Improvements in Blocks, Tiles, or Slabs for Facing Floors, Walls, Ceilings, and other Surfaces.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Oct., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 8th July, 1892-Accepted, 13th Aug., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Blocks, Tiles, or Slabs for Facing Floors, Walls,
Ceilings, and other Surfaces.
I, EDWARD GREGORY of No. 6 Clarence Villas, St. Mary's Grove, Richmond
in the County of Surrey, Surveyor do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention has for its object to provide facing blocks tiles or slabs for floors
walls ceilings and other surfaces with projections and recesses of such a shape that
the said tiles or the like may be readily placed in position and when in position
interlock one with another and also form on the underside of their contiguous edges
under cut grooves or recesses for the reception of cement by which the said tiles or
the like are securely held in position on the surface to which they are applied
whilst the outer face will present a uniformly smooth surface which may or not
be glazed or enamelled as desired.
These tiles may be made by moulding or otherwise in clay earthenware or other
suitable material according to the purpose to which they are to be applied and
their faces may be of rectangular, triangular hexagonal or other polygonal or
other desired form.
The interlocking projections and recesses are preferably so arranged that the
tiles or the like may be fitted together in straight lines or so as to break joint one
with another as desired.
Dated this 21st der of Ontabar 1801
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, Agents.
COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Blocks, Tiles, or Slabs for Facing Floors, Walls,
Ceilings, and other Surfaces.
I, EDWARD GREGORY of No. 6 Clarence Villas, St. Mary's Grove, Richmond,
in the County of Surrey, Surveyor, 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 has for its object to provide facing blocks, tiles, or slabs, for
floors, walls, ceilings, and other surfaces, with projections and recesses of such a
shape that the said tiles, or the like, can be readily placed in position and when in
position interlock one with another and also form, on the underside of their
contiguous edges, under-cut grooves, or recesses, for the reception of cement by
which the said tiles, or the like are securely held in position on the surface to
which they are applied; whilst the outer face may present a uniformly smooth
surface which may be glazed, or enamelled, if so desired.
These tiles or the like may be made by moulding, or otherwise, in clay earthen-
ware, or other suitable material, according to the purpose to which they are to be
applied, and their faces may be of rectangular, triangular, hexagonal, or of other
polygonal, or other desired form.
The interlocking projections and recesses may be so arranged that the tiles, or
the like, can be fitted together in straight lines, or so as to break joint one with
another, as desired.
And in order that iny invention may be well understood I have illustrated on the
accompanying drawings several different forms of tiles constructed according to
my invention, but I do not restrict myself to the forms shewn.

page_text: Figure 1 represents in plan and Figure 2 in section on the line, 1. 2 Figure 1 a
number of triangular tiles constructed according to my invention. Each tile A,
is provided, on its edges, with projections a, which form extensions of the lower
surface of the tile, and are of a thickness about equal to one half the thickness of
the main portion of the tile. Recesses b, are also provided in the under surface at
the edges of the tile of a depth about equal to the thickness of the projections a.
The edges of the projections a are inclined or bevelled as shewn and the
surface of each recess h, may also be under-cut or bevelled, in a reverse direction
to the bevel formed on the edges of the contiguous projections a, but for convenience
of manufacture I prefer to make the ends, of the recesses b at right angles to
the surfaces of the tiles.
When several tiles are placed in position, with their contiguous edges in contact,
the projections a on the tiles, enter the recesses b, of the contiguous tiles thereby
interlocking the tiles one with another. The recesses extend longitudinally into
the tile to a greater distance than the projections a extend out from the edges of
the top surface of the tile, so that when several tiles are placed in position dove-
tail or under-cut recesses c are provided between the edges of the projections a, and
the ends of the recesses b for the reception of cement which forms a key, holding
the tiles securely in position on the surface to which they are applied.
The upper
part of Figure 1 shews the tiles as being interlocked both in a longitudinal
direction and in a vertical direction, but, in the lower part of the said figure, the
tiles are interlocked only in a longitudinal direction the projection and recess on
one edge of each tile being omitted in the latter case. If the surface to which
the tiles are to be fixed, be cylindrical, or of a curved form, the tiles may be made
of a curved form to correspond.
Figures 3 and 4 shew in plan, and section respectively square tiles A, constructed
according to my invention, each tile having an under cut projection a on the under
side so that when two tiles are placed in position with their contiguous edges in
contact a dovetail recess is formed for the reception of the cement as shewn at c
(Figure 4) which thus forms a key to securely retain the tiles in position. The
projecting part a may have the corners removed if desired as shewn in dotted
lines with regard to one corner. The tiles A may be arranged so that the
lines of junction between them are continuous in directions at right angles to each
other or they may be arranged to break joint in one direction as shewn in Figure 3.
These tiles may be made in any material suitable for the purpose to which they
are to be applied. When they are moulded in glass, or like material, I preferably
make them of reduced thickness in the centre, as shewn at d (Figures 3 and 4) so
that the contraction which takes place whilst they are cooling will be more uniform
and, prevent the tiles from twisting.
Figures 5 and 6 are views similar to Figures 3 and 4 rhewing square tiles, with
projections a, and recesses b, similar to those shewn on, and in, the edges of the
triangular tiles Figures 1 and 2. The ends of the recesses 6 are under-cut or
bevelled, in a reverse direction to the bevels, on the projections a, so that when the
tiles are placed in position with their contiguous edges in contact dove-tail recesses c
are formed between the projections a, and the ends of the recesses 6 thereby
constituting a key for the cement by which the tiles are securely held in position as
shewn in Figure 6.
When moulded in glass, or like material, the central portion of the tile is
preferably reduced in thickness as shewn at d to equalise the contraction when
cooling as described with reference to Figures 3 and 4. The tiles may be arranged
to break joint as shewn in Figure 5 or by arranging the tiles so that the projections
and recesses are in the same direction in each tile the junction lines between the
tiles will be continuous in both directions. Figures 7 and 8 illustrate square tiles
with projections of a modified form. In this modification each edge of each tile is
formed with two projections a, and two recesses b, the projections having bevelled
ends and the ends of the recesses being at right angles to the face of the tile as in
the arrangement Figures 1 and 2 so as to form under cut recesses c for the reception

