IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO THE PRODUCTION OF ORNAMENTAL SURFACES UPON WOOD AND MATERIALS OF A LIKE NATURE, AND MACHINERY TO BE EMPLOYED THEREFOR."
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Cowan and Orsini Stuart, both of Liverpool, in´
the County of. Lancaster, for an Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS IN AND
RELATING TO THE PRODUCTION OF ORNAMENTAL SURFACES UPON WOOD
AND MATERIALS OF A LIKE NATURE, AND MACHINERY TO BE EMPLOYED
THEREFOR."
»
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Cowan and Orsini
Stuart at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st June 1881.
JOSEPH COWAN and ORSINI STUART, both of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO THE PRODUCTION OF
ORNAMENTAL SURFACES UPON WOOD AND MATERIALS OF A LIKE NATURE, AND
MACHINERY TO BE EMPLOYED THEREFOR."
This Invention has for its object the production of ornamental surfaces upon
wood and materials of a like nature and inachinery to be employed therefor, the
ornamental surfaces being produced in much less time and at less expense than by
the methods now employed.
One method by which we carry out our Invention consists,-
First. In the use of a die or dies of any desired pattern or device, which may be
pressed upon or into the wood or other like materials by means of a screw, or
hydraulic press, or equivalent means.
Second. After the wood has received the pattern of the die sufficiently, it is taken
from the press and the upper surface is removed until the wood or like material is
again even and level, or nearly so.
Third. The material is then subjected to some relaxing agent, such as water,
steam, or other liquids, coloured or uncoloured. This relaxing agent causes the
pattern which has been impressed into the material to expand to its original
height, and so the pattern comes out in relief upon the wood or like material.
As a modification of this method the wood or like material after having
received the impression, may be reduced to the bottom of the impression, thus
DC21

page_text: giving a level surface, but the pattern will remain in the form of compressed
material, being of different colour to that of the ordinary density.
Another method of ornamenting surfaces, namely, inlaying, consists,—
First. In vencering the material which is to be ornamented with any desired and
suitable veneer.
Second. A die or dies of the required pattern and sufficient depth attached to a
suitable press are brought onto the surface of the veneering material, and press the
pattern in veneer into the lower material.
Third. The material is then planed down or roduced as much as desirable.
The method we adopt to ornament escutcheons is the following:-A piece of
wood, square, round, or of suitable form, has impressed into it in its end grain the
escutcheon, preferably with gluo. This piece of wood we call the escutcheon
holder.
The escutcheon holder is then let into and fixed in the material in which it is to
be placed in the proper position, this material being preferably of a different nature
to the escutcheon holder. The wood inside the escutcheon is at the desired timo
wholly or partially cut or punched out.
The machinery which we employ consists of a hydraulic or other press containing
the dies. Under the dies is placed a travelling bed having longitudinal and lateral
motion, which motion is imparted by a ratchet and worm gear, the ratchet being
adjustable to give the amount of feed required. A movement of the feed is given
after each impression of the dic. By this machine wo aro enabled to stamp by
means of one die a variety of widths of material.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Joseph Cowan and Orsini Stuart in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 1st December 1881.
JOSEPH COWAN and ORSINI STUART, both of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING ΤΟ THE PRODUCTION OF
ORNAMENTAL SURFACES UPON WOOD AND MATERIALS OF A LIKE NATURE, AND
MACHINERY TO BE EMPLOYED THEREFOR"
This Invention has for its object the production of ornamental surfaces upon
wood and materials of a like nature and machinery to be employed therefor, the
ornamental surfaces being produced in much less time and at less expense than by
the methods now employed.
One method by which we carry out our Invention consists,
First. In the use of a die or dies of any. desired pattern or device, which may be
pressed upon or into the wood or other like material by means of a screw or
hydraulic press, or equivalent means.
Second. After the wood has received the pattern of the die sufficiently, it is
taken from the press and the upper surface is removed until the wood or like
material is again even and level, or nearly so.
The material is then subjected to some relaxing ngent, such as water, steam, or
other liquids, coloured or uncoloured. This relaxing agent causes the pattern
which has been impressed into the material to expand to its original height, and so
the pattern comes out in relief upon the wood or like materiał.
As a modification of this method the wood or like material after having received
the impression may be reduced to the bottom of the impression, thus giving a level
surface, but the pattern will remain in the form of compressed material, being of
different shade of colour to that of the ordinary density.
Another method of ornamenting surfaces, namely, inlaying, consists,—
First. In veneering the material which is to be ornamented with any desired
and suitable veneer.
Second. A die or dies of the required pattern and suflicient depth attached to n
suitable press are brought onto the surface of the vencered material, and press the
pattern in vencer into the lower material.
Third. The material is then planed down or reduced as much as may be
required.
The method we adopt to ornament escutcheons is the following:-A piece of
wood, square, round, or of suitable form, has impressed into it in its end grain the
escutcheon, preferably with glue. This piece of wood we call the escutcheon
holder.
The escutcheon holder is then let into and fixed in the material in which it is to
be placed in the proper position, this material being preferably of a different nature
to the escutcheon holder. The wood inside the escutcheon is at the desired time
wholly or partially cut or punched out.
