IMPROVEMENTS IN GRINDING MATERIALS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF POTTERY, AND IN APPARATUS TO BE USED THEREFOR.
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Boulton, of Providence Foundry,
Burslem, in the County of Stafford, Engineer, for the Invention of
** IMPROVEMENTS IN GRINDING MATERIALS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
POTTERY, AND IN APPARATUS TO BE USED THEREFOR.'
"
°
Sealed the 30th May 1876, and dated the 2nd December 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Boulton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
2nd December 1875.
I, WILLIAM BOULTON, of Providence Foundry, Burslem, in the
County of Stafford, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN GRINDING MATERIALS USED IN THE MANU-
PACTURE OF POTTERY, AND IN APPARATUS TO BE USED THEREFOR,"
to be as
follows:
This Invention relates to improvements in grinding or pulverizing
materials used in the manufacture of pottery, such as flint, stone, felt-
spar, colour glaze, bone, or other similar articles or materials, and in
apparatus to be used for such purpose, and it has for its objects the

page_text: facilitating of such grinding or pulverizing process, and the more
efficient accomplishing of the same; and to attain these objects the
Invention comprises various modifications and improvements, as herein
subsequently and more particularly referred to.
The process or method of grinding such materials has hitherto been
effected by the use of very large stones with a flat bottom or grinding
surface, and which are fixed vertically and are caused to revolve in a
large round pan and by large stones or "mullers" driven by horizontal
iron driving arms, with vertical wooden arms hanging or depending
therefrom. The material to be ground or pulverized, with a sufficient
quantity of water, is put in the pan between stone and stone, and floats
round before the stones until it gets between the stone or "muller" and
the paved stone or other bottom of the grinding pan.
The improvements constituting this Invention are designed to cause
the material to be treated to get more quickly between the stones, and
consequently to be ground or pulverized in less time, and with a less
expenditure of power.
One modification or improvement consists in the use of three small
grinding pans arranged or joined together in the shafe of a trefoil, and
of revolving arms running in opposite directions, and which effectually
break up the current or flow of the material, and cause the latter to get
under the stones or "mullers" instead of flowing smoothly round the
pan without getting ground or pulverized, which occurs to a considerable
extent under the ordinary system.
A second modification or improvement consists in arranging the
centres of the sets of arms, and in fixing the latter so as to cause the
grinders or pulverizers to follow consecutively or successively over each
other's course or path.
A third improvement consists in the provision and use of means for
agitating and impeding the flow of the material being treated before the
stones, and getting it more quickly thereunder.
A fourth improvement consists in dispensing with and removing the
skirting between two pans, as hitherto used, and in converting them into
a double pan to accomplish the same object.
or
A fifth improvement consists in the employment of small round stones
"mullers" driven before the arms, as at present used, in lieu of those

page_text: of the very much larger size hitherto used, the size being proportioned
to that of the pan for obtaining more of a rolling motion round the pan,
and for getting more freely over the substance or material to be ground
or pulverized.
A sixth improvement consists in paving the bottom of the pan with
earthenware of a vitreous body or nature, either in a flat or plain state,
or with half round or other shaped grooves cut or formed round it, and
in using round or other shaped “mullers" made of the same or other
suitable material to run round in the said grooves, over which they are
driven by the said arms and effect the desired treating of the materials
placed in the pan.
A seventh improvement consists in the use of large or small rollers
running on a flat surface.
And an eighth improvement consists in concaving the bottom of the
pan to prevent the centrifugal force throwing the material (being
treated) too much to the outer part of the pan.
"
In some instances the pan may be made to revolve, and the stones or
" mullers may be stationary, or they may be driven from the top with
the centre or footstep above and out of reach of the material being
treated.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Boulton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 2nd June 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
BOULTON, of Providence Foundry, Burslem, in the County of Stafford,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said William Boulton, Her special
licence that I, the said William Boulton, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Boulton, my executors,

page_text: administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
GRINDING MATERIALS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF POTTERY, AND IN APPARATUS
TO BE USED THEREFOR," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said William Boulton, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Boulton, 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 in writing, and on reference being had to the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings, that is to say :—
This Invention relates to improvements in grinding or pulverizing
flint, stone, feltspar, colour glaze, bone, and other materials used in the
manufacture of pottery, and in apparatus to be used for facilitating and
efficiently accomplishing such process.
The Invention comprises various modifications and improvements, the
applications of which are illustrated on the annexed Sheet of Drawings,
and herein subsequently more particularly referred to.
The process of grinding or pulverizing such materials has hitherto
been effected by the use of very large stones with a flat bottom or
grinding surface, and which are caused to revolve in a large round pan
fixed vertically, and by large stones or "mullers" driven by horizontal
iron driving arms, with vertical wooden arms hanging or depending
therefrom. The material to be ground or pulverized, with a sufficient
quantity of water, is put in the pan between stone and stone, and floats
round before the stones until it gets between the stones or
"muller"
and the paved stone or other bottom of the grinding pan.
The improvements constituting this Invention are designed to cause
the material to be treated to get more quickly between the stones, and

