Improvements in, and in the Preparation or Manufacture of, Enamelled Iron and Steel Plates, and other Enamelled Iron and Steel Ware, having Letters, Figures, or Designs Appearing at or in the Surface thereof.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Mar., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 18th Dec., 1891-Accepted, 13th Feb., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in, and in the Preparation or Manufacture of,
Enamelled Iron and Steel Plates, and other Enamelled Iron and
Steel Ware, having Letters, Figures, or Designs Appearing at or
in the Surface thereof.
I, CHARLES FREDERICK CLARK, of the firm of T. and C. Clark and Company,
of Shakespeare Foundry, Wolverhampton in the County of Stafford, Ironfounders,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Letters, figures, and designs, have been produced on iron and steel plates, by
employing two or more different colored opaque enamels, the surface being first
coated with one of such enamels, and the other enamel or enamels being laid thereon
to form the letters, figures, or designs, or to form the groundwork; and raised
letters and figures have been produced on cast iron in a groundwork of a light
colored opaque enamel, by first forming them raised on the general surface of the
casting, and then coating such general surface, to the level or nearly so of the
raised cast iron letters or figures, with a groundwork of opaque enamel, and after
the same has been burnt to form it into a biscuit," covering the surface of the
biscuit," and also the surface of the letters or figures, with an enamel glaze, with
the effect of shewing dark colored letters or figures in a groundwork of light colored
opaque enamel.
Now, the object of this invention is to produce at or in the surface of iron and
steel plates and other iron and steel ware, letters, figures, and designs, in a white or
colored opaque enamel within a darker groundwork or general surface formed by
merely coating the iron or steel with a transparent or semi-transparent enamel
glaze.
This object is accomplished, according to this invention, by first sinking, by
stamping, pressing, or casting, the intended letters, figures, or designs, in the iron or
steel surface, then filling (but, preferably, not quite, as presently explained) the
depressions thus formed, with the material to form the white or colored opaque
enamel, then burning the same to form it into a "biscuit," and finally coating with
a transparent or semi-transparent enamel glaze the surface of such enamel "biscuit"
and also the general or groundwork surface.
Enamelled iron and steel plates, and other enamelled iron and steel ware,
prepared in the manner above described, according to this invention, have a very
pleasing appearance; and their preparation avoids the need for coating the general
or groundwork surface with opaque enamel, as the surface of the metal appearing
through the enamel glaze gives all the groundwork effect desired.
The depressions formed to receive the opaque enamel should, preferably, not be
quite filled therewith, as otherwise the cleaning of the surface after the enamel has
been poured into the depressions tends to scrape out some of it and destroy the
sharpness of the outline.
Dad thin 17h do... £M.
STEPHEN WATKINS,.
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicant..

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in, and in the Preparation or Manufacture of,
Enamelled Iron and Steel Plates, and other Enamelled Iron and
Steel Ware, having Letters, Figures, or Designs Appearing at or
in the Surface thereof.
I, CHARLES FREDERICK CLARK, of the firm of T. and C. Clark and Company,
of Shakespeare Foundry, Wolverhampton in the County of Stafford, Ironfounders,
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 :-
· Letters, figures, and designs have been produced on iron and steel plates by
employing two or more different colored opaque enamels, the surface being first
coated with one of such enamels, and the other enamel or enamels being laid thereon
either to form the letters, figures or designs, in which case the enamel first laid on
forms the groundwork, or to form the groundwork, in which case the enamel first
laid on forms the letters, figures or designs; and letters and figures have been
produced on cast iron in a groundwork of light colored opaque enamel, by first
forming them, in the process of moulding and casting, as raised on the general
surface of the casting, and then coating such general surface, to the level or nearly
so of the raised cast iron letters or figures, with a groundwork of opaque enamel,
and finally covering the surface thereof, and also the surface of the letters or
figures, with an enamel glaze, with the effect of shewing dark colored letters or
figures in a groundwork of light colored opaque enamel.
Now, the object of this invention is to produce at or in the surface of iron and
steel plates and other iron and steel ware, letters, figures, and designs, in a white
or colored opaque enamel within a darker groundwork or general surface formed
by merely coating the surface of the iron or steel with a transparent or semi-
transparent enamel glaze.
This object is accomplished, according to this invention, by first sinking or
forming, by stamping pressing casting or otherwise, depressions corresponding to
the intended letters, figures, or designs, in the iron or steel surface, then filling the
depressions thus formed, with the material to form the white or colored opaque
enamel, then burning the same to form the enamel, and finally coating with a
transparent or semi-transparent enamel glaze the surface of the opaque enamel and
also the general or groundwork surface.
On the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 illustrates the application of the invention to a name plate, such as
might be used upon a cart; and Figure 2 illustrated its application to a chess or
draught table top, one quarter thereof only being shewn for convenience in
illustration.
Figure 3 is a vertical section through the name plate shewn by Figure 1. The
letters and other portions appearing white in Figures 1 and 2 represent the parts
which are originally sunk in the surface of the metal and subsequently filled in
with the white or colored opaque enamel; and the portions appearing black in
such figures represent the surface of the metal which is coated simply with the
transparent or semi-transparent enamel glaze. In Figure 3a a a represent, in
section, sunk portions in the surface of the metal within which is contained the
white or colored opaque enamel which gives the appearance of letters at the face
of the name plate. The sinkings a may conveniently be about one sixteenth of
an inch in depth, more or less according to the size of the letters. The illustra-
tions are given by way of example merely, and might be multiplied to almost any
extent. When a sheet or other wrought metal surface is to be treated according
to this invention, the sinkings to receive the white or colored opaque enamel may
be pressed or stamped in.

page_text: Enamelled iron and steel plates, and other enamelled iron and steel ware,
prepared in the manner above described as constituting this invention, have a very
pleasing appearance, and their preparation avoids the need for coating the general
or groundwork surface with opaque enamel, as the surface of the metal appearing
through the enamel glaze gives all the groundwork effect desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. Enamelled iron and steel plates, and other enamelled iron and steel ware,
having letters, figures, or designs produced by means of white or colored opaque
enamel within sinkings or depressions, and the general surface of the metal and the
surface of the opaque enamel coated with transparent or semi-transparent enamel
glaze, substantially as described.
2. Preparing enamelled iron and steel plates, and other enamelled iron and steel
ware, having letters figures or designs appearing at or in the surface thereof, by
first sinking or forming, by pressing, stamping, casting or otherwise, depressions
corresponding to the intended letters, figures, or desigus, in the surface of the
metal, then filling such depressions with the material to form the white or colored
opaque enamel, then burning, and finally coating with a transparent or semi-
transparent enamel glaze the surface of the opaque enamel and also the general or
groundwork surface of the metal, substantially as described.
Dated this 16th day of December 1891.
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicant.