IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BRICKS AND ARTIFICIAL STONE AND MARBLE
Year: 1865

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by David Barker at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 7th November
1865.
I, DAVID BARKER, of St. James's Street, Piccadilly, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BRICKS AND ARTIFICIAL STONE AND MARBLE," to be
as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in effecting the combination
of materials for the formation of bricks and artificial stone and marble.
For these purposes a mucilage or compound substance is employed, the com-
position and preparation of which is described in the Specification of a certain
Invention of "Improvements in the Manufacture of Artificial Fuel," and for
which Letters Patent were granted to me bearing date the Twenty-third of July
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, and numbered 1842, and in the Pro-
visional Specification of an Invention of "Improvements in the Manufacture of
Artificial Fuel," in respect of which I have applied for Letters Patent to be
granted to me, such application bearing date the Sixth day of June last, and
numbered 1547. The said mucilage is therein described as being composed

page_text: by taking one pound of farinaceous matter and mixing the same with about
four pints of water, or by preference with the like quantity of lime water,
containing a small quantity of the common potash or soda of commerce, about
one-thirtieth part by weight of potash or soda being then added, and the
The compound
mixture stirred until it became a mucilaginous mass."
thus formed was then to be diluted by adding thereto a mixture of potash
or soda and water, or lime water and potash or soda, or yeast and water,
either combined or separately, until the whole became of such a consistency
as would conveniently mix with the substances with which it was to be
combined.
It is in the said Specifications stated that the gluten should have been
removed from the farina so employed, and that the same should consist
entirely or almost entirely of fecula or starch (by preference potato farina or
starch), the mucilage so obtained being free from a tendency to decompose.
Instead of preparing the mucilage as before described, it is in my said Provi-
sional Specification stated that yeast or any vegetable substance capable of
being formed into a mucilage may be used in place of or together with the
farina. The proportions of the several ingredients before mentioned must be
considered as approximative only. Instead of using common potash or soda
the substance known commercially as "British alkali," may be employed.
In the preparation of the mucilage a solution of sulphate of iron or other
analogous metallic salt, or oxide of iron, or oxide of manganese, or other
metallic compound or compounds possessing similar or analogous hardening
and consolidating properties, together with a small quantity of tannic acid
or other vegetable or mineral acid possessing similar or analogous properties
are mixed therewith, or the same may be added to the mucilage after
the latter has been prepared. When boiling water is used for the pur-
pose of making the mucilage smaller proportions of the several ingre-
dients mixed with the farina, fecula, or starch, may be employed.
For the formation of bricks any materials suitable for the construction of
bricks for building purposes may be used, the mucilage being mixed with
such materials, and the compound then moulded into the desired form, for
which purpose any degree of pressure, however derived, may be employed
and the bricks afterwards dried by the application of artificial heat or in any
suitable manner, an extraordinary degree of hardness, imperviousness to
In like manner materials
moisture, and durability being thus obtained.
adapted for the formation of artificial stone and also marble dust may be
combined and caused to cohere by means similar or analogous to those before
mentioned with respect to the manufacture of bricks, such combinations being

page_text: applicable to a great variety of useful and ornamental purposes. When desired
colouring matters may be combined with the materials treated as before
mentioned.