Artificial stone and method of making same

• US 8,454,742 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2010
• Issued: 06/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tom Scanlan
• Original Assignee: Tom Scanlan
• Inventors: Scanlan, Tom
• Primary Examiner(s): Mayes, Melvin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): SWAIN, MELISSA STALDER
• Application Number:
  US12/834,555
• Publication Number:
  US 20120006232A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,058 Days
• Field of Search: 106/400, 106/819, 106/820, 106/38.2, 106/638, 106/672, 106/676, 106/711, 106/712, 106/713, 106/716
• US Class Current: 106/400
• CPC Class Codes: B28D 1/10 with provision for measuring
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/38 characterised by the material or the manufacturing process B29C33/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 39/026 characterised by the shape of the surface
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 39/44 Measuring, controlling or regulating
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/00 Use of inorganic materials as fillers, e.g. pigments, for mortars, concrete or artificial stone; Treatment of inorganic materials specially adapted to enhance their filling properties in mortars, concrete or artificial stone expanding or defibrillating materials C04B20/00
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/24 porous, e.g. foamed glass
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 16/08 porous, e.g. expanded polystyrene beads or microballoons
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2103/10 Accelerators; Activators
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2103/30 Water reducers, plasticisers, air-entrainers, flow improvers
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2103/54 Pigments; Dyes
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2111/1056 Silica-free or very low silica-content materials
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2111/40 Porous or lightweight materials
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2111/542 Artificial natural stone
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 24/2676 Polystyrenes
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 28/02 containing hydraulic cements other than calcium sulfates

Abstract

A lightweight artificial stone system comprises a plurality of artificial stones, each of the artificial stones formed of at least some portion of cement, expanded glass, and styrene, the lightweight artificial stones having a density in the range of between about 30 and 70 pounds per cubic foot, each of the stones having six sides and including a first height dimension and a second width dimension, each of the height and width dimensions having a length unit being substantially a multiple of two, each of the stones having four ninety degrees corners and four of the six sides having a smooth surface to provide tight, cement-free seams between adjacent stones, the tight, cement-free seams inhibiting viewing of structure behind said plurality of artificial stones, each of the stones being of such a light weight so as to be held in position in the system by a lath-less and cement-free adhesive.

Claims

1. An artificial stone, comprising:

a lightweight molded stone having an appearance of a natural rock on at least one surface;

said lightweight molded stone being capable of being positioned on a low strength surface;

said molded stone having a substantially sand-free consistent mixture of;

cement being between about 60-90% by weight;

expanded glass being about 20-39% by weight;

said expanded glass being a plurality of beads generally spherical in shape, said beads having diameter size ranges of;

about 10-30% being about 0.25-0.5 mm in diameter;

about 10-30% being about 0.5-1 mm in diameter, about 14-34% being about 1-2 mm in diameter, and about 25-45% being about 2-6 mm in diameter.

2. The artificial stone of claim 1 further comprising a plasticizer being less than about 5% by weight.

3. The artificial stone of claim 1 further comprising an accelerator being less than about 5% by weight.

4. The artificial stone of claim 1 further comprising styrene.

5. The artificial stone of claim 1, said styrene being less than about 5% by weight.

6. The artificial stone of claim 1 further comprising pigments.

7. The artificial stone of claim 6, said pigments being less than 1% by weight.