An Improved Method of and Apparatus for Making Artificial Stone Blocks or Plates.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Dec., 1895-Accepted, 21st Mar., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of and Apparatus for Making Artificial Stone
Blocks or Plates.
1. PETER JANTZEN of Elbing, Germany, Manufacturer, 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 :-
This invention which relates to the formation of blocks or plates from pulverized
stone mixed with a binding agent, has for its object to enable dense and solid blocks
or plates to be made with the aid of very little binding material.
Heretofore the methods adopted for making artificial stone, consisted in first
mixing the pulverized stone, such as granite for instance, with a binding agent
like cement and then pouring this mixture into moulde where it was firmly
beaten or stamped with the aid of hammers into a solid conglomerate mass.
Under my invention, however, the mixture is poured into a vibrating-or oscil-
lating mould and is caused to settle and condense therein so that the vibratory
motion takes the place of the usual beating or hammering, and thereafter it is
pressed in any well known manner.
The rapidly succeeding vibrations of the mould cause the mixture to become
thoroughly incorporated and bound together.
The quantity of binding material required for mixing purposes depends upon
the coarseness of the granules being incorporated and can only be decided with
exactitude by experiment.
The binding agent, such as cement for instance, is placed with the pulverized
material into a mixing drum and then moistened.
The superfluous moisture which is driven to the surface of the block by the
vibratory action of the mould can be dried up by placing upon the surface of
the block a layer of slightly moistened mortar or of other like absorbent
material.
The moulded material is subjected to the vibratory action for about the space
of to minute when the mould is closed by a cover plate and is then brought
under the press which compresses the material to the required extent.
With the beating methods heretofore practised it was found practically
impossible to combine two or three different materials each having a different grain
closely together without interstices or pores being left which could not be filled up
with the binding agent, and, further, the air left in these spaces could not be
removed by the subsequent pressure, so that the resulting stone was not of the best
quality. Under my invention however the smallest interstices or pores are filled
up with the binding agent so that a thoroughly homogeneous block or plate is
produced.
And in order that my said invention may be properly understood I have hereunto
appended an explanatory sheet of drawings, whereon,
Fig. 1 is a side view, and Fig. 2 a plan of the vibrating mould.
Fig. 3 is a section on the line - and Fig. 4 a section on the line y-y Fig. 2.
Fig. 5 illustrates the manner of raising the compressed block out of the mould.
Fig. 6 is a similar section to Fig. 4 but the mould is shown as raised up.
The machine consists of an open mould a, closed by a bottom b containing a
loose bottom plate c, and arranged to slide back and forward in guides d on a
suitable table A. This sliding arrangement is devised for the purpose of readily
changing the moulds. The table A has a downward extension e in which is carried

page_text: a vertical shaft f whose lower extremity rests on a pawl g which is rested on a
buffer k in order to deaden shocks and is actuated by a ratchet wheel keyed on
the driving shaft h.
The vertical shaft f is supported in a bearing sleeve / which is partially enclosed
by a concentric sleeve m to which rods n are fitted. These rods pass through the
bottom of the mould and bear against the plate c so that whenever they are raised
up by pressing down the lever o and forcing up the sleeve m the block of stone on
the plate c is forced up out of the mould (see Fig. 5). The sleeve p upon which
rests the extension e of the table A is made of very hard wood so as to withstand
the effects of shocks and is fixed to the head of the bearing sleeve in such manner
as to be readily detached and replaced by another block.
The working of the machine is both simple and effective, the rotation of the
main shaft h in the direction of the arrow imparts, by means of the ratchet wheel i,
to the mould table and the mould a and to the material therein a series of sharp
successive vertical vibrations or jigs so that the stony mass in the mould is shaken
and condensed within the short time of to a minute, to the greatest possible
extent and all the interstices in the material are filled up.
To extract the moisture exuding at the top of the material a sufficiently thick
layer of slightly moistened mortar is laid on it and thereafter the plate q, which is
strong enough to resist the greatest pressure applied to the material is placed on
top and then the pressure is finally applied by means of any suitable press.
The finished block is forced out of the mould by depressing the hand lever o and
raising the bottom plate e as shown at Fig. 5.
The blocks or plates made in the manner herein before described can be polished
when they are hard or they can be sold in their rough state.
From the foregoing it will be readily seen that a much improved product can be
produced by using the vertical jigging or shaking apparatus.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
consider novel and desire to claim is :-
1. In the manufacture of artificial stone blocks or plates, subjecting the material
in the mould before it is compressed, to a series of vertical vibrations or jigs,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2. The combination of the mould table A, the mould a thereon, the reciprocating
shaft and means for giving a series of short and successive lifts to the shaft f
substantially as herein before set forth.
3. The apparatus for jigging or vibrating the mould constructed, arranged and
operating substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings
annexed.
Dated this 13th day of December 1895.
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70 Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.