Improvements in Enamelled Bricks and in the Manufacture thereof.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 19th July, 1892-Accepted, 20th Aug., 18:2
[Communicated from abroad by ISAAC KENICK RUE, of Matawan, New Jersey,
United States of America, Manufacturer of Crockery.]
Improvements in Enamelled Bricks and in the Manufacture thereof.
I, HENRY HARINGTON LEIGH, Assoc. Mem. Inst. C.E., Fel. Ch. Inst. P.A.,
practising as Phillips & Leigh at No. 22, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be particularly described and ascertained, in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to an enamelled brick, that is to say, to a brick, one or
more of the sides of which are provided with enamel or vitrified surfaces, which
surfaces are left visible when the bricks are laid and serve to impart ornamental
effects. These bricks have been manufactured in several ways. In the earliest
instance, the body of the brick was first constructed of ordinary materials such as
clay, the brick then dipped in the enamel mixture, and the whole fired in the
customary manner. The objection to this style of brick is that the enamel surface
is liable to crack or scale, and that in this event, the main body of the brick will
become visible in whole or in part, and thus injure the ornamental effect obtained
from the enamel surfaces.
By this
A partial improvement on the style of brick just described, but one which only
in part serves to obviate the objections noted, is obtained in this manner. The
body of the brick is formed in the ordinary way, and then, previous to the appli-
cation of the enamel coating, is dipped in a liquid or fluid mixture of clay, sand,
powdered flint, etc., or similar mixture. After the application of this mixture, the
brick is dipped in the enamel, and then fired in the customary manner.
means it will be seen that a partial lining is secured between the body of the brick
and the enamel surface, and it is the object of this construction to furnish a lining,
or layer, which will afford a firmer, closer foundation for the enamel coating, and
be a background visible through the enamel surface, in place of the body of the
brick itself, as is the case in the first form mentioned. I have discovered however,
that even in this form there are objections, and the difficulties noted are only
partly obviated. From my actual experience with these bricks, I have found
that the lining or interior layer referred to is itself liable to scale and come away
with the enamel, and is easily affected by extremes of weather, and accordingly
the exposure of the body of the brick is only partially prevented.
This liability will be at once obvious from the consideration that the lining or
interior layer secured from the dipping is merely a skin coating and, like the
enamel surface itself, not a constituent or integral part of the brick body. A
Jurther objection arises in the fact that the dipped lining as well as the enamel
surface must necessarily be extremely thin because of the fluidity of their material,
and that any attempt to increase the depth of this lining, or of the enamel would
result in unequal thickness, due to the fluidity of the mixture and the practical
impossibility of maintaining this even depth of liquid material in the manipulations
involved in the application of the enamel surface and the final firing.
33
11}
In the brick and the method of making it, which form the subject of the
present case, I have obviated all these objections by the provision of a lining which
of itself is a constituent and integral part of the brick-body. Instead of merely
dipping the brick-hody into a liquid mixture, 1 form the lining in the "dust
a dry or semi-dry state at the same time with the niain body of the brick. The
clay or other material for the body is prepared as usual and placed in the mold,
and at the same time the lining of the brick is formed in the "dust from the
clay, sand, flint, etc., or other similar mixture, which is moistened only sufficiently
23

page_text: to permit of convenience in handling and increase the tendency to unite under the
press. The whole,-body and lining, is then submitted to pressure and fired as
usual. After this the enamel surface is produced in the customary manner. Or
I contemplate dispensing with the first firing, and relying entirely on the final or
enamel firing.
The advantages of my improved brick, with its "dust" lining over that with
the dipped lining are clear. The lining and body being formed at the same time,
submitted to pressure and fired, constitute an integral and united whole. There
can be absolutely no scaling nor cracking of this lining, nor is it affected by
exposure to weather. Further, there being a more solid and finer basis for the
enamel, the latter will also remain in better condition and its liability to cracking
will be much diminished. At the same time I am enabled to retain all the effects
of the dipped lining, such as the vitrified surface, etc. which of course, would
depend upon the character of the materials employed in the 1ormation of the
"dust" lining. It will also be seen, and upon this point I lay great stress, that
the "dust" lining may be of any depth, from that of the mere skin layer of the
dipped lining to any part of the thickness of the brick-body.
It is obvious that in case of chipping or scaling of the enamel, the lining only
of the brick will be exposed to view.
Another point which I regard as a part of my invention is the mixing of various
pigments and the like with the materials of the "dust" lining, so that the lining
may be colored to correspond with the color of the enamel surface, where that is
other than white. This similar coloring of the lining renders far less conspicuous
any cracking or breaking of the surface enamel.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare what I claim is :
1. An enamelled brick comprising the enamelled surface, the brick-body, and a
"dust" lining, interposed between the two, and constituting an integral part of
the brick-body, substantially as described.
<
2. An enamelled brick comprising the enamelled surface, the brick-body, and a
dust" lining of sand, clay, flint, etc., or similar mixture, interposed between
the two and constituting an integral part of the brick-body, substantially as
described.
3. An enamelled brick comprising the enamelled surface, the brick-body, and a
"dust" lining of similar color to the enamel, interposed between the enamelled
surface and the brick-body, and constituting an integral part of the latter,
substantially as described.
4. The method of making a lined enamelled brick, which consists of forming the
brick-body and the "dust" lining at the same time, pressing them together, and
firing, and subsequently applying the enamel, substantially as described.
5. The method of making a lined enamelled brick, which consists of placing in
the mold, the clay or other material for the brick-body and the mixture of clay,
sand, flint, etc. or similar mixture, in the "dust," for the lining, submitting the
whole to pressure, and firing, and subsequently applying the enamel, substantially
as described.
Dated this 19th day of July 1892.
HENRY H. LEIGH,
Chartered Patent Agent.