IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS FOR AND METHODS OF PRODUCING DESIGNS UPON METALLIC SURFACES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Walter Bentley Woodbury, of South Norwood, in the
County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS FOR AND
METHODS OF PRODUCING DESIGNS UPON METALLIC SURFACES."
Sealed the 16th March 1880, and dated the 19th September 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Walter Bentley Woodbury
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th September 1879..
WALTER BENTLEY WOODBURY, of South Norwood, in the County of Surrey.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS FOR AND METHODS OF PRODUCING DESIGNS UPON
METALLIC SURFACES."
My present Invention relates to methods of producing designs upon flat metallic
surfaces by the use of corresponding designs first obtained in relief by the action
of light upon sheets of gelatine or gelatinous material, made sensitive to light in
the way well understood and practised.
In order to prepare such gelatinous reliefs I prefer to use the methods described
in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me on July 22nd, A.D. 1878, and
numbered 2912, in which the sensitive sheets of gelatinous material are prepared
upon surfaces of paper, gelatine, or metal, and are subsequently used for the purpose
of reproducing designs upon fibrous or soft material by compressing more or less
those parts of such material which are in contact with the projecting parts of the
design in the gelatinous relief.
By my present Invention I take similar designs produced in relief upon gelatine
or gelatinous material and I reproduce the designs upon the surface of thin sheets
of tinfoil, soft brass, lead, or other sufficiently soft and ductile metal or alloy of
metals by submitting such thin sheet of metal whilst in contact with the gelatinous
relief to sufficient pressure in a suitable press. During this process a sheet or plate
of sufficiently soft and elastic material, such as blotting paper, card, or india rubber,
is placed at the back of the metal sheet, and the gelatinous relief is thus forced into
the metal sheet and reproduces the design upon the latter in every detail in intaglio,
corresponding exactly with the relief design upon the gelatine, or in corresponding
relief upon the back of the sheet.
My improved method above described of obtaining designs upon the surfaces of
metallic sheets is essentially different from the method described in the Specifica-
tion of iny former letters Patent already referred to for producing designs upon

page_text: fibrous substances, which method could not be applied to metallic sheets. In the
said Specification the sheet of paper or other fibrous substance is described as being
passed in contact with a gelatinous relief through a powerful press, or between
rollers, or a roller and plate, so as to compress parts of the sheet and to render them
more transparent to transmitted light, but darker in colour by reflected light; but
by my present Invention the substance of the thin metal sheet is not compressed,
but it is bent into the required shape by placing it between the gelatinous relief
and a compressible substance, such as blotting paper, card, or india rubber, which
gives way under the pressure but returns to its original shape when the finished
metal sheet is removed.
By varying the character of the surface of the gelatinous relief different effects
may be produced upon the surface of the metallic sheet. Where a brilliant surface
is required I preferably use a gelatine support in preparing the gelatinous relief,
and where a dead or "mat" surface I use a paper support; and by cutting out the
paper mounted reliefs I combine a series of designs, parts of which have a brilliant,
and parts a dead or "mat" surface.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Walter Bentley Woodbury in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
19th March 1880.
WALTER BENTLEY WOODBURY, of South Norwood, in the County of Surrey.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS FOR AND METHODS OF PRODUCING DESIGNS UPON
METALLIC SURFACES."
My present Invention relates to methods of producing designs upon flat metallic
surfaces by the use of similar designs first obtained in relief by the action of light
upon sheets of gelatine or gelatinous material, rendered sensitive to light in the
way well understood and practised.
For the purpose of preparing such gelatinous relief surfaces I prefer to use the
method described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me, dated
July 22nd, A.D. 1878, and numbered 2912, in which methods the sensitive sheets
of gelatinous material are prepared upon surfaces of paper, gelatine, or metal, and
are described as being subsequently used for the purpose of reproducing designs
upon fibrous or soft material by compressing more or less those parts of such
material which are in contact with the projecting parts of the design in the
gelatinous relief.
In my present Invention I take similar designs, produced in relief in a similar
way upon gelatine or gelatinous material, and I reproduce these designs upon the
surface of thin sheets of tinfoil, soft brass, lead, or other sufficiently soft and ductile
metal, or alloy of metals, by submitting such thin metallic sheet whilst in contact
with the gelatinous relief to sufficient pressure in a suitable press.
During this process I place at the back of the metallic sheet a sheet or plate of
sufficiently soft and elastic material, such as blotting paper of sufficient thickness or
india rubber, and the gelatinous relief is thus forced into the metallic sheet and
reproduces every detail of the design upon the face of the latter in intaglio, corre-
sponding exactly with the relief design upon the gelatine, or in corresponding relief
upon the back of the metallic sheet.
The improved method as above described of obtaining designs upon the surface
of thin metallic sheets is essentially different from the method described in the
Specification of my former Letters Patents already herein before referred to for
producing designs upon fibrous substances, which latter method could not be applied
to metallic sheets. In the said Specification of the said Letters Patent the sheet of
paper or other fibrous material is described as being passed whilst in contact with
a gelatinous relief through a powerful press, or between rollers, or a roller and
plate, so as to compress the parts of the sheets which are in contact with the corre-
sponding relief parts of the gelatinous surface, and so to render such parts more
transparent to transmitted light, but darker in colour by reflected light. By my
present Invention the substance of the thin metallic sheet operated upon is not
compressed but is bent into the required shape to form the design by placing it
between the gelatinous relief and a compressible or yielding substance, such as
blotting paper, card, or india rubber, as above described, which substance gives
way under the pressure but returns more or less to its original form when the
finished metallic sheet is removed.
By varying the character of the surface of the gelatinous relief different effects
may be produced upon the surface of the metallic sheet. For instance, where a
brilliant surface is required to be produced I prefer to use a gelatine support in
preparing the gelatinous relief surface.
Where on the other hand a dead or "mat" surface is required I use a paper
support, and by cutting out the paper mounted gelatinous reliefs I am enabled to
combine a series of designs, parts of which have a brilliant surface and parts a dead
or "mat" surface.

page_text: Having now described my Invention, and the manner in which it is to be per-
formed, I claim, the methods of producing designs in relief or in intaglio upon the
surface of metallic sheets by pressing such sheets between gelatinous reliefs prepared
in the way described and back supports of sufficiently soft material, substantially
as hereinbefore described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Walter Bentley Woodbury, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
1880.
WALTER BENTLEY WOODBURY. (L.S.)