A NEW OR IMPROVED MORTAR OR CEMENT FOR BUILDING, ALSO FOR MOULDINGS. CASTINGS, STATUARY, TILES, POTTERY, IMITATIONS OF SOFT AND HARD ROCKS, AND OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES, AND WHICH MORTAR OR CEMENT IS APPLICABLE AS A MANURE FOR PROMOTING VEGETATION AND DESTROYING NOXIOUS INSECTS
Year: 1840

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
KERR, of Firecrofts Danse, in the County of Berwick, North Britain, Esquire,
send greeting.
WHEREAS iler present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Twenty-second day of February,
in the third year of Her Reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Thomas Kerr, my exors, admors, and assigns,
Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said
Thomas Kerr, my exors, admors, and assigns, and such others as I, the said
Thomas Kerr, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend
within England and Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and also in
all Her said Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad,my Invention of "A NEW
OR IMPROVED MORTAR OR CEMENT FOR BUILDING, ALSO FOR MOULDINGS. CASTINGS,
STATUARY, TILES, POTTERY, IMITATIONS OF SOFT AND HARD ROCKS, AND OTHER USEFUL
PURPOSES, AND WHICH MORTAR OR CEMENT IS APPLICABLE AS A MANURE FOR PROMOTING
VEGETATION AND DESTROYING NOXIOUS INSECTS;" in which said Letters Patent is

page_text: contained a proviso that I, the said Thomas Kerr, shall cause a particular
description of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's Ligh Court of Chancery within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in part
recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had,
will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Thomas Kerr, do hereby declare that the nature of my said invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully specified and set forth
in the following description thereof, that is to say:-
The principal ingredients which I make use of in the composition of my
said new and improved mortar or cement are as follows:-
First, that which I call Number 1, which consists of the rakings of roads,
streets, or other public ways, or the sweeping of houses, offices, or other
buildings, or of the ashes of coal and other fires, or of small coal, culm, breeze,
or of river or sea sand, or of freestone or other stones pounded into dust, or of
any other mineral or vegetable substance in a state of dust or powder, which
materials I sift and riddle thoroughly before using them through a screen
having meshes of the same width as those which bricklayers are in the habit
of using for the screening of sand, in the preparing of common mortar for
building, and in some instances, as herein-after directed, through screens of a
still finer gauge.
Secondly, that which I call Number 2, consisting of chalk or any similar cal-
careous substance of a drying and retaining nature,ground into a fine powder.
Thirdly, that which I call Number 3, consisting of either tar or pitch, or oil
or resin, or some other substance of the like bituminous, fatty, or inflammable
nature, such as the common Archangel tar, in the same state as imported, coal
tar as it comes from the gas works, the pitch that is manufactured from coal
tar after the naptha has been extracted, whale oil, linseed oil, &c. And
Fourthly, which I call No. 4, being simply bay or common salt.
And I make use of the said four principal classes of ingredients in various
proportions, and I employ sometimes the whole of them, and at other times
two or three of them only, according to the particular purpose to which the
mortar or cement to be made from them is to be applied, all as herein-after
more particularly explained; that is to say, to make a mortar or cement for
common buildings I use one part of No. 2, one part of so much of No. 3 as
comprehend the oils and pitch in a melted state, and one part of No. 4; and
having mixed these well together, I add four parts of No. 1, stirring and
beating up the whole till the mixture acquires a toughness similar to that of

