IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING POTTERY AND EARTHENWARE
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Willett, of Burslem, in the County of Stafford.
Potter's Engineer and Machinist, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING POTTERY AND
EARTHENWARE."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Willett at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th March 1881.
THOMAS WILLETT, of Burslem, in the County of Stafford, Potter's Engineer
and Machinist. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR
MANUFACTURING POTTERY AND EARTHENWARE.'
"
The first part of this Invention relates to a novel method of and machinery for
the making of pottery or earthenware articles. Instead of employing a jigger or
other mechanism for revolving the mould and having a tool either held stationary.
by hand or in a jolly for forming the interior or exterior, as heretofore, I arrange
a table capable of turning on a central vertical axis, and round this table I form
suitable recesses to receive the moulds, and by suitable mechanism I cause this
table to have an intermittent revolving motion whereby it remains stationary
whilst the articles are being made, and then has a partial revolution given to it to
bring the next set of moulds under the revolving tools, as hereinafter described.
I mount suitable tools at the lower extremity of vertical shafts or spindles, which
besides having a revolving motion have also an up and down motion imparted to
them by bowls taking into suitable cam grooves revolving on a horizontal shaft,
and thus by causing such tools to revolve and move up and down as aforesaid I
form the inside or outside of the pottery or earthenware article in a more perfect
and considerably quicker manner than has hitherto been practicable, and instead of
revolving such articles as heretofore.
Instead of having a revolving tool it will be obvious that the tool may have
simply an up and down motion as herein before described, and be applied to the
revolving moulds as now used, and thus the forming of the articles will be effected
self-actingly, or the tool may itself be held stationary and the revolving mould be
raised or lowered to effect the forming of the article being made.
nl....מ

page_text: And as a means of imparting the requisite motion to this machinery I prefer to
apply what may be termed a small rotary steam engine to the purpose, but any
other means of driving may be substituted.
This application of a rotary steam engine is equally applicable for driving the
spindles or shafts of potter's wheels, lathes, jiggers, or other machinery, thus
dispensing with long shafts, endless belts, ropes, and other gearing.
In carrying out my Invention I take steam from a steam pipe into a revolving
head provided with suitable outlets arranged at such an angle that the steam in
issuing from them imparts revolving motion to the head, and which tendency to
revolve is still further increased by the issuing steam blowing against suitable
projections formed on or surrounding the inside of the enclosed casing into which
the steam escapes, and from which casing the exhaust steam is led into the drying
stoves, and thus is utilised over again for heating purposes.
By thus connecting one of these revolving heads to each of the spindles or shafts
of the machines above indicated I produce the revolving motion required.
Or instead of the steam being employed, as aforesaid, I sometimes blow the
steam on to vanes formed upon the outside of the revolving heads.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Thomas Willett in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th
September 1881.
THOMAS WILLETT, of Burslem, in the County of Stafford, Potter's Engineer
and Machinist. IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS.FOR
MANUFACTURING POTTERY AND EARTHENWARE."
The first part of this Invention relates to a novel method of and machinery for
the making of pottery or earthenware articles. Instead of employing a jigger or
other mechanism for revolving the mould and having a tool either held stationary
by hand or in a jolley for forming the interior or exterior of the article, as
heretofore, I arrange a table capable of turning on a central vertical axis, and round
this table I form suitable recesses to receive the moulds, and either by hand or by
suitable mechanism I cause this table to have an intermittent revolving motion
whereby it remains stationary whilst the articles are being made, and then has a
partial revolution given to it to bring the next set of moulds under the revolving
tools, as hereinafter described. I mount suitable tools or profiles at the lower
extremity of vertical shafts or spindles, which besides having a revolving motion
have also an up and down motion imparted to them by bowls taking into suitable
cam grooves, or by being held in contact with cams revolving on a horizontal shaft,
and thus by causing such tools to revolve and move up and down as aforesaid I
form the inside or outside of the pottery or earthenware article in a more perfect
and considerably quicker manner than has hitherto been practicable, and instead
of revolving such articles as heretofore. And in order that this my said Invention
may be the more readily understood and carried into practical effect, I have hereunto
annexed a Drawing illustrative of my improved mechanism, and I will now proceed
to describe the same by the assistance of the Figures and letters of reference
marked thereon, the same letters of reference being used to denote similar parts in
the several views. Fig. 1 is a front view of a machine constructed in accordance
with the first part of my Invention. a is a table capable of turning round the
central vertical axis 6 mounted in a frame work, as illustrated. Round this table a
and equidistant from its central axis I form suitable recesses to receive the moulds c
(see half plan of table, Fig. 2); d, d, are the tools or profiles which are mounted at
the lower extremity of the vertical shafts e and e¹, and which shafts have a
revolving motion imparted to them from the vertical driving shaft f by means of
endless straps g and g¹ passing round their respective pullies h and h¹.