page_text: "
of cement as before described. It is obvious without further description that_the
tiles may be arranged to break joint, as shewn, or that they may be arranged to
form continuous junction lines in both directions if desired. Figures 9 and 10
illustrate facing tiles constructed according to my invention to represent brickwork
known in the building trade as “all stretchers" Figure 9 being a front elevation
of three tiles placed in position and Figure 10 being a section on the line 3-4
Figure 9. Each tile A, is provided at the opposite ends of each of its longitudinal
sides, or edges, with a projection a, and between the projections a, on each edge is
a recess of sufficient size to receive the projections a, on the contiguous ends of
two adjacent tiles, and leave a space c, between the said projections a and the sides
of the recess, for the reception of cement. The ends of the projections a are
bevelled as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 so as to form,
with the ends of the recesses h, keys for the cement to retain the tiles in position.
Figures 11 and 12 are views similar to Figures 9 and 10 (Figure 12 being a section
on the line 5-6 Figure 11) representing tiles arranged to resemble the brickwork
known as the "Flemish bond and consists of rows of tiles, each row being
composed of full sized tiles, and half tiles, arranged alternately to represent
"stretchers" and "headers." Each full sized tile A, is formed with a recess b, in
the centre of each of its longitudinal sides or edges, and at each end of each
longitudinal side, or edge, is a recess b', corresponding in size, and shape, to one
half of the recess b. Between the central recess b, and each of the recesses 6', is a
projection a, standing out from the side, or edge, of the tile, which projections,
when the tiles are placed in position, enter the recesses b, and b', of adjacent tiles.
A surface may be faced with these full sized tiles A, so as to represent all stretchers,
the tiles being arranged end to end in rows one of the projections a, on each tile of
one row, entering a recess b, in a tile of an adjacent row, the other projections on
these tiles entering the recesses formed by the half sized recesses 6', in the abutting
ends of the tiles of the adjacent rows of tiles. To form a surface representing the
"Flemish bond as shewn in Figure 11 the "headers B may be formed by
dividing the tiles A, into two equal parts, the division line being transversely
through the centre of the recess 6. Each row of tiles is arranged with alternate
full sized tiles, or "stretchers," A, and half tiles, or "headers," B, the several
tiles being interlocked, one with another, by the projections a, and recesses b, and b
as shewn in the drawings. The faces of the tiles may be coated, or glazed, with
vitreous material of any desired colour or the material of which the tiles are made
may be coloured with any suitable pigment before being made into tiles or the like
and the outer faces may be either plain or have any required design impressed
upon or otherwise applied thereto.
"
12
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 :-
1. Tiles, slabs, or blocks, for facing floors, walls, ceilings, and other surfaces,
having projections and recesses of such shape and size that, when the said tiles, or
the like, are placed in position, with the edges of one tile, or the like, in contact
with, or opposite to, the edges of contiguous tiles, or the like, under-cut, or dove-
tail, cavities, or recesses, are formed at, or beneath, the contiguous edges of the
tiles, or the like, for the reception of cement whereby the said tiles, or the like,
are securely keyed, or held, in position, substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. Tiles, for facing walls, ceilings, and other surfaces, having projections, and
recesses, by which the tiles can be interlocked one with another, and form, between
the projections and recesses of adjacent tiles, undercut, or dovetail, cavities, for.
the reception of cement by which the tiles are held in position; substantially as
hereinbefore described.
3. Facing tiles, or alabs, having projections and recesses constructed, and
arranged, substantially as shewn in Figures 9 and 10 so that the tiles may be

page_text: placed in position and interlocked one with another to represent brick-work known
as "all stretchers " as herein before described.
4. Facing tiles or slabs having projections and recesses constructed and arranged
substantially as shewn in Figures 11 and 12 so that the said tiles inay be interlocked
one with another to represent as desired brick-work composed of all "stretchers"
or of "stretchers" and "headers" (known as the "Flemish bond") substantially
as hereinbefore described.
4. Tiles, slabs, or blocks, for facing walls, floors, ceilings and other surfaces
constructed substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated respectively by
Figures 1 and 2, Figures 3 and 4, Figures 5 and 6, and Figures 7 and 8 of the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 28th day of Inne 1892.
EDWARD GREGORY.