IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING AND IN THE MANUFACTURE OF TYPE
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Bartlett and William Marr Murray, both
of Saint John Square, Clerkenwell, in the County of Middlesex,
Engravers and Type Manufacturers, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
TUT
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Bartlett and
William Marr Murray at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 11th May 1875.
We, JOSEPH BARTLETT and WILLIAM MARR MURRAY, both of Saint
John Square, Clerkenwell, in the County of Middlesex, Engravers
and Type Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING AND IN THE MANUFACTURE OF TYPE,"
to be as follows :-
The Invention embraces the taking impressions or copies (for
transferring) from type, including letters, words, and ornamental and
other characters or devices of any description set up in combination or

page_text: repetition as may be desired, and in transferring such combinations or
repetitions of devices on to lithographic stones or zinc plates, and
printing from the stones or plates in the ordinary manner.
we con-
The type is to be produced in any convenient manner, and particularly
in the case of type with an intended intaglio or sunk device;
template producing it with the device thereon by casting it in type
metal or other metals or materials in or from a matrix having a corre-
sponding raised device, as distinguished from engraving or punching the
sunk device in or upon the type itself. Also we intend usually to face
the type with an electro deposit of nickel or other metals, so as to
obtain increased hardness of surface, and probably a greater durability
than ordinary copper plate.
The Invention furnishes a comparatively inexpensive method of pro-
ducing in print or impression more or less elaborate designs varying by
the permutations or combinations of the type employed, as by the
further description herein is more particularly explained, and will be
found adapted to the production of all varicties of commercial work
(ornamental and plain), bankers' cheques, bills of exchange, titles,
music, ornamental borders and labels, including all kinds of postage and
other stamps and such like, and various other uses, prints, or impressions,
whether in one color only or in two or more colors. It is likewise
intended to print or produce devices for wall papers, and designs for use
in general pottery.
From the matrices or dies we purpose making castings in type or
other metal for sale, as well as for our own use, and which will cost
comparatively little, these castings or type to be in some cases faced
with nickel or other metals as above mentioned.
In setting up a design for printing, our customers, or we ourselves,
should employ the above described type in any desired combination;
take a print or transfer therefrom, transfer this to stone or zinc, and
then work off the prints or impressions in the usual way.

page_text: SPECIFICATION filed in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, and of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, by the said Joseph
Bartlett and William Marr Murray in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 16th November 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOSEPH
BARTLETT and WILLIAM MARR MURRAY, both of 22, Saint John's
Square, Clerkenwell, in the County of Middlesex, Engravers and Type
Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said Joseph Bartlett and William Marr Murray,
Her special licence that we, the said Joseph Bartlett and William Marr
Murray, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we,
the said Joseph Bartlett and William Marr Murray, our executors, ad-
ministrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,.
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING AND IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF TYPE," upon the condition (amongst others) that
we, the said Joseph Bartlett and William Marr Murray, our executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office on or before the Seventeenth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
"
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Joseph Bartlett and William Marr
Murray, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :--
This Invention relates to improvements on printing and on the
manufacture of type by the manufacture and use of engraved or counter-
sunk frames, and type capable of being set up in shapes of any desired
form, straight or curved. Also to casting or forming type, whether

page_text: with raised or sunk letters of a rhomboidal section for the production of
italic or slanting type, whereby the overhanging from the body of
ordinary italic type and consequent liability to injury is overcome; also
to the forming of type, rhomboidal or otherwise, with raised or sunk
L shaped device thereon, so that in setting up such type a form of
continuous lines and cross lines may be produced. Also to transferring
the impression of printing produced by the use of one or all of the
foregoing improvements on stone or zinc or other suitable material, and
striking off impressions from such stone or zinc, and so presenting the
appearance of engraved or other like work, and be superior to the
ordinary raised type printing at present in use. Also to plating with
nickel or other metal the improved type and frames or type generally
with the view to rendering such harder and more durable than
heretofore.
In the Drawings annexed similar letters of reference indicate like
parts.
Letters A, B, C, are type shewn in Fig. 1 without devices arranged in
a frame; in Fig. 2, as engraved type; in Fig. 3, as a print therefrom on
transfer paper or otherwise, having the lines of separation shewn in
Figs. 1 and 2 between the type cleaned off and ready for transferring on
stone, zinc, or other material, from which impressions may be taken in
the ordinary way.
Fig. 4 shews top plan of four pieces of the improved rhomboidal type
put together; Fig. 5, elevation of the first of these viewed in the
direction of the arrow e in Fig. 4; Fig. 6, a horizontal section through
the lower part of the body of the rhomboidal type. Ribs & are shewn
on one vertical side of the type, and each is furnished with a corre-
sponding hollow or interlocking space on the opposite face, the projecting
rib and hollow though not so represented may sometimes be extended
from top to bottom of the type the more readily to admit of any
individual type being withdrawn.
Fig. 7 shews a top plan view, and Fig. 8 section through W, W*, or
X, X*, Fig. 7, of raised L type, but a sunk device may be substituted.
The two members of the L, as shewn at m, may be at right angles
or otherwise, and may in some cases have a form or section corresponding
with the device. The object is to produce forms of lines with cross
lines without the ordinary brass "rule," and by the use of the improved

page_text: type proper as distinguished from "rule," such forms being produced
with blank spaces, and sometimes with printed characters between the
lines or on the lines.
The improved type will vary accordingly, to meet the requirements
of type or characters to be inserted, for instance for postage stamps the
construction of the type is varied. Figs. 9 and 10 shew how this may
be done, Fig. 9 being top plan view, and Fig. 10 a vertical section
through Y, Y*, or Z, Z*.
If lines be required to cross otherwise than at right angles an
adaptation of the improved rhomboidal character may be employed.
Fig. 11 is inserted to shew an improved metal frame for holding type,
H being spaces for the insertion of rhomboidal type; K, notches to
allow other type to be affixed alongside.
It is obvious that the frames may be of any shape, and engraved like
the one represented, or plain.
The Invention furnishes a comparatively inexpensive method of
producing in print or impression more or less elaborate designs varying
by the permutations or combinations of the type employed, as by the
description herein is more particularly explained, and will be found
adapted to the production of all varieties of commercial work (orna-
mental and plain), bankers' cheques, bills of exchange, share certificates,
deeds, titles, music, ornamental borders, cards, and labels, including all
kinds of postage and other stamps and such like, and various other uses,
prints, or impressions, whether in one color only or in two or more
colors. It is likewise intended to print. or produce devices for wall
papers, and designs for use in general pottery.
From the matrices or dies we purpose making castings in type or
other metals for sale, as well as for our own use, and which will cost
comparatively little; these castings or type to be in some cases faced
with nickel or other metals as above mentioned.
In setting up a design for printing, our customers, or we ourselves,
should employ the above described type in any desired combination;
take a print or transfer therefrom, transfer this to stone, zinc, or other
material, and then work off the prints or impressions in the usual way.
Having now described the construction and operation of our Inven-
tion, to which we have given the name of "Patent Litho Type," we

page_text: beg to state that we disclaim all other printing now in use; what we
claim as our Invention is as follows, –
1. Engraved type and frames.
-
2. Rhomboidal engraved or raised type.
3. L shaped type engraved or raised.
4. Plating such type as above, and type generally with nickel or
other metal.
5. Transferring impression from such type on to stone, zinc, or other
material, and printing therefrom, all worked substantially in the manner
and for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, we, the said Joseph Bartlett and William Marr
Murray, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Ninth day of
November, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-five.