IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CONCRETE AND OTHER COMPOSITION OR PLASTIC BLOCKS FOR BUILDING AND OTHER PURPOSES, AND IN MOULDS FOR MAKING SAID BLOCKS
Year: 1879

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Samuel William Bradbury and
Benjamin Goodison at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
15th September 1879.
SAMUEL WILLIAM BRADBURY and BENJAMIN GOODISON, both of Birkenhead, in
the County of Chester. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CONCRETE AND
OTHER COMPOSITION OR PLASTIC BLOCKS FOR BUILDING AND OTHER PURPOSES, AND
IN MOULDS FOR MAKING SAID BLOCKS."
"
This Invention consists in a mode of and apparatus for moulding blocks of
concrete or " stonecrete as we call it, and it will be found useful for building
purposes, artificial monoliths, and other structions of a like character. The moulds
employed will also be useful for moulding clay, terra cotta, and other plastic
materials.
The moulds or boxes may be made of wood, metal, or other suitable material, and
are preferably made in pieces, so that they can be readily taken apart; this is
important as by this means we can save much valuable time by taking the mould
to pieces immediately after casting if required.
The boxes we prefer to make with the sides or ends grooved for the other parts
to fit into, and they are then secured by hooks or other convenient arrangement.
If using wooden boxes, the plan we adopt is generally as follows:-We take as
many sides of the box as is desirable, and on these we fasten loops or fasteners
(usually of metal) which are generally made of small pieces of hoop iron secured by
nailing or otherwise to the wood, and raised from it at the centre so as to form a
loop; sometimes we simply drive in flat headed nails leaving the heads standing out
from the wood. A pattern of the desired shape is then placed in position, and a
composition consisting of plaster of Paris mixed with Portland or other similar cement,
and sufficient water to make them plastic run round the pattern; this takes hold of
the loops, nail-heads, etcetera, on the wood, and is thus firmly secured to it, while
the other side of it forms a portion of the mould. It will be seen that by altering
the shape of the wooden box and the number of its sides, the mould may be divided
into as many different portions or sections, each attached to its respective side.
After being run these sections are dressed to the proper fit with the others, and
when put together form the complete mould.
If iron or brass, etcetera, be used to make the mould, we prefer to make the side
of the box and the section of the mould in one, so that after suitable fitting when
put together the sides will form the mould within them.
For moulding-ornamental bricks and the like, one or more sides may be

page_text: ornamented and the rest left plain. The mechanism to which the moulds are
attached may be so arranged as to reverse the mould on to a board, etcetera, and
the bottom of the mould now become the top is removed, then the sides unhooked
and withdrawn leaving the casting entire. When blocks for buildings are to be
made, we prefer to form the centre part of common materials, such as broken stone
concreted together by cement or other binding material, and the outside of ground
stone or sand mixed with cement or other binding material so as to form a
substantial block with a good exterior surface; this may be done by lining the
sides of the moulds with the fine materials and filling in with the commoner
sort.