IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE AND PRODUCTION OF BITUMINOUS COMPOUNDS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF SKATING RINK FLOORING OR PAVING
Year: 1875

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by George Clark and Adolphus
Frederick Spiller at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with his Petition, on the 15th November 1875.
We, GEORGE CLARK, of number 10, Craven Buildings, Drury Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, and ADOLPHUS FREDERICK SPILLER, of
numbers 2 and 3, Warwick Street, Cockspur Street, also in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE AND PRODUCTION OF
BITUMINOUS COMPOUNDS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF SKATING RINK FLOORING OR
PAVING," to be as follows:-
This 'Invention relates to the manufacture and production of bituminous
compounds suitable to be laid down as a material possessing the pro-
perties, and with a surface adapted for roller skating, such material
when so laid down being the flooring or paving of what is commonly
known as a skating rink. The essential basis of the proposed bituminous
compounds is asphaltum containing a large per centage of pure mineral
bitumen. As a guide to the proportion of asphaltum to be contained in
the said compounds taking in asphaltum containing seventy-five to
eighty, per cent, of such mineral bitumen, and assuming asphaltum
"

page_text: containing that per centage of such bitumen to be the base of the said
compounds, fifteen to twenty per cent. thereof should be combined and
mixed with other materials, and in the manner herein-after mentioned
for the purpose of producing a bituminous mastic to be made and laid
down for the flooring or paving of skating rinks. If an asphaltum
mastic is to be produced for the paving of a skating rink not under
cover, and exposed to variations of temperature from frost to the
heat of the sun, the composition of such mastic should be as follows:-
Asphaltum
•
Coal or wood pitch as a solvent -
Pulverised carbonate of lime
Dried and pulverised alumina
Pulverised slate
Pulverised stone containing
a comparatively small
proportion of selica
-
-
Twenty per cent.
Two to five ditto
Ten to fifteen ditto
Ten to fifteen ditto
Twenty-five to thirty-five ditto.
=
Thirty to forty ditto.
The proportions of all or any of the above named materials except the
asphaltum being thus as stated as. variable in order to make up the
eighty parts to complete one hundred parts of any such bituminous
compound to be added to the asphaltum, the exact quantity of each of
those materials should be in a proportion quarter or less to the other,
according to the results shewn by previous experiments with the said
materials in testing each mixture, as the quality or nature of the
pulverised slate or stone which may to be most convenient for use may
materially effect the mixture, but as a rule adopted from numerous
trials the following absolute quantities in combination with twenty per
cent. of asphaltum and five per cent. of pitch as solvent will produce an
excellent outdoor skating asphaltum mastic, viz. :—

page_text: combining the materials composing the above named mixtures should
be as follows:-Using an iron pot of a capacity exceeding at least one
third the volume of all the materials including the asphaltum to be
treated before the application of heat, a good fire must be constantly
maintained under the pot so as to produce sufficient heat to thoroughly
liquify the bitumen, and admit of the other materials being well stirred
into it.
The pitch is first placed at the bottom of the pot, and when the pitch
is completely melted, the asphaltum previously ground or founded is
added to the pitch by degrees, each quantity of the asphaltum put in
being allowed to melt before adding another quantity, the whole being
constantly stirred. The chalk if used as part of the mixture is next
added little by little, and when thoroughly stirred into the melted
bitumen until the whole is absorbed and brought into a semi-liquid
state, the clay or slate whichever may be used is next to be added by
degrees, stirring the mass constantly, and should the mixture be very
thick in order to prepare it to receive the stone liquid, solvent composed
of dead oil of tar or creasote with or without an admixture of Stockholm
tar may be added in quantities not exceeding two per cent. of the
contents of the pot; or petroleum residuum may be used as such liquid
solvent; if no chalk be used the clay and slate both or either are to be
put in the pot when the asphaltum is thoroughly melted as above-
mentioned; then the stone powder is to be added gradually and well
incorporated with other materials by constant stirring, and aiding the
admixture of the whole if necessary by adding two to three per cent. of
the before-mentioned liquid solvent in addition to the quantity of such
liquid solvent herein-before directed to be used, but so that the total
quantity of liquid solvent in the entire mass of mastic shall not exceed
five
per cent.
We do not claim as part of our said Invention the use and application
generally or specially, except as to quantities and proportions herein-
before mentioned of any of the materials above mentioned for the
manufacture of a bituminous compound or compounds applicable to the
flooring or paving of roller skating rinks, being aware that some of the
said materials have been so used and applied to the production of
skating rinks materials. What we do claim as our Invention is the
manufacture and formation of a bituminous compound or compounds of
which asphaltum is the base and binding substance with the other

page_text: substances or materials herein-before mentioned, in the proper quantities
and proportions and mixed and combined in the manner herein-before
described and detailed for the purpose of producing bituminous com-
pounds suitable for and applicable to the construction of the flooring or
paving of skating rinks.
We refrain from describing the process and mode of applying and
laying down the said asphaltum skating rink mastic for the flooring or
paving of skating rinks, such process and mode being very well known
and practised, and not forming part of our aforesaid Invention.
We have to explain that in including carbonate of lime in the form of
chalk as a part of all or any of the mixtures for the production of
asphaltum skating mastic of the different kinds above mentioned and
described, the consideration of economy of cost bas, necessarily been
taken into account; but it is to be understood that the best form of
introducing carbonate of lime into any of the said mixtures is that which
exists in the composition of stone containing carbonate of lime in large
proportions, in lime stone other than chalk, and in slate; therefore to
produce the most perfect mixture for skating asphaltum mastic, we
prefer that in any of such mixtures that wherever chalk is mentioned as
one of the materials, slate or bluc lias limestone may in lieu of chalk
be substituted.