US1243553A - Method of making gold or other metal leaf impressions. - Google Patents

Description

F. A. PUTNAM.

METHOD OF MAKING GOLD OR OTHER METAL LEAF IMPRESSIONS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I. 19!].

Patented Oct. 16, 1917.

FRED A. PUTNAM, OF MELROSE, MASSACHUSETTS.

METHOD OF MAKING GOLD OR OTHER METAL LEAF IMPRESSIONS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 16, 1917.

, Application filed-June 1, 1917. Serial No. 172,228.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED A. PUTNAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Melrose, county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Methods of Making Gold or other Metal Leaf Impressions, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characterson the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to a process or method of applying gold leaf to leather, cloth, paper or other similar material thereby to make an impression thereon, and the object of the invention is to provide a novel process by which a sharp, clearcut and burnished impression can be quickly made without any loss of material.

One, method which is now commonly used in making gold leaf or other metal leaf impressions on material consists in first applying a coating of sizing to the material, then laying the gold leaf or other metal leaf over the sized portion of the material and subsequently applying a heated die to the metal leaf thereby causing the portion thereof with which the die contacts to adhere to the material and make the metal leaf impression thereon.

In order to finish the impression made by this method it is necessary to brush off from the material all of the metal leaf except that with which the die had contact, and'this operation entails more or less loss which is a considerable factor where the metal leaf used is, gold leaf. Furthermore, it sometimes happens that the metal leaf will stick to the sized material at other places than that at which the die member acts on the metal leaf, and as a result, the impression is given a somewhat smeared appearance;

In order to avoid the sizing of the material before applying the metal leaf thereto, it has been proposed to afiix the metal leaf to a thin paper backing and to provide a coating of sizing either on the exposed face of the metal leaf or between the metal leaf and the backing so that when the heated die is pressed against the backing the metal leaf will be separated from the backing at the points where the die contacts therewith, and such separated portions ofthe metal leaf will be caused to adhere to the material.

One of the advantages of this method of procedure is that there is no waste, of the metal leaf because when the impression is made only that portion of the metal leaf corresponding to the impression will be separated from the backing, the rest of the metal leaf still being retained onthe backing.

In order to cause the metal leaf to adhere firmly to the material it is necessary to subject the die to considerable pressure and where the die acts on the gold leaf through the paper backing, the pressure of the paper against the gold leaf has a tendency to reproduce on the gold leaf a representation of the surface of the paper, thus detracting from the desired brilliancy or luster of the printed impression.

My present invention provides a novel method of making a gold leaf impression which does not involve the step of first sizing the material and by which a brilliant lustrous impression can be made.

In accordance with my invention, I first apply the gold leaf or other metal leaf to the material on which the impression is to be made and then I heat the die with which the impression is to be made also the metal leaf sufiiciently to cause the portions of the metal leaf which are subjected to the pressure of the die to separate.

from the paper backing and to adhere firmly to the material. the paper backing is removed and the sized die is then brought directly against the metal leaf which has been transferred to the material, and this second impression After the first impression gives a smooth surface to the impression I and removes therefrom any traces of the impression that might be made by the paper. A bright burnished impression is thus produced without the loss of any metal leaf and Y which has a clear-cut outline.

In order to give an understanding of the invention I have illustrated in the drawings more or less diagrammatically one manner of practising the same which will now be described, after which the novel features will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Figure 1 shows in perspective view some of the implements by which my improved v process may be'carried out;

Figs. 2, 3, i and illustrate different steps in the process;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the gold or metal leaf. 7

The material on which the impression is to be madeisjshownat l and this may be l61tl181, (3l()tl1, paper or any other similar material. The gold leaf or other metal leaf is indicated at 2 and'l hare shown it as applied to and supported by a backing 3 of porous imiterizd such for instance, as thin porous paper." The metal leaf and paper are shown as in the form of a strip which is rolled up into the roll 4. 5 indicates a platen or work-support on which thematerial 1 is supported while the impression is being made, and (dis a die member having type characters '1 thereon, The die mem her is preferably heated by some suitable means as usual when making metal leaf impressions;

