Improvements in the Process of and Apparatus for the Copying, Duplication, and Printing of Writings, Drawings, Type-writing, Prints, and Designs.
Year: 1887

page_text: Improvements in the Process of and Apparatus for the Copying,
Duplication, and Printing of Writings, Drawings, Type-writing,
Prints, and Designs.
I, HERBERT JOHN ALLISON, of 52 Chancery Lane, London, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, which has
been communicated to me from abroad by George Nicholas Sanders, Counsellor-at-
law, of the City, County and State of New York, and United States of America, to be
as follows:-
The said invention consists in improvements in the process of and apparatus for the
copying, duplication and printing of writings, drawings, type-writing, prints, and
designs.
In duplicating with a stencil or a gelatinous sheet, I use a bed of capillary porosity,
with a hard surface and charged with the appropriate liquid as water or ink; and
over this bed I place the stencil or gelatinous sheet, where it is kept supplied by the
wet bed with the appropriate liquid, as ink for the stencil and water for the gelatinous
surface. The bed may be composed of porous baked clay or plaster, cement or the
like or of a porous metal top pressing down on a soft porous bed of a capillary
nature. For this top I use by preference, a sheet of hydrogenized iron or steel
or a sheet of tin coated zinc. These two are both new and have superior
qualifications (as the non-corrosiveness), which especially adapt them for gelatine
coating, with or without porosity and thus they form gelatine duplicating matrices
with or without the aforesaid bed. Where clay is used, however, it may be
rendered porous by mixing thoroughly with finely ground charcoal and burning the
charcoal out in the baking leaving interstices. By gelatinous surface I mean any
surface, from which duplication is effected in a manner similar to gelatine duplication
or printing whether the surface be composed of gelatine or not, and by stencil sheet,
I mean any sheet through which ink is transmitted in the process of duplication as
with stencils. I have also a reservoir of the desired liquid as water or ink connected
with the said bed to maintain the supply by being drawn up into the bed by capillary
attraction as fast as the liquid is drawn off in process of duplication. The said bed

page_text: may be in the form of a hollow cylinder with the liquid inside, for cylindrical press
work. To make a stencil, or rather a transmitting duplicating sheet especially
adapted to this bed, I use a thin, porous sheet, coated or filled with a material
impervious to ink, the sheet being so thin and porous that wherever the filling or
coating is removed the sheet becomes open to the transmission of ink. The process is
to coat a thin porous sheet such as Japanese dental paper or Yoshino, with a material
impervious to ink, as paraffine, and then make the desired writing, design, type-
writing or print on it, with a writing or imprinting instrument thus opening the pores
for the transmission of ink and forming a new kind of transmitting duplicating-sheet,
operating like a stencil, but not cut out like it. In the case of paraffine or any gummy
or waxy filling, the filling is by preference partially transferred by adhesion to the
bearing-surface, on which the transmitting-sheet rests in the operation of making the
characters, designs, etc. That is, the filling under the writing or imprinting
instrument is pressed against and adheres to the bearing-surface and thus pulls out of
the pores of the sheet. Or I use a fusible filling, paraffine likewise fulfilling this
function, and a heated writing or imprinting instrument, melting and expelling the
filling at the points of contact. Where a sheet is used not quite sufficiently porous to
permit the free passage of ink through it, I open the passage perfectly after writing
or imprinting on the sheet as desired, by forcing some fluid through as by blows of a
pad filled with water or ink, or of an elastic cup filled with air and forcing the air
through by percussion. The transmitting sheet may be originally prepared by laying
a sheet of Yoshino paper on a smooth metal surface heated slightly above the fusing
point of the paraffine and then spreading a thin coating of melted paraffine over the
sheet by means of a piece of cloth saturated with it and then removing the sheet and
waving it in air cool enough to congeal the paraffine before it runs out of the pores.
The transmitting duplicating sheet having been duly made and written or printed on,
as aforesaid, I then stretch it over the aforesaid bed and the ink prosses through on
a sheet of writing or printing paper laid on it in such a manner as to receive the
duplication of the writing, design, print or type-writing, written or impressed on the
transmitting-sheet. This transmitting-sheet may be used, however, with other inking
processes and even with dry powdered ink, bronze or coloring matter.
The aforesaid bed can be used with any kind of duplicating or printing matrix,
which requires, moistening with any kind of liquid and is capable of being so
moistened by absorption on being placed on said bed saturated with the appropriate
liquid, likewise with any transmitting-duplicating-sheet, which operates like the
above.
