Improved Process and Apparatus for the Manufacture of Ceramic Panels for Decorative Purposes.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Oct.,
1897
Complete Specification Left, 1st July, 1898-Accepted, 20th Aug.,
1898
Improved Process and Apparatus for the Manufacture of Ceramic
Panels for Decorative Purposes.
İ, GUSTAVE LOUIS SIEVER, of 19, Rue d'Ortel, in Paris, in the French Republic,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a process for the manufacture of a novel product and to
various applications of the same.
The novel product consists of ceramic panels, flat, bent or of other forms, and
of various dimensions adapted to all kinds of mural and other decorations; these
ceramic panels are obtained by spreading suitably prepared ceramic pastes or
compounds upon an incombustible support or frame constructed of sheet metal or
metallic plates joined together.
The ceramic panels may either be produced directly upon the surfaces to be
covered, or they may be placed upon such surfaces after they have been produced:
in either case the firing or burning of the panels is effected by any suitable
method.
In carrying my invention into practice I preferably proceed in the following
manner:
In the first place I prepare the composition intended for making the ceramic
panels which may be either coloured or colourless; this composition is constituted
similarly to ordinary ceramic pastes used for making porcelain, faience, crockery
and the like. It is formed principally of a mixture in proportions varying accord-
ing to the primary materials employed of either, 1. Argillous or flinty porcelain-
clay with sand and limestone: or-2. Potters' clay with argillous clay and felspar:
with the addition in both cases of an alkaline flux.
The composition prepared as a paste is spread upon a suitable support or frame of
incombustible material, such as copper, iron, or other metallic sheets, lattice, or
perforated plates. The frame is by this means wholly or partially embedded in
the ceramic composition and gives the latter the necessary rigidity for its applica-
tion to every kind of decorative purpose. This covering or fabric being fixed on
a wall or other surface to be decorated is capable of receiving any desired designs
in ceramic colours so as to present an appearance analogous to decoration by oil
painting, fresco, or any other actual ceramic decoration.
After the covering has been decorated the ceramic paste is fired or burned by
any suitable process. In practice I have found the following method to produce
a satisfactory result: it consists of utilising the metallic frame which supports the
ceramic paste as a vehicle of the heat produced by the passage through it of a
current of electricity.
To effect this object I may, if the available source of electricity is sufficiently.
energetic, cause the current merely to pass through the whole of the metallic frame
by connecting certain of its wires at suitable distances apart from each other to the
two poles of the generator of electricity. If however only a current of limited energy
is available, it must be passed only through certain portions of the metallic frame.

page_text: To this end I may divide the frame into sections suitably insulated from each
other, thus causing the current to pass only through some of such sections.
This result can be obtained by covering one entire series of parallel metallic
wires with an insulating sheath of suitable material, and causing the current
to pass through certain wires or certain groups of wires forming a non-insulated
series. These two series of wires are arranged as warp and woof in the frame, and
the parallel or insulated series are connected with the poles of the generator of
electricity, so that the current passing through them cannot be diffused through
any of the other series or throughout the whole mass. The wires through
which the current passes being of small diameter become heated by reason of their
resistance to the passage of the current, and the heated thus developed locally will
be sufficient for the firing or burning of the entire surface of the panel.
Any usual method of insulation may be employed for the particular series of
wires for example the cross wires may be covered with a sheet of silicate cotton.
When the wires become heated the cotton is burned away and the silicate envelope
remaining entirely insulates the metal which it covers.
The same result could be obtained with the sectional metallic frame by insulating
the wires forming the warp as well as those of the woof series: this method would
however be inconvenient as it would be necessary in that case to allow the heat to
pass through the insulating cover before spreading the composition to be fired. In
the arrangement described the metallic sheet fulfills the double purpose of support-
ing the ceramic paste and of diffusing the heat required for the firing operation.
I reserve the use of a portable radiating stove, or any other suitable mode of
heating for the purpose in view. If a stove be employed it might be made in the
form of a cylinder or of a hollow prism of refractory clay, the sides of which could
he heated internally even to the extent of incandescence by means of gas jets,
petroleum oil, electricity or other suitable methods.
After the firing or burning process is completed it will be practicable to partially
or entirely enamel the ceramic panels or to apply enamels upon them, or to decorate
them by means of vitrifiable colours or pigments, in which latter case of course a
second burning of the ceramic covering will be requisite.
Improved Process and Apparatus for the Manufacture of Ceramic
Panels for Decorative Purposes.
I, GUSTAVE LOUIS DIEVER, of 19, Rue d'Ortel, Paris, in the French Republic,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner 4
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
This invention relates to a process for the manufacture of a novel product and to
various applications of the same.
The novel product consists of ceramic panels, flat, bent or of other forms, and 4
of various dimensions adapted to all kinds of mural and other decorations; these
ceramic panels are obtained by spreading suitably prepared ceramic pastes or
compounds upon an incombustible support or frame constructed of sheet metal or
perforated metallic plates.
The ceramic panels may either be produced directly upon the surfaces to be 5

page_text: covered, or they may be placed upon or affixed to such surfaces in any suitable
manner after they have been produced; in all cases the firing or baking of the
panels is effected by any suitable method.
In carrying my invention into practice I preferably proceed in the following
manner:-
In the first place I prepare the ceramic paste or composition intended for making
the ceramic panels, which may be either coloured or colourless; this composition is
formed similarly to ordinary ceramic pastes used for making porcelain, faience,
and the like. Thus it is formed in principle of a mixture in proportions varying
according to the primary materials employed of either, 1. Argillaceous or flinty
kaolin with sand and lime; or-2. Clay with argillaceous kaolin and feldspar with
the addition in both cases of alkaline fluxes.
The pastes so prepared are spread upon a suitable support or frame of incom-
bustible material. This support is composed of copper, iron or other metallic
sheets, lattice, or perforated plates etc. The frame is by this means wholly or
partially embedded or sunk in the ceramic composition and gives the latter the
necessary rigidity for its application to every kind of decorative purpose. This
covering or fabric being fixed on a wall or other surface to be decorated may
receive any desired designs in ceramic colours so as to present an appearance
analogous to decoration by oil painting, fresco, or any other actual ceramic
decoration.
After the covering has been decorated the ceramic paste is fired or baked in place
by any suitable process. In practice I have found the following method to produce
a satisfactory result; this consists in utilising the metallic frame which supports
the ceramic paste as a vehicle or conductor of the heat produced by the passage
through or across the said plate etc., of a current of electricity.
To effect this object I may, it the available source of electricity is sufficiently
energetic, cause the current merely to pass through the whole of the metallic frame
by connecting certain of its wires at suitable distances apart from each other to the
two poles of the generator of electricity. If however only a current of limited
energy is available, I may content myself by passing it through only certain
portions of the metallic plate etc.
For this purpose I divide the said plate into sections or divisions suitably
insulated from each other, thus causing the current to pass only through certain of
such divisions.
This result can be obtained by covering one entire series of parallel metallic wires
(either the warp or the woof) with an insulating sheath of suitable material, and
causing the current to pass through only certain wires or certain groups of wires
(woof or warp) forming the non-insulated series. The current will, therefore, pass
along only the series of parallel wires connected to the poles of the generator of
electricity; it will not be able to spread or leak into the whole mass, the per-
pendicular or cross wires not being able to serve as conductors.
.
The wires through which the current passes being of small diameter become
heated by reason of their resistance to the passage of the current and the heat
thus developed locally will be sufficient for the firing or baking of the entire
surface of the panel.
Any usual method of insulation may be employed for the particular series of warp
or woof of wires; for example, the metallic plate can be formed of a series of
ordinary wires and by a series of cross wires, made of metal coated with an envelope
of a cotton impregnated with a silicate (silicate cotton). During the baking of the
panel the wires become heated, the cotton is burned away and the silicate envelope
remaining entirely insulates the metal wire which it covers.
The same result could be obtained with the sectional metallic frame by insulating
the wires forming the warp as well as those of the woof series; this method
however would be inconvenient as it would be necessary in that case to allow the
heat to pass through the insulating cover of the wires connected to the source
of electricity before reaching the composition to be fired. In the arrangement

page_text: described the metallic sheet fulfils the double purpose of supporting the ceramic
paste and of diffusing the heat required for the firing operation. I reserve the use
of a portable radiating stove, or any other suitable mode of heating for the purpose
in view. If a stove be employed it might be made in the form of a cylinder or of a
hollow prism of refractory earth, the sides or walls of which could be heated internally
even to the extent of incandescence by means of gas jets, oil, ether, electricity or
other suitable agents.
After the firing or baking process is completed it will be practicable to partially
or entirely enamel the ceramic panels or to apply enamels upon them, or to decorate
them by means of vitrifiable colours or pigments, in which latter case, of course, a
second baking of the ceramic covering will be requisite.
The frame or skeleton can be of sheet-metal or lattice work made from any
suitable metal whatever.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. As a new product, a species of ceramic panels, flat or bent, of variable dimen-
sions, applicable to all kinds of decorations such panels being formed by the
application of refractory pastes or compounds (coloured or plain or adapted to
receive ceramic colours) upon an incombustible support or frame formed of a
metallic sheet or perforated metallic plate or plaque, substantially as described.
2. A process of firing or baking ceramic panels forming the object of the
preceding claim, consisting in causing an electric current to pass through the
whole or certain portions of the metallic frame serving as a support for the ceramic
paste of the said panels.
3. The formation of a metallic sheet for supporting the ceramic paste, and
forming a vehicle of heat for the baking, by means of metallic wires partly or
wholly enveloped in an insulating and incombustible sheath or covering for the
purpose of effecting the distribution of the electric current and of the heat resulting
from its passage through certain divisions of the surface of the panels.
4. The baking in position of the ceramic panels claimed in the first claim, by
means of portable stoves, heating by radiation, substantially as described.
5. A process of preparation and of baking of ceramic panels, carried out sub-
stantially in the manner specified.
Dated this 1st day of July 1898.
For the Applicant,
GEDGE & FEENY,
Chartered Patent Agents, 60, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C.