IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO LETTERS AND FIGURES, AND THEIR APPLICATION TO SIGNBOARDS AND LIKE PURPOSES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Hays Wilson, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO
LETTERS AND FIGURES, AND THEIR APPLICATION TO SIGNBOARDS AND LIKE
PURPOSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Hays Wilson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th August 1880.
JOHN HAYS WILSON, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN AND RELATING TO LETTERS AND FIGURES, AND THEIR APPLICATION TO SIGN-
BOARDS AND LIKE PURPOSES."
My Invention has for its object certain improvements in and relating to letters
and figures, and their application to signboards and like purposes, and consists in
so constructing letters and figures for signboards and like purposes that they are
raised from the surface to which they are to be attached by placing washers,
ferrules, or like appliances at the back of the letters or figures, and between the
letter or figure and the background. The fastenings for securing the letters or
figures to the background pass through these washers or ferrules, either from the
face of the letter or figure, or from the background, as found most suitable. In lieu
of washers or ferrules, bosses or like projections may be formed on the back of the
letters or figures or on the face of the background.
Letters and figures constructed according to my Invention, when applied, produce
the same effect as ordinary raised letters or figures, but as in my Invention there is
& space between the letter or figure and the background, it enables any unskilled
person to renew the painting or surfacing of the letter or figure and also the
background without difficulty, as it is unnecessary to pick out the letters or figures
as would have to be done with ordinary raised work of like nature. At the same
time, should it be desired, I can produce a solid letter or figure by filling in the
space between such letter or figure and the background with paper, felt, or other
cheap material.
The letters or figures may be of cast or wrought or stamped metal or alloy, paper,
wood, or other suitable material.

page_text: In constructing letters or figures by stamping them out of sheet metal, I stamp
the letter or figure with a rim on the back edge thereof, and I fill in the back of
the letter or figure with cement. By this means I can produce an outside surface
of any of the more valuable metals, or of enamelled zinc, or like metal, and at the
same time have a solid letter or figure for attachment to signboards or other
backgrounds.
I prefer to cover the surfaces of metal letters or figures either with gold, silver,
or nickel plating, or enamel by any of the usual processes. For commoner purposes
the letters or figures may be painted.
The same advantage is obtained in cleaning letters or figures, such as gold or
plated silver letters or figures, as in repainting before referred to, namely, surface
cleaning can be readily applied without picking out the letters or figures, or
destroying or tarnishing the background.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Hays Wilson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th February 1881.
JOHN HAYS WILSON, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN AND RELATING TO LETTERS AND FIGURES, AND THEIR APPLICATION TO SIGN-
BOARDS AND LIKE PURPOSES."
My Invention has for its object certain improvements in and relating to letters
and figures, and their application to signboards and like purposes, and consists in
so, constructing letters and figures for signboards and like purposes that they are
raised from the surface to which they are to be attached by placing washers,
ferrules, or like appliances at the back of the letters or figures, and between the
letter or figure and the background. The fastenings for securing the letters or
figures to the background pass through these washers or ferrules, either from the
face of the letter or figure, or from the background, as found most suitable. In lieu
of washers or ferrules, bosses or like projections may be formed on the back of the
letters or figures or on the face of the background.
Letters and figures constructed according to my Invention, when applied,
produce the same effect as ordinary raised letters or figures, but as in my Invention
there is a space between the letter or figure and the background, it enables any
unskilled person to renew the painting or surfacing of the letter or figure, and also
the background without difficulty, as it is unnecessary to pick out the letters or
figures as would have to be done with ordinary raised work of like nature. At
the same time, should it be desired, I can produce a solid letter or figure by filling
in the space between such letter or figure and the background with paper, felt, or
other cheap material.
The letters or figures may be of cast or wrought or stamped metal or alloy, paper,
wood, or other suitable material.
In constructing letters or figures by stamping them out of sheet metal, I stamp
the letter or figure with a rim on the back edge thereof, and I fill in the back of
the letter or figure with cement. By this means I can produce an outside surface
of any of the more valuable metals, or of enamelled zinc or like metal, and at the
same time have a solid letter or figure for attachment to signboards or other
backgrounds.
I prefer to cover the surfaces of metal letters or figures either with gold, silver,
or metal plating, or enamel, by any of the usual processes. For cominoner purposes
the letters or figures may be painted.
.
The same advantage is obtained in cleaning letters or figures, such as gold or
silver plated letters or figures, as in repainting before referred to, namely, surface
cleaning can be readily applied without picking out the letters or figures, or
destroying or tarnishing the background.
The beforegoing being the nature and object of my Invention, I will now proceed
to describe more in detail how the same may be put into practical operation, and
for that purpose I have hereunto attached a Sheet of Drawings marked with letters
and figures of reference corresponding with those in the following explanation,
like letters being used to denote the same or corresponding parts throughout the
various Figures.
Figure 1 is a side sectional elevation of a letter or figure constructed according
to my Invention.
Figure 2 is a modification of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a further modification of Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a back view of Figure 3.
Figure 5 is a sectional side elevation of a further modification of my Invention.

page_text: Upon reference it will be seen that my Invention consists in so constructing
letters or figures for signboards or like purposes, that the letters or figures B are
raised from the surface E to which they are to be attached by placing washers,
ferrules, or like appliances H between the letter or figure B and the background E.
The fastenings for securing the letter or figure B to the background E pass through
these washers or ferrules or filling H, either as a screw or bolt J, from the face of
the letter or figure B, in manner such as shown at Figure 1, or from the back-
ground, in manner such as shown at Figure 3; either screws, studs, or bolts may
be used as found most convenient. In lieu of washers or ferrules, bosses or like
projections H, as shown at Figures 3 and 4, may be formed on the back of the
letters B, or the bosses H. may be formed on the background E. The letters or
figures B may be of cast or wrought or stamped metal or alloy, or they may be of
paper, wood, or other suitable material. I prefer they should be constructed,
as illustrated at Figures 3 and 4, of cast metal with strengthening or stiffning ribs
or feathers on the back. When the letters or figures are stamped out of sheet
metal, they may be made, as illustrated in the example Figure 5, with a rim on
the back edge, the letter being filled up or backed with cement.
The essential feature of my Invention is the production of a strong and useful
letter or figure that can be mounted off from the background, as shown at
Figures 1 and 3, or filled in to form a solid letter, as shown at Figures 2 and 5.
Having now described my Invention, and shown how the same may be put
into operation, what I claim as my Invention, and secured to me by Letters Patent
as aforesaid is,―
First. Constructing letters or figures for signboard and like purposes (of cast,
wrought, or stamped metal, or other material), so that they can be mounted off
from the background as herein described, and such as shown in Figures 1, 3, and 4
of the Drawings hereto annexed.
Second. Constructing letters or figures for signboard and like purposes, as
herein described and shown at Figures 2 and 5 of the Drawings bercto annexed.
Third. Constructing and manufacturing letters or figures, substantially as
herein described and for the purposes specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Hays Wilson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.