Improvements in Obtaining Prints with the Aid of Photography and in the Preparation of the Materials and in Apparatus to be Employed therein.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Jan., 1887
Complete Left, 22nd Oct., 1887
Complete Accepted, 22nd Nov.. 1887
Improvements in Obtaining Prints with the Aid of Photography
and in the Preparation of the Materials and in Apparatus to be
Employed therein.
I CLAUDE RAYMOND, of 9 Boulevard Poissonnière, Paris, France, Merchant do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This
My invention which enables me to employ a sheet of gelatine directly as a surface or
plate for printing from is based on the use of gelatinized parchment paper (or other
gelatinized surface) similar to that generally employed for autocopy in black.
gelatinized parchment paper having been prepared in a special manner to adapt it to
its particular use is immersed in a sensitizing bath of bichromate of potass, perchloride
of iron, nitrate of uranium or other suitable material. When it has been sensitized it
is left to dry in the dark after having been applied to a taleed glass (glace talquée)
the gelatine against the glass. This sheet of bichromatized parchment paper is
afterwards placed in a photographic frame upon the negative to be reproduced and the
whole is exposed to the light. The light having sufficiently impressionized the
bichromatized gelatine of the paper, the paper is removed therefrom in water and
there is thus obtained on the sheet of paper in intaglio and relief the image to be
printed. In order to employ this surface or plate of gelatinized paper for direct
printing I impart to it a degree of humidity varying with the accentuation of the
relief's that it is wished to obtain, and I stretch it in a special frame in which the
desired humidity must be maintained and in which it serves directly as a printing
surface.
In order that my invention may be fully understood I will proceed to describe the
special mode of preparing my sheets of gelatinized parchment paper and the manner
of using them for the production and reproduction of photographic printing
surfaces.
1. Preparation of the gelatinized parchment paper. I take gelatine of good
quality free from fatty bodies and soak it in a given quantity of water in order to make it
swell say for example parts of water to 1 part of gelatine. The gelatine thus
swollen is melted in à bain-marie and kept for 40 minutes at a temperature of 75°

page_text: Centigrade. There are afterwards added to it a small quantity of water saturated
with alum (about 16th of the weight of water employed) and 2 per cent. of a
saturated solution of borax and it is then spread on parchment paper or other suitable
paper or flexible support in the manner now followed for the manufacture of
gelatinized paper intended for autocopy. The gelatinized paper is afterwards dried in
a stove at 25° to 30° Centigrade and put on a roller. The boiling or heating of the
gelatine at the temperature indicated, the addition thereto of alum and borax and the
stoving cause a perfect adherence of the gelatine to the paper which enables it to be
employed for direct and continuous printing with fatty inks after it has been
transformed into a printing surface or plate in the photographic way. The paper thus
prepared will keep perfectly and can be employed at any time.
2. Preparation of printing surfaces or plates in gelatinized parchment paper. The
gelatinized paper is cut to the desired dimensions and sensitized by being steeped for
one or two minutes in a bath of bichromate of potass at 2 per cent. or in any other
suitable sensitizing bath. The bichromatized sheet is afterwards applied upon a talced
glass, the gelatine against the glass and placed to dry in the dark. The sheet may be
considered dry when it easily becomes detached from the glass; from 5 to 6 hours
generally suffices.
The dry sheet of bichromatized gelatinized paper is placed in a photographic press
upon the negative to be produced, the two being forced together so as to make perfect
contact between the sheet and the negative and the whole is exposed to the light for a
suitable time. The exposure to the light has been sufficient when all the demi-tints of
the negative show as dark brown on light yellow; it is easy to ascertain this by
raising the sheet of gelatinized paper from the negative from time to time, an
When
operation which can be readily performed owing to the flexibility of the sheet.
the image has been well taken on the bichomatized sheet the latter is removed from
the press and cleaned in a vessel full of plain water. The sheet of parchment paper
is
washed in this way until the parchment has regained its original color in the whites,
care being taken to change the water every half hour as long as it is made yellow by
the dissolving of the bichromate. The sheet of paper having been well washed is
afterwards dried in the open air and constitutes a printing plato or surface from
which impressions can be taken directly in fatty inks. It is owing to the special
preparation of the layer of gelatine of iny paper that I can dispense with the use of the
stove in the bichromatizing of the sheet of parchment paper and it is likewise this
preparation of the layer of gelatine that gives it the property of receiving and
reproducing the demi-tints with all their fineness.
3. Use of the gelatinized parchment paper plates or printing surfaces for printing
in fatty inks. The sheet of gelatinized parchment paper constituting the printing
surface is immersed for from 15 to 20 minutes in plain water in order to give to the
gelatine the swelling required by the degree of accentuation which it ought to have to
give a good impression. If the sheet be employed immediately after the bichromatizing
the drying can be stopped at the desired moment at which the degree of humidity of
the sheet will allow of its being employed directly for printing without recourse to
preliminary steeping. Whatever be the means adopted to produce the printing
surface formed of gelatinized paper having the humidity required for a good
impression stretch it on a frame or apparatus which I will now describe.
