Method for creating a simulated stone surface or the like

A method for creating a simulated stone pattern surface or the like on a surface area in which a pattern, provided with a plurality of irregular cutouts defined by a web of interconnected strip portions, is adhereable to a surface for removal after the application thereover of a settable plastic composition, to define mortar lines, with the pattern being rectangular and designed to mate, in a plurality of orientations, with other different patterns.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
A related patent application for Apparatus and Method for Creating a 
Simulated Brick Surface or the Like, Ser. No. 877,858, Feb. 15, 1978, 
abandoned; a design patent application for a Decorative Tape System Ser. 
No. 006,108, Jan. 24, 1979; and a design patent application for a 
Decorative Stone Pattern, Ser. No. 006,107, Jan. 24, 1979; have been filed 
by the same inventor. 
BRIEF SUMMARY 
This invention relates to a method for creating a simulated stone-pattern 
surface or the like on a surface area. In a known prior practice, a series 
of tape strips were applied to demark the mortar lines in a simulated 
brick surface. The taped surface was then coated with a suitable settable 
composition which, upon setting, gave the appearance of brick, with the 
tape being removed prior to setting. 
The present invention simplifies the creation of a simulated stone pattern 
surface by providing an integral pattern to define mortar lines between 
simulated stones following the removal of the pattern subsequent to the 
application of a settable plastic composition thereover. A non-repetitive 
surface is achieved by utilizing a plurality of patterns differing from 
each other but mateable in a plurality of orientations.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
The present system is designed to create a simulated fieldstone surface or 
the like. For example, FIG. 1 illustrates a room wall area 10 adjacent a 
side wall 12. After suitable preparation of the surface of wall 10 (to 
provide a clean solid surface, which may include the application of a 
priming coat), a group of patterns 14 are applied to the surface area. 
Each of the patterns 14 comprises a plurality of open areas, desirably of 
irregular form to simulate the shape of a stone, bounded by strips which 
will define variable sized mortar joints in the final surface. For 
example, in the view of FIG. 2, the illustrated pattern 14 consists of a 
plurality of openings 16 bounded (in part or fully) by interconnected 
narrow strip portions 18. To facilitate association of the pattern with 
the surface 10, in the preferred arrangement the pattern is coated on its 
reverse side with a pressure sensitive adhesive and backed with a 
removable backing paper 20 (FIG. 2), and the pattern is formed of treated 
paper with the markings delineating the areas 16 and the strips 18 being 
fully or majorly die cut through the paper so that they may be readily 
removed. The backing strip 20 is peeled from the pattern 14, which may be 
accomplished either prior to application of the pattern 14 to the wall 10 
or by the technique of partially peeling off the backing, securing the 
pattern in the peeled area to the wall and then completing the peeling 
operation as the pattern is permitted to drop into adhering relationship 
with the wall surface. The solid areas of the pattern which are to form 
the openings 16 may be removed from the backing preliminary to the other 
steps, may be removed with the backing, by appropriate manipulation, or 
may be removed after the full pattern is adhered to the wall 10. The 
adherence of the pattern 14 to the wall 10 through the medium of glue or 
pressure sensitive adhesive 24 is illustrated in the cross sectional view 
of FIG. 3. 
While the pattern is preferably of paper, it may be of other materials such 
as cardboard or plastic and may be as thick as desired, including, as an 
example, as thick as the depth of the proposed mortar line. 
After the patterns are adhered in position, any suitable plastic settable 
composition 26 may be applied over the pattern-covered surface area 10. It 
is not necessary to apply material over the web strips 18, although it may 
be simpler to do so. The material is termed plastic in the sense that it 
can be readily molded and may be the consistency of a thin mortar or cake 
frosting. It should be appliable with a spatula or the like, and should 
not sag or run upon application. The material should be settable, in the 
sense of having the capacity to set or cure or harden to a rigid surface 
after the passage of a reasonable time. Any suitable material may be 
employed. For example, mixtures of limestone, mica, organic binders and 
thickeners and silica sand may be employed, mixed with water to a suitable 
consistency. The percentages can be varied widely. As one example, a 
mixture of 42% limestone, 6% mica, 2% organic binders (such as vinyls) and 
cellulosic thickeners and 50% silica sand, by volume, may be mixed with 
water to provide a suitable paste. Coloring may be added if desired, and 
different areas may be differently colored to simulate the variety of 
stones. Suitable mixtures are available on the commercial market and do 
not form a part of the present invention, the only requirement being that 
the material be applicable in a plastic state to the surface and that it 
subsequently satisfactorily harden or cure to provide a rigid surface. 
The composition 26 may be applied in an appropriate thickness (such as 1/16 
to 1/4 inch more or less) and may be applied to an irregular thickness to 
better simulate the surface of the fieldstones, as is illustrated in the 
cross sectional view of FIG. 4 of the drawing. 
After the composition has been applied, with or without partial setting, 
the pattern 14 with any composition overlying the strips 18 is peeled off 
of the wall and discarded, the removed strips 18 leaving a residual 
pattern 28 (FIG. 5) simulating the mortar joints or lines between the 
simulated fieldstone areas. 
In the preferred arrangement, the entire wall pattern is made up of a group 
of separate and distinctive subpatterns, subpatterns 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d 
and 14e being illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawing. Each pattern is 
rectangular and is arranged to mate side to side and end to end with each 
of the other patterns, regardless of whether each pattern is in one 
orientation or is rotated end for end. Thus, pattern 14a is illustrated as 
abutting and mating with pattern 14b in the sense that each of the 
constituent strip portions terminating along the left-hand edge of pattern 
14b aligns with and serves as a continuation of a corresponding 
termination on pattern 14a, and the other patterns, while different, 
similarly coact. 
The method of achieving that co-action is best illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 6 
of the drawings. First, each of the strip portions which terminates at an 
edge of the pattern is of a constant width, such as 3/4 of an inch, and 
that is true even though the patterns differ significantly in design from 
one another. Secondly, the locations at which the strip portions 18 
terminate along one vertical (in the illustrated orientation) edge is the 
same for each of the patterns and are aligned (in a vertical sense) with 
the locations at which the strips 18 terminate along the second parallel 
edge of the patterns, to provide side-to-side mateability of the patterns. 
The same thing is true for the top and bottom edges, to provide end-to-end 
mateability of the patterns. Further, the locations along each of the 
edges of each of the patterns at which the strip portions 18 terminate are 
arranged symmetrically about the center line of each such edge, as may be 
noted with regard to patterns 30a, 30b, 30c and 30d in FIG. 6. Thus, each 
of the patterns 30a through 30d (FIG. 6) may be rotated 180.degree. in its 
plane and it will still mate both side-to-side and end-to-end with each of 
the other patterns, whether they have been rotated or not, thereby 
increasing the variety of final stone patterns which may be created with a 
certain number of the cut-out patterns. 
As one specific example, as illustrated, with a pattern 18 inches wide and 
48 inches long (and they may, of course, be smaller or larger), one 
termination occurs at the center of each edge of the pattern. Two further 
terminations occur 6 inches to each side of center at each narrower edge 
of each pattern. Along the longer pair of edges of each pattern, 
terminations occur 71/2 inches each side of center, 111/2 inches each side 
of center, and 191/2 inches each side of center, all as examples. 
It is to be understood that a variety of sizes and simulated patterns may 
be created within the principles and scope of the present invention.