Improvements in the Manufacture of Bottles, Jars, and other Articles of Pottery.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Aug., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 10th May, 1894-Accepted, 21st July, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Bottles, Jars, and other
Articles of Pottery.
I, JAMES CROMPTON LEECH of 37 Lansdowne Gardens, Lambeth, London, in
the County of Surrey Ceramic Chemist do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
"
Hitherto articles of pottery of the nature of bottles jars or other hollow vessels
made from clay having but a single mouth or orifice have been made by the
operation of "throwing or moulding by the hands wet or plastic clay attached
to a revolving table or by moulding the clay in a revolving mould by the hands
or by the application of a shaped tool such vessels have usually been of cylindrical
form. Vessels of other shapes such as square oblong hexagonal or octagonal have
been made by lining moulds with sheets of clay. Tiles bricks and other solid
articles have been made by consolidating dry or slightly damp powdered clay in
a mould or die by pressure.
In producing bottles jars or other vessels according to my invention I consolidate
dry or slightly damped powdered clay or wet or plastic clay by pressure in a mould
or die around a core which core may subsequently be removed through the orifice
left as the mouth of the vessel.
The mould may be of any form which it is desired to impart to the vessel and
may consist essentially of a box or frame at the bottom of which is placed a die or
mould hereafter referred to as the lower die and representing in reverse one half
or other convenient portion of the article to be produced. A plunger or upper die
representing in reverse the other half or other portion of the article to be produced
is attached to the arm of a screw, lever, steam or hydraulic press and enters the
upper portion of the box or frame. A portion of the dry or slightly damp
powdered or other clay required to make the vessel is placed in the box or frame
and on the lower die. The core is then laid on the clay so introduced and the
remaining portion of the clay is placed upon above and around the core in the box
or frame. The plunger or upper die is then inserted in the box or frame and
pressure being applied the clay is consolidated around the core and attains the
form of the vessel with such solidity as to admit of being removed from the dies in
one piece for the removal of the core.
The core may consist of pieces of wood or metal which placed together may
form one core of the size and shape which it is desired that the internal portion or
hollow cavity of the hollow vessel shall present. The core being made in pieces
each of such size and shape as to be separately removable from the interior of the
vessel through its neck or mouth it follows that a centre piece being removed a
space is created through which the remaining pieces can separately be withdrawn.
Or, the core may consist of a bag of canvas, or other textile fabric leather
india-rubber or waterproof fabric filled with sand, lead shot or other moveable
matter or air or water.
The bag forming the core is during the operation of pressing closed by a metal
or other mouthpiece which when the vessel is liberated from the dies, may be
removed and the contents of the bag allowed to escape. The bag in its collapsed
form can then be withdrawn from the mouth of the vessel.
The metal or other mouthpiece of the bag in addition to serving the purpose of
closing the bag also forms the interior surface of the neck or mouth of the vessel
and such mouthpiece may bear upon its outer surface the threads of a screw and
being withdrawn screwwise from the mouth of the vessel may impart to and leave

page_text: upon the interior of the mouth or neck of the vessel similar screw threads for the
after insertion of a screw stopper.
Or it may be provided with a projecting piece or pieces which by their impress
may leave in the neck or mouth of the vessel a groove, grooves, or slots which may
serve to receive a special form of stopper. Such grooves may terminate at their
lower end at an inclined plaue, formed by the core or by a continuation of the
mouthpiece itself, at the base of the neck of the vessel in order that such special
stopper if provided with projecting lugs or nibs dropped into the bottle through
the grooves before mentioned the stopper being rotated may cause the lugs to
travel upon such inclined planes and so clutching the vessel and depressing the
stopper may bind it to the vessel.
Or, such arrangements of screw threads grooves and inclined planes may be
formed on the outer surface of the neck of the vessel by the impress of the lower
and upper dies.
Dated this 8th day of Avenst 1002
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
Improvements in the Manufacture of Bottles, Jars, and other
Articles of Pottery.