3
רד

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Process of and Apparatus for the Copying,
Duplication, and Printing of Writings, Drawings, Type-writing,
Prints, and Designs.
I, HERBERT JOHN ALLISON, of 52 Chancery Lane, London, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, which has
been communicated to me from abroad by George Nicholas Sanders, counsellor-at-
law, of the city, county and State of New York, and United States of America,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement, to wit:-
The said invention consists in improvements in the process of and apparatus for the
copying, duplication and printing of writings, drawings, type-writing, prints and
designs. In duplicating with a stencil or a gelatinous sheet I use a bed of capillary
porosity with a hard smooth surface of the same porosity and charged with the аррго-
priate liquid as water or ink; and over this bed I place the stencil or gelatinous
sheet, where it is kept supplied by the wet bed with the appropriate liquid as ink for
the stencil and water for the gelatinous surface. The gelatinous sheet may be a simple
film of gelatinous composition adhering to the surface. The bed may be composed
of porous baked clay or plaster, cement, or the like, or of a finely porous metal top
or plate pressing down on a soft porous bed of a capillary nature absorbing the afore-
said liquid and emitting it under pressure. Where porous baked clay is used, it is
prepared by thoroughly mixing and grinding it with finely pulverized charcoal, and
burning out the charcoal in the baking of the clay, leaving interstices or pores.
For the metal top or plate I use by preference, a sheet of hydrogenized iron or steel,
or a sheet of tin-coated zinc. These two are both new and have superior qualifications,
as for example non-corrosiveness. The hydrogenized steel combines in the highest
degree hardness, elasticity, durability and non-corrosiveness. These qualifications
especially adapt these metal tops or plates for gelatine coating whether the metal tops
or plates be porous or not, and thus they form gelatine duplicating matrices with or
without the aforesaid bed. When I use them with a soft capillary bed, they must be
so finely porous as to have a capillary action and a smooth surface. By smooth I
mean sufficiently smooth to maintain the smoothness of the superimposed sheet. I
take by preference a sheet of hydrogenized steel about a sixty-fourth to an eighth of
an inch thick according to its area, or thick enough to make a sufficiently stiff and
firm printing bed whether thicker or thinner than aforesaid, and perforated with the
minutest holes permeable by water under slight pressure, and then coat on one or
both sides with one of the approved compositions of gelatine and lay or fasten the
whole on a layer of some soft porous material as thick felt saturated with water and
resting in it but not so as to have the surface of the plate covered. I do not describe
any form of metal top or plate for that will vary indefinitely, nor any particular
form of apparatus for holding this part of my invention; for there are already in
existence forms of apparatus sufficiently adapted to the purpose. In the case of

page_text: cylindrical press-work, the water, or ink as the case may be, should be put inside the
cylinder, thus furnishing a large supply. The elasticity of the hydrogenized steel
plate especially adapts it to conform to the cylinder although the plate itself may be
normally plane; and yet when placed in position the plate will not yield under the
pressure of inking or printing. These plates may also be made non-porous and
coated on one or both sides with gelatine and used as a printing matrix without the
above method for supplying water. I disclaim a bed with a soft surface as injurions
producing undulations and irregularities in printing. When the metal plates are
non-porous, they should be slightly roughened to hold the gelatine, as copper-plates
now are.
To make a stencil, or rather a transmitting duplicating sheet, best adapted to the
aforesaid bed, I use a thin, tough, highly porous sheet coated or filled with a material
impervious to ink, the sheet being so thin and porous that wherever the filling or
coating is removed, the sheet becomes open to the transmission of ink. By preference
the sheets should be so highly porous that after being coated with paraffine and written
on with a type-writer the points of impression will be open to the transmission of
printer's ink. The process is to coat a thin porous sheet, such as Japanese dental
paper or Yoshino, or any other sheet of adequate thinness, toughness and porosity
with a material impervious to ink, such as paraffin, or any other suitable substance
impervions to ink, and then make the desired writing, design, type-writing or print
on it with a writing or imprinting instrument, thus opening the pores to the trans-
mission of ink, without the aid of chemicals or any puncturing or abrading bearing
surface, plate or instrument. In writing with the stylus there will indeed be a slight
incidental abrasion, that this is not essential to the process, however, is shown by the
fact that the simple pressure of the type-writer is effectual without any abrasion.
