US1969551A - Animated silhouette picture and method of making same - Google Patents

Description

1934- c. A. FRANCIS 1,969,551

ANIMATED SILHOUETTE PICTURE AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed June 23. 1933 1 112 .'J 10 -11 INVENTOR 3 A TTORNEYJ Patented Aug. 7, 1934 UNITED STATES PAT NT ANIMATED SILHOUETTE PICTURE AND 7 METHOD OF MAKING SALIE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to silhouette pictures and a method of making the same and has for its principal objects the production of silhouettes I having, in themselves, an appearance of depth and substance and so mounted that an optical illusion of animation of the silhouette figure results and the illusion of depth and substance is augmented.

A correlative object is the provision of a narrow, sharp line of transparency on the figure in closely spaced relation to the outline to create the effect of high lights and consequent appearance of depth and substance.

I Another object of the present invention resides in the method of making such silhouettes whereby they may be made efiiciently, economically; and of uniform quality in large or small quantities.

Other objects and advantages will become ap-' parent from the following specification wherein reference is made to the drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment of the present invention and the method of manufacture.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a silhouette picture made in accordance with the present invention and mounted in a manner such that the illusion of animation and depth is created.

Fig. 2 is a sectional View of the embodiment illustrated in Fig. l and is taken on a plane indicated by the line 2-2 thereon.

Fig. 3 is a somewhat diagrammatic sectional view illustrating an apparatus suitable for performing the main step in the method of manufacture.

Referring to Fig. 1 the invention comprises a piece of glass 1 or other suitable transparent or translucent material, on one face of which is disposed a silhouette 2, the silhouette being formed preferably of an opaque substance so as to prevent substantially the passage of all lighttherethrough. The glass is mounted in a suitable frame 3 and preferably with the silhouette disposed on the rearward face. The frame is of such depth and so arranged that the glass 1 may be mounted in spaced relation forwardly from a backing mat 4, one face of which mat is exposed forwardly so as to be visible through the glass.

Heretofore, when glass, on which images have been painted, has been mounted, it has been the practice to dispose the glass against or very close to the backing mat. In the present invention, however, the contrary is true, the mat 4 being disposed a sufficient distance to the rear of the glass so that a large portion thereof directly behind the silhouette or image is visible when the silhouette is viewed at a slight angle to the direct line of vision. Assuming the form shown by way of illustration is actual size, the distance the mat is spaced from the picture may be about A 'of an inch. As a result, when the picture is disposed on the wall and exposed to light, a very pronounced and clear-cut shadow 5 of the silhouette is cast on the mat, as indicated in Fig. l, in a position in which it may be seen readily by an observer standing at a distance from the wall.

Again, if the light is at a slight angle from the direct line to the silhouette, the shadow will be cast suiiiciently far to one side of the silhouette so as to be clearly visible to an observer directly in front. In either event, therefore, the observer 7 can see a shadow, or a large portion thereof, cast by the image and clearly conforming to the image outline, in fact,a shadow of about the quality that would be cast on the wall by a person walking between the wall and the light a distance out from such wall. When viewed from a wider angle to the direct'line or when the light is disposed at a greater angle, substantially the entire shadow of the silhouette is visible on the mat. In this manner a very pronounced effect as to depth and substance of the silhouette is created.

Since the observers eyes and position Will necessarily shift somewhat upon movement of the observer, the shadow will appear to move relative to the silhouette, thus creating the effect of animation. Further, if a number of lights are placed in several diiferent positions in the room in which the picture is disposed, a multiplicity of shadows of different intensities and different degrees of distortion as well as overlapping shadows will be clearly visible. If the observer shifts position, and relative 'anglesof sight change for the respective lights, and consequently the shadow will move relative to the silhouette and overlap in different relations to produce different and continuously moving resultant patterns which further augment the illusion of animation of the silhouette.

Experience has proven that in order to obtain the most pronounced effect for a single shadow and also clearly distinguished shadows of different intensities which may partially overlap due to a number of different lights in the room, it is necessary that the backing mat 4 be of high grade paper, preferably white or other light color or'for water color work, andhaving a soft, unglazed, rough surface such as used for framing mats on pictures, as a slick or smooth finish on the paper tends to cause a glare and reduce the effectiveness and individual characteristics of the various shadows. Furthermore, with a rough paper the per se, yet gives the appearance of greater light near the edge of the silhouette, as though a three dimensional body were exposed to light onthe face exposed edgewise to the observer. This also tends to create the appearance of depth and substance especially when the silhouette is disposed.

in front of a light background.

