A NEW OR IMPROVED COMBINATION OF MATERIALS FOR MAKING CEMENTS CAPABLE ALSO OF BEING USED FOR OTHER USEFUL AND ORNAMENTAL PURPOSES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Smith of Sunbury in the county of Middlesex
for an Invention of A NEW OR IMPROVED COMBINATION OF MATERIALS FOR
MAKING CEMENTS CAPABLE ALSO OF BEING USED FOR OTHER USEFUL AND
ORNAMENTAL PURPOSES
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Smith at the Office
of the Commissioners.of Patents on the 1st May 1883.
THOMAS SMITH of Sunbury in the county of Middlesex A NEW OR IMPROVED
COMBINATION OF MATERIALS FOR MAKING CEMENTS CAPABLE ALSO OF BEING USED
FOR OTHER USEFUL AND ORNAMENTAL PURPOSES
The object of my invention is to produce a compound substance at a very low
cost and in a simple manner while at the same time this substance will be very
useful for cements and many other useful and ornamental purposes as it is very
hard and capable of withstanding a great crushing strain and also possesses to a
high degree the capacity of binding or uniting articles together.
With this object I take the scrapings or sweepings or debris of macadamized
roads which I place in a suitable tank or bath with a sufficient water supply and
I agitate the same until all the light or superfluous matter escapes with the
overflowing water. This process is quickly effected and materials are left behind
which form one of the chief ingredients of my compound substance. These solid
matters are then allowed to settle to the bottom of the tank when the remaining
water is poured off and the solid sediment is removed and placed in a suitable
vessel to be thoroughly baked so that all the moisture may be expelled therefrom.
It is then finely ground. I also take chalk and the refuse or dust of coke or other
analogous substances and thoroughly dry the same and reduce them to powder.
These materials are then mixed together in suitable proportions say 43 per cent. of
the before described residue of the scrapings of roads 20 per cent. of chalk and
37 per cent. of coke or thereabouts. The mixture is then again ground until it is
reduced to a fine dust, I then take sulphur or brimstone and thoroughly dry the

page_text: same after which process it is melted and I place in this melted sulphur or
brimstone a suitable proportion of the mixture prepared as before described.
I find that for most purposes 45 per cent. of sulphur and 55 per cent. of the
mixture makes a very good material but these proportions may be varied according
to the requirements in each case. The whole combination is then well stirred
together until it becomes in the first place a thick plastic mass when I may remove
the fire and the stirring is continued until it is reduced into a liquid state when it
can be poured into moulds as required or used for the purpose for which it has
been made.
Instead of using the scrapings or sweepings or debris of roads I may use Thames
and other sands or either of them preferably Thames sand and after reduction of
the same if required to a granulated condition it is thoroughly dried and treated as
before described.
This composition when cold has perfect binding properties and is very strong
hard and homogeneous. It can also be given a beautifully smooth surface with
great metallic lustre. It can be used for a variety of objects such as cements for
building paving and other purposes for castings and for manufacturing ornamental
and other articles.
When I use this composition for jointing pipes and other similar objects I prefer
to add thereto a small proportion of pitch and bitumen or either of them say from
1 to 2 per cent, and reduce the proportion of sulphur by about the same amount.
This has the effect of giving greater tenacity to the composition and by delaying
for a certain time the hardening thereof makes the joints more thoroughly tight.
If I wish this compound substance to be coloured I prefer to omit the proportion
of coke therein and I thoroughly wash the sand or other material and the chalk or
whiting may also be thoroughly washed if necessary and then dry these materials
and reduce them to powder as before described and when mixed together they are
placed in the melted sulphur in the same manner. The colour required can be
added in any form either before or after the mixture is placed in the melted
sulphur as I may deem most convenient. This combination in suitable proportions
is then treated as before described. By this process I can obtain any colour or any
different shades of colour and by omitting the coke I can also produce light colours
which are impossible in other cements of similar kinds as the ingredients of which
they are composed render dark colours inevitable

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st November
1883.
