Improvements in the Manufacture of Moulded Clay, Earthenware, and Ceramic Articles, such as Flower and other Pots, Basins, Pans, Dishes, and the like, and Apparatus for that Purpose.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Dec., 1892
Complete Specification Left. 12th Sept., 1893-Accepted, 14th Oct.,
1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Moulded Clay, Earthenware, and
Ceramic Articles, such as Flower and other Pots, Basins, Pans,
Dishes, and the like, and Apparatus for that Purpose.
I, WILLIAM WEST, of Roseville Roundhay, Leeds in the County of York,
Tailor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to a process and apparatus for the manufacture of articles
moulded from clay or like material, such as flower pots, jam pots, basins, cups,
saucers, pans, dishes and generally any clay, earthenware or ceramic articles that
can be produced by pressure between a mould and core from which they can be
withdrawn.
The object which I have in view is to reduce the labour and expense of making
such articles by hand, to avoid the loss by fracture in burning, and to produce
articles more sound and strong than can be produced by the ordinary methods of
manufacture.
As an illustration of my invention, I shall describe how I manufacture a flower
pot, employing as material common clay or brick earth. I thoroughly dry by
artificial heat the lumps of crude clay as they are dug up, and grind the dried clay
by a disintegrator or otherwise to fine powder, I moisten this powder slightly and
then pass the damp powder through a png mill from which the pugged clay is
extruded through suitable dies in the form of continuous columns or tubes, as in
brick and tile machines. The pugging and the extrusion may be effected by
separate machines the latter of which operations may be effected by a piston or
plunger.
I cut these columns or tubes into lengths, each piece having sufficient material to
form one of the flower pots. Before moulding I prefer to lubricate the pieces with
coarse-oil in order to facilitate their withdrawal from the mould and core.
A convenient form of moulding machine according to my invention is of the
following description. A hollow mould presenting its open mouth upwards is
heated by a steam jacket and is moved up and down vertical guides, preferably
by toggle levers, as these exert great pressure at the upper extremity of the stroke,
when the main work of moulding is performed. This mould has a moveable bottom
fixed on a stem which extends downwards and is arranged in connection with
mechanism which, as the mould descends, releases the stem from a catch which held
it down, and pushes it upwards raising the mould bottom so as to start the separation
of the pot from the mould and then by a rapid spring movement ejecting the pot
from the mould. In the upper part of the framing of the machine a stationary
core projecting downwards is heated by a steam jacket and surrounded by a sleeve.
which can slide a little up in opposition to springs, this sleeve having its lower.
edge formed to suit the lip of the pot. Part of the bottom of the core is pushed
outwards by a spring, and in the centre of this is a spring punch to form the
hole in the bottom of the pot, this punch being dispensed with when the article to
be moulded has no hole. A lubricated lump of the clay placed in the heated
mould as it ascends, is squeezed between the mould and the core, the spring sleeve
As the
bearing on the upper edge of the clay, surplus of which is squeezed out.
mould retreats downwards, the spring sleeve of the core and the spring portion
of its bottom conspire to release the pot from the core. The mould containing the
pot then descends until its bottom is raised ejecting the moulded pot. For moulding
a flower pot or other article of circular section in addition to the movements of the
parts above set forth, I prefer to rotate the core slowly, also to give its sleeve a

page_text: partial rotation while it is bearing on the edge of the moulded pot, and to turn the
bottom of the mould partly round. before the pot is ejected, as these motions
facilitate the separation of the clay from the core and mould.
A pot moulded as above described may be subjected to a second similar moulding
operation, or to several such successive operations with suitable moulds and cores
80 as to mould by stages; and the lip of the moulded pot may be finished by a
turning or rolling operation. After a little drying, the pot is baked in the usual
way. Articles other than flower pots are similarly manufactured either from
ordinary clay, or from clay or other mixtures suitable for earthenware or ceramic
articles, and the articles produced may be glazed or otherwise treated as in the
manufacture of earthenware or ceramic articles.
Dated this 22nd day of December 1892.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Moulded Clay, Earthenware, and
Ceramic Articles, such as Flower and other Pots, Basins, Pans,
Dishes, and the like, and Apparatus for that Purpose.
