Improvements in and relating to the Manufacture of Letters for Advertising Purposes.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Oct., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 28th Mar., 1893-Accepted, 20th May, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to the Manufacture of Letters for
Advertising Purposes.
GEORGE BARRON trading as the Calotype Letter Company 6, Liberia Road
Highbury, London, N., do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of this invention is to manufacture expeditously and economically
alphabetical letters from vegetable pulp, for the purpose of fixing on facias or
In order to
signs, and the various other in-dood and out-door advertising purposes.
carry out the manufacture of the said invention I first provide a suitable mould of
resisting material such mould corresponding to the shape and design of the letter
or letters required to be manufactured. I next prepare my composition of vegetable
pulp which consists of four parts vegetable pulp and two parts vegetable sise well
mixed together to the consistency of dough 1 next fill the said mould with this
composition, and subject it to sufficient pressure whilst in the mould, to take upon
itself the minutest details of the design and simultaneously be deprived of at
least three parts of its moisture, in order to complete my process it is necessary to
take the said letters which may be done whilst they are in the mould in which case
the moulds are constructed of material to withstand the necessary heat, or which
acts equally as well they can be easily turned out of their moulds and placed upon
baking sheets, and placed in the oven or may be placed upon the bottom of the
oven and thus the remaining moisture will be completely absorbed, and render the
letters hard and rigid and at the same time exceedingly light which is particularly
advantages for affixing upon cloth or canvas stretched upon frames screens and
such like contrivances.
In order that my invention may be better understood reference is made to the
accompanying drawings in which
Fig. I represents what I term a calotype rustic letter and Fig. II a stalactite.
letter, Fig. 4 is a stalactitic form of bordering which 1 employ for bordering
certain tablets which is in harmony with and adds to the beauty of the stalactite
letters, Fig. 3 is a plain letter shown with a beveled edge which is a specially
adapted for immitations of metal opal, or glass letters, in the case of immitation
metal letters after they are baked as described I first coat them lightly with size
then by means of a camels hair pencil cover the whole of the surface with gold
leaf, or with any of the various colors of bronze according to the desired metal it
is required to imitate the realistic appearance of which may be further enhanced
by afterwards being burnished in order to imitate opal or glass letters in appearance,
it may easily be done by means of the ordinary enamel paints but the more perfect
imitations are produced by japaning. In order that these letters may be easily
fixed they are provided with little metal eyelets as shown in Fig. 3 at AA and A
which are in the form of a right angle and are fixed to the letters, during the
process of moulding which can be seen by the dotted lines at A, A and A" in
Fig. 3 by the aid of these eyelets they can be quickly attached to anything by
means of thread, wire or tacks.
Fig. 5 represents what I term the calotype grotesque letters, which are specially
adapted for capitals or large letters, it will be observed from the papier-machie
nature of these letters that they are admirably suitable for receiveing paints,
bronzes enamels and colors of every artistic nature, as shown in Fig. 5 the
grotesque figures there, can be supplied with the necessary flesh or dress like colors
as easily as upon paper or canvas, and the peculiar combination of the two
vegetable substances, render the letters and bordering not only water-proof but

page_text: resists the action of the sun in which case wood letters crack and are made very
unsightly. These letters also have the advantage of being practically indestructable
as the nature of the substance is so tough and leather like that they may be thrown
or knocked about with impunity without in any way affecting their lasting nature
and after years of wear and tear-in extreme atmospheric changes they can be easily
detached and renovated at a trifling cost.
Tenth day of October 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to the Manufacture of Letters for
Advertising Purposes.
GEORGE BARRON, trading as the Calotype Letter Coy. 6, Liberia Road
Highbury London N, 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 :--
The object of this invention is to manufacture expeditously and economically
alphabetical letters, from vegetable pulp, for the purpose of fixing on facias or
signs and the various other indoor and out-door advertising purposes.
