A NEW OR IMPROVED METHOD OR METHODS OF FORMING BLOCKS WITH BRICKS AND CEMENT IN THE FORM OF ASHLAR STONE FOR BUILDING TO AS TO HAVE THE APPEARANCE OF STONE
Year: 1816

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ATKINSON, of Bentinck Street, in the Parish of Saint Mary-le-bone and
County of Middlesex, Architect, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third did, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Ninth day of April, in the fifty-
sixth year of His reign, give and grant unto me, the said William Atkinson, my
exors, admors, and assigns, His especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said William Atkinson, my exors, admors, and assigns,
during the term of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, my Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED METHOD OR METHODS OF
FORMING BLOCKS WITH BRICKS AND CEMENT IN THE FORM OF ASHLAR STONE FOR
BUILDING TO AS TO HAVE THE APPEARANCE OF STONE;" in which said Letters
Pattent there is contained a proviso that if I, the said William Atkinson,
shall not particularly describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, and cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent, that then the said Letters Patent, and
all liberties and advantages thereby granted, shall utterly cease, determine,
and become void, as in and by the same, relation being thereunto had, may
more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Atkinson, do declare that my said New or Improved Method or
Methods of forming Blocks with Bricks or Cement in the Form of Ashlar
Stone for Building, so as to have the Appearance of Stone, is or are described
and specified in manner following, reference being had to the figures or
Drawing (that is to say):
This Invention consists in uniting bricks together with Roman cement (or
with any other mortar or cement that will set sufficiently hard), in the form of
ashlar stones, which I call ashlar blocks. These ashlar blocks I coat or
stucco on the external surface or surfaces with Roman cement (or any other
cement proper for that purpose) in a mold or case so to imitate any kind of
stone ashlar, and afterwards I build them (the ashlar blocks) in walls in the
same manner as stone ashlar is built. These ashlar blocks form the outward
surface or surfaces of the walls; the inside may be built in common brickwork
in the same manner as when brick walls are faced with stone.
The annexed Drawing shows how the ashlar blocks may be made.
Figure 1 is a plan of one of the blocks which is of a convenient size for
building. The tail marked A is for the purpose of bonding the blocks with
the inside brickwork. The dotted lines show the joints of the middle course of
bricks. Fig. 2 shows the face of the block Fig. 1 with the joints of the
bricks; and Fig. 3 is a perspective sketch of the back of the same block.
Figures 4 and 5 show the the plan and one of the faces of an angle block.
Fig. 6 is a perspective sketch of a mold for building the blocks in with part
of a block in it. The bricks may be put together without using a mold, but
they can be built into blocks with more facility when a mold is used used.
Previous to putting the bricks together to form the blocks, if they be well
soaked in water the cement will adhere the better. A mold for coating the
blocks with cement, with one of the blocks in it, is represented by Fig. 7, shows
the sides and end of the mould C, C, C, C, project about three quarters of an
inch either more or less before the face of the block. This space is to be
filled with cement and floated fair with the edges of the mold, then the face of
the stucco may be marked to imitate tool marks in stonework, or to imitate
any kind of rustic work, or it may be left plain to imitate sanded stone-
work, any of which imitations can be done with less labor in a better
manner than can be done in the common method of stuccoing. By loosing
the hook B at each end, the mould may be taken from the block. Fig. 8 is
a perspective sketch of the angle of a wall showing one course of blocks; and
Fig. 9 shows the same course with another course laid upon it. I have only
described what appears to me the best process for building, stuccoing, and

page_text: bonding the ashlar blocks, but they may be made in several different ways;
also the size and form of the ashlar blocks may be varied to suit the nature of
the building or the fancy of the builder; indeed, every form that can be given
to stone may be imitated with the ashlar blocks. The tails for bonding the
blocks with cominon brickwork may be omitted, and the blocks may be made
in the form of headers or stretchers; but I prefer the method shown in the
Drawing.
By the above-described method of building, when properly executed, the
walls will be free from those unsightly cracks so common in stuccoed buildings;
they will be less pervious to moisture, they will appear more like stonework,
and the building may be finished as the walls are carried up.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Atkinson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixteen.
WILLIAM (L.S.) ATKINSON.