IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL MARBLE AND STONE, AND IN HEATING MARBLE AND STONE
Year: 1850

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SELIM
RICHARD ST. CLAIR MASSIAH, of Aldermen's Walk, New Broad Street, in the
City of London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent, under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Tenth day of August,
(One thousand eight hundred and fifty), in the Fourteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs, and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Selim Richard St. Clair Massiah, my exors, adiñors, and assigns, Her especial
licence; full power, sole privilege, and authority, that I, the said Selim Richard
St. Clair Massiah, my exors, adññors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Selim Richard St. Clair Massiah, my exors, adññors, or assigns, should at any
time agree with and no others, from time to time and at all times during the
term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, with England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL MARBLE AND
STONE, AND IN HEATING MARBLE AND STONE," in which said Letters Patent is
contained a proviso, that I, the said Selim Richard St. Clair Massiah, shall
cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is. to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, to be enrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in
part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto
bad, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I the said
Selim Richard St. Clair Massiah, do hereby declare that the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully
described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to
say-
First, cut or shape the gypsum or sulphate of lime or alabaster to the
required form, and place it in the drying room at a temperature of from eighty
to one hundred and fifty degrees of Fahrenheit.
Second, when thoroughly dried immerse it in a warm solution of borax and
salenixum in the proportions of about one lb. borax and one quarter oz.
salenixum to the gallon of water; take it out, and again place it in the drying
room.
Third, when dry expose it to a heat of from two hundred and fifty degrees
of Fahrenheit, or upwards, until the watery parts are entirely driven off; take
it out of the oven or stove, and to prevent decripitation let it cool till the hand
can be borne on it for a few seconds, then immerse it for the second time in a
hot saturated solution of borax, to which add from one quarter to one ounce
of concentrated nitric acid to each gallon. Attention must be paid to the
quality of the nitric acid (by obtaining the best and most concentrated) as
much of the hardness and bleaching quality depends on it. Leave it to
simmer or nearly so, until the stone is thoroughly saturated; take it out and
leave it to dry, when it will be found to have acquired a marble-like hardness.
Fourth, a day or two after heat it gently, and apply to it Canada balsam
diluted in the turpentine, &c., or naphtha; it may be kept warm till the spirit
is driven off, or it may be taken away and suffered to be driven off by the air..
Simple colored marble are obtained by proceeding as already mentioned;
but substituting for the solution of borax and nitric acid a solution of borax,
accompanied by a dye and nitric, or other acid, or a nitrate, ex. gr.: for bluc,
a solution of borax, with prepared indigo and nitrate of iron.
Compound colored marbles are obtained by a double process, ex. gr.: the
first process as for blue given above, when it must be suffered to dry, then
expose the stone now dyed blue to the second process of heat, suffer it to cool
as already said to prevent decripitation, and immerse it in a solution of borax,
to which add safflower, or any red dye, with nitric acid, when the blue and red
separate into ranks, forming apparently natural streaks or veins, partaking of
purple tints in some places, and in others preserving the red and blue veins
apart and unblended. This process may be repeated with other dyes so as to
obtain three or more colours.
I do not confine myself to the use of borax and salenixum, as alum or other

page_text: salts may be used, but I claim the employment of nitric acid in the white and
naturally veined marbles, and the mode of obtaining the compound colours,
which may be tripled and quadrupled by multiplying the process. Old inferior
or decripitating marbles I submit to the same process and effectually
strengthen or dye them. I also claim the process when applied to these
purposes.
In witness whereof, I, the said Selim Richard St. Clair Massiah, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-one.
SELIM RICHARD (L.S.)
ST. CLAIR MASSIAH.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Tenth day of February, in the
year of our Lord 1851, the aforesaid Selim Richard St. Clair Massiah came
before our said Lady, the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the
Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and speci-
fied in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped
according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Tenth day of February, in the year of our Lord One thou-
sand eight hundred and fifty-one.