AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING AND METALLICISING ELECTROTYPE MOULDS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical
Draughtsman, for the Invention of “AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MODE
OF AND APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING AND METALLICISING ELECTROTYPE
MOULDS." A communication from abroad by Silas Partridge Knight,
of Brooklyn, in the State of New York, United States of America.
Sealed the 24th September 1872, and dated the 5th April 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton
•
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 5th April 1872.
'
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery.
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE
MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING. AND METALLICISING ELECTROTYPE
MOULDS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an organized system of means which may be
more or less varied in detail for obtaining and metallicising electrotype"

page_text: moulds by treating the surface of the wax or moulding composition
of which an electrotype mould is made in order to prepare it for the
reception of the impression, also metallicizing the mould for the recep-
tion of the electro-deposit by or with a mixture of plumbago or other
metallic powder and water in distinction to the ordinary process of
preparing the surface and metallicising the mould with dry plumbago.
To put this improvement into practice the mould, wax, or composition
surface to be treated is placed in a trough or vat, face uppermost, and
supported therein on a moveable frame. The mould is here exposed to
a shower of the mixture herein-before specified by means of a pump or
distributor and traversing sprinkler, or traversing vat, and stationary
sprinkler for the purpose of circulating and distributing the mixture.
By this improvement both time and material (plumbago or other
metallic powder used) are economised and the work is or may be per-
formed cleaner and with less liability to injury of the mould, and with
less injury to the health of the operator than is experienced by the
ordinary process. The sprinkler for showering the mixture is fitted to
a traversing slide which receives motion from a screw or its equivalent.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 5th October 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special
licence, that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use; exercise,

page_text: and vend, within the United. Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVE-
MENT IN THE MODE OF AND APPARATUS. FOR OBTAINING AND METALLICISING
FLECTROTYFE MOULDS," being a communication to me from abroad by
Silas Partridge Knight, of Brooklyn, in the State of New York, United
States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Alfred Vincent Newton, 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 Alfred Vincent Newton, 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 Drawing here-
unto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say) :-
This Invention relates to an organized system of means which may be
more or less varied in detail for obtaining and metallicising electrotype
moulds by treating the surface of the wax or moulding composition of
which an electrotype mould is made in order to prepare it for the recep-
tion of the impression, also metallicising the mould for the reception of
the electro-deposit, by or with a mixture of plumbago or other metallic
powder and water, in distinction to the ordinary process of preparing
the surface and metallicising the mould with dry plumbago.
To put this improvement into practice the mould, wax, or composition
surface to be treated is placed in a trough or vat face uppermost, and
exposed to a shower of the mixture herein-before specified by means of
a pump or distributor and traversing sprinkler or traversing vat and
stationary sprinkler for the purpose of circulating and distributing the
mixture.
By this improvement both time and material (that is, the plumbago
or other metallic powder used) are economised, and the work is or may
be performed cleaner and with less liability to injury of the mould, and
with less injury to the health of the operator than is experienced by the
usc of the ordinary process. The sprinkler for showering the mixture

page_text: is fitted to a traversing slide which receives motion from a screw or its
equivalent.
Having thus specified the object or objects and nature of the Invention
its description will be proceeded with in reference to the accompanying.
Drawing.
Fig. 1 represents a longitudinal vertical section of an arrangement of
apparatus for metallicising electrotype moulds according to this Inven-
tion; Fig. 2 is a plan of the same; and Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section
of the sprinker detached; Fig. 4 is a vertical section of a vat or bath
Similar
for washing the mould; and Fig. 5 is a plan of the same.
letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several
Figures of the Drawing.
A represents a vat having an inclined false bottom B that stops short
at its lower end so as to form a well C. This false bottom serves to
receive upon it a removeable frame D, upon which the mould to be
treated face uppermost is placed. E is a pump of any suitable descrip-
tion arranged to connect by a syphon-like or bent suction pipe b with
the well C, and to this pump is also attached a flexible discharge pipe or
hose G, which connects with a sprinkler H that extends down into the
vat over the mould on the frame D, and is carried by a sliding frame I
which travels the length of the vat or thereabouts. This sprinkler is of
a spread out or fan shape, and of a perforated tubular construction at
its delivery end so. as to take in the width of the mould. It is also
provided with internal deflectors c, c, for insuring an equal distribution
of the mixture to the perforated mouth of the sprinkler, likewise with
one or more screw taps d for facilitating the cleansing of the sprinkler.
The frame I is traversed automatically along the vat by means of a
rotating traverse screw e and box fattached to the frame.
.
.
The operation is as follows:-The mould to be metallicised is placed
face uppermost upon the frame D, which is then lowered to its place on
the inclined bottom B. Prior to this however a suitable quantity of the
mixture of plumbago and water is introduced into the well C or lower
portions of the vat A; the pump E is then set in motion, as also the
traverse screw e, and the mixture drawn up by the pump from the
vat and thrown regularly and evenly by or through the hose G and
sprinkler H in numerous fine streams on to the mould, the travel of
the sprinkler backwards and forwards along the vat by means of the
traverse screw e and sliding frame I effecting perfect distribution over

page_text: the whole. surface of the mould. The traverse screw e may be rotated
by means of bevil gear g, h, connecting it with the pump, or it may be
otherwise operated, or any suitable traversing device. may be substituted
for the screw. Surplus mixture thrown by the pump on to the mould
runs off the latter back into the bottom of the vat A or: into the well C,
and is used over and over again, so that a thorough agitation of the
mixture is kept up.
"
space
A sufficient film of plumbago having been thus deposited upon the
surface of the mould. to ensure a perfect conducting surface, the blank
surrounding the impression may be scraped or have a little of some
greasy substance rubbed over it to render it non-conducting to electricity.
The mould is then removed from the vat A and placed face uppermost
upon a frame or tray J, which is constructed to constitute a removeable
false bottom within a bath or secondary vat K. The mould being placed
upon this tray, and the latter lowered to its place in the vat K, a' gentle
stream of water is passed over the mould to remove any surplus plumbago
and to wet the entire surface of the mould. This stream or current
may be established by introducing a sufficient quantity of water into the
vat above the mould and opening a cock k in communication with the
tray. Any deposit of plumbago in the tray may afterwards be removed,
and be returned to the vat A so that none is wasted.
If found necessary the mould after having been treated with the
mixture of plumbago and water as above described and before being
washed may without injury to the impression have passed over its face
a bristle brush having the ends of the bristles unclipped.
The mixture of plumbago and water used in the above described
operation may consist of about one pound of plumbago for every gallon
of water, though this density may be varied. To prepare and facilitate
the mixture enough alcohol may be first applied to the dry plumbago to
moisten it, and then the water may be added.
Bronze powder or other fine metallic powder may be substituted for
plumbago if desired.
If preferred the sprinkler H may be stationary and the vat A be
traversed or reciprocated. In such case the tube G may be a rigid
one..
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "An Improve-
ment in the Mode of and Apparatus for Obtaining and Metallicising

page_text: Electrotype Moulds," as communicated to me by my foreign corre-
spondent, and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect,
I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters
Patent I claim, obtaining metallicised electrotype moulds by the means
and apparatus above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Fifth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.