page_text: the best mortar commonly used by bricklayers. For buildings of a higher
class I use the same ingredients as in the preceding case, and in the same
proportions, but with this difference, that I cause the ingredients of the class
No. 1 to be passed through a screen of finer guage, and prefer for these
ingredients the best river or sea sand, and very finely pounded free stone. A
composition of this sort may serve not only to build walls with, but to plaster
them on the inside or outside, taking care in the latter case to rub it well in
with the back of the trowel to prevent its cracking as it dries. When the
building, or part of any building, to which either of the two descriptions of
mortar and cement last herein-before described is applied, happens to be below
ground, the mortar or cement should be applied in a boiling pitchy state,
because in that state it solidifies in a very few hours, whereas if applied cold it
may take months to dry and harden. For general plaister work, I make a
cement of the same ingredients as that last herein-before described, and in the
same proportions; but of the ingredients comprehended under No. 3, I prefer
melted pitch, and some one or other of the oils; and to the first two coats of
this cement or plaister, when applied, I add the same proportion of cow-hair
as is employed in ordinary lime mortar. Three good coats applied to walls
subject to damp will be found to prevent effectually any wet getting through.
For composition flooring I make use of a cement of the same sort as is herein-
before directed to be employed for common buildings. The floor is first
levelled and beaten firm with a paviour's rammer; the cement, in a cold state,
is then spread over it with a trowel to any thickness which may be deemed
sufficient, after which a large flat board with a smooth under surface is laid
upon the cement, and trodden upon or otherwise pressed down till the flooring
is so dry as to permit of its being walked upon. Instead of using the cement
in a cold state, it may be applied warm, and made smooth with a large
smoothing iron; should it be desired to give the floor a metallic appearance,
let filings of the particular metal intended to be imitated be sprinkled over the
cement after it has been laid down, but before drying or cooling. For flat
wooden roofs employ a cement composed of one part of No. 3, two parts of
No. 2, and one part of No. 4, to which, after they have been well mixed,
I add two parts of No. 1. I first lay on a coating of from a quarter to
half an inch thick, and when this is dry I cover it with strong brown paper,
pasted on with a mixture composed of equal parts of No. 2 and No. 3. I
then brush over the paper with some more of the same mixture last
mentioned, and when that becomes so dry as to carry the foot, I lay
on another coating of the cement of from half an inch to an inch thick,
or of any other thickness which may be desired. I next press the whole

page_text: down in the same way as is before directedwith respect to composition flooring,
and when dry 1 brush it over with the mixture before mentioned, consisting of
equal parts of No. 2 and 3, sprinkling on the top of this mixture a little
powdered chalk or other similar substance. The same instructions which
have been given in the case of composition flooring for laying on the cement
in a hot state, and giving to it, if desired, a metallic appearance, will apply
equally to this cement for wooden roofing. To cover the weather boarding of
wooden houses make use of a cement composed of one part of No. 3, two
parts of No. 2, and one part of No. 4, and lay it on with a common brush out-
side and inside, giving it as many coats as may be thought desirable, and
applying the cement either in a cold or warm state. For slate roofs I employ
a cement composed of one part of No. 3, one part of No. 2, and one part of
No. 4, to which, when mixed well together, I add four parts of the fine sand of
No. 1. Instead of paying over the whole of the roof with this composition, it
will generally suffice to fill in the joints only with a small pointed brush, giving
two or morecoats in order tomake sure that no crevice has been left unstopped.
For tile roofs 1 first employ a cement the same as is herein-before directed to
be used for common buildings, with which I fill up all the holes or crevices.
I then pay the whole roof over with the cement prescribed for slate roofs,
giving it four coats, and allowing each to dry well before the next following
coat is laid on. For thatched roofs 1 employ in combination the cements
herein-before directed to be used for common buildings, for flat wooden roofs,
and for slate roofs, that is to say, the roof, being first covered over with canvass
nailed to wooden skirtings all round it, receives one coating of the cement
directed to be used for common buildings, and when that is dry two or three
other coatings of the cement directed to be used for slate roofs, a good sprink-
ling of fine chalk or sand being thrown over the last coating before dry. In
this case also the composition may be applied in a warm as well a cold state,
and in way similar to what has been before pointed out. For pavements or
footpaths round houses (especiallywhere there is damp to be kept from getting
to the foundations) I recommend the use of either of the cements directed to
be employed for composition flooring and tile roofs, three or four coats to be
laid on, and according to either of the modes prescribed for these two cases.
For newstreet pavements themanner of proceeding is as follows:-Thefounda-
tion is first levelled, and well beaten down, after which a coating is laid on of
any thickness which may be desired of the cement before directed to be used
for common buildings. The stones are then set and rammed in the usual way,
and after this is done the joints are filled in with the like sort of cement.
When that is dry another coating is laid on of the cement directed to be

