IMPROVEMENTS IN MARKING SOAP
Year: 1849

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ARTHUR
DUNN, of Worcester, Soap Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Sixteenth day of August,
One thousand eight hundred and forty-nine, in the thirteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Arthur Dunn, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, Her especial license, full
power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Arthur Dunn, my exors,
admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Arthur Dunn, my exors,
adors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales,
and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MARKING SOAP;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that
I, the said Arthur Dunn, shall cause a particular description of the nature
of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, to be inrolled
in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent,
as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at
large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Arthur Dunn, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof (that is to say) :-

page_text: Heretofore what are called fancy soaps have been marked with impressions
of the maker's names, and also with various other devices, the object being
that persons using the soap may know who the makers are, by which means
those makers who wish to obtain credit for their manufactures by reason of
the good quality of the same are enabled to do so to some extent, which is of
considerable importance not only to the manufacturer, but also to the con-
sumer. Such marks or devices, however, having heretofore been moulded on
or in the soap, and consequently of the same color as the soap, a compara-
tively small use of a piece of soap so marked removes the marks or devices
therein or thereon.
Now the object of my Invention is, to mark soap with letters, figures, and
devices of a different color or colors from the soap, the letters, figures, and
devices being on or entering more or less deeply into a piece of soap, continue
to shew (if deeply impressed) till the piece of soap is nearly consumed. And
in order that my Invention may be most fully understood and readily carried
into effect, I will proceed to describe the means pursued by me.
The piece of soap to be marked according to my Invention is to have an
impression formed therein, and for this purpose I use the moulds and dies of
the ordinary construction, but I prefer to have the letters or other device or
design considerably deeper than those ordinarily used, so that the device or
devices, whether consisting of letters or otherwise, may penetrate deeply into
the piece of soap and I mould or stamp each piece of soap in these moulds
or dies by means of a suitable press, as heretofore, and which is well under-
stood. Each piece of soap having been moulded or impressed by the means
above mentioned, or otherwise, with the desired impression or design sunk
deeply into it, I fill up the impression of such, whether consisting of letters or
otherwise, using a spatula or any convenient tool for the purpose, and by
preference with soap in a plastic state of a different color or colors to that of
the pieces of soap to be marked; and I carefully scrape off or remove any
superfluous coloured soap which may have adhered beyond the
the mark or design upon the soap is left perfectly defined upon it.
desired to mark soap with small letters, or any design into which the soap in
the plastic state (of the desired color.) cannot be conveniently introduced in
the manner before described, I then use the coloured soap in the state of
fine powder, with which I fill the impression. I find dry powdered soap
answer best for the purpose when small letters and such like devices are
required. I then by means of a spatula or other tool plaster over the colored
powder a little beaten-up soap, as before described, of the same color as the
powder employed, to keep such powder from dropping out of the impression of
device until
Where it is

page_text: the mark or design, carefully scraping off or removing any superfluous colored
soap which may adhere to other parts than the device on the soap to be
marked, as before described. As the soap so marked washes away in use the
colored powder becomes moistened and presents a clear firm surface of the
mark or design upon it. I recommend that the soap which is to be marked
(especially where a deep impression is to be sunk into it) be allowed to get a
good dry skin upon it before stamping it in the dies or moulds. I also prefer
the soap after it is so stamped or impressed with the desired impression to be
allowed to acquire a good firm dry surface before the beaten up or plastic soap
or the soap in the state of powder is introduced into the impression. Although
I have mentioned only soap of a different color as the marking material, I do
not confine myself thereto, as other material may be used which will wear
away with the soap, or even less fast than the soap; and although I prefer that
the impressions or devices should penetrate as deeply as possible into the soap,
yet the marking in different colors may be more or less deep, according to the
wish of the manufacturer, and in some cases I mould the device before
impressing it on to or in the pieces of soap to be marked.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, I would have it under-
stood that I do not confine myself to the details berein given, so long as the
peculiar character of my Invention be retained; but what I claim is, the mode
of marking soap with any required mark or design with soap or other suitablo
material which varies in color from the soap required to be marked.
In witness whereof, I, the said Arthur Dunn, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty.
Enrolled the Fifteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty.