CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF GRAINING OR ORNAMENTING SURFACES AND FABRICS
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Nichol, of Edinburgh, Scotland, Book-
seller, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS
OF GRAINING OR ORNAMENTING SURFACES AND FABRICS."
Sealed the 22nd January 1858, and dated the 6th November 1852.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Nichol at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 6th November 1852.
I, JAMES NICHOL, of Edinburgh, Scotland, Bookseller, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE PROCESS OF GRAINING OR ORNAMENTING SURFACES AND FABRICS"
to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in transferring the grain or pattern or mark-
ing on a surface or fabric from such surface or fabric on to plates or
rollers, to be from them printed upon other surfaces or fabrics, so as to
multiply copies of the original grain or pattern or marking.
And in order to carry such invention into effect the material upon the
surface of which the grain or pattern or marking to be transferred
and copied is contained, is impressed upon or moulded in gutta percha,
or other similar clastic substance or material, so as to leave an exact
impression or mould of the grain or pattern or marking upon the said

page_text: elastic substance or material. Then from this clastic substance the
grain or pattern or marking so impressed upon it, or moulded in it,
is to be transferred to a plastic substance or material, such as stucco,
whence it is to be cast on the plate or roller.
The plastic substance will admit of a cast being taken either on a
flat or curved surface, so that the grain or pattern or marking may be
transferred to a plate or to a roller.
The grain or pattern or marking is to be printed on the surface or
fabric required to be grained or ornamented by means of any convenient
press or mechanism.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said James Nichol in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 6th May 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JAMES NICHOL, of Edinburgh, in the Kingdom of Scotland, Book-
seller, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the six-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said James Nichol, Her special license
that I, the said James Nichol, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said James] Nichol, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "CERTAIN IN-
PROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF GRAINING OR ORNAMENTING SURFACES
AND FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
James Nichol, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to bo performed, and

page_text: cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said. Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Nichol, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement (that is to say):
My Invention of "Certain Improvements in the Process of Graining
or Ornamenting Surfaces and Fabrics" is intended to provide a means
of transferring the grain or pattern or marking on a surface or fabric
on to the surface either of a plate or of a roller, to be printed therefrom
on to other surfaces or fabrics, so as multiply copies of the original
grain or pattern or marking.
And in order that my Invention may be clearly distinguished from
that which has been patented before, I will here observe that I am
aware of the former inode of transferring the pattern to plates or rollers
by means of the "electrotyping process;" but my Invention consists in
effecting the required transfer by means of the "stereotyping" process,
in the manner herein-after described.
The first part of my improved process of graining or ornamenting
surfaces consists in taking an impression from the grained or orna-
mental surface of which it is desired to multiply copies. The material
bearing such surface is placed upon a smooth bed or table of wood
with the grained or ornamental surface lying upwards. Upon this
surface is pressed the requisite quantity of wax, gutta percha, or other
suitable plastic or elastic substance, in such a manner as to receive
from it an exact impression of the grain or pattern or marking upon
the said surface. The plastic or elastic substance is softened by heat
.when necessary, and treated in any way which may render it more
susceptible of taking a perfect impression. The plastic or elastic
substance, with its impression, is then allowed to cool or harden, or is
artificially hardened, if required, and any slight imperfections in the
impression may be corrected if necessary.
The second part of my improved process consists in transferring the
impression of the original grain or pattern, contained in reverse on the

page_text: surface of the plastic or clastic substance above described, from such
substance to a mould of stucco, or papier maché, or other suitable
material, by means of the ordinary process of "stereotyping." In place
of the form of type to be stereotyped, the impression above described is
subjected to the same process.
And the third part of my improved process consists in taking a cast
in metal from the mould so formed, the pattern being transferred by
means of such casting to the surface either of a plate or a roller, as
preferred. In the event of its being desired to produce the pattern on the
surface of a roller, the mould must be composed of a flexible or clastic
material, and bent within a mould to the required form. The grain or
pattern or marking thus produced on the surface of the plate or of the
roller is an inverted copy of that contained on the surface of the
material from which the first impression described above was taken ;
and the grain or pattern or marking may be printed from the plate or
roller by means of any convenient press or mechanism upon the surface
or fabric required to be grained or ornamented. The grain or pattern
or marking produced upon this last-mentioned surface or fabric will
be a direct copy of that on the surface originally taken and operated
ироп.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that I
do not claim as of my Invention any of the above described materials
and processes, except so far as they are used for the purposes described.
But what I do claim as of my Invention is, the mode described of
graining or ornamenting surfaces and fabrics by means of the stereo-
typing process, used in the manner described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Nichol, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fourth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.