Besides this revolving motion these shafts e and e¹ have an up and down motion
simultaneously imparted to them by their upper extremities being held up by the
spiral springs ; in contact with the peripheries or edges of the cams i and ¹ (a
side view of one of which cams is illustrated in Fig. 3), which are mounted as
illustrated at each extremity of a horizontal shaft k which receives revolving motion
from the driving shaft f through the worm m mounted on the driving shaft f, and
worm wheel n mounted on the horizontal shaft h. It will thus be apparent that if
the clay or other plastic material is supplied to the moulds c and the machine set
in motion the revolving tools or profiles d, d, will be brought down simultaneously
by the action of the cams i and i¹, and will by revolving in contact with such
plastic material impart the required shape to the same to form the inside or outside
of the pottery or earthenware article.
In practice it is found that this system of revolving the tool or profile (instead
of revolving the mould as heretofore), gives a more perfect shape to the article
being manufactured, and also produces the same in a considerably quicker manner
than has hitherto been practicable. Without necessarily stopping the machine the

page_text: table a is then either by hand or by suitable mechanism caused to make a partial
revolution until another set of moulds c come beneath the tools d, d, when the same
operation is repeated. In some cases I use the same arrangement of mechanism
with a fixed table, in which case the vertical tool shafts e and e¹ are by preference
raised and lowered alternately by so mounting the cams & and upon the
horizontal shaft k as to give this alternate action. Instead of a revolving tool or
profile it will be obvious that the tool may have simply an up and down motion,
as hereinbefore described, and be applied to the revolving moulds as now used. This
modification of my Invention is illustrated in Figs. 4, 5, and 6 of the accompanying
Drawing, Fig. 4 being a front view, and Fig. 5 a plan, whilst Fig. 6 is a side sectional
view of Fig. 4 along the line a-b. In all the views A is the framework or base of the
machine supporting the table B. Through the top of this table the jigger
spindles C project, and carry at their upper extremities the moulds D in the usual
manner, these jigger spindles receiving revolving motion from the upright driving
shaft E by means of endless straps E' passing round the driving pulley F. Rising
from the top of the framework or base A is a standard or pedestal G, in which is
mounted a horizontal shaft H which receives revolving motion from the upright
driving shaft E, through the worm I mounted on the upright driving shaft E, and
worm wheel J mounted on the horizontal shaft H. This shaft H carries at each
extremity a cam K which is designed to raise and lower its respective tool
spindle L, as hereinafter described. These tool spindles L are situated immediately
over and concentric with the jigger spindles C, and are held up in contact with the
periphery or edge of the cams K by means of the weighted cord N secured at one
end (as illustrated more clearly in Fig. 6, such cord passing first round the small
pulley o mounted at the top of the tool spindles), and then round the larger
stationary pulley O, where a weight P is attached at its other extremity. A
friction bowl S is introduced at the top of the tool spindles to run against the
surface of the cams K. The tools M' for forming or shaping the plastic material
carried by the jiggers C are secured to the bottom of these tool spindles L, and are.
adjustable in position as illustrated. It will thus be apparent that as the shaft H
revolves, the cams K cause the tool spindles L, which are held in contact with
them as aforesaid, to rise and fall, corresponding to the shape of the periphery or
edges of such cams, or to the distance of the periphery or edge of the cam from its
axis whilst passing the tool spindle, and so the tools are first brought down
gradually into contact with the plastic material carried by the mould or jigger
then caused to dwell whilst the article is formed, and afterwards to rise up quicker
when the moulded article is removed, and some fresh plastic material introduced
ready for the same operation to be repeated. By "timeing" the cams to work
alternately, it will be readily seen that one attendant can attend to two or more
jiggers so fitted up with selfacting moulding or shaping mechanism as aforesaid.
