IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE CONDITION OF THE WARES BEING BURNED DURING THE FIRING OF KILNS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF POTTERY AND OTHER DESCRIPTIONS OF CLAYWARES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Turner, of the London Road, in the City of
Worcester, Engraver, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR INDICATING THE CONDITION OF THE WARES BEING BURNED DURING
THE FIRING OF KILNS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF POTTERY AND OTHER
DESCRIPTIONS OF CLAYWARES,"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Turner at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th November 1881.
ALFRED TURNER, of the London Road, in the City of Worcester, Engraver.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE CONDITION OF THE WARES
BEING BURNED DURING THE FIRING OF KILNS USED IN THE MANUFACTUre of
POTTERY AND OTHER DESCRIPTIONS OF CLAY WARES."
My Invention relates to apparatus for communicating with the interior of china,
earthenware, and other kilns used for the burning of pottery and other descriptions
of clay wares by indicating on a dial or by other indicating means on the outside
of the kiln the degrees of contraction of a piece of unburnt clay placed in the
apparatus inside the kiln, whereby may be ascertained from time to time the
condition of the wares being burned during the process of burning, as well as when
the wares are sufficiently burnt.
I arrange apparatus according to my Invention with a tube made of burnt fire
clay or other suitable material closed at one end, and of sufficient length for the
closed end thereof to penetrate so far through the wall and into the interior of the
kiln as will insure its receiving the required amount of heat.
Inside the tube next to the closed end of it I place a piece of unburnt clay, and
against this piece of unburnt clay I place one or more pieces of burnt clay or other
suitable material, so formed as to move casily inside the tube, and of suitable
length that the outer end of the series may project out of or beyond the unclosed
ID 11

page_text: end of the tube. A box or chamber made of sheet iron or other suitable material,
and by preference having two compartments to it, is attached to the unclosed end
of the tube. Inside this box and next to the unclosed end of the tube a spring or
suitable lever or moveable piece is arranged to press against the burnt clay or
other suitable material projecting from the unclosed end of the tube, and with
sufficient force to push the piece or pieces of burnt clay or other suitable material
up the tube as the pieces of unburnt clay next the closed end of the tube contracts
during the process of burning. A wire or other suitable connection, one end of
which is attached to the projecting material at the unclosed end of the tube, or to
the lever or other moveable pieco, the other end being attached to a wheel having
a counterweight, or to other suitable means for working a hand or other indication
in the front compartment, or other suitable part of the box or chamber, whereby
to indicate on a dial or otherwise the degrees of contraction from time to time
during the progress of burning of the piece of unburnt clay placed in and against
the closed end of the tube, or other means of indication may be employed.
The contraction may also be indicated on a straight piece of metal or other
suitable material attached to the material projecting from the unclosed end of the
tube.
In using the apparatus the tube is placed through the wall of the kiln, and so
far into the interior as will insure the closed end (against which is the piece of
unburnt clay) receiving the full heat of any given part of the kiln where it may
be placed. As the burning proceeds the piece of unburnt clay contracts, and the
piece or pieces of burnt clay or other suitable material being forced up the tube
the movement is indicated by any suitable means.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alfred Turner in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 22nd May
1882.
ALFRED TURNER, of the London Road, in the City of Worcester, Engraver.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE CONDITION OF THE WARES
BEING BURNED DURING THE FIRING OF KILNS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
POTTERY AND OTHER DESCRIPTIONS OF CLAY WARES,"
My Invention relates to apparatus for communicating with the interior of china,
earthenware, and other kilus used for the burning of pottery and other descriptions
of clay wares by indicating on a dial or by other indicating means on the outside
of the kiln the degrees of contraction of a piece of unburnt clay placed in the
apparatus inside the kiln, whereby may be ascertained from time to time the
condition in relation to contraction of the wares being burned during the process
of burning, as well as when the wares may be regarded as being sufficiently
burnt.
I arrange apparatus according to my Invention with a tube made of burnt fire
clay or other suitable material closed at one end, and of sufficient length for the
closed end thereof to penetrate so far through the wall and into the interior of the
kiln as will insure its receiving the required amount of heat.
