IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SUSPENDING CROCKERY WARE IN KILNS FOR BURNING
Year: 1874

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Alexander Melville Clark at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 18th May 1874.-A communication from abroad by Benjamin
Jackson, of Geddes, in the County of Onondaga, and State of New
York, United States of America.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SUSPENDING CROCKERY
WARE IN KILNS FOR BURNING," to be as follows:-
11
This Invention consists of the application of notched ribs to the inner.
walls of the "saggers" to be used instead of the ribs, with pin holes
heretofore used for holding the clay pins on which the crockery is
suspended, these ribs and their notches being so contrived that they will
hold double reversible pins of different forms, and, with one or more
branches to economize the number of pins used, and to allow of using
them in various ways for articles of different forms. These pins, like

page_text: those in ordinary use, are made of fire-clay. The points are wedged-
shaped and broadened so as to form turned up corners, in order to
present as small an area as possible in contact with the ware, to break
the surface as little as possible. The notches are rectangular to receive
square or broad flat shanks, which are provided with a swell or boss on
the sides of the part entering the notches, to rest a little inside of the
corners of the notches, and thereby protect them from breaking off the
present as small an area as possible in contact with the ware, to break
the surface as little as possible. The notches are rectangular to receive
square or broad flat shanks, which are provided with a swell or boss on
the sides of the part entering the notches, to rest a little inside of the
corners of the notches, and thereby protect them from breaking off the
Corners.
I employ various forms or shapes of pins to adapt them for holding
crockery articles of different forms. They are made with one, two,
three, or four points, adapted for suspending ware by them in, different
ways. The pins may be triangular, or a pin with four points may be so
contrived as to use only one point at a time, the four however-being
used in succession. Another pin is made reversible sidewise for using
each of its four corners, and it is also adapted to shift ends, both ends
being adapted to put in the notches of the ribs. These last two pins are
disigned for use instead of the ordinary single pins, and also to save the
making of new pins so often as the points only serve for one or at most
two burnings. Branched and curved pins are used for stacking deep
dishes within each other as much as possible.
The Invention also consists of a method of supporting the crockery
ware on a triangular frame independent of the ribs on the saggers, the
pins which in this case assume the form of triangular bars being provided
with sections of parts which fit together by notches and points in the
ends to build up, the stack.
The Invention also consists of a method of forming the ribs and
applying them to the sides of the saggers by means of a template having
teeth or projections corresponding in form and distance apart to the
notches to be formed in the ribs, which template is used as a gauge by
which to mark the clay for cutting out the notches. The clay is rolled
or pressed out as wide as the length of the ribs, and of the same thickness.
for making several ribs by notching the edge and then cutting the ribs.
off the slab of clay. This template is also used for lifting and applying
the ribs to the sides of the saggers when they are to be attached thereto,
by inserting the points in the notches of the ribs after they have been

page_text: formed, and lifting them by the adhesion of the clay to the template in
such manner that no part is overstrained. In this way the ribs are held
for putting on the soft clay to cement it to the side of the sagger. After
the notches are marked in the clay with the template they are cut out
with a tin or thin sheet steel punch or cutter.