IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR TREATING AND PREPARING CLAY, AND FOR MANUFACTURING OR PRODUCING HOLLOW AND OTHER WARE THEREFROM."
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Gillespie, of the Garnkirk Fire-clay Company,
Garnkirk, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR
TREATING AND PREPARING CLAY, AND FOR MANUFACTURING OR PRODUCING
HOLLOW AND OTHER WARE THEREFROM."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Gillespie at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th September 1881.
66
James Gillespie, of the Garnkirk Fire-clay Company, Garnkirk, in the County
of Lanark, North Britain. IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS FOR TREATING AND PREPARING CLAY, AND FOR MANUFACTURING
OR PRODUCING HOLLOW AND OTHER WARE THEREFROM."
This Invention relates to certain improvements in machinery or apparatus for
treating and preparing fire clay or other similar plastic material, and in the nodo
or means and apparatus employed for manufacturing or producing hollow and
other ware from such material, which improvements are designed to effect the
thorough mixing, grinding, and tempering of the clay, and the freeing of it from air,
and also to facilitate the production or manufacture of pipes and other ware there-
from with greater accuracy of form than heretofore, and in transferring the articles
being manufactured with considerable saving of time and labour in the various
processes.
By one improvement of the Invention the ordinary grinding and tempering pans
which are used for pulverising and treating the clay are arranged and fitted with
improved appliances whereby the clay is guided under the grinding rolls, and the
pans are made self discharging. These improved appliances comprise a horizontal
framing supported over the pan, and fitted with a series of nearly vertical guide
plates in front of each roller, which extend down through the clay on the pan and
direct it under the rolls. These guide plates are fitted to their carrying frame so as
to be readily swivelled or adjusted to any angle, and so that the clay carried round
by the revolving pan is gradually shifted by them from one side or face of the rolls

page_text: to the other side, and thereafter thrown off or out of the way of the roller. By
the use of these adjustable guides the clay may thus be either directed in towards
the centre of the pan or out towards its lip or outer edge to be discharged.
For tempering purposes an open cylinder is hung from a horizontal framing or
other support and fitted round the central revolving shaft of the grinding pan, and
mixing and discharging knives or blades are fixed or formed on the shaft to form
with similar knives in the cylinder a pug mill, into which the clay to be tempered
is thrown and mixed with water which may be supplied by hand or from a
supply pipe discharging into the cylinder. Outlet passages are formed round
the lower end of the cylinder through which the clay is discharged into the
revolving pan.
By a further improvement the air contained in ground clay, and which when
subjected to the heat of the kiln would expand and injure the articles or ware to
be produced, especially in fire clay articles, is driven off or forced out of the clay by
means of steam. For this purpose a box or vessel of any convenient shape is
provided, and is formed with a perforated top or shelf upon which the ground
clay is placed. Steam is admitted by a pipe at one side of the box and passes up
through the perforations in the top, and through the clay, displacing the air. Tho
condensed steam or water in the box is run off by an opening provided with a
stop cock or steam trap, and a cleansing or sludge door is also fitted near the
bottom-of-the-box-for-withdrawing_any_clay which may drop through the
_perforations into the box or vessel.
By a further improvement of this Invention, designed-to-facilitate-the-production
of pipes or other hollow-ware from clay or similar plastic material, and to
overcome the difficulty of building up such ware continuously until the article is
completed in length without bulging out or deforming the articles by the super-
incumbent weight of the soft and plastic material; the outside of the ware as it is
built up is supported by means of strips of sheet-iron or other flexible substance.
If the ware or article is round or oval in section the sheet-iron or flexible material
used to support it is made to surround it, and is fastened by means of screws or
other devices which admit of tightening the flexible support in position. If the
ware is of D section, the flat side is supported by wooden boarding or other rigid
material and the round part by flexible sheet-iron attached thereto by screws or
tightening devices.
The inside of the walls of the ware being built up or manufactured is supported
by sand or other similar yielding substance which will give way or admit of the
shrinkage which takes place in drying. The sand is placed on a drum, or core, or
other support inside of the hollow ware, and it is so placed in pockets or with free
spaces at such intervals as will admit of the necessary yielding to the shrinkage of
the clay while giving suflicient pressure to keep the clay from sinking.
When the hollow ware, instead of being built up, is pressed out as in a pipe
making or similar machine, the pipe or other article produced is cut longer than
the intended length to the extent of the depth of the faucet required for jointing,
and the extra length is placed with the pipe or hollow article upon the drying
stove, this extra length serving as a support for the pipe. An incision is cut round
the pipe, and the faucet piece in the form of a ring is fitted round the pipe and
attached to its lower end without being made to bear the superincumbent weight
of the pipe, and be thereby broken or weakened at the point where the pipe and
its faucet are joined. By preference the ring or faucet piece is first made and the
pipe or other article is pressed out of the machine or made inside of it.
