Improvements in Artificial Stone Blocks.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd May, 1892-Accepted, 16th July, 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Artificial Stone Blocks.
I, GEORGE MAXWELL GRAHAM, of No. 112 Quincy Street, Chicago, Illinois,
United States of America, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to artificial stone blocks for architectural or building purposes.
as well as for street and side walk pavements. The said improvement consists in
the particular formation of the protuberances by which interlocking joints or seams
of the building blocks are attained, the object of which is to so form the prolific
protuberances of said blocks as to permit joining them in close proximity on all the
sides or faces of the seam, to reduce the binding material for the same and to
increase the strength of the same. That the invention may be fully understood,
reference will be had to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a face view of a building or paving block as above referred to.
Figure 2 is an underside view of the same.
Figures 3 & 4 are side views of said block, and
Figures 5, 6 & 7 are respectively side and plan views of a solitary building block,
which forms the unit of the compound blocks.
Like letters of reference denote like parts in the drawings and Specification.
In Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive a paving or building block of a polygonal profile 13
represented; the same has grooves a impressed in the face side A. thereof. Said
grooves imitate the bevelled edges a¹ of the hexagonal prismoidal side profiles of
said blocks, that is they resemble a hexagonal configuration, which is the continuation
of the hexagonal bevelled edges and sides.
Each block resembles six prisms in the face side thereof and is three layers thick
or high, thus in all is the equivalent of eighteen solitary prismoids such as are
shown in Figs. 5, 6 & 7, with the exception of the upper layer, which is flattened
and bevelled in combination block. Substantially said blocks have a face, bottom
and sides; two opposite sides are alike and the other two are the reverse of
each other.
Figure 3 represents a view of the side indicated at B, Fig. 1, of which E is the
square projection whereas Fig. 4, represents either one of the sides C, C, see Fig. 1.
The side D is the exact reverse or counterpart of B, that is D has prismoidal
depressions, where B has projections, which projections will fit into said depressions,
when the side B of one block is joined onto the side D of another block. It is the
particular prismoidal form, which enables the engagement of said blocks, allows of
a close contact of all the faces of the jointed sides, and imparts greatest compactness
and durability to the joints. These features are obtained by forming the sides of
said blocks in the manner as shown in and by the solitary block, Figs. 5, 6, & 7.
Said blocks consist of a polygon having two square and parallel faces b, the sides
of which are equal to the side hexagons which determine the distance between said
square sides, see Fig. 7. The faces c laying to each side of the faces b are uniform
and of oblong hexagonal shape and meet under an angle of 120°, and the termination
of each of said faces at said angles forms a side of the parallelograms d. The solitary
prismoids consist of two square faces b, eight oblong hexagonal faces c, and four
parallelogrammic faces d. The faces d admit of joining the blocks in close proximity
on all sides, so that the seam of mortar or cement which is to bind said blocks is of
a uniform thickness all around. The grouping of the blocks as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3
& 4, facilitates the setting of pavements or the erection of structures in so far as
less seams are required in the construction thereof.
The compound blocks are pressed in moulds and afterwards dried.

page_text: The face side as above stated is grooved to imitate the solitary hexagons but the
surrounding sides are virtually the equivalent of so many solitary blocks and the
prismoidic projections thereof will fit into the analogous depressions in the same
nanner as solitary blocks would be joined. It will be noticed in the drawings and
from the preceding description, that the joints are strongest at the base or s
in other words the projections taper into the depressions, which condition makes
the structure at the joints almost equally as strong as the solid blocks, and by
joining the blocks equally close on all sides, comparatively small quantities of
binding material are required with this improved article of building material.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :
A building or paving block adapted to be used singly or in groups, having its
opposite faces b, b, square, the faces c of oblong hexagonal form extending between
the two square faces, and the rectangular faces d, intermediate of the hexagonal
faces c, substantially as described.
Dated this 16th day of April 1892.