Inside the tube next to the closed end of it I place a piece of unburnt clay, and
against this piece of unburnt clay I place one or more pieces of burnt clay or other
suitable material, so formed as to move easily inside the tube. A box or chamber
made of sheet iron or other suitable material, and by preference having two
compartments to it, is attached to the outer end of the tube. Inside this box and
next to the outer end of the tube a spring or suitable lever or moveable piece is
arranged to press against the burnt clay or other suitable material projecting from
the outer end of the tube, and with sufficient force to push the piece or pieces of
burnt clay or other suitable material up the tube as the piece of unburnt clay next
the closed end of the tube contracts during the process of burning. A wire or
other suitable connection, one end of which is attached to the projecting material
at the unclosed end of the tube, or to the lever or other moveable piece, the other
end being attached to a wheel having a counterweight, or to other suitable means
for working a hand or other indication in the front compartment, or other suitable
part of the box or chamber, whereby to indicate on a dial or otherwise the degrees
of contraction from time to time during the progress of burning of the piece of
unburnt clay placed in and against the closed end of the tube, or other means of
indication may be employed.
The contraction may also be indicated on a straight piece of metal or other
suitable material attached to or capable of being operated by the material at the
outer end of the tube.
In using the apparatus the tube is placed through the wall of the kiln, and so
far into the interior as will insure the closed end (against which is the piece of
unburnt clay) receiving the full beat of any given part of the kiln where it may
be placed. As the burning proceeds the piece of unburnt clay contracts, and the
piece or pieces of burnt clay or other suitable material being forced up the tube
the movement is indicated by any suitable means.
But that the Invention may be better understood, I will, by the aid of the
accompanying Drawings, proceed to describe means pursued by me in carrying the
same into effect.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 represents an external view of apparatus arranged according to my
Invention; Figure 2 represents a sectional view of the same applied; Figures 3
and 4 show parts separately.
In each of the views the same letters indicate corresponding parts. a is the b
tube, which I form of burnt fire clay or other suitable material. This tube is
closed at the end al, and it is formed of sufficient length for the closed end a¹
thereof to be capable when applied of penetrating so far through the wall b or
other suitable part of the kiln and into the interior of it as would insure that tube,
especially towards its closed end a¹, receiving the required amount of heat.
1
Inside this tube a and next the closed end thereof a' I place a piece of unburnt
clay c. Against the outer end of this piece c I place one or more pieces of burnt
clay d or other suitable material, so formed as to be capable of moving easily
inside the tube a. Against the outer end of the outermost of the pieces d I place
a plate e with a stem e¹ thereto, capable of sliding in the guiding piece formed on 1
one surface or plate g' of the box g. This box or chamber g is by preference
formed of two parts G and G'. The outer end of the stem e' projects sufficiently
into the part G of the box g to bear upon the spring arm or other suitable lever h,
to which is attached one end of a chain or cord, or fine wire, or other suitable
connection i, the other end of which passes over a small pulley, wheel j to the 2
weight k. The lower end of the arm k has a tendency given to it to bear against
the stem e¹ by a spring at its axis h' or otherwise. On the axis of the pulley
wheel is affixed the hand Z in the outer compartment G' of the box g, so that by
the movement of the lever arm operating the connection i, the wheel j, and
hand, the point of the hand in its movement will indicate on the dial the
extent of contraction effected on the piece c by the heat of the kiln. The position
of the parts previous to the contraction of the piece c is indicated by the full lines
in Figure 2, and their relation after contraction of that piece c by the heat in the
kiln is indicated by the dotted lines.
Figure 3 shows a transverse section of tubo a; Figure 4 shows the outer 3
chamber G of the box g open.
It will be evident that various modifications may be effected in the details of
such apparatus, for this reason I wish it to be distinctly understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise arrangement of parts as shown and described.
But what I claim is the arranging or combining apparatus, whereby the condition 3
of wares being burned during the firing of kilns used in the manufacture of pottery
and other descriptions of clay wares may be indicated, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Turner, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Nineteenth day of May, One thousand eight hundred and
eighty two.