IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL STONE, AND IN THE MANUFACTURE OF VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR CONVEYING ACIDS OR ACID VAPOURS OR HEATED AIR OR GASES
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Ransome, of No. 2, Queen Street
Place, Cannon Strect, in the City of London, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL STONE, AND IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR CONVEYING ACIDS OR ACID
VAPOURS OR HEATED AIR OR GASES."
Scaled the 18th October 1870, and dated the 29th April 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Ransome at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
29th April 1870.
I, FREDERICK RANSOME, of No. 2, Queen Street Place, Cannon Street,
in the City of London, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL STONE, AND IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR CONVEYING ACIDS OR ACID VAPOURS
OR HEATED AIR OR GASES," to be as follows:
In the Specification of a former Patent granted to me on the 9th
April 1861 (No. 877) was described the forming blocks or forms of

page_text: artificial stone by mixing a solution of silicate of soda or potash with
lime and clay and with sand or other material, and subsequently allowing
such blocks to harden, or acting upon them with a solution of chloride
of calcium or other soluble salt of an alkaline earth.
The object of the first part of my present Invention is to improve
the manufacture of blocks of artificial stone which will harden without
the subsequent application to them of a solution of a soluble salt of an
alkaline earth. For this purpose I combine finely divided silica in a
soluble state either obtained artificially or naturally, as, for example, the
earth found in the neighbourhood of Farnham, with a solution of silicate
of soda, lime, clay, and sand or other material. The object of putting
the finely divided silica in a soluble state into the compound is, that it
may combine with the caustic soda or potash set free by the action of
the lime on the silicate solution. The lime employed may be in the
state of quicklime, or it may be hydrated, or partially hydrated, or
substances containing lime, such as Portland cement or other hydraulic
limes, or other substances capable of acting in like manner to lime upon
the solution of soluble silicate, may be employed in place of lime; I
also, according to my Invention, employ silicious or vitreous matters or
burnt clay, combined with soluble silicate in the making or lining of
vessels for containing or conveying acids or acid vapours or heated air
or gases; I also construct an artificial stone by combining pulverized
burnt clay, lime, (either alone or in combination with other substances)
and a solution of a soluble silicate.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, 2
filed by the said Frederick Ransome in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 28th October 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FREDERICK
RANSOME, of No. 2, Queen Street Place, Cannon Street, in the City of
London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-third
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
3

page_text: grant unto me, the said Frederick Ransome, Her special licence that I,
the said Frederick Ransome, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Frederick Ransome, my executors, admi-
nistrators, 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, excrcise, 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 ARTIFICIAL STONE AND IN THE MANUFACTURE OP VESSELS FOR
CONTAINING OR CONVEYING ACIDS OR ACID VAPOURS OR HEATED AIR OR GASES," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Frederick Ransome, 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 Frederick Ransome, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:-
For
The object of the first part of my present Invention is to improve the
manufacture of artificial stone which will harden without the subsequent
application of a solution of a soluble salt of an alkaline carth.
this purpose I combine finely divided silica in a soluble state, obtained
either artificially or naturally, as, for example, that found in the neigh-
bourhood of Farnham, with a solution of silicate of soda or potash, or
of a mixture of such silicates, lime, clay, sand, chalk or other material.
The object of putting the finely divided silica in a soluble state into the
compound is, that it may combine with the caustic soda or potash
set free by the action of the lime (or other substance capable of
rendering such soda or potash caustic) on the silicate solution. The lime
employed may be in the state of quicklime, or it may be hydrated or
partially hydrated, or substances containing lime, such as Portland or
other hydraulic cements or limes, or other substances capable of acting
in like manner to lime upon the solution of soluble silica, may be
employed in place of lime. The substances to be combined, as well as

page_text: the proportions thereof, may be varied very considerably according to
the object desired to be obtained, but for ordinary building stones I find
the following combination suitable, viz.:—
6 parts by measure of sand.
وو
powdered chalk.
powdered soluble silica.
2
"
""
"
1
"
33
1
lime or Portland cement.
"
"
""
1
و,
"
"
solution silicate soda, sp. gr. 1.700.
E
I prefer to mix or grind together the lime or Portland cement and
soluble silica first, to which I then add the sand and chalk, and when the i
above are thoroughly mixed together in the dry state I add the solution of
silicate of soda, when-the-whole are incorporated together in a suitable
mixing mill; sometimes I find it desirable to add a small quantity-of-
water to increase the plasticity of the compound, which should be pressed
into the moulds or forms as soon as possible, and allowed to set or harden
gradually by the action of the atmosphere.
I also, according to my Invention, employ silicious or vitrious matters
or burnt clay combined with soluble silicate in making or lining of vessels
for containing or conveying acids or acid vapours. For this purpose
siliceous or quartzose sand, finely powdered silica, glass, burnt clay, or other
suitable substances that will not be acted upon by the acid or acid vapours
the vessel is to coutain, may be employed and mixed with a solution of
soluble silicate of soda or potash, or a mixture of these silicates, in the
proportions best suited for the purpose to which they are to be applied,
in the manner described above for making artificial stone; but instead of
using lime, either quick or bydrated, I saturate the mass after it is moulded
or placed in the required form with a solution of chloride of calcium
or other suitable solution of an alkaline earth, or in some cases the action
of the acid vapours or gases to which it is exposed is sufficient to. render
the application of solution of chloride of calcium unnecessary.
I also, according to my Invention, employ siliceous or vitreous matters
or burnt clay combined with soluble silicate in making or lining vessels
which are to contain or convey heated air or gases. For this purpose I
prefer to employ finely powdered burnt clay, or ganister stone combined
with a solution of silicate of soda or potash, or a mixture of these silicates,
so as to form a thick paste, which is moulded to the form of vessel

page_text: desired, or is placed over the surface of the vessel to be lined, and is
subsequently hardened by the action of the heat upon it.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Ransome, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of October,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy.