Abstract:
In embodiments of the present invention improved capabilities are described for reproducing the size of a first ceramic ware in the making of a second ceramic ware. In embodiments, the first ceramic ware may be received on a pottery wheel. A hinged pointer may then be presented to a position on the first ceramic ware, where the hinged pointer may include a pointer connected to a supporting structure by way of a hinge. The first ceramic ware may then be removed from the pottery wheel, and material for the making of the second ceramic ware may be placed on the pottery wheel. The process of making the second ceramic ware may then progress, where the making includes sizing the second ceramic ware to the position of the hinged pointer.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of provisional application 61/005,235 filed Dec. 3, 2007, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    1. Field 
         [0003]    The present invention is related to the making of pottery, and more specifically to the consistent reproduction of pots, or ceramic wares, that are thrown and trimmed on a potter&#39;s wheel. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    Pottery is a ceramic ware, and encompasses a wide range of ceramics, including earthenware, stoneware, porcelain, and the like, which may be more generically referred to as clay in its material form. Pottery is shaped while the clay is in its plastic form, and is often made on a potter&#39;s wheel that allows for the shaping and trimming of ceramic wares, which may be more generally referred to as a pot in its final form. Many tools have been developed to aid the potter in the shaping of a pot on the wheel, including paddles, ribs, knives, wires, and the like, which allow the potter to form unique pots more easily. However, once a pot has been produced it may be a challenge to reproduce it in size and shape, especially when the potter is trying to produce some large number of pots for a set, such as a set of bowls, plates, vases, or the like. There exists a need for a device, to be used in conjunction with a potter&#39;s wheel, which allows the potter to more easily reproduce the size and shape of a pot in order to produce a matching set of wares. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    In embodiments of the present invention improved capabilities are described for reproducing the size of a first pot, or ceramic ware, in the making of a second pot, such as when a potter needs to make a second or series of pots similar in size to the first pot. In embodiments, the first pot may be placed on a pottery wheel. A hinged pointer of the present invention may then be presented to a position on the first pot, where the hinged pointer may include a pointer connected to a supporting structure by way of a hinge. For instance, the hinged pointer may be positioned at the outer rim of the first pot. The first pot may then be removed from the pottery wheel, and material for the making of the second pot may then be placed on the pottery wheel. The process of making the second pot may then progress, where the making includes sizing the second pot to the position of the hinged pointer. 
         [0007]    In embodiments, the hinged pointer may be free to move such that the hinge may be rotated about the hinge to a stored position so that the hinged pointer does not interfere with the making of the second ceramic ware, free to move such that it does not significantly damage the second ceramic ware upon making contact with the second ceramic ware in the making of the second ceramic ware, free to move such that the supporting structure is not substantially moved when the hinged pointer comes in contact with the second ceramic ware in the making of the second ceramic ware, and the like. 
         [0008]    In embodiments, the pointer may be shaped to a point at the position nearest the first and second ceramic ware, a rounded shape at the position nearest the first and second ceramic ware, a flat edge at the position nearest the first and second ceramic ware, and the like. In embodiments, the hinge may be a flexible joint. The hinge may be made of a material providing a yielding action between the pointer and the supporting structure. 
         [0009]    In embodiments, the first and second ceramic ware may be an item of pottery as thrown on the pottery wheel, where the material may be clay, ceramic, earthware, stoneware, porcelain, and the like. 
         [0010]    These and other systems, methods, objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment and the drawings. All documents mentioned herein are hereby incorporated in their entirety by reference. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         [0011]    The invention and the following detailed description of certain embodiments thereof may be understood by reference to the following figure: 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  depicts an embodiment of the invention, shown adjusted to a position at the outer diameter of a pot&#39;s rim. 
       
    
    
       [0013]    While the invention has been described in connection with certain preferred embodiments, other embodiments would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art and are encompassed herein. 
         [0014]    All documents referenced herein are hereby incorporated by reference. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0015]    The present invention may be used to help consistently reproduce a ceramic ware  102 , commonly referred to as a pot  102 , which has been previously made on a potter&#39;s wheel  104 , such as a bowl, a dish, a platter, a plate, a vase, a jar, a mug, and the like. That is, once the potter has produced a pot  102 , they, or others, may want to reproduce it with the same size and shape. The present invention may make it easier and more reliable to make subsequent pots  102  of identical size and shape than by using hand tools such as rulers, calipers, and the like. In using hand tools to measure the pot&#39;s  102  dimensions and proportions, the potter may take considerable time measuring each subsequent pot  102 , and in the end, still not achieve the desired size consistency. This may be somewhat acceptable when reproducing a single pot  102 , but for the potter attempting to reproduce a larger number of identical pots  102 , the time involved, and the inherent inconsistency of repeated hand measurements, may be prohibitive. The present invention may be used, in conjunction with a potter&#39;s wheel  104 , to aid the potter in reproducing the dimensions of the original pot  102  during the making of subsequent pots  102 . 
         [0016]    A pot  102  made, or shaped, on a potter&#39;s wheel  104  may be said to have been ‘thrown’ on the wheel  104 . There may be many techniques for throwing a pot  102  on the potter&#39;s wheel  104 , and may involve a number of steps, such as throwing a round moist ball of clay down onto the wheel  104 , centering the clay on the wheel  104  by applying pressure with the hands, finding the center of the clay with the hands and pushing in until close to the bottom, widening the inside of the clay body by pulling out, pulling up the sides of the clay body with hands placed inside and out, shaping the sides by pulling in or pulling out, rounding the lip using a sponge or a piece of leather, cutting the pot from the wheel with a wire underneath the base of the pot  102 , and the like. After the pot  102  is semi-dry, often referred to as being ‘leather hard’, the pot  102  may be placed back onto the wheel  104 , secured with some fresh clay, and trimmed with a cutting tool. The present invention may help the potter reproduce the shape of the original pot during the various steps in the throwing and trimming process. 