To facilitate the transference of pipes or other ware from such machines to the
potter's wheel and the drying stoves, and also generally for the purpose of filling
and emptying kilns in which clay-ware is dried or burned, and for conveying the
goods to store banks, a novel arrangement of "float," "shord," or carriage is used.
The ordinary shord which rests on the balanced "cage" and receives the pipe or
other ware produced by the machine is fitted with rails on its under side. These
rails fit over and bear on wheels or rollers hung or supported in runs which extend

page_text: from the "cage" and pipe-pressing or other machine to a potter's wheel, where the
faucet is preferably jointed to the pipe and finished on the outside, and then on to
the stove, and after the pipe is dried the extra length is removed and the inside of
the faucet finished. The wheels are by preference sunk so that the runs form
guides for the float. The runs are carried across the cage on which the pipes
are pressed and across the potter's wheel, and the "float" when it receives the pipe
or other ware from the machine can be transferred over the runs to the potter's
wheel and thence to the drying stove, thus admitting of the ware being at once
placed on the stove in a comparatively finished state. The ware or article is then
removed on the said floats over the runs to the kiln.
These improved floats and runs are also used for filling and emptying the kilns,
and for transferring the finished goods therefrom to store banks or to the carriages
or railway trucks which convey the goods through the works. For these purposes
the carrying trucks are also fitted with a series of runs placed transversely on the
top, and the loaded "floats" are run either direct from the fixed or stationary runs
to the carriage or truck runs, or onto a small travelling carriage fitted with the
runs described, and carried on rails on a framing placed transversely to the line of
the fixed runs, and at a suitable level for discharging the "float" to the carriage
or truck. A like method being adopted for discharging on to the storing banks or
sheds.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Gillespie in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th March
1882.
JAMES GILLESPIE, of the Garnkirk Fire-clay Company, Garnkirk, in the County
of Lanark, North-Britain. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS FOR TREATING AND PREPARING CLAY, AND FOR MANUFACTURING
OR PRODUCING HOLLOW AND OTHER WARE THEREFORM."
My said Invention relates to certain improvements in machinery or apparatus
for treating or preparing fire-clay or other similar plastic material, and in the
mode or means and apparatus employed for manufacturing or producing hollow and
other ware from such material. The improvements are designed to effect the
thorough mixing, grinding, and tempering of the clay, and the freeing of it from
air; and also to facilitate the production or manufacture of pipes and other ware
therefrom with greater accuracy of form than heretofore, and to effect the trans-
ferring of the articles-being-manufactured-with.considerable saving of time and
-labour-in-the-various processes.
In order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the-same-may-be-
properly understood, I have hereunto appended for that purpose three Sheets of
explanatory Drawings to be hereinafter referred to, and representing modifications
of my various improvements. In these Drawings the same reference letters are
used to mark the same or like parts where repeated.
Figure 1 on Sheet 1 of the Drawings is a side elevation, and Figure 2 is n
longitudinal vertical section of an ordinary construction of grinding and tempering
pan A used for pulverising and treating the clay, which is in accordance with my
Invention, arranged and fitted with improved appliances, whereby the clay is guided
under the grinding rollers, and the pans may be made self-discharging. The pan A
is fitted as usual on a vertical driving shaft A', actuated by gearing A² from a
counter-shaft, and the rollers B are fitted to revolve loosely on a cross shaft B'
held and guided by the side standards C.
The improved appliances referred to comprise a horizontal framing D fixed to
the side standards C, and carried over the pan at each side of the rollers B, and
fitted with a series of vertical guide plates D' in front of each roller which extend
down through the clay on the pan A, and direct it under the rolls B. These guido
plates D' are fitted to their carrying frame D by screwed studs or pins d so as to
be readily swivelled or adjusted to any angle, and so that the clay carried round
by the revolving pan is gradually shifted by them from one side or face of the rolls B
to the other side, and thereafter thrown off or out of the way of the rollers. By
the use of these adjustable guides the clay may thus be either directed in towards
the centre of the pan or out towards its lip or outer edge to be discharged, the
outer rim or edge of the pan A being made of slight depth, or altogether removed.
