Improvements in and Apparatus for the Manufacture of Ornamental Flooring Tiles and other Tiles.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Aug., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 16th May, 1891-Accepted, 20th June, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and Apparatus for the Manufacture of Ornamental
Flooring Tiles and other Tiles.
I JOSEPH HAMBLET of Piercy Blue Brick Tile and Pipe Works West
Bromwich in the County of Stafford Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows :-
My invention consists of the methods hercinafter described of manufacturing
ornamental flooring tiles and tiles for walls hearths panels and for other purposes.
My invention also consists of the apparatus hereinafter described to be used in
carrying the methods of manufacture constituting part of my invention into effect.
My invention is specially applicable to the production of ornamental tiles
resembling more or less Italian or other marbles that is tiles provided with the
lineaments streaks or markings common to Italian or other marbles but my
invention is also applicable to the production of a mosaic pattern and other
ornamental designs or patterns in two or more colours upon or in tiles.
In making an ornamental tile according to one of my methods I use clay dust
prepared in any convenient way and of the various colours or tints required and I
operate upon the clay dust in the following manner. The dic or box of the press
being nearly filled with the coloured clay dust or dusts of which the body of the
tile is to be made I take a plate somewhat resembling a thick stencil plate having in
it perforations or cut away parts corresponding generally with the pattern to be
produced in the tile. This pattern plate fits exactly in the box or die of the press.
Having placed the pattern plate upon the dust in the die the perforations in the
said plate are filled with clay dust having the required tint or colour or tints or
colours. I use with the pattern plate described a ram or back plate having the
same thickness as the pattern plate and of such a shape and size that it fits in the
perforations in the pattern plate. The ram having been placed on the top of
the pattern plate in the die or box the plunger of the press is made to descend
thereby forcing the ram through the perforations of the pattern plate. By the
descent of the ram it forces out the tinted clay dust or clay dusts from the per-
forations of the pattern plate into and embeds it or them in the clay dust which was
first introduced into the box or die to form the body of the tile. The plunger of
the press being raised the pattern plate and ram are removed from the die and the
plunger of the press again brought down. The clay dust is thereby consolidated
into a tile the surface of which resembles more or less Italian or other marble; or
has the ornamental pattern of the pattern plate used and the tile is fired into a
vitrified tile in the ordinary way.
By the use of a single pattern plate and ram used as described various ornamental
effects can be produced on the surface of the tile and the depth of the ornamented
layer of the tile may be varied at the will of the operator.
Instead of confining the ornamented part of the tile to one of its surfaces as
described the ornament or pattern may pass through the whole thickness or
substance of the tile.
In making ornamental tiles of this kind the process and appliances used are
modified in the following manner. In place of the pattern plate and ram described
I use a pattern plate so bent or shaped that it has in it a series of cells partitions or
receptacles for receiving the different tinted or coloured clay dusts from which the
pattern and body of the tile are to be made the said pattern plate having the depth
of the die box used. With this deep pattern plate I employ a covering or
protecting plate for facilitating the filling of the cells or receptacles with the
desired coloured clay dusts. The die or box which I prefer to use is capable of a.

page_text: sliding on the bed of the press so that it can be brought under or removed from
under the plunger. The said die or box is made in two parts an internal part the
top of which forms the bottom of the die and a box surrounding the said internal
part and capable of a vertical sliding motion upon it so that the capacity of the dic
proper in which the tile is made can be increased or diminished at pleasure. The
sliding outer box of the die is connected to side rods centred to uprights upon
which the said rods rise and fall as the sliding box is raised and lowered upon the
fixed part. After the sliding box has been adjusted it is supported by a block
between it and the bed of the press.
In making a tile according to this modified method and by the use of the
appliances described the deep pattern plate is placed in the adjusted die and the
cells or receptacles of the said plate partly filled with the various coloured clay
dusts of which the pattern is to be composed some of the cells being covered by a
protecting plate while the other open cells are filled. Having filled the different
parts of the pattern plate with the clay dusts which are to produce the pattern of
the tile the remaining cells or receptacles are filled with the clay dust which is to
form the body of the tile. The top of the die having been cleared of superfluous
clay dust the pattern plate is carefully withdrawn from the die leaving the different
coloured clay dusts properly arranged to form the pattern and body of the tile.
The die thus filled having been brought under the plunger of the press and the
support removed from the outer sliding box of the die the plunger is allowed to
descend upon the said outer sliding box of the die thereby pressing down the said
box and at the same time compressing the dust into a tile which is finished in the
ordinary way.
Dated this 25th day of August 1890.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and Apparatus for the Manufacture of Ornamental
Flooring Tiles and other Tiles.
I JOSEPH HAMBLET of Piercy Blue Brick Tile and Pipe Works, West
Bromwich in the County of Stafford Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature
of my invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following stateinent :--
My invention consists of the methods hereinafter described of manufacturing
ornamental flooring tiles and tiles for walls, hearths, panels and for other purposes.
My invention also consists of the apparatus hereinafter described to be used in
carrying the methods of manufacture constituting part of my invention into
effect.
My invention is specially applicable to the production of ornamental tiles
resembling more or less Italian or other marbles, that is, tiles provided with the
lineaments, streaks or markings common to Italian or other marbles, but my inven-
tion is also applicable to the production of a mosaic pattern and other ornamental
designs or patterns in two or more colours upon or in tiles.
In making an ornamental tile according to one of my methods I use clay dust
prepared in any convenient way and of the various colours or tints required and I
operate upon the clay dust in the following manner. The die or box of the press
being nearly filled with the coloured clay dust or dusts of which the body of the
tile is to be made I take a plate somewhat resembling a thick stencil plate having
in it perforations or cut away parts corresponding generally with the pattern to
be produced in the tile. This pattern plate fits exactly in the box or die of the
press. Having placed the pattern plate upon the dust in the die the perforations
in the said plate are filled with clay dust having the required tint or colour or tints
or colours. I use with the pattern plate described a ram or back plate having. the

page_text: same thickness as the pattern plate and of such a shape and size that it fits in the
perforations in the pattern plate. The ram having been placed on the top of
the pattern plate in the die or box the plunger of the press is made to descend
thereby forcing the ram through the perforations of the pattern plate. By the
descent of the ram it forces out the tinted clay dust or clay dusts from the perfora-
tions of the pattern plate into and embeds it or them in the clay dust which was
first introduced into the box or die to form the body of the tile. The plunger
of the press being raised the pattern plate and ram are removed from the die and
the plunger of the press again brought down. The clay dust is thereby con-
solidated into a tile the surface of which resembles more or less Italian or other
marble; or has the ornamental pattern of the pattern plate used and the tile is
fired into a vitrified tile in the ordinary way.
Instead of confining the ornamental part of the tile to one of its surfaces as
described, the ornament or pattern may pass through the whole thickness or
substance of the tile.
In making ornamental tiles of this kind the process and appliances used are
modified in the following manner. In place of the pattern plate and ram described
I use a pattern plate so bent or shaped that it has in it a series of cells, partitions
or receptacles for receiving the different tinted or coloured clay dusts from which
the pattern and body of the tile are to be made, the said pattern plate having the
depth of the die box used.
With this deep pattern plate I employ a covering or protecting plate for
facilitating the filling of the cells or receptacles with the desired coloured clay
dust. The die or box which I prefer to use is capable of a sliding motion on the
bed of the press so that it can be brought under or removed from under the
plunger. The said die or box is made in two parts, an internal part the top of
which forms the bottom of the die and a box surrounding the said internal part
and capable of a vertical sliding motion upon it so that the capacity of the die
proper in which the tile is made can be increased or diminished at pleasure.
The sliding outer box of the die is connected to side rods centered to uprights
upon which the said rods rise and fall as the sliding box is raised and lowered upon
the lower part. After the sliding box has been adjusted it is supported by a block
between it and the bed of the press.
In making a tile according to this modified method and by the use of the
appliances described the deep pattern plate is placed in the adjusted die and the
cells or receptacles of the said plate partly filled with the various coloured clay
dusts of which the pattern is to be composed, some of the cells being covered by
a protecting plate while the other open cells are filled. Having filled the different
parts of the pattern plate with the clay dusts which are to produce the pattern of
the tile the remaining cells or receptacles are filled with the clay dust which is to
form the body of the tile. The top of the die having been cleared of superfluous
clay dust the pattern plate is carefully withdrawn from the die leaving the different
coloured clay dusts properly arranged to form the pattern and body of the tile.
The die thus filled having been brought under the plunger of the press and the
support removed from the outer sliding box of the die, the plunger is allowed to
descend upon the said outer sliding box of the die thereby pressing down the said
box and at the same time compressing the dust into a tile which is finished in the
ordinary way.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying drawings the
manner in which my invention is to be performed.
In making ornamental tiles by the first described method, that is, tiles in which
the pattern is produced by an ornamented layer of clay dust having a different
colour or colours from that of which the body of the tile is made I proceed in the
following manner and by the use of the apparatus represented in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
and 6.
