Improvements relating to Plates or Sheets with Cutting or Piercing Surfaces for Use in the Production of Stencils.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Aug., 1886.
Complete Left, 25th May, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 28th June, 1887.
Improvements relating to Plates or Sheets with Cutting or Piercing
Surfaces for Use in the Production of Stencils.
I, EUGENIO DE ZUCCATO, of Charterhouse Street, in the City of London, Merchant
and Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :—
The object of my invention is to provide means for producing stencils of the kind or
class described in the specification of former Letters Patent granted to me and dated
29th September, A.D. 1877, No. 3647.
In the said specification, I have described a method or manner of producing stencils
by laying a sheet of paper or similar material upon a steel plate provided with a
cutting or piercing surface, and writing or drawing upon the said paper or other
material with a style or pointed steel rod. The said surface cuts or pierces the paper
or other material where pressure is applied thereto by the style, and thus forms holes
in the said material through which ink or colour is to be passed to produce copies of
the writing or drawing.
By my present invention, I produce plates or sheets with the required cutting or
piercing surfaces, which plates or sheets are much cheaper than, and effect the
desired result as efficiently as, the steel plates described in my said former specifi-
cation.
According to my present invention, the cutting or piercing plates or sheets are
produced as follows, that is to say, I take a plate of steel or other suitable material
and of the required dimensions and engrave or etch the same, by any well-known or
suitable means, in such a manner as to produce on its surface a minute pattern in
relief consisting of lines, dots or parallelograms or other figures situated as closely
together as may be convenient, say, for instance, from ninety to one hundred and
twenty per linear inch. From this plate, I take an impression in gelatine or similar
material.

page_text: When I use gelatine for the purpose of my invention, I take a strong hot gelatinous
solution, made, for example, of ordinary gelatine and water, and pour the same upon
the engraved or etched surface of the said plate. I allow the said solution to dry and
barden and then separate it from the said plate. I thus produce a plate or sheet of
golatine having upon its surface which was next to the engraved or otched plate a
pattern corresponding to that of the latter. This gelatine plate or sheet will be so
hard that it will serve as an efficient substitute for the steel plate described in the
said former specification, and can be very advantageously used for the production of
stencils in the manner therein described.
It is obvious that any desired number of my gelatino plates or sheets can be
produced from a single engraved or etched surface. They are, therefore, much,
cheaper than the steel plates heretofore used.

page_text: 133
Surfaces for Use in the Production of Stencils.
EUGENIO DE ZUCCATO, of Charterhouse Street, in the City of London, Merchant
and Manufacturer 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 my invention is to provide for producing, at a low cost, efficient plates
or sheets with cutting or piercing surfaces for use in the production of stencils of the
kind or class described in the specification of foriner Letters Patent granted to me and
dated 29th September A.D. 1877, No. 3647.
In the said specification, I have described a method or manner of producing stencils
by laying a sheet of paper or similar material upon a steel plate provided with a
cutting or piercing surface, and writing or drawing upon the said paper or other
material with a style or pointed steel rod. The said surface cuts or pierces the paper
or other material where pressure is applied thereto by the style, and thus forms minute
holes or incisions in the said material, through which ink or colour is to be passed to
produce copies of the writing or drawing.
By my present invention, I am enabled to produce cutting or piercing plates or
sheets for this purpose, which are much cheaper than the steel plates described in my
said former specification, and which effect the desired result as efficiently as the said
steel plates.
According to my present invention, I make the said cutting or piercing plates or
sheets of gelatine or similar material in the manner hereinafter described, that is to
say, I take a plate of steel or other suitable material of the required dimensions and
engrave or etch the same, by any means well known to engravers, in such a manner
as to produce on its surface a minute pattern in relief consisting of lines or dots or of
parallelograms or other suitable figures situated as closely together as may be con-
venient, say, for instance, from ninety to one hundred and twenty lines or dots
per linear inch. The number of lines or dots to the inch will, however, be varied
according to the quality and thinness of the paper to be perforated. From this plate,
I take an impression in gelatine or similar material.
When I use gelatine for the purpose of my invention, I take a sufficient quantity
of a strong hot gelatinous solution, made, for example, of ordinary gelatine and water,
and pour the same upon the engraved or etched surface of the plate. I allow the said
solution to dry and harden and then separate it from the said plate. I thus produce a
plate or sheet of gelatine having upon its surface, which was next to the engraved or
etched plate or matrix, a pattern corresponding to that of the said plate or matrix.
I find that gelatine plates or sheets produced in this manner are so hard that, when
properly supported upon a hard surface, they will serve officiently as substitutes for
the steel plates described in the said former specification, and can be very advan-
tageously used for the production of stencils in the manner therein described.

page_text: In some instances, I add to the warm gelatine a suitable proportion (say about five
per cent) of a chromic salt, such as bichromate of potash or of aminonia, for the
purpose of increasing the insolubility of the gelatine when dry; the property of
such substances is well known to photographers.
If necessary or desirable, the plates or sheets of gelatine are dipped or immersed in
a solution of alum to still further harden them.
It is obvious that any desired number of my gelatine plates or sheets can be made
by means of a single engraved or etched surface or matrix or a duplicate thereof.
They can, therefore, be produced at a much lower cost than the steel plates heretofore
usod.
Although I have described the production of my improved piercing plates by means
of engraved or etched surfaces, it is evident that I might, with more or less advantage,
employ other matrices or roughened surfaces into or upon which to pour the gelatine
to form my said piercing plates. For instance, I can use as a matrix a duplicate of
the engraved or etched surface, produced by pressure or by casting, or a matrix or
roughened plato formed from a sheet of lead by placing thereon a sheet of emery or
glass cloth, or paper, and applying pressure thereto. Or I can use a roughened plate
or matrix of lead formed by producing, by means of photography, a suitable pattorn
upon a sheet of bichromated gelatino, making a Woodbury relief therefrom, and then
placing the said relief upon a sheet of lead and applying pressure thereto. And I do
not confine myself to any particular mode or manner of producing the matrix or
roughened surface.
Moreover, although I have herein before described the formation of my piercing
plates from gelatine, any material having similar properties will answer my purpose.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I wish it understood that 1 claim :-
A cutting or piercing plate or sheet for the purpose above specified, formed of
gelatine or similar material substantially in the manner hereinbefore described.
1007
Dated this 20th day of May 1889
EUG. DE ZUCCATO.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.