AN IMPROVED METHOD " OF MANUFACTURING VARIOUS ARTICLES FROM SCORIA TO BE EMPLOYED AS SUBSTITUTES FOR STONE, BRICK, TERRA COTTA AND LIKE MATERIALS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BUILDINGS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by George Frederick Redfern at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st December 1883. A commu-
nication from James Stickle, a person resident at Denver, Colorado, United
States of America.
GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN, of the General Patent Office, N° 4, South Street,
Finsbury, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent AN IMPROVED METHOD
"
OF MANUFACTURING VARIOUS ARTICLES FROM SCORIA TO BE EMPLOYED AS
SUBSTITUTES FOR STONE, BRICK, TERRA COTTA AND LIKE MATERIALS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF BUILDINGS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. [a communication from
James Stickle, a person resident at Denver, Colorado, United States of America]
"
The invention communicated to me relates to the manufacture of articles of
merchandise to be used in the construction of buildings, pavements, sewers and
other uses to which stone, brick, terra cotta and other like materials are applicable
as well as railroad ties and many other articles at present made of wood.
And the objects of the invention are to utilize for this purpose scoria, the refuse
produced from smelting mineral ores, which being of a highly refractory nature,
has not been treated in such a manner as to admit of its successful use in the
manufacture of such articles.
These objects are attained by means of the treatment herein described by which
the nature of scoria is transformed into a condition of strength and durability and
the method of treatment consists of filling moulds of any desired pattern with
broken pieces of scoria; molten scoria is then poured into the mould until all the
crevices in and around the broken pieces are filled with molten material thus
cementing solidly together all of the broken pieces as well as filling up the spaces,
cracks or crevices therein.
When the mass has sufficiently cooled to admit of being transferred from the
mould the same is immersed in heated pitch or other liquid waterproof cement
until the mass has become thoroughly impregnated with the liquid which
overcomes the brittleness of the scoria and also renders the same impervious to
moisture.
By pouring the molten scoria into the mould having the latter filled with broken
pieces the mass is cooled evenly throughout owing to the broken pieces being of a
like temperature to that of the walls of the mould. I thus avoid the strain

page_text: caused by the outer surface of the blocks cooling quickly, as is the case where an
attempt is made to form articles of merchandise from molten scoria alone, the
nature of which is to contract much more when cooled quickly than when cooled
gradually.
It is not intended to claim broadly the moulding of scoria or slag into blocks or
forms this having been accomplished heretofore but the invention relates to the
particular method herein described of combining broken pieces and molten scoria
in the manner set forth whereby the body is cooled evenly throughout and
additional strength, toughness and durability imparted thereto by being
impregnated thoroughly with the heated pitch or other equivalent.