As illustrated in the Drawing, the tool spindles L are prevented turning by the
points of the set screws Q passing into a straight groove R formed along such
spindles, but in some cases where it is desired to form or shape articles, for instance,
which are bowed or bellied, I cause the tool to be affixed eccentrically to the tool
spindle, and I cause such spindle to make a partial revolution upon its axes as it
descends by forming a spiral groove or other suitably shaped groove along such
spindle for the aforesaid set screw to work in ; and thus I cause the tool to turn and
so produce the requisite bowed, bellied, or other form required in the article. In
Figs. 7 & 8 I illustrate a front view and plan of my improvements as applied to
working one or more jolleys self-actingly. Fig. 7 is a front sectional view on the
line ab on Fig. 8. In both views 0 & 0¹ are the weighted jolley arms
mounted in the adjustable standards p, & carrying at their front extremities the
tools which are adjustable in position to the greatest nicety. r, r, are the jiggers
which receive revolving motion by the endless straps from the driving shaft s,
and which shaft through the intermediate spur wheels t communicates revolving
motion to the central shaft u. This central shaft u carries at or near its upper
extremity a pair of cams v, one of which cams is designed to operate the jolley

page_text: arms marked O, and the other the jolley arms marked O¹. The requisite up and
down motion is imparted to the jolley arms by the cams v revolving in contact
with the bell crank levers w mounted in brackets x projecting from the standards p,
as illustrated, the longer arm of which lever w projects beneath and supports the
weighted arm of the jolley, causing the same to rise and fall, corresponding to the
part of the cam presented to the shorter arm of such bell crank lever. In order
to steady the jolley arms, I apply an upright stud z rising from the same bracket 1
which supports the adjusting screw 2, and against which stud the side of the jolley
arm rubs or is in frictional contact as it rises and falls, and so is constantly kept
steady. Instead of having the bell crank levers as aforesaid, it will be obvious
that a cam could be arranged in the form of a plate or disc with a rim or edge
forming the cam, and upon which rim or edge the jolley arms could rest directly,
and thus be raised and lowered as such cam revolves, or the jolley arms could be
fitted with friction bowls to revolve on the underside of the cam, or a similar cam
can be used for operating the vertical tool spindles hereinbefore described, or an
arm carrying a friction bowl can be arranged to revolve above the jolley arms, and
so to depress and raise two or more of such arms alternately or successively, or the
tool or profile may itself be held stationary, and the revolving mould be raised or
lowered, to effect the forming of the article being made, but all these I should
consider to be modifications of my Invention. I would here observe that I make
no claim to the jiggers or jolleys hereinbefore described, except when fitted up and
caused to operate in the manner hereinafter described. I would further observe
that in my Provisional Specification I described several forms of rotary steam
engines as applied to the purpose of operating potter's machines, but I have since
learnt that such arrangements are not sufficiently, economical in practice to induce
me to retain them as part of my said Invention, and therefore I disclaim the
same.
my
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of this
said
Invention, together with the best methods with which I am acquainted for carrying
the same into practical effect, I wish it to be distinctly understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise details, relative proportions or dimensions of the
various parts of the mechanism hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accom-
panying Drawing, as the same may be considerably varied without departing from
the Invention, but what I claim is,-
1st. The improved method of manufacturing pottery and earthenware by means
of revolving tools, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated on the
accompanying Drawing.
2nd. The improved combination and arrangement of mechanism for self-actingly
operating the tools in potter's machinery, substantially as and for the purposes
hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
3rd. The use and application of cams in potter's machinery, substantially as and
for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated on the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Willett, have hereunto set my hand
11001