IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN PREPARING THE CLAY USED IN THE MANG- FACTURE OF ENCAUSTIC TILES AND OTHER ARTICLES REQUIRING SIMILARLY PREPARED CLAY
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Arthur Maw, of Benthall Works, in the County
of Salop, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN PREPARING THE CLAY USED IN THE MANG-
FACTURE OF ENCAUSTIC TILES AND OTHER ARTICLES REQUIRING SIMILARLY
PREPARED CLAY."
Scaled the 4th February 1873, and dated the 8th August 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Arthur Maw at tho
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
8th August 1872.
I, ARTHUR MAW, of Benthall Works, in the County of Salop, Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN PREPARING THE CLAY USED
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF EXCAUSTIC TILES AND OTHER ARTICLES REQUIRING
SIMILARLY PREPARED CLAY," to be as follows, that is to say :-
-
My Invention refers to improved apparatus for mixing the clay with
water, or what is technically termed "blunging" the clay preparatory to

page_text: the operation of sifting. "This apparatus consists of an oblong tank,
the bottom of which is of the form of an inverted arch; the ends are
formed of iron with stuffing boxes or glands at the centre of the invert;
through these stuffing boxes a strong revolving shaft passes horizontally
from end to end of the tank, and this shaft carries fixed blades or
blungers which revolving nearly in contact with the inside of the invert
keep the clay in a constant state of agitation. The water is introduced
through a tap at one angle of the tank, and the slip or clay mixed with
water, when of the proper thickness, is let off through a perforated plate
by means of a tap at the opposite angle, from whence it passes into a
reciever and thence again into the vibrating sieves which are worked
cither by cranks or eccentrics.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said Arthur Maw in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 8th February 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ARTHUR
MAW, of Benthall Works, in the County of Salop, Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of August, in the year.
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Arthur Maw, Her special license
that I, the said Arthur Maw, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Arthur Maw, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, tho
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN PREPARING THE CLAY USED IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF ENCAUSTIC TILES AND OTHER ARTICLES REQUIRING SIMILARLY
PREPARED CLAY," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Arthur Maw, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and scals, should

page_text: particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Scal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Arthur Maw, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, that is to say:
66
-
My Invention refers to improved apparatus for mixing the clay with
water, or what is technically termed "blunging" the clay preparatory
to the operation of sifting. This apparatus consists of an oblong tank,
the bottom of which is of the form of an inverted arch; the ends are
formed of iron with stuffing boxes or glands at the centre of the invert;
through these stuffing boxes a strong revolving shaft passes horizontally
from end to end of the tank, and this shaft carries fixed blades or
blungers" which revolving nearly in contact with the inside of the
invert keep the clay in a constant state of agitation. The water is
introduced through a tap at one angle of the tank; the clay is put in in
the rough or crude state, the various other materials and coloring
matters being introduced either in the same way or conveyed in a liquid
state through pipes from the levegating pan or mill, and the slip or clay
mixed with water, when of the proper thickness, is let off through a
perforated plate by means of a tap at the opposite angle, from whence it
passes into a receiver and thence again into and through vibrating sieves
which are worked either by cranks or eccentrics.
I will now proceed to describe the object and nature of my said
Invention more fully in detail by aid of the annexed Drawings, reference
being had to the letters and figures marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a plan, and Figure 2 a section on the line A, A, of my
improved apparatus used for mixing the clay with water preparatory to
the operation of sifting.
(a) is the blunging tank of an oblong form, the bottom of which is
shaped similar to an inverted arch, the ends of the tank are formed of
iron with stuffing boxes or glands (b) at the centre of the invert; through
these stuffing boxes or glands (b) a revolving shaft (c) driven by any
convenient power passes horizontally from end to end of the tank, and

page_text: this shaft (c) carries fixed blades or blungers (d) which revolving nearly.
in contact with the inside of the invert keep the clay in the tank (a) in
a constant state of agitation. The water is introduced into the tank (a)
for mixing with the clay through the tap (e) situate at or near one angle
of the tank (a), and the slip or clay mixed with water when of a proper
thickness is let off through a perforated plate and tap (S) situate at the
opposite angle to the water inlet; from the tap (f) the clay passes into
a rough seive (g) which collects the coarser refuse, it then falls into a
receiver or flat tank (h) from whence it is again drawn off through
taps (i) into fine sieves (k) carried by frames or troughs (7) having a
vibrating or to-and-fro motion imparted to them by means of cranks and
eccentrics (m). The slip or refined clay then flows from the frames or
troughs (2) through the channel or pipe (n) into the tank (o); this
completes the mixing process to which my Invention refers, and the
mixed clay previous to being dried on the slip kiln is then allowed to
settle in the tank (o) in the ordinary manner.
·
Having thus described the object and nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be carried into effect, I claim
without confining myself to these precise details, the several improve-
ments in apparatus to be employed in preparing the clay "or body"
used in the manufacture of encaustic tiles and other articles requiring
similarly prepared clay, substantially in manner as herein more fully set
forth and specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Arthur Maw, have hereunto set
my hand and scal, this Sixth day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.