A Process for the Production of Mother of Pearl Imitations as Ornaments on Polished or Lacquered Surfaces.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Oct., 1891-Accepted, 12th Dec., 1891
COMIDELE DIEUITIVATION.
A Process for the Production of Mother of Pearl Imitations as
Ornaments on Polished or Lacquered Surfaces.
I ROBERT HIMMEL of 79 Bernauerstrasse Berlin in the Empire of Germany
Merchant 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 the production of a kind of mother of pearl imitations or
ornamentations upon polished or lacquered surfaces of various description.
Articles made of wood ivory statuary paste board horn celluloid and leather are
particularly suitable for the application of my process.
According to my new process articles of wood may be likewise ornamented by
providing them with a coat of oil colour covered over with a layer of lacquer but
such work is not so fine in appearance.
My process consists essentially in dabbing with bronze powder the plates
previously lacquered and in exerting thereon a suitable pressure by means of a stamp
or die the under surface of which is heated and provided with designs formed in
intaglio therein according to the pattern required.
My process may be modified in such a manner that the engraved stamp or die
may be pressed upon the plates without the aid of heat colored bronze being laid in
the depressions formed and pressure subsequently applied by means of a heated
stamp or die.
I will now proceed to more particularly describe the object of my invention it
being assumed that wood &c. can be furnished with ornamentations in the manner
explained and have the appearance of work inlaid with mother of pearl.
The wooden plates are first suitably planed and cleaned in the case of fine articles
and if other ground colours are required besides that which is natural to the wood
such colours are first laid on the plates accordingly.
For ordinary work I then cover the plates with lacquer but for finer work I
polish these plates while for coarse work I use plates having received a coat of oil
colour upon which I place the layer of lacquer.
After the polish or coat of lacquer is fully dry I smear the plate with bronze
powder of suitable colour and I evenly distribute this powder with the aid of a
suitable distributor such as a fine camel hair brush this being effected in such a
manner that every portion of the plate which has to be pressed is copiously provided
therewith.
To obtain by these means very fine and uniform work I make use of patterns or
templates placed in those parts of the plate which are about to be provided with
certain ornamentations.
These patterns or templates are cut out according to the outline of the orna-
mentations the bronze powder being placed upon the parts unoccupied by the said
patterns.
This
The bronze powder which I use may be unicoloured or multicoloured.
multicolouring is obtained by mixing several unicoloured bronzes or laying them on
in superposed layers.
In order to fix the bronze on the wood I use brass plates metallic plates or dies
of circular or other form which I furnish with engraving resembling the ornamenta-
tions required to be formed on the wood. These dies are suitably heated and pressed
upon the wooden plates with the engraved parts underneath them when the heat of
the dies is communicated to the polish or lacquer softening them and thus effecting
a tight combination of the bronze with the wood.
After the engraved dies have been allowed to act for a more or less extended

page_text: lapse of time (generally only a few seconds) according to their temperature I
withdraw them from the wooden plates after which I clean the latter with a soft
substance so as to remove the superfluous bronze there being now produced a
multicolour design resembling mother of pearl and corresponding to the engraved
dies used.
According to a modification of the process above described-for the production
of multicoloured articles-I press the dies upon the wood first in a cold state and
thus mark the outlines of the ornaments in the lacquer then I apply by means of a
distributor such as a fine camel hair brush the bronze in the depressions formed and
finally exert a pressure with the dies in a heated state.
In carrying out the above described process articles of ivory wood horn celluloid
leather etcetera can also be provided with a layer of lacquer and are then
furnished with bronze and pressed with the aid of heat being subsequently washed
or brushed.
According to my new process the upper surfaces of these articles are first
prepared in the manner herein before set forth and then furnished with the mother
of pearl imitation or ornamentation.
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
The above described process for producing imitations of mother of pearl in order
to ornament polished or lacquered surfaces of various descriptions such as wood
statuary paste board horn celluloid leather and other similar plates or surfaces this
process consisting in suitably covering the previously polished or lacquered surfaces
with one or more layers of unicoloured or multicolored bronze powder and pressing
the same forthwith with heated rollers or plates furnished with patterns or designs
in order to melt more or less by the heat of the pressing rollers or plates the said
polish or lacquering and form an intimate combination between such bronzed polish
or lacquering with the ground of the article substantially in the manner and for the
purposes hereinbefore set forth.
Dated thin oath d... of Ontahan 1901
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Patentee.