Improvements in the Manufacture of Sunk Letter Signs, and the like.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Sunk Letter Signs, and
the like.
-
I, WILLIAM MARTIN ECKERSLEY, of Willow Bank, Stretford, near Manchester,
Manager, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to signs and name plates or tablets made of metal with
the letters or figures sunk therein, and chiefly to that make of letter sign covered
by Letters Patent No. 19483 granted to Arthur Strandring on the 13th day of
October 1894, and my invention has for its object to cheapen and expedite the
manufacture of such signs.
Heretofore, in producing a sign with a gilded or silvered effect it has been the
custom to apply gold leaf or silver to the surface of the letter, which on the one
hand involved considerable labor, and on the other hand considerable expense,
likewise in making up the signs, and in order to conceal or cover up the metal
strip in which the letters are formed, and only leave the letters shewing, it has
heretofore been the custom to paint the glass which comes in front of the strip in
keeping with the blank parts thereof, and so leave the letters only exposed to view.
Now the first part of my invention consists in making the letter sign with which
it is desired to obtain a gilded or like effect, of polished or burnished brass, or other
metal of a like lustre, and in which the letters can be formed, and of coating the
face of the sunk letter with a transparent lacquer or varnish. The burnished
effect and natural lustre of the metal affords the desired brilliancy of letter, and
the lacquer or varnish prevents its tarnishing. The same or a similar effect may
be obtained with white or plated metal for silvered letter signs, and with copper, or
bronze for other effects.
The second part of my invention consists in covering up or obliterating the
blank parts of the metal strip by applying the paint direct thereto, instead of to
the glass, and thus enabling such operation to be more speedily carried out with-
out the skill and judgement required in applying it to the glass. The paint so
used is of a dull or non-brilliant character, owing to an admixture of turpentine,
and therefore gives an intensely black or 'dead' back-ground to the sign."
In such ways I greatly reduce the cost of the sign, and expedite its production.
Dated this 20th day of January 1897.

page_text: Improvements in the Manufacture of Sunk Letter Signs and
the like.
I, WILLIAM MARTIN ECKERSLEY, of Willow Bank, Stretford, near Manchester,
Manager, 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:-
My invention relates to signs and name plates or tablets made of metal with
the letters or figures sunk therein, and chiefly to that make of letter sign covered
by Letters Patent No. 19483 granted to Arthur Strandring on the 13th day of
October 1894, and my invention has for its object to cheapen and expedite the
manufacture of such signs.
Heretofore, in producing a sign with a gilded or silvered effect it has been the
custom to apply gold leaf or silver to the surface of the letter, which on the one
hand has involved considerable labor, and on the other hand considerable expense.
Likewise, in making up the signs, and in order to conceal or cover up the metal
strip in which the letters are formed, and only leave the letters shewing, it has
heretoforé been the custom to paint the glass which comes in front of the strip in
keeping with the blank parts thereof, and so leave the letters only exposed to view.
The first part of my invention consists in making the letter sign with which it.
is desired to obtain a gilded or like effect, of polished or burnished brass, or other
metal of a like lustre, and in which the letters can be formed, and of coating the
face of the sunk letter with a transparent lacquer or varnish. The burnishing
and (or) natural lustre of the metal afford the desired brilliancy of letter, and the
lacquer or varnish prevents it tarnishing. The same or a similar effect may be
obtained with white or plated metal for silvered letter signs, and with copper or
bronze for other effects.
The second part of my invention consists in covering up or obliterating the
blank parts of the metal strip by applying the paint direct thereto, instead of to
the glass, and thus enabling such operation to be more speedily carried out, and
without the skill and judgement hitherto, required in applying it to the glass. The
paint so used is of a dull or non-brilliant character, owing to an admixture of
turpentine, and therefore gives an intensely black or dead' back-ground to the 3
sign.
said
In such ways I greatly reduce the cost of the sign, and expedite its production.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
desire to secure by Letters Patent is:
my
1: A sunk letter sign or the like made of burnished metal, or metal with a
natural hue or lustre, and with the lettering lacquered or varnished, and the plain
or blank parts coated with a dull or non-brilliant paint or fluid, as hereinbefore
described.
2:—A sunk letter sign or the like with the plain or blank parts coated with a
dull or non-brilliant paint as set forth.
3
4

page_text: 3: A sunk letter sign or the like made of burnished metal, or metal with a
natural hue or lustre, and with the lettering lacquered or varnished as set forth.
Dated this 21st day of October 1897.
WILLIAM MARTIN ECKERSLEY,
By John G. Wilson & Co.,
Agents.