IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE COMPOSITION AND MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL STONES FOR CHILDREN'S TOYS AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Hugh Gearing Grant, of the Firm of Messrs. Bosshardt
and Grant, of 24, Bull's Head Exchange Chambers, Market Place, Manchester,
in the County of Lancaster, Patent Agents, for an Invention of "IMPROVE-
LETTERS PATENT to Hugb Gearing Grant, of the Firm of Messrs. Bosshardt
and Grant, of 24, Bull's Head Exchange Chambers, Market Place, Manchester,
in the County of Lancaster, Patent Agents, for an Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE COMPOSITION AND MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL STONES FOR
CHILDREN'S TOYS AND OTHER PURPOSES." A communication from abroad
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Hugh Gearing Grant at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th November 1880.
HUGH GEARING GRANT, of the Firm of Messrs. Bosshardt and Grant, of
24, Bull's Head Exchange Chambers, Market Place, Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, Patent Agents. " IMPROVEMENTS IN THE COMPOSITION AND
MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL STONES FOR CHILDREN'S TOYS AND
PURPOSES." A communication from abroad by Dr. Friedrich Adolph Richter, of
Rudolstadt, in the Empire of Germany.
OTHER
The Invention relates to the composition and manufacture of artificial stones,
which are not readily broken, and which will not loose their form or colour, and
therefore in building after copies or patterns would fit well together, and on
account of their own gravity would not readily fall, as the ordinary wood toys.
The composition employed for this purpose may be pressed into cylindrical or
other suitable forms. The ordinary toys made heretofore receive only a thin layer
of colour or varnish, which soon wears off. The composition employed consists of
finely ground sand and chalk in about equal proportions. To this is added a certain
amount of colour, according to the required shade to be imparted. For mosaic work,
where more delicate colours are required, aniline colours are employed in any
suitable proportion, according to the required shade to be imparted. After the
colour has been added to the mixture of sand and chalk, a fourth of its weight is
added of linseed oil varnish, and the whole thoroughly incorporated together. The
composition is then pressed together by means of a piston and cylinder into any
suitable form. The articles, after being pressed, are dried in an oven of any
suitable construction for about a week's time at a temperature of 100 to 150
Celsius, whereby the articles are thoroughly hardened and ready for use.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Hugh Gearing Grant in the Great Seal Patent. Office on the 25th
May 1881.
HUGH GEARING GRANT, of the Firm of Messrs. Bosshardt and Grant, of
24, Bull's Head Exchange Chambers, Market Place, Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, Patent Agents. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE COMPOSITION AND
MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL STONES FOR CHILDREN'S TOYS AND OTHER
PURPOSES." (A communication from abroad by Dr. Friedrich Adolph Richter, of
Rudolstadt, in the Empire of Germany.)
The object I have in view is to produce toy building blocks, which will always
retain their shape and colour, will not be dangerous to be used by children, and
will by reason of their weight better retain their position than if made of wood, as
usual. This I accomplish by making my toy building blocks of moulded artificial
stone, in the composition of which pigments are used to give the desired_color or
colors.
My Invention consists in toy building blocks made of the composition and in the
manner hereinafter explained. I propose to make my blocks of various shapes
(cylindrical, square, oblong, arched, &c.), and the blocks of each set I intend to
either make of one shape, or of a number of forms, for erecting buildings in
miniature from plans furnished with the blocks. My toy building blocks are made
in the following manner :-I first prepare a composition of fine sand and finely
ground chalk in about equal parts. To this mixture I add the coloring stuff in
such quantities as the intensity of the colour which it is desired to give to the
blocks may require.
For yellow building blocks I add to the mixture from three to four per cent. of
the whole mass of ochre; for a red brick colour I add from fifteen to twenty per
cent. of caput mortuum; for a bluish grey colour I add ten per cent. of ultramarine
and ten per cent. of lamp black. If the blocks are to be used for producing
characters or figures in manner similar to loose mosaic work finer and brighter
colours are desirable, and for this purpose I use aniline colours in necessary
quantities. After the pigment has been added to the mixture of sand and chalk I
take of good linseed oil varnish one fourth of the whole weight of the mixture, and
incorporate it thoroughly with the mass by mixing until the mass becomes a damp
powder. This is turned in the necessary quantities into moulds made of the shape
it is desired to give to the blocks, which moulds are provided with close fitting
followers. The followers are subjected to a heavy pressure while the composition
is in the moulds, and the blocks are formed by means of this pressure. The small
amount of varnish in the composition when the same is subjected to the heavy
pressure becomes free and liquid, and binds or unites the chalk and sand together
into a solid body. The stone blocks formed in this manner are placed in an oven
of any suitable construction, and dried for about eight days at a temperature of
100° to 150° Celsius. By this operation the hardening is completed, and the stone
blocks are ready for their purpose. It will be seen that toy building blocks madė
in this manner will always retain their shape and colour. By reason of their greater
weight they will be better adapted for building blocks than those made of wood,
and they are not dangerous in their use by children, as is the case with painted
wood blocks.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed or put in practice, what
I claim as my Invention is, as a new article of manufacture toy building blocks

page_text: made from chalk, sand, coloring material, and varnish, formed in moulds, and
subjected to a heavy pressure, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Hugh Gearing Grant, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of May, One thousand eight hundred
and eighty one.
Signed and sealed in the
presence of
FERDINAND BOSSHARDT,
Of the Firm of Bosshardt & Grant,
Patent Agents,
Manchester.
HUGH G. GRANT. (LS.)