The duplication of type-writing is one of the chief functions of this sheet. When
using a gummy or waxy coating or filling, as paraffine, the filling is by preference
partially transferred by adhesion to the bearing surface on which the sheet rests in
the operation of making characters and designs with a writing or imprinting instru-
ment; that is, the filling under the writing or imprinting instrument is pressed against
and adheres to the bearing surface and is thus pulled out of the pores of the sheet
on the removal of the sheet from the bearing surface. As a bearing surface to
which the paraffine will adhere most perfectly I may use a sheet of silk bolting cloth
or of paper embossed with fine corrugations, but this is not necessary. Or I use a
fusible filling or coating, paraffine likewise fulfilling this function, and a heated
writing or imprinting instrument melting and expelling the filling at the points of
contact. Any other fusible filling impervious to ink may be used. In the former or
cold
f
process use by preference a sheet of said dental paper of such thinness as to
weigh about 17 ounces to a ream of the usual sized sheets, namely, 15 × 10 1-2 inches,
but the sheet may be any size. In hot process a somewhat thicker sheet may be
used to advantage. Where a sheet is used not quite sufficiently porous to permit the
free passage of ink through it, or a semi-porous sheet, I open the passage perfectly
after writing or imprinting on the sheet, by forcing some fluid through the lines of
impression by percussion, as by blows of a pad filled with water or ink or of an
elastic cup filled with air and thus forcing the fluid through by percussion. There is
nothing new or to be described in the form of such pad or cup. By semi-porous
sheet I mean any sheet not open enough to transmit ink freely without some
abrasion and yet open enough so that the simple abrasion of an ordinary stylus will
make lines that can be opened for the transmission of ink by percussion as above
described.
The transmitting sheet may be originally prepared by laying a sheet of paper to
be coated on a smooth metal surface heated slightly above the fusing point of the
paraffine by preference 121° or 122° Fahrenheit and then spreading a thin coating of
melted paraffine over the sheet by means of a cloth saturated with the paraffine
stretched over any convenient holder, as a black-board rubber. It may be applied
simply by drawing this across the sheet lengthwise with the fibre, being generally
transverse to the length of the sheet; and then removing the sheet wave it in air

page_text: cool enough to congeal the paraffine before it runs out of the pores, say air of 50°
Fahrenheit. The waving is performed by seizing the sheet by two adjacent corners
and drawing it rapidly through the air a foot or two horizontally first in one direction
and then in the opposite direction, so that the action of the air will turn first one
side of the sheet up and then the other, and thus prevent the paraffine from running
out during the time of congellation. The paraffine should be of such a grade as to
remain firm in the temperature or climate in which it is eventually to be used. This
grade should be of a melting temperature about ten degrees above the temperature to
which the sheet is to be exposed in use.
I do not claim this process of waxing the sheet, however, but only describe it to
enable it to be made without difficulty. I believe that well known methods of manu-
facture are equally efficacious.
The transmitting duplicating sheet having been duly made and had the desired
characters written or imprinted on it, opening the pores in the desired form as
aforesaid, I then stretch it over a bed of the aforesaid material saturated with ink, and
the ink presses through on a sheet of writing or printing paper laid on it in such a
manner as to receive a duplication of the writing, design, print, or type-writing,
written or impressed on the transmitting sheet, according to any of the well-known
methods of running off copies from a stencil. This transmitting sheet may be used
without the bed, however, with the ordinary roller and with other well known
appliances and even with dry powdered ink, bronze or coloring matter.
A bed of the aforesaid material can be used with any kind of duplicating or printing
matrix, which requires moistening with any kind of liquid, and is capable of being so
moistened with any kind of liquid by absorption upon being placed on said bed
saturated with such liquid, likewise it may be used with any transmitting printing
sheet which operates on the stencil principle and is sufficiently thin and pliable to be
adjusted to the bed.
I do not claim any of the particular bearing surfaces which may be used in making
said transmitting sheet as a feature of my process. I disclaim the methods of making
stencils or transmitting sheets by abrading or perforating or breaking the texture or
fibre of a sheet not sufficiently open to permit the transmission of ink on the mere
removal of the filling or coating whether such filling or coating be of paraffine, wax,
varnish or other substance, except so far as I specify the use of the method of
abrading a semi-porous sheet in connection with the subsequent opening of the
lines of transmission by percussion; and I also disclaim the use of chemicals
for the purpose of removing a coating and varnish or the like and at the same time
eating into the texture of the transmitting sheet where the pores of the sheet are not
themselves sufficiently open to permit the transmission of ink without corrosion ; but
my invention covers the use of chemicals to aid in simply removing the coating or
filling from pores normally open to the transmission of ink.
With respect to the preparation and use of gelatinous plates on sheets of hydro-
genized iron or steel or of zinc coated with tin, I have not gone into any more detailed
statement because the state of the art does not require it. They are to be prepared
and used as copper plates now are, and the improvement consists in certain superior
qualifications of the metals employed. Hydrogenized iron or steel is iron or steel
impregnated with hydrogen as by the methods heretofore patented by others of sub-
jecting iron or steel to heat in a retort filled with compressed hydrogen.
Likewise with respect to the duplicating sheet with a fusible filling and the hot
process of preparing the same for printing; while the sheet and process are new, any
of the well known methods of applying heat to an instrument is adequate, as by gas-
jets, or a lamp or candle. The simple caution may be added that the heat should be
just sufficient to fuse the coating or filling only at the points of contact between the
instrument and the sheet, and not so great as to extend the area of fusion or to scorch
the sheet. A heat of 200° Fahrenheit will answer for ordinary paraffine or wax.
Something depends, however, on the duration of the impression of the instrument;
if it is only instantaneous as in certain type-writers, the heat should be increased so
as to be sufficient to operate in that instant of time, say four or five hundred degrees

page_text: Fahrenheit. The advantage of the hot process is that it produces more perfect print
and enables metal plates containing engravings and designs of larger area to be used.
For example, if a person has a metal plate bearing a design to be impressed as a
heading on some letter paper or circular to be printed by this process, he may heat
such metal plate and impress it on the fusible sheet, and then insert this sheet in a
heated type-writer and add the verbal part of the circular. The printing lines of the
engraving or design, however, must be in very bold relief or raised say as much as
an eighth to a quarter of an inch so as to prevent the heat from the body of the metal
plate from producing fusion between the lines of the design or engraving. The
forms of apparatus used as type-writers vary so indefinitely that it is not only
unnecessary but impracticable to prescribe any precise form of lamp or gas jets.
As to a stylus it may be heated by holding the point in hot water or having a hollow
stylus shaped like a stylographic pen filled with hot water, with the aperture for the
admission of the fluid closed if desired; but I do not claim this.
The tin coated zinc may be made as described in the British Letters Patent
No. 10,400, dated in 1887, issued to a party whose name will appear therein,
or American Letters Patent No. 313,700 dated March 10th, 1885, issued to William
J. Wilder, inventor, by the United States.
The hydrogenized iron or steel may be made as described in British Letters Patent
No. 4139, dated August 28th, 1883, issued to William Arthur, communicated from
Joseph Pearson Gill, of the City of New York. The American Letters Patent for
the same invention are Nos. 283,999, and 284,000, both dated August 28th, 1883, and
issued by the United States to said Gill. It is the product of the processes described
in said Letters Patent or such like product that is denominated hydrogenized iron or
steel. I claim no rights in any of the above recited Letters Patent.
Referring back to the writing with the stylus on the aforesaid transmitting sheets,
I would add that the stylus is by preference made of chrome-steel, highly tempered,
shaped like a cone with an angle of about 45 degrees, truncated by a plane at right
angles to the axis and very near the apex, making a small circular point; but I do
not claim this here.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. A bed with a hard smooth surface yet of capillary porosity to supply the appro-
priate liquid to a stencil, transmitting sheet or a gelatine printing matrix, substantially
as described.
2. A gelatine printing matrix composed of the sheet of hydrogenized iron coated
with a gelatinous composition, substantially as described.
3. The gelatine printing matrix composed of a sheet of zinc coated with tin and
then covered with gelatine or a gelatinous composition, substantially as described.
4. A transmitting printing sheet consisting of a thin porous transmitting sheet,
through which ink is readily transmitted, as Japanese dental paper or Yoshino filled
or coated with a substance impervious to ink as paraffine, substantially as described.
5. A transmitting printing sheet consisting of a thin, porous sheet, through which
ink is readily transmitted such as Japanese dental paper or Yoshino, filled or coated
with a substance impervious to ink, as paraffine, and having this filling or coating
removed at the lines or points of printing, substantially as described.
