Improvements in Dies for the Manufacture of Tiles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 27th July, 1896-Accepted, 12th Sept.. 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Dies for the Manufacture of Tiles.
I JAMES SHERWIN of Vine Street, Hanley, in the County of Stafford,
Manufacturer, 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:-
The object of this invention is to make a tile having an undercut recess or
recesses in the back thereof to prevent the tile when fixed from leaving the
cement.
The invention consists mainly in arranging in the interior of the die box on one
side or more than one side or on the end or ends of the said box a tongue or
tongues which is or are fixed thereto so as to be capable of a certain motion
hereafter described, and in so forming the bottom plunger of the die than when the
said plunger is at rest in the lower part of the die box, the tongue or tongues above
named projects or project through or beyond the upper surface of the said plunger
in a slanting direction and thus provide for the formation of an undercut recess
(or undercut recesses) in the back of the tile as it undergoes the ordinary process
of making by pressure.
After the tile has been pressed, the bottom plunger, being raised as usual to
deliver the tile the edge of the slot or slots in the said plunger acting against the
tongue or tongues will cause the latter to be automatically withdrawn from the
undercut recess or recesses in the tile, into a suitable recess or recesses in the said
plunger.
The upper part of each tongue is so made, and the corresponding part of the
plunger through which it projects is so formed, that after delivery of the tile and
when the bottom plunger is lowered again in the die box to form another tile, the
tongue will resume its original position by the assistance of a spring or springs, or
otherwise.
My invention further consists in applying to the upper part of a die box of the
above construction for the manufacture of tiles a gauge plate of corresponding form
adjustable as to height so that by filling the die exactly to the top of the gauge
plate the required thickness of tile can be obtained and such thickness can be
altered by adjusting the height of the gauge plate, the distance between the gauge
plate and the top of the die may be filled with soft clay or the like, as the strongest
pressure on the powdered clay will always occur within the die box itself and below
the gauge plate and filling. The plate is preferably attached to the die box by
screws and adjusted thercon by a series of wedges.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood I have annexed hereto a
sheet of drawings illustrating the following description of the manner in which
I prefer to carry my invention into practical effect.
Fig. 1 on the annexed drawings is a sectional elevation of a die for the
manufacture of tiles with my improvements applied thereto, this figure shews the
die ready for the reception of the dust or pulverized clay of which the tile is to be
made.
Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof with the tongnes withdrawn or removed.
Fig. 3 is a similar view to Fig. 1 but shewing the bottom plunger in the position
for delivering the tile, the tile being ready for removal from the said die.
Fig. 4 shews in section a modification of the construction shewn on Fig. 1.
Fig. 5 is an underneath plan view of a tile formed by my improved die.

page_text: The drawings illustrate a die forming two undercut recesses a' a¹ in a square
tile a as seen at Figs. 3 and 5; but it is evident that cur invention is equally
applicable to dies for making other forms of tile; the number and position of the
undercut recesses may also vary according to the shape of the tile.
bis the die-box which is shewn provided with a gauge plate 6' fixed to the box
by screws and adjusted by wedges to the required height to produce the
desired thickness of tile as before described.
If not required this plate can be removed. The space between the upper
surface of the die box and the plate b' is filled or packed with clay or other
suitable material.
c is the bottom plunger which I form with sluts e' the parts c² outside the slots
being reduced in thickness and inclined curved or sloped as seen at Figs. 1, 3 and +
and preferably made separate from the bottom plungere and screwed thereto as
shewn at Fig. 2.
I thus form recesses c³ in the bottom plunger into which the tongues & can be
withdrawn as seen at Fig. 3.
The lower part of the tongues d can be made in the form of springs (see Figs. 1
and 3) screwed or bolted to the inside of the die box bor hinged to the said box b
(as seen at Fig. 4) and provided with springs d'.
The upper part of the tongues d is so shaped that as the plunger e descends the
tongues will move easily into position between the parts et and c as shewn on
Figs. 1 and 4, and are forced outwards by the upper edge c+ of the slotted part of
the plunger c as the latter rises.
I also propose to deepen the sides of the box to which the tongues are attached
and to place bars of metal e beneath the lower plunger c to support the same, any
accumulation of dust will fall into the spaces e and can be removed from beneath
the lower plunger, the position of which will be accurately assured by the said bars e
but the latter can be removed when required.
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. The combination of a die-box provided with a tongue or tongues with a
slotted bottom plunger so formed that the tongue or tongues is or are caused
automatically to project through the upper surface thereof and form an undercut
groove or grooves in the tile which is pressed thereon or to be withdrawn into a
recess or recesses in the said bottom plunger substantially as herein before described
and illustrated by the annexed drawings.
2. The combination with a die box of the above description of an adjustable
gauge plate substantially as and for the purpose herein before described.
3. A die for the manufacture of tiles constructed substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated by the annexed drawings.
Dated this 25th day of July 1896.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.