AN IMPROVED MODE OR PROCESS OF GRAINING AND MAR- BLING
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Stephen Joseph James Kelly and Leonard Chapman,
both of Charlotte Street, Shoreditch, in the County of Middlesex, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVED MODE OR PROCESS OF GRAINING AND MAR-
BLING."
Sealed the 25th April 1879, and dated the 26th October 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Stephen Joseph James Kelly
and Leonard Chapman at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
26th October 1878.
STEPHEN JOSEPH JAMES KELLY and LEONARD CHAPMAN, both of Charlotte
Street, Shoreditch, in the County of Middlesex. "AN IMPROVED MODE OR PROCESS
OF GRAINING AND MARBLING.
The object of our Invention is to grain or marble, and particularly to grain or
marble painted surfaces of wood or other material. For this purpose we draw
designs on stone in lithographic ink in imitation of the grain or marble desired,
then we apply thereto the proper tint or color. We next print from this stone on
to transfer paper.
The surface to which the grain or marble has to be applied is varnished with a
transfer varnish, and when this varnish is in a suitable "tacky" state we place
thereon the transfer paper on which the grain or marble has been printed as above
described, the said paper having first been cut to the size of the panels or other
parts. The paper on the painted surface is then carefully rubbed down with a dry
cloth; next, water is applied to the back thereof by means of a sponge or brush,
and then the paper is stripped off, leaving the design of the grain or marble
adherent to the painted surface. The surface is then washed with cold water to
remove any gluten which may be adhering thereto, and it is finally varnished.

page_text: -SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Stephen Joseph James Kelly_and Leonard Chapman in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 26th April 1879.
STEPHEN JOSEPH JAMES KELLY and LEONARD CHAPMAN, both of Charlotte
Street, Shoreditch,-in-the-County of Middlesex. "AN IMPROVED MODE OR PROCESS
_OF_GRAINING AND MARBLING."
The object of our Invention is to-grain or marble, and particularly to grain or
marble painted surfaces of wood or other material.
For this purpose we draw designs on lithographic stone in imitation of the grain
or marble desired. We first "grain "or roughen the stone.so that it will take chalk
work. Then if it be desired to produce an imitation of oak, for example, we-first-
draw or trace on the stone the light-colored veins known as "lights" or sap, and we
lay in these parts with gum. We next chalk in with lithographic chalk the
middle tints and blending, and we over-grain or finely finish the work to imitate
the wood. We then etch the stone with acid in the usual way, after which the
stone is washed. The parts originally laid in with gum will be found perfectly
clean and white, and possessing a sharpness of outline very difficult to attain in
other ways or in so short a time. The stone having been thus prepared, we apply
the proper tint or color thereto, and we print therefrom on to transfer paper. The
paper employed must be a good thin hard paper, because if a soft paper be used the
water, which is applied as herein-after stated, penetrates it too rapidly, and conse-
quently the work has a tendency to bulge out or blister when partially wetted.
The composition we prefer for coating the paper consists of 10 lbs. of starch, 1 lbs.
of gum arabic, and 6 oz. of alum. The starch and gum arabic should be dissolved
in hot water in separate vessels, and when the ingredients are mixed they should be
allowed to simmer slowly. We prefer to apply three dressings of this composition
to the paper, and we then pass the paper between steel rolls, after which it is ready
to receive impressions from the stone.
The transfer paper having been thus prepared and printed upon from the stone,
the next operation is to transfer the graining or marbling of which this printing is
composed to the surface to be grained or marbled. This surface is varnished with a
transfer varnish, which we prefer to make of copal varnish and turpentine in equal
proportions, and when the varnish is in a suitable "tacky" state we place thereon
the transfer paper on which the grain or marble has been printed, as above described,
the said paper having first been cut to the size of the panels or other parts. Care
should be taken to varnish only the exact part or parts to which the transfer is to be
applied. The paper on the varnished surface is then carefully rubbed down with a dry
cloth; next, water is applied to the back thereof by means of a sponge or brush, and
then after allowing a few minutes for the paper to soften it is stripped off, leaving the
design of the grain or marble adherent to the varnished surface. The surface is
then washed with cold water by means of soft leather to remove the glutenous
matter which adheres thereto, and this should be donc at once to prevent cracks
forming on the surface. Finally, the surface is varnished.
In witness whereof, I, the said Stephen Joseph James Kelly, for myself and
on behalf of the said Leonard Chapman, have hereunto set my hand and seal,
this Twenty-sixth day of April, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
nine
S. J. J. KELLY. (L.S.)