GB2069023A - Artificial granite panel - Google Patents

Abstract

An artificial granite facing, panel or quoin comprising a main web, or two webs disposed at an angle and integrated along abutting edges, the web, or each web, having an integral peripheral flange extending rearwardly from its front surface, and formed from a mix of a filler and resin which on curing has the external appearance of granite. Fibrous reinforcement may be incorporated. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Artificial granite This invention relates to artificial granite products and processes for the production thereof.

The quarrying of granite and the shaping of pieces of granite, for example, for building purposes, is an extremely expensive process and as a consequence in recent years architects and builders have had to look to other materials than granite for building purposes, which is unfortunate because granite provides an excellent building material having very desirable structural and aesthetic characteristics.

According to one aspect of the present invention, an artificial granite facing, or building panel, comprises a main web and an integral peripheral flange extending rearwardly from the edge of the main web, the web and flange being formed of a mix of a filler and a resin which, on curing, together have the external appearance of artificial granite.

According to another aspect of the present invention, an artificial granite facing or panel comprises a mix of a filler and a resin which, on curing, have the external appearance of artificial granite, the mix containing or being backed by a reinforcement.

The reinforcement may, for example, comprise glass fibre strands or tufts integrated in the mix or a layer of glass fibre embedded in the rear of the mix.

The filler may comprise, for example, (by volume), one third sand (e.g. leemore sand) one third white ceramic chips and one third black marble chips, together with a pigment. The volumetric ratio of filler to resin is conveniently of the order of two to one.

According to another aspect of the present invention, an artificial granite quoin comprises two webs of plate-like form lying at an angle to one another but integrated along abutting edges and each web including a layer of cured resin and a granular filler, the webs having integral peripheral flanges extending rearwardly therefrom along their edges.

Products of the above type may be manufactured either by hand processes or by industrial mass-production methods. In the former case, for example, in the production of an artificial quoin, a rubber mould may be used which is of V-form and which has peripheral retaining flanges, the mix of filler and resin being trowelled or squeegeed over the whole surface of the rubber mould in such a way that the mould is not filled, but is so arranged to form peripheral flanges on the end product. Desirably, the strength of the mix is such that the mix is substantially self-supporting and does not tend to slide down the surface of the V-shaped mould. After the trowelling of the mix of resin and filler to the desired thickness, a layer of glass fibre mat may be squeegeed into the rear face of the resin so as to be integrated therewith on curing.

Where it is desired to produce the product by mass-production methods, suitable closed moulds e.g., cold press contact moulds may be provided having injection nozzles suitably spaced thereon for the introduction of an uncured mix of filler and resin, the positioning of the nozzles being such as to ensure complete filling of the mould with an evenly distributed filler.

The invention may be carried into practice in a number of ways, but one specific embodiment will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:~ FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an artificial quoin produced according to the present invention, and FIGURE 2 is a sectional side elevation of a mould in which the quoin of Figure 1 is produced.

The quoin generally indicated at 10 in Figure 1 comprises a pair of plate-like webs 12 and 14 which have the external appearance of rough granite and which are integrated along abutting edges 16 by being produced in a mould of the type shown in Figure 2. The webs 12 and 14 of the quoin have rearwardly extending flanges 18 and 20, respectively, which, when the quoin is embodied in a building, give the appearance of a granite block of substantial thickness. In assembling a quoin of the type shown in Figure 1 into the corner of a building it may be secured to the remainder of the building by a conventional mix of sand and cement or by other keying methods.

It is to be particularly noted that the platelike webs 12 and 14 are relatively thin and by virtue of the flanges 18 and 20, are effectively recessed on their rear sides, as shown in Figure 1. This produces a lightweight product using the minimum of material and as a consequence produces an inexpensive product.

Specifically, the mix used to produce the product of Figure 1 comprises two parts by volume of filler and one part by volume of resin.

The resin may comprise a thixotropic polyester resin and the filler may comprise, for example, one third by volume of leemore sand, one third by volume of white ceramic chips and one third by volume of black marble plus a suitable pigment to give the desired finish to the product, e.g., a pink, white, black or brown pigment or a suitable mixture thereof.

The product is backed before curing with a glass fibre mat.

Figure 2 illustrates a rubber mould 30 of L-shape and having a rigid backing 32. The mould has an internal surface 34 suitably shaped to simulate a roughly hewn granite appearance on the finished product. The mould 30 has around its periphery a flange 36. In use, the mix of resin and filler, indicated generally at 38 and which is of a fairly rigid nature in order not to settle downwards in the mould, is trowelled into the mould and forced all over its surface and in particular against the internal corners provided by the flange 36.

This produces the generally curved edge configuration shown at 40, such that the overall thickness of the quoin produced is less than the full depth of the mould and thus the quoin has in effect a recessed rear surface. After trowelling of the resin and filler mix, a glass fibre mat 44 is squeegeed into the rear surface of the mix to form a reinforcement which, on curing of the resin, is integrated with the remainder of the product and which gives it a rigid character.

In an alternative arrangement, the reinforcement which may again be glass fibre, is introduced in the form of tufts or strands into the mix before trowelling into the mould.

Claims (11)

1. An artificial granite facing or panel comprising a main web and an integral peripheral flange extending rearwardly from the edge of the main web, the web and flange being formed of a mix of a filler and a resin which, on curing, has the external appearance of granite.

2. An artificial granite facing or panel comprising a mix of a filler and a resin which, on curing, has the external appearance of granite, the mix containing or being backed by a reinforcement.

3. An artificial granite quoin comprising two webs of plate-like form lying at an angle to one another but integrated along abutting edges, each web comprising a layer of cured resin and granular filler, and the webs having integral peripheral flanges extending rearwardly therefrom.

4. An artificial granite product as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 3 wherein the filler comprises, by volume, approximately one third sand, one third white ceramic chips and one third black marble chips.

5. An artificial granite product as claimed in Claim 4 wherein the filler also inclu#des a pigment.

6. An artificial granite product as claimed in any.

of Claims 1 to 5 wherein the resin is a polyester resin.

7. An artificial granite product as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 6 wherein the volumetric ratio of filler to resin is approximately two to one.

8. A method of making an artificial granite facing, panel or quoin which comprises applying a mix of a filler and a resin, which mix on curing has the appearance of granite, over the whole moulding surface of an elastomeric mould having an upstanding peripheral flange so that the mould is not filled but the mix is piled against the said flange to form, after curing, a product having a front surface shaped by the mould and an integral rearwardly extending peripheral flange.

9. A method as claimed in Claim 8 wherein a fibrous reinforcement is forced into the exposed surface of the mix in the mould prior to curing.

10. A method as claimed in Claim 8 wherein a fibrous reinforcement is introduced into the mix prior to applying the mix to the mould.

11. A method of making an artificial granite product substantially as described with refers; to the accompanying drawings.