IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PANNELS OF CERAMIC OR POTTERY WARE
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Antoine Nicolas Lesueur, Manufacturer of Ceramic
Products, in Paris, Empire of France, No. 78, Boulevard des Amandiers,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PANNELS OF
CERAMIC OR POTTERY WARE,"
Sealed the 17th December 1861, and dated the 20th June 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Antoine Nicolas Lesueur
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 20th June 1861.
I, ANTOINE NICOLAS LESUEUR, Manufacturer of Ceramic Products, in Paris,
Empire of France, No. 78, Boulevard des Amandiers, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
PANNELS OF CERAMIC OR POTTERY WARE," to be as follows:-
I propose, in manufacturing pannels of ceramic or pottery ware, after
pressing them flat, to cut grooves or mortices on their under side (in dovetail),
so that the pressure used in setting them may cause a superabundance of
plaster to enter these mortices or grooves (which will be wider at their face
than at their throat), and thereby cause them to be held by the plaster more
firmly than pannels as usually made, which instead of grooves have projections
on their under surface, which take as much material as the pannel itself, and
cost as much labour as the pressing. Further, my improved pannels will

page_text: occupy much less space in the kiln than those with projecting or raised sur-
faces, and will require less heat.
In the accompanying Drawing, No. 1 shews an end view of one of the pieces
or brick, which I place between my pannels when introduced to the kiln;
No. 1, front view of same in its entire length; No. 2, under surface of a
pannel with two grooves, in which three of the bricks, shewn No. 1, are already
keyed; No. 3, three of the pieces No. 1, keyed in the length of two pannels
ready for placing in the oven as shewn, No. 9; No. 4, end of two pannels,
shewing the shape of the two grooves, one pannel being already provided with
three of the bricks shewn, No. 1, and the other ready to receive them; No. 5,
end of two pannels held together by the pieces No. 1, ready for ranging in the
kiln as at No. 10; No. 6, square pieces (generally used by potters), three or
four of which are placed between two layers in the kiln, to leave a regular space
between two beds for the passage of the heat entering at No. 7; No. 8, wooden
wedge, used to keep pannels of the usual kind (with projection) in vertical line,
as at No. 11, but which does not prevent their bending with the heat, whereas
my bricks (of the shape shewn, No. 1) placed as shewn at No. 3, keep my
pannels perfectly straight; No. 9, top view of a layer of my pannels, shewing
the bricks keyed in the grooves, as also the square bricks placed on this layer
for the reception of the next; No. 10, front view of a layer of my pannels,
shewing the grooves or mortices; No. 11, front of a series of pannels with
projections, shewing the wedge supporting them; No. 12, under part of the
ordinary pannel with square projections; No. 13, under part of one of my
pannels with grooves; No. 14, cross section of same with brick (No. 1) keyed
therein. Fourteen of my pannels when placed in the kiln will not occupy
more space than seven of the pannels now made.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Antoine Nicolas Lesueur in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 17th December 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ANTOINE 3
NICOLAS LESUEUR, Manufacturer of Ceramic Products, in Paris, Empire of
France, No. 78, Boulevart des Amandiers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the

page_text: said Antoine Nicolas Lesueur, Her special licence that I, the said Antoine
Nicolas Lesueur, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Antoine Nicolas Lesueur, 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 law-
fully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PANNELS OF CERAMIC
OR POTTERY WARE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Antoine Nicolas Lesueur, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should 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 Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Antoine Nicolas Lesueur, 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, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto
annexed, and forming part of this my Specification, and to the figures and
letters of reference placed thereon:-
The usual delph or pottery ware pannels are set or fixed with difficulty, and
when fixed even in the best manner their solidity is not sufficiently assured; fur-
ther, they exact great care in manufacture, a great quantity of material occupy
considerable space in the kiln, and require a considerable expenditure of heat.
Pannels manufactured in accordance with my Invention are not only set or
fixed with greater facility, more solidly, and on a better principle, but their
manufacture is less costly than that of the pannels as now manufactured. For
setting or fixing in the plaster or cement which is to receive them, the pannels
now in use require beneath them a projecting square, crossed in its length by
pieces or projections called "saggar props." These projecting parts gradually
decrease until they die away. It is only necessary to examine these pannels
somewhat closely to perceive that from the forced insufficiency of their setting
they must easily and necessarily be detached either by the slightest shock or
blow, by the heat drying the plaster, or by being loosened from humidity or
otherwise.
I form my pannels with two grooves or mortices cut in dovetail in the back
of the pannel. These grooves may be made transversely, vertically, or other-
wise, according to requirement. These grooves taken out of the thick-