In carrying out lily-method the material is firstplaced on the platen or work-support 5 and the metal leaf strip is then placed on said material with themetal leaf in contact therewith; No sizing is applied 'to the material so that the portion of the material against which the metal leaf rests is in its natural condition: A coating of sizingis then applied to the face of the die 6 and thesized die is then pressed firmly against the backing-3 and during-this operation the sizingon' the face of the die will penetrate the backing 3 and also the metal leaf 2 suliiciently to cause the portions ofthe metal leaf which are subjected to the pressure of the die to separate from the backing 3 and to adhere to the material 1. The die 6 is then separated from the material and the strip of metal leaf is removed after which anothercoating of sizing is applied to the,

die and the sized die is brought directly against'the metal leaf impression which has been formed on the material. In making the first impression the pressure of the die against the backing will tend to cause it to reproduce on the 'metal leaf a representation of the surface of the backing; l hen the sized die makes its second impression it acts directly-on the metal leaf and operates to iron or smooth the surface of the latter, thus producinga bright, burnished impression and eliminating any traces which the'paper backing'may have'left on the metal leaf. A clear-cut highly-burnished impression is thusproduced without the loss of any metal leaf and without the necessity of using any more sizing' than is necessary to cause the metal leaf toadhere'to-the material;

The" operations of manipulating the metal leaf so as to bring it into and out of operative position and of sizing the die at propertimes may be accomplished by various means without departing from the invention. The devices herein shown are somewhat similar to those illustrated in my co-pending application Se. No. 57,360, filed @ctoberflil, 1915; The strip of gold leaf and its backing are carried in a swinging carrier 8 and as the strip isused'itis unwound from the roll and wound "onto-a roll 9. Y The sizing of the'die is accomplished by means of 'a sizing roll l0 which is sus' tained in a swinging frame orcarrier 11; In carrying out my improved process the swinging carriers may be sustained on suitable machine similar to that illustrated in my above-mentioned co-pending applica the carrier S-is brought to restwith the.

metal leaf strip directly over the material: 1 and beneath the die 6, asshoWnin'Fig. 3.

The heated die 6 their descends to make the first impression; during" which the metal leaf whichconstitutes the impression is sep arated from the backing and caused toad here tothemateriaL- The die 6"is then raised and the carriers Sand '11 swingforwardly again into the position shown in Fig.4, thus applying a-second coating of sizing to'the die. Thecarriers then swing" backwardly into the positionshown' in'Fig.

5,:and during this backward movement the carrier 8 moves sufliciently to 'carry the" metal leaf out of the path of'movementof' the die. The die then descends and is brought into 'direct contact with the metal leaf which has been separated from the backing and causedto adhere to the material by the former movement of the die. This second operation gives the impression the highly desirable burnished appearance. It will be'unders'tood, of course, that the prac ticeof my improved method is not limited to'the'use of any'particular devices or ap paratus, and that the implements illustrated in the drawings have been'shown merely for the purpose of, giving a better; understanding of theinvention.

I haveshownat'12 a rotary plate with which'the'sizing roll 10 is brought into contact at each backward movement thereof and by which the requisite sizing is supplied to said roll.

I claim:

1. The method of making a metal leaf impression on material which consists in applying metal leaf directly to unsized material, applying a coating of sizing to a heated die member, Dressing the sized die member against the metal leaf thereby to cause the portion of the latter which is subjected to the pressure of the die member to adhere to the material, withdrawing said die member, applying a second coating of sizing thereto, and then again pressing the sized die member against the metal leaf impression made by the first operation of saiddie member.

The method of making a metal leaf impression on material which consists in providing a strip of metal leaf secured to a backing of porous paper, placing said strip on the unsized surface ofthe material with the metal leaf resting against the face of the material, applying a coating of sizing to a heated die member, pressing said sized die member against the paper backing whereby the sizing will penetrate the backing and metal leaf and causing the portion of the Gopies of this patent may be obtained for metal leaf against which the die member acts to adhere to the unsized material, withdrawing the die member and the strip, and then pressing said die member directly against the metal leaf impression formed by the first operation of said die member.

8. The method of making a metal leaf impression on material which consists in providing a strip of metal leaf secured to a backing of porous paper, placing said strip on the unsized surface of the material with the metal leaf resting against the face of the material, applying a coating of sizing to a heated die member, pressing said sized die member against the paper backing whereby the sizing will penetrate the bacln'ng and metal leaf and causing the portion of the metal leaf a ainst which the die member acts to adhere to the unsized material, withdrawing the die member and the strip, applying a coating of sizing to said die member and then pressing the sized die member directly against the metal leaf impression on the material thereby to burnish it.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

FRED A. PUTNAM.

Washington, D. 0.

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