A Composition or Treatment for Rendering Materials suitable for being Written upon in an Erasable Manner.
Year: 1899

page_text: A Composition or Treatment for Rendering Materials suitable for
being Written upon in an Erasable Manner.
I, HERBERT BRIGGS, of 29, New Street, Idle, in the County of York, School-
master, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention refers to a composition to be applied to, or a treatment of,
materials, such as paper, cardboard, cloth, wood and the like; so that such
materials (for example cloth,) as are not in the first instance suitable for being
written upon are thereby rendered so; and further, that the writing in ink or
pencil, whether on material in the first instance suitable for being written on or
not, is thereby rendered capable of being rubbed out or erased, so that such material
can again be used for writing upon.
Further the object of the invention is to produce material to be written upon in
an erasable manner, such that the ground upon which the writing is done, is
white or of other desirable colour; whilst the writing is in black ink or pencil,
or of other desired contrasting colour.
One of the principal uses to which my invention would be applied, would be to
replace the ordinary slates used in schools; and thus to avoid the objectionable
strain on the eyes due to the indistinctness of grey slate pencil marks on a dark
or dirty grey ground; as the material for writing upon would then consist of a
wood board, or stift cardboard or millboard, or other suitable material having a
cream white ground, or ground of other desired shade of white; which would be
written upon in black or blue black ink or in pencil, and the writing afterwards
rubbed out; so that the same board or material could be used an indefinite
number of times, as is now the case with ordinary school slates.
My invention consists in preparing a solution of French white gum shellac by
dissolving the same in methylated spirit and adding a little isinglass.
The board, cardboard or other material to be prepared is first coated over with
isinglass, conveniently applied by means of a brush; and the above mentioned
solution is then poured upon the coated surface and rubbed over with a cloth, a
polish appearing on the surface as the spirit evaporates. Care is taken to cover
the surface uniformly, and the rubbing continued until the whole surface is
properly polished.

page_text: A Composition or Treatment for Rendering Materials suitable for
being Written upon in an Erasable Manner.
I, HERBERT BRIGGS, of 29, New Street, Idle, in the County of York, School-
master, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
This invention consists in a treatment or composition to be applied to materials
such as paper, cardboard, cloth, wood, slate and the like; so that such materials
for example cloth, as are not in the first instance suitable for being written upon,
are thereby rendered so suitable; and further, that the writing in ink or pencil,
whether on material in the first instance suitable for being written upon, (such as
paper), or not, is thereby rendered capable of being rubbed out, or washed out, or
erased; so that the material can again be used for writing upon.
A further object of the invention is to enable the writing surface, produced as
above, to be obtained white or of other desirable colour; whilst the writing is
in black ink or pencil, or of other desired contrasting colour.
One of the principal uses to which my invention would be applied, would be
to replace the ordinary slates used in schools; and thus to avoid the objectionable
strain on the eyes due to the indistinctuess of grey slate pencil marks on a dark or
dirty grey ground; as the material for writing upon would then consist of a wood
board, or stiff cardboard or mill board, or other suitable material having a cream
white ground, or ground of other desired shade of white; which would be written
upon in black or blue black ink, or in pencil; and the writing produced, capable
of being afterwards rubbed out; so that the same board or material could be
used an indefinite number of times, as is now the case with ordinary school
slates. I find that it is quite possible to cover or treat ordinary school slates
according to my invention, and to use them in the same manner and with the
same advantages as are obtained when cardboard or the like material is used.
My invention consists in preparing a composition or rather solution of French
white gum shellac by dissolving the same in methylated spirit and adding a little
isinglass. I find that the above materials in the proportion of:-
1 pint of methylated spirit
10 ounces of French white gum shellac
and ounce of isinglass
answer well in practice; though it is not necessary to maintain the exact or even
approximate proportions given.
The board, cardboard or other material to be prepared is first coated over with
isinglass conveniently applied by means of a brush, and the above mentioned solution
is then poured upon the coated surface and rubbed over with a rubbing cloth, or
sponge, or pad of cotton wool tied up in a linen bag, or the like; a polish appear-
ing on the surface as the spirit evaporates. Care is taken to cover the surface
uniformly, and the rubbing continued until the whole surface is properly polished.
Where extra smoothness is desired the material may be finished by calendering;
and also calendered after first coating with isinglass.
The colour may be rendered quite white by putting a good coating of isinglass
on a good cardboard, or made cream coloured by a thinner coating of isinglass on
a coarser cardboard.
To produce coloured grounds suitable colouring matters are added to the solu-
tion, for example aniline dye for light pink or pale blue and cochineal for red.

page_text: 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. The production of a surface suitable for being written upon on paper, card-
board, cloth, wood and the like by first coating the material with isinglass and
then pouring upon the surface a solution of French white gum shellac dissolved
in methylated spirit to which a little isinglass has been added and afterwards
rubbing the composition over the surface substantially as herein set forth.
2. The use of a composition consisting of a solution of French white gum shellac
dissolved in methylated spirit with the addition of a small proportion of isinglass
substantially as and for the purpose or purposes herein set forth.
3. The treatment of materials such as paper, cardboard, cloth, wood, slate and
the like substantially in the manner and for the purpose or purposes herein set
forth.
Dated this 7th day of December 1899.
J. CLARK JEFFERSON,
30, Park Row, Leeds, Agent for Applicant.