Improvements in or Applicable to Apparatus for Blending or Equivalently Treating Potters' Clay and other Substances.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Dec., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 9th Sept., 1889-Accepted, 19th Oct., 1889.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or Applicable to Apparatus for Blending or
Equivalently Treating Potters' Clay and other Substances.
1, WILLIAM BOULTON, of Providence Foundry, Burslem, Staffordshire, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, to be as follows :—
This Invention relates to certain improvements in or applicable to apparatus, for
blending or equivalently treating potters' clay and other substances, in which rotating
helically disposed knives or blades are used for the purpose of raising and dividing
the lump clay or other material under treatment in a surrounding pan and intimately
mixing it with water or other liquid contained within the pan.
In accordance with the present improvements 1 secure in a removable manner a
series of any required number of helically or angularly disposed knives or blades upon
a vertical shaft centrally arranged within a surrounding pan or blending chamber
supporting and steadying such shaft on a bottom bearing of hard vitreous porcelain,
glass, phosphor bronze, hardened steel or other suitable metal or material and in top
bearings secured to a transverse beam of wood or iron secured to the top edge of the
pan or chamber, and from which bearings the shaft is suspended on a number of loose
antifrictional rings or washers. Or the bottom of the shaft may be drilled for the
insertion of a supporting steel pin rising from the bottom of the pan or chamber,
provision being made by an exterior pipe and a hole laterally drilled in the shaft for
keeping the centre pin and shaft sufficiently lubricated.
To the inner surface of the circumference or wall of the pan or chamber I also
apply a series of any required number of stationary knives alternating with the said
series of rotating knives and which facilitate the division of the lump clay or material
under treatment, which, by the rotating knives, is raised within the pan or chamber
until it contacts with a perforated splash plate which is supported by the side wall of.
the pan or chamber may be adapted with a bearing of hard wood or other suitable
material and is arranged transversely of the pan or chamber above the top level of
the knives and by means of which the clay or material is caused to return down
the centre of the pan where there is less agitation of the contents and from the
bottom of which it is again forced to the circumference and propelled upwards,
this operation being continuous and effective in attaining the object of the Invention
in an improved marner.
In such an arrangement of mechanism 1 can with advantage construct the blending
chamber in brickwork below the floor or ground line, the said transverse beam
from which the shaft is suspended resting on the top edge of the chamber, and by such
means I economize space and lessen the expense of erecting the blending apparatus.
Or the herein before described improved arrangement of blending apparatus,, may
be contained within an iron pan or chamber of any required shape and dimensions
arranged above the floor or ground line.
The said stationary knives may be secured to uprights bolted to the inner surface of
the wall of the pan or chamber and such uprights may also be utilized in supporting
the said transverse perforated splash plate.
Dated this 6th day of December 1888.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or Applicable to Apparatus for Blending or
Equivalently Treating Potters' Clay and other Substances.
1, WILLIAM BOULTON, of Providence Foundry, Burslem, Staffordshire, do hereby
declare the nature of the said invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in or applicable to apparatus for
blending or equivalently treating potters' clay and other substances, in which
rotating helically disposed knives or blades are used for the purpose of raising and
dividing the lump clay or other material under treatment in a surrounding pan or
chamber and intimately mixing it with water or other liquid contained within the
pan or chamber.
The improved apparatus is illustrated on the accompanying drawings, in which
Fig. 1. represents a sectional ground plan. Fig. 2. represents a sectional elevation
of an arrangement of the apparatus below the ground level. Fig. 3. represents a
sectional plan view and Fig. 4. represents a sectional elevation of an arrangement
of the apparatus above the ground level.
In accordance with the present improvements, I secure in a removable manner a
series of any required number of helically or angularly disposed knives or blades, 5,
upon a squared or other suitable vertical shaft, 6, centrally arranged within a surrounding
pan or blending chamber, 7, supporting and steadying such shaft on a bottom bearing, 8,
of hard vitreous porcelain, glass, phosphor-bronze, hardened steel or other suitable
metal or material, and in a top bearing, 9, bolted or otherwise suitably secured to a
transverse beam, 10, of wood or iron bolted or otherwise suitably secured to the top
edge of the pan or chamber, and from which latter bearing the shaft is suspended
on a number of loose antifrictional rings or washers, 11. Or the bottom of the
shaft, 6, may be drilled for the insertion of a supporting steel pin, 18, rising from the
bottom of the pan or chamber, provision being made by a small pipe, 19, coming
down the outside of the shaft, and a hole, 20, laterally drilled in the shaft for keeping
the centre pin and shaft sufficiently lubricated; or a through hole may be drilled
laterally and lengthwise of the shaft to lubricate the centre pin, 18.
To the inner surface of the circumference or wall of the pan or chamber I also
apply and secure a series of any required number of stationary knives, 12, alternating
in position with the series of rotating knives, 5, and which facilitate the division of
the lump clay or material under treatment, which, by the operation of the rotating
knives, is raised within the pan or chamber until it contacts with a perforated splash
plate, 13, which is supported by the side wall of the pan or chamber, may be adapted
with a bearing of hardwood or other suitable material for the shaft, 6, and is arranged
transversely of the pan or chamber above the top level of the knives, 5, 12; and by
means of which splash plate the clay or material is caused to return down the centre
of the pan where there is less agitation of the contents, and from the bottom of
which it is again forced to the circumference and propelled upwards, this operation
being continuous and effective in attaining the object of the Invention in an improved
manner.
In such an arrangement of apparatus I can, with advantage, construct the blending
chamber in brickwork, 7, below the floor or ground line as represented in Figs. 1,
and, 2, of the accompanying drawings, the said transverse beam, 10, from which the
shaft, 6, is suspended, as aforesaid, resting on the top edge of the chamber, and by
such means I economize space and lessen the expense of erecting the blending
apparatus.
Or the hereinbefore described improved arrangement of blending apparatus may
be contained within an iron pan or chamber, 7, of any required dimensions arranged
above the floor or ground line, vide Figs. 3 and, 4.
The said stationary knives, 12, may be secured to uprights, 14, bolted to the inner

page_text: surface of the wall of the pan or chamher and such uprights may also be utilized
in supporting the said transverse perforated splash-plate, 13, vide Figs. 2, and, 4, and
may also be utilized in aiding in agitating the clay or other material.
The shaft, 6, may be driven by bevil gearing, 15, from a driving shaft, 16,
supported by cast plates, 17, carrying bearings 18, and bolted to the outside of the
pan, or in any other suitable manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is.
1. The hereinbefore described improved arrangement of apparatus for blending or
equivalently treating potters' clay, and other materials.
2. In combination, in apparatus of the nature herein before described, a rotating
central shaft to which helically disposed knives are applied, a circumferential arrange-
ment of alternating and oppositely arranged stationary knives, and a perforated splash-
plate arranged transversely of the blending chamber, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
3. The hereinbefore described improved method and means of suspending the
shaft and rotating blades from a top bearing adapted as herein before described.
4. The hereinbefore described means of steadying and lubricating the shaft.
5. The improved construction of blending apparatus hereinbefore described with
reference to Figs. 1 and 2.
6. The improved construction of blending apparatus herein before described with
reference to Figs. 3 and 4.
11
1
1000
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
321, High Holborn, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.