AN IMPROVED METHOD OR PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING COLORED PHOTOGRAPHS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Harris Lake of the firm of Haseltine Lake
& Co. Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings London for an Invention of
"AN IMPROVED METHOD OR PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING
COLORED PHOTOGRAPHS" A communication to him from abroad by Joseph
Chaine, Arthur Durand and Sallonier de Chaligny all of Lyons, France,
Engineers.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Harris Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th October 1882.
HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, "AN IMPROVED METHOD OR PROCESS OF AND
APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING COLORED PHOTOGRAPHS" [A communication to him
from abroad by Joseph Chaine, Arthur Durand and Sallonier de Chaligny all of
Lyons, France, Engineers.]
Heretofore coloured photographs have been produced by the application of
ordinary oil colours or paints behind the photograph which has been rendered
transparent by any suitable process. This application, thus effected, had the great
inconvenience of producing a photographic picture which deteriorated very rapidly,
turned yellow, and upon which stains or spots appeared by reason of the decom-
position of the oil colour.
According to the present invention, the same process is employed of direct
application of the oil colour behind the photograph which is first rendered
transparent, but the colour is fixed or made unchangeable. For this purpose a
bath, a table, and an oven or drying chamber are employed, all as hereinafter
described.
The bath is made with a double casing and is arranged to have a circulation of
hot water, steam, or hot gas of any kind around it, which serves to maintain, in a
liquid state, the products designed to fix the image upon the photograph and render
the said photograph transparent.
This bath consists essentially of a rectangular case or box having double walls

page_text: between which circulates a current of hot water, steam, or hot gas and a lid or cover
furnished with a sheet of india-rubber, the edges of which form a joint against the
interior walls of the said case or box. This lid or cover is capable of being turned
upon an axis or rod having its bearings in suitable supports. On one of the
extremities of the said axis or rod is keyed a lever by which the said lid can be
operated and upon which a weight is adapted to slide, which weight, according to
whether it is near to, or farther from, the said axis or rod exerts a greater or less
pressure upon the photograph at the moment when the same is withdrawn from
the bath.
In order to avoid loss of heat, the lid is provided with a covering of felt or other
non-conducting material held on by an envelope or case. Two cocks or valves
permit of the entrance and egress of the hot water, steam, or gas.
After remaining a suitable length of time in the bath, the photograph is with-
drawn, care being taken to pass it between the wall around the bath and the edge
of the india-rubber of the lid so as to remove as much as possible of the liquid
with which the photograph is impregnated. The photograph is then placed upon
the table.
This table is composed of a metallic case closed at all parts, the upper side of
which is horizontal and properly faced, whilst the bottom is inclined towards the
centre in order to conduct towards the lowest point the products of condensation
if the case is heated by means of gas or steam, or the deposits if it is heated by
hot water; This case rests upon a suitable wooden support similar to the lower
part of an ordinary table, the upper part of the said table being replaced by the
said case.
The photograph withdrawn from the bath is placed upon the table which has a
double bottom and is arranged to have a circulation of hot water steam or hot gas
of any kind around it, and which is kept at a suitable temperature to maintain in a
-liquid-state. _the_surplus liquid still adhering to the photograph; the liquid is
completely removed by wiping off and rubbing the photograph either with a cloth-
or with soft paper, and, after exposing it to the atmosphere for some minutes, the
photograph is ready to receive the paint which will give it the required colors or
shades.
The aforesaid oven or drying chamber must now be employed. This oven is
constructed with double walls and is heated to a suitable temperature by means of
hot water, steam or gas, and permits the complete desiccation of the paint in a
relatively short time, and establishes, by a slight fusion, the most intimate com-
bination between the paint and the material of which the photograph is composed.
