IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FIRE BRICKS, TILES, CRUCIBLES, AND OTHER ARTICLES WHEN FIRE-CLAY IS USED
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Sherwin, of 168, Waterloo Road, Burslem,
in the County of Stafford, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF FIRE BRICKS, TILES, CRUCIBLES, AND OTHER ARTICLES WHEN
FIRE-CLAY IS USED."
Scaled the 29th May 1857, and dated the 12th December 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Sherwin at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th December 1856.
I, GEORGE SHERWIN, of 168, Waterloo Road, Burslem, in the County of
Stafford, do hereby declare the naturo of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FIRE BRICKS, TILES, CRUCIBLES, AND OTHER ARTICLES
WHEN FIRE-CLAY IS USED," to be as follows:--
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of fire
bricks, tiles, crucibles, and other articles when fire-clay is used. For theso
purposes, in place of employing the fire-clay and siliceous matters in the
ordinary condition, they are first "slipped" separately, and then combined
together and with burned clay and siliceous matters. The fire-clay or marl is
prepared by grinding in the ordinary manner, and then "slipped," all particles
of iron ore, stones, and other substances (not clay) being removed or separated.
The crude or calcined flint, sand, quartz, or siliceous matters are also ground
and slipped. These matters are combined with suitable quantities of similarly
prepared clay which has been burned and crushed, and the combined plastic
compound is made into bricks, tiles, and other articles in the ordinary
manner.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Sherwin in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th June 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
SHERWIN, of 168, Waterloo Road, Burslem, in the County of Stafford, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said George Sherwin, Her special licence that I, the said George Sherwin, my
exccutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George
Sherwin, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereaftor
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 FIRE BRICKS, TILES, CRUCIBLES, AND OTHER ARTICLES WHEN
FIRE-CLAY IS USED," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, tho said
George Sherwin, 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 George Sherwin, 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 fire
bricks, tiles, crucibles, and other articles when fire-clay is used. For those
purposes, in place of employing the fire-clay and silicious matters in tho
ordinary condition, they are first "slipped" separately, and then combined
together, and with burned clay and silicious matters. The fire-clay or marl is
prepared by grinding in the ordinary manner, and then "slipped," all particles
of iron ore, stones, and other substances (not clay) being removed or sepa-
rated. The crude or calcined flint, sand, quartz, or silicious matters are also
ground and "slipped." These matters are combined with suitable quantities

page_text: of similarly prepared clay which have been burned and crushed, and the
combined plastic compound is made into bricks, tiles, and other articles in the
ordinary manner.
And in order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the way in which I prefer
to operate.
The fire-clay or marl is first prepared by grinding in the ordinary way, and
is then mixed with water to make a slip, such a proportion of water being
used that one pint of the mixture or slip should weigh 2 lbs.; the slip is then
passed through a wire sieve, of which the wires are placed at a distance of
about the sixteenth of an inch the one from the other. Another slip is also
prepared by taking flint, sand, quartz, or other siliceous matter, either in a
crude or calcined state, and grinding it when mixed with water; or it may
be ground in a dry state and afterwards mixed with water if it is preferred;
in either case the slip prepared should bo of the same density as that prepared
from the fire-clay. The two slips are now intimately mixed together by agita-
tion, in the proportion of three or four measures of clay slip to one measure
of siliceous slip, and with the combined slips an additional quantity of fire-clay
is mixed; and the fire-clay for this purpose is prepared by grinding and
slipping, as already described, and by burning it in a kiln; when thus prepared
it is crushed to a coarse powder, and is mixed with the slips in the proportion
of one part of the coarse powder to three parts of dry clay and silica contained
in the mixed slips. This mixture having been completely made, it is introduced
into a slip kiln, similar to that used by earthenware manufacturers, and the
water is there evaporated until the mixture attains a sufficient consistency to
be moulded into bricks, tiles, crucibles, or other articles. I also use. the same
mixture for bedding and rendering firo bricks in furnaces, but when it is to be
used for this purpose I do not carry the drying quite so far as when it is to be
moulded into bricks or other articles.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Sherwin, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
HENRY WILLIAM CARPMAEL.
GEO. SHERWIN. (L.S.)