AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN MANUFACTURING, DECORATING, AND ORNA- MENTING ARTICLES OF FURNITURE
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Pratt Bright, of Stepney Green, in the
County of Middlesex, Commercial Traveller, for the Invention of "AN
IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN MANUFACTURING, DECORATING, AND ORNA-
MENTING ARTICLES OF FURNITURE."
Sealed the 8th March 1867, and dated the 12th September 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Pratt Bright at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 12th September 1866.
. I, JAMES PRATT BRIGHT, of Stepney Green, in the County of Middlesex,
Commercial Traveller, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN MANUFACTURING, DECORATING, AND
ORNAMENTING ARTICLES OF FURNITURE," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in the employment of porcelain, earthenware, slate,
glass, iron, tin, zinc, rice, bone, and ivory, for the purpose of manufacturing,
decorating, and ornamenting furniture in the following manner.
I will describe my Invention as applied to dressing glasses, chimney or
pier glasses, and picture frames. For a dressing glass I take a plate of
porcelain, for example, or either of the above materials may be used, and
insert or lay it in a frame to form the support or rest for the standards of the

page_text: glass. This porcelain may be ornamented with designs in color or other-
wise, as is well known; I form the supports of the frame also of porcelain ;
by this means I make dressing glasses much more effective in appearance
than when marble or wood is used as at present, and at the same time at
a less cost.
For chimney pier glasses and picture frames I insert the porcelain or other
above-named materials in the frames from the back thereof, and this arrange-
ment is applicable to other articles, such as cheffoniers and chairs, where the
material can be inserted in a frame.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Pratt Bright in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 12th March 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
PRATT BRIGHT, of Stepney Green, in the County of Middlesex, Commercial
Traveller, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
James Pratt Bright, Her special licence that I, the said James Pratt Bright,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James
Pratt Bright, 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 "AN IMPROVEMENT
OR IMPROVEMENTS IN MANUFACTURING, DECORATING, AND ORNAMENTING ARTICLES OF
FURNITURE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Pratt
Bright, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly 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 James Pratt Bright, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-

page_text: formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being bad to the accompanying Drawings, that is to
say:
.
:.
My Invention consists in the employment of porcelain, earthenware, slate,
glass, iron, tin, zinc, rice, bone, and ivory, for the purpose of manufacturing,
decorating, and ornamenting furniture, in the following manner :-
I will describe my Invention as applied to dressing glasses, chimney or pier
glasses, and picture frames. For a dressing glass I take a plate of porcelain,
for example, or either of the above materials may be used, and insert or lay it
in á frame to form the support or rest for the standards of the glass. The
porcelain may be ornamented with designs in color or otherwise as is well
known. By this means I make dressing glasses much more effective in
appearance than when marble or wood is used, as at present, and at the same
time at a less cost.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a perspective view of a dressing
glass fitted according to my Invention.
a is a slab of porcelain inserted in the frame b; in the Drawing this slab is
shown without any ornament or design on it, but it is intended to receive such
designs by painting or otherwise as fancy or taste may dictate. Instead of
the slab being made of porcelain it may be composed of any of the
materials before given and ornamented as desired. For chimney pier glasses
and picture frames I insert the porcelain or other, above-named material in
the frames from the back thereof, and this arrangement is applicable to other
articles, such as cheffoniers and chairs, where the material can be inserted in
the frame.
Figure 2 is a view of a chimney glass fitted and ornamented in this manner.
c, c, c, c, are tlie pieces or panels of porcelain inserted in apertures formed in
the frame. These panels are ornamented with designs as desired, and their
color may be arranged to correspond with or to form a contrast to the furniture
of the apartment in which the glass is placed. These panels may be made of
any of the materials herein-before mentioned, which may be also decorated or
colored as fancy or taste may dictate.
I do not consider it necessasy to give further illustrations of the manner in
which my Invention is capable of being carried into effect, as any practical
workmen will readily see the purposes to which it is applicable, for instance,
besides those already given to the ornamenting of music stands, boxes, or
canterburys, tables, whatnots, and in fact to almost all articles of furniture
where the appearanco may be improved by ornamentation of the description
described.

page_text: And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim the improvement
or improvements in manufacturing, decorating, and ornamenting articles of
furniture in and by the employment of materials, substantially in manner
herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I the said James Pratt Bright, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
JS. P. BRIGHT. (L.B.)