IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF TILES AND STAIRS FROM PLASTIC MATERIALS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Shield Norton and Henry Jules Borie.
of Union Works, New Park Street, Southwark, Engineers and
Iron Founders, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Shield Norton
and Henry Jules Borie at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 20th July 1853.
We, JAMES SHIELD NORTON and HENRY JULES BORIE, of Union
Works, New Park Street, Southwark, Engineers and Iron Founders,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF TILES AND STAIRS FROM PLASTIC MATERIALS " to be
as follows:-
This Invention consists of making each tile and stair hollow, or with
hollow channels through them, by which great strength and lightness
will be obtained, and the same will admit of being better burned or
fired. For this purpose plastic materials are to be forced through dies
of the forms suitable to produce the external contour of the tiles or stairs,
and in such dies cores are placed to produce the hollow channels.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Shield Norton and Henry Jules Borie in
the Great Seal Patent Office, on the 20th January 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we,
JAMES SHIELD NORTON and HENRY JULES BORIE, of Union Works, New
Park Street, Southwark, Engineers and Iron Founders, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the seven-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said James Shield Norton and Henry
Jules Boric, Her special licence that we, the said James Shields Norton
and Henry Jules Boric, our exccutors, alininistrators, and assigns, or
such others as we, the said James Shields Norton and Henry Jules
Borie, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during. the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF TILES AND STAIRS FROM PLASTIC
MATERIALS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said James
Shield Norton and Henry Jules Boric, by an instrument in writing
under our hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same
to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said James Shield Norton and
Henry Jules Boric, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof,
that is to say:
This Invention consists of making each tile and stair hollow, or with
hollow channels through them, by which great strength and lightness

page_text: will be obtained, and the same will admit of being better burned or
fired. For this purpose plastic materials are to be forced through diés
of the forms suitable to produce the external contour of the tiles or
stairs, and in such .dies cores are placed to produce the hollow
channels..
.
Having thus stated the nature of our said Invention, we will proceed
to describe the manner of performing the same.
:
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1, represents a perspective view of a hollow or tubular tile,
constructed according to our Invention, with gutters at the sides and
the nail hole for securing them to the lath, in the same manner as
slates or plain tiles. Figure 2, is a perspective view of a similar tile
reversed, showing a knib or projection for retaining the tile on the
lath or stay. Figure 3, represents a perspective view of two similar
tiles, having ribs instead of gutters, the ribs and joint being covered
with semicircular and conically formed joint covers, as 'shown.
Figure 4, shows a plan of a dic or mould having openings or mould-
ing orifices, suitable for forming two tiles, according to our Invention,
by having clay or other plastic material forced through such openings,
as is well understood in the manufacture of like articles from plastic
materials. Figure 5, shows a longitudinal section, and Figure 6, a
transverse section of the same die or mould. Figures 7, and 8, show
longitudinal and transverse sections of a mould and apparatus suitable
for making hollow or tubular tiles, according to our Invention, by forcing
the clay or other plastic material into such mould. Figure 9, shows a
longitudinal section, and Figure 10, an end view in perspective of a
tile closed at one end: Figure 11, is a perspective view of part of a
flight of hollow stairs or steps, and Figure 12, shows part of a flight
of another form of hollow stairs or steps, made according to our
Invention. Figure 18, shows a section of an apparatus suitable for
moulding a hollow stair or step, according to our Invention, by having
he clay or other suitable plastic material forced into a mould, as
erein-after described. Figure 14, shows a plan of several forms of
iles constructed according to our Invention.

page_text: We will now proceed to describe how hollow or tubular tiles and
stairs may be made according to our Invention.
One process consists of expressing or forcing clay or plastic material
through dies having moulding orifices and cores similar to those
employed in the manufacture of hollow bricks and other similar
articles, as is well understood.
Figures 4, 5, and 6, show a die with two moulding orifices of the
form of the tile intended to be produced; c, c, are the cores supported
within the moulding orifice by means of the bridge B, B. The die may
be adapted to any machine or apparatus suitable for forcing the plastic
material through the moulding orifices; the tiles are received on to
rollers, and cut to the proper length, as is well understood in making
tiles and similar articles.
Another mode of forming hollow tiles, according to our Invention,
consists in employing a mould m, m, Figures 7, and 8, made in two
parts, hinged together, the inner surfaces of which are of the exact
size and form of a tile. A scries of cores n, are fixed. at one of their
extremities to a block or slide o, (which slides on a bed plate P,) by
which the cores are introduced at one end between the plates m, m,
which form the mould, and the other ends of the cores are supported
on a cross piece 1, within the chamber H, so as to be quite firm, and
the slide o, is then to be fixed with the core or cores in that position.
The plastic material contained in the box or cylinder H, is then to be
forced by the piston G, from the chamber H, into the mould, so as to
form a tile; the mould is then moved a short distance from the
chamber H, and the tile is cut off by a wire, as is well understood;
the cores are then pulled back by the handle S, the box is opened
by moving the upper plate on the hinge T, and the tile may be taken
out in this arrangement, if the cores are a little shorter than the
mould, one end of the tile will be solid or closed up, and the pin which
is used to secure the end of each core will leave small openings, as
shewn in Figures 9, and 10.
Another mode of closing the tube consists of merely pressing the
end of the tile with a piece of wood, so as to compress and unite the
plastic material.

page_text: To support the tile on the laths or boarding of roofs one mode
consists of making a hole through the tile, as shown in Figure I.
Another mode consists in forming the die or mould, Figure 4, with a
small recess a, which will form a rib on the tile, which rib may be
afterwards cut away, except near the extremity, as at y, Figure 2,
which will form a nib to retain the tile upon the lath or roof to which
it is applied.
The modes of manufacturing hollow stairs or steps being similar to
the arrangements described for making hollow tiles, it will not be
necessary to give a minute description thereof; one mode consists o
employing a dic or mould having suitable moulding orifices and cores
through which the clay or plastic material is forced, and this process
being well understood we have not thought it necessary to describe it
with Drawings. Figure 13, shows apparatus suitable for moulding a
stair or step, according to our Invention. A, A, is one, or it may be
several upright cores, which are secured in the two parts of the mould
M, M, so as to leave around them space for the plastic material, which
is forced in to the mould by a piston R*. When the space is filled up
the cores are drawn out, and the box opened by means of the two
levers or arms on cach side of the mould.
Various plans have been resorted to with a view to regulate the
temperature of rooms next the roof, and great advantage will be
obtained by employing tiles of cellular formation for this purpose,
nade according to our Invention, with one or both extremities closed.
The hollow tiles, when closed, will act non-conductors of cold in winter
and of heat in summer, and by using those with the tubes left open
they will be found efficient ventilators by admitting the air in the safest
manner through the tubes running upwards in the direction of the
roof, as shewn in Figures 1, 2, and 3.
The tubular configuration gives great strength with a less body of
material, and thus a strong and lighter covering is produced, at the
same time less liable to leakage, for should the outer plate get
fractured the wet would be carried off by the chamber below. The
tubular steps or stairs have many advantages in common with the tiles;
being lighter, they may be used in positions where blocks of stone would

page_text: be too heavy, and in many countries very expensive; .being made of
material not fusible, they are fire-proof, very strong, and inexpensive...
We would remark that the plastic materials we employ for. the
manufacture of hollow or tubulär tiles and stairs, according to our
Invention, are clay, or brick: earth, or other plastic materials capable
of being moulded to form, and requiring to be fired or burned, and also
compounds capable of being moulded when in a plastic state, and
which will afterwards, set and get hard without burning.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, we would have it understood that what we
claim is,
First, the making of tiles for roofs from plastic materials, each tilė
having several openings or passages.through it, as herein described; and,
Secondly, we claim the making of hollow stairs from plastic material;
as herein described.
S..
In witness whereof, we, the said James Shield Norton and Henry
Jules Borie, have hereunto set our hands and seals; this
Twentieth day of January; in the year of our Lord One thousand
-eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE.
J. S. NORTON. (L.S.)
H. J. BORIE. (L.S.)