AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR BURNISHING PHOTOGRAPHS, CARDS, AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES
Year: 1872

page_text: SLETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for
the Invention of "AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR BURNISHING PHOTOGRAPHS,
CARDS, AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES."-A communication from abroad by
Emile Rienzi Weston and Timothy McDonald, both of East Corinth,
Maine, United States of America.
Sealed the 11th February 1873, and dated the 10th September 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 10th September 1872.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR BURNISHING
PHOTOGRAPHS, CARDS, AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES," a communication, to be as
follows:-
The object of the said Invention is the production of a machine which
will give to photographs and other like articles a durable polished surface.
This object is effected by the application of heat and friction to the
article under pressure. I use a bed piece, to which the apparatus is
attached; the same is provided with means for securing it to a bench or
table. I construct a convex bed of wood or other suitable material, upon

page_text: which the photograph or other article is laid face upward. On the afore-
said bed plate are standards having slots at the top, through which passes
a rod or bar; to this rod is securely attached the burnisher made of
metal. I prefer to have it of cast iron, with its lower edge, which is
turned up and concave to fit the convex bed case, hardened and highly
polished. Set screws are fixed in the top of the said standards, and by
turning them down they press upon the aforesaid rod, and force the
burnisher attached to it down upon the bed. I attach to the said rod a
lever, by which a to-and-fro motion is given to the burnisher. This lever
has its fulcrum in the bed piece. The burnisher is heated by a lamp.
Five minutes are usually required to heat the burnisher sufficiently.
The picture being placed upon the bed, face upward, the burnisher is
forced down by the aforesaid screws, and by means of the lever is moved
over it. One or two strokes will be usually enough to impart a brilliant
finish.
A like effect may be produced if the burnisher is stationary, and the
picture moved over its face, the principle being the same in both arrange-
ments. In the latter case the burnisher has a convex roll revolving
upon a shaft in standards placed over it. The burnisher is horizontal,
and the picture receives its pressure from a set screw placed under it. A
lamp supplies heat, as before, and the picture being inserted between the
roll and burnisher the former is revolved by the crank, and the picture
receives its polish as it passes through the machine.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 8th March 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special
licence that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, adminis-

page_text: trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert
Lake, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR BURNISHING PHOTOGRAPHS, CARDS, AND OTHER
LIKE ARTICLES," a communication to me from abroad by Emile Rienzi
Weston and Timothy McDonald, both of East Corinth, Maine, United
States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said William Robert Lake, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawing forming a part of this Specification
:-
The object of the said Invention is the production of a machine which
will give to photographs and other like articles a durable polished sur-
face. This object is effected by the application of heat and friction to
the article under pressure.
In the accompanying Drawing Figure 1 is a perspective view of the
said improved burnishing machine. Figure 2 is a similar view illus-
trating a modification of my Invention. Like letters indicate the same
parts in both of the Figures.
The said machine has a bed piece a, to which the operating parts of
the said machine or apparatus are attached. This bed piece is provided
with means for securing it to a bench or table. 6 is a convex bed of
wood or other suitable material, upon which the photograph or other
article is laid face upward; c, c, are standards having slots at the top
through which passes a rod or bar d. To this rod at e is securely attached
the burnisherf made of metal and of the form shown. I prefer to make
it of cast iron, its lower edge (which is turned up and made concave to
fit the convex bed) should be caschardened and highly polished. h, h,

page_text: are set screws fixed in the top of the standards c, c. By turning them
down they are made to press upon the rod e, and force the burnisher
attached to it down upon the bed. j is a lever by which a to-and-fro
motion is given to the burnisher. This lever has its fulcrum in the bed
piece a, and is secured to the rod d at k. 7 is a lamp by which the
burnisher is heated. Five minutes will be usually enough to heat the
burnisher sufficiently. The picture being placed upon the bed, face up,
the burnisher is forced down by the aforesaid screws h, h, and by means
of the lever is moved over it. One or two strokes will be usually enough
to impart a brilliant finish to the photograph or other article.
A like effect may be produced if the burnisher is stationary, and the
picture moves over its face. This modification of my Invention is illus-
trated in Figure 2, the principle being the same in both arrangements.
In the latter case the burnisherf has over it a convex roll 6¹ revolving
upon a shaft o in standards c, c. The burnisher in this case is horizontal,
and the picture receives its pressure from a set screw h placed under it. A
lamp supplies heat, as above described, and the picture being inserted
between the roll and burnisher, the former is revolved by the crank r,
and the picture receives its polish as it passes between the machine.
Having thus described the said Invention as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondents, and the manner of performing the
same, I wish it understood that I claim,-
First. The combination of the concave burnisher and convex bed or
roll 6 in a burnishing machine, as herein set forth and for the purposes
specified.
Second. In combination with the above the pressure screws h and
lamp or heater 1, as herein described. .
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
M DADT TATT