IMPROVE WANGO IN QUE MANURACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL STONE
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Ransome, of Rushmere Lodge, Lower
Norwood, in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVE
WANGO IN QUE MANURACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL STONE."
Sealed the 20th April 1875, and dated the 13th November 1874.
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
artificial stone

page_text: artificial stone in which a silicate of soda rich in silica lime and silica
in a readily soluble state are the active ingredients. The lime decom-
posed the silicate of soda, forming insoluble silicate of lime, and set free
soda, which then combined with silica, forming silicate of soda, which
again was acted upon by a further portion of lime, and so on. Now I
have since found that a rich silicate of soda is not required; that a poor
silicate, readily obtained by boiling certain silicious substances with
alkali, serves the purpose better, and that the proportion of soda to the
ton of stone. may be. reduced. I am thus enabled greatly to improve the
process by manipulating in the following manner :-I take a suitable
sand or substance containing silica, of which a portion is readily soluble
(the sand found in the neighbourhood of Farnham, Surrey, and generally
known by the name of Farnham Silica, or that found near Woolwich
and Charlton, and [called white moulding sand, I find to be specially
applicable), and I mix such sand or silicious material with caustic soda.
I employ about 16 pounds of caustic soda to the ton of stone to be
made, but this will vary according to the size of the grain of the other
materials (usually for the most part sharp sand) of which the bulk of
the stone is to be composed. I heat the silicious material with the soda,
the material being well covered with water, and the whole is thoroughly
stirred from time to time. In this way the soda is caused to combine
with a comparatively small quantity of silica, forming a poor silicate of
soda. I then mix with the above ingredients the materials to form the
bulk of the stone, by preference clean sharp sand, in the proportion of,
say, 16 cwt. I also add lime or cement containing lime, say, in the
proportion of one cwt. of lime to four cwt. of clean sharp sand, and at
the same time I add any other ingredients I may wish to mix into the
stone, such as chalk, and so forth, or any coloring matter may be added.
The whole of the ingredients are thoroughly mixed, adding water as
may be necessary to bring the mass into a sufficiently plastic state for
moulding.
The lime and other materials, if any, should be finely powdered
before being mixed. One advantage of this process is that it admits of
a smaller proportion of soda being used than heretofore has been found
necessary, and thus the manufacture is both improved and cheapened.
A further important advantage is that the speed at which the mixture
sets is thoroughly under control. It sets the more rapidly the longer the
heating of the soda with the soluble silicious material is continued.

page_text: I thus facilitate the working of the process described in my former
Patent. I avoid also the inconvenience of too protracted or too rapid
setting.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Frederick Ransome in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 12th May 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FREDERICK
RANSOME, of Rushmere Lodge, Lower Norwood, in the County of Surrey,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Frederick Ransome, Her special license,
that I, the said Frederick Ransome, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Frederick Ransome, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL STONE," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Frederick Ransome, my executors or ad-
ministrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to
be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Frederick Ransome, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following. statement thercof, that is to say :—
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of

page_text: In the Specification of a Patent granted to me, and dated the 29th
day of April 1870, No. 1233, I described a process for the manufacture
of artificial stone in which a silicate of soda rich in silicą and lime and
silica in a readily soluble state are the active ingredients. The lime
decomposed the silicate of soda, forming insoluble silicate of lime, and
set free soda, which then combined with silica, forming silicate of soda,
which again was acted upon by a further portion of lime, and so on.
Now I have since found that a rich silicate of soda is not required; that
a poor silicate, readily obtained by boiling certain siliceous substances
with alkali, serves the purpose better, and that the proportion of soda to
the ton of stone may be reduced. I am thus enabled greatly to improve
the
process by manipulating in the following manner :-I take a suitable
sand or substance containing silica, of which a portion is readily soluble,
(the sand or mineral found in the neighbourhood of Farnham, Surrey,
and generally known by the name of Farnham Silica, or that found near
Woolwich and Charlton, and called white moulding sand, I find to be
specially applicable) and I mix such sand or siliceous material (say, 3 or
4 hundredweight of it) with caustic soda. I employ about 16 pounds of
caustic soda to the ton of stone to be made, but this will vary according
to the size of the grain of the other materials (usually for the most part
sharp sand) of which the bulk of the stone is to be composed. The
larger the grain of the materials to be combined into stone the smaller
the quantity of soda requisite. On the other hand, the harder the stone
is required to be made the more soda is it advisable to use. I heat the
siliceous material with the soda (I prefer to boil them together, usually
for several hours), the material being well covered with water, and the
whole thoroughly stirred from time to time. In this way the soda is
caused to combine with a comparatively small quantity of silica, forming
a poor silicate of soda. I then mix with the above ingredients the
materials to form the bulk of the stone, by preference clean sharp sand,
in the proportion of, say, 16 cwt.. I also add lime or cement containing
lime, say, in the proportion of 1 cwt. of lime to 4 cwt. of clean sharp
sand, and at the same time I add any other ingredients I may wish to mix
into the stone, such as chalk, and so forth, or any coloring matter may
be added. The whole of the ingredients are thoroughly mixed, adding
water as may be necessary to bring the mass. into a sufficiently plastic
state for moulding.
The lime and other materials, if any, should be finely powdered

page_text: of a smaller proportion of soda being used than heretofore has been
found necessary, and thus the manufacture is both improved and
cheapened.
A further important advantage is that the speed at which the mixture
sets is thoroughly under control. It sets the more rapidly the longer the
heating of the soda with the soluble siliceous material is continued.
I thus facilitate the working of the process described in my former
Patent. I avoid also the inconvenience of too protracted or too rapid
setting.
It is desirable to place the blocks in a chamber in which a warm
moist heat is maintained until they are hard, with the object especially.
of protecting the material from the action of the carbonic acid of the
atmosphere.
Where an especially hard surface is required I treat the blocks with a
solution of silicate of soda, and then with a solution of chloride of
calcium, as is well understood.
What I claim is, the manufacture of artificial stone by heating a
soluble silica mineral with caustic alkali, and then mixing therewith the
other materials to form the artificial stone, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Ransome, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of May, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.