The machinery which we employ consists of a hydraulic or other press containing
the dies. Under the dies is placed a travelling bed having longitudinal and lateral
motion, which motion is imparted by a ratchet and worm gear, the ratchet being
adjustable to give the amount of feed required. -A movement of the feed is given
after each impression of the die.
By this machine we are enabled to stamp by means of one die a variety of
widths of material.
The beforegoing being the nature, object, and purposes of our Invention, we will
now proceed to describe the same more fully, reference being bad to the, annexed

page_text: two Sheets of Drawings, which are marked with letters and figures of reference
corresponding with those in the following explanation, like letters denote like or
corresponding parts throughout the various views.
In Figure 1 is shown a dic, according to our Invention.
Figure 2 is a section at X, X, Figure 1.
In Figure 3 is shown a cross section of a piece of wood through the imprint of
the dic, according to our Invention.
Figure 4 shows the imprint and surface of the piece of wood removed.
In Figure 5 is shown in section the state or condition of the piece of wood after
the final stage, according to the first part of our Invention.
In Figure 6 is shown in section the state of a piece of wood after the second
stage, according to the second part of our Invention.
In Figure 7 is shown in section the state of the piece of wood after the third
stage, according to the second part of our Invention.
In Figure 8 is shown an outside view of the method we employ in ornamenting
escutcheons.
Figure 9 is a section at Y, Y, Figure 8.
Referring to the beforegoing Figures of the Drawings, Figures 1 to 5 show views
of the parts and stages employed in the first part of our Invention. A shows a die
such as we use having on its end the design B in relief representing a cross; C is a
piece of wood which has been subjected to pressure from the die A, the design of
which has been impressed into the wood, which has just received the pattern B of
the die A. The shaded parts D in Figures 3 and 4 represent the impressed portion
of the wood, which has been forced into the piece of wood C by the pressure of the
die A. In Figure 5 the impressed portion of the wood D being the pattern of the
die, is shown brought out in relief by the application of a relaxing agent under
the third stage of the first part of our Invention, namely, by subjecting the block
of wood to the action of steain, water, or other liquid, coloured or otherwise.
Tho
In putting this the first part of our Invention into practice, we take a piece of
wood C with its surface either smooth or rough, and place it under the die A.
die A is then brought to bear on the wood C with sufficient pressure to bury or
partly bury its pattern B (which is in relief) into the wood C. The die A is then
withdrawn, which leaves the pattern B' impressed in the wood C corresponding
with the pattern B of the dic A. The material thus compressed or forced in by
this impression is concentrated into the wood C, substantially as shown at Figure 2.
We would here remark that this concentrated material being of a greater density
than the rest of the wood presents a different shade of colour to the non compressed
material. The second stage is represented in Figure 4, where it will be seen that
the upper surface C¹ of the wood C is removed by any suitable means, such as
planing. It is not however necessary that the portion Cthus removed should be
equal to the depth of the imprint B', as it can be either partially above or below
the bottom of the imprint B' to suit circumstances; for instance, when the pattern
is to have an uneven surface, or some parts are required to stand out in greater
relief than others, the surface in this the second stage will have to be corre-
spondingly uneven, or the surface of the pattern of the die will have to be uneven.
After the required surface is obtained we apply a relaxing agent, such as steam,
hot or cold water, or other fluids or liquids. These fluids or liquids may be either
coloured or uncoloured. The impressed and concentrated material D in the wood C
will now expand and come back, substantially to and recover its normal or original
position, giving thus a copy of the pattern of the die in relief on the wood, having
the appearance and substance, as shown by D in Figure 5.
In practising this the first part of our Invention, modifications may be resorted
to; for instance, the compressed material having been brought to the state, shown
at Figure 4, may be used as an ornamented surface, as the pattern of the die used
will be presented in the form of compressed or impressed material, such con-
centrated material being of a different shade of colour to that of the surrounding
material, and producing the effect of an inlay of another wood.

page_text: Another modification may consist in burning or singeing the impressed pattern
by having the die slightly heated; or moulton metal, such as lead, may be run into
the impressions B, Figure 3, to give the desired effect.
Under the second part of our Invention of ornamenting surfaces is inlaying,
which is illustrated in Figures 6 and 7 of the Drawings; C is a piece of wood
having on its surface the veneer C. The die and pattern used in this case may
be similar to that shown in Figure 1. This veneered piece of wood is subjected to
a similar method of imprinting and impressing, as under the first part of our
Invention, thus the projecting pattern B of the die A will carry and force portions D¹
of the veneer C" to the bottom of the impression B', as shown in Figure 6. Tho
then remaining portion of veneer C¹ is then removed by a plane or suitable means.
Also the material C is reduced to the level of the upper surface of the impressed
veneer D³, as shown in Figure 7. Sometimes wo may only partially remove the
material of the upper surface, so as to be slightly above the upper surface of
the impressed vencer D¹.
For ornamenting wood with a repeating or continuous pattern, we prefer to use
a roller die with the pattern or design formed or cut in relief on its periphery.
