IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF MOSAIC AND OTHER ORNAMENTAL TILES AND SLABS, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Skertchly, of Ashby-de-la-Zouch, in the County
"
of Leicester, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF MOSAIC AND OTHER ORNAMENTAL TILES AND SLABS, AND IN
APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH."
Sealed the 17th February 1860, and dated the 12th October 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Skertchly at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th October 1859.
I, JOSEPH SKERTCHLY, of Ashby-de-la-Zouch, in the County of Leicester,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF MOSAIC AND OTHER ORNAMENTAL TILES AND SLABS,
AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH," to be as follows:―
Firstly, my Invention consists in manufacturing the tesseræ or separate
pieces for mosaic pavements and other purposes of such forms that when their
front surfaces are laid upon a flat plane and the tesseræ brought side by side
together, the sides shall only be in actual and entire contact at their front
surfaces, but may be continued in contact for any convenient distance towards
the back, while there remains at the back part a sufficient opening between
the sides of each piece to admit the substance for cementing them firmly
together into a tile or slab. I make the front surface of each piece or tesseræ
of the dimensions it has to assume when laid into the tile or slab, but the back

page_text: part of the tesseræ reduce in size and continue the reduction uniformly for a
certain depth, or I bevil the sides off from or near the front to the back, or
cause grooves or other openings to be made in the sides for a part of their
depth from the back part of the tesseræ. In any of these cases when the
tesseræ are laid with their fronts downwards upon a flat surface, and their
sides brought as near together as possible, openings or grooves will appear at
the back between the sides of each piece, and on liquid or other suitable
cement being applied, it will enter the openings or grooves, and bind the entire
number of pieces firmly together. In order to give additional strength to the
tile or slab, and further to prevent the pieces separating when united by the
cementing substance, I sometimes form openings in the centres of the back
parts of the tesseræ, and continue them for a certain depth. The cement
when applied to this latter arrangement must in all cases cover the entire
surface at the back of the tesseræ, and may form a stratum of any desired
thickness.
Secondly, I make tiles or slabs of one colored material, leaving indentations
or perforations of any suitable device or shape within the outer boundary of
the slab or tile (this part for distinction I call the "foundation tile.") After
firing the foundation tile I insert into the indentations or perforations, as
the case may be, other pieces of fired material of similar shapes or devices to
the openings or indentations in the foundation tile, but differing in color, and
cement them firmly together. These latter pieces may be fastened into their
places either previous or subsequent to the laying down of the foundation tile
when used for flooring or other purposes. In those cases, where the piece to
be laid upon the foundation tile extends beyond the boundary of a single tile,
parts of the device of the piece to be laid are indented upon each of two
or more foundation tiles, and the piece to be laid down has to rest upon
shoulders at the edges of two or more foundation tiles. These pieces so
extending beyond the boundary of a single foundation tile I prefer to insert
after the flooring is laid down.
Thirdly, I manufacture the tesseræ and pieces of irregular forms in sets of
plates, consisting of an under plate faced true on those parts where the pieces
come in contact; a middle plate having openings pierced, corresponding to
the shapes of the pieces or tessera required, and a pressing plate. The middle
plate I place upon the bed plate, and surround them by a frame open at the
top, and of suitable depth to hold a quantity of material in excess of that
required to form the tesseræ or pieces; these parts are held together by
suitable mechanical means. On putting the bed plate, middle plate, and
frame together, I place an excess of the quantity of material necessary to form

page_text: the tesseræ or pieces within the frame and upon the middle plate, and bring
down the pressing plate, which fits the opening in the frame by a screw press
or other mechanical means. The openings in the middle plate are thereby
filled with the material, the excess remaining upon the middle plate. On
removing the pressing plate and frame, I cut away the excess of material, and
force out the tessera or pieces which remain in the openings in the state and
form desired. It is obvious that by changing the middle plate, and the size
and form of its perforations, other shapes and sizes of tesseræ and pieces may
be produced by this arrangement.
,
Fourthly, I form the tesseræ into patterns by placing the pieces of each
separate color.in lines, troughs, or suitable holders, side by side, or otherwise.
