Improvements in the Manufacture of Building Tiles, Blocks, and other Articles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Dec., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 11th Sept., 1900-Accepted, 10th Nov., 1900
PROVIDIUNAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Building Tiles, Blocks, and other
Articles.
I, JOHN CARRINGTON SELLARS, of 68, Bridge Street, Birkenhead, in the County
of Chester, Cement Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:
-
This invention has for its object and effect the application and utilization of
the residue of towns' refuse destructors, and other materials which have been
exposed to heat at an elevated temperature, to the production and manufacture
of building tiles and blocks, to be used for similar purposes as ordinary tiles and
blocks, or to any purpose to which they may be suited, or other articles.
According to this invention, the residue from the destructors, or other suitable
material which has been treated at an elevated temperature, is ground in
suitable grinding machinery, or sieved; and is compounded or combined with
a solution of silicate of soda, silicate of potash, or a solution in which the silica
has been precipitated; and they are combined together with water.
The material is formed into building slabs, or blocks, or other articles, as the
case may be, in any known suitable way, as by casting, or by pressure in moulds
or frames of a porous nature, or rendered porous in any known suitable way,
the pressure being exerted by artificial power or hand power, as may be con-
venient.
These blocks or tiles, or articles, so formed, are damped with, or steeped in
silicate of soda, and dried by atmospheric air, or artificially on floors or in stoves;
and when drying, may be subjected to pressure by weights, or otherwise, whereby
their surfaces are levelled and rendered even.
In some cases, the moulded or formed articles are dipped in or wetted with an
acid, or an acid combined with a base, such as alumina, or other aluminous
compound, or a salt or iron, preferably proto-sulphate of iron, which renders the
articles completely waterproof.
These blocks, tiles, or articles, may be coated with a colour, or any suitable
covering, which in some cases is mixed with dry silicious matters, mixed with a
mild adhesive, or with a solution of silicate of soda, and these coatings or cover-
ings are fixed according to my Patent, No. 3527 of 1899, at any suitable period
of manufacture; that is, before they are dried or stoved, or afterwards.
In some cases, in conjunction with the destructor residue or other material,
and substances as stated, there may be combined Portland cement, or other
cementitious material.
If desired, spent lime, common salt, or sand or other silicious substance may be
added to the refuse or other material before exposing it to heat, in order that
the residue may readily combine with the silicate of soda, and form a substance
of a more solid consistency.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Building Tiles, Blocks, and other
Articles.
itering to tar
I, JOHN CARRINGTON SELLARS, of 68, Bridge Street, Birkenhead, in the County
of Chester, Cement Manufacturer, 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; -
This invention has for its object, and effect the application and utilization of
the residue of towns' refuse destructors, and other similar materials which have been
exposed to heat at an elevated temperature, to the production and manufacture
of building tiles and blocks, to be used for similar purposes as ordinary tiles and
blocks, or to any purpose to which they may be suited, or other articles.
According to this invention, the residue from the destructors, or other suitable
similar material which has been treated at an elevated temperature, such as
clinker or slag, is ground in suitable grinding machinery, or sieved, and is
compounded or combined with a solution of silicate of soda, silicate of potash,
or a solution in which the silica has been precipitated, or hydrated silica; and they
are combined together with water.
I have found that such residues or clinkers contain metallic and alkaline com-
pounds which are capable of being combined chemically with the silicate of
alkali, or precipitated or hydrated silica; and that in consequence, it is only
necessary to use a small proportion of the silica substance to produce a hard and
serviceable block or article; and consequently the invention enables such material
to be utilized and worked up economically for the manufacture of building
material and other articles, at very low cost.
The material is formed into building slabs, or blocks, or other articles, as the
case may be, in any known suitable way, as by casting or moulding, or by
pressure in moulds or frames of a porous nature, or rendered porous in any
known suitable way, the pressure being exerted by artificial power or hand power,
as may be convenient.
In making the material into blocks, slabs, or articles required, they are, prior
to their being subjected to the action of the silicate, compounded with
a small proportion of a mechanical adhesive, which serves to bind the material
and enable it to be handled with safety, and without excessive care; or, with
a substance which will more or less act chemically upon the ground clinker or
the like. Of the first, namely, the mechanical adhesive, an adhesive such as a
weak solution of glue will do. With regard to the chemical to be used for
binding the material, common air-fallen lime, or air-fallen hydraulic, lime, Port-
land cement, or other similar cementitious material; or, a metallic salt, auch
as sulphate or other solution of alumina, or the proto-sulphate of iron, or other
salt which will act on the chemical substances which are comprised in the ground
residue, or clinker, are added to it.
If lime of the kind referred to be used, about from 9 to 6 parts by measure of
the ground material, to 1 of lime, will do. Or, if Portland cement be used.
the proportion may be from 5 to 3 of the material, to 1 of Portland cement. If
sulphate of alumina be used, a weak solution (say one consisting of three tons
of water to one of the solid sulphate of alumina) may be added, say by spraying,
until the ground material will ball in the hand.
The block or article which has been produced should be air dried, either with,
or without the assistance of artificial heat; and is then subjected to the action
of the weak solution of silicate of soda, or silicate of potash, or other alkali.
According to the hardness or density of the 'block or article prior to its
***

page_text: being subjected to the action of the silicate substance, and according to the degree
of the depth and amount of entrance required of the silica into it, so will be the
time, or pressure, as the case may be, required for the operation. In any event,
if the blocks or articles be immersed in the silicate solution under a more or
less high pressure, whether artificial or otherwise, the operation will be
expedited.
With regard to the addition and mixing of the substances in question, these,
of course, can be carried out in any of the well known ways by hand, or by any
of the various machines used for such purposes.
When moulding the material or mixture and pressing it in a press, say for
the manufacture of hollow building blocks, or the like, or other articles, it should
be done, preferably, in a semi-dry condition.
In some cases, in lieu of working the material up in the manner, or to the
consistency referred to, to the clinker, or like ground material, there is added
or combined with it, common air-fallen lime, or air-fallen hydraulic lime, and
sometimes sand, in about the proportion of 6 of the ground material, to 1 of sand,
and 1 of lime, and some water; and these are ground together to the consistency
of a stiff putty, and then allowed to stand for some time in order to make sure
that the whole of the lime is swollen and fallen. This semi-dry putty is suitably
pressed into moulds, or moulded as desired, and afterwards exposed to air, and
dried; and, if desired, the articles may be suitably artificially dried.
In the event of precipitated or hydrated silica being used and combined with
the ground destructor residue, or similar furnace residue, it would, in most cases,
be added and mixed with it just prior to its being made up or formed into the
blocks, or other articles. Or, it could be applied with the addition of moisture,
to the surface of the blocks, etcetera, after formation; in which case the surface
of the blocks or articles would be rendered hard.
If desired, articles such as pipes or hollow conduits or the like, made from these
materials or compounds, may be glazed by coating them with a glazing or
enamelling composition or paste, and subjecting them to a high temperature in
a suitable oven or furnace. This effect and result is rendered possible by reason
of the ground clinker or material having been subjected to a high temperature.
In some cases, where the moulded or formed articles are dipped in, or wetted
with an acid, or an acid combined with a base, such as alumina, or other aluminous
compound, or a salt of iron, such a proto-sulphate of iron, it renders the article
more or less waterproof; or completely waterproof if repeatedly dipped or coated.
If desired, spent lime, common salt, or sand, or other silicious substance may
be added to the towns' refuse or other material, before it is burnt, or exposed
to heat, in order that the residue may readily combine with the silicate of soda,
or silica substance. This will produce a substance of a more solid consistency:
or will be serviceable in cases where these substances are absent in, or exist
only in very small quantities in the refuse or material.
These blocks, tiles, or articles, may be coated with a colour, or any suitable
covering, which, in some cases. is mixed with dry silicious matters, mixed with a
mild adhesive, or with a solution of silicate of soda, and these coatings or cover-
ings are fixed according to my Patent, No. 3527 of 1899; at any suitable period
of manufacture; that is, before they are dried or stoved, or afterwards.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The manufacture of building blocks, tiles, or other articles, by forming or
pressing the waste or residue material from furnaces having the nature or
characteristic referred to, into blocks, tiles, or articles, and subsequently sub-
jecting such blocks, tiles, or articles, to the action of silicate of alkali, which acts
on the said material, and produces a hard block or article; for the purposes
specified.

page_text: 2. The manufacture of blocks, tiles, or other articles, by forming or pressing
the waste or residue material from furnaces such as referred to, combined with
a cementitious material, or metallic salt or compound, in a more or less moist or
semi-dry condition, and subsequently, when dry, subjecting said blocks, tiles,
or articles to the action of silicate of alkali; substantially as set forth.
3. The employment in the manufacture of blocks, tiles, or other articles, of
the residue of furnaces of the kind herein referred to, and of a silicate of alkali,
or precipitated or hydrated silica, which enters into chemical combination with
the said material; substantially as set forth.
4. In the manufacture of blocks, tiles, or other articles, pressing or moulding
the residue material from furnaces such as referred to, in conjunction or com-
bination with lime, into blocks, tiles, or articles of the form required, and sub-
sequently subjecting same to the action of a silicate of alkali; substantially as
set forth.
5. In the manufacture of blocks, tiles, or other articles, subjecting the same,
subsequently to the manufacture as specified in the preceding claims, to the
action of the metallic salts referred to; for the purposes set forth.
Datad this 10th day of Cantamo 1000
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON,
Applicant's Patent Agents, 15, Water Street, Liverpool.