IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF TILES OR MOULDED BLOCKS FOR BUILDING PURPOSES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Taylor, jun', of Christchurch Road, Streatham,
in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF TILES OR MOULDED BLOCKS FOR BUILDING PURPOSES."
Sealed the 12th May 1863, and dated the 21st November 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Taylor at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 21st
November 1862.
I,, JOHN TAYLOR, jun, of Christchurch Road, Streatham, in the County
of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF TILES OR MOULDED BLOCKS FOR BUILDING PURPOSES,"
to bo as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of tiles
or moulded blocks for building purposes. For these purposes in manu-
facturing moulded bent or angular tiles or lumps, each having two outer
surfaces at right angles to each other, a die or moulding orifice is so formed
that several of such bent or angular tiles or blocks shall be moulded together
in one block, and so connected to each other that they may be dried and
burned and transported to any distance before they are separated for use.
And the construction of the die or moulding orifice is such that some of the
bent tiles (which are all of the same section and dimensions) are within whilst
others form the outside of the block. The construction of die or moulding
orifice preferred is suitable for moulding or forming six bent tiles at the same
time slightly connected together, by which not only are they retained in form
during the drying and burning processes, but by reason of the longitudinal

page_text: interstices or passages the processes of drying and burning are facilitated. The
die or moulding orifice is of a rectangular figure and produces four bent tiles,
one at each angle of the die, and two similar bent tiles on the inside of the
mass moulded or formed by expressing brick, earth, or clay through the die.
It may be stated that it is not new generally to mould two or more of some
forms of tiles at the same time, which are connected and held together during
the processes of drying and burning; the peculiarity of this part of the
Invention consists in making bent tiles each having two outer faces at right
angles to each other in the manner above explained.
In manufacturing tiles suitable for floors or pavements, each tile is made
with an under projecting rib, which, when laid, forms the bearer of the tile;
this rib extends beyond the edge of the tile so as to receive on it the other
edge of a similar tile, whereby such projecting under rib not only acts as the
bearer of the tile of which it forms a part, but it also forms the bearer of one
edge of the next tile, leaving a space under the tile for the free circulation of
air, and in order that the air may circulate transversely as well as longi-
tudinally in the spaces under the tiles constituting a floor or pavement, parts
of the under supporting projections are removed, by which openings are left
for the air to pass laterally through from the space under one row of such
tiles into and under the space below the next row of tiles. With the tiles
above described others are used suitable for the outer edges of a floor or
pavement. Thus in commencing to lay down a pavement, tiles are used, each
having an additional under rib or projection at the opposite edge of the tile,
which does not extend beyond the edge or side of the tile, and at the finishing
edge of a floor or pavement tiles are used, to each of which only one under rib
or projection is formed, which does not extend beyond the edge of the tile. In
the under ribs of these tiles parts are cut away to admit air to pass freely
under the floor or pavement through the passages thus formed.
In making tiles for roofing purposes, such as are described in the Specifi-
cation of a Patent granted to me on the 27th February 1861, No. 506, I
have found it desirable to form on each of their upper surfaces two inclined.
or curved ledges or projections, each of which commences near the upper end
of the tile and inclines downwards towards the middle thereof till it comes nearly
to the projection or stop against which the end of the tile next above it rests. The
end of the upper tile rests on these curved or inclined ridges or projections, by
which snow will be for the most part prevented drifting in between the tiles
where the one laps over the other, whilst any moisture descending down the
under side of an upper tile will, when it comes against the curved or inclined
ridges or projections, be guided towards the middle of the next tile below, and

page_text: will flow off therefrom on the upper surface. In order to fasten such tiles,
recesses or notches are formed at the outer edges of each tile in which the
wedged-formed heads of nails are received. In some of the tiles the flanges or
projecting edges which are at the sides are turned inwards at the narrower
end of the tiles for a short distance, whilst the projections are notched at the
wider ends of the tiles.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Taylor in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st
May 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
TAYLOR, jun, of Christchurch Road, Streathami, in the County of Surrey,'
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said John Taylor, Her special licence that I, the said John Taylor, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Taylor, 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 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF TILES OR MOULDED BLOCKS FOR BUILDING PURPOSES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Taylor, 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 performed, 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 John Taylor, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of tiles

page_text: or moulded blocks for building purposes. For these purposes, in manu-
facturing moulded bent or angular tiles or lumps, each having two outer
surfaces at right angles to each other, a die or moulding orifice is so formed
that several of such bent or angular tiles or blocks shall be moulded together
in one block, and so connected to each other that they may be dried and
burned and transported to any distance before they are separated for use;
and the construction of the die or moulding orifice is such that some of the
bent tiles (which are all of the same section and dimensions) are within whilst
others form the outside of the block. The construction of die or moulding
orifice preferred is suitable for moulding or forming six bent tiles at the same
time slightly connected together, by which, not only are they retained in form
during the drying and burning processes, but by reason of the longitudinal
interstices or passages the processes of drying and burning are facilitated.
The die or moulding orifice is of a rectangular figure and produces four bent
tiles, one at each angle of the die, and two similar bent tiles on the inside of
the mass moulded or formed by expressing brick earth or clay through the
die. It may be stated that it is not new generally to mould two or more of
some forms of tiles at the same time which are connected and held together
during the processes of drying and burning; the peculiarity of this part of the
Invention consists in making bent tiles, each having two outer faces at right
angles to each other, in the manner above explained.
Figure 1 shews a portion of a moulded mass of clay or brick earth which
has been produced by the use of a die such as is shewn at Figure 2. The
moulded mass, Figure 1, when it is dry and burned, is divisible into six similar
bent or angle tiles, the divisions being at the red dotted lines in Figure 1,
where the cutters a, a, a, of the die, Figure 2, have produced grooves in the
moulding mass, as shewn at b, b, Figure 1. By thus moulding several angle
or bent tiles together and allowing them to be dried and burned before sepa-
rating one tile from another, the whole are kept from getting out of form.
Figures 3 and 4 shew parts of two walls built with right angle bent
tiles c, c, such as are above described, together with other right angle bent
tiles d, d, which have that portion which is built into the wall of a greater
length than the face, so as thereby to obtain a greater extent of bonding.
The other interior parts of the wall are constructed of good cement and rough
material or concrete. The bent or right angle tiles d, d, used in constructing
the walls, Figures 3 and 4, are produced by forcing clay or brick earth through
a moulding orifice, such as is shewn at Figure 5, provided with cutters a, a,
which, as is shewn in the moulded mass, Figure 6, produce grooves or cuts b,
where the mass is readily divided into two tiles after drying and burning.