A plate or other contrivance, having openings corresponding to the positions of
the colors so arranged, is then caused to pass, or the lines of tesseræ may
pass in such manner that when a particular opening in the plate is opposite the
desired color, the piece falls or is removed into it, while those pieces which are
not required to form the pattern remain opposite the other parts of the plate.
The order and arrangement of the openings in these plates determine the
pattern; or I remove the tesseræ from their positions in lines by projecting
pieces on plates, cylinders, or other mechanical contrivances, the projections
corresponding to the colors necessary to be removed from the lines to complete
the pattern. It is evident that by similar arrangements to either of the above
that the order of forming the pattern may be reversed, the pieces falling or
being removed into recesses or by projections may be the pieces not required.
to form the pattern, while those that remain would be the necessary ones to
complete it.
: Fifthly, in order to facilitate the arrangement of mosaic work into patterns.
by hand, I employ perforated plates to determine the position of each separate.
piece in the design. In this case I prefer to have a plate for each color, and
having filled the openings therein with pieces of the requisite color, I remove.
the plate and fill the openings of a second plate, which is placed in the same:
position with pieces of another color, and so on, a plate for a color, until the
whole design is completed.
Sixthly, another mode of forming patterns in regular geometrical or irregular
mosaic is by an arrangement of perforations in the middle plate of the set of plates
herein-before described. The pattern being decided upon, I perforate the middle
plate for the exact number of pieces and of the exact shapes required of one color,
and in their relative positions in the pattern; I then take a second middle plate
perforated for the exact number of pieces and of the exact shapes required.
and in their relative positions for another color in the pattern, and so on, a

page_text: middle plate for each color necessary to complete the pattern. Having passed
each plate beneath the press as herein-before described, I place one of the
plates upon a particular spot, and force out the pieces it contained. Removing
that plate, but leaving the pieces in their positions, I take another plate having
a different colored material impressed in the openings, and place it in exactly
the same position and force out its contents, and so on until the whole number
of plates are exhausted, which complete the pattern, and as the openings in the
plates correspond in shape and position and color to the pattern required, so
when the plate containing the last color is emptied upon the particular spot,
will the pattern of the tile or slab be found completely arranged, and after
firing.in this order ready for the pieces to be cemented together,
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Skertchly in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th April 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
SKERTCHLY, of Ashby-de-la-Zouch, in the County of Leicester, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Joseph Skertchly, Her special licence that I, the said Joseph
Skertchly, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Joseph Skertchly, 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 MOSAIC AND OTHER ORNAMENTAL
TILES AND SLABS, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Joseph Skertehly, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Joseph Skertchly, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof; that is to say:-
Tessellated or mosaic pavements have hitherto been exceedingly expensive.
in consequence of the great amount of labor incurred in forming the tesserae
of which they were composed into suitable devices or patterns. By hand labour
the tesserae were laid separately side by side of the requisite colors and forms,
with their upper surfaces downwards upon a level table; spaces were left
between each tesserae for liquid cement to enter when poured upon them, and
on the cement hardening, they would be found completely imbedded and
secure. By this means a layer of cement entirely surrounds the sides of each
separate piece from the back part down to their surfaces, and on turning a
slab so constructed into the position it assumes when laid into a pavement,
joints of cement are seen between each piece and its neighbor, and if this
joint be thick or thicker in one part than another, the pavement loses thereby
much of its excellence and beauty.
1.7
The first part of my Invention has for its object the construction of tesserae
in such manner that no cement shall be seen on the face of the pavement.
The pieces are brought into actual contact at their front surfaces, and present
in consequence a superior appearance, owing to the fineness of the divisions
between them. I construct tesserae or the separate pieces for mosaic
pavements and other purposes of such forms that when their front surfaces are
laid upon a flat bed, and the tesserae are brought together as close as possible,
the sides shall only be in actual and entire contact at their front edges, as seen
in section, Figure 1 A, but may be continued in contact for any convenient
distance towards the back, as seen in section, Figure 2, while there remains
at the back part a sufficient opening between the sides of each piece, to
adimit the substance for cementing them firmly together into a tile or slab.
