IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU- FACTURE OF BLOCKS OF PLASTIC MATERIALS FOR BUILDING PURPOSES
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Austin, of 27, Holywell Street,
Westminster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF BLOCKS OF PLASTIC MATERIALS FOR BUILDING PURPOSES.""
Sealed the 10th February 1854, and dated the 25th August 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Austin
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 25th August 1853.
I, WILLIAM AUSTIN, of 27, Holywell Street, Westminster, do hereby
declare the nature of my Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF BLOCKS OF PLASTIC MATERIALS FOR BUILDING PURPOSES" to be
as follows:-
This Invention consists of moulding or forming plastic matters into
two series of blocks, which in building go together and produce the
-bonding desired. The upper and under sides of each block are parallel.
and such is the case with regard to the two ends of each block. The
two sides of each block of one series are formed with faces which are
convex, and the two sides of each block of the other series are formed
with faces which are concave; consequently when these blocks in
building a wall are laid alternately the convex side of one fits the

page_text: concave side of the neighbouring block, and each block is formed with
two holes vertically thro' it, which produce vertical hollows in the wall,
but if great strength be desired these may be filled with concrete,
and for those parts of a wall where only half thickness is desired the
blocks are to be made of half the size.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Austin in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 25th February 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
WILLIAM AUSTIN, of 27, Holywell Street, Westminster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
seventeenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said William Austin, Her special
licence that I, the said William Austin, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Austin,
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
mako, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an In-
vention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BLOCKS OF PLASTIC
MATERIALS FOR BUILDING PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said William Austin, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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 William Austin, do hereby
.declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the

page_text: same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof (that is to say):
•
This Invention consists of moulding or forming plastic matters into
two series of blocks, which in building go together and produces the
bonding desired. The upper and under sides of each block are parallel,
and such is the case with regard to the two ends of each block. The
two sides of each block of one series are formed with faces which arc
convex, and the two sides of each block of the other series are forined
with faces which are concave; consequently when these blocks in
building a wall are laid alternately the convex side of one fits the
concave side or end of the neighbouring block, and each block is formed
with two holes vertically through it, which produce vertical hollows in
the wall, but if great strength be desired these may be filled with
concrete, and for those parts of a wall where only half thickness is
desired the blocks are to be made of half the size.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed
to describe the means of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING..
Figure 1, shows a plan, and Figure 2, an elevation of three forms of
blocks suitable for going together and bonding according to my Inven-
tion. a, a, is one serics of blocks with concave sides, and b, b, is another
series of blocks with convex sides, fitting into the concave sides of the
blocks a, a, and they are laid, when building a wall, so as to break joint
the blocks with the concave sides coming under the blocks with convex
sides, as will be understood by reference to Figures 1, and 2, or blocks
6, 61, which are similar in form to two of the blocks b, and one of the
blocks a, divided into two, as shown. Figure 8, shows a plan, and
Figure 4, an elevation of two series of blocks for building a wall, the
sides being concave and convex, as before, and they are laid so as to
break joint. I prefer that each block should have two holes or perfora-
tions through it, but I make no claim to making blocks with holes or
perforations, and less or more perforations may be used. Figures 5,
and 6, show two forms of perforated blocks for building lighthouses,
shafts; culverts, tunnels, and such like works, the sides of each series

page_text: being made concave or convex. It will be evident that perforated
blocks such as above described may be made in suitable moulds, or by
forcing the plastic matters through moulding orifices, and the same
may be made of brick earth and burned, or it may be made of ma-
terials which will set hard and not required to be burned. And in
place of the convex and concave sides being angular, as shown, they
may be composed of curved lines.
I claim the manufacture of blocks herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Austin, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
S. CARPMAEL.
WILLIAM AUSTIN. (L.S.)