The oven is of cylindrical form, and the hot water steam or hot gas circulates
between the two walls thereof, and between the outer wall and a casing is placed
a covering of felt or other non-conducting material. At each end are doors which
can be opened or shut as desired, and which in order to avoid loss of heat are
lined inside and outside with non-conducting material. In the interior of the oven
are fixed, preferably horizontally partitions of perforated sheet metal or of wire-
gauze designed to receive the photographs to be dried.
In order to extract the volatile matters contained in the paint or in the
photograph, tubes are passed through the upper part of the two walls and the
casing to establish communication between the interior of the oven and the external
atmosphere; and to cause a current of air in the interior of the oven, other tubes
are passed through the lower part of the two casings.
If the oven is heated by hot water, the latter is caused to enter at the bottom
and be discharged at the top, by means of pipes provided with cocks or valves and
passing only through the outer wall and the casing. If it is heated by steam or
gas, the latter is introduced at the top and discharged at the bottom.
In this oven the photographs are dried and, by a sufficient temperature, the
material of which they are composed is softened to such an extent that the paint
mixes or combines with it so intimately that the two are entirely blended at the

page_text: point of contact. It is this intimate combination, produced by the heat, which
ensures (after the photograph has been a suitable length of time in the oven) the
success of the operation and produces the permanence of the photograph and the
insensibility of the samo to the variations of temperature and climate. It is then
only necessary to pass them under a press and to finish them by the ordinary
processes.
The oven can, if desired, be replaced by arranging within a chamber a heating
and ventilating apparatus by means of which the air can be raised to a very high
temperature.
The different parts of the apparatus above described can be made of any suitable
material and of any desired form and dimensions.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Henry Harris Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
26th April 1883
"
HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London "AN IMPROVED METHOD OR PROCESS OF AND
APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING COLORED PHOTOGRAPHS A communication to me
from abroad by Joseph Chaine, Arthur Durand, and Sallonier de Chaligny, all of
Lyons, France, Engineers.
Heretofore colored photographs have been produced by the application of
ordinary oil colors to the back of the photograph which has been previously 1
rendered transparent by any suitable process. This application, thus effected, had
the great inconvenience of producing a photographic picture which deteriorated
very rapidly, turned yellow, and upon which stains appeared by reason of the
decomposition of the oil colors.
"
According to the present invention I employ the same process of direct application 1
of the oil color to the back of the photograph which is first made transparent, but
I render this color permanent. For this purpose I use a bath, a¯table and an
oven all as hereinafter described.
These three apparatuses, I will describe with the different manipulations which
are necessary from the commencement of the use of the bath to the end of the use
-of-the-oven..
In the accompanying drawing.
Figures 1, 2 and 3 represent respectively a transverse section, a longitudinal
section, and a plan, of the bath.
The remaining Figures will be hereinafter referred to.
The bath has a double casing and is arranged to have a circulation of hot
water, steam or hot gas of any kind around it, which serves to maintain in a liquid
state the products designed to fix the image upon the photograph and render the
said photograph transparent.
A is a rectangular case having double walls between which circulates a current
of hot water, steam or hot gas; B is a cover furnished with a sheet C of india-
rubber, the edges of which form a joint against the interior walls of the case A.
The cover B is capable of turning upon the axis of the shaft D, which is carried by
the supports E. On one of the extremities of the shaft D is fixed a lever F
whereby the cover can be operated and upon which slides a weight G, which
weight, according to whether it is nearer to, or farther from, the axis, exerts a
greater or less pressure upon the photograph at the moment when the same is
taken out of the bath.
In order to avoid loss of heat, the cover B is provided with a covering H of felt
or other non-conducting material held in place by an envelope 1. Two cocks J
permit the ingress and egress of the hot water, steam or gas.
As above stated, the object of this bath is to maintain in a liquid state the
materials designed to fix the image on the photograph and to render the same
transparent.
After remaining a suitable length of time in the bath, the photograph is with-
drawn, care being taken to pass it between the curved wall of the bath and the
edge of the india-rubber of the cover, so as to remove as much as possible of the
liquid with which the photograph is impregnated. The photograph is then placed
upon the table,

page_text: Figures 4, 5 and 6 represent respectively a transverse section, a longitudinal
section, and a plan, of the said table.
