IM- PROVEMENTS IN ORNAMENTING GLASS
Year: 1851

page_text: RITCHIE'S SPECIFICATION.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HENRY RITCHIE, of Kennington, in the County of Surrey, Gentleman, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Second day of October,
(One thousand eight hundred and fifty-one), in the fifteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Henry Ritchie, my exors, adiñors, and assigns, Her especial licence,
full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said William Henry Ritchie,
my exors, adiñors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Henry
Ritchie, my exors, adñiors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN ORNAMENTING GLASS," communicated to me by a certain foreigner
residing abroad; in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that I,
the said William Henry Ritchie, shall cause a particular description of the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, to be inrolled
in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery, within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in
and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large
appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Henry Ritchie, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully
described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to
say:-
In ornamenting glass it has been heretofore the practice in some cases to
apply enamel over the surface in a semifluid state, and when dry to scrape off
or remove portions thereof by suitable instruments, according to the pattern or
design intended to be produced, the parts removed showing the uncovered
surface of the glass, whilst the parts remaining after being fixed and the glass
annealed give the effect of the white or colored surface of the enamel, and in
other cases the surfaces of glass have been ornamented by placing lace or other
open or reticulate fabric or material on such surfaces and then laying on the
enamel, white or colored, according to the effect desired, so that the pattern
produced in each of such cases has been that which results from the glass
having enamel on those parts which have not been covered by the substantive
parts of the lace or reticulate material employed when laying on the enamel to
the surfaces of glass, the enamel in such cases having been applied to the glass
through the holes or open parts of the fabric or perforated materials employed.
Now, according to this Invention, although lace or other reticulate fabric or
material is employed, it is not used at the time of laying on the proper
material or enamel, but afterwards, and then for the purpose of removing the
enamel from those parts of the glass where the open parts or perforations
of the fabric or material come, those parts of the enamel which are covered by
the substantive parts of the lace or other open fabric or perforated material
used preventing the enamel being removed from the glass. And in carrying out
the Invention, the glass having been coated with enamel and dried as hereto-
fore, the lace or other open fabric or perforated or reticulated material is placed
on the dried enamel surface, and then the parts of the enamel uncovered by the
substantive portions of the lace or other reticulate or perforated material is
removed, and which I believe is most readily and conveniently done by means
of a soft brush, and when fabrics such as lace are used they are distended in a
frame, which is kept suspended above the table where the process is con-
ducted, and is drawn down on to and kept closely pressed (which is most
conveniently done by weights to the frame) on the surface of the glass, when
the operation of removing the portions of the enamel is being carried ou; this
is also the best means of working when perforated paper or other like thin
flexible fabric or material is employed in frames. The enamel is then fixed
by heat, and the glass annealed in the usual manner.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of the Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself to
the precise details as herein described, so long as the peculiar character of the
Invention be retained, but what I claim is the mode of ornamenting glass
herein described whereby lace and other reticulate or perforated fabrics or
material is employed when removing parts of the enamel or ornamenting
material from the glass.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry Ritchie, bave hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-one.