A Notched Metal Attachment to Potters' Moulds.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Notched Metal Attachment to Potters' Moulds.
JONATHAN HUGHES, Potters' Turner, 71 Price Street Burslem, and WILLIAM
OWEN Potters' Agent 48 Moorland Road, Burslem do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
A Notched Metal attachment affixed to mould made of Plaster of Paris, used
by Potters for moulding or making articles in clay, by what is known in the
Earthenware and China Trades as "pressing" "handle-making," or by any
Pottery trade process in which Plaster of Paris moulds are used.
The metal attachment is intended to supersede the use, in plaster moulds of
the pitcher or plaster notches, or "natches," as technically known in the pottery
trade. And we claim that it will cause the moulds to last longer in the using;
that it will enable the articles, moulded in moulds to which this attachment is
affixed, to be made with greater evenness in the joining parts, on "seams";
that less plaster will be needed in the making of the moulds; & also that the
metal attachment may be affixed to other moulds, when the first mould to which
it has been affixed is worn out.
The metal attachment is made separately, and is affixed to the plaster mould
by the maker thereof in the process of making the same; the liquid plaster, as
it hardens, fastens the metal attachment to the mould.
Dated this 26th day of October 1896.
JONATHAN HUGHES.
WM. OWEN.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Notched Metal Attachment to Potters' Moulds.
We, JONATHAN HUGHES Potters' Turner Price Street, Burslem and WILLIAM
OWEN Potters' Agent 48 Moorland Road Burslem, 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:-
Many kinds of Earthenware and China are manufactured by the process known
in the pottery trade as "pressing," and in this process, moulds, made of Plaster of
Paris, are used. These moulds are made of two or more parts, and these parts are
fitted together by projections or dowels in one of the parts, which fit in corre-
sponding hollows in the other parts, thus acting after the manner of dowel pins
in carpentry.

page_text: The projections and corresponding hollows for moulds are known in the pottery
trade as notches, or "natches," and are made either of pitcher (fired-clay) or of
Plaster of Paris. Owing to the .frequent use of the moulds in the process of
making, or moulding, the articles of pottery ware out of them, there is much
friction and strain upon the "natches," and they often become loose or are worn
out before the working parts of the mould, which gives shape to the piece of
pottery produced from it, is itself worn out; and thus the mould has to be cast
aside sooner than would be the case if "natches" were used that were attached
so firmly to the plaster that the roughest usage in working would not loosen them.
When the natches are loose the joining parts, or "seams" of the article made
in the mould, are caused to be uneven, and this unevenness of "seam" necessitates
extra trouble on the part of the workman in paring or "fettling" the "seams;
and even then the article made is not as well finished as a good piece of pottery
ought to be.
A perfect "natch" in which the projection and the corresponding hollow part
fitted with mechanical exactitude, and which, in the process of "casting" or
making the moulds, could be easily, and also more firmly attached than any
natch hitherto used, has long been an acknowledged want in the pottery trade.
The "natched" metal attachment which is the subject of this Patent supplies
this want in the following manner. It is cast or stamped in metal and the pro-
jection & the corresponding hollow being made out of moulds or dies of absolute
exactness in sixe & fit, the "natches" made from them are always alike, no
after process such as that of firing a clay natch, altering the size and fit, through
unequal contraction.
Instead of being almost solid, like pitcher natches, the strength of the metal
enables them to be made so hollow that they get a much firmer hold of the mould,
by reason of the plaster running in this hollow when the mould is cast or made
out of the liquid plaster. This stronger hold of the mould is further ensured by
the metal natch being so bevelled and made with projecting arms or claws, that
when the plaster is "run" over it in the process of making the mould; it "sets"
firmly underneath, around, and over the projecting parts of the natch, and there-
fore when the mould is dried and ready for use, the "natches" have such a
tight grip of the plaster that no ordinary use of the mould can loosen them.
The bevels, arms, or claws of the natches can be arranged in various ways, to
attain the same result of having a firm grip of the plaster.
The accompanying drawings show the form of the natch, or metal attachment
to potters' moulds; with one of the ways of arranging the arms or claws. The
drawing "A" shows the sectional elevation of that part of the natch with the
dowel projection, while "B" shows the sectional elevation of the other part
with the corresponding hollow, into which the rounded projection of A fits.
These two parts-which together make one natch-are in the manner previously
described, affixed to the several parts of the plaster moulds.
The strong or dark lines in "A" & "B" show the thickness of the metal out
of which the natch is stamped, or made, and though this is thin in itself the form
of the stamped natch gives it all the strength that is required. The white parts
inside the dark lines of "A" & "B" show the hollowness of the match, and into
these hollow parts the plaster runs in the process of making the mould, so causing
the match to be completely rigid, and, with the projecting arms or claws, ensuring
a firm adherence to the plaster.
In the "plan" of the natch shown in the drawing marked "C," the claws or
arms are clearly seen, and the firm hold of the match to the plaster mould will
be fully realised when it is stated that the whole of each part, ("A" & "B")
of the complete natch is embedded in the plaster to the level of the shoulder from
which the projection or dowel, and its corresponding hollow, start. The plan "C"
also shows that the shoulder of the natch is narrower than the part meant to
be embedded in the plaster. The central ring in "C" denotes the projection,
or corresponding hollow of the two parts of the natch.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:
1st. The making of hollow metal natches or attachments for potters' moulds,
in brass or other metal..
2nd. The making of such natches with projecting arms or claws, and with
bevels.
3rd. The making of these metal natches out of dies by stamping, by casting,
or by any other process.
Dated this Twenty-second day of July 1897.
JONATHAN HUGHES.
WILLIAM OWEN.