IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GLASS TILES, AND IN THE MEANS EMPLOYED FOR SECURELY FIXING SAME IN POSITION." PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Henry Rees, of 196, Westminster Bridge Road,
in the Parish of Lambeth, and in the County of Surrey, London, for an
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GLASS TILES, AND
IN THE MEANS EMPLOYED FOR SECURELY FIXING SAME IN POSITION."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Henry Rees, at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th October 1881.
THOMAS HENRY REES, of 196, Westminster Bridge Road, in the Parish of
Lambeth, and in the County of Surrey, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF GLASS TILES, AND IN THE MEANS EMPLOYED FOR SECURELY
FIXING SAME IN POSITION."
My Invention relates to an improved method of manufacturing glass tiles
borders, tablets, &c., so that the colour, ornament, or decoration is covered by or
enclosed in the glass, and thus protected from wear or damage on the one side and
from damp or the action of lime on the other, and my Invention also relates to the
means of fixing these tiles securely to walls, floors, or wood work. The tiles,
borders, tablets, &c., which may be of any size, shape, or pattern, I make in the
following way-I take two pieces of plate, sheet, or crown glass of the same shape
and size, and having coloured or decorated each of them on one side, or fastened
upon one side of each pictures or designs printed on paper or natural objects, such
as leaves, flowers, &c., I then take a paste of putty and lead and spread it on the
coloured or decorated side of one of the glasses, and then press the other glass upon
it until the two glasses are fastened together, but the glasses being arranged upon
each other in an encentric manner they project over each other on two sides about
a quarter of an inch. A thin peice of metal is then forced into the paste at the
edge of the tile, border, or tablet, and then withdrawn, so as to leave a slit between
the glasses; the tile is then allowed to set or dry; small peices of thin metal are
then cut to fit the slits, but large enough to project outside; these peices of thin
metal are bent in a step the thickness to fit the glass and punched with nail holes.
All that is required to fix these glass tiles, borders, or tablets, is to insert a peice
of the thin metal, as above described, into the slip on the edge of the tile and nail
it to the wall or surface to be covered; then the projecting edge of the next tile
slips under the projecting edge of the tile fixed, and it is then nailed down on its
other side with the thin metal, as already described, and so the work is proceeded
with. By this method the tiles, borders, or tablets lap over each other, so that
there is no crevice or space between them,

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Thomas Henry Rees in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
25th April 1882.
THOMAS HENRY REES, of 196, Westminster Bridge Road, Lambeth, in the
County of Surrey. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GLASS TILES,
AND IN THE MEANS EMPLOYED FOR SECURELY FIXING SAME IN POSITION."
My Invention relates to an improved method of manufacturing glass tiles, and
in the means employed for securely fixing the same in position. The colour,
ornament, or decoration is by my method completely covered by or enclosed in the
glass, and thus protected from wear or damage on the face or exposed side and
from the effect of damp or lime acting on the back, and my Invention also relates
to an improved means of securely fixing these glass or other tiles securely in any
position with or without cement and with nails or screws. The glass tiles, the
subject of this Specification, may be of any size or shape, so as to resemble the
ordinary encaustic tiles, or blocks of marble, or borders, or glaized bricks, and may
also be made of any thickness, and of sheet, crown, or plate, or other glass
suitable for the purpose required, and I make them in the following way:-I take
two peices of glass of the same size and shape, and either sheet, crown, or plate
glass, and having coloured one of them upon the one side to form the back, and
painted, coloured, or decorated the one side of the other peice of glass, which
is to form the face, in any way by painting, printing, etching, transfering, gilding,
silvering, or by cementing or fastening on to the glass pictures, photographs,
coloured paper, foil, or natural objects, such as leaves, flowers, butterflies, insects,
feathers, &c., with any suitable mucilage. I then make a paste, glue, or mucilage
of lead, oil, gelatine, glue, shellac, gum, or other material best adapted to the
particular subject, and I spread this upon the painted, decorated, or papered side of
one of the peices of glass, and then place the other peice of glass upon it and press
them together; but I place the two peices of glass in an encentric manner, that is,
with their centers not corresponding, so that each glass projects over the other, thus
forming a step or lap of about a quarter of an inch or less, this projection forming
a flang or lap to secure the tiles together. A thin strip or peice of metal, by
preference copper, is forced into or placed in between the two glasses on one side
and allowed to project beyond the edge of the glass about an inch or less, forming
a tag or tongue by which the tile can be nailed to the surface of the wall or floor and
thus securely fixed. These tags or tongues may be permanently attached to the
tiles or left loose to be put into slits made in the edge of the tiles and inserted at
the time of fixing. The tiles being nailed are flanged or locked into each other,
the nails and the tags or tongues being hidden under the step or lap formed in the
edge of the tile. Putty can be placed between the joints.
Having now described the nature of my Invention and the manner in which the
same may be carried out, I observe in conclusion that what I consider novel, and
therefore claim as my Invention, is the method of making glass tiles, so that the
ornament, picture, or decoration is protected by the glass on both sides, and the
method of fixing glass or other tiles by the step or lap combined with the metal
tag or tongue, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Henry Rees, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty fifth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
THOMAS HENRY REES. (L.S.)