Improvements in or relating to the Manufacture of Toy Building Blocks.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application 21st Mar., 1890-Accepted, 7th June, 1890
COMT LEIE SI MOITIATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Manufacture of Toy Building
Blocks.
A communication from ANTON KUTSCHBACH, of Eutrizsch-Leipzig, in the Empire
of Germany.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, M.I.M.E.,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what inanner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement —
The toy building blocks known as "real stones" consists of material akin to clay
and are attended by the drawback that fine sand, and sometimes larger particles, con-
tinually crumble off their surfaces. Besides they are painted over, on the surfaces
only, and the colors used for this purpose give off an unpleasant smell liable to
impair the health of the children playing with the blocks.
The continuous crumbling results from the surfaces of such blocks being rough and
uneven; the corners become soon rounded and in consequence of the merely superficial
coloring the natural color of the material becomes visible in patches so that any building
or figure the child may wish to erect will be unsightly and spoil the pleasure of the
game. Finally the sand and particles crumbling off are of course prejudicial to
cleanliness.
The object of this invention is to produce a building block, incapable of wearing or
crumbling away in the manner stated, free from any noxious smell, and adapted to be
made in any desired shape, color or shade by the process herein described. Thus it
is possible exactly to imitate both in form and color the various descriptions of stone,
brick, &c. employed for building purposes in real life, and thereby to combine instruc-
tion with amusement. The coloring in this instance, is not simply superficial, but as
before stated, is imparted to the material itself of which the blocks are made; so that
even in case of partial destruction or decay the stone still remains fit for use and
unchanged in appearance.
The receipt of the compound of which I propose to make these toy building blocks
is as follows: approximately
25 per cent. of good Portland cement.
50 per cent. of very fine sand, and
25 per cent. of the corresponding mineral color. These are thoroughly triturated
and mixed by mechanical appliances. The mixture is then slightly moistened, placed
into convenient moulds and exposed to high pressure. They are thus made to assume
the shape of the stones they are intended to represent or imitate. After their
removal from the said moulds they are placed for from 6 to 9 days, without interrup-
tion, in a water-bath, it being essential that they are wholly immersed in the water
during the whole period.
The ingredients are by such means caused intimately to adhere to each other
and the color is well distributed to all parts of the stone, so as to have the appearance
of being the natural color thereof. The thorough combination of the ingredients, such
as is caused by the water-bath, necessarily results in a corresponding considerable
degree of hardness.
In this manner any of the existing species of stone, such as sandstone, granite,
brick, etc. can be so exactly imitated, that a child is enabled for example, to carry out
with such toy blocks the description of a real house or monument, with precisely the
stones specified, the educational value of which process is obvious.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by my foreign
correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
A toy building block composed of a compound or mixture of approximately 25 per
cent. of Portland cement, 50 per cent. of sand, and 25 per cent. of any desired
mineral color which ingredients are intimately mixed together placed into moulds
powerfully compressed and left for a period of from 6 to 9 days without interruption.
in a water bath substantially as specified.
Dated this 21st day of March 1890.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.