This table is composed of a metallic case A closed at all parts, the upper side of
which is horizontal and properly faced, whilst the bottom is inclined in order to .
conduct towards the lowest point the products of condensation if the case is heated
by means of gas or steam, or the deposits, if it is heated by hot water.
The case A rests upon a support B similar to an ordinary wooden table with
four legs, the top of the table being replaced by the case itself.
Two stop-cocks C.permit the ingress and egress of the hot water, steam, or hot
gas, into and from the case A.
When the photograph is taken out of the bath it is placed upon this table
which has a double bottom or casing for the circulation of hot water, steam or hot
gas of any kind around it, and which is kept at a suitable temperature to maintain
in a liquid state the surplus liquid still adhering to the photograph; the liquid is
completely removed by wiping off and rubbing the photograph either with a cloth
or with soft paper, and, after exposing it to the air for some minutes, the
photograph is ready to receive the paint which will give it the required colors
or shades.
It is at this stage that the use of the complementary apparatus called an "Oven"
and hereinafter described becomes indispensable. This oven is constructed with
double walls and is heated to a suitablo temperature by means of hot water, steam,
or gas, and permits the complete desiccation of the paint in a relatively short time,
and establishes, by a slight fusion, the most intimate combination of the paint and
the material of which the photograph is composed.
Figures 7, 8, 9, and 10 represent respectively a longitudinal section, a transverse
section, a plan, and a side elevation, of the oven.
This oven is of cylindrical form and has two casings, and the hot water, steam
or hot gas circulates between the wall A of the oven and its first casing B;
between the casing B and the second casing C is placed a covering of felt or other
non-conducting material. At each end are doors D which can be opened or shut
as desired, and which, in order to avoid loss of heat, are lined inside and outside
with non-conducting material. In the interior of the oven are fixed, horizontally,
partitions E of perforated sheet iron, or of wire-gauze designed to receive the
photographs to be dried.
In order to extract the volatile matters contained in the paint or in the photo-
graph, tubes F are passed through the upper part of the two casings to establish
communication between the interior of the oven and the external atmosphere. In
order to cause a current of air in the interior of the oven, other tubes G are passed
through the lower part of the two casings.
If the oven is heated by hot water, the latter is caused to enter at the bottom
and be discharged at the top, by means of pipes provided with stop-cocks, and
passes only between the two casings B and C. If it is heated by steam or gas the
latter is introduced at the top and discharged at the bottom.
In this oven, the photographs are dried, and, by a sufficient temperature, the
material of which they are composed is softened to such an extent that the paint
mixes with it so intimately that the two are entirely blended at the point of
contact. It is this intimate combination produced by the heat which ensures
(after the photograph has been a suitable length of time in the oven) the success
of the operation and produces the permanency or durability of the photograph
notwithstanding variations of temperature and climate. It is only necessary
to put it under a press and finish it by the ordinary processes.
I can dispense with the oven, if desired, and arrange, within a chamber, a heating
and ventilating apparatus by means of which the air can be raised to a very high
temperature.
The different parts of the apparatus above described can be made of any suitable
material and of any desired form and dimensions.
Having thus fully described the said invention as communicated to me by my

page_text: foreign correspondents, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim.
First The above described improved method or process consisting in the
employment of the bath, the table, and the oven, with the aid of heat, for the
production of colored photographs, all substantially as, and for the. purposes,
set forth.
Second-The above described improved apparatus for the production of colored
photographs, which apparatus consists of the bath, the table and the oven, all
constructed substantially as set forth for the purposes specified.
Third. The employment of heat for fixing the photograph and rendering the oil 1
color permanent by a rapid artificial desiccation, substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof I the said Henry Harris Lake have hereunto set my
band and seal this twenty sixth day of April in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty-three.