page_text: consequently to be ground or pulverized in less time, and with a less.
expenditure of power.
"
One modification or improvement (illustrated on the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings in Figures 1 and 2) consists in the use of 3 small
grinding pans 1, arranged or joined together in the shape of a trefoil,
and of revolving arms 2 (running in opposite directions), and which
effectually break up the current or flow of the material, and cause the
latter to get under the "stones
"
or mullers" instead of flowing smoothly
round the pan without getting ground or pulverized, as occurs to a
considerable extent under the ordinary system. The arms 2 are con-
nected by centres 3 to driving shafts 4, which are provided with driving
wheels 5, receiving motion from a common driving pinion 6 carried by
a central shaft 7 (see Figure 2), and receiving motion by means of bevil
gearing 8 from the main shaft 9. The material being treated is pre-
vented getting to the shafts 4 by tubes 10 rising from the bottom of the
pan inside tubes 11, to which the arms 2 (of wood or iron) are secured,
the tubes 11 being coupled to the shafts 4 by keyed couplers 12.
13 represents slug irons so formed that curved stoneware slabs may be
inserted to keep the iron from coming into contact with the driving
stones.
A second modification or improvement consists in arranging the
centres of the sets of arms, and in fixing the latter so as to cause the
grinders or pulverizers to travel over each other's course.
A third improvement (illustrated in Figures 3 and 4) consists in tho
provision and use of means for agitating and impeding the flow of the
material being treated before the stones, and getting it more quickly
thereunder. These Figures illustrate the application of this improve-
ment to a flint grinding pan of the usual construction. 14 represents
the usual skirting; 13, the slug iron; 15, the vertical wood arms
depending from the horizontal iron driving arms 16; 17 represents the
impeding plates, or the means I employ for breaking up the centrifugal
flow of the material being treated, and turning the same under the
pulverizing stones. They may be slid down into position when the
material has been partly ground. Figure 4 illustrates them in this
position in a pan with a stone paved bottom.
A fourth improvement (illustrated in Figures 5 and 6) consists in
dispensing. with and removing the skirting 14 between two pans, as

page_text: hitherto used, and in converting them into a double pan to accomplish
the same object. In this modification motion is communicated direct
from the main shaft 9 through the bevil gearing 8 to the driving
shafts 4.
A fifth improvement consists in the employment of small round stones
or " mullers " driven before the arms, as at present used, in lieu of those
of the very much larger size hitherto used, the size being varied and
proportioned to that of the pan for obtaining more of a rolling motion
round the pan, and for getting more freely over the substance or material
to be ground or pulverized.
A sixth improvement consists in paving the bottom of the pan with
earthenware of a vitreous body or nature either in a flat or plain state,
or with half round or other shaped grooves cut or formed round it, and
in using round or other shaped "mullers" made of the same or other
suitable material to run round in the said grooves, over which they are
driven by the said arms, and effect the desired treating of the materials
placed in the pan.
A seventh improvement consists in the use of large or small rollers
running on a flat surface.
And an eighth improvement consists in concaving the bottom of the
pan to prevent the centrifugal force throwing the material being treated
too much to the outer part of the pan.
In some instances the pan may be attached to the driving wheel or
fastened to the driving shaft, and may be made to revolve, and the
stones or " mullers "and arms may be stationary, or they may be driven
from the top with the centre or footstep above, and out of reach of the
material being treated.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention for
"Improvements in Grinding Materials used in the Manufacture of
Pottery, and in Apparatus to be used therefor, together with the manner
in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical
effect, I would remark in conclusion that I do not limit myself to the
precise details of the improvements as herein described and as shewn on
the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, as they may be varied or modified
without departing from the principles of my Invention, but what I claim
as my Invention is, the application of the above-described improvements

page_text: to machinery or apparatus used in grinding or pulverizing the materials
herein-above referred to for the purpose of impeding and breaking up
the flow of such materials while being ground or pulverized, in order to
get them more quickly between the pulverizing stones or mullers,"
and more effectually and speedily ground or treated, substantially as
described and as illustrated on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Boulton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
WILLIAM BOULTON. (L.S.)