IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MEANS OF SETTING OR SECURING STONES AND OTHER MATERIALS APPLICABLE TO JEWELLERY AND OTHER MANUFACTURES
Year: 1864

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Ludwig at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 18th October
1864.
I, JOHN LUDWIG, of Upper Holloway, in the County of Middlesex,
Jeweller, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MEANS OF SETTING OR SECURING STONES AND OTHER MATERIALS
APPLICABLE TO JEWELLERY AND OTHER MANUFACTURES," to be as follows:-
According to my improvements in setting stones and other articles in the
manufacture of jewellery and otherwise, I first prepare a model of the article I
wish to produce with stones set therein; this model I place in the bath of a
galvanic battery, and produce by electrical deposit a matrix or counterpart
thereof; this matrix I then employ as the mould from which to produce the
article with the stones, glass, or "paste" ornaments set therein. To effect
this I place in the recesses of the mould produced by the stones in the
pattern, the stones or other materials to be set (of same size and shape as
those in the model), and cause them to adhere therein by a suitable solution.
I then place this mould with the adhering stones in the galvanic bath, and
deposit copper or other suitable metal in such mould. The metal deposited
will surround the stones and otherwise form so as to produce an

page_text: imitation of the original model. The face of the matrix is prepared so that
the deposited metal will not adhere thereto, and so that the cast may be
readily removed; this cast when removed from the bath and from the mould
or matrix, will bring out with it the stones, and will be an exact copy of the
original model, the stones being firmly set therein. The cast so produced is
then manufactured into the article required, it may be by uniting several of
such casts-together, or otherwise mounting or simply finishing off, and adding
a pin or other fastening; I then electro-plate or gild them as-well-under--
stood. In order to produce a number of casts at same time I multiply the
moulds by taking relief casts therefrom in the galvanic bath, and again pro-
ducing moulds from such reliefs. Instead of metal matrices or moulds I can
also use moulds of gutta percha or other material. This process, although
described with reference to cheap jewellery, is also applicable for the manu-
facture of articles in gold with real stones or parts set therein, but I think
with less advantage than in the manufacture of cheap jewellery.
I
In addition to setting the stones or other materials in metal I sometimes
set and mount them at same time in the galvanic bath; for instance, I take
a piece of glass, stone, enamelled copper, or other material, and I form a
setting therefrom in the galvanic bath, which setting while being formed
secures the stones. prepare this setting either by applying wires parallel or
otherwise around the mounting, and secured at back, or by passing through
holes. Between such wires I place the stones to be set, and apply around
the stones in the interstices between them and the wires, grains. of silver or
other metal, causing both the stones and the grains of metal to adhere in
position by varnish or suitable adhesive matter; I then place the whole in a
galvanic bath, and deposit a sufficiency of metal thereon to complete the
setting and fix the stones in position. The surface of the glass mounting or
other non-conducting material may be further ornamented by painting with a
metallic pigment, but which must be in connection with setting. The
mounting thus prepared is afterwards finished by a fastening, or may .be
further mounted, as desired.
According to this last method I can also stamp a metal setting for the
stones, which setting may occupy the centre of a metal surface. I apply the
stones, and cement them to the base of the setting, and coat the general
surface of the stamped article with a non-conducting matter; grains of silver
are, also placed round the. edges of the stones as before. I then place the
article in the galvanic bath, and deposit metal thereon which adheres to the
base, forms the setting, and fixes the stones. I have used the term "stones"
in the above illustration, but the same description will-apply-either-to "paste

page_text: pearls, and other materials to be set. I apply this process to the ornamen-
tation of book and album covers, or to purposes generally where stones or
gems, either imitation or real, and other ornaments are to be set by fixing in
metal.