6. A type-writing duplicating sheet consisting of a thin porous sheet filled or
coated with a substance impervious to ink and removable by the impression of the
type in a type-writer, leaving the pores open to the transmission of printers' ink in
the form of the type, substantially as described.
7. The process of preparing the transmitting, printing or duplicating sheet con-
sisting in coating or filling a thin porous sheet open to the transmission of ink with a
substance impervious to ink and then removing the coating or filling in the desired
form by the pressure of a writing or printing instrument without the aid of chemicals
or of any puncturing or abrading instrument or plate making orifices in the sheet

page_text: or corroding or breaking the fibre thereof to open a passage for the ink, substantially
as described.
8. The process of preparing duplicating sheets for type-writing consisting in
coating or filling a thin porous sheet open to the transmission of ink such as Yoshino
or Japanese dental paper with a substance impervious to ink such as paraffine and
removing the same by the pressure of the type in a type-writer, substantially as
described.
9. The process of preparing a transmitting, duplicating or printing sheet, consisting
of coating or filling a thin porous sheet open to the transmission of ink in the form
of the impression, substantially as described.
10. A transmitting duplicating or printing sheet composed of a thin porous sheet
open to the transmission of ink with a filling or coating of a fusible substance
impervious to ink substantially as described.
11. The process of preparing a transmitting duplicating sheet, which consists in
coating a thin, porous sheet with a gummy or adhesive substance such as paraffine
and then placing said sheet upon a bearing surface to which said substance will
adhere under pressure thereon with a writing or imprinting instrument, and by such
pressure so far displacing this substance and so far transferring it to the bearing
surface by adhesion as to leave the line of impression on the sheet open to the trans-
mission of ink upon the removal of the sheet from the bearing surface, substantially
as described.
12. A transmitting printing sheet consisting of a sheet of Japanese dental paper
or Yoshino coated with paraffine substantially as described.
13. The process of preparing a transmitting duplicating sheet by coating a thin
semi-porous sheet of paper with a substance impervious to ink, and then making
characters or designs thereon with a writing or imprinting instrument and opening
the lines for the transmission of ink by percussion with some fluid, substantially as
described.
14. A transmitting printing sheet consisting of a thin, porous sheet of any material
open to the transmission of ink coated or filled with any substance impervious to ink,
substantially as described.
Dated the th 1
C
L 1000
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Reprinted
as amended in accordance with the decision of the Chief Examiner,
dated the 25th day of September, 1900.
Date of Application, 5th Sept., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 6th Mar., 1888-Accepted, 6th Apr., 1888
PROVISIONAL
DILUIFICATION,
Improvements in the Process of and Apparatus for the Copying,
Duplication and Printing of Writings, Drawings, Type-writing,
Prints, and Designs.
1, HERBERT JOHN ALLISON, of 52, Chancery Lane, London, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, which has
been communicated to me from abroad by George Nicholas Sanders, Counsellor-at-
law, of the City, County and State of New York, and United States of America, to be
as follows:-
The said invention consists in improvements in the process of and apparatus for
the copying, duplication and printing of writings, drawings, type-writing, prints, and
designs.
In duplicating with a stencil or a gelatinous sheet, I use a bed of capillary porosity,
with a hard surface and charged with the appropriate liquid as water or ink; and
over this bed I place the stencil or gelatinous sheet, where it is kept supplied by the
wet bed with the appropriate liquid, as ink for the stencil and water for the
gelatinous surface. The bed may be composed of porous baked clay or plaster,
cement or the like or of a porous metal top pressing down on a soft porous bed of a
capillary nature. For this top I use by preference, a sheet of hydrogenized iron or
steel or
a sheet of tin coated zinc. These two are both new and have superior
qualifications (as the non-corrosiveness),
which especially adapt them
for gelatine coating, with or without porosity and thus they form gelatine duplicating
matrices with or without the aforesaid bed. Where clay is used, however, it may be
rendered porous by mixing thoroughly with finely ground charcoal and burning the
charcoal out in the baking leaving interstices. By gelatinous surface I mean any
surface, from which duplication is effected in a manner similar to gelatine duplication
or printing whether the surface be composed of gelatine or not, and by stencil sheet,
I mean any sheet through which ink is transmitted in the process of duplication as
with stencils. I have also a reservoir of the desired liquid as water or ink connected
with the said bed to maintain the supply by being drawn up into the bed by
capillary attraction as fast as the liquid is drawn off in process of duplication. The
said bed may be in the form of a hollow cylinder with the liquid inside, for cylin-
drical press work. To make a stencil, or rather a transmitting duplicating sheet
especially adapted to this bed, I use a thin, porous sheet, coated or filled with a
material impervious to ink, the sheet being so thin and porous that wherever the
filling or coating is removed the sheet becomes open to the transmission of ink.