Figure 1 represents partly in elevation and partly in vertical section the bed of
a press and a portion of the plunger of the same together with the apparatus

page_text: which I use and Figure represents in section the bed and apparatus drawn to a
larger scale; Figure 3 represents the press and apparatus after the pattern plates
and rams have been acted upon by the plunger for producing the ornamented layer
of the tiles.
a is the divided die or box for producing two tiles the said die having a rising
and falling bottom b operated by the lifter c and hand lever d for lifting the tiles
from the die; e e are the pattern plates fitting exactly in the mouths of the divided
parts of the die. One of the pattern plates is represented separately drawn to a
larger scale in Figure 4. The pattern plate somewhat resembles a thick stencil
plate having in it perforations or cut away parts f, f corresponding generally with
the pattern to be produced on the surface of the tile; g, are the rams or back-
plates (one of which is shown separately in elevation and plan of underside drawn
to a larger scale in Figure 5) which I use with the pattern plates e, e.
The ram
or backplate g has the same thickness as the pattern plate e and is of such a shape
and size that its projecting parts h, h fit the perforations f, fin the said pattern
plate. The die or box a of the press having been nearly filled with the coloured
clay dust or dusts of which the body of the tile is to be made, the pattern plates e, e
are placed upon the dust in the die as represented in Figures 1 and 2 and the
perforations in the said plates are filled with clay dust having the required tint
or colour or tints or colours. The rams or backplates are next placed upon
the filled pattern plates as represented in Figures 1 and 2 so that their projections
coincide with the perforations in the said pattern plates. The plunger i of the
press is now made to descend as illustrated in Figure 3, thereby forcing the
projecting parts h, h of the rams g, g through the perforations f, in the pattern
plates e, e as represented in section in Figure 6, which figure represents one of
the rams engaged with one of the pattern plates.
By the descent of the rams g, g they force out the tinted clay dust or dusts from
the perforations of the pattern plates e e into and embed it or them in the clay
dust or dusts which were first introduced into the die or box a, b to form the body
of the tile. The plunger i of the press is now raised and the rams and pattern
plates e, e are removed from the dic. The plunger i is again brought down and the
clay dust in the die a, b consolidated into a tile the surface of which resembles
more or less Italian or other marbles or has the design of the pattern plate as
illustrated in the tile shown in section and plan of upper side in Figure 7, where
the marbled or ornamented parts of the surface of the tile are marked . The
consolidated tile made as described is fired into a vitrified tile in the ordinary way.
By the use of a single pattern plate and ram for conducting the ornamenting
process as described and illustrated, various ornamental effects can be produced on
the surface of the tile and the depth of the ornamented layer may be varied at the
will of the operator by controlling the descent of the plunger of the press.
I will now describe my method of producing ornamental tiles in which the
ornament or pattern passes through the whole thickness or substance of the tiles, in
conjunction with the apparatus which I employ in carrying out this method:
Figure 8 represents partly in elevation and partly in section a press to which deep
or cell like pattern plates are applied for forming the pattern or ornament combined
with the cell protecting plate used: Figure 9 represents the press after the pattern
plates have been removed and the plunger has descended to consolidate the clay
dust; Figures 10, 11 and 12 represent the deep or cell like pattern plate and the
protecting or covering plate detached from the press drawn to a larger scale,
Figure 10 representing the pattern plate partly in elevation and partly in longi-
tudinal section; Figure 11 à cross section of the same and Figure 12 a plan of the
The die box a, b lifter c and hand lever d are the same as corresponding
parts of the press Figures 1, 2 and 3. The deep pattern plates are marked ?, leach
pattern plate consisting of a box like part fitting closely in and having the same
depth as the die the said box like part being carried by the top plate m which
fits on the upper side of the die (see Figure 8). The box part of the pattern plate
has fixed in it a series of cells, partitions or receptacles marked n and p for receiving
same.

page_text: the different coloured clay dusts from which the pattern and body of the tile are.
to be made; q is the covering or protecting plate which I use for facilitating the.
filling of the cells or receptacles in the deep pattern plate. It slides under the
guides s, s and has a stop ŕ for limiting its sliding motion and is of such a shape
that it covers temporarily the cells or receptacles which are to be filled with a
different coloured clay dust from the others; for example it is made to cover the
cells or receptacles nn leaving the other cells or receptacles p, p open for receiving
the clay dust. After the cells n, n have been filled the protecting plate is
removed and another substituted for covering the whole or some of the cells p, p
and so on.
