while being Baked or Fired.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 19th July, 1888
Specification Accepted, 24th Aug., 1888
while being Baked or Fired.
I, HENRY LEAK, of Church Street, Longton, Staffordshire, Potter's Machinist, do
hereby declare the nature of my said invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :--
This Invention relates to improved means to be used in supporting pottery-ware in
kilns or ovens while being baked or fired, the improved means being designed to
supercede the use of the ordinary cranks or box-cranks hitherto used for such
purpose.
The ordinary crank consists of a supporting bottom with depending feet, a series of
which cranks are placed one above another to the level of the height of the sagger
which usually contains four such piles, each crank supporting a plate, saucer or
analogous flat ware on its said bottom. In the use of such cranks a good proportion
of the ware is liable to be spoiled by the spitting-off of pieces of the sagger (which
is of a commoner material) which pieces adhere to the ware, detract from its
appearance and lessen its commercial value. Moreover, the substance of the cranks
partly consists of metals or compounds which slowly decompose and melt out and
after being a few times used an aggregation of such melted materials and of the
adhering glaze collects on the lowest part of the bottom of the crank and falls onto
the ware below with the like effect to that hereinbefore referred to. Hence, such
cranks are no longer useful and are thrown aside.
It has been attempted to remedy these defects by making the said bottom of the
crank together with a surrounding depending flange taking the place of the said
supporting feet, a series of such box-cranks being placed one above another and
supporting the ware in like manner as aforesaid. In these box-cranks, however, the
like objection to that hereinbefore mentioned of the liability of an accumulation and
fall of melted matter is existent entailing the necessity of throwing the whole box-
crank aside.

page_text: The special object of the present Invention is to make enclosing supports for the
ware which will be less liable to the disadvantages herein before pointed out and will
possess the further advantages hereinafter mentioned.
Various modifications of the Invention are illustrated on the accompanying
Drawings in sectional elevation in Figs. 1, to, 6.
In accordance with the present improvements, the said enclosing supports, 7, are
each made of an annular formation of any suitable thickness and of a vertical height
depending upon that of the ware intended to be supported therein, and the top and
bottom edges thereof are made with corresponding raised and recessed parts, 8, 9, of
any suitable formation adapted to engage with each other and to keep a superposed
series from lateral displacement.
In the modification represented in Fig. 1. the means of supporting the ware within
the rings, 7, consist of removable arms, 10, which may be of any suitable shape and
of any required length so as to be adapted to project under the foot of the ware or
under the rim thereof, and may be let into dovetailed or other suitably shaped slots
or recesses, 11, made in the inner periphery of the ring, or into suitably shaped
holes or openings, 12, formed in or through the substance of the ring, 7.
In the modification represented in Fig. 2. the said arms 10 are formed in one with
the said ring, 7.
In the modification represented in Fig. 3. the means of supporting the ware consist
of a removable annular flange, 13, of any suitable width and thickness, and which is
preferably formed with any required number of raised ribs, 14, for the ware to rest
on, and is adapted with a rim, 15, fitting within recesses, 16, formed in the inner
peripheries of the opposite faces of the adjacent rings, 7, and then act also as means
of preventing lateral displacement of the rings, 7, or the said rim, 15, may fit only
within a recoss, 16, formed in the lower ring, and the adjacent rings bo kept from
lateral displacement by raised and recessed parts, 8, and, 7, as illustrated in
Figs. 1, 2, & 4.
In the modification represented in Fig. 4. the said flange, 13, is formed in one
'with the said ring, 7.
:
In the modification represented in Fig. 5. the means of supporting the ware
consist of a removable bottom, 17, of any required shape and which may be formed
with bottom ribs, 14, for the ware to rest on, and is adapted with a rim, 15, adapted
to fit within one or opposite recesses, 16, formed in the rings, 7, as herein before
described with reference to Figure, 3.
In the modification represented in Fig. 6, the means of supporting the ware consist
of a removable ring, 18, formed in one with any required number of inner projecting
arms, 10, of any required shape and length as aforesaid, such ring being adapted with
a rim, 15, adapted to fit within one or opposite recesses, 16, formed in the rings, 7, as
hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 3 and, 5.
I prefer that the said rings, 7, should be made entire but they may be made in
two or more segmental parts so as to constitute a ring when placed together.
In each modification of the Invention the bottom ring of the pile may be made of
a sufficient depth to rest on the sagger bottom so as to support the second of the
series of ware above the bottom one which rests on the sagger bottom. Or the said
bottom ring may be made with depending feet of sufficient depth for the said
purpose.
It will thus be seen that in the modifications represented in Figs. 1, 3, 5, and, 6,
wherein the supporting parts are removable from the enclosing parts, that facility is
provided for replacing such supporting parts when after repeated use they become
liable to drop any collecting glaze on to the ware without wasting the said enclosing
parts which remain fit for continued re-use. These modifications I prefer to those
illustrated in Figs. 2. and, 4, wherein this facility does not exist, but such latter
modifications are also of advantage over the said means in present use in that they
are less weighty and when it becomes necessary to cast the improved supports aside
there is less waste of material.
Moreover, a greater number of the hereindescribed improved supports than of

page_text: ordinary cranks or box-cranks can be piled in the height of an ordinary sagger'
enabling me to economize the space therein to the best advantage and to bake or fire
a greater quantity of ware in the sagger at a time. The improved supports are also
of much less weight than the ordinary box-cranks, so that a sagger loaded therewith
can be much more readily lifted and placed in the kiln or oven.
The herein before described improved enclosing and supporting parts may all be
made of any suitable clay or plastic material or of suitable varieties of stone, and
may be moulded or otherwise formed in any suitable manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what
I claim is :-
1. The herein before described improved means of supporting pottery ware in kilns
or ovens while being baked or fired.
2. The construction of such means with an annular enclosing part adapted to
prevent lateral displacement of a superposed series thereof and with an inner
projecting supporting part or parts forming part thereof, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
3. The application and use in combination in such means, of an annular enclosing
part adapted to prevent lateral displacement of a superposed series thereof, in
combination with a removable inner projecting supporting part or with removable
inner projecting supporting parts substantially as hereinbefore described.
4. The application and use in combination in such means, of an annular enclosing
part, in combination with a removable inner projecting supporting part also adapted
to act as the means of preventing lateral displacement of a series of such superposed
enclosing parts, substantially as hereinbefore described.
5. The construction of means to be used for the purpose of the Invention in the
several manners hereinbefore described with reference to the several Figures of the
accompanying Drawings.
Dated this 17th day of July 1800
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
321, High Holborn, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.