Patent GB-1124642-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in ceramic products
Inventor: FITZGERALD JOHN V
IPC: E04F13/08
Filed: 1965-06-17
Abstract: 1,124,642. Ceramic tile panel. TILE COUNCIL OF AMERICA Inc. 17 June, 1965 [18 June, 1964], No. 25679/65. Heading B6G. [Also in Division E1] In a flexible, prefabricated, multi-tile, ceramic tile panel, the individual tiles are bonded to one another edge to edge by means of an interstitial web of an adhesive bonding material the thickness of the web in at least some of the interstices between adjoining tiles being less than the thickness thereof so that open channels are formed behind the web in the rear surface of the panel and the front surface of the web is not above the front surface of the tiles. The open channels serve as crevices or recesses for the reception of adhesive such as hydraulic cement mortar or organic adhesives for bonding the panel to a substratum such as wood or concrete. The panel may have an exposed joint of the web bonded to the edges of those tile pieces not surrounded by other tile pieces, which may be as thick as the tile thereby providing a finishing edge or border. The border may have any geometrical configuration which may be suitable for mating with or butting against another panel having a border with a complementary configuration. The panels may be rolled and installel as continuous sheets, or stacked. The web may have a thickness the same as the distance between the front and back faces of the tile pieces in a first direction, and in a second direction normal to the first a thickness less than the said distance, such that the panel is rigid along the first direction and flexible along the second direction. The ceramic tiles may be vitreous, non-vitreous, semi-vitreous or impervious opaque, transluscent or transparent and may have a fired on ceramic glaze and be of the cushion edge type. The edge surfaces of the tile may be precoated with a primer for the web material. The web material may comprise epoxy resins such as polepoxides and epoxy polyethers, polyester resins i.e. polycondensation products of polycarboxylic acids and polyhydric alcohols vinyl resins such as polyvinyl and polyvinylidene chloride, and copolymers of vinyl chloride with vinylidene chloride and vinyl esters such as vinyl acetate, maleate, natural and synthetic rubber and polyurethane resins along with curing agents, accelerators, extruders, plasticizers, pigments and colouring agents, aggregates such as silica, silica gel, sand, and chopped fibres. Small amounts of a conductor such as carbon black and metal such as copper may be added to provide an antistatic installation, and the tiles may be of the conductive type e.g. made of clay containing conducting materials such as iron or iron ore. Monomeric epoxides may be used. Suitable resins and corresponding curing agents, accelerators, plasticizers &c. are described. The panel may be made by injection moulding. In the Examples, arrays of ceramic tile are adhered to a pressure sensitive masking paper and placed in metal trays with the paper surface down, and the resinous material is injected between the tile pieces to partially fill the open joints of the tile arrays. The resulting assembly is then cured. The flexible mosaics are suitable for covering curved surfaces such as columns, or for covering floors, ceilings, exteriors, furniture including kitchen counters, and especially for forming continuous, water impervious ceramic. surfacing in showers and tub recesses e.g .bonding to gypsum wallboard.