In making tiles according to this method the deep pattern plates 1, 1 are placed
in the die band the cells or receptacles p, p are filled with the various coloured
clay dusts of which the pattern is to be composed, the other cells n, n being covered
by. a protecting plate as before described. The other cells n, n are next filled with
clay dust of the desired colour to form the body of the tile. The top of the die
having been cleared of superfluous clay dust, the pattern plates 1, 1 are carefully
withdrawn from the die a, b leaving the different coloured clay dusts properly
arranged to form the pattern and body of the tile. The plunger is next made to
descend upon the clay dust in the die a, b thereby compressing it into a tile as
represented in Figure 9 where the plunger is represented in the die and the clay
dust compressed; Figure 13 represents in section and plan a tile made as last
described the body of the tile being marked n and the pattern or ornament made
of a different coloured clay or clays passing through the whole substance of the tile
being marked p. By the compression of the clay dust the edges of the parts
forming the pattern are flattened out so as to give to them a ragged or irregular
figure as seen in Figure 13.
By varying the shape of the cells or receptacles of the deep pattern plates, tiles
having various ornamental designs or patterns in one or more colours may be
produced. For example a tile having the pattern represented in Figure 14 may
be made. Or a slightly embossed or raised or irregular surface may be given to
the tile by making the pressing face of the plunger i or the bottom of the die
of a corresponding figure.
A tile of this kind is represented in Figure 15.
a,
b
Tiles made by the method last described may be compressed in a press of the
kind represented in front elevation, partly in section, with the plunger raised in
Figure 16 and side elevation, partly in longitudinal section, with the plunger
depressed, in Figure 17. The die or box in this press is made of two parts namely
of the internal part t the top of which forms the bottom of the die and a box, u
surrounding the said internal part and capable of a vertical sliding motion upon it
so that the capacity of the die proper can be increased or diminished at pleasure.
The compound die or box t u is also capable of a sliding motion on the bed v of the
press so that it can be brought under or removed from under the plunger i. The
outer part u is connected to and capable of sliding on the parallel side rods æ æ by
means of the snugs ²² (see Figure 16) on the said parallel side rods which are
centred at y to the uprights. Upon the centre at y the rods a, can rise and fall
for adjusting the height of the outer box u upon the internal part t. The internal
part t slides on a dovetail on the bed of the press. In order to fill the die with the
different coloured clay dusts in the manner before described the outer part is
moved on the rods a, carrying with it the part t into the position indicated in
dotted lines in Figure 17.. Its raised outer part is then supported by the block v²
while the die is filled with the clay dust.
2.
After the withdrawal of the deep pattern plate the compound die is returned to
the position represented in Figure 17 under the plunger i by the descent of which
the clay dust is compressed to form a tile as represented in Figure 17. By the
workman holding the side bars, at the desired height the capacity of the die
can be adjusted.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
and the manner in which the same is to be performed I declare that I claim as
my invention of "Improvements in and apparatus for the manufacture of ornamental
flooring tiles and other tiles":—
First The method hereinfirst described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings of producing ornamental tiles by forcing into or embedding in the surface
of the clay dust from which the body of the tile is to be made, clay dust or clay
dusts of a tint or colour or tints or colours different from that of the said body clay
dust and consolidating the said clay dusts into a tile, the surface of the tile so
ornamented resembling more or less Italian or other marbles or having the
ornamental pattern of the pattern plate used substantially as described and
illustrated.
Secondly-The apparatus herein before described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2.
3. 4. 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings consisting of perforated pattern plates
and rams or back plates to be used in conducting the method of manufacture
referred to in Claim 1.
:---
Thirdly The second method hereinbefore described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings of producing ornamental tiles in which the ornament or
pattern passes through the whole thickness or substance of the tile by filling the die
in the manner described with different coloured clay dusts properly arranged to
form the ornament or pattern and the body of the tile and consolidating the said
clay dusts into a tile, the tile so ornamented resembling more or less Italian or other
marbles or the ornamental pattern of the pattern plate used substantially as described
and illustrated.
Lastly The apparatus hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figures 8. 9. 10.
11. 12. 16 and 17 of the accompanying drawings consisting of deep pattern plates
provided with cells partitions or receptacles for receiving the different tinted or
coloured clay dusts and the covering or protecting plates of the same. to be used
in conducting the method of manufacture referred to in Claim 3.
Dated the 14th day of May 1891.
JOSEPH HAMBLET.