Improvements in the Production of Characters and Lines on Dials for Clocks, Watches, Chronometers, Barometers, and other Graduated Dials and Scales.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Oct., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 27th July, 1894-Accepted, 27th Oct., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Production of Characters and Lines on Dials
for Clocks, Watches, Chronometers, Barometers, and other
Graduated Dials and Scales.
We, SIDNEY CLAPTON WICKS, SPENCER GOODMAN WICKS of 32 Beverley
Road Anerley S.E., and SYLVESTER NORTH GORDON of 16 Weighton Road
Anerley, S.E. do hereby declare the nature of our invention for IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE PRODUCTION OF CHARACTERS AND LINES ON DIALS FOR CLOCKS,
WATCHES, CHRONOMETERS, BAROMETERS, AND OTHER GRADUATED DIALS
AND SCALES to be as follows:-
Our invention has for its object the production of figures and graduated scales
on dials for clocks, watches chronometers, barometers, and all other dials and
scales, by photographic means, this we accomplish by coating the said dials with a
suitable emulsion, containing sensitive photo-salts, and, by means of photographic
procedure, producing the said characters and lines thereon, that the composition of
the characters and lines on the said dials etc. is purely the reduction of the said
sensitive salts, by the action of light and chemical means, and is not due to the
after addition of any pigment or coloring matter, and that the image thus formed is
rendered tough and permanent.
Such process may be applied to enamelled metal, porcelain, glass, celluloid, or
any other suitable material for such purposes, and may be affixed or joined to the
metal back or other support of the dial by cement, fusion, or any other suitable
method.
Dated the 27th day of October 1893.
S. C. WICKS.
SPENCER G. WICKS.
S. N. GORDON.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Production of Characters and Lines on Dials
for Clocks, Watches, Chronometers, Barometers, and other
Graduated Dials and Scales.
We, SIDNEY CLAPTON WICKS, Bank Clerk, SPENCER GOODMAN WICKS,
Commission Merchant, both of 32 Beverley Road, Anerley London, S.E., and
SYLVESTER NORTH GORDON, Esquire, of 16 Weighton Road, Anerley,
London S.E. 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 :-
This we accomplish by the following process.
The plain surface of the dial or scale, which may be of paint, enamel, metal,
celluloid, or any other suitable substance, is coated with a suitably prepared
sensitive emulsion, capable, when duly exposed and developed, of giving a clear and
sharp image of the necessary quality.
A glass plate is first coated with a suitable sensitive emulsion, that when exposed
and developed will give a negative of the required quality, said negative being
produced by photography in the usual way from painted or printed dials or scales,
preferably of a larger size, or gelatine or celluloid films may be substituted for the
glass hereinbefore mentioned.

page_text: The dial, when coated with the emulsion has the negative optically projected
thereon, and is then developed, thus leaving the desired figures, lines etc., of the
same, or enlarged, or reduced dimensions, clearly and sharply defined upon the
existing ground of the dial.
The same method of procedure is carried out for scales for barometers, thermo-
meters, and other instruments, where such scales may be necessary or useful, in
each and every case leaving the image firm, hard and permanent, and of the
requisite toughness and clearness, without the after addition of any pigment.
Having thus particularly described our invention, and the means of performing
same, we declare that what we claim is
I. The rapid and economical production of characters, lines etc., on dials etc., by
direct photographic means, that is to say by the reduction of sensitive salts by the
action of light and chemical means, and not by the after addition of any pigment or
coloring matter.
11. The optical method of printing the same on the said dial is not limited as to
size, but may be reduced or increased to any required dimensions.
Dated this 27th day of Jul, 1894
SIDNEY C. WICKS.
SPENCER G. WICKS.
SYLVESTER N. GORDON.
SIDNEY C. WICKS.
SPENCER G. WICKS.
SYLVESTER N. GORDON.