The process is to coat a thin porous sheet such as Japanese dental paper or Yoshino,
with a material impervious to ink, as paraffine, and then make the desired writing,

page_text: design, type-writing or print on it, with a writing or imprinting instrument thus
opening the pores for the transmission of ink and forming a new kind of transmitting
duplicating-sheet, operating like a stencil, but not cut out like it. In the case of
paraffine or any gummy or waxy filling, the filling is by preference partially trans-
ferred by adhesion to the bearing-surface, on which the transmitting-sheet rests in
the operation of making the characters, designs, etc. That is, the filling under the
writing or imprinting instrument is pressed against and adheres to the bearing-
surface and thus pulls out of the pores of the sheet. Or I use a fusible filling,
paraffine likewise fulfilling this function, and a heated writing or imprinting instru-
ment, melting and expelling the filling at the points of contact. Where a sheet is
used not quite sufficiently porous to permit the free passage of ink through it, I open
the passage perfectly after writing or imprinting on the sheet as desired, by forcing
some fluid through as by blows of a pad filled with water or ink, or of an elastic cup
filled with air and forcing the air through by percussion. The transmitting sheet
may be originally prepared by laying a sheet of Yoshino paper on a smooth metal
surface heated slightly above the fusing point of the paraffine and then spreading a
thin coating of melted paraffine over the sheet by means of a piece of cloth saturated
with it and then removing the sheet and waving it in air cool enough to congeal the
paraffine before it runs out of the pores. The transmitting duplicating sheet having
been duly made and written or printed on, as aforesaid, I then stretch it over the
aforesaid bed and the ink presses through on a sheet of writing or printing paper
laid on it in such a manner as to receive the duplication of the writing, design, print
or typewriting, written or impressed on the transmitting-sheet. This transmitting-
sheet may be used, however, with other inking processes and even with dry powdered
ink, bronze or coloring matter.
The aforesaid bed can be used with any kind of duplicating or printing matrix,
which requires, moistening with any kind of liquid and is capable of being so
moistened by absorption on being placed on said bed saturated with the appropriate
liquid, likwise with any transmitting-duplicating-sheet, which operates like the
above.
Improvements in the Process of and Apparatus for the Copying 3
Duplication and Printing of Writings, Drawings, Type-writing,
Prints, and Designs.
I, HERBERT JOHN ALLISON, of 52, Chancery Lane, London, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, which has
been communicated to me from abroad by George Nicholas Sanders, Counsellor-at-law, 4
of the City, County and State of New York, and United States of America, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement, to wit:-
The said invention consists in improvements in the process of and apparatus
for the copying, duplication and printing of writings, drawings, type-writing, prints 4
and designs.
To make a stencil, or rather a transmitting duplicating sheet, I use a thin, tough,
highly porous sheet coated or filled with a material impervious to ink, the sheet
being so thin and porous that wherever the filling or coating is removed, the sheet

page_text: becomes open to the transmission of ink. By preference the sheets should be so
highly porous that after being coated with paraffine and written on with a type-
writer the points of impression will be opened to the transmission of printer's ink.
The process is to coat a thin porous sheet, such as Japanese dental paper or Yoshino,
or any other sheet of adequate thinness, toughness and porosity with a material
impervious to ink, such as paraffine, or any other suitable substance impervious to
ink, and then make the desired writing, design, type-writing or print on it with a writing
or imprinting instrument, thus opening the pores to the transmission of ink, without
the aid of chemicals or any puncturing or abrading bearing surface, plate or instru-
ment. In writing with the stylus there will indeed be a slight incidental abrasion,
that this is not essential to the process, however, is shown by the fact that the
simple pressure of the type-writer is effectual without any abrasion. The duplication
of type-writing is one of the chief functions of this sheet. When using a gummy
or waxy coating or filling, as paraffine, the filling is by preference partially transferred
by adhesion to the bearing surface on which the sheet rests in the operation of
making characters and designs with a writing or imprinting instrument; that is,
the filling under the writing or imprinting instrument is pressed against and adheres
to the bearing surface and is thus pulled out of the pores of the sheet on the
removal of the sheet from the bearing surface.
