IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FLOOR TILES AND PAVING BLOCKS
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields,
in the County of Middlesex, and of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City
of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FLOOR TILES AND PAVING BLOCKS."-A com-
munication from abroad by Sylvain Tolijon, of Paris, in the Empire of
France.
Sealed the 5th November 1861, and dated the 22nd June 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
22nd June 1861.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, and of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City of Glasgow,. North
Britain, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FLOOR TILES AND PAVING BLOCKS,"
a communication from abroad by Sylvain Tolijon, of Paris, in the Empire of
France, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the manufacture of tiles or blocks for paving floors
or covering other surfaces when hard and durable materials are required,
and consists in making such tiles or blocks from a composition of hydraulic
lime and sand suitably prepared, and pressed into the desired form or shape by
mechanical pressure.
In carrying out this Invention the hydraulic lime is broken up into small
fragments about the size of ordinary Macadam road metal, and laid in couches
or layers of a few inches in thickness. This line is then slacked with water, and
whilst in a state of ebullition a layer of very fine sand is placed over it. A fresh

page_text: layer of lime is then superposed upon the sand, and after being moistened with
water a second layer of sand is laid over it, and so on for any desired number
of layers. The mass is now allowed to remain for some days when it is well
mixed together and sifted, the sifted portion being pressed into tiles or blocks.
When colored tiles are required, suitable coloring materials may be mixed
with the sand.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
21st December 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
and of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City of Glasgow, North Britain,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of June, 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 John Henry Johnson, Her special license that I, the said John
Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, or 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 lawfully 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FLOOR TILES AND PAVING BLOCKS," a
communication from abroad by Sylvain Tolijon, of Paris, in the Empire of
France, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Henry
Johnson, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, or under the hand and seal of one of them, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Henry Johnson, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same iş

page_text: to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, that is to say :-
The said Invention relates to a peculiar manufacture of tiles or blocks for
paving floors or covering other surfaces where hard and durable materials are
required, and consists in manufacturing such tiles or paving blocks from a
composition of hydraulic lime and sand suitably prepared, and pressed into the
desired form by mechanical pressure.
19
In carrying out this Invention the hydraulic lime is first broken up into
small fragments of about the size of ordinary road metal, and laid evenly in
layers of from two inches to about six inches in thickness. These fragments
are then moistened with water sprinkled lightly over them from a rose jet until
the lime commences to slack, when the layer is immediately covered by a layer
of very fine sand, preference being given to river sand. Over this layer of sand
a fresh layer of the lime is laid, which is watered as before and covered with
fine sand, and so on with any desired number of alternate layers of hydraulic
lime and sand, each layer of lime being slacked and covered with fine sand,
the last or uppermost layer of sand being well batted down to keep in the heat
of the mass as much as possible. The quantity of water used for slacking the
lime should be about twenty-two gallons to each cubic yard of hydraulic lime,
but this proportion may be varied according to the temperature and degree of
moisture of the atmosphere; the mass thus prepared in the proportion of
about one part by measure of sand to three parts of lime should be allowed
to stand for about forty-five days. These proportions may be varied, however,
according to the quality of the lime employed, good lime requiring more sand
than lime of an inferior quality. In all cases it is important to mix the ingredients
well together in order to impart strength and cohesiveness to the mass. After
the expiration of about forty-five days the preparation will be found to be in
the state of a slightly moist powder, which should now be well stirred and
thoroughly mixed by any suitable implement. This powder having been well
mixed is sifted through a Number 30 mesh sieve, the finer portion only of the
powder being used. The sifted powder, whilst still in a moist state, is submitted
to the action of a press, and thereby pressed into the form desired. Should the
powder be found to be too dry it may be moistened with water and spread out
in a layer or couch, which should be allowed to stand for about two days,
when the powder may be pressed into shape. In manufacturing a tile or blook
of this material a quantity of powder, equal to about three times the volume of
the tile or block to be produced, is placed in a mould of the desired form, and
is then compressed therein by means of any suitable press. On being removed
from the moulds, the compressed blocks or tiles are laid on hurdles or drying

page_text: frames so as to expose them thoroughly to the air for about three days, when
they are dipped in clean water and again deposited on the drying frames, and
left for about two months, after which period they will be ready for the
market. In lieu of allowing the original mass to remain at rest for forty-five
days before sifting, the mixture of hydraulic lime and sand may be sifted at the
expiration of about fifteen days, and then made into a heap again after having
been well mixed and left to stand for another fifteen days, water being
sprinkled over it if the powder be found too dry.
Colored blocks or tiles may be made by this process by mixing any coloring
matter with the sand which will combine or mix with the bydraulic lime
without impairing its properties. To obtain black tiles or blocks, lampblack
may be mixed with the sifted material; in all cases the intensity of color may
be varied by adding more or less of the coloring material. These tiles or
blocks are intended to be laid in a similar manner to ordinary tiles with
common mortar after first steeping them in water for about ten minutes
immediately before laying them.
It is obvious that tiles or paving blocks of all shapes or sizes required, as
well as other articles of a like nature, may be manufactured according to
this Invention.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said s
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and
original and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent, is,―
First, the manufacture of tiles or paving blocks composed of hydraulic lime g
and sand sifted and pressed into shape by any suitable mechanical contrivance,
as herein-before described.
Second, the application and use to and in the covering of floors and other
surfaces of the peculiar tiles or paving blocks herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have hereunto set 3
my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of December, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-one.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.s.)