IMPROVEMENTS IN THE COMPOSITION AND MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL GRANITE, MARBLE, AND STONE, AND IN THE KILNS AND APPARATUS USED IN SUCH MANUFACTURE
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Gedge, of the Firm of John Gedge
and Son, of No. 11, Wellington Street, Strand, in the County of Middle-
sex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE COMPOSITION
AND MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL GRANITE, MARBLE, AND STONE, AND IN THE
KILNS AND APPARATUS USED IN SUCH MANUFACTURE."-A communication from
abroad by Jean Begué, of 39, Faubourg Saint Martin, Paris, France.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Edward Gedge at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and Decla-
ration on the 27th February 1864, pursuant to the 9th Section of the
Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD GEDGE, of the Firm of John Gedge and Son, of No. 11, Wellington
Street, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
COMPOSITION AND MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL GRANITE, MARBLE, AND STONE, AND
IN THE KILNS AND APPARATUS USED IN SUCH MANUFACTURE," the said Invention
being a communication to me from abroad by Jean Begué, of 39, Faubourg
Saint Martin, Paris, France, and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto
me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for
the same, and have made solemn declaration that the said Invention is com-
municated to me as above written.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Gedge, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and the manner in which the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Sheets of Drawings hereunto
annexed, and forming part of this Specification, and to the figures and letters
of reference placed thereon.
The granites obtained by means of this Invention are much harder than
natural granites, they may be made of any colour, form, or size, and are appli-
cable to useful and ornamental purposes, to bydraulic and monumental construc-
tions, for paving, flagging, curbstones, and all sorts of paneling and modeling.
They replace with advantage natural granites and stone, and may be manu-
factured in any locality, and at much lower prices by reason of the carriage;
further, all the stones being moulded the labour of cutting or sawing has not
to be paid for. The composition of the artificial granites is as follows:-
Common earth, 20 parts; calcareous earth or stone, 25; fine sand, 88; potters'
clay, 10; peat, 9; coal, 2; compound salt, 2; total, 100 parts. The compound
salt is thus manufactured :-Two parts of urine and one of salt which has been
already used for salting cod or other fish, or in its absence marino salt or
salgemma; the whole is boiled until reduced to the two parts to be used in the
composition, it is then allowed to cool, when these two parts of compound salt
are quite cold they are mixed with the other ninety-eight parts, forming the
remainder of the composition; the addition of two parts more peat to the
preceding composition will accelerate the fusion and give a better result.
I will now describe the composition of the artificial marbles; firstly, for
ordinary marbles, bottle glass broken and reduced to powder one ton weight,
common pit sand one ton, broken glass of different thicknesses and colours
11 lbs. weight. The colours should be chosen according to the veins and
shades it is desired to obtain; thus to obtain a very black ground 11 lbs. weight
of peroxyd of manganese, and 11 lbs. of black oxyd of iron should be added
for every two tons and 11 lbs. For marbles of a superior quality, window glass
broken and reduced to powder, one ton; white sand washed, ono ton; coloured
glass broken, 11 lbs. The shades will be obtained as above stated. To obtain
a very white body or ground 11 lbs. of burnt and pulverized bones should be
added to every two tons and 11 lbs.
Lastly, I will set forth the composition of artificial stone of an entirely new
and special description, and the application of which may be very extensive. The
composition is as follows:-Bottle glass pulverized, 88 parts; clay, 66 parts;
porcelain clay, 1 part=100 parts; the whole diluted in urine, or, in default,
in water saturated with salt of any description. To give to this new stone the