I make the front surface of each piece or tessera of the exact dimensions it
has to assume when laid into the tile or slab, but the back part of the tessera
I reduce in size, and continue the reduction uniformly for a certain depth; or
I bevil the sides off from or near the front to the back, or cause grooves or
other openings to be made in the sides for a part of their depth from the back
part of the tessera. When tesserae formed according to any of these methods
are laid with their front faces downwards upon a flat surface and their sides
brought as near together as possible, openings or grooves will appear at the
back, proceeding downwards between the sides towards the face of each piece,
and on liquid or other suitable.cement being applied, it will enter the openings

page_text: or grooves, and bind the entire number of pieces firmly together. In order
further to prevent the pieces separating when united by the cement, I some-
times form openings or recesses in the centres of the tesserae, varying the
depth according to the thickness of each. tessera. This arrangement acts
as a key or stay to any layer of cement that may form a substratum imme-
diately beneath the tile or slab when laid into a floor or other situation.
Figures 1A, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 refer to this part of my Invention.
Figure 1 A is a section of tesserae placed side by side, having their sides only.
in contact at the face a. b, b, are spaces to be filled by cement; Figure 1 is
a plan of the same, or view of the tile as it would appear when laid into a
floor; Figure 2 is a section of tesserae, having only a part of their depth cut
away from the back c for the cement to enter. In this view the tesserae are
in entire contact from the face a downwards to e; Figure 3 is a plan of a tile,
similar in appearance on the face to Figure 1, but having grooves in the sides
of the tesserae for part of their width and depth, the grooves being formed
from the back c of the tesserae towards the face a; Figure 4 is a section on
the line 1, 2 and Figure 6, a section on the line 3, 4, of Figure 3.
Figure 5 is a view of the under side of the tile, shewing the openings b, b, into
which the cement enters for uniting the tesserae. These openings or grooves
may, if preferred, extend the whole width of the tessera, and proceed downward
from the back c to any required depth, but in no case should the groove
extend through to the face a, or the tile will be disfigured by the cement.
The second part of my Invention has reference to the structure of tiles for
flooring and other purposes, composed mainly of one colored material, but
having indentations formed therein, or perforations within the outer boundary
of the tile of any suitable device or shape, into which pieces of similar device
or shape, but differing in shade or color, are inserted after being fired.
I make the principal part or groundwork of the tile, which for distinction
I call the foundation tile, of one colored material. Figure 12 is a plan of a
foundation tile constructed according to this part of my Invention, having
indentations a, b, impressed therein. I then make other pieces of different
shades or colors, but corresponding exactly to the sizes and shapes of the
indentations a, b, and after firing insert them into the recesses a, b, of the
already fired foundation tile, and cement them together. Into one recess of
the foundation tile, for variety, I frequently make up a piece corresponding in
size and shape, composed of several other pieces that may vary in themselves
in form and color; Figure 9 shews part of a flooring composed of tiles similar
to Figure 12, having pieces a, b, inserted therein of colors differing from that
of the foundation tile; Figure 10 is a section on the line 1, 2; and Figure 11,

page_text: .
a section on the line 3, 4, of Figure 9. Instead of merely indenting the
foundation tile, I sometimes perforate it, but these perforations I confine
within the outer boundary or edges of the tile. The pieces a, Figure 9, may
be fastened into the tile in their proper places either previous or subsequent
to the laying down of the foundation tile when used for flooring or other
purposes. In those cases where the piece to be laid upon the foundation tile,
as in b, b, Figure 9, extends beyond the boundary of a single tile, parts of the
device of the piece to be inlaid are indented upon each of two or more
foundation tiles, and the piece to be inlaid has to rest upon shoulders at the
edges of the tiles. I prefer to insert these pieces after the flooring is laid
down.