THOMAS SMITH of Sunbury in the county of Middlesex A NEW OR IMPROVED
COMBINATION OF MATERIALS FOR MAKING CEMENTS CAPABLE ALSO OF BEING USED
FOR OTHER USEFUL AND ORNAMENTAL PURPOSES
The object of my invention is to produce a compound substance at a very low
cost and in a simple manner while at the same time this substance will be very
useful for cements and many other useful and ornamental purposes as it is very
hard and capable of withstanding a great crushing strain and also possesses to a
high degree the capacity of binding or uniting articles and substances together.
This compound substance I propose to call "Theskelon."
In order to carry out this my aforesaid object I take the scrapings or sweepings.
or debris of macadamized roads and I place the same in a suitable tank or bath
with a sufficient water supply in which tank or bath I agitate this material until
all the light or superfluous matter escapes with the overflowing water. This
process is quickly effected and the materials left behind form one of the chief
ingredients of my compound substance. These solid matters are then allowed to
settle to the bottom of the tank when the remaining water is poured off and the
solid sediment is removed and placed in a suitable vessel to be thoroughly baked
so that all the moisture may be expelled therefrom when it is finely ground
in any suitable mill or otherwise. I also take chalk and the refuse or dust of coke
or other analogous substances and thoroughly dry the same and then reduce them
to powder in any convenient manner. These above mentioned materials are then
mixed together in the following proportions that is to say 43 per cent. of the
residue of the scrapings of roads 20 per cent. of chalk or other analogous substance
and 37 per cent. of coke or other analogous substance or thereabouts. This
mixture is then again ground if necessary until it is reduced to a fine dust or
powder. I then take sulphur or brimstone' and thoroughly dry the same after
which process it is melted and I then place in this melted sulphur or brimstone a
suitable proportion as follows of the mixture which has been prepared in manner
as hereinbefore described. For ordinary building or paving or conting or other
analogous purposes I use the proportion of 45 per cent. of sulphur or brimstone
and 55 per cent. of the mixture or thereabouts. For castings or for manufacturing
ornamental or other articles or other analogous purposes I use the proportion of
55 per cent of the sulphur or brimstone and 45 per cent. of the mixture or
thereabouts. The whole combination is then well stirred together until it becomes
in the first place a thick plastic mass when I prefer to remove the fire and the
stirring is continued until it is reduced into a liquid or semi liquid state when it
can be poured into moulds or used for the purpose for which it has been made.
I may also use Thames and other sands or either of them either in lieu of or in
combination with the above mentioned scrapings or sweepings or debris of roads.
I find Thames sand is very suitable for my purposes as herein described. These
materials are also reduced if required into a granulated condition and are then
treated in the same manner as hereinbefore described.
I propose to call the composition made as aforesaid the "A" quality.
This composition made in this aforesaid manner has when cold perfect binding
or uniting properties and. it is very strong hard and homogeneous. It can also be
given a beautifully smooth surface with great metallic lustre. It can be used for
a great variety of objects and purposes of which I will mention a few as examples.

page_text: .
When the sulphur is combined with the mixture in the proportion first before
mentioned I have already stated that it is suitable for ordinary building or paving
purposes and it is also very suitable for manufacturing ornamental or other tiles
and for the foundations or surroundings of electric lighting and telegraph and
telephone apparatus as it is a nonconductor of electricity. It can also be used for
rendering any article or place water proof and impervious to moisture. It is
therefore very suitable for making or lining or covering tanks cisterns baths closets
urinals or the like. It can also be used for making joints in guttering and for
cementing articles together for it holds firmly to wood iron stone and other
substances. It is therefore very suitable for fixing any kind of ironwork such for
example as railings. When the sulphur is combined with the mixture in the
second proportion herein before mentioned I have already stated that it is suitable
for castings or for manufacturing ornamental or other articles. These may be
of any kind such as busts medallions copies of any works of art stereotyping
filling up defective castings or printing or other rollers.
