MAKING BUILDING BRICKS IMPERVIOUS TO WATER OR WATERPROOF
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Elias Taylor, of Hartford Villa, in the Parish of
Patcham, in the County of Sussex, for the Invention of "MAKING
BUILDING BRICKS IMPERVIOUS TO WATER OR WATERPROOF."
Sealed the 17th April 1866, and dated the 5th January 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Elias Taylor at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th January 1866.
I, ELIAS TAYLOR, of Hartford Villa, in the Parish of Patcham, in the
County of Sussex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
MAKING BUILDING BRICKS IMPERVIOUS TO WATER OR WATERPROOF," to be as
follows:-
My Invention consists in the application to bricks already burnt in a
kiln, and bricks to be hereafter made in the usual manner, and also
moulded of any irregular or ornamental shape as circumstances may
require for the ornamentation of the fronts of buildings and other purposes
of a glaze on their surface with a suitable glass or enamel to make them
waterproof; and I also glaze the parts of the bricks intended to be
exposed (if required to give them other than their natural colour for the
external surface of walls), either for the outside or inside of dwellings, and
this glazing will in a measure depend upon the clay the bricks are made
of, but will more often be required for the inside walls, such glazing to be
of one or more suitable colours as are produced on common earthenware,
the said vitreous colour or colours being burnt on during the process of
burning or passing such bricks through the necessary kiln. To facilitate
the process and keep the bricks separate in the kiln for glazing they are

page_text: made with slight projections on their bed at each end. The said bricks
before being glazed can also if required be marked with a pattern for
inside walls to represent paperhangings. These waterproof bricks I
purpose using more especially for building improved dwellings for the
poor. All external and internal walls built with these bricks and Portland
cement joints will be perfectly dry, they will require no other finish what-
ever either on the outside, as they do not engender vegetable growth,
or on the inside, being of a suitable colour for such dwellings, dispensing
altogether with bond timber, battening, lathing, plastering, colouring, or
whitewashing to the walls, thereby effecting a great saving in this descrip-
tion of work and in the cost of keeping the dwellings in good repair.
The walls being solid have no vacancies for harbouring vermin; two
course of bricks projecting round the rooms are substituted in lieu of wood
.skirtings; a little soap and flannel being the only requisite for cleansing
the walls, and consequently the dwellings are easily disinfected.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Elias Taylor in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 4th
July 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ELIAS
TAYLOR, of Hartford Villa, in the Parish of Patcham, in the County of
Sussex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant uuto
me, the said Elias Taylor, Her special licence that I, the said Elias
Taylor, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Elias Taylor, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "MAKING BUILDING BRICKS IMPERVIOUS TO WATER OR WATERPROOF," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Elias Taylor, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature

page_text: of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Elias Taylor, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say) :-
My Invention consists in the application to bricks already burnt in a
kiln, and bricks to be hereafter made in the usual manner, and also
moulded of any irregular or ornamental shape as circumstances may require
for the ornamentation of the fronts of buildings and other purposes, of a
glaze on their surface with a suitable glass or enamel to make them water-
proof, and also to vary the colour of such parts of the bricks as are
intended to be exposed, if required to give them other than their natural
colour for the external surface of walls either for the outside or inside of
buildings, and this will in a measure depend upon the clay the bricks are
made of, but will be more often required for the inside walls, such glazing
with one or more suitable colours being burnt on during the process of
burning or passing such bricks through the necessary kiln. The said
bricks before glazing can be marked with a pattern to represent paper-
hangings.
COMPOSITIONS FOR VARIOUS GLAZINGS.
Twelve parts common salt and thirty parts potash.
Six parts potash and fourteen of salt.
Two parts red lead and one of white sand.
Two and half parts litharge and one powdered flints.
Ten parts litharge and eight feldtspar.
Four sand, 1 salt, and four calcine.
In witness whereof, I, the said Elias Taylor have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
ROBERT HAXBY,
8, Quality Court.
ELIAS TAYLOR. (L.S.)