I, WILLIAM WEST, of Roseville, Roundhay, Leeds, in the County of York,
Tailor, 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 :-
My invention relates to a process and apparatus for the manufacture of articles
moulded from clay or like material, such as flower pots, jam pots, basins, cups,
saucers, pans, dishes and generally any clay, earthenware or ceramic articles that
can be produced by pressure between a mould and core from which they can be
withdrawn. The object which I have in view is to reduce the labour and expense
of making such articles by hand, to avoid the loss by fracture in burning, and to
produce articles more sound and strong than can be produced by the ordinary
methods of manufacture. As an illustration of my invention I shall describe how 1
manufacture a flower pot, employing as material common clay or brick earth.
thoroughly dry by artificial heat the lumps of crude clay as they are dug up, and grind
the dried clay by a disintegrator or otherwise to fine powder, I moisten this powder
slightly and then pass the damp powder through a pug mill from which the pugged
clay is extruded through suitable dies in the form of continuous columns or tubes,
as in brick and tile machines. The pugging and the extrusion may be effected by
separate machines the latter of which operations may be effected by a piston or
plunger.
1
I cut these columns or tubes into lengths, each piece having sufficient material to
form one of the flower pots. Before moulding I prefer to lubricate the pieces with
coarse oil in order to facilitate their withdrawal from the mould and core. A
convenient form of moulding machine according to my invention is shewn by the
accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a side view and Fig. 2 is a front view of a machine according to my
invention adapted for moulding flower pots.
The other figures drawn to an enlarged scale to shew details are:-
Figure 3 a vertical section of the upper part of the machine extending down to
the mould which is indicated in dotted lines in the position which it occupies when
moulding is effected.
Fig. 4 a vertical section of the middle part from the core which is indicated in
dotted lines down to the joint of the toggle arms.
Fig. 5 an elevation partly in section of the lower part down from the joint of the
toggle arms.
Fig. 6 a plan partly in sention tak
"

page_text: From the
worm on
On a suitable base frame A is journalled a main shaft A¹ driven from a con-
venient motor. On this shaft is a pinion A' gearing with a wheel A' on a
countershaft A'.
A crank pin A5 on the wheel A³ which is indicated only by a dotted circle is linked
by a connecting rod A' to the middle joint connecting a lower toggle_arm_A' with
a pair of upper toggle arms A8 which are jointed to a crosshead B.
base frame A extend upwards two vertical bolts B' B' to a head B, to which
they are secured. These bolts B¹ B' form guides for the crosshead B which is
counter-balanced by weights W and by the action ofthe crank A' connecting rod A°
and toggles A' and A is caused to slide up and down once in every revolution of
the wheel A. From a pulley A8 on the shaft A' a band extends up to a pulley B³
on a shaft B which is journalled on the head B2. Also in the head B' is journalled
a vertical spindle B' on which is fixed a worm wheel B° gearing with a
the shaft B, so that as the driving shaft A' continuously revolves the spindle B'
also continuously and slowly revolves. This spindle passes down through a
sleeve B7 fixed to the head B' and consisting of an inner and an outer shell with an
On the end of the
annular space between them which is supplied with steam.
spindle B is fixed the core C which has the form of the interior of the flower pot
to be moulded. Within this core is an inner cylindrical core C' and within it a
punch C which is urged down by a spring and which, having studs projecting
laterally into slots in the cylinder C' when it is pushed down by the spring carries
the cylinder C¹ down with it as far as permitted by studs projecting laterally from
the upper part of C¹ into slots in the interior of C. Thus when the mould indicated
by the dotted lines D (Fig. 3) is away, the cylinder C₁ projects beyond the end
of the core C and the punch C* projects still further, both these parts being pushed-
up in opposition to the spring to the position shown in Fig. 3 when the mould D
with the clay in it is forced up to the core C.
The punch C squeezing aside the clay under it, forms the hole at the bottom of
the flower pot. In cases where a pot, or jar, or a dish, saucer or the like has to be
moulded without a hole through it, there are no slots in the cylinder C' giving play
to the lateral studs of the punch C, but these studs enter holes in C₁ in such
position that the point of the punch C is kept always level with, so as to form part
of, the end of the cylinder C
The double sleeve B' is enclosed within an outer sliding sleeve C' which is urged
down by several springs (of which one is shewn at C) as far as is permitted by
The lower
adjustable nuts C meeting the flange of C³ and forming stops for it.
end of the sleeve C is so shaped as to round the lip of the moulded flower pot.
Just above the lower end of C³ there are several holes through it for escape of such
surplus clay as may be forced out of the mould.
The mould D, which is fixed in the cross head B, has an outer shelf D¹ partly
enclosing it with a space between it and the mould, which is supplied with steam
by a pipe flexible or joiuted to allow of the up and down movements of the cross-
head and mould. The bottom of the mould is formed as a valve D' seating on an
inclined interior shoulder of the mould. The stem D³ of the valve D extends
down through a guide D' attached to the crosshead B and passes through a
block E' in which it is free to turn as in a swivel but it is held by collars so as not
to slide. It has also fixed on it above the block E' an arm E' held usually by a
spring in the position shown in Fig. 6.