As a
bearing surface to which the
paraffine will adhere most perfectly I may use a sheet of silk bolting cloth or of
paper embossed with fine corrugations, but this is not necessary. In the process I
use by preference a sheet or said dental paper of such thinness as to weigh about
17 ounces to a ream of the usual sized sheets 15 x 10 inches, but the sheet
may be any size.
The transmitting sheet may be originally prepared by laying a sheet of paper to
be coated on a smooth metal surface heated slightly above the fusing point of the
paraffine by preference 121° or 122° Fahrenheit and then spreading a thin coating of
melted paraffine over the sheet by means of a cloth saturated with the paraffine
stretched over any convenient holder, as a black-board rubber. It may be supplied
simply by drawing this across the sheet lengthwise with the fibre, being generally
transverse to the length of the sheet; and then removing the sheet wave it in air
cool enough to congeal the paraffine before it runs out of the pores, say air of
50° Fahrenheit. The waving is performed by seizing the sheet by two adjacent
corners and drawing it rapidly through the air a foot or two horizontally first in one
direction and then in the opposite direction, so that the action of the air will turn
first one side of the sheet up and then the other, and thus prevent the paraffine from
running out during the time of congellation.
The paraffine should be of such a grade as to remain firm in the temperature or
climate in which it is eventually to be used. This grade should be of a melting
temperature about ten degrees above the temperature to which the sheet is to be
exposed in use.
I do not claim this process of waxing the
enable it to be made without difficulty.
manufacture are equally efficacious.
sheet, however, but only describe it to
I believe that well known methods of
The transmitting duplicating sheet having been duly made and had the desired
characters written or imprinted on it, opening the pores in the desired form as
aforesaid, I then stretch it over a bed saturated with ink, and the ink presses through
on a sheet of writing or printing paper laid on it in such a manner as to receive a
duplication of the writing, design, print, or type-writing, written or impressed on the
transmitting sheet, according to any of the well-known methods of running off copies
from a stencil. This transmitting sheet may be used without the bed, however, with
the ordinary roller and with other well known appliances and even with dry powdered
ink, bronze or coloring matter.
I do not claim any of the particular bearing surfaces which may be used in making
said transmitting sheet as a feature of my process. I disclaim the methods of making
stencils or transmitting sheets by abrading or perforating or breaking the texture or
fibre of a sheet not sufficiently open to permit the transmission of ink on the mere

page_text: removal of the filling or coating whether such filling or coating be of paraffine, wax,
varnish or other substance, and I also disclaim the use of chemicals for the purpose of
removing a coating and varnish or the like and at the same time eating into the texture
of the transmitting sheet where the pores of the sheet are not themselves sufficiently
open to permit the transmission of ink without corrosion.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :
1. A-transmitting-printing-sheet consisting-of-a-thin-porous-transmitting-sheets
through which ink-is-readily transmitted,-as-Japanese-dental-paper-or-Yoshine filled
or-coated with a substance-impervious-to-ink-as paraffine, substantially as described
21. A transmitting printing sheet consisting of a thin, porous sheet, through which
ink. is readily transmitted such as Japanese dental paper or Yoshino, filled or coated
with a substance impervious to ink, as paraffine, and having this filling or coating
removed at the lines or points of printing, substantially as described.
3. 2. The processof preparing the transmitting, printingorduplicatingsheet consisting
in coating or filling a thin porous sheet open to the transmission of ink with a sub-
stance impervious to ink and then removing the coating or filling in the desired form
by the pressure of a writing or printing instrument without the aid of chemicals or of
any puncturing or abrading instrument or plate making orifices in the sheet or
corroding or breaking the fibre thereof to open a passage for the ink, substantially
as described.
4. 3. The process of preparing duplicating sheets for type-writing consisting in
coating or filling a thin porous sheet open to the transmission of ink such as Yoshino
or Japanese dental paper with a substance impervious to ink such as paraffine and
removing the same by the pressure of the type in a type-writer, substantially as
described.
+
5. A-transmitting-printing-sheet-consisting-of-a-sheet-of-Japanese-dental-paper
or-Yeshine-coated-with-paraffine-substantially-as-deseribed.
Dated this 6th day of March 1000