Silhouettes on glass having this line of transparency may be produced on a printing press in the following manner. The silhouette pattern is cut on a linoleum block or any block of yieldable material which will operate well for printing with printers ink. Such a block, indicated at 10, is mounted in a suitable press (for example, a Patten press) preferably of the non-rotary type, and the sheets of glass 1 are fed into the press in the manner of display cards or similar heavy stockprinting paper. These sheets are preferably very uniform thickness, but if desired, a rubber or paper pad 11 or some other yieldable substance may be placed beneath the glass in order that it will not be subjected to extreme pressure and broken by the press in case of slightly greater thickness.

The process should be practiced at a room temperature of 60 to '70 degrees, any suitable printing ink being used. The ink, however, should have sufficient varnish content to impartthe required.

tackiness. When the block so inked is-pressed onto the glass it will provide a clear image. It must be pressed firmly. against the glass and then lifted as nearly directly normal to the glass as possible for separation. This operation causes suction between the glass and block due to the yieldability of the block and smooth. surface of the glass and upon withdrawal of the block the ink close to the edges of the printed image and slightly inwardly from the edges, tends to draw inwardly leaving near the edges and substantially entirely around the image a narrow uninked portion. This action of ink in the general printing art and on paper has caused considerable trouble inasmuch as attempts have always been made to make a clear fully filled print. On paper, however, because of its absorbing qualities, this effect has caused a jagged uninked effect near the edge of the type. It is found, however, that on glass, when using ink of sufficient tackiness to adhere to the glass this line is very uniform in width and evenly spaced inwardly from the edge of the image, due to the nonabsorbent qualities of the glass and the hard, smooth surface and with such ink, the line can be controlled by variation of a few degrees in temperature. Thus by actively controlling and using what constituted a defect in ordinary printing, a new and striking effect and use is obtained. 7

This line can be varied in several ways, for instance, by an increase or decrease of about 10 deinkand a wider line, partially inked will result if the tackinessis decreased or if the room becomes undulywarrn. With these effects in mind,

an experienced printer can readily achieve the result herein described a few trials serving to demonstrate clearly the proper degree of tackines's and-room temperature for the desired effect and location of the line, after which the conditions can be held constant for the remainder of the-prints.

- Having thus described my invention, I clalm:

1. A method of printingsilhouettes having high lights comprising applying printing ink-on the printing face of a silhouette type having a 0 yieldable printing face, pressing the type firmly against a smooth, hard, polished surface. of a panel of stock with suflicient pressure to create, a suction between the type face and said surface, withdrawing the type promptly from said surface, whereby a line of transparency is formedon the printed image in closely spaced relation to the margin thereof and conforming closely to the image outline and controlling the configuration and quality of the lineof transparency 1-19 by varying the tackiness of=the ink.

2. As a new' article of manufacture, a picture comprising a glass panel, an image thereon of opaque material, a sharp, clearly defined line of transparency on the image spaced inwardly 1 15 from and closely adjacent to the marginal limit of the image and substantially coextensive there,- with and conforming closely to the adjacent outlin'e of-the image.

. 3, As a new article of manufacture, a silhouette 1-20 picture comprising a glass-panel, a silhouette image thereon, a narrow sharp, clearly-defined line of transparency on the image spaced inwardly from and closely adjacent to the mar-' ginal limit of the image and conforming closely to and substantially coextensive with the entire outline of the image, means having alight wall surface disposed behind the panel and image-and visible through the panel and through said line of transparency from a point of observationv in front of thepanel, said visible surface having a dull unglazed finish. V U 1- 4. As a new article of manufacture, a-picture comprising a panel having a smooth, 11216.,11301'? ished surface, an opaque image thereon, a sharp, clearly defined line of transparency on the image spaced inwardly and closely adjacent-to the mareginal limit of-the image and conforming'closely to the outline of the image and substantially coextensive therewith, any portions of the image bounding uncovered surfaces .of thepanel also having a. lineof transparency spaced closely-adjacent to the margin of the image defining. said uncovered surfaces and conforming closely to the uncoated surface so defined. 1 45 CARL ALEXANDER FRANCIS. I

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