This apparatus is composed of an open frame hinged to a board or bed plate and in
the centre of which is placed a block of wood covered with a sheet of zinc or it may
be a block of marble. The open frame can be fixed to the board by a bolt; it is
formed of two parts the one fitting into the other so as to hold between them the
edges of the sheet of gelatinized paper. The two parts are held together by hooks.
In order to insert the sheet of gelatinized paper the open frame is lifted and its two
parts separated to enable the sheet to be put in place after which the two parts are
again brought together and secured by the hooks. The open frame is then lowered
to position and fixed by the bolt. The gelatinized sheet is thus stretched over the
block and presents an absolutely flat surface:
In order that the gelatinized paper may be maintained in a suitable state of

page_text: moisture it is well to place between the block and the sheet a sheet of paper
impregnated with water, glycerine, ammonia or other suitable liquid.
Being thus placed and stretched the gelatinized sheet is ready for printing from.
For this purpose it is inked with a rolled charged with very little ink, in all directions,
until the image shows very completely with all its demi-tints. A roller suitable for
removing the surplus ink is then passed over it so that the image is brought to a very
fine point of inking. The sheet of white paper to be printed on is then placed above
it, and then a piece of felt and a board or cover and the whole is submitted to the
action of a suitable press. The board just named may be attached to the apparatus.
Dated this 24th day of January 1887.
J. C. MEWBURN,
169, Fleet Street, London,
Agent.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Obtaining Prints with the Aid of Photography
and in the Preparation of the Materials and in Apparatus to be
Employed therein.
I CLAUDE RAYMOND, of 9 Boulevard Poissonnière, Paris, France Merchant, 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 :-
My invention which enables me to employ a sheet of gelatine directly as a surface or
plate for printing from is based on the use of gelatinized parchment paper (or other
gelatinized surface) similar to that generally employed for autocopy in black. This
gelatinized parchment paper having been prepared in a special manner to adapt it to
its particular use is immersed in a sensitizing bath of bichromate of potass, perchloride
of iron, nitrate of uranium or other suitable material. When it has been sensitized
it is left to dry in the dark after having been applied to a talced glass (glace
talquée) the gelatine against the glass. This sheet of bichromatized parchment
paper is afterwards placed in a photographic frame upon the negative to be
reproduced and the whole is exposed to the light. The light having sufficiently
impressionized the bichromatized gelatine of the paper, the paper removed in water
and there is thus obtained on the sheet of paper in intaglio and relief the image to be
printed. In order to employ this surface or plate of gelatinized paper for direct
printing I impart to it a degree of humidity varying with the accentuation of the
reliefs that it is wished to obtain, and stretch it in a special frame in which the
desired humidity must be maintained and in which it serves directly as a printing
surface.
In order that my invention may be fully understood I will proceed to describe the
special mode of preparing my sheets of gelatinized parchment paper and the manner
of using them for the production and reproduction of photographic printing surfaces.
1. Preparation of the gelatinized parchment paper. I take gelatine of good
quality free from fatty bodies and soak it in a given quantity of water in order to
make it swell, say, for example, 5 parts of water to 1 part of gelatine. The gelatine
thus swollen is melted in a bain marie and kept for 40 minutes at a temperature of
75° Centigrade. There are afterwards added to it a small quantity of water saturated
with alum (about Toth of the weight of water employed) and 24 per cent. of a
saturated solution of borax and it is then spread on parchment paper or other suitable
paper or flexible support in the manner now followed for the manufacture of gelatinized
paper intended for autocopy. The gelatinized paper is afterwards dried in a stove at
25° to 30° Centigrade and put on a roller. The boiling or heating of the gelatine at
the temperature indicated, the addition thereto of alum and borax and the stoving, cause
a perfect adherence of the gelatine to the paper which enables it to be employed for

page_text: direct and continuous printing with fatty inks after it has been transformed into a
printing surface or plate in the photographic way. The paper thus prepared will keep
perfectly and can be employed at any time.
The
2. Preparation of printing surfaces or plates in gelatinized parchment paper.
gelatinized paper is cut to the desired dimensions and sensitized by being steeped for
one or two minutes in a bath of bichromate of potass at 2 per cent. or in any other
suitable sensitizing bath. The bichromatized sheet is afterwards applied upon a talced
glass, the gelatine against the glass and placed to dry in the dark. The sheet may be
considered dry when it easily becomes detached from the glass; from 5 to 6 hours
generally suffices.