Thirdly, tiles, tesseræ, and other similar articles have heretofore been manu-
factured in sets of tools, consisting of a inatrix, piston fitting it very accurately,
and a loose plate resting on the bed, which sliding within the matrix pushed
out the article, after it had been pressed. It is obvious that a piston working
continually in actual contact with the matrix would in a short time become
abraded and lessened, while on the other hand the matrix would become
enlarged by the action of the piston, and the space caused thereby between
the two being filled with the material pressed, causes burrs or rough edges to
rise on the articles under manufacture. In order to avoid burrs and rough
edges, I manufacture tesseræ and pieces of irregular forms in sets of plates,
consisting of an under plate faced perfectly true on those parts where the
pieces come in contact; a middle plate having openings pierced corre-
sponding in shape to the pieces or tesserae required. This middle plate forms
the matrix and a pressing plate. The middle plate I place upon the bed plate,
and surround them by a frame open at the top, and of suitable depth to hold
a quantity of material in excess of that required to form the tesserae or pieces
under manufacture. These parts are held together by screws, clips, or any
other well-known means. On putting the bed plate, middle plate, and framė
together, I place an excess of the quantity of material necessary to form the
tesserae or pieces within the frame and upon the middle plate, and bring down
the pressing plate (which fits the opening in the frame) with considerable
force, by means of a screw or other press. The openings or perforations in
the middle plate are thereby filled with the material, the excess remaining
upon the middle plate. On withdrawing the pressing plate and removing the
frame, I cut away the excess of material that lies upon the middle plate, and
force out the pieces or tesserae from the openings. It is obvious that by
changing the middle plate and the size and form of its openings, a variety of
forms of tesserae and pieces may be produced by such an arrangement, and

page_text: when a burr or rough edge does appear it is not found on the pieces or
tesserae, but only on the excess lying above the middle plate, and which has
to be cut away.
Figures 15, 16, and 17 are views of sets of plates constructed according to
this part of my Invention. Figure 15 shews, in section, the plates charged
with material previous to its receiving pressure; Figure 16, a similar view
in section with the material pressed; and Figure 17, a plan (with the pressing
plate removed). A is the pressing plate; B, the middle plate; C, the per-
foration in the middle plate for making a square piece; D, the bed plate; and
E, the frame. Figures 13 and 14 shew respectively the plans of middle plates
that may be used for manufacturing pieces 6 and a in Figure 9.
Fourthly, after the tesserae are manufactured I proceed to arrange them
into patterns. I place a number of pieces of one color in lines in troughs or
suitable holders, and a number of these troughs or holders side by side, or in
any other convenient position. The troughs or holders are open at one end,
through which the tesserae have to pass; a plate or other contrivance having
openings corresponding to the positions of the colors in the troughs or holders,
is caused to pass in such manner that when a particular opening in the plate
is opposite the desired color, the piece falls or is removed by any suitable
mechanical means into the opening, while those pieces which are not required
to form the pattern under arrangement remain in the troughs or holders and
opposite other parts of the plate. The order, number, and positions of the
openings in these plates, together with the arrangement of the troughs, con-
taining the colored tesserae, determine the patterns. The pieces or tesserae,
after passing through the openings in the plate, are received on a tray, belt,
or other suitable receptacle, and on being gathered together in proper order,
the pattern will be found correctly arranged.
:
Figure 26 is a longitudinal section, Figure 27 a side elevation, Figure 28 a
plan, and Figure 29 an end elevation, partly in section, of an apparatus for
arranging tessirac in patterns constructed according to this part of my Inven-
tion. a, a, is the framework; b, b, are troughs or holders; an elevation of
a trough on a larger scale is shewn at Figure 24, and a section, Figure 25.
These troughs are kept in their position by stays c, c. These troughs or
holders contain the tesserae d, d, and can be arranged in any convenient order
for colors. d, d, is the plate perforated with openings O, O, for determining
the pattern; E, E, a tray, shewn separately in plan, Figure 34, and section,
Figure 35, for receiving the tesserae after falling through the openings O, O,
in the plate. This tray has divisions F, F, for keeping the tesserae in lines.
The tray with the plate attached to it is free to slide upon the bearing bars

page_text: tesserae.
