Improvements in and relating to Plates for Forming Stencils to Produce Copies of Writings, Drawings, and the like.
Year: 1892

page_text: .Date of Application, 16th May, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 31st Aug., 1892-Accepted, 1st Oct., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Plates for Forming Stencils to
Produce Copies of Writings, Drawings, and the like.
I, ALEXANDER CRAIGHEAD THомSƠN, of 113 Union Street, Glasgow,
Stationer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to plates for producing stencils, as used in the production
of a number of fac-simile copies, of writings, drawings, etc.
Under this invention, the plate may be made of metal, vulcanite, or glass, and
has its surface roughened with lines, grooves, ribs, projections or equivalent. In
the case of metal or vulcanite plates, they are, preferably, roughened by means of
one or more mills, which are caused to act on them while the plates are lying flat
on a table or bed. The milling may either be " cross," point," or single
line," etc. In the case of glass plates, they may be cast with a roughened surface
on them, or may be suitably roughened by means of sand-blast, grinding, or other.
well-known means...
" 66
66
The metal plates, when treated in this manner, are preferably flat, the want of
which is an objection to plates, which are first turned in a cylindrical form and
subsequently flattened out.
Instead of using the ordinary wheel or steel-point style, when writing on the
stencil paper; I may use a style, having a small steel ball or roller at its end.
Dated this 14th day of May 1892.
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
Glasgow and London, Agent.
"
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION..
Improvements in and relating to Plates for Forming Stencils to
Produce Copies of Writings, Drawings, and the like.
I, ALEXANDER CRAIGHEAD THOMSON, of 113 Union Street, Glasgow,,
Stationer, 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 plates for producing stencils, as used in the production ·
of a number of fac-simile copies of writings, drawings etc.
Under this invention, the plate may be made of metal, vulcanite or glass, and.
has its surface roughened with lines, grooves, ribs, projections or equivalent. In
the case of metal or vulcanite plates, they are preferably roughened by means of
one or more mills, which are caused. to act.on them while the plates are lying flat
on a table or bed. The milling may either be "cross," "point," or "single line," etc.
In the case of glass plates, they may be cast with a roughened surface on them,
or may be suitably roughened by means of sand-blast, grinding or other well-known
means.
The metal plates, when treated in this manner, are perfectly flat the want of
which is an objection to plates, which are first turned in a cylindrical form and
subsequently flattened out.
Instead of using the ordinary wheel or steel-point style, when writing on the
stencil paper, I may use a style, having a small steel ball or roller at its end.

page_text: And in order that my said invention may be properly understood I have
hereunto appended and explanatory sheet of drawings, whereon
Fig. 1 is a plan view of part of a plate as made in accordance with my
invention.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation and Fig. 3 an end view of part of a "mill" or cutter
for cutting a large surface at one operation.
Fig. 4 shows in side elevation, end view, and part section (enlarged) a style.
In carrying out my invention:-In the case of a metal plate-I mount or fit the
plate, or it may be a sheet, on the travelling table or bed of a milling or like
machine. The plate or sheet is then caused to travel under a rotating mill or
cutter or under a series of rotating mills or cutters which cut the plate throughout
its length with a series of grooves parallel to each other and close together. The
grooves are, by preference, made as fine as possible. Between each pair of
grooves there is, of course, a ridge so that the ridges and grooves alternate and
give the plate a uniformly roughened surface.
+
"
A plate, having the "lines or grooves all in the same direction and parallel to
each other as above described, is technically called a plate with a "single-line
surface. The "lines" may be cut on the plate at an angle if so desired.
To produce "cross-lined" plates they are first cut with a single-line surface. in
the manner herein before described. The plate is then shifted on the table or
bed to such an angle, relatively with its first position, that when the plate is again
submitted to the operation of the cutters it will be cut with a second. series of
lines running at a right or other angle to the first series. Fig. 1 of the drawings.
shows a plate engraved with cross lines.
The plates used are preferably made of soft steel and they are or may be
hardened after being "milled."
Instead of having a series of rotating "mills" or cutters a single mill or cutter
may be used. In this case the cutter is, preferably, made sufficiently long to
engrave the plate or a large portion of it at each operation.
Fig. 2 and 3 show such a cutter or "mill," it has a number of parallel cutting
edges a made or engraved on it in any well known manner. b. are the usual grooves
which may be cut longitudinally as shown, or spirally, or diagonally on the body
of the cutter.
Metal sheets when treated in this manner are perfectly flat.
Vulcanite plates are milled or cut in the same manner as the metal plates. The
vulcanite used is made as hard as possible...
:
Roughened glass plates are made by subjecting a piece of glass to the action
of the sand blast or by etching or cutting it with emery wheels. The glass
sheets may, however, be cast with a suitable roughened surface or they may be
ground or otherwise roughened in any well known manner.
Fig. 4 shows a style which, instead of having the usual wheel or plain point,
has a small steel ball c secured at its end. The ball is held in place by a socket d.
The steel ball point is not so liable to cut or tear the stencil paper as the wheel
or other usual form of styles. Also, as the ball revolves freely there is less
frictional wear and the point is always regular.
The plates are screwed into a suitable frame and the wax or stencil paper is
laid on the top and held in place by any well known means such as a skeleton
frame etc. The writing, drawing or the like is then done on the stencil by a style
such as shown at Fig. 3.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. The manufacture of lined metal or vulcanite plates or sheets for producing
stencils, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
2. In the production of autographic stencils the application and use of glass
sheets having a roughened surface, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

page_text: 3. The improved ball pointed style, for writing on lined or roughened plates,
substantially as hereinbefore described and shown at Fig. 3 of the drawings
annexed.
L
1000
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
Glasgow and London, Agent.