AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVE- MENTS IN ORNAMENTING METALS, PAPIER MACHÉ, HORN, AND SHELL
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edwin Haseler, of Wolverhampton, in the County of
Stafford, Japanner, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVE-
MENTS IN ORNAMENTING METALS, PAPIER MACHÉ, HORN, AND SHELL."
Sealed the 18th July 1854, and dated the 5th May 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edwin Haseler at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 5th
May 1854.
I, EDWIN HASELER, of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, Japanner,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT OR
IMPROVEMENTS IN ORNAMENTING METALS, PAPIER MACHE, HORN, AND SHELL," to be
as follows:-
My Invention relates principally to ornamenting papier mâché, horn, and
shell by gilding, which I effect as follows:-I print on the surface to be orna-
mented, or transfer thereto from a surface on which it has been printed, a
design, which I call a "negative," that is to say, a design in which all the forms
are printed which it is intended shall be ungilded in the finished article, there
being no impression made where it is intended the gold shall remain. The said
impression printed or transferred is made of asphaltum or other bituminous
substance, or other substance which can afterwards be removed by a solvent..

page_text: After the said "negative" has been printed on the surface to be ornamented,
gold leaf is applied thereto, so as to gild all those portions not printed together
with such portions of the printed surface as the gold cannot be conveniently
kept from. By the application of oil of turpentine or other solvent, the
asphaltum or other matter which was printed on the surface may be dissolved
off, and with it those portions of the gilding removed which were attached to
the asphaltum; the design is thus left in gold on the surface to be orna-
mented in all those places to which .the printed impression was not applied.
In applying my Invention to metallic surfaces, I print thereon a negative
design, and by afterwards electro-gilding or plating the article, the said gilding
or plating is effected on those portions not printed on. The asphaltum or other
material of which the design is made is afterwards removed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed.
by the said Edwin Haseler in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 31st
October 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWIN
HASELER, of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, Japanner, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of May, in the year of
our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Edwin Haseler, Her special, licence that I, the said Edwin Haseler, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edwin
Haseler, 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 "AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVE-
MENTS IN ORNAMENTING METALS, PAPIER MACHÉ, HORN, AND SHELL," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Edwin Haseler, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within

page_text: six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
•Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edwin Haseler, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is. to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof (that is to say):-
ог
My Invention relates to ornamenting metals, papier mâché, horn, and shell
by gilding, silvering, bronzing, and other like processes. In carrying my said
Invention into effect I proceed as follows:-I print on the surface to. be orna-
mented; or transfer thereto from a surface on which it has been printed, a
design, which I call a "negative," that is to say, a design in which all the forms
are printed which it is intended shall be ungilded or plain in the finished
article, there being no-impression made where it is intended the gold, silver,
bronze shall remain. The design thus printed upon or transferred to the
article to be ornamented is printed, either from copper-plate or stone or block,
upon tissue or transfer paper, which said paper is sized previous to use, by a
mixture of wheaten. flour and water to which a little soft soap has been added.
After the sizing has dried, the impression is printed upon the sized side of the
paper. When the design is printed from stone or a block I prefer to make
the printing ink of linseed oil, heated until it acquires the thickness of treacle,
with which said inspissated oil I mix lamp black. When the design is printed
from a copper plate I prefer to make the printing ink as follows:-I boil a
mixture of sixteen ounces of linseed oil and three ounces of rape oil until it
becomes as thick as treacle, or nearly so;. I then add half an ounce of oil of
umber together with some vandyke brown and a little white lead, sufficient to
give the mixture a color agreeable to work with. The paper on which, the
"negative" design has been printed is placed on the article to be ornamented,
the printed side being placed in contact with the said article; the back of the
design is then well rubbed or pressed with flannel or other soft material,>
whereby the printed impression on the other side is transferred to the article
to be ornamented. The paper is then removed or washed off, by the applica-
tion of water and a sponge or cotton wool. The "negative" design is thus pro-
duced in one of the printing compositions, herein-before described, upon the;
surface of the article to be ornamented. I afterwards wet the surface to be
ornamented with a solution of gelatine, which may be made by dissolving:
isinglass or any other form of gelatine in hot water; while the gelatine is still
liquid I apply gold or silver-leaf thereto. When I apply bronze or colour, I
mix the said bronze or colour with the solution of gelatine, which solution

page_text: should be stronger than that used for gilding or silvering. I afterwards warm
the article, and apply oil of turpentine, or volatile oil of tar, or such other
solvent as will dissolve the matter of which the printed design is composed;
the gold, silver, or bronze is thus left
on the surface to be ornamented in all
those places uncovered by the printed design.
The method I have described is applicable to the ornamenting of metals,
papier mâché, horn, and shell, but in applying my said Invention to metals I
sometimes modify my said Invention in the following manner:-I print on the
metallic surface to be ornamented a negative design, the printing ink used
being either of those herein-before described, or any other composition which
is a non-conductor of electricity; I then gild or silver or plate with any other
metal the said metallic surface to be ornamented, which said gilding, silvering,
or plating I effect by any of the well-known processes whereby metals are
reduced from their solutions by electricity; the printed design in this case
acting as a stop, and preventing the deposition of metal on those parts which it
covers. The design or stop is removed by means of a suitable solvent. I
sometimes modify my Invention in the following manner :-I print or transfer
a negative design on the surface of the metal to be ornamented, and apply to
the said metallic surface acids or liquids capable of acting chemically upon a
metallic surface, and producing thereof a crystalline or marbled effect, the
design acting in this case as a stop, which 'limits the chemical action to those
portions of the metallic surface uncovered by the design. The design or stop
is afterwards removed by a solvent. Instead of applying gold, silver, or bronze
to the surface on which a "negative" design has been printed, I sometimes
apply colours or pigments, and by afterwards removing the "negative" leave
a "positive" design in the said colors or pigments. In applying my Invention
to articles made of horn or shell I proceed according to any of the methods
herein-before described, excepting -that-in-which. metals are deposited by
electricity.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood, that I do not limit
myself to the precise details herein described, as the same may be varied
without departing from the nature of my said Invention; but I claim as my
Invention, ornamenting the surface of metals, papier mâché, horn, and shell by
the methods herein described; that is to say, by printing on or transferring to
the said surfaces "negative" designs, that is to say, designs representing those
portions which in the completed ornament shall consist of the uncovered
surface of the material to which the ornament is applied; and afterwards

page_text: gilding, silvering, bronzing, colouring, or treating by acids or other chemical
agents the surface to which the said "negative" design has been applied; and
finally, removing the said "negative" design by means of a solvent, so as to
leave those portions of the surface unaffected which were covered with the
negative" design.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edwin Haseler, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
ō Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
EDWIN HASELER. (L.S.)