IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFAC- TURE OF ORNAMENTAL ARTICLES IN CHINA AND EARTHENWARE AND OTHER POTTERY to be as follows
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
We, HENRY DOULTON of Lambeth in the County of Surrey, Pottery Manu-
facturer and JOHN SLATER of Burslem in the County of Stafford-Designer, do
hereby declare the nature of our invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFAC-
TURE OF ORNAMENTAL ARTICLES IN CHINA AND EARTHENWARE AND OTHER
POTTERY to be as follows :-
"
This invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of ornamental
articles in china and earthenware and other pottery.
For this purpose we first prepare a slab with the pattern which we require upon
its face. This slab may be of plaster of Paris or other material we then press a
sheet of the clay upon the slab and thereby we imprint the pattern upon the clay.
From the sheet of clay thus ornamented with a pattern either in intaglio or
relief we proceed to mould the article required. This we do by lining a inould
with the ornamented sheet of clay in one or more pieces or by lapping the sheet or
pieces cut from the sheet around a block of suitable form.
The articles are then to be decorated with color and burnt in the usual way.

page_text: We, HENRY DOULTON of Lambeth in the County of Surrey Pottery Manufac-
turer and JOHN SLATER of Burslem in the County of Stafford Designer do hereby
declare the nature of our invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF ORNAMENTAL ARTICLES IN CHINA AND EARTHENWARE AND OTHER POTTERY
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of ornamental
articles in china and earthenware and other pottery.
For this purpose we first prepare a slab with the pattern which we require
upon its face-This slab may be of plaster of Paris or other material-we then
press a sheet of the clay upon the slab and thereby we imprint the pattern upon
the clay.
From the sheet of clay thus ornamented with a pattern either in intaglio or
relief we proceed to mould the article required-This we do by lining a mould
with the ornamented sheet of clay in one or more pieces or by lapping the sheet or
pieces cut from the sheet around a block of suitable form.
The articles are then to be decorated with color and burnt in the usual way.
In order that our said invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect we will proceed to describe the manner in which we prefer to
operate.
Usually plaster of Paris will be found the most convenient material in which to
make the pattern slab-The pattern slab may be made in any convenient way as
by casting the plaster on a surface on which the pattern already exists-For example
a slab with a lace like pattern upon it may be prepared by laying a piece of lace
upon a smooth flat surface pouring the plaster thereon in a semi fluid state and
when the plaster has hardened stripping the lace from the surface.
We then take suitable clay tempered to a dough like consistency and spread or
bat it out to the proper thickness for the article we desire to produce say a bowl
or a vase-We then place this sheet of clay on the pattern surface and beat it
evenly with a mallett so that the under surface of the clay may adapt itself to the
pattern in all its details-Wo now with the aid of a template previously prepared
cut the piece of clay accurately to form a segment of the bowl or vase such that
eight or other number of such segments placed together will complete the article.
We now take either a mould or a block according to the form of the article we
desire to produce if it be a bowl or other article sufficiently open in the mouth to
admit of convenient manipulation-We make use of a mould and build the article
within it-The mould may be in one piece where the form is such that a mould in
a single piece will be capable of delivering the moulded article or it may be in two
or more pieces jointed together The moulds may conveniently be of Plaster of
Paris smooth on the inside The clay segments previously prepared are now
arranged within the mould their edges where they abut together having been
previously roughened and slightly moistened so that the segments when pressed
together within the mould will adhere firmly and so as ultimately to form a
single piece. The segments when all in place are pressed carefully but firmly
into the mould so that they may accurately take its form and also so that they
may be combined together to form one mass-The article is allowed to remain in
the mould until it becomes sufficiently set to be handled and it is then taken out
and dried-The further operations for completing and decorating the work are
performed in the usual way-Where the form of the article is such that a mould
1

page_text: cannot be employed in the manner described we use a block in place thereof-this
block may be of wood and usually it will require to be in several parts to admit of
its being removed from the interior of the vase or article when this has been
built up upon
it.
The segments are prepared as already described and arranged around the block;
they are pressed together in the same way as when a mould is employed except
that as the pressure is now applied to the face of the article more care is
requisite.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is,
The manufacture of ornamental articles in china earthenware and other pottery
by the preparation of a sheet of clay on a pattern slab next cutting segments
therefrom of suitable form then arranging and connecting such segments in a
mould or upon a block as above described.