The
On one of the toggle arms A³ is mounted a spring pawl E³ which has an inclined
face presented towards E2 these parts operating to partly turn the stem D³ as will
hereafter be described. The block E' has two side trunnions fitted in eyes of a
lever E which is pivotted on a link E hanging from the crosshead B.
lever E carries a counterweight E, for which a spring might be substituted,
and the descent of its loaded end beyond a certain distance is checked by a
chain E. On the lever E between the link E and the block E' is pivotted a
trigger lever having three arms, an upright arm F the top of which bears against
a shoulder of the guide D', an arm F¹ drawn towards the right by a spring and a

page_text: third arm F the end of which extends.a little beyond a roller E' which is mounted
on the end of the lever E. On the base frame A is fixed a tappet roller G, and on
the toggle arm A' is adjustably mounted a spring pawl G' to come in the way of F
and E respectively. The operation of the machine is as follows. The crosshead B
and mould D being in a low position, a lump of clay sufficient to form the pot, in
the state of very stiff almost dry paste and preferably lubricated with crude oil, is
placed in the mould. As the crosshead B ascends, the rounded edge of the
arm E meets the rounded back of the pawl E³ the -spring of which allows it
to yield permitting E to pass it upwards. When the mould with the clay in
it is near the top of its stroke, the clay first meets the punch C2 and cylinder C'
and pushes them up to the position shewn in Fig. 3, the clay being then squeezed
up between the interior of the mould D and the exterior of the core C, also
the upper edge of the squeezed up clay meets the lower end of the sleeve C³
and forces it up in opposition to its springs, so moulding the lip of the pot.
The mould D being heated by the steam in its jacket and the core C being
heated by conduction from the jacket sleeve B, and the core also slowly
revolving, the lubricated clay becomes smoothly moulded outside and inside
without adhering to the mould or core, and when the mould begins to descend,
the sleeve C and the cylinder C₁ are caused by their springs to descend aiding
the withdrawal of the moulded pot from off the core C.
When the mould with the pot in it has descended a certain distance the face
of the arm E' meets the inclined face of E and thus the stem D³ and valve
bottom D2 of the mould are turned partly round, and on E' passing E³ are
turned back by the spring acting on E*, this turning movement of D' releasing
the clay at the bottom of the pot.
As the crosshead B farther descends, the arm F meets the pawl G¹, thus
withdrawing the trigger F from the shoulder against which it abutted, and,
immediately thereafter, the roller on E also meets the pawl G₁; the lever E
being thus stopped and with it the block E¹ and stem D, the bottom D² of the
mould with the moulded pot upon it remains stationary while the crosshead and
mould continue their descent; and thus the moulded pot is exposed clear above
the mould and is removed by hand. By the still further descent of the cross-
head, the loaded arm of the lever E is brought against the tappet roller G and
thus the lever E block E' stem D and mould bottom D' are all restored to the
position shown in Fig. 1, the trigger F becoming again engaged against the
shoulder; whereupon the moulding operation is repeated as above described.
The machine above described is generally similar in its arrangement and operation
to that described in my previous Specifications No. 6704 of 1890 and No. 7406
of 1890. I therefore make no general claim to such a machine but only to the
improvements distinguished by the following claiming clauses that is to say :-
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. In apparatus for moulding clay or earthenware articles, a core fixed on a
spindle slowly rotated by worm gear within a stem jacketted sleeve, inside the core
a sliding bottom and punch urged by a spring down to stops, and outside the core a
sliding sleeve urged by springs down to stops substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
2. In apparatus for moulding clay or earthenware articles, a steam jacketted
mould having a valve bottom with stem swivelled to a counterweighted lever, an
arm on the stem with spring and a tappet pawl on a toggle arm for partly turning
the stem, a spring trigger on the lever holding the stem down, an adjustable tappet
on base to meet the lever and lower the stem, and an adjustable tappet pawl on
toggle arm to meet the trigger and lever and raise the stem, substantially as and for
the purpose set forth.
3. The herein described method of preparing clay for moulding in apparatus such

page_text: as is above referred to, by drying, pulverising and moistening the crude clay,
pugging and extruding the moistened clay, cutting the extruded columns into
suitable lengths to form blanks, and serving the blanks with oil before moulding.
Dated this 22nd day of August 1993.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.