Improvements relating to the Preparation of Siliceous Materials used in the Manufacture of Artificial Stone.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Feb., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 15th Nov., 1889-Accepted, 21st Dec., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to the Preparation of Siliceous Materials
used in the Manufacture of Artificial Stone.
We, ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL PONTON, of Viewfield, Parkstone, in the County of
Dorset, Architect, BENJAMIN LEWIN MOSELY of 36 Robertson Street, Hastings, in
the County of Sussex, Surgeon Dentist, and CROMPTON CHAMBERS of Town Hall
Chambers, Hastings, in the County of Sussex, Solicitor, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
In the manufacture of artificial stone, as described in our specification No. 5808,
dated 18th of April, 1888 we refer to silica or siliceous material, by the name of
Tridymite, and we therein allude to tridymite in two forms. One, in the form of
a loose, friable mass, such as burnt sand; the other in the form of a compacted mass
as it exists in the finished artificial stone, described and claimed in the aforesaid
specification. We have also described tridymite, and its distinguishing qualities or
properties, in our specification No. 15,256, dated 23rd October 1888 entitled
"Process
for the crystallisation of silica," in the compacted form.
Our present invention relates to the preparation of materials of a siliceous nature
whereby they are converted into the stable or normal condition of silica under heat,
which we call trydimite, but in the form of a loose, friable mass, or else in such a form
that it may be readily reduced to a loose, friable, or powdered condition.
We take any suitable sand and place it in any suitable enclosure, and subject it to
prolonged red or white heat until the specific gravity thereof is reduced to 2-3 or
thereabouts. For the purpose of handling the sand more conveniently we moisten the
sand with a liquid siliceous cement, and mould the sand into blocks of a suitable size,
and expose them to the said prolonged red or white heat of a kiln until the specific
gravity is reduced to 2.3 or thereabouts. These blocks are afterwards broken up or
pulverized into a granular or other form for use in the manufacture of artificial
stone.
We also expose flints to the prolonged red or white heat of a kiln until the specific
gravity thereof is reduced to 2:2 or thereabouts, in the same manner as that for sand.
It is afterwards pulverized, and used in the manufacture of artificial stone.
When the sand, and the flints, have been treated as aforesaid, they have attained
the normal or stable condition of silica under extreme heat, in which there is no
permanent expansion or contraction. This state or condition we indicate by the term
tridymite.
If the sand is coarse, and not easily made to cohere without using a strong or large
amount of the cement, as aforesaid, we may add some of the powdered material
derived from the ground burnt flint, or the pulverization of the sand blocks, so as to
partly or wholly fill up the interstices, and thus assist the adhesion of the particles of
sand together. For our purpose it is desirable to make the adhesion of the sand just
sufficient to bear the strain of handling and the strain caused by piling the blocks
upon each other in the kiln. Anything more than that necessitates a loss of power
in reducing the blocks afterwards to a granular or powdered condition for the purpose
already indicated.
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
433, Strand, London, Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to the Preparation of Siliceous Materials
used in the Manufacture of Artificial Stone.
We, ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL PONTON, of Viewfield, Parkstone, in the County of
Dorset, Architect, BENJAMIN LEWIN MOSELY, of 36, Robertson Street, Hastings, in
the County of Sussex, Surgeon Dentist, and CROMPTON CHAMBERS, of Town Hall
Chambers, Hastings, in the County of Sussex, Solicitor, 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:-
In the manufacture of artificial stone, as described in our specification No. 5808,
bearing date the 18th of April, 1888, we refer to silica or siliceous material in a
certain state or condition by the name of "Tridymite," and we therein allude to
Tridymite in two forms. One in the form of a loose friable mass; such as burnt sand:
the other in the form of a compacted mass as exemplified in the finished artificial
stone, described and claimed in the specification referred to. Furthermore, we have
also referred to tridymite and its distinguishing qualities or properties in our specifica-
tion No. 15,256 bearing date 23rd October 1888, entitled "Process for the crystalliza-
tion of silica in a compacted mass."
Our present invention relates to the preparation of materials of a siliceous nature
whereby they are converted into the stable or normal condition of silica under heat,
(which we call the tridymite state), but in the form of a loose, friable mass, or else
in such a form that it may be readily reduced to a loose, friable, or powdered
condition.
We take any suitable sand and place it in any suitable enclosure, and subject it to
prolonged red or white heat until the specific gravity thereof is reduced to 2-3, or
thereabouts. For the purpose of handling the sand more conveniently, and for the
better exposure thereof to heat, we moisten the sand with a liquid siliceous cement,
mould and compress the same into blocks of a suitable size for handling. We then
build them up in stacks, and expose them to the prolonged red or white heat of a kiln,
until the specific gravity is reduced to 23 or thereabouts. These blocks are subse-
quently broken up or pulverized for use in the manufacture of artificial stone.
We likewise expose flints to the prolonged red or white heat of a kiln, until the
specific gravity thereof becomes 2.2 or 2.3, or thereabouts, in the manner indicated
for sand. The flints are afterwards pulverized and used in the manufacture of artificial
stone. When the sand, and the flints, have thus been treated, they have attained a
state or condition to which we apply the term tridymite. If the sand or other
material is coarse, and not easily made to cohere without using a strong, or large
amount of, cementitious material-as aforesaid-we may add some powdered or
granular material derived from the pulverized flints and fine sands, so as to partly fill
up the interstices, and thus assist the adhesion of the coarser sand particles.
For our purpose it is desirable to make the adhesion of the sand just sufficient to
bear the strains of handling and supporting blocks to be piled on each other to the
requisite height in the kiln. Anything more than that necessitates a loss of power in
subsequently reducing the blocks to the granular or powdered condition required in
the manufacture of artificial stone. A weak solution of an alkaline silicate, such as
silicate of soda, is used as the liquid siliceous cement above named; and only just
sufficient is employed to moisten the materials, and to enable the same to be com-
pressed in suitable moulds in the form of blocks or bricks.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said Inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
we claim is :-
1. The herein described method of preparing siliceous materials, such as sand, used
in the manufacture of artificial stone, which consists in slightly moistening the
materials with a weak liquid siliceous cement, moulding and compressing the same

page_text: into blocks, stacking and exposing the blocks in a kiln to red or white heat until the
specific gravity becomes 2-3 or thereabouts, and subsequently reducing the said blocks
to a powdered or granular condition substantially as described.
2. The berein described method of preparing siliceous material used in the manu-
facture of artificial stone which consists in combining coarse and fine siliceous materials,
moistening the same with a weak liquid siliceous cement, moulding and compressing
the same into blocks, stacking and exposing the blocks in a kiln to red or white heat
until the specific gravity becomes 23 or thereabouts, and subsequently reducing the
said blocks to a powdered or granular condition; substantially as described.
Dated this 14th day of November 1889
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
433, Strand, London, Agents for the Applicants.