AN IMPROVED METHOD OF TREATING BRICK, POROUS STONE, AND OTHER LIKE MATERIALS TO INCREASE PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Hand Smith, of the City and State of
New York, United States of America, now of No. 8, Southampton
Buildings, London, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF
TREATING BRICK, POROUS STONE, AND OTHER LIKE MATERIALS TO INCREASE
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Hand Smith
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 19th September 1872.
I, GEORGE HAND SMITH, of the City and State of New York, United
States of America, now of No. 8, Southampton Buildings, London, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for “AN IMPROVED
METHOD OF TREATING BRICK, POROUS STONE, AND OTHER LIKE MATERIALS TO
INCREASE THEIR HARDNESS, DURABILITY, AND IMPERMEABILITY," to be as
follows:-
The said Invention relates to a novel, treatment of brick, unburned
clay, soft stone, chalk, plaster of Paris, and other like porous materials,
whereby a new material is obtained, which possesses many advantages
for building and other purposes.

page_text: To accomplish this object I take common bricks, blocks of sandstone, or
the other material to be used, and saturate the same with boiled coal tar,
melted pitch, or other similar substance. The saturating substances used
must be such that they exist naturally in a fluid or semi-fluid condition,
but can be so changed by boiling or other treatment that they will lose
their fluidity when cold. Or they must be naturally so hard that they
will remain in the materials to which they are applied under all ordinary
temperatures of the atmosphere, but will be reducible by heat or other-
wise to a fluid condition, so that they will penetrate the material to
which they are applied. If tar is to be used it is first deprived of its
natural fluidity by boiling, that is to say, it is boiled long enough to give
it when cold about the consistency of pitch, although its fluidity is
retained while it is kept hot. I immerse in the heated tar the brick,
sandstone, or other similar material, the pores or cells of which become
completely filled with the liquid. When the material is thoroughly
saturated it is removed from the tar, and allowed to cool. The result of
this treatment is the production of a new material entirely unlike in its
appearance and qualities the material thus treated previous to its
saturation. This new material is impervious to water; is very strong
and durable, and is susceptible of a high polish.
When pitch is used it must be first melted to reduce it to a fluid con-
dition, then the saturation of the brick or other material is effected in
the same manner as with the coal tar.
Instead of using pitch, tar, or other similar substance separately a
composition of these substances may be used, the said composition being
so treated by heat or otherwise that it will possess sufficient fluidity
to completely penetrate the brick or other material when the same is
immersed therein, and will become hard in drying or cooling.
When the brick, clay, stone, or other material to be treated by my
Invention is of a large size it is preferably first heated to facilitate its
saturation.
The advantages of this treatment, especially in the case of bricks or
other articles manufactured of clay, is apparent, as these articles can
be first cheaply manufactured in any desired form, and can then
be readily rendered impervious to water, hard and remarkably
durable.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Hand Smith in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 19th March 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HAND SMITH, of the City and State of New York, United States of
America, now of No. 8, Southampton Buildings, London, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said George Hand Smith, Her special
licence that I, the said George Hand Smith, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Geeorge Hand Smith,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and all times thereafter uring 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 "AN IMPROVED
METHOD OF TREATING BRICK, POROUS STONE, AND OTHER LIKE MATERIALS TO
INCREASE THEIR HARDNESS, DURABILITY, AND IMPERMEABILITY," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said George Hand Smith, my
executors or administrators, 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 George Hand Smith, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
The said Invention relates to a novel treatment of brick, burned or
unburned clay, soft stone, chalk, plaster of Paris, and other like porious
materials, whereby a new material is obtained, which will be found
very valuable for building and other purposes.
-
'
3
..

page_text: To accomplish this object I take common bricks, pieces of chalk,
blocks of sandstone, or other materials similarly porous, and saturate
the same with boiled coal tar, melted pitch, or other matter suitable for
my purpose, as herein-after explained. The saturating substances used
must be such that they exist naturally in a fluid or semi-fluid condition,
but can be so changed by boiling or other treatment that they will lose
their fluidity when cold. Or they must be naturally so hard that they
will remain in the porous materials in which they have been absorbed
under all ordinary temperatures of the atmosphere, but capable of
reduction by heat or otherwise to a fluid condition, so that they will
penetrate the said porous materials when applied to the same, as herein
specified. If tar is to be used it is first deprived of its natural fluidity
by boiling, that is to say, it is boiled long enough to give it when cold
about the consistency of pitch, although its fluidity is retained while it
is kept hot. I immerse in the heated tar the brick, sandstone, or other
similar porous material, the pores or cells of which become completely
filled with the liquid. When this porous material is thoroughly saturated
it is removed from the tar and allowed to cool.
When pitch is used it must be first melted to reduce it to a fluid con-
dition then the saturation of the brick or other material is effected in
the same manner as when coal tar is used, as above described.
Instead of using pitch, tar, or other similar substance separately a
composition of theso substances may be used, the said composition being
subjected to heat or otherwise so treated that it will possess sufficient
fluidity to completely penetrate the bricks or other porous articles or
materials when the same are immersed therein, and will become hard in
drying or cooling within the same.
When the brick, clay, stone, or other material to be treated by my
Invention is of a large size it is preferably first heated to facilitate its
saturation.
In some instances I find it advantageous to add to the tar, pitch, or
other saturating matter a small quantity of lime, chalk, clay, alum, or
other substance possessing similar properties. I do not in any case
require atmospheric or other pressure for forcing the pitch, tar, or other
liquid substance into the porcs of the clay, chalk, or other porous
material being treated. The result of this treatment is the production of
new material entirely unlike in its appearance and quality the material thus

page_text: GEORGE HAND SMITH. (L.S.)