I, JAMES CROMPTON LEECHI of 37 Lansdowne Gardens, Lambeth, London, in
the County of Surrey, Ceramic Chemist do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Hitherto articles of pottery of the nature of bottles, jars, or other hollow vessels
made from clay having but a single mouth or orifice have been made by the
operation of throwing or moulding by the hands, wet, or plastic clay attached to a
revolving table, or by moulding the clay in a revolving mould by the hands or by
the application of a shaped tool. Such vessels have usually been of cylindrical
form. Vessels of other shapes such as square, oblong, hexagonal, or octagonal,
have been made by lining moulds with sheets of clay. Tiles, bricks and other solid
articles have been made by consolidating dry or slightly damp powdered clay in a
mould or die by pressure.
In producing bottles, jars, or other vessels according to my invention, I con-
solidate dry or slightly damped, or wet, or plastic clay in a mould or die around a
core, which core may subsequently be removed through the orifice left as the
mouth of the vessel.
The mould may be of any form which it is desired to impart to the vessel, and
may consist essentially of a box or frame (A), at the bottom of which is placed a
die or mould hereafter referred to as the lower die (B), and representing in reverse
one half or other convenient portion of the article to be produced. A plunger or
upper die (C) representing in reverse, the other half, or other portion of the
article to be produced is attached to the arm (D) of a screw, lever, steam, or
hydraulic press, and enters the upper portion of the box or frame (A). A portion
of the dry or slightly damp powdered, or other clay required to make the vessel is
placed in the box or frame, and on the lower die. The core (E) is then laid on
the clay so introduced and the remaining portion of the clay is placed upon, above,
and around the core (E) in the box or frame (A). The plunger, or upper die (C)
is then inserted in the box or frame and pressure being applied, the clay is con-
solidated around the core (E), and attains the form of the vessel with such solidity
as to admit of being removed from the die in one piece for the removal. of the
core (E). The core (E) may consist of pieces of wood or metal (E1 and E2), which
placed together may form one core of the size and shape which it is desired that
the internal portion or hollow cavity of the vessel shall present. The core (E)

page_text: being made in pieces, each of such size and shape as to be separately removable
from the interior of the vessel through its neck or mouth, it follows, that a centre
piece (E) being removed, a space is created through which the remaining
pieces E' can separately be withdrawn. Or the core may consist of a bag (E³) of
canvas or other textile fabric, leather india-rubber, or waterproof fabric, filled with
sand, lead shot, or other movable matter, or air, or water.
The bag forming the core, is, during the operation of pressing, closed by a
metal or other mouthpiece (E); which when the vessel is liberated from the dies,
may be removed, and the contents of the bag allowed to escape. The bag in its
collapsed form can then be withdrawn from the mouth of the vessel.
The metal or other mouthpiece of the bag, in addition to serving the purpose
of closing the bag, also forms the interior surface of the neck or mouth of the
vessel, and such mouthpiece may bear upon its outer surface, the threads of a
screw (E), and being withdrawn screw-wise from the mouth of the vessel, may
impart to, and leave upon the interior of the mouth or neck of the vessel similar
screw threads for the after insertion of a screw stopper. Or it may be provided
with a projecting piece or pieces E* which by their impress may leave in the
neck or mouth of the vessel a groove, grooves, or slots which may serve to
receive a special form of stopper. Such grooves may terminate at their lower end
at an inclined plane formed by the core E7 or by a continuation of the mouth-
piece itself, at the base of the neck of the vessel, in order that such special
stopper if provided with projecting lugs or nibs dropped into the vessel through
the grooves before mentioned the stopper being rotated may cause the lugs to
travel upon such inclined planes, and so clutching the vessel, and depressing the
stopper, may bind it to the vessel.
Or such arrangement of screw-threads, grooves, or inclined planes may be
formed on the outer surface of the neck of the vessel by the impress of the lower
and upper dies.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
(1) An improved apparatus for the manufacture of bottles, jars, and other
articles of pottery by the compression, in a die or mould, or between dies or
moulds, of clay either powdered, slightly damp, or plastic, or other substances in
substitution for clay, around a core, removable or contractable, substantially as
described, and
(2) Articles of pottery so manufactured.