IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE. OF EARTHENWARE
Year: 1849

page_text: DULLER
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
WENTWORTH BULLER, of Sussex Gardens, Hyde Park, in the County of
Middlesex, Esquire, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Third day of May, in the twelfth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Thomas Wentworth Buller, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege
and authority, that I, the said Thomas Wentworth Buller, my exors, adñiors,
and assigns, and such others as I, the said Thomas Wentworth Buller, my
exors, adiñors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein
mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE. OF EARTHENWARE;" in which said Letters
Patent is contained a proviso, obliging me, the said Thomas Wentworth
Buller, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly.
to describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled
in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next

page_text: and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as
in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at
large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Thomas Wentworth Buller, do hereby declare that the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following description thereof,
reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and
figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
"
My Invention of "Improvements in the Manufacture of Earthenware
refers, firstly, to an improved mode of manufacturing earthenware articles,
which are termed by the trade "cockspurs" and "pins," and are employed
saggers,"
for sustaining plates and dishes apart from each other in the "
while they are undergoing the firing operation.
Secondly, my Invention refers to an improved mode of manufacturing
"jelly cans," or other similar small ware.
Thirdly, my Invention refers to an improved mode of manufacturing "toy
ten-cups," and other similar small ware.
And, lastly, my Invention refers to the ornamenting of moulded or pressed
earthenware articles requiring the same, by applying thereto, while in a plastic
or green state, the impress of an engraved pattern or design.
In the accompanying Drawing, the apparatus for carrying out these mý
several improvements in the manufacture of earthenware is clearly shewn.
In manufacturing "cockspurs," the general form of which is a cone
supported at its base by three feet or points, it has heretofore been the
practice to stamp them out singly from a piece of prepared clay by means of
a suitable die, and to complete their points by manipulation, or to form them
singly in a pair of dies, from which they are removed to undergo the firing
operation; but these processes are liable to the following objections:-Firstly,
as the spurs have to be removed from the die or dies in a green state,
a solidity is required to be given them, in order that they shall keep their
shape; this is effected by using a large amount of clay, which is objectionable
on the score of economy, but principally from the space which the cockspurs
afterwards occupy in the sagger; secondly, a considerable amount of scrap
or waste clay is produced by stamping the spurs singly; and, thirdly, the
operation is tedious and costly.
Now, according to my Invention, large numbers of cockspurs may be
moulded simultaneously in one pair of dies from a sheet of clay, the whole of

page_text: which will be consumed with little or no waste, and as the spurs are not
required to be removed from the bottom die until they have been allowed to
dry, I am enabled to make them with less clay and of about two-thirds the
height of the best which have heretofore been used, whereby an increased
5 number of layers of plates or dishes may be got into a given depth of sagger to
be fired, which is a matter of great importance to the manufacturer. To
effect these improvements, I give the base of the cockspurs the form of an
equilateral triangle, which admits of the arrangement of dic shown at Fig. 1
being employed. At the centre of the top side of the triangle (as the apex of
the spur), and near the angles of the bottom side thereof (as the feet), I raise
the requisite points of support, whereby cockspurs of the form shown at Figures
2 and 3 are produced; the number at each operation being limited only by
the size of the dies. In carrying out this part of my Invention, I cast in type
metal, or other suitable metal, any required number of dies similar to that
shewn at Fig. 1, and pierce a fine hole through the several indents (see the
cross section, Fig. 4), which form the apex of the cockspurs; I then drill in a
flat brass or other plate a series of chamfered holes, as shewn at Fig. 5,
corresponding to the angles in the die, Fig. 1, taking care to pierce right
through the plate; and with these two kinds of dies I proceed to manufacture
the cockspurs. At Fig. 6, I bave shewn in elevation the kind of fly press
which I employ. Upon the bed A of the press I provide two guide cheeks
B, B, which are bevilled at their front ends for the more ready insertion into
the press of the bottom die. To the plunger D, the top die E is secured (a
turpentine cloth or flannel being interposed between them), and the ascent and
descent of the die is effected by the rotation of the fly wheel F, mounted on
the upper end of the compressing screw G, to the lower end of which the
plunger G is attached. Before commencing the operation of making the spurs,
the die C is brushed over with an oiled brush to prevent the clay from adhering
thereto; a sheet of clay is then laid upon the die, and over this a piece of
turpentined cloth or fustian is placed. The die is now put into the press, the
top die is brought down (by turning the fly wheel), and made to press the clay
into the recesses in the lower die; it is next raised to remove the turpentined
cloth from the clay, and the top die is again brought down (at this time into
contact with the clay), to form the feet of the cockspur. Suitable pressure
having been applied for this purpose, the top die in again raised, and the lower
die containing the manufactured cockspurs is withdrawn and carried to the
Irying room. The same operation is then repeated with another die C, and
hus successive sheets of clay are quickly converted into spurs. By a precisely