         [0017]      FIG. 1  shows an embodiment of the present invention, as it may be used to help consistently measure to the outer diameter and height of a pot&#39;s  102  rim. By having such a device as the present invention, a series of pots  102 , in this case a bowl  102 , may be quickly and reliably reproduced with the same dimensions. The present invention, as shown, may provide a measurement guide for the potter to use when shaping the bowl  102 . For instance, the potter may use the present invention to mark the position of the rim of the original pot  102 . The potter may then take the original pot  102  off the wheel  104 , leaving the present invention as a marker in guiding the sizing and shaping of the next pot  102 . Now, in making the next piece, the potter may be able to shape the pot  102  using the present invention as a marker. For example, the potter may be in the process of pulling out the sides of the new bowl  102  while the wheel  104  is spinning, where the present invention marks the position where the bowl&#39;s  102  rim must be in order to have these same dimensions as the original. When the new bowl  102  is complete, a third bowl  102  may be begun, and the cycle repeats. In the end, the potter may have a complete set of bowls  102  with a consistent size and shape, in this case, a rim that is the same height and the same outer diameter as the original pot. 
         [0018]    Referring again to  FIG. 1 , the present invention may be made up of a plurality of components, such as a base  104 , a post  106 , an arm  108 , an adjustable connection device  110 , a pointer  112 , a hinge  114 , and the like. In an embodiment, the post  106  may be rigidly connected to the base  104 , and have a slot  116 A cut through it. The arm  108 , which may also have a slot  116 B cut through it, may be connected to the post  106  with an adjustable connection device  110 , such as a wing-nut. Thus, the position of the arm  108  may be freely adjusted up and down along the post, and left and right along the connection point  110 , as viewed in  FIG. 1 . The arm  108  may also be angled, pivoting about the adjustable connection point  110 . The potter may make these translational and rotational adjustments until the tip of the pointer  112  is at the desired position, which may be typically set while the original pot is on the wheel  104 . The pointer  112  may in turn be attached to the arm  108  with a hinge  114 . The present invention, as described in this embodiment, may now be freely adjusted until the tip of the pointer is at a position on the original pot  102  that the potter wants to reproduce on subsequent pots  102 . The potter may now tighten the arm  108  and post  106  into rigid contact by tightening down on the adjustable connection device  110 . Once the present invention is set into the desired position, the potter may remove the original pot  102  and begin the process of throwing the first reproduction. 
         [0019]    In embodiments, the hinge  114  may be an essential component in the system, which may help prevent the process of throwing the new pot  102  from effecting the set position of the pointer  112 . That is, as the potter pulls the new pot&#39;s  102  clay out and up while throwing, the clay may come in contact with the tip of the pointer  112 . If the pointer  112  was rigidly attached to the arm  108 , this contact may permanently move the entire assembly, thus providing no further position guidance, that is, to this or any subsequent pot&#39;s  102  production. However, by having the pointer  112  attached to the arm  108  by a hinge  114 , the pointer  112  may only be temporarily moved out of the way, and may be easily be swung back into position, as the potter needs. In addition, the pointer  112 , if rigidly attached to the arm  108 , may gouge the clay body as contact is made. A gouge in the clay body, especially one on a critical part of the pot  102 , such as the rim of a bowl, may now require reworking, and potentially affect the quality of the end product. By having the pointer  112  connected to the arm  108  by way of a hinge  114 , any contact with the clay body may throw the pointer  112  back out of the way, without making any significant mark to the clay body. The action of the pointer being thrown aside may be clear when considering the pot  102  is spinning around at some speed on the wheel  104 . Thus, not only does the present invention provide accurate and reproducible results when applied to the reproduction of pottery, but may significantly reduce the potential for gouging of the clay body when contact is made. In embodiments, the hinge  114  may be any device, configuration, or connection that provides a flexible joint, yielding action, and the like, to contact made with it. And although the present invention is described herein as being embodied utilizing a ‘hinged’ pointer, one skilled in the art will recognize that other configurations of a yielding portion will also serve the intent of the present invention. 
         [0020]    In embodiments, the present invention may also include additional hinged  114  pointers  112 , such as by providing additional arm  108  assemblies, arm  108  assemblies with multiple hinged  114  pointers  112 , multiple posts  106  with additional arm  108  assemblies, and the like. In embodiments, the hinged  114  pointer  112  may be attached to any of a plurality of support structures, such as a flexible bar that comes directly from the base  104  to the hinged  114  pointer  112 , a flexible bar that is connected to a rigid post  106 , and the like. In embodiments, the hinged  114  pointer  112  may be supported structurally by some component associated with the pottery wheel  104  assembly, that is, where the base  104  is an integral part of the pottery wheel  104  assembly. In embodiments, the pointer  112  may be any one of a plurality of shapes, such as pointed, rounded, square, and the like. In embodiments, the pointer  112 , or hinged  114  pointer  112  assembly, may be replaceable or interchangeable, such as for changing shapes, replacement due to damage, and the like. 
         [0021]    In addition, wherein the present invention has been described in association with the process of throwing a pot, it should be understood that the present invention may also be used during the trimming process, for example, to reproduce the outer diameter of the foot of a pot during trimming. 
         [0022]    While the invention has been described in connection with certain preferred embodiments, other embodiments would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art and are encompassed herein.