IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CHIMNEY PIECES, COLUMNS, VASES, CAPITALS, WALL LININGS, AND OTHER ARCHITECTURAL EMBELLISHMENTS IN IMITATION OF MARBLES, GRANITES, AND OTHER ORNAMENTAL SURFACES, AND IN THE COMPOSITION OF MATERIALS EMPLOYED THEREFOR."
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Hodson, of the Hathern Station Brick Company,
of Loughborough, in the County of Leicester, Civil Engineer, for an
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CHIMNEY PIECES,
COLUMNS, VASES, CAPITALS, WALL LININGS, AND OTHER ARCHITECTURAL
EMBELLISHMENTS IN IMITATION OF MARBLES, GRANITES, AND OTHER
ORNAMENTAL SURFACES, AND IN THE COMPOSITION OF MATERIALS EMPLOYED
THEREFOR."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Hodson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th June 1881.
GEORGE HODSON, of the Hathern Station Brick Company, of Loughborough, in
the County of Leicester, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF CHIMNEY PIECES, COLUMNS, VASES, CAPITALS, WALL-LININGS, AND OTHER
ARCHITECTURAL EMBELLISHMENTS IN IMITATION OF MARBLES, GRANITES, AND
OTHER ORNAMENTAL SURFACES, AND IN THE
COMPOSITION OF MATERIALS
EMPLOYED THEREFOR.'
"
In carrying out my improvements I produce a plastic substance from the
combination of Portland, Roman, or Keen's, or other similar cements, and water,
with granite, iron slag, gravel, broken stone, or other similar materials reduced to
fragments.
I then mould or otherwise form this plastic material in moulds of wood,
plaster, brass, or Spence's metal, or other material, into such forms as may be
desired to be produced, as, for instance, chimney-pieces, columns, shafts, vases,
pilasters, balusters, dadoes, or other architectural or building embellishments or
applications.
These articles or surfaces when thus formed are allowed to dry and harden for
such time as may be required by circumstances, but which usually will be about a
month, and then proceed to paint, enamel, and polish the surface after the
manner usually employed by japanners and slate enamellers with combinations of
paint, turpentine, and copal varnish dried by means of heat until the colors are

page_text: :
sufliciently hard; they are then cooled, rubbed down with pumice stone or soft
sandstone, and polished with the usual polishing materials, the process being
repeated until the desired imitation is obtained.
I also sometimes use soft enamel glazes, which melt at low heat, and submit
them to a sufficient degree of heat in an oven or kila.
For the above purposes I employ the processes usually adopted by japanners,
potters, slate enamellers, and others to produce the enamels, and to paint the
different patterns, designs, or devices, such as printing them on paper and
transferring the impression, tracing the designs, or employing artists to paint
them.
The proportions of the above ingredients which I have found to answer
are:-
For granite, iron slag, gravel, broken pottery, or broken stone, 3 parts by weight
of the material to 1 part by weight of cement or thereabout, with the smallest
possible quantity of water to render the material plastic, as an excess of water
deteriorates the ultimate strength of the manufactured article.
For articles required of unusual hardness the proportion of cement is increased
to 2 parts of material to 1 of cement for the coarser parts and 1 part of cement to
1 of material for the finer parts, and the water used is acidulated by the addition
of sulphuric acid in the proportion of one quart of strong commercial sulphuric
acid to 30 gallons of water, but this proportion is varied according to the size of
the article and its intended purpose.
But I do not confine myself to the proportions given above, except for articles-
when high finish and great durability are required.
For coarser and inferior work, or the backing up of finer portions, the proportions
may be used as low as 5 of material to 1 of cement, the object being to render the
composition of each mass suitable when mixed to form a hard and durable
composition.
For large lintels, girders, and columns which are intended to support heavy
weights, I insert in the moulds wrought iron which has been rolled in L, tee, or
girder shapes proportioned to the weight to be carried, which are imbedded in the
unterial which is cast solidly round them, but when this is done the sulphuric acid
is not usually needed, although I see no objections to its use, as the quantity used
is much too small to injuriously affect the iron.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Hodson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th December
1881.
GEORGE HODSON, of the Hathern Station Brick Company, of Loughborough, in
the County of Leicester, Civil Engineor. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF CHIMNEY PIECES, COLUMNS, VASES, CAPITALS, WALL-LININGS, AND OTHER
ARCHITECTURAL EMBELLISHMENTS IN IMITATION OF MARBLES, GRANITES, AND
OTHER ORNAMENTAL SURFACES, AND IN THE COMPOSITION OF MATERIALS
EMPLOYED THEREFOR."
In carrying out my improvements I produce a plastic substance from the
combination of Portland, Roman, or Keen's, or other similar cements and water,
with granite, iron slag, gravel, washed sand grit, broken stone, or other similar
materials reduced to fragments.
I then mould or otherwise formn this plastic material in moulds of wood, plaster,
brass, or Spence's metal, or other material, into such forms as may be desired
to be produced, as, for instance, chimney-pieces, columns, shafts, vases, pilasters,
balusters, dadoes, or other architectural or building embellishments or applications.
These articles or surfaces when thus formed are allowed to dry and harden for
such time as may be required by circumstances, but which usually will be about a
month, and I then proceed to paint, enamel, and polish the surface after the manner
usually employed by japanners and slate enamellers with combinations of paint,
turpentine, and copal varnish dried by ineans of heat until the colors are sufficiently
hard; they are then cooled, rubbed down with pumice stone or soft sandstone, and
polished with the usual polishing materials, the process being repeated until the
desired imitation is obtained.
I also sometimes use soft enamel glazes, which melt at low heat, and submit
them to a sufficient degree of heat in an oven or kiln.
For the above purposes I employ the processes usually adopted by japanners,
potters, slate enamellers, and others to produce the enamels and to paint the different
patterns, designs, or devices, such as printing them on paper and transferring the
impression, tracing the designs, or employing artists to paint them.
The proportions of the above ingredients which I have found to answer
are:-
For granite, iron slag, gravel, broken pottery, or broken stone, 3 parts by weight
of the material to 1 part by weight of cement or thereabout, with the smallest
possible quantity of water to render the material plastic, as an excess of water
deteriorates the ultimate strength of the manufactured article.
For articles required of unusual hardness the proportion of cement is increased
to 2 parts of material to 1 of cement for the coarser parts and 1 part of cement to
1 of material for the finer parts, and the water used is acidulated by the addition
of sulphuric acid in the proportion of ono quart of strong commercial sulphuric
acid to 50 gallons of water, but this proportion is varied according to the size of
the article and its intended purpose.
But I do not confine myself to the proportions given above, except for articles
when high finish and great durability are required. For coarser and inferior work,
or the backing up of finer portions, the proportions may be used as low as 5 of
material to 1 of cement, the object being to render the composition of each mass
suitable when mixed to form a hard and durable composition.
For large lintels, girders, and columns which are intended to support heavy
weights, I insert in the moulds wrought iron which has been rolled in L, tee, or
girder shapes proportioned to the weight to be carried, which are embedded in the

page_text: material which is cast solidly round them, but when this is done the sulphuric acid
is not usually needed, although I see no objections to its use, as the quantity used
is much too small to injuriously affect the iron.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and means adapted for
carrying the same into practical effect, I would have it understood that what I
claim is, the improvements in the manufacture of chimney-pieces, columns, vases,
capitals, wall-linings, and other architectural embellishments in imitation of
marbles, granites, and other ornamental surfaces, produced by the processes of
enamelling and polishing upon articles produced in cement, and in the composition
of materials employed therefor, substantially as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Hodson, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fourteenth day of December, One thousand eight hundred
and eighty one.