IMPROVEMENTS IN MAKING TILES AND OTHER ARTICLES OF PORTLAND OR OTHER CEMENT
Year: 1885

page_text: I, PETER WALKER, of 20 West Nicolson Street, Edinburgh, in the County of
Mid Lothian, North Britain, Plasterer and Cement Worker, do hereby declare the
nature of my said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MAKING TILES AND OTHER
ARTICLES OF PORTLAND OR OTHER CEMENT" and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement that is to say :-
My said Invention has for it object the making of tiles and other articles in an
improved and very economical manner; and consists in forming such articles of
Portland or other cement either alone or combined with coloring matters or with
ornamental substances by shaping such cement by means of moulds having glass
surfaces corresponding to the surface or surfaces of the moulded articles intended
to be external or ornamental.
In the case of a plain flat tile for flooring or analogous purposes, I use a piece of
polished plate glass of suitable size to form the bottom of the mould, the tile being
moulded with its intended external surface downwards, and I apply pieces of wood
or other suitable material to form sides to the mould, such side pieces being of a
depth corresponding to the intended thickness of the tile. The cement in a plastic
condition is filled into the mould and sleeked or leveled evenly with the tops of
the side pieces. When the cement is sufficiently set the side pieces are removed
and the tile is left upon the glass plate until sufficiently hardened. When
hardened and detached from the glass the tile has a very smooth surface
resembling that of a polished material. The ordinary grey stone-like or brown
color of the cement may be modified by the admixture of any suitable earthy
coloring matters. Thus for black or dark grey, black shale coke may be used such
coke being finely pulverised and mixed with at least three times its weight of the
cement. The coke referred to is the residue formed in retorts for distilling shale
when the whole of the carbon is not extracted from the earthy matter. For reds
and yellows or reddish or yellowish browns Indian red and ochre may be used.
Roman cement may also be used where a brown color is required; and where a
color nearer white than that of the cement is required more or less of Keen's
cement may be used. Ornamental colored devices may be produced on the
surfaces of the tiles or other articles by suitably applying portions of differently

page_text: colored cement compounds or substances upon the glass surface of the mould and
subsequently filling up the mould, with plain cement. A convenient way of
carrying out this part of my Invention is to cut the lines of the intended pattern
through a piece of leather or other suitable material so that the portions to be
differently colored can be taken out. The cut pattern piece is then laid on the
glass and the pieces are taken out successively and the intended colored cements
filled into the spaces, the pattern piece being ultimately entirely removed and the
mould filled up with plain cement.
It is obvious that the processes herein before described as for making tiles are
equally applicable for making slabs or blocks of various sizes and forms. Thus
mantle pieces and pieces for the tops of tables, wash hand stands and the like can
be made in the same way; and when required smooth mouldings or other curved
forms can be moulded by means of polished glass surfaces of corresponding form.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1-The forming of tiles or other articles with smooth or apparently polished
surfaces by making the same of Portland or other cement shaped in moulds having
glass surfaces, substantially as hereinbefore described.
2 The producing of ornamental designs upon the tiles or other articles by
applying differently colored portions of cement or other substances upon the glass
mould surfaces before filling up the moulds with plain cement substantially as
herein before described.
Dated this sixteenth day of January 100%
".

page_text: I, PETER WALKER, of 20 West Nicolson Street, Edinburgh, in the County of
Mid Lothian, North Britain, Plasterer and Cement Worker, do hereby declare the
nature of my.said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MAKING TILES AND OTHER
ARTICLES OF PORTLAND OR OTHER CEMENT" and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement that is to say :-
My said Invention has for it object the making of tiles and other articles in an
improved and very economical manner; and consists in forming such articles of
Portland or other cement either alone or combined with coloring matters or with
ornamental substances by shaping such cement by means of moulds having glass
surfaces corresponding to the surface or surfaces of the moulded articles intended
to be external or ornamental.
In the case of a plain flat tile for flooring or analogous purposes, I use a piece of
polished plate glass of suitable size to form the bottom of the mould, the tile being
imoulded with its intended external surface downwards, and I apply pieces of wood
or other suitable material to form sides to the inould, such side pieces being of a
depth corresponding to the intended thickness of the tile. The cement in a plastic
condition is filled into the mould and sleeked or leveled evenly with the tops of
the side pieces. When the cement is sufficiently set the side pieces are removed
and the tile is left upon the glass plate until sufficiently hardened. When
hardened and detached from the glass the tile has a very smooth surfaco
resembling that of a polished material. The ordinary grey stone-like or brown
color of the cement may be modified by the admixture of any suitable earthy
coloring matters. Thus for black or dark grey, black shale coke may be used such
coke being finely pulverised and mixed with at least three times its weight of the
cement. The coke referred to is the residue formed in retorts for distilling shale
when the whole of the carbon is not extracted from the earthy matter. For reds
and yellows or reddish or yellowish browns Indian red and ochre may be used.
Roman cement may also be used where a brown color is required; and where a
color nearer white than that of the cement is required more or less of Keen's
cement may be used. Ornamental colored devices may be produced on the
surfaces of the tiles or other articles by suitably applying portions of differently

page_text: colored cement compounds or substances upon the glass surface of the mould and
subsequently filling up the mould with plain cement. A convenient way of
carrying out this part of my Invention is to cut the lines of the intended pattern
through a piece of leather or other suitable material so that the portions to bo
differently colored can be taken out. The cut pattern piece is then laid on the
glass and the pieces are taken out successively and the intended colored cements
filled into the spaces, the pattern piece being ultimately entirely removed and the
mould filled up with plain cement.
It is obvious that the processes hereinbefore described as for making tiles are
equally applicable for making slabs or blocks of various sizes and forms. Thus
mantle pieces and pieces for the tops of tables, wash hand stands and the like can
be made in the same way; and when required smooth mouldings or other curved
forms can be moulded by means of polished glass surfaces of corresponding form.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1-The forming of tiles or other articles with smooth or apparently polished
surfaces by making the same of Portland or other cement shaped in moulds having
glass surfaces, substantially as hereinbefore described.
2 The producing of ornamental designs upon the tiles or other articles by
applying differently colored portions of cement or other substances upon the glass
mould surfaces before filling up the moulds with plain cement substantially as
herein before described.
Dated this sixteenth day of Tanna 200