In order
to carry out the manufacture of the said invention I first provide a suitable mould
of resisting material, such mould corresponding to the shape and design of the
letter or letters required to be manufactured. I next prepare my composition of
vegetable pulp, which consists of four parts vegetable pulp and two parts vegetable
size, well mixed to-gether to the consistency of dough. I next fill the said mould
with this composition and subject it to sufficient pressure whilst in the mould to
take upon itself the minutest details of the design, and simulaneously be deprived
of at least three parts of its moisture.
In order to complete my process it is necessary to bake the said letters, which
may be done whilst they are in the mould, in which case the moulds are constructed
of material to withstand the necessary heat, or which acts equally as well, they can
be easily turned out of the moulds and placed upon baking sheets and placed in
the oven, or may be placed upon the bottom of the oven, and thus the remaining
moisture will be completely absorbed, and render the letters hard and rigid, and
at the same time exceedingly light, which is particularly advantageous for
afixing upon cloth, or canvas stretched upon frames, screens and such-like
contrivances.
In order that my invention may be better understood reference is made to the
drawings which I filed with my Provisional Specification.
Fig. 1. represents what I term a calotype rustic-letter, and Fig. Il. a stalactite
letter.
Fig. 4 is a stalactite form of bordering which I employ for bordering certain
tablets, which is in harmony with and adds to the beauty of the stalactite letters.
Fig. 3 is a plain letter shown with a bevelled edge which is a specially adapted for
imitations of metal, opal, or glass letters. In the case of imitation metal letters,
after they are baked as described, I first coat them lightly with size, then by
means of a camel hair pencil, cover the whole of the surface with gold-leaf, or with
any of the various colours of bronze according to the desired metal it is required
to imitate, the realistic appearance of which may be further enhanced by
afterwards being burnished. In order to imitate opal or glass letters in appearance
it may easily be done by means of the ordinary enamel paints, but the more perfect
imitations are produced by japaning.
In order that these letters may be easily fixed they are provided with little
metal eyelets as shown in Fig. 3 at A. A¹ and A" which are in the form of a
right angle and are fixed to the letters during the process of moulding, which can
be seen by the dotted lines at A. A' and A" in Fig. 3. By the aid of these eyelets

page_text: they can be quickly attached to anything by means of thread, wire, or tacks.
Fig. 5 represents what I term the calotype-grotesque letters, which are specially
adapted for capitals or large letters. It will be observed from the papier-machie
nature of these letters that they are admirably suitable for receiving paints, bronzes,
enamels and colours of every artistic nature; as shown in Fig. 5, the grotesque
figures there, can be supplied with the necessary flesh or dresslike colours as easily
as upon paper or canvas, and the peculiar combination of the two vegetable
substances render the letters and bordering not only waterproof, but resist the
action of the sun, in which case wood letters crack and are made very unsightly.
These letters also have the advantage of being practically indestructible as the
nature of the substance is so tough and leather-like that they may be thrown or
knocked about with impunity without in any way affecting their lasting nature,
after years of wear and tear in extreme atmospheric changes they can be easily
detached and renovated at a trifling cost. It is obvious that mineral pulp (such
as asbestos) may be used in place of vegetable pulp, but in this case the cost of
material is against its use in the manufacture of such articles, and consequently
would not be adopted in place of vegetable, pulp, unless for special purposes, such
as to make letters or borders fire-resisting, which is the only feature asbestos-pulp
posesses for this purpose, and even then I question if one given quantity of letters
made from asbestos-pulp could be produced as cheap as two similar quantities from
vegetable pulp, as the refuge from drapers, stationers, and waste-paper dealers is
admirably suitable for making the vegetable pulp required, and in the majority of
cases the cost is infinitesimal. I am aware that masks, ornaments, trays, and many
useful articles have been made of papier-machie and even alphabetical letters have
been made of paper, and card-board, and embossed, but hitherto the process has
not been adopted of making alphabetical letters from pulp to take the place of wood,
metal, glass, and enameled letters, and it is for such purposes I lay claim.
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:-
1st. The application and use for advertising purposes of alphabetical letters and
borderings made from pulp substantially, as described.
2nd. The method and means of manipulating and converting the pulp into
alphabetical letters substantially as set forth.
3rd. The combination of the eyelets as shown in Fig. 3 for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 28th day of March 1893.
J. R. HUGHES.