G, G, and beneath the troughs or holders B, B, which contain the colored
On sliding the tray E with the plate B attached thereto beneath
the troughs, a single tessera will fall through each opening in the plate until
every opening is filled, and the whole number of tesserac that have fallen will
be received on the tray; 01, 0¹, are openings that have passed beneath the
lines of tesserac, and are filled while the openings O, O, have to pass the
troughs of tesserac before receiving the pieces. Care must be taken that the
depth of the tray and plate together does not exceed the thickness of a single
tessera, or more than one tessera at a time will enter an opening; and also
that a complete line of tesserae composing a line of the pattern under arrange-
ment be received between each division f,f, of the tray; to insure this latter
object I perforate the plate carefully in lines in the direction 1, 2, of Figure 28
(each line of perforations being placed over a groove in the tray), and make
each perforation in its order precisely opposite that particular colored tessera
which it is desired should fall through it. When the tray has received its
tesserae I rake them out of the grooves between the divisions f.f, of the tray,
and fasten the whole together with cement. It is obvious that a similar
arrangement of pattern may be produced by causing the troughs or holders to
move over the perforated plate, while the plate itself remained stationary, or
the order of arrangement may be reversed by removing the pieces that are not
required to form the pattern, while those that remain would constitute the
necessary device; a plate perforated, and the colors and troughs arranged as
seen in Figure 28, would produce a tile when the tesserae were cemented
together similar to that represented at Fig. 7.in plan, and Fig. 8 in section.
In lieu of the perforations in the plate being the means of selecting the
different colored tesserae to form the pattern, I sometimes employ projecting
pieces or pegs arranged in a similar manner and in similar positions upon the
plate; the projecting pieces in this case strike the required tesserac. from the
lines in the troughs or holders, or the projecting pieces may be arranged so as
to act upon levers, slides, clips, or other mechanical equivalents, which strike
or remove the tesserae from their positions in lines; .or instead of arranging
the perforations, pegs, or projections upon a flat rigid plate, they may be upon
a flexible band, or upon a cylinder or drum, .but all these are mere modifi-
cations of my Invention, as I do not confine myself to the precise details shewn
in the Drawings.
Figs. 22 and 23 are sections of another modification of my apparatus for
arranging tesserac into patterns; Fig. 30 is a plan of Fig. 22, and Fig. 31 a
plan of Fig. 23 on the lines 1, 2. In this case I arrange the troughs or
holders side by side, and keep them in their positions by any convenient

page_text: means, and fill each division or trough with the precise color required to form
the pattern in the exact order it has to assume in the tile. For example, if
I. desired to form a pattern composed of stripes of color as in Fig. 38, I fill
the first line of troughs a with pink tesserae, between that line of troughs and
a second line of troughs containing green tesseræ, I leave a space a' suffi-
ciently wide to receive one line of tesserae when removed from the troughs or
holders, and repeat the space. between each line of troughs. The spaces
between the lines of troughs may be filled by strips of wood or other suitable
material, except at the bottoms or those parts of the troughs where the tesserae
have to be withdrawn. The lines of troughs are held together by a frame F.
Beneath the troughs I place a tray T, shewn separately in plan-Figure 32,
and section Figure 33. The grooves G, G, of the tray are just deep enough to
receive one tessera, and as this tray is free to move beneath the troughs when
the grooves come opposite the lines of tesserae, they are filled with the pieces
as at c, c, Figure 22, and on the tray being pressed forward the grooves con-
taining the lines of tesserae arrive opposite the spaces à, à, at b, b, Figures 23
and 31. The lines of tesserae are then raked out of the grooves of the tray,
and cemented together as in the former instance.
Figure 36 is a front elevation of another kind of holder for tesserae; and
Figure 37, section thereof on the line 1, 2; A, A, are recesses or grooves
for the lines of tesserae; B, B, strips or divisions for separating the lines from
each other. This arrangement prevents the employment of a large number of
troughs.
Fifthly, in order to facilitate the arrangement of mosaic work into patterns by
hand, I employed perforated plates to determine the position of each separate
color and piece in the design. In this case I prefer to have a plate for the
pieces of each color. Figures 18, 19, 20, and 21 illustrate this part of my
Invention. If I require to produce an arrangement of tesserae similar to that
represented in Figure 1, I take a plate Figure 18 perforated with openings s, s,
and place it in a position represented by a, b, c, d, Figure 21, and fill the
openings s, s, with tesserae of a pink color. I then remove the plate, leaving
the tessirae in their relative positions, and place the plate Figure 19 on the,
same spot (a, b, c, d, Figure 21.) The openings or perforations in this plate:
I fill with green tesserae. Removing this plate, I proceed in like manner
with the plate Figure 20, the openings in which I fill with buff colored tesserae
and on removing this latter plate the tesserae will be found arranged as seen
at Figure 21, and on their being brought close together, they can be cemented:
into a tile or slab of the exact pattern represented in Figure 1. When
mosaic work of other shapes of tessirae or pieces are required, it is of course.

