Improvements in Apparatus for the Manufacture of Tiles.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for the Manufacture of Tiles.
I, WILLIAM HEWITT, trading as Godwin & Hewitt, of Victoria Tile Works,
Hereford, in the County of Hereford, Tile Manufacturer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for the manufacture of
undercut tiles.
According to my present invention I form the undercuts in the tile by means
of one or more loose pieces adapted to slide in inclined slots in the back plate of
the die as hereinafter described.
In the normal position these sliding pieces project from the face of the back
plate and the dust or clay being pressed thereon in the usual manner the said pro-
jecting pieces will form the undercuts of the tile. When the pressure is relieved
and the bottom plate of the die raised the loose pieces drop in their inclined slots
until their upper faces become level with the face of the back plate.
In practice I find it advantageous to keep the loose pieces in their outermost
position by means of pins or studs working through holes in the back plate and
bearing at their upper ends against the underside of the loose pieces.
In order to ensure the falling of the loose pieces after the tiles have been pressed
springs are employed placed between the upper surfaces of shoulders of the loose
pieces and the back plate.
In practice I have found it convenient to form my back plate in two horizontal
parts.

page_text: the said die block in the usual manner, so that pressure is brought to bear upon
the lower ends of the pins g, g which thereby force the sliding pieces b, b
upwards against the action of the springs f, f so that they project
from the upper face of the die plate as shewn in Figure 4; and the
dust or clay to form the tile h is then pressed upon the back plate a by the top
plate in the usual manner.
When the tile h has been moulded, the discharge
gear raises the bottom plate, this releases the pressure on the springs which then
bring the upper faces of the sliding pieces b, b flush with the upper face of the
die as shewn in Figure 5 so that the tile can be removed therefrom in the usual
manner.
The construction of my improved die shewn in Figures 6 and 7 is identical
in principle with that above described and differs therefrom only in the form of
the sliding pieces b, b. In this arrangement the said sliding pieces, instead of
moving upwards in a straight path, move in a circular path and to this end their
opposite sides are formed concave and convex, respectively, the two curves being
concentric. The slots c, c in the back plate a are also formed with the same
curvature so that when the sliding pieces b, b are pressed upwards by the pins g
in the manner above described, they move upwards in a circular path. The
sliding pieces b, b are in this case provided with shoulders 61, 6 which project
laterally instead of at the ends, and the springs f, f for holding the said sliding
pieces below the upper face of the die plate abut against the said lateral shoulders
and against the ends of recesses f¹, fi in the die block.
Figures 6 and 7 shew two forms of my curved sliding pieces in one of which
the upper face is flat and when projected is parallel with the upper face of the die
block and in the other of which the upper face is convex.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
The combination of parts forming improved apparatus for the manufacture of
tiles, the said parts being constructed and operating as hereinbefore described and
illustrated respectively in Figures 1 to 5 and 6 and 7 of the accompanying
drawings.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.