The dry sheet of bichromatized gelatinized paper is placed in a photographic press
upon the negative to be produced, the two being pressed together so as to make
perfect contact between the sheet and the negative and the whole is exposed to the
light for a suitable time. The exposure to the light has been sufficient when
all the demi-tints of the negative show as dark brown on light yellow; it is easy to
ascertain this by raising the sheet of gelatinized paper from the negative from time to
time, an operation which can be readily performed owing to the flexibility of the sheet.
When the image has been well taken on the bichromatized sheet the latter is removed
from the press and cleaned in a vessel full of plain water. The sheet of parchment
paper is washed in this way until the parchment has regained its original color in
the whites, care being taken to change the water every half hour as long as it is
made yellow by the dissolving of the bichromate. The sheet of paper having been
well washed is afterwards dried in the open air and constitutes a printing plate or
surface from which impressions can be taken directly in fatty inks. It is owing to
the special preparation of the layer of gelatine of my paper that I can dispense with
the use of the stove in the bichromatizing of the sheet of parchment paper and it is
likewise this preparation of the layer of gelatine that gives it the property of receiving
and reproducing the demi-tints with all their finenesses.
3. Use of the gelatinized parchment paper plates or printing surfaces for printing
in fatty inks. The sheet of gelatinized parchment paper constituting the printing
surface is immersed for from 15 to 20 minutes in plain water in order to give to the
gelatine the swelling required by the degree of accentuation which it ought to have
to give a good impression. If the sheet be employed immediately after the
bichromatizing the drying can be stopped at the desired moment at which the degree
of humidity of the sheet will allow of its being employed directly for printing without
recourse to preliminary steeping. Whatever be the means adopted to produce the
printing surface formed of gelatinized paper having the humidity required for a good
impression, I stretch it on a frame or apparatus which I will now describe.
This apparatus is represented in the annexed drawings. Figure 1 is a front
elevation, Figure 2 a plan with the cover removed, Figure 3 a section on the line M N
the apparatus being open, and Figure 4a side elevation. It is composed of an open
frame hinged to a board or bed plate A and in the centre of which is placed a block B
of wood covered with a sheet of zinc or it may be a block of marble. The open frame
can be fixed to the board A by a bolt C; it is formed of two parts E and the one
fitting into the other so as to hold between them the edges of the sheet of gelatinized
paper g. The two parts E and F are held together by hooks G which can turn on
screws placed below. In order to insert the sheet of gelatinized paper the open
frame is lifted into the position shown at E' F' Figure 3 and its two parts separated
to enable the sheet to be put in place after which the two parts are again brought
together and secured by the hooks G. The open frame is then lowered to position
and fixed by the bolt C. The gelatinized sheet is thus stretched over the block B and
presents an absolutely flat surface.
In order that the gelatinized paper may be maintained in a suitable state of
moisture it is well to place between the block and the sheet a sheet of paper
impregnated with water, glycerine, ammonia or other suitable liquid.
Being thus placed and stretched the gelatinized sheet is ready for printing from.
For this purpose it is inked with a roller charged with very little ink, in all directions,

page_text: until the image shows very completely with all its demi-tints. A roller suitable for
removing the surplus ink is then passed over it so that the image is brought to a very
fine point of inking. The sheet of white paper to be printed on is then placed above
it, and then a piece of felt and a board or cover and the whole is submitted to the
action of a suitable press. The board just named may be attached to the apparatus as
seen in the drawings, H being the board. It is jointed to a bar I having at its ends
metal feet which are fixed by means of screws K that take into vertical guides. The
board or cover having been lowered on the sheet of paper after this has been placed
on the gelatine and after a piece of felt has been superposed, the apparatus can be
placed in the press. The cover H can if necessary have internal strips of cardboard
or other material which assist in adjusting the sheets of paper to the proper
position.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. The preparation of parchment paper or other suitable flexible support with a layer
of adherent gelatine, substantially in the manner hereinbefore described, in order that
this gelatinized paper, when photographic images have been formed thereon and it has
been transformed into a printing plate or surface, can serve for direct and continuous
printing with fatty inks as set forth.
2. The process herein before described of obtaining or manufacturing surfaces or
plates for printing from, which consists in preparing sheets of parchment paper or
other suitable flexible support with a layer of adherent gelatine, in then sensitizing
these gelatinized sheets by means of a bichromate of potass or other sensitizing bath,
in then drying them in the dark, in next placing them in close contact with the
negatives to be reproduced and exposing the whole to the light, and in finally washing
and drying the sleets, all substantially as set forth.
3. The apparatus constructed substantially as herein before described and represented
in the annexed drawings for the purpose set forth.
4. The obtaining of prints with the aid of photography substantially as hereinbefore
described.
Dated this 22nd day of October 1887
J. C. MEWBURN,
169, Fleet Street, London,
Agent.