page_text: appearance of marble it is only necessary to add to the above mixture coloured
glass, or any metallic oxyd. The broken glass may be replaced by the fol-
lowing mixture:-Fine ferrugenous sand, 40 parts; calcareous earth or stone,
40 parts; ferruginous clay, 12 parts; common salt, or salt of urine, 8 parts;
this mixture is melted and precipitated in water and urine.
The kiln in which the granite is baked is illustrated Figure 1, Sheet 1, of
the annexed Drawing, and is constructed as follows:-A, flue boles for intro-
duction of fuel; B, pit reserved for a small or large quantity of fuel according
to the exigencies of the work; C, large openings for introduction of the
reservoirs D, which openings are then stopped by the piece M, Figure 6; D,
the four D's are the four reservoirs serving to contain the matters reduced to
artificial granite to be afterwards introduced into different or uniform moulds.
These four moveable reservoirs are cut and shown in their entire elovation
Figure 5. They have further an opening in front for the introduction of the
raw materials and their withdrawal as granite; further, thero is at the top an
opening of about 16 inches in diameter, which permits the flame or caloric
ray to introduce itself into the reservoirs to accelerate the operation without
being able to pass by the opening in the reservoir. The matter being fit for
moulding this upper opening is closed, in order not to be troubled with the
flame or smoke, which consequently cannot issue by the opening in front of
the reservoir E; the four E's are pillars of fire-brick, each having a small
draught fluc corresponding with the large chimney Q, Figure 2; F, the four
large moveable openings closing to the required dimension by means of several
refractory pieces, and also capable of being entirely closed, separating all con:-
munication from the main furnace with the adjacent furnaces H; G, four
large openings, opening and closing at will with iron doors lined interiorly
with fire-clay; H, adjacent furnaces serving for cooling the manufactured
pieces; I, large openings of the adjacent furnaces closed by iron doors, which
openings I, I, are shewn in elevation Figure 8; J, four other small chimneys
of the adjacent furnaces rising naturally about 7 yards above them, and the
draught of which is increased or lessened by stopping or freeing the flues or
closing them entirely by registers or dampers when it is desirable there should
be no communication from the firo of the main furnace with the adjacent
furnaces H; K, K, are brick walls, which may be suppressed, when required,
for placing reservoirs double their size, in order to make much larger pieces
not requiring to be moulded, that is to say, that they are made purely and
simply in the reservoirs, and transmitted direct into the adjacent furnaces;
these partition walls may be reconstructed without suspending for a moment
the degree of caloric of the main furnace; Figure 2, elevation of the principal

page_text: front; L, vault of the cellar beneath the grate serving for ash-pit; C, large
openings closed by the piece M, Figure 6; 0, 0, openings of the drying
furnaces serving for the withdrawal of the first materials; Q, large chimney
of the principal furnace; R, iron ribs consolidating the furnaces; S, S, Figure 3,
chimney, the object of which is to increase the draught at the moment a great
heat is required. Figuro 3, elevation of the adjacent furnaces; P, P, opening by
which the raw materials are introduced to be dried; Figure 4, section of the
principal furnace through the centre of the flue holes; Figure 5, upright
section of the reservoir D; Figure 6, elevation of the pieces intended to close
the openings C; Figure 7, sectional elevation of reservoir D in inverse direc-
tion to Figure 5; Figure 8, N. half of moveable flooring divided into squares
to be placed in front of the main furnace, if required.
I will now describe the construction of the kilns which I use for baking the
artificial marbles. These furnaces will be in form of a square of about
10 yards on each side. This dimension may be increased or diminished
according to the necessities of the manufacture, nevertheless the proportion
given appears the best.
Figure 1, plan. A, A, A, A, places in which are the gratings and the
bridges for the introduction of fuel; C, C, C, C, C, C, C, C, doors, by which
are introduced the pieces which are withdrawn when formed into marble; D,
large chimney, which starts from the bottom of the lower furnace and rises
above the roof, it has at its base at about 8 inches above the bottom of the kiln,
four openings, each about 8 inches square; E, E, E, E, subterranean ways for
currents of air, and in which fall the cinders and other residue; Figure 2,
elevation. A, small holo about 8 inches square, by which the fuel is intro-
duced; B, B, walls of the kilns where pass the small flues, by which the
flame arrives in the upper kiln, passing thence into the four small flues, which
are united against the large chimney. This chimney and the four small flues
are each furnished with a small apparatus serving to regulate the heat in the
kilns; C, C, C, C, doors, by which are introduced the pieces or objects which
are withdrawn when transformed into marble; D, large chimney for draught;
F, F, F, F, small openings above each door for inspection of work; G, door,
the size of which may be increased at will by removing the four moveable
pieces of which it is formed. This door serves for the introduction and with-
drawal of the moulds or models in fine clay, which are baked in this kiln ;
·H, H, H, H, apparatus serving to regulate the heat in the kilns ; I, terrace
above the upper kiln, which serves to dry the materials required in tho
manufacture; J, J, J, J, iron pipes or flues joining the large chimney;
K, K, K, K, apparatus serving to regulate the draught of the chimneys; L,

page_text: wood work covering in the furnaces. Figure 3, section through middle of kiln;
E, underground passage; A, small door for introduction of fuel; D, largo
chimney for draught; L, terrace serving for drying compartment; K, K, K,
apparatus regulating the draught of the chimneys. For baking the artificial
stone, lastly above described, for certain shapes, a special arrangement of the
floor of the oven is made, it being so removed as to leave square or rectangular
cavities.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Gedge, havo hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of February, in tho
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.