page_text: with my common
part of bay salt
used for slate roofs, and over this is sprinkled sifted ground chalk or sand
Or instead of following
to the depth of about a quarter of an inch.
the preceding method the joints may be filled in
building cement in a boiling pitchy state, and one
added, and the sifted chalk or sand added before cooling. To make old pave-
ment water-tight and strong I proceed as follows:-During wet weather the
pavement is beaten all to a level. When it is dry, the joints are freed from all
sand or earth, and brush clean, after which they are filled in with the same
sort of cements and in the same manner as the joints of new pavements. To
improve macadamized roads the foundation is first levelled and beaten or
pressed till it is quite firm. The broken stone or metal is then mixed with the
cement herein-before directed to be used for common buildings, and this
mixture is spread over the ground to any thickness required, the workmen
beating it very firmly and evenly as they go on, and finishing with a coating of
the slate roof cement, sprinkled over with ground chalk or sand, as before
directed in the case of new street pavement. For arches bridges, culverts,
drains, et cetera, the said common building cement may be either employed in
the way of ordinary mortar, observing only the precaution to cover the cen-
trings with strong paper, to prevent any adhesion of the surfaces, or where the
structure is of small span the cement (mixed with small stones) may be cast
in moulds into blocks, to be used in place of bricks or stones, filling up the
joints between these blocks with the same cement in hot or fluid state.
I
And now to describe how my said improved mortar or cement may be made
applicable to the formation of mouldings, castings, statuary, tiles, pottery, and
imitations of soft and hard rocks, or for fuel, and to other useful
purposes,
declare that I modify the same as follows:-For mouldings, castings, and
statuary intended to resemble marble or other hard or soft rocks, I mix to-
gether one part of the oil or resin of No. 3 (the finer the better), one half
part of No. 2, and one half part of No. 4. I then add from four to six parts
of the realmarble or other stone desired tobe imitated, ground to a fine powder
and mix the whole into one pliable mass, which I press by hand or machinery
or lever power into moulds of the forms of the objects desired to be produced,
such as statues, columns, pilasters, entablatures, et cetera. I then set these
moulds to dry in a moderately heated apartment, gradually increasing the heat
as the drying and hardening proceeds. If the mouldings or castings are large,
I sustain them in the centre with well-seasoned oak or some other strong wood,
if small with iron or wire only. The interior of the moulds must be covered
over with fine oil paper, to prevent the cement from adhering to them. For
tiles, pottery, and articles of a similar description, such as bricks, flags, gas and

page_text: water pipes, &c., I use a cement composed of one part No. 3 and one part
No. 2, to which, when mixed well together, I add live parts of common brick
clay, moulding and fashioning this composition in the usual way. Or I prepare
a mixture of one part No. 2 and one part No. 3, and after the tiles or other
articles of this class have been manufactured of the ordinary materials, I dip
them in the said mixture as they are taken out of the kiln, set them in racks
to drain, and before they are cold dip them once more in the said mixture, or
brush them overwith it. For fire bricks and flags I make use of a cement com-
posed of one part No. 3 and one part No. 2, to which, when mixed together, 1
add from twenty-five to forty-five parts of clay, and one part of ground granite
or free stone for every six parts of clay, according as there is more or less silex
or alumina in the clay, and two parts of bay salt, beating up the whole well
together, and following in the subsequent manufacture of the same the same
processes as have been herein-before described. Of all the clays which I have
used for fireproofarticles of this description, Ifind pipeclay the best. For fuel,
I use one part of No. 3 to form seven to ninety-nine parts of Number 1,accord-
ing to the quantity of vegetable or inflanimable matter therein, the same after
mixture being pressed by a lever power. For gas and water pipes and other
articles intended to be fixed under ground, the followingsubstitute for the com-
position herein-before directed to be used in the case of tiles, pottery,&c.may,
under some circumstances, be advantageously employed. Take one part of the
pitch (melted) of No. 3, one part of No. 2, one part of No. 4, and four parts
of the toughest clay, and boil the whole well together. The composition thus
prepared is to be laid upon an iron mandril previously covered with oil paper
to prevent adhesion of surfaces, and this mandril made thereafter to revolve in
the same way as clay is put on the mandril for determining the bore of metal
pipes. The mandril employed ought to be about one-eighth of an inch smaller
at one end than the other, in order that it may be the more easily withdrawn
from the pipe or other article aforesaid. If the pipe or other article is required
to be of any combined or angular form, the mandril must be removed while
hot, and the pipe or other article afterwards bent to the form desired. The
other useful purposes to which my said new and improved cement, or obvious
modifications thereof, may be applied, are very numerous;but in order to indi-
cate the general character thereof, it may suffice to particularize thefollowing:
-Ropes, cables, bands, rick-cloths, tarpaulings, sheathings, girth-web for
hanging coaches, gigs, carts, &c., as also sheathing for smothering fires in
houses, ships, &c., and most other spun, twined, woven, and felted articles may
be made, not only waterproof, but generally much stronger by coating or
impregnating the same with the followingvarieties of my cement in the manner

