IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF VARNISH, PRINTING INK, PAINT, AND PRINTING COLORS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Prince, of the Office for Patents,
No. 4, Trafalgar Square, Charing Cross, in the County of Middlesex,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF VARNISH,
PRINTING INK, PAINT, AND PRINTING COLORS."-A communication from
abroad by David Steinert, residing at the Free City of Hamburgb.
Sealed the 27th March 1868, and dated the 30th September 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Prince at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 30th
September 1862.
I, ALEXANDER PRINCE, of the Office for Patents, No. 4, Trafalgar Square,
Charing Cross, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF VARNISH,
PRINTING INE, PAINT, AND PRINTING COLORS," a communication to me from
abroad by David Steinert, resident at the Free City of Hamburgh, to be as
follows:-
This Invention consists in the use and application of petroleum (instead of
linseed oil, hitherto in use,) to the manufacture of varnish, printing ink, paint,
and printing colors. I propose to manufacture varnish for printing ink and
all kinds of oil colors by mixing 1 part by weight of purified (refined?
petroleum with 1 part by weight of resin. This mixture is then to be
submitted to a moderate heat of about 80 degrees Fahrenheit, when the
resin will dissolve in the petroleum, and when cold will, produce a tough and
thick liquid. For the preparation of printing ink and oil colors this thick

page_text: sticky product is treated in the same way as linseed oil is now treated. In
some cases I add oil of turpontine, alcohol, or sulphuric ether to the varnish,
or any one of them, in the proportion of about 1 part by weight of oil of
turpentine, and about one-eighth part by weight of sulphuric ether or alcohol.
These additions are for the purpose of making the color more or less glossy 5
and thick.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alexander Prince in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th
March 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
PRINCE, of the Office for Patents, No. 4, Trafalgar Square, Charing Cross,
in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Alexander Prince, Her special licence that I, the said Alexander
Prince, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such other as I, the
said Alexander Prince, 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF VARNISH, PRINTING INK, PAINT, AND PRINTING
COLORS," a communication to me from abroad by David Steinert, resident at
the Free City of Hamburgh, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Alexander Prince, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be
filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander Prince, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-

page_text: This Invention consists in the use and application of petroleum, or the
products thereof, (instead of linseed oil, hitherto in use,) to the manufac-
ture of varnish, printing ink, paint, and printing colors, and oil colors of
every kind. Instead of natural petroleum, coal and schist oil prepared in an
artificial way may likewise be applied.
I now proceed to describe the best means I am acquainted with for
carrying the said Invention into practical effect. To obtain the petroleum
products the method is as follows:-
Petroleum varnish for the manufacture of printing colors.-For the pre-
paration of this varnish, I dissolve one and a half parts by weight of resin in
one part by weight of purified petroleum at a temperature of sixty to one hun-
dred degrees Celsius. At this temperature the solution is quickly attained, and
after it has become cool a thickish but transparent varnish results, which,
according to the color of the resin employed for it, appears more or less of a
brown red color. This varnish ground together with the colors to be applied
for printing in such a quantity that the requited consistency is obtained
furnishes printing colors not inferior to those prepared by means of linseed oil.
In case the printing colors are particularly required to dry quickly, I dissolve
in the above-described varnish, at a moderate heat, soap in proportion
of five to ten per cent. of the weight of the varnish. According to the
quality of the paper or other material to be applied for printing, and according
to the quality of the printing types, surfaces, and lithographic stones, I
alter the resin to the varnish, so that it shall vary from half to double the
weight of the petroleum.
Petroleum for the preparation of the other oil colors.-The varnish prepared
for the manufacture of printing colors would be too tough, and too difficult to
dry if applied for coating colors, I therefore add to one part by weight of it two
parts by weight more of purified petroleum, so that two parts of petroleum
are mixed with one part of resin; I add, further, soap in proportion of five
per cent. of the total weight of that compound. I then heat it till the soap
is dissolved, and the liquid perfectly clear and transparent, after which the same
having been filtered, while still warm, it will furnish a varnish, which, ground
together with colors, will produce oil colors which can be applied with great
advantage to wood, stone, metal, paper, textile fabrics, etc. This varnish
can also be prepared directly from two parts by weight of purified petroleum,
one part by weight of resin, and soap in proportion of five per cent. of the
total weight of the compound however this manner of preparing it is less
advisable, as the varnish so prepared easily gets dull. In some cases, and
especially when a more greasy varnish is required, I apply two parts by

page_text: weight of petroleum, one part and a quarter by weight of resin, one part and
a half by weight or even two parts of resin.
I do not confine myself to the before-mentioned proportions of this varnish
for oil colors, but intend to vary them as experience may render desirable,
and also to add to them other substances if further experience should so
require it.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Prince, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of March, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-three.