page_text: similar method I produce the pins which are made to protrude from the sides
of the saggers to support in the saggers plates of a superior quality, in
manufacturing which it is an object that their upper surface shall receive no
defective marks from the points of support whilst being fired. At Figures
7, 8, and 9, the construction of die in which these pins are moulded is shewn
at the full size; Fig. 7 being a plan view, Fig. 8 a cross section, and Fig. 9 a
longitudinal section of the same. The pin itself (one of which is shewn in
plan and end view at Figures 9 *) consists of a length of clay having a trian-
gular section, on one edge of which near the end a point of support is raised.
In order to use sheets of clay without making scraps or waste pieces, the cells
or recesses in the die for moulding these pins are arranged in parallel lines.
The die itself is formed of type or other suitable metal, as in the case of the
cockspurs. Instead of the top dic, a smooth plate merely is required to give
the pressure to the clay. As the mode of working is precisely similar to that
before mentioned with respect to the cockspurs, no further description will be
necessary.
The second head of my Invention, which relates, as before stated, to the
manufacture of jelly cans, jars, and other similar articles, consists in formning
them in suitable moulds by pressure, instead of "throwing" them upon the
"wheel," and turning them down in the lathe, as is now the practice. At
Figures 10, 11, and 12 my improved moulding apparatus is shewn; Fig. 10
being a vertical section of the several parts fitted together; Fig. 11, a plan
view of the lower mould or core for forming the hollow of the can or jar; and
Fig. 12, an outside view of the upper mould. A, Fig. 11, is the core or lower
mould, over which the tubular mould B, for forming the outer periphery of
the can or jar, fits. The upper end of this mould constitutes a guide for the
reception of the plunger C, which is suitably shaped on its under surface to
form the bottom of the can. In operating with this apparatus, the mould B
is placed over the core A, as shewn at Fig. 10, and a bat of clay of an ascer-
tained amount is thrown therein; the plunger C is then driven down with great
force by a mallet or other suitable means, whereby the clay is made to fill the
space between the moulds A and B, and take the form of the required can or
jar. The moulded article is now to be released, and for this purpose the
plunger C is first drawn up, a slight axial motion being given to it at starting
to free it from the clay. The can or jar, with the mould B, is next removed
from the lower mould, a similar motion being communicated to this latter for
the purpose of freeing it from the clay. To eflect this with uniformity, the
lower edge of the mould B is provided with inclined planes, as shewn at

page_text: Fig. 12, the highest points of which rest upon fixed radial stop pins D, in the
lower mould (see Fig. 11), when the moulds are properly put together. The
workman, in taking off the mould B, turns first the lower mould A, and causes
the stops to slide over the inclines, whereby a vertical movement is given to
the mould B simultaneously with the axial motion of the mould A. The
mould B is then lifted up, when it brings with it the moulded article. The
can or jar is next removed from this mould B, by inserting therein the
plunger C, and it is then put aside to dry. By this means jelly cans or other
similar articles can bo made with great rapidity and precision, thus effecting a
great economy in the manufacture.
The third part of my Invention, which refers, as before stated, to the manu-
facture of toy tea cups, consists in moulding them in suitable dies instead of
forming them by employing the jigger and lathe, as heretofore. Fig. 13 shews
the dies in vertical section in the position they would be when a cup had just
been formed; and Fig. 14 is a plan view of the bottom die and the guide in
which the top die works. A is the bottom die; B, the top die; and C, the
guide, consisting of four horns, the inner sides of which are ground concentric
to receive the top die or plunger B. An opening is made in the bottom die to
receive the spindle D, which is connected to a treadle under the bench on
which the die is placed, and carries at its upper end a disc E, suitably shaped
to form the recess in the bottom of the cup. A given amount of clay is thrown
into the die A, and the die B is then brought down upon it with sufficient
force to cause the clay to fill up the space between the two dies, and thereby
to form the cup; the top die is then raised and pressure is put upon the
treadle before mentioned, whereby the disc E is caused to rise and discharge
the cup from the lower mould.
The last part of my Invention, viz, the ornamenting of moulded earthen-
ware articles in a green state, I will explain with reference to the toy tea cup
just described, but it will presently be obvious that other articles formed in a
similar manner may likewise be similarly ornamented, if required.
To paint or impress an engraved design upon toy tea cups, I construct a
brass die, the diameter and shape of which is a counterpart of the lower die,
in which the cup has been formed, and upon the inner face.thereof I engrave
any desired pattern in the ordinary manner of engraving, as shewn at Fig. 15.
Into this pattern the workman rubs printing ink of any required color, and
cleans off the surface as in copperplate printing. The mould is then ready
for use; a cup which has just been discharged from the die, Fig. 13, is now
placed in the die, Fig. 15, and a plunger is brought down upon it, which will

page_text: force the clay into close contact with the die, and cause it to take up the ink
in the engraved lines. whereby the counterpart of the engraving will be pro-
duced upon the cup. The discharge of the cup from the die is effected by a
treadle, as before explained.
When a pattern is also required on the inside of the cup, the plunger or
inner die is engraved and properly inked, the pressure of the inner die on the
cup will then produce the pattern upon both sides thereof simultaneously.
Having now described my Invention, and the manner of carrying the same
into effect, I wish it to be understood that, under the above in part recited
Letters Patent, I claim as of my improvements in the manufacture of
earthenware,-
First, the employment of cockspur dies, the cells or recesses of which are
formed and arranged as shewn at Figures 1 and 5 of the accompanying
Drawing, whereby I am enabled to manufacture large numbers of cockspurs
at one operation from a sheet of clay, with little or no scrap waste, and of a
superior quality to those now in use as regards the reduction made in their
height.
Secondly, I claim the employment of pin dies, the cells or recesses of which
are formed and arranged as shewn at Figures 7, 8, and 9 of the accompanying
Drawing, whereby large numbers of pins may be made from a sheet of clay at
one operation with little or no scrap waste.
Thirdly, I claim the mode of manipulation above described, whereby the
perfect moulding of the spurs and pins is effected, and the proper discharge of
the same from the dies is insured.
Fourthly, I claim the mode of manufacturing jelly cans and other similar
small ware as above described.
Fifthly, I claim the mode of manufacturing toy tea-cups and other similar
small ware as above described.
And, lastly, I claim the applying to earthenware articles when in a green
state a printed pattern, by bringing them into close contact with engraved
surfaces containing ink or color in or upon their engraved parts.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Wentworth Buller, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Third day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-nine.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Third day of November, in
the year of our Lord 1849, the aforesaid Thomas Wentworth Buller came
before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the
Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified,
in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped
according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Third day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-nine.