page_text: hereinafter directed. Take of No. 3 one part, of No. 2 one half part, and of
the whale or other oils, of No. 3 from one fourth to an eighth part, and mix
the whole well together. The articles are to be steeped in this composition for
a period varying, according to the closeness of their texture, from three to six
days; they are then to be boiled in a like mixture for a few minutes, next to
be subjected to such a quick squeezing process as may expel as much of the
mixture as may not have become inseparably incorporated with the strands or
threads as possible, after which they are to be laid out, dried, rubbed and other-
wise dressed and finished, as is usual, or may be thought desirable. Papers
and carding and boarding made of the same constituent ingredients as papers
may be also rendered waterproof as well as stronger by adding to the paper
maker's vat one part of No. 3 and one part of No. 2, or by having a separate
cistern containing a mixture or solution of these two parts, and causing that
solution to flow upon the web of paper before it enters between the rollers.
And lastly, ships' boats and other sailing craft may be coated outside and
inside so as to be impervious to water, and secure from the ravages of vermin,
by means of the following preparations, viz: for the outside coating or prepa-
ration composed of two parts of No. 1 (preferring, however, pipeclay in a state
of powder to any other ingredient, if it can be conveniently obtained), one part
of No. 2, one part of the pitch in a melted state of No. 3, and one part of
No. 4, and for the outside coating a preparation the same as the preced-
ing, with the exception of adding one part more of No. 1, both preparations
to be laid on while hot, and two, three, or more coats, as may appear to be
required.
It now only remains for me to describe how my said improved mortar or
cement is applicable as a manure for promoting vegetation and destroying
noxious insects. I cause as much ground to be dug as will serve for a sowing
of one pound of turnip seed in the usual way in which gardeners prepare their
beds. I then manure it with mortar of the same sort as that herein-before
directed to be used for common buildings, using, however, two parts instead of
one of No. 4. The ground is next drilled up into ridges distant about eight
inches from centre to centre. The seed is then sown on the top of the ridges
with a machine in the usual way. (The best time is the latter end of July or
beginning of August, after the early crop is taken off the ground). I afterwards
hoe and weed between the drills. One pound of seed sown in this manner
will plant an acre. I sometimes cut the plants over an inch above the roots,
to make them shoot out better. In the springthe plants will be fit for planting.
As soon as the season permits the ground should he prepared for the purpose,
and have a top dressing given to it of the same sort of mortar as is last herein-

page_text: before directed to be employed for turnip sowing, after which it should be
drilled into ridges, distant fifteen inches from centre to centre. Before setting
the plants their roots are dipped in tar made thin with salt water (taking care
not to take up so much as to cause any coating of the roots. The drills are
split with a spade, and one half turned over the roots of the plants, the person
who follows the layer in of the plants treading the earth down as he advances
with his feet. I find that this mode of planting is much cheaper and more
efficacious than doing it with the plough. Four spadesmen and six boys are
able to plant as much as one acre a day. In three or four months the produce
will be ripe. All garden seeds and plants may be treated in the same manner
as turnip seeds and plants, with the exception that they must not be set out in
the tops), but the seeds must be sown in February or March, or as soon after
as the season will permit, and the plants set out in the field after the early crop
is taken off in August, or sooner if practicable. If this order of culture is fol-
lowed, they will generally cabbage, or form a heart, before the end of the
and seed the year following. All crops should of course be kept free of weeds
and grass. It will be found of great advantage to take off, in the month of
May, all large leaves from the bottoms of the stems of garden plants kept for
seed, as this promotes the quicker growth of the seed stem.
year,
And having now described the nature of my said new and improved mortar,
and the manner of performing the same in its several varieties and applica-
tions, I declare this to be a full, true, and particular Specification thereof. And
such my Invention being, to the best of my knowledge and belief, entirely new,
and never before used within that part of Her said Majesty's United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland called England, Her said Dominion of Wales,
or Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, I do hereby declare this to be my Specifica-
tion of the same, and that I do verily believe this my said Specification doth
comply in all respects, fully and without reserve or disguise, with the proviso
in the said herein-before in part recited Letters Patent contained. Where-
fore I do hereby claim to maintain exclusive right and privilege io my said
Invention.
In witness whereof, 1, the said Thomas Kerr, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eighteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thonsand eight hundred and forty.
THOMAS KERR. (L.S.)

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Eighteenth day of August, in
the year of our Lord 1840, the aforesaid Thomas Kerr came before our said
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained and specified in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Twenty-second day of August, in the year of our Lord One