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Imitation stone siding systemImitation stone siding system description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060026919, Imitation stone siding system. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The invention relates to imitation stone and to imitation stone siding for application to a building or other architectural structure. Further the invention relates to a system for manufacturing the imitation stone and the siding. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] An imitation stone is manufactured from a material composition that is cast or molded. It is important that the imitation stone duplicate or imitate the aesthetic appearance of a wall laid up with natural stone. According to U.S. Pat. No. 5,634,307, a material composition for making imitation stone comprises a mixture of Portland cement and polymeric resins entrained with metallic particles or sand and pigments. [0003] Other material compositions for making imitation stones are disclosed, by way of example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,364,672 and 5,451,620. According to the patents, a matrix of thermoplastic resins and Portland cement are disclosed, to which fillers are added to simulate the aesthetic appearance of natural stone. For example, the patents disclose fillers in the form of aggregates of silica, sand, colored glass fragments and metal particles. The compositions are cast or molded into shapes that resemble quarried natural stone. Prior to the invention, random distributions of fillers and porosity in a matrix were relied upon to resemble natural stone. [0004] Natural stones have color variations and a surface texture, which are aesthetic features that are difficult to replicate by imitation stone compositions. The features are not closely resembled by random distributions of fillers and porosity in the imitation stone compositions. Wnat is needed is a process of controlling color variations and surface texture of manufactured imitation stones to replicate, more than merely resemble, the features of natural stones. [0005] U.S. Pat. No. 6,113,995 discloses a process to create particular patterns of pigments in cast cementitious materials. Formulas are set for different imitation stone mixes. Specified amounts of different stone mixes are loaded into a three dimensional array within a holding container. Then the mixes are released from the container into molds where imitation stone patterns form according to the different mixes. [0006] The imitation stone made by previous methods, did not replicate the features of actual natural stones. Accordingly, the imitation stone had many differences in appearance compared to the appearance of actual natural stones. Further, natural stones differ from one another, especially when mined from different quarries. Since the methods for making imitation stone prior to the invention did not replicate natural stone features, the differences among the natural stones could not be accurately replicated. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0007] The invention relates to an imitation stone siding, and a method for making the imitation stone siding without a need to arrange fabrication materials in random distributions or in controlled mixes. [0008] According to the invention, a method is disclosed for manufacturing an imitation stone siding that replicates the features of actual natural stone, especially replicating different colors and replicating the surface texture or topography. [0009] According to an embodiment of the invention, imitation stone is made by shaping a mold cavity with a surface that follows a topography of one or more natural stones. Pigments are applied at different locations on the mold cavity to replicate different colors of each natural stone and a distribution of the different colors at different locations on the topography. An imitation stone material is formed in the mold cavity to replicate the topography of each natural stone on the imitation stone material, and to transfer the pigments to the imitation stone material. [0010] According to another embodiment of the invention, mapping data are obtained to correspond with different colors at different locations on the surface of each of the one or more natural stones. Accordingly, the mapping data replicates authentic height variations and authentic color variations of the surface of each of the one or more natural stones. [0011] According to a further embodiment of the invention, a mold die is made by a machine controlled micro machining operation or selective etching operation using the mapping data as machine control data. Thus the mold die is made with a surface that follows the topography of each of the one or more natural stones. [0012] Another embodiment according to the invention includes, a process step of making a pattern directly from the topography one or more natural stones. The pattern is made on a mold die. Thus the mold die is made with surface texture features of each of the one or more natural stones. [0013] Another embodiment of a method according to the invention includes a process step of making one or more imitation stones in a mold, according to the following process steps. A mold is made with a mold topography that follows the topography of one or more natural stones. Pigments of different colors are applied to the mold topography, replicating the colors of each of the one or more natural stones at different heights of the stone's topography. Then imitation stone material is formed in the mold to transfer the imitated stone's topography to the imitation stone material. Further the pigments are transferred to the surface of the imitation stone material. Thereby, the method according to the invention produces one or more imitation stones that replicate the topography and surface texture of one or more natural stones. Further, each imitation stone replicates the color variations at different heights of the natural stone's topography, i.e., different colors at different heights. [0014] A further embodiment of a method according to the invention includes a process step of making imitation stone in a mold, by transferring a replicating topography of the mold to imitation stone material that is formed in the mold, and transferring pigments on the mold to the imitation stone material to replicate the colors at different heights on the topography of each of one or more natural stones. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0015] FIG. 1 is an elevation view of a section of imitation stone siding. [0016] FIG. 2A is an isometric view of a mold die having a mold cavity for cast or molded imitation stone one of the imitation stones of an imitation stone siding. [0017] FIG. 2B is a cross section view of a mold die being formed against the profile of a quarried natural stone. [0018] FIG. 2C is a schematic view of a die for making a cast or molded imitation stone. [0019] FIG. 2D is a fragmentary cut away view of an imitation stone. [0020] FIG. 3A is a schematic view of an enlarged portion of the mold cavity of FIG. 2A, and disclosing different heights in the surface topography of the mold cavity, and further disclosing pigment being dispensed and applied to the surface topography. Continue reading about Imitation stone siding system... Full patent description for Imitation stone siding system Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Imitation stone siding system patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Imitation stone siding system or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Tile for covering roofs Next Patent Application: Straight face vinyl siding Industry Class: Static structures (e.g., buildings) ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Imitation stone siding system patent info. 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