The third part of our Invention consists of ornamenting escutcheons, and is
illustrated at Figures 8 and 9; E is an escutcheon; G shows a piece of wood on its
end grain, which we term the escutcheon holder; H is tho part to which tho
escutcheon holder is fixed, and may be the head of a drawer, or it may represent
any part of furniture to which escutcheons are applied.
In carrying out this the third part of our Invention, we take a piece of wood G,
which may be circular, as shown, or of any other required design, as will be under-
stood, and preferably of a different style of wood to the part H. Into the end grain
of the piece G wo force and fix the escutcheon E, with or without glue or cement.
Having thus secured the escutcheon to its holder, the wood inside may be wholly
punched out or removed to form the keyhole E', or only part of the wood may be
punched out, leaving an edging of wood G' round the interior of the escutcheon E.
The escutcheon holder G is let into and fixed in required position in the
part H at I.
We would have it understood that we do not confine ourselves to the use of
wood for the escutcheon holder, as it may be of other materials; for instanco, soft
metal, such as load or tin composition can be used.
In Figure 10 is shown a plan of the machine according to the latter part of our
Invention.
Figure 11 is a sectional elevation through X, X, Figure 10.
Figure 12 is an end view of Figure 11.
Figures 13, 14, and 15 are details of Figure 12.
Upon reference to the Drawings it will be seen that A is the die; B, the design
in relief; C, the position of the piece of wood. The die A is held and forms part
of the segmental block or plate J, which is held against and works in the segmental
guide J. The piece of wood C consists of a plank of timber supported on the
carriage K, the timber having its end grain up to the die A. The carringo K
moves in the guide K¹ and is supported by the wheels K"; L are a pair of circular
saws; M represents a thicknessing saw. The die A, the carriage K, the saws L,
and the thicknessing saw M are carried by and work on the bed and framework N.
The block of wood C is held by the clamp O, and is kept in position at its front
edge by the roller P. The clamp O works in a guide on the carriage and receives
a feeding motion through the ratchet gear R, which imparts such motion to the
clamp by means of the worin rods R'. The feed motion is actuated by the chain
wheels and chain S, which receive notion by the movement of the carriage.
In operation the block of wood C being in position on the carriage K, and the
carriage K being in position about three inches in front of the thicknessing saw M,
the die A having its leading edge A' about the position a, or so arranged that on
the forward or working stroke of the carriage that such leading edge will come in
contact with the leading edge of the wood C. The carriage with the wood C is

page_text: drawn along the guide K' by the connecting rod T, and during its progress the
function of the thicknessing saw M is to reduce the plank to the required thickness.
The function of the die A is to press into the end grain of the wood the device.
The functions of the rotary saws A' are to face the wood and cut away the imprint
of the die, and cut off to any required depth the imprinted slab of wood from the
main plank C on the back ward or return stroke of the carriage. The operation of
the ratchet and worm feeding gear is thus:-The toothed wheel U, Figure 12,
comes in contact with the adjustable rack, Figure 13. This gives rotary motion to
the wheel U, and thereby to the chain and chain wheels S, or equivalent connection.
The upper chain wheel S is provided with a pawl V, which operates the ratchet
wheel W, and thereby through the connecting rod S the worms R¹. By this gear
the plank C on the return stroke of the carriage is fed up into position for another
cycle of operation. The die A and die holder J are brought back into position by
means of a weight Y or its equivalent.
In conclusion we would remark that although we have shown the die A operating
merely by its passage and movement on a fixed segmental guide, that in lieu of the
fixed segmental guide we may employ any suitable mechanical or hydraulic press,
which will enforce the relief of the die into the end grain of the wood, the motion
of the wood being arrested during the operation of pressing, the planing and sawing
operations being performed as herein set forth.
Having now described our Invention, what we claim as our Invention and
secured to us by Letters Patent as aforesaid is,―
First. Effecting the raising of patterns in relief on wood by the impression of
designs or devices on dies into the said wood, the after removing of the then
projecting surface of the wood, and the application of a relaxing agent or agents,
for the purposes herein set forth.
Second. Effecting the ornamentation of wood by the impression of designs on
dies into the said wood, the after removing of the then projecting surface of the
wood, and the application of a relaxing agent or agents, such as described, for the
purposes herein set forth, and substantially as shown at Figures 1 to 5 of the
Drawings.
Third. Effecting the ornamentation of wood by the impression of designs on dies
into the said wood, and the after removing of the then projecting surface of the
wood, substantially as described and as shown at Figure 4 of the Drawings.
Fourth. Effecting the inlaying of wood with veneer, substantially as described
and as shown in Figures 6 and 7 of the Drawings.
Fifth. Ornamenting escutcheons by the use of a separate setting of wood, and
the setting of the escutcheon in the end grain thereof..
Sixth. Ornamenting escutcheons by a holder, such as G, and applying same to a
piece, such as H, substantially as herein described and as shown at Figures 8 and 9
of the Drawings.
Seventh. The construction and arrangement of the machinery and appliances
herein described for effecting the objects of our Invention, as shown at Figures 10,
11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 of the Drawings hereto annexed.
.
In witness whereof, we, the said Joseph Cowan and Orsini Stuart, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty eighth day of November, in