When I use this composition for jointing pipes and other similar articles I prefer
to add thereto a small proportion of pitch and bitumen or either of them say from
1 to 2 per cent. and in this case I reduce the proportion of sulphur by the same
amount. This has the effect of giving greater tenacity to the composition and by
delaying for a certain time the hardening thereof makes the joints more
thoroughly tight. I can also use this composition as hereinbefore modified for the
interior of ships and other vessels for which use it is very suitable and also for
covering telegraph and other wires whether underground or submarine and it can
be applied either alone or in combination with tar pitch asphalte and other
substances. For these aforesaid purposes I can also add if and when I should
deem it desirable a small proportion of oil or other similar material say from 5 to 6
per cent. and reduce the proportion of sulphur by the same amount.
I propose to call the composition made with the aforesaid modifications or any
of them the "B" quality which can be rendered elastic if required so to be.
manner.
I can colour this compound substance as may be desired in the following
When I wish to produce light colours I omit the proportion of coke
herein before described and I thoroughly wash the sand or the residue of the
scrapings of roads and the chalk or other analogous substance also if required
and then treat these materials as hereinbefore described. The materials are mixed
together in the proportion of 10 per cent. of the colouring material 30 per cent.
of chalk or other analogous substance and 60 per cent. of sand or the residue of
the scrapings of roads or thereabouts and this mixture is added to the melted
sulphur in manner as hereinbefore described. To produce dark colours I prefer
to retain the said proportion of coke but I may reduce the said proportion by the
amount of colouring material I add to the mixture say 10 per cent, or thereabouts
or I may reduce the proportion of each of the three aforesaid ingredients in this
mixture pro rata by the same said amount or otherwise. This mixture so made
is also added to the melted sulphur in manner as herein before described. I can
also if I should so prefer add the said proportion of colouring material after the
mixture has been placed in the melted sulphur and reduce accordingly the
proportion of sulphur bereinbefore_described. The colouring material may be
of any suitable kind. For instance I can use the common mineral or other green
when I want to produce that colour. Ultramarine or other blue would produce
that colour. Chinese Venetian or other red would produce that colour. Any
other colouring material or combination of the same may in like manner be used.
By this process I can obtain any colour or any different shades of colour and by
omitting the coke I can produce light colours which are impossible of attainment
in other cements of similar kinds as the ingredients of which they are composed
render dark colours inevitable.
I have herein before mentioned what I consider to be the best proportions in
which to combine the various ingredients of my compound substance but I would
have it clearly understood that I do not limit myself to the exact or precise

page_text: proportions herein before declared for the same may be altered and varied without
departing from this my invention.
Having thus particularly described and clearly ascertained my invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed I would state that I claim as my
invention which is protected by the herein before in part recited Letters Patent
1. The compound substance consisting of the combination of the scrapings or
sweepings or debris of macadamized roads and chalk and coke or other analogous
substances with sulphur or brimstone the whole being combined substantially as
and for the purposes hereinbefore described and declared.
2. The compound substance consisting of the combination of sands and chalk
and coke or other analogous substances with sulphur or brimstone the whole.
being combined substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and
declared.
3. The compound substance consisting of the combination of the scrapings
or sweepings or debris of macadamized roads sands and chalk and coke or other
analogous substances with sulphur or brimstone the whole being combined
substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and declared.
4. The compound substance consisting of the combination of the substance as
herein before claimed with pitch and bitumen or either of them the whole being
combined substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and
declared
5. The compound substance consisting of the combination of the substance
as hereinbefore claimed with or without the proportion of coke or other analogous
substance as herein before described therein and the colouring material the whole
being combined substantially as and for the purposes herein before described and
declared
In witness whereof I the said Thomas Smith have hereunto set my hand and
seals this thirtieth day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and eighty three.