CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING STUFFS AND OTHER FIBROUS FABRICS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Antoine Alexandre Pelaz, of Lyons, France, Gentle-
man, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING STUFFS
AND OTHER FIBROUS FABRICS."
Sealed the 29th December 1863, and dated the 20th July 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Antoine Alexandre Pelaz
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 20th July 1863.
I, ANTOINE ALEXANDRE PELAZ, of Lyons, France, Gentleman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
PRINTING STUFFS AND OTHER FIBROUS FABRICS," to be as follows, that is to
say:
My Invention, which I call amphiography, consists in printing on stuff
or papers, designs, the colors of which are reproduced with an equal neat-
ness and precision on the two faces, either in relief or in intaglio. The
printing plates, either of metal or wood, are similar to those now used in
printing on one side only.

page_text: To carry out my Invention I spread a sheet of caoutchouc on the
printing table, and I lay over it a varnish or encaustic usually employed
for flock paper. The design thus prepared is covered with wool powder
used for velveting paper. The caoutchouc sheet, representing by means of
the wool powder the design, serves to reproduce it on one face, at the
same time it is reproduced on the other face by the ordinary printing
process, and data being properly set, the two printings correspond sym-
metrically one with the other and are perfectly opposite.
For this purpose,
when the sheet of caoutchouc representing the design is sufficiently dried,
it is laid on with color by means of the plate, the spreaded tissue is set
over the sheet of caoutchouc, and on this the colored printing is carried on
with the same plate.
By this process the fabric placed between the printing plate on one face
and the caoutchouc on which the color is laid over on the other face
receiving sufficient pressure is instantaneously printed, having both faces
perfectly similar.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Autoine Alexandre Pelaz in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 13th January 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ANTOINE
ALEXANDRE PELAZ, of Lyons, France, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Antoine Alexandre Pelaz, Her special licence that I, the said Antoine
Alexandre Pelaz, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Antoine Alexandre Pelaz, my executors, administrators, 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
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING STUPYS AND OTHER FIBROUS FABRICS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Antoine Alexandre

page_text: Pelaz, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should parti-
cularly 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 within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Antoine Alexandre Pelaz, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, referenco being bad to the Drawing hereto annexed,
and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say:-
My Invention, which I call amphiography, consists in printing on stuffs
or paper, designs, the colours of which are equally clear on both faces of
the stuff, either by relievo, intaglio, or copper-plate engraving. The engraved
plates of wood or metal employed for this Invention are similar to those used
for printing on one side only.
To carry out my. Invention I prepare a counterproof from the engraved
plate, and press the stuff to be printed exactly opposite between the
engraved plate, which prints one side, and the counterproof, which takes off
on the other side.
I prepare the counterproof by two ways, each of which I use according
to the variety of shades in the design to be reproduced.
These means consist, firstly, in covering a sheet of india-rubber with a
varnish or encaustic similar to that employed for making the velvet-like
surface of paper hangings, and afterwards in covering evenly the sheet all
over its surface with flock powder like that used for velvety paper.
Secondly, in covering the engraving, with the same varnish and in printing
on a sheet of india-rubber with this varnish, and afterwards in covering
the impression with flock powder.
The india-rubber being entirely coated with powdered wool, and having
on a velvety surface the form of the design, serves to reproduce it on
one face of the stuff, while the other face is printed by the ordinary
process.
.
The piece of stuff to be printed is previously stretched on a framing
constructed similarly to that shewn in the annexed Drawing. This framing is
composed of several small frames having one side comnion to them, A,
placed exactly in the direction of the axis of the joints of the hinges
which separate each compartment of the framing, besides which, strips of

page_text: wood, either secured or held by pins, are joined together in the form of
pincers on the cross pieces, to ensure that each part of the stuff should
remain in the same position on its frame in the successive joints of the
framing.
For copper-plate printing on both faces cylinder presses or plates are
used, such as those usually employed for copper-plate or typographic
printing. The engraved metal plate which is to print in black the shades
or lineaments of the design is placed on the table of the press, it is inked
by the ordinary means, videlicet, with the brush and scraper; a counter-
proof of velveted india-rubber is applied on it, which takes up by means
of pressure an ink copy of the engraving. The india-rubber is removed,
the metallic plate is again inked, and a frame of stretched stuff, on which
is superposed the india-rubber counterproof, is applied over it, another pressure
is given, and the stuff pressed between two inked surfaces is printed simulta-
neously on both sides.
To make a relievo impression, called hand printing, the velveted counter-
proof is placed on the printing table, and is coated with colour by means of
the engraved plate; and the stretched stuff, which is likewise 'printed with
colour by the same engraved plate, is applied over it. By these means and a
suitable pressure, the colour of the engraved plate and that of the counter-
proof are deposited simultaneously opposite each other on the two surfaces of
the stuff.
The printing plates and the frames of the framing containing the stuff are
provided at their four corners with rings, which are placed on pegs set in
similar positions on the press and on the color printing tables to facilitate the
filling in the various operations.
To print on the double face on paper by copper-plate printing the
counter drawing is first taken on india-rubber not velveted, and a coating
is made with lithographic ink. To print on both sides of paper by relievo
engraving, the same means are employed as for stuffs, except that the
flock powder used on india-rubber is much thinner than that for printing
stuffs.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and the best means
I am acquainted with for carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be under-
stood that I do not confine myself to the precise details herein laid down, but
what I claim is,-
Firstly, the mode of preparing the counterproof as herein-before de-

page_text: Secondly, the mode of stretching the stuff on a jointed frame as herein-
before described and referred to in the annexed Drawing.
Thirdly, the employment of rings to facilitate the fitting of the stuff as
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Antoine Alexandre Pelaz, have hereto
set my hand and seal, the Thirtieth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.