IMPROVEMENTS BRICKS AND TILES
Year: 1884

page_text: I, HENRY MABERLY SMITH, Managing Director of the Crystal Porcelain Pottery
Company Limited of Saint Bride Street in the City of London, do hereby declare
the nature of said invention for IMPROVEMENTS
BRICKS AND TILES, to be as follows:-
IN COATING OR SURFACING
My Invention consists in applying a vitreous porcelain coating or surface to an
ordinary brick or tile, said vitreous surface being either glazed or unglazed, non-
'absorbent, and not likely to be affected by changes of temperature or atmospheric
conditions.
✔
In carrying out my invention I take either a brick or tile, already formed, and
in the condition known as green," that is to say, unfired, and I dip the same into
a"slip" of the vitreous body or material; or I part fill a steel mould with common
clay or marl, ground and otherwise suitably prepared, and I then add a sufficient
quantity of porcelain dust to form a coating or layer. Or the porcelain dust may
be first introduced into the mould and the clay or marl added afterwards. The
brick or tile is then pressed in the usual way and is delivered from the mould with
a porcelain face. It is subsequently dried and fired.

page_text: I, HENRY MABERLY SMITH Managing Director of the Crystal Porcelain Pottery
Company Limited, of Saint Bride Street in the City of London, do hereby declare
the nature of said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN COATING OR SURFACING BRICKS
AND TILES 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 :-
My invention relates to improvements in coating, facing or surfacing bricks and
tiles, and it consists in applying a vitreous porcelain face coating or surface to an
ordinary brick or tile, as hereinafter described, and which vitreous surface may be
glazed or left unglazed as desired. A brick or tile thus faced or coated is rendered
non absorbent and is not likely to be effected by atmospheric conditions.
In carrying out my Invention, and according to one method, I take a ready
formed brick, or a tile, in the condition known as "green," that is to say, unfired,
and I dip the same into a slip of the vitreous body or material so that a coating or
face is applied to that portion of the brick or tile which it is desired to protect.
Or according to another method, and a preferable one, I partially fill a steel mould
with a suitable clay or marl, ground and otherwise prepared, and then add a
suffieient quantity of porcelain dust to form a coating or layer. Or the porcelain
dust may be first introduced into the mould and the clay or marl added afterwards.
The brick, or tile, is then pressed in the usual way and is subsequently dried and
fired. The porcelain surface may then be glazed, if desired, in the usual manner.
The clay or marl which I use in carrying out my invention is one whose pro-
perties are such as to cause the vitreous material to adhere thereto when the brick,
or the tile, is fired, in order to render the body of the article and its vitreous
porcelain face homogeneous.
Having now described my Invention and in what manner the same may be
carried into effect, I claim
"
The application of a vitreous porcelain face, coating or surface to an ordinary
green"
or unfired brick or tile, in the manner substantially as herein described
and for the purposes mentioned, said brick or tile being then fired to render it and
its face, coating or surface homogeneous, and which face, or the like, may then be
glazed.