IMPROVEMENTS IN DRYING AND COLOURING, OR ORNAMENTING BRICKS, TILES, PIPES, AND OTHER ARTICLES MADE OF PLASTIC EARTHS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Eccles, of Blackburn, in the County of Lan-
caster, Cotton Spinner, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN DRYING
AND COLOURING, OR ORNAMENTING BRICKS, TILES, PIPES, AND OTHER ARTICLES
MADE OF PLASTIC EARTHS."
Sealed the 28th May 1858, and dated the 2nd December 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Eccles at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 2nd
December 1857.
I, JOSEPHI ECCLES, of Blackburn, in the County of Lancaster, Cotton
Spinner, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN DRYING AND COLOURING OR ORNAMENTING BRICKS, TILES, PIPES, AND
OTHER ARTICLES MADE OF PLASTIC EARTHS," to be as follows:-
My improvements relate, firstly, to drying bricks, tiles, pipes, and other articles
preparatory to burning, and consist in arrangements for this purpose formed
by a flue or a series of pipes or channels supplied with hot or cold air, or hot
water or steam, these pipes or channels being arranged within a cover or
guard, baving perforations or openings to allow a free passage of air to and
from the pipes or channels; the bricks, tiles, and other articles to be dried
being placed on each side and on the top of the perforated cover or guard, so
that air passing to and from it may freely circulate amongst and around then.
So far as my present experience goes, I prefer to employ pipes supplied with

page_text: steam, combined with pipes having numerous perforations, and supplied with
air by a fan. This part of my Invention further consists in using the arrange-
ments referred to in a roofed building which has a ceiling formed of canvas,
or other similar material, which will take up the steam and vapour ascending
from the articles operated upon, and thus prevent the objectional dropping
which would otherwise arise by the condensation of the steam and vapour
against the roof.
Secondly, my Invention relates to colouring or ornamenting bricks, tiles,
and other articles made of plastic earths, and it consists in employing those
materials for this purpose known as "fire-brick carth" and "pipe-clay," as a
basis of the colour with which the article is coated previous to being burned.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Eccles in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
2nd June 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
ECCLES, of Blackburn, in the County of Lancaster, Cotton Spinner, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Joseph Eccles, Her special licenco that I, tho said Joseph Eccles, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Joseph
Eccles, 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 DRYING AND
COLOURING OR ORNAMENTING BRICK'S, TILES, PIPES, AND OTHER ARTICLES MADE OF
PLASTIC EARTHS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Joseph
Eccles, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particu-
larly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manuer 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Joseph Eccles, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say) :-
My improvements relate, firstly, to drying bricks, tiles, pipes, and other
articles preparatory to burning, and consist in arrangements for this purpose
formed by a flue or a series of pipes or channels supplied with hot or cold air,
or hot water or steam, these pipes or channels being arranged within a cover or
guard having perforations or openings to allow a free passage of air to or
from the said pipes or channels; the bricks, tiles, or other articles to be dried
being placed on either side and on the top of the perforated cover or guard,
so that air passing to and from it may freely circulate amongst and around
them. The particular arrangements which I have found most advantageous
consists of three pipes arranged side by side a little above the floor, and going
the length of the building in which the drying operation is carried on. The
middle pipe is supplied with air by mechanical means, such as a centrifugal
fan, the air being allowed to escape through a series of small perforations
made in the upper part of the pipe along its entire length, a:he pipes along
cach side of the air pipe are supplied with hot water or steam. The entire
length of the three pipes is covered or protected by a perforated guard, which
prevents the articles to be dried from coming in immediate contact with the
pipes, but allows a free circulation of the air to and from them. The articles
to be dried are built on each side and above the perforated guard in the form
of an open wall. If the floor of the room in which the drying operation is
carried on is heated by flues, then air pipes alone, with the protecting per-
forated guard, will be found advantageous; but I prefer the combination of
air pipes and hot water or steam pipes, as described. I place as many sets of
these pipes as the width of the building will admit of, leaving a passage
between them, and supply the air pipes from one common trunk, of which
each perforated air pipe forms a branch. I ceil the room in which the
drying operation is carried on with canvas or other similar absorbent material
which will take up the steam and vapour ascending from the articles operated
upon, and thus (besides keeping out of the room the cold from the roof)
prevent the objectional dropping which would otherwise result from the
condensation of the steam or vapour against the roof.
Secondly, my Invention relates to colouring or ornamenting bricks, tiles,
pipes, and other articles made of plastic earths, and it consists in employing
those materials for this purpose known as "fire-brick earth" and "pipe-clay,"
as a basis of the colour with which the article is coated previously to being

page_text: burned. A mixture of eight parts of fire-brick carth and one of pipe-clay
alone forms a good stone colour, but suitable colouring matter may be added
to the materials named to produce the colour required. The materials men-
tioned are mixed with water, and in this state it is applied to the articles, to
be coated previous to being burnt, when about one-fourth dry. The articles
are dipped into the liquid, or it is sprinkled upon them.
I have now particularly described the nature of my improvements, and the
mode of carrying the same into effect, and wish it to be understood that, I
claim,―
Firstly, the arrangement and combination of a series of pipes or channels,
one or more of which is supplied with air by mechanical means, the other
being heated by hot water, hot air, or steam, for drying bricks, tiles, and
other articles made of plastic earths previous to being burned, as described;;
and also, for liko purposes, the use of perforated air pipes alone, supplied with
air by mechanical means, when used in a room the floor of which is heated
by flucs.
Secondly, I claim the perforated guard in combination with the arrange-
ments referred to in my first claim.
Thirdly, I claim the use of a canvas or other similar absorbent ceiling,
for the purposes herein-before described, in a room for drying, previous to
being burned, articles made of plastic earths.
Fourthly, I claim the combination of the materials herein-before mentioned
for colouring or ornamenting articles made of plastic carths.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Eccles, have hereunto set my
hand and scal, this Thirty-first day of May, One thousand cight
hundred and fifty-eight.
JOSEPH ECOLES. (t.s.)