850, the aforesaid Peter Armand Lecomte de Fontaine
Moreau came before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and
acknowledged the Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein
contained and specified, in form above written. And also the Specification
aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made for that
purpose
Enrolled the Twenty-third day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty.