IMPROVEMENTS- IN THE TREATMENT OF STONE IN ORDER TO PRODUCE A GLAZED SURFACE THERETO
Year: 1885

page_text: I JOHN MATTHEW of Rose Cottage, Armley, near Leeds in the County of York,
Manager, do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS- IN
THE TREATMENT OF STONE IN ORDER TO PRODUCE A GLAZED SURFACE THERETO to
be as follows :-
.
{. The object of my Invention is to glaze some classes of stone in such a manner
that the stone is rendered impervious to moisture and a highly finished surface is
obtained.
For this purpose I employ any kind of stone that will not be injuriously
affected by the action of heat and I prepare the surface by rubbing it down
smooth.
I then place the stone in a drying room and submit it to a moderately high
temperature in order to drive off the moisture therefrom.
.
After the stone has been treated in this manner I apply thereto a coating of
"body" or "slip" such as is used by potters and when the surface thereof is
partially dry but still damp or green," I brush on or otherwise apply a coating of
glaze.
"
The glaze I employ for this purpose is an ordinary vitreous fusible glaze many
kinds of which are known to potters and glazed brick makers.
I then place the stone in a kiln and gradually submit it to sufficient heat to
fuze or "
run" the glaze, and I complete the operation of firing in the manner well
known in the manufacture of glazed bricks and similar articles.
In some cases instead of rubbing down the stone, I may apply thereto a thick
coating of "slip" or "body" in order to obtain a level or smooth surface and
when desired I may introduce any suitable colouring matter into such "body" or
"slip" or glaze when a coloured surface is required to be given to the finished
stone,

page_text: a Glazed Suriace thereto.
I JOHN MATTHEW of Rose Cottage Armley, near Leeds in the County of York,
Manager do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
The object of my invention is to glaze some classes of stone in such a manner
that the stone is rendered impervious to moisture and a highly finished surface is
obtained.
For this purpose I employ any kind of stone that will not be injuriously
affected by the action of the degree of heat necessarily employed in the fusion of
the glaze and if desired I prepare the surface of the stone by rubbing it down
smooth but it may be finished in any manner desired for the purposes to which it
is to be applied.
I then preferably place the stone in a drying room and submit it to a moderately
high temperature in order to drive off the excess of moisture therefrom. This
drying process is not however generally necessary except when the stone to be
glazed is in considerable bulk; thin slabs and small pieces will in dry weather
frequently be naturally in a sufficiently dry state.
When the stone is properly prepared and in a sufficiently dry condition I apply
a glaze thereto either by dipping the stone in the glaze or by brushing or washing
the glaze thereon.
The glaze I employ for this purpose is an ordinary soft, vitreous, readily fusible
and either transparent or stained glaze, many kinds of which are known to potters
and glazed brick makers but the essential point to be considered in the preparation
of the glaze and which will be readily understood is that it shall be fusible at as
low a temperature as possible in order that the stone may not be injured when
submitted to the heat necessary to fuse the glaze.
I then place the stone in a kiln or oven and gradually submit it to sufficient
heat to fuze or "run" the glaze, but taking care to keep the temperature as low
as possible in order to avoid injury to the stone, and, I complete the operation of
firing in the manner well known in the manufacture of glazed bricks and similar
articles, that is to say, I allow the stone after the glaze has been "run" to cool
gradually.
By the employment of a transparent glaze I am enabled to retain the natural
appearance of the stone except that it has a glazed surface and in some cases the
tint is slightly altered but when employing a stained glaze various tints or colors
may be imparted to the stone as may be required.
I would here remark that since filing my provisional specification I have found
that when applying a coating of slip or body to the stone as therein referred to, it
is necessary in order properly to fire such body or slip to submit the stone to such
a temperature as would greatly injure or destroy the same, for this reason I desire
to disclaim and I do hereby disclaim such application.

page_text: I would also remark that I have not thought it necessary to state what
ingredients are employed in the manufacture of the soft glazes I employ, as such
are well known and will vary according to the tint required besides which,
separately considered, they form no part of my invention.
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:-
Producing a glazed surface to stone, by first submitting it to heat when
necessary to drive off the excess of moisture therefrom and then applying a soft
vitreous transparent or stained glaze thereto which is fusible at a low heat and
firing the same substantially as herein described.