AN IMPROVED SYSTEM OF CASTING OR MOULDING APPLICABLE TO CEILINGS, INTernal and External Walls, ROADS, NAVIGABLE VESSELS, AND OTHER LARGE SURface Structures
Year: 1872

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Robert Stone at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 22nd
January 1872.
I, ROBERT STONE, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED SYSTEM OF
CASTING OR MOULDING APPLICABLE TO CEILINGS, INTernal and External Walls,
ROADS, NAVIGABLE VESSELS, AND OTHER LARGE SURface Structures,” to be as
follows (that is to say)
This Invention consists of an improved system in arranging and
filling the moulds, and in most cases the moulded work is formed in
the position it is intended to remain, such as ceilings, the covering of
walls, forming of chimney pieces, skirtings, mouldings and so forth,
in contradistinction of first moulding or casting them and then fixing
them in the position they are intended to permanently remain, as now
practised by means of dies or moulds.
In applying this Invention to, say a ceiling, the dies or moulds are
formed in sections having the required ornamentation sunk or raised
thereon, or both, according to the design. The sections are formed

page_text: with overlapping jointed edges coinciding with cach other so as to
obviate or hide the joints of the several sections being seen in the work.
These moulds are placed in position below the intended ceiling when
the plaster, cement, or fluid metal is run in from above, and is
peculiarly applicable to the system of flooring or roofing for which
Letters Patent was obtained by the applicant bearing date 17th
December 1869, and numbered 2709, but is applicable to ordinary roofs
and ceilings constructed of wood, in which case the rafters or joists
are formed with or have added to them a projecting ridge on the sides
of their longitudinal lower edges to form a key for the liquid material
forming the ceiling to adhere to, the moulds when placed in position
may form the whole ceiling or a portion thereof, with cornice and all
ornamental work.
In the case of a rectangular room, say onc-fourth of the intended
ceiling may be covered with moulds when the liquid is run into that
portion, after which, when the liquid material is sufficiently set, the
whole of the sections may be removed except those on the two outer
edges, when the moulds withdrawn are placed in position in conjunction
with those remaining to make the counterpart of the ceiling, by which
arrangment the casting is formed in sections but constitute one whole
when completed.
In the case of ordinary plaster or cement, laths or fibrous material
may be introduced, when by this system a more perfect adhesion to
the foundation is obtained by reason of the plaster taking better hold
on the laths and other foundation, and to increase the strength thereof,
that the ceiling may bear a considerable weight, I can introduce
fibrous material into the plastic substance without bringing the same
to the face of the work, and furthermore, the moulds may be first
faced with a layer of fine material and then filled up with a coarser
and stronger substance, such as fire-resisting cement or a coarser
description of plaster.
Iron or other wire netting, or open wirework may be embedded
in the plaster or cement, which will add materially to the strength
of the ceiling or roof, and if desired will enable a layer of sand to be
placed on the top thereof, which will act as a non-conductor in the case
of fire, and in the event of fire, should the ceiling fall, it will descend
in a sheet which would have the effect of damping or totally extin-
guishing the fire below.

page_text: In applying this Invention to the surface of walls, the moulds arc
placed just sufficiently from the face of the wall or partition to allow
the plastic material to be run in from above in a fluid state.
In applying plaster or ornamental work to the fronts of buildings,
I build into the wall dovetailed bricks or their mechanical equivalent,
so as to bind the same in a perfect manner to the surface and to sustain
the weight of the material.
Ceilings I prefer to form before laying the flooring boards which
may cover the same.
When the Invention is applied to walls not orriginally constructed to
receive enrichments, they can be secured firmly in position by cutting
out cavities in the wall or inserting T headed iron projections driven
into the wall, and by which arrangment cavities may be left between
the walls and the plaster pannels by placing core pieces against the
walls and withdrawing the same as the work proceeds.
In applying this Invention to horizontal surfaces, such as foot or road
ways, the moulds are turned face downwards and held up a sufficient
distance above the foundation to admit of the requisite quantity of
surfaceing material to be run underneath the mould, which in this casc
is formed with an orifice with a hopper mouth for running in the plastic
material; when applied to roads used by draught animals, I form the
surface in the first instance with channels or grooves of any convenient
form or size which I afterwards fill in with some elastic material to give
foothold to the animals.
The plan of embedding wire netting or wirework is equally applicable
to walls or the cement used in iron ships. In forming ceilings, the lath-
work is not absolutely necessary, as the plastic may be made sufficiently
strong to carry itself.
In casting navigable vessels or other large structures, I form a
suitable shapped pit in the ground and having faced the same with
loam I introduce a steel or iron frame, by preference having undercut
grooves at each side, and latteral perforations or openings through the
sides thereof between the undercut grooves, these frames I tin, then
form my internal core or moulds as herein-before described as applied
to ceilings. To form the core, around this dock I construct the necessary
quantity of cupolas requisite to supply the amount of metal for filling

page_text: the mould, and having secured the inner core to prevent the same rising
I run off from the several furnaces simultaneously so as to fill in the
spaces between and around the frame, I then remove my core and so
much of the external mould as may be deemed necessary, then I pack
the shell internally and externally with charcoal and ignite the same 5
and gradually let it burn out for the purpose of annealing the shell.
I then dig a canal to the river or sea and then let in the water and float
the vessel.
In some cases it may be desirable to cast or form the vessel in large
sections on the system described, then tin the edges and unite the 1
several parts by running in the molten, metal, in which case I prefer to
form the edges in such a manner that the molten metal will lock the
several parts together.
In forming footways I prefer to form them with perforations for the
surface water to pass through into channels formed on the under side 1
of the concrete or other plastic material for the purpose of carrying off
the surface water.