SECURING AND LOCKING TILES USED FOR MURAL DECORATIONS AND OTHER PURPOSES TO THE SURFACES TO WHICH THEY ARE APPLIED
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Enoch Ravenscroft, of Newcastle-under-Lyme, in the
County of Stafford, Gilder, Son and Executor of the last Will and Testament of
John Ravenscroft, late of 8, Davies Street, Shelton, in the County of Stafford,
Potter, deceased, who died on the First day of June One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-six, and whose Will was proved by me, Enoch Ravenscroft,
on the Twenty-first day of August One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
six, in the Lichfield Registry of Her Majesty's High Court of Justice, Probate
Division, for the Invention of "SECURING AND LOCKING TILES USED FOR MURAL
DECORATIONS AND OTHER PURPOSES TO THE SURFACES TO WHICH THEY ARE
APPLIED."
Sealed the 10th September 1876, and dated the 30th March 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Ravenscroft at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 30th March 1876.
JOHN RAVENSCROFT, of 8, Davies Street, Shelton, in the County of Stafford,
Potter. "SECURING AND LOCKING TILES USED FOR MURAL DECORATIONS AND
OTHER PURPOSES TO THE SURFACES TO WHICH THEY ARE APPLIED."
Tiles are usually made by stamping clay or dust placed in a mould and brought
under the pressure of a powerful press, similar to that used in stamping medals.
The bottom of the mould or die is a removable plate of iron or steel engraved with
any patern desired, usually plain small squares sunk in the surface. The pattern
on this die is impressed upon the back of the tile. The present Invention, which
only deals with the back of the tile, requires this plate to be engraved with circular,
curved, or straight grooves of about one-sixteenth of an inch in depth, or more, if
desired, and of any width. The plate or die is then fixed in the press and a tile
stamped in the usual way. When taken out of the press with the grooves impressed
upon the reversed surface of the tile, it is then placed in an ordinary potter's lathe,
termed "a jigger," where the grooves are undercut or bevelled by hand, the effect of

page_text: which is, that when the tile is affixed to any surface the cement or cohesive
substance will lock the tile to such surface immoveably. The ordinary processes
relating to the ornamentation, firing, and completing the tile are not affected by this
Invention.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said Enoch Ravenscroft, of Newcastle-under-Lyme, in the County of Stafford,
Gilder, Son and Executor of the last Will and Testament of John Ravenscroft,
deceased, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th September 1876.
ENOCH RAVENSCROFT, of Newcastle-under-Lyme, in the County of Stafford, Gilder,
Son and Executor of the last Will and Testament of John Ravenscroft, late of
8, Davies Street, Shelton, in the County of Stafford, Potter, deceased, who died on
the First day of June One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six, and whose Will
was proved by me, Enoch Ravenscroft, on the Twenty-first day of August One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six, in the Lichfield Registry of Her Majesty's
High Court of Justice, Probate Division. SECURING AND LOCKING TILES USED
FOR MURAL DECORATIONS AND OTHER PURPOSES TO THE SURFACES TO WHICH THEY
ARE APPLIED."
"
The said Invention relates to securing and locking tiles used for mural decorations
and other purposes to the surfaces to which they are applied.
Tiles are usually made by stamping clay or dust placed in a mould and brought
under pressure of a powerful press, similar to that used in stamping metals. The
bottom of the mould or die is a removable plate of iron or steel engraved with any
pattern desired, usually plain small squares sunk in the surface, the pattern on this
die is impressed upon the back of the tile. The present Invention, which only deals
with the back of the tile, requires this plate to be engraved with circular or other
curves or grooves of about one-sixteenth of an inch in depth, or more, as desired, and of
any width, the plate or die is then fixed in the press and a tile stamped in the usual
way. When taken out of the press with the grooves impressed upon the reverse
surface of the tile it is then placed in an ordinary potter's lathe, termed a "jigger,"
or other suitable contrivance where the grooves are undercut or bevelled by hand or
other process, the effect of which is, that when the tile is affixed to any surface the
cement or other cohesive substance (which I apply preferably with palette or
trowel before the tile is laid for the purpose of excluding air from the under-
cuts) will fill up the said grooves, form part and parcel of the tile itself, and
so lock it to such surface as to make it immoveable. The ordinary processes
relating to the ornamentation, firing, and completing the tile are not affected by
this Invention.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to
the Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, Figure 1 of which represents a plan
of a tile shewing circular undercuts or grooves, but which may be of any other
requisite form or design. Figure 2 is a sectional view of a tile with circular under-
cut, which may be single or double, and may be of any other form or pattern of
groove or undercut that may be desired.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention of the said John Ravenscroft, deceased, as communicated by him in
his lifetime to me, 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 or original, and therefore claim as the Invention as secured to me as
Executor of the said John Ravenscroft, deceased, by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent, is the making provision for and obtaining by such means

page_text: as is herein-before described, or by meaus equivalent thereto, undercuts or grooves
for locking or causing tiles to adhere firmly to the surfaces to which they may
be applied.
In witness whereof, I, the said Enoch Ravenscroft, have to this my Specification
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of September, One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-six.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the said
Enoch Ravenscroft in the presence of
Jos. JONES,
Clerk to Mr. W. H. Bishop,
Sol, Hanley, Staffre.
ENOCH RAVENSCROFT. (L.S.)