page_text: necessary to perforate the respective plates in such a manner that the shapes
and positions of the openings correspond to the shapes, positions, and colors of
the pieces or tesserae forming the design.
Sixthly, another mode of forming patterns in regular geometrical or irregular
mosaic is by an arrangement of perforations, in the middle plate of the set of
plates herein-before described. In this case if I require to produce a pattern
in mosaics similar to Figure 1, I perforate the middle plate of the set of plates
similar to the perforations s, s, Figure 18, and fill the openings s, s, of the set
of plates with material of the kind to produce the pink tesserae. I then take
a second middle plate perforated as shewn at s, s, Figure 19, and charge the
set of plates at s, s, with material for green tesserae, and repeat the operation
with buff material with a plate perforated as at s, s, Figure 20. Having passed
each set of plates beneath the press as herein-before described, I place one of
the middle plates upon the spot a, b, c,.d, Figure 21, and force out the tesserae
it contained. Removing that plate, but leaving the tesserae or pieces in their
positions, I take a second plate having a different colored material impressed
in its openings, place it in the same position (a, b, c, d, Figure 21), and force
out its contents. I then repeat the operation with the third plate and its
contents, and as the openings in the plates correspond in shape and position,
and the colored tesserae with which they are filled also correspond to the
pattern required, the tesserae may after being fired, on bats or plates in this
order, be easily cemented together into the desired pattern.
Ilaving described the nature of my said Invention and the manner in which
it is performed, I do not confine myself to the precise details described or shewn
in the Drawings, so long as the general principles of my Invention are adhered
to, as I am well aware the details of arrangement may be varied without
departing from my Invention; but what I claim as new and desire to secure
by Letters Patent are,-
First, the manufacture of tesserae in such manner that when their side edges
are in contact at their front surfaces, and a number of tesserae are placed
together in the position they have, to assume when formed into a tile or slab,
sufficient space shall remain between their sides from their back surfaces, and
for a sufficient depth towards their front surfaces, to admit enough cement to
bind the whole firmly together.
Second, the manufacture of tiles or slabs with indentations, recesses, or
perforations formed therein, for receiving other pieces of fired material of
different shades or colors.
Third, the construction of sets of plates for the manufacture of tesserae or
picces, substantially as described.

page_text: Fourth, the placing of tesserae or pieces for mosaic work in lines or rows,
for arranging into devices or patterns in such manner that when those tesserae
or pieces of the required shapes and colours for the pattern are removed, other
tesserae or pieces of similar shapes and colors take their places by gravitation
or any suitable mechanical means.
Fifth, the employment of plates with openings perforated or recesses formed
therein, for receiving the tesserae from lines or rows, and by the relative
positions of the openings or perforations determining the pattern, and regu-
lating the number and color of the pieces in the design, substantially as
described.
Sixth, the employment of pegs or projecting pieces arranged on plates, belts,
or other foundations, for removing directly, or through the medium of any
mechanical contrivances, tesserae from rows or lines in such order as to con-
stitute determinate devices and patterns.
Seventh, the employment of a tray for receiving the tesserae on being
removed from troughs or other holders, the tray having divisions or partitions
fixed thereto or moveable, such divisions being required to separate line froui
line of tesserae in the order they assume in the pattern.
Eighth, the employment of troughs or other suitable holders for keeping
the tesserae in lines until they are removed therefrom by mechanical means to
form devices and patterns.
Ninth, the employment of perforated plates for arranging devices and patterns
of mosaic work either before or after the material is fired, substantially as set
forth and described in respect of Figures 18, 19, 20, and 21.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Skertchly, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
JOSEPH SKERTCHLY.. (L.S.)