Improvements in Machinery for Moulding or Pressing Tiles and like Articles.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 13th ept., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 13th June, 1894-Accepted, 14th July, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Moulding or Pressing Tiles and
like Articles.
I REGINALD STANLEY of Nuneaton in the County of Warwick Manufacturer
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In machinery for moulding or pressing tiles and the like from moist or partly
dry powdered clay it is found in practice that the edges or arrises are likely to
become chipped or broken either when in a green or unburnt state or when baked
or burnt and my invention provides a means for making such edges or arrises
harder and of denser consistency than the remaining portion of the article.
"
or
It would appear that the clay when in a semi-dry condition will not "run
spread" under compression as it would if in a more plastic state and in order to
make the edges of the tile or like article perfectly smooth and hard I proceed as
follows.
I prefer to use the ordinary screw press with horizontal fly or hand wheel but in
some cases it may be found convenient to employ steam or hydraulic power, and
to the upper plunger is suspended a box or frame which is caused to descend with
the plunger until the latter commences to enter the mould upon the edge of which
the frame is then left standing to prevent any clay dust from being scattered or
blown out of the die and when the plunger ascends to its upper limit the box or
frame strikes against a fixed attachment which puts it in position for its next
descent. The lower plunger situated at the bottoin of the mould has fitted to its
underside a rod passing through the platform or table of the press and pivotted to
one end of a lever at the other end of which is a foot pedal, said lever being
fulcrummed between these points so that on depressing the foot pedal the lower
plunger may be raised and the tile when finished lifted out of the mould, or, on
raising the pedal end by any means the plate or plunger is drawn or assisted down
into the die and held there.
The lower plate or plunger is formed in two parts consisting of a narrow outside
ring or rectangular band (or with a recess of similar shape) exactly fitting a centre
portion which may be either circular or rectangular capable of being raised slightly
above it by the action of rods passing through the table and actuated by levers
working on a fulcrum & having counterbalancing weights regulated as required so
that on clay being introduced into the mould the outside portion thereof, that is, the
part which forms the edges or arrises of the tile or like article is of greater depth
and consequently receives more clay than the remaining central portion and when
the plunger descends the whole becomes compressed into a uniform thickness, the
centre or raised portion of lower plunger giving way under the pressure and
the edges or arrises are pressed to a harder consistency as compared with. the
remainder of the tile or article than would be the case under the ordinary way of
working.
Dated 13th day of September 1893.
POPPLEWELL & Co.,
Agents for Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Machinery for Moulding or Pressing Tiles and
like Articles.
I REGINALD STANLEY of Nuneaton in the County of Warwick, 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 :-
•
In machinery for moulding or pressing tiles and like articles from moist or
partially dry powdered clay or analogous material it is found that the edges
or arrises are likely to become broken or chipped either when in a green or
unburnt state or when baked or burnt and my invention provides a means for
making such edges or arrises harder and of denser consistency than the other
portions of the article.
It would appear that the clay when in a semi-dry condition will not "run" or
"spread" under compression as it would in a more plastic state and in order to
make the edges of the tile or article perfectly smooth and hard I proceed as
follows and in describing my apparatus I shall refer to the sheet of drawings attached
to this Specification whereon Figure 1 is a front elevation of a press fitted with my
invention and Figure 2 a side elevation of the same the portions particularly necessary
for illustrating my special apparatus being shown partly in section.
I prefer to use an ordinary screw press as shewn with horizontal hand fly wheel
but in some cases it may be more convenient to employ steam or other power.
To the upper plunger A I suspend a box or frame B which is caused to descend
with the plunger until the latter commences to enter the mould C.
upon
the edges
or sides of which the said frame B is left standing to prevent any clay-dust from
being scattered or blown out of the die and when the plunger reascends the box or
frame is carried with it the pins or like devices D striking against the plunger
bead E.
As it frequently happens that the box or frame sticks to the plunger and is
therefore carried out of its normal position prior to descending I provide and attach
to the boss or cylinder F in which the plunger shaft revolves arms G. G against
which' the top of the box will strike and being thus released fall to its proper position
as shewn on drawing.
The lower plunger situate at the bottom of the mould and constructed as hereafter
described is mounted upon a rod J passing downwardly through the table of the
press and slotted at its lower end as at K. to receive one end of a lever L pivotted
to a crossbar M or other suitable fulcrum the other end of said lever being formed
into a pedal or foot rest N so that on being pressed by the foot the lower plunger
rod J may be raised and the pressed tile lifted as will be described. Pedal N
may be raised and the lower plate or plunger drawn or assisted down into the
die C and be held there by means of a pedal lever T pivotted to the frame at U
and connected with the foot pedal N by means of a chain H attached thereto and
passing over a pulley !. The lower plate or plunger is formed in two parts consisting
of a narrow outside ring or rectangular band O(or of a plate having a recess of the
desired shape) exactly fitting a centre portion or plate P. capable of being raised
slightly above said baud by means of rods Q. Q. passing through the table and
actuated by lever R. having counterweight S. regulated as required.
Thus it will be seen that the lower central plate P projecting upwardly into the
mould allows a larger amount of pulverized clay to collect all round the sides
consequently when the upper plunger descends and compresses same at the same
driving down the centre plate P. a greater quantity of material is compressed
round the outside portions of the tile or article than in the centre such outside
portions being therefore more dense and the arrises more firm.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same may be performed I declare that what I
claim is.
1. In presses or machinery for manufacturing tiles or articles from powdered clay
or analogous material the use of an upper box or frame suspended from the plunger
and capable of resting upon the lower frame or mould during the operation of pressing
as and for the purposes herein before described with reference to drawings.
2. In machinery for moulding or pressing tiles or like articles the use of a lower
centre plate such as P projecting upwardly through a portion of the mould as and
for the purposes hereinbefore described with reference to drawings.
3. The apparatus to be affixed to a moulding press for tiles and the like for the
purpose of forming sharper and harder arrises on such tiles constructed and
arranged substantially as herein before described and as illustrated by the accom-
panying drawings.
Dated this 13th day of June 1894.
POPPLEWELL & Co.,
32 Southampton Buildings, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.