IMPROVED MACHINERY AND MEANS IN CONNECTION THEREWITH TO BE USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF EARTHENWARE AND OTHER ARTICLES MADE FROM PLASTIC MATERIALS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Atterbury, of Ferrybridge, in the
County of York, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVED
MACHINERY AND MEANS IN CONNECTION THEREWITH TO BE USED IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF EARTHENWARE AND OTHER ARTICLES MADE FROM PLASTIC
MATERIALS."
Sealed the 12th February 1869, and dated the 19th August 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Atterbury
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 19th August 1868.
I, JOHN HENRY ATTERBURY, of Ferrybridge, in the County of York,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVED MACