A NEW OR IMPROVED PROCESS FOR THE INDURATION AND PRESERVATION OF STONE AND OTHER ANALAGOUS ABSORBENT SUBSTANCES OR MATERIALS, WHICH PROCESS IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE PRO- DUCTION OF ARTIFICIAL STONE
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Settle Barff, of the City and County of
Dublin, for the Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED PROCESS FOR THE
INDURATION AND PRESERVATION OF STONE AND OTHER ANALAGOUS ABSORBENT
SUBSTANCES OR MATERIALS, WHICH PROCESS IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE PRO-
DUCTION OF ARTIFICIAL STONE."
Sealed the 12th September 1861, and dated the 9th July 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
left by the said Frederick Settle Barff
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
9th July 1861.
I, FREDERICK SETTLE BARFF, of the City and County of Dublin, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED PROCESS
FOR THE INDURATION AND PRESERVATION OF STONE AND OTHER ANALAGOUS ABSORBENT
SUBSTANCES OR MATERIALS, WHICH PROCESS IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE PRODUCTION
OF ARTIFICIAL STONE," to be as follows (that is to say):-
My Invention, which has for its object the induration or preservation of
stone, bricks, tiles, cements, or other analagous absorbent materials, as also the
manufacture or production of artificial stone, consists in employing for the said
purposes solutions of the alkaline silicates combined with the aluminates of
zinc or other suitable re-agents. in such proportions as to allow sufficient time
to elapse for manipulating the said.solution, and thus enabling it, when applied
to the surface of the stone or otherwise, to enter into or effectually penetrate

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Frederick Settle Barff in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 8th January 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FREDERICK
SETTLE BARFF, of the City and County of Dublin, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Frederick Settle Barff, Her special licence that I, the said Frederick Settle
Barff, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Frederick Settle Barff, my 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 law-
fully 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 "A NEW OR IMPROVED PROCESS FOR THE INDURATION AND PRE-
SERVATION OF STONE AND OTHER ANALAGOUS ABSORBENT SUBSTANCES OR MATERIALS
WHICH PROCESS IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE PRODUCTION OF ARTIFICIAL STONE," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Frederick Settle Barff, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
.or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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 I, the said Frederick Settle Barff, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to

page_text: be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the fol-
lowing statement (that is to say) :-
My Invention, which has reference to the induration or preservation of
stone, bricks, tiles, cements, or other analagous absorbent substances or mate-
rials, as also the manufacture or production of artificial stone, consists in
employing for the said purposes solutions of the alkaline silicates combined
with the aluminate of potash or other suitable re-agent in such proportions as
to allow sufficient time to elapse for manipulating the said solution, and thus
enabling it when applied to the surface of the stone or otherwise to enter into
and effectually penetrate the same. The said solutions, in combination with
powdered pumicestone or other like material, being also employed for pro-
ducing or manufacturing artificial stone for attrition, building, or other
purposes.
And in order that my said Invention may be more fully understood and
readily carried into effect, I now proceed to describe in detail the mode of
performing the same (that is to say):--
To produce a solution suitable for indurating or preserving stone or other-
wise as above, 1 combine one part of an aqueous solution of aluminate of
potash as nearly neutral as possible, sp. gr. 1,130, with three parts of silicate
of potash, sp. gr. 1,040, the said aqueous solution of aluminate of potash being
formed or produced by dissolving in water alumina and potash previously
ignited or fused in a reverberatory furnace.
In applying my improved solution to the stone or other material for the
purpose of indurating or preserving the same, the said material should be first
cleaned and dried, and rendered as free from dust as possible; the solution is
then to be applied thereto by means of brushes or otherwise until the said
solution ceases to be absorbed by the stone or other material, on which, should
the stone be found to be porous, the application may be repeated at intervals
of twenty-four hours until the stone or otherwise has been rendered sufficiently
hard and impermeable.
To produce artificial stone I cause the said solution to be combined or
incorporated with proportionate quantities of powdered pumicestone or other
like material, which combination is suitable for setting or drying without the
aid or action of heat when placed in moulds of any required form.
In conclusion to the foregoing description it may be here necessary to note
that the said solution when prepared should be applied as soon as possible, say
from four to five hours, although the same is capable of being worked or
manipulated during a period of eight to ten hours, and should be kept in well
corked or closed bottles or vessels.

page_text: And I would further note that in forming the said solution it is necessary.
that the silicates should be poured into the aluminates, and not the aluminates
into the silicates.
Having now described the nature of this my said Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed and carried into effect, I would have it
clearly understood that I do not claim as of my Invention the exclusive use of
the substances and processes herein-before mentioned and described, except
when the same are employed in and for the purposes of my said Invention,
which I hereby declare to consist in the employment of the above-described
solutions for indurating or preserving stone or otherwise as above; as also in
producing or manufacturing artificial stone.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Settle Barff, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Second day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
FREDERICK SETTLE BARFF. (L.S.)