Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Feb., 1889
Specification Accepted, 23rd Mar., 1889
I, EDWARD GUSTAV SOLTMANN of 422 Enst 53rd Street, New-York, in the County
and State of New-York, one of the United States of North America, 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, reference being had to the accompanying drawings
My invention relates to improvements in artists' ink and color grinding slabs, and
has for its object the provision of an article embodying the advantages of cheapness
of manufacture and simplicity and cheapness in use..
To this end the invention consists essentially in the several parts and combinations
of parts used in the present embodiment of the improvement.
I will first describe my invention in detail and then point out the novel features
in claims.
In the accompanying drawings:-
Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved ink slab, the cover being removed.
Figure 2 is a plan view of the cover.
Figure 3 is a section of the ink slab in the plane X X figure 1, the cover being
partially removed.
Figure 4 is a similar section in the plane y. y. figure 1, the cover being in
position.
Figure 5 is a transverse vertical section of the device.
Figures 6 and 7 are transverse vertical sections, and
Figures 8 and 9 are longitudinal sections illustrating modifications.
Referring to the drawings, in which similar letters of reference indicate corre-
sponding parts in all the figures, A designates the ink slab, preferably of rectangular
configuration, and made of porcelain, slate, or other suitable material.
This ink slab is provided with a longitudinal cavity or well B, extending to within
a short distance of each end of the slab, and having in the present instanco a
concave bottom, forming the grinding surface on which the ink or color is rubbed.
It will be observed that the well and grinding surface are combined in one, so
that in grinding the ink or color, the water in the well is constantly agitated, which

page_text: causes the ink or color to thicken quickly and prevents caking or crusting. The
slab is shown as having end portions E, which are fint on the top, beyond the ends
of the well. D designates a longitudinal cavity or well, which may be made of less
width transversely than the cavity or well B. This latter woll is shown as open at
both ends, as at F, the primary purpose of this well being to serve as a holdor for
the pen or brush, although it may be used as a grinding well, its bottom being, like
the wall B, of concave configuration. If open at one or both ends, that is when the
longitudinal cavity or well 1) extends entirely through the end walls of the slab, the
pen or brush may be inserted without necessitating the removal of the cover H.
Udosignatus the partition between the wells.
The cover His made thicker at one end than the other to rendor it heavier at the
thicker end. As here shown it is made taper or wodge shaped in a vertical plane
from one end to the other. The cover may be provided, for convenience in operation,
with a depression J in the upper surface, said depression being near one end. The
cover may have sliding connections with the slab by means of rabbets or grooves G
formed in the side wall of said slab as illustrated in figures 1, 3, 5 and 6. My object
in making this cover heavy at one end and light at the other, is, that frequently it is
desirable to leave the well partly uncovered, and should the cover be of equal weight
at both ends, it would til downwardly when slid off the ink slab more than half its
length. By my construction I obviate this difficulty, the cover balancing perfectly
oven when considerably removed, as seen in figure 3.
If the top of the slab and the cover are made longitudinally curved, as in figure 8,
the cover will be rendered still more stable when it is partially removed, because the
heavy end of the cover will be lowered by its being partially slid off at the thin end.
This curved form of the cover also better adapts it as a support for pens or brushes
placed transversely upon it. In figures 6 and 71 have illustrated a modification of
my invention, in which the walls of the two wells are made converging_or_slanting
inwardly from top to bottom. The object of this construction is to afford greater
facility in grinding.
As shown in figura 9, the ends of the cavity may terminate in recesses r. r, having
slightly inclined bottoms, to provent the ink from being thrown out; this however is
not considered essential to my invention.
The cover H may be arranged on the ink slab in any suitable manner, but I prefor
to effect its retention and guidance therein by means of the rabbets or grooves G.
This form however is not essential.
Modifications may be made in the details of construction of my improved ink slab
without departing from the spirit of my invention, or sacrificing the advantages
thereof.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invon-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. An ink or color grinding slab provided with a long and narrow combined grinding
cavity and well, having a bottom extending in a continuous longitudinal curve from
the contro to nonr each and, substantially as described.
2. An ink or color grinding slab, having a grinding cavity or well, provided with
a concave bottom, and a secondary cavity or well opened at one end of the slab,
substantially as described.
3. An ink or color grinding slab, having a main grinding cavity or woll and a
secondary cavity or well comprising a main portion, and an end portion less depressed
than the main portion and extending through an ond of the slab, substantially as
described.
4. An ink or color grinding slab, having a main cavity provided with a concavo
bottom and a secondary cavity extending through both onds, substantially as
described.
5. An ink or color grinding slab, having a sliding cover made light at one end and
hoavy at the other, as and for the purpose specified.

page_text: 6. An ink or color grinding slab, having a sliding cover longitudinally curved in a
vertical plane and made heavier at one end than at the other, as and for the purpose
specified.
7. An ink or color grinding slab having a sliding cover made light at one
end and heavy at the other and rabbetted in the slab, as and for the purpose
specified.
8. An ink or color grinding slab, provided with a combined grinding cavity and
well, with its bottom extending in a continuous longitudinal curve to near each end
and terminating in recesses with slightly inclined bottoms, substantially as shown
and described.
Dated this 5th dow of Bob 1800