page_text: In manufacturing tiles suitable for floors or pavements each tile is made with
an under projecting rib which, when laid, forms the bearer of the tile. This rib
extends beyond the edge of the tile so as to receive on it the other edge of a
similar tile, whereby such projecting under rib not only acts as the bearer of
the tile of which it forms a part but it also forms the bearer of one edge of
the next tile, leaving a space under the tile for the free circulation of air;
and in order that the air may circulate transversely as well as longitudinally
in the spaces under the tiles constituting a floor or pavement, parts of the
under supporting projections are removed, by which openings are left for the
air to pass laterally through from the space under one row of such tiles into
and under the space below the next row of tiles. With the tiles above
described others are used suitable for the outer edges of a floor or pavement.
Thus in commencing to lay down a pavement tiles are used each having an
additional under rib or projection at the opposite edge of the tile which does
not extend beyond the edge or side of the tile, and at the finishing edge of a
floor or pavement tiles are used, to each of which only one under rib or pro-
jection is formed, which does not extend beyond the edge of the tile. In the
under ribs of these tiles parts are cut away to admit air to pass freely under
the floor or pavement through the passages thus formed.
Figure 7 shews a portion of a pavement made with bent or right angled
tiles with lateral passages throug the under or bearing flange of each tile.
e, e, are the form of tiles which are first laid down; they have two uner flanges
or bearing ribs f and 9 which rest on the ground, and each of such under ribs
or flanges is notched to admit air to pass into the longitudinal spaces under
the tiles. Any number of rows of tiles like those shewn at h, h, may be used
with only one under bearer or flange i, which have also lateral notches to
admit of the passage of air through them laterally; then a course or row of
tiles, such as are shewn at j,j, with a single under bearer or flange k, with
lateral notches or passages 1, 1, similar to those formed in the under or bearing
flanges and i of the other tiles e and h, which latter have also longitudinal
bearing steps or surfaces m for the edges of those tiles which have only one
under or bearing flange.
Figures 8 and 9 shew two end views of blocks moulded through moulding
orifices each capable of being divided into two tiles, but those tiles will vary in
their form according as the dividing grooves are formed in the positions of the
lines 6, 6, or in the dotted lines; thus by dividing the block or mass, Figure 9,
the upper tile will have two under projecting ribs like the tiles e, whilst the
lower tile will be similar to the tiles j,j, Figure 7, whilst that in Figure 8 will
divide into two tiles similar to h, h, in Figure 7.

page_text: .
In making tiles for roofing purposes, such as are described in the Speci-
fication of a Patent granted. to me on the 27th February 1861, No. 506,
I have found it desirable to form on each of their upper surfaces two inclined
or curved ledges or projections, each of which commences near the upper end
of the tile and inclines downwards towards the middle thereof till it comes
nearly to the projection or stop against which the end of the tile next above it
The end of the upper tile rests on these curved or inclined ridges or
projections, by which snow will be for the most part prevented drifting in
between the tiles where the one laps over the other, whilst any moisture
descending down the under side of an upper tile will, when it comes against
the curved or inclined ridges or projections, be guided towards the middle of
the next tile below and will flow off therefrom on the upper surface. In order
to fasten such tiles recesses or notches are formed at the outer edges of each
tile, in which the wedge-formed heads of nails are received. In some of the
tiles the flanges or projecting edges which are at the sides are turned inwards
at the narrower end of the tiles for a short distance, whilst the projections are
notched at the wider ends of the tiles.
Figures 10 and 11 shew two roofing tiles which, in covering a roof, are
combined, as is shewn in Figure 12, but the tiles shewn in Figure 12 are
formed somewhat differently by reason of their being formed suitable for a lower
row of tiles. In Figure 12 the flanges n, n, are continued a short distance
round the lower end of the tiles, as is shewn, whilst the flanges of the covering
tile are notched out, as is shewn at o, by which the covering tile is prevented
slipping. In Figures 10 and 11 the tiles are similarly formed at the lower
parts of the flanges, which are cut away to an incline at p. They have each
notches or recesses formed at 9 for nails, and they have each curved inclined
projections r, r, to guide the moisture from the sides to the middle of the
tiles.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Taylor, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand sight hundred and
JOHN TAYLOR, JUN³. (L.S.)