page_text: ness of the pannel and cut in dovetail mortices constitute the principal
part of my Invention. To fix these pannels it suffices to place them on the
plaster prepared to receive them, and then to press upon them sufficiently to
cause the plaster to enter the grooves; in this manner a complete and secure
setting or fixing is obtained, because a superabundance of the plaster is as it
were imprisoned in this mortice, which is larger at its face than at the
throat.
In the present manufacture of pannels they are stamped in the mould, and
the plate or upper side thus obtained, then projecting pieces are placed in a
frame on the under side of the pannels to aid their setting or fixing. This
work, which is done by hand, occupies as much time and requires as much
material as the formation and stamping of the pannel properly so called. In
the manufacture of my pannels the stamping flat suffices; in fact, this stamp-
ing being effected, nothing remains but to cut out of the thickness of the
pannels two grooves in form of dovetail mortices. But there is not only an
economy of half the time and material, but a very considerable one in the space
which these improved pannels occupy in the kilns, where they may be placed
edgewise, also in the heat required to bake them, in consequence of the dimi-
nished quantity of material used in their formation. This will be understood
by reference to the Figures on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, which
Figures shew the shape of the small brick or "saggar" which I use.
No. 1 indicates the end of a small brick or " saggar" of the usual shape and
dimensions; No. 1*, face of the same in its entire length; No. 2, under side
of a pannel with two grooves, in which are already keyed or clasped three
small bricks or "saggars"; No. 3, three small bricks or saggars keyed in
the length of two pannels, which are thus brought together as they are placed
in the kiln, as may be seen, No. 9; No. 4, the end of two pannels, shewing
the form or shape of the two grooves or mortices, one of these pannels being
already furnished with three small bricks or "saggars," and the other ready to
receive them; No. 5, the end of two pannels brought together by the small-
bricks or "saggars" ready for placing in the kiln, as at No. 10; No. 6,
square bricks, such as are usually used by potters, placed to the number of
three or four, according to the length of the pannel between two rows when
placed in the furnace, so as to leave a regular space between each bed, to give
passage to the heat entering by the openings in the kiln, shewn No. 7; No. 8,
wedge of clay used in placing in the kiln the pannels with projections, and which
upholds the pannel in vertical line, as shewn, No. 11; nevertheless, this wedge
does not prevent the pannels bending by the heat, and thus becoming second or
third rate, whereas my bricks, placed as shewn, No. 3, keep the pannels per-

page_text: fectly straight; No. 9, top of a row of my pannels, that is to say, manufactured
by my processes, coupled and upheld equally by the small brick or "saggar,'
keyed or clasped in the grooves, placed in the kiln about one-eighth of an inch
apart from the pannels and the stem of the small brick or "saggar," which will
give an equal measure for the pannel and for the space through which the heat
must pass, and in like manner for the square bricks placed upon the row to
receive a second row or layer; No. 10, front of a row of pannels of ten inches
wide, manufactured and placed in the kiln according to my Invention, repre-
sented by their extremities, in order that the mortices or grooves may be
shewn; No. 11, front of a row of pannels with projections, shewing the wedge
intended to support and permit the said pannels to lie regularly; No. 12, under
part of a pannel of the ordinary construction, framed with projections; No. 13,
under part of one of my pannels, that is to say, a pannel with grooves;
No. 14, section of the pannel in its width and of the small brick or "saggar
keyed or clasped, as seen at No. 10. Fourteen pannels made and placed in
the kiln, according to my Invention, do not occupy more space than seven
pannels with projections.
IIaving now described the nature of my said Invention, and the means by
which I carry it into practical effect, I desire it to be understood that I do not
confine myself to any precise number, size, or arrangement of grooves in my
improved pannel, and that I claim the exclusive use of the "Improvements in
the Manufacture of Pannels of Ceramic or Pottery Ware," essentially as
herein-before described and illustrated in the annexed Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Antoine Nicolas Lesueur, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
A. N. LESUEUR. (L.S.)

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