For tempering purposes an open cylinder E is hung from the horizontal framing or
cross shaft B carrying the rolls or other support, and fitted round the central
revolving shaft A' of the grinding pan A; and mixing and discharging knives or
blades e are fixed or formed on the shaft A¹ to form with similar knives e¹ fitted
to the inner side of the cylinder E a pug mill, into which the clay to be tempered
is thrown and mixed with water which may be supplied by hand or from a supply
pipe discharging into the cylinder E. Outlet passages e are formed round the
lower end of the cylinder E, through which the clay is discharged into the revolving
pan A
By a further improvement the air contained in ground clay, and which when
subjected to the heat of the kiln would expand and injuro the articles or ware to

page_text: be produced, especially in fire-clay articles, is driven off or forced out of the clay by
means of steam. For this purpose I use a box or vessel of any convenient shape,
such as is shown in vertical section in Figure 3, and in sectional plan in Figuro 4
of the Drawings. This box or vessel F is formed with a perforated top or shelf F¹,
upon which the ground clay is placed. Steam is admitted by a pipe fitted with
a stop-cock F at one side of the box F, and passes up through the perforations fin
the top, and through the clay, thereby displacing or forcing out the air in the clay.
The condensed steam or water in the box F is run off by an opening provided with
a stop-cock F³, or a steam trap and cleansing or sludge door F is also fitted near
the bottom of the box for withdrawing any clay which may drop through the
perforations finto the box or vessel F. The stop-cock which controls the inlet of
the steam to the box F may be closed at intervals, when the steam by condensing
will produce a partial vacuum within the box, which may be utilised to withdraw
air from the clay above.
By a further improvement of this Invention designed to facilitate the production
of pipes or other hollow-ware from clay or similar plastic material, and to overcome
the difficulty of building up such ware continuously until the article is completed
in length without bulging out or deforming the articles by the superincumbent
weight of the soft and plastic material; the outside of the waro, as it is built up,
is supported by means of string or casings, which may be of sheet-iron or other
flexible substance, but which I prefer to make of rigid material for convenience of
fitting in sections when building up ware of considerable length. Figure 5 is a
vertical section, and Figure 6 is a horizontal section of a piece of round ware as
built up in this manner; and Figures 7 and 8 are corresponding views of a piece of
ware, such as a retort, having a flat side, in the process of building up. If tho
ware or article G is round or oval in section, the sheet iron or other casings H used
to support it are made to surround it, as in Figures 5 and 6, and are fastened by
means of screws or bolts and flanges h, or similar devices which admit of tightening
the supporting casings H in position. If the ware is of D section, as in Figures 7
and 8, the flat side is supported by wooden boarding H' or other rigid material,
and the round part either by flexible sheet iron or as shown by rigid casings H
attached thereto by screws or tightening devices h.
In the manufacture of certain articles it is found to be preferable to make the
outside support or casing H rigid, and to have an aperture between it and the
clay G, into which sand or other running or shifting substance as I¹ is introduced
as a support to the clay. This casing H may be made of any convenient length or
height, and it is made in short sections, and any length may be obtained as required
by increasing the number of casing pieces and bolting them together, or otherwise
securing them, if necessary, for strength. The inside of the walls of the ware G
being built up or manufactured is supported by sand or other similar yielding
substance I, and which will give way or admit of the shrinkage which takes place
in drying. The sand may be placed on a drum or core, or other support inside
the hollow ware, and it may be so placed in pockets, or with free spaces at such
intervals as will admit of the necessary yielding to the shrinkage of the clay, while
giving sufficient pressure to keep the clay from sinking.
In supporting the inside of certain articles it is found preferable to have a drum
or core J constructed of iron sheets or plates, or other material in segments, fitted
as at J in vertical joint pieces, in which the plates may move so that the core will
contract and yield to the shrinkage of the clay. As in the case of the outside
support this core J may be made in sections so as to be increased in length or
height as required, the sections and joint pieces being made to break band at the
horizontal joints. Between the pieces a sole of wood or other substance is placed
to support them. A space is left between the core and the inside of the clay into
which sand is introduced, as before described, and the sand is by preference used in
a heated condition, and it is mixed with a drying material, or a desiccated substance,
such as stucco, is used in place of sand.
These inner and outer supports may have holes, as j, pierced through them fitted

page_text: if desired with short tubes to allow of the escape of steam, and also of surplus sand
should the sand pressure prove too great. As the building up of the ware proceeds
additional sections of these casings H, J, are fitted over those below to support the
soft clay, while a further length is formed above. In certain cases it may not be
necessary to make use of both outside and inner casings, one or other of them may
be sufficient.
When the hollow ware instead of being built up is pressed out as in a pipe
making or similar machine, as is indicated in the perspective view, Figure 9, the
pipe K or other article produced is cut longer than the intended length to the
extent of the depth of the faucet K' required for jointing, and the extra length is
placed with the pipe or hollow article K upon the drying stove, this extra length
serving as a support for the pipe. An incision is cut round the pipe, and the faucet
piece K in the form of a ring is fitted round the pipe and attached to its lower
end (ns indicated in the section, Figure 10) without being made to bear the super-
incumbent weight of the pipe K, and be thereby broken or weakened at the point k
where the pipe and its faucet are joined. By preference the ring or faucet piece Ķ¹
is first made, and the pipe K or other article is pressed out of the machine or made
inside of it.
To facilitate the transference of pipes or other ware from such machines to the
potter's wheel and the drying stoves, and also generally for the purpose of filling
and emptying kilns in which clay-ware-is-dried-or--burned, and_for_conveying
-the-goods-to-stove-banks,-a-novel_arrangement of “float_shord" or carriage is
used.
The ordinary shord or flat-board M, which rests on the balanced "cage" L and
receives the pipe K or other ware produced by the machine, is by this improve-
ment fitted with rails 7 on its under side. These rails / fit over and bear on wheels
or rollers n hung or supported in runs N which extend from the "cage" L and
pipe pressing or other machine to the potter's wheel, where the faucet is preferably
jointed to the pipe and finished on the outside, and thenco the pipe is led on to the
stove, and after the pipe K is dried the extra length is removed and the inside of
the faucet finished. The wheels n are by preference sunk, so that the runs N form
guides for the float M, as indicated in Figure 11. The runs N are carried across
the cage on which the pipes are pressed and across the potter's wheel, and the
"float" M when it receives the pipe or other ware from the machine can be
transferred over the runs N to the potter's wheel, and thence to the drying stove,
thus admitting of the ware being at once placed on the stove in a comparatively
finished state. The ware or article is then removed on the said floats M over the
runs to the kiln.
These improved "floats" M and runs N are also used for filling and emptying the
kilns O, as is indicated in the perspective view, Figure 12, and for transferring the
finished goods from the kilns O to stove banks or to the carriages or railway trucks
which convey the goods through the works. For these purposes the carrying
trucks, as P, are also fitted with a series of runs N' placed transversely on the top,
and the loaded "floats" Mare run either direct from the fixed or stationary runs N
to the carriage or truck runs N³, or on to a small travelling carriage Q fitted with
runs N' and carried on rails R on a framing R' placed transversely to the line of
the fixed runs N, and at a suitable level for discharging the "float" M to the
carriage or truck Q, as is indicated in Figure 13. A like method is adopted for
discharging on to the storing banks or sheds.
In order to vary the direction of the runs, and to enable the floats M to be
transferred from one set of runs to another, turntables S set on wheels are made
use of, and runs N' fitted with rollers are hung across these tables for receiving the
floats M in the same manner as for the potter's wheel. The runs N are tied
together by stays or tie-rods n' at intervals, and when they are carried to a higher
level than the ground they are laid on tressels N³ or other framings. These runs N
may be made in portable lengths which may be laid wherever desired in the works
where the ware is prepared.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of my said Invention and the manner of
performing the same, I have to state that I do not confine myself to the precise
details herein described or delineated, but what I consider novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the hereinbefore in part recited
Letters Patent is,―
First. In grinding pans for grinding or tempering clay the fitting of angled
guide plates in front of the grinding rolls to shift the clay across the face of the
rolls or to discharge it from the pan, and the forming of a pug mill round the
central driving shaft of the pan, substantially as herein described in reference to
the accompanying Drawings.
Second. The treating of clay by means of steam caused to pass through a close
box fitted with a perforated plate whereon the clay is placed, substantially as and
for the purposes berein set forth in reference to the accompanying Drawings.
Third. The supporting during their formation of retorts and other articles of
hollow clay ware by means of casings fitted within and without and built up in
sections with a layer of sand or similar loose material between them and the ware,
substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth in reference to the
accompanying Drawings.
Fourth. The construction or formation, substantially as herein set forth, of pipes
or other hollow ware to which the faucets are fitted round a removable extension
of the pipe or ware made to support it during the process of manufacture.
Fifth. The construction and arrangement of "floats" with rails on their under-
side, and portable runs provided with rollers or pulleys on which the floats are
fitted for conveying the clay ware from place to place in the works during the
process of manufacture or as finished goods, and the fitting of carrying waggons or
turntables with runs to receive such floats, substantially as and for the purposes
herein set forth in reference to the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Gillespie, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
Witness,
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER, C.E.,
Of W. R. M. Thomson & Co.,
Patent Agents,
Glasgow.
JAMES GILLESPIE. (L.S.)