IMPROVEMENTS IN TERRA COTTA TILES, ARCHITECTURAL WORK AND POTTERY.
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Martin Benson at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 31st January 1883. Communicated to him
from Abroad by John Lynch of Washington in the District of Columbia
United States of North America:
MARTIN BENSON of N° 52 Chancery Lane London IMPROVEMENTS IN TERRA
COTTA TILES, ARCHITECTURAL WORK AND POTTERY. Communicated to him
from Abroad by John Lynch of Washington in the District of Columbia United
States of North America:
This Invention relates to Improvements in Tiles, Architectural Terra Cotta
work and Pottery Articles, and the like, and the novelty consists in making them
with a glazed or close face on one side while the other side is porous as herein
fully explained.
In the accompanying drawing, "A" denotes a drain tile block in which the face
or one side, b, is glazed or made close or imperforate, and the back or reverse
side, c, is open or porous. The face or close part may be as thin as desired.
The solid face on a porous body can be made by taking a mixture of clay with
sawdust, coal dust or any other suitable material that will burn out, and facing it
with clay unmixed with such material, the two being tempered as nearly alike as
practicable. The whole body is then burned in the same way as solid Terra
Cotta. That portion of the clay mixed with saw dust, &c., will on burning become
porous while the unmixed clay will present a solid surface.
A glazed surface may be obtained by applying the glaze after drying to the solid
surface. The solid surface and a glazing may be put on after burning the porous
body sufficiently to consume the vegetable mixture.
But I do not confine myself to the exact processes or methods herein described
as other modes will readily suggest themselves to persons skilled in the art and at
the same time be within the scope of my improvement.
The solid facing may be put upon the porous body by machinery adapted to the
purpose.
I have found tiles made in this way equally durable with the solid tile or tiles
having the same density throughout and to answer in all particulars the same use
and purposes while the porous backs make my tiles lighter and consequently more
cheaply transported and more easily handled.

page_text: Some of the many advantages of making tiles in this way are that they can be
burned in large pieces without warping or cracking; when in use they will not
break when hot, if water is thrown upon them; they are light for partition walls
and can be used for flooring.
It may be observed that nails can be driven into the porous parts without
damaging it; also that plastering can be directly applied to the porous surface.
It is an inferior conductor and consequently will bear a higher temperature than
solid burned clay The use of porous terra cotta has heretofore been restricted in
architectural work for the reason that it could not be exposed to the weather, the
absorption of water and the action of frost tended to destroy it. It could not
successfully be used for fire brick being soft and liable to clog with clinkers. By
making a thin solid face it can be used for outside work in architectural structures
having all the advantages of a porous body with a face that can be glazed. Bath
tubs can also be successfully made in this way, the solid face being glazed to
hold the water while the body can -] be, nailed to like wood It is well adapted to
the manufacture of gas and other retorts increasing their durability and reducing
their weight. For stove and furnace linings it has the same advantages and the
solid surfaces can be glazed to prevent clinkers from adhering, Locomotive blocks
can be very successfully inade of it.
The Invention is in fine, generally applicable.to articles made, of terra cotta or
potters clay, whether the same are flat, rounded, or hollow, such as architectural
ornaments, pipes, vessels, or boxes.
My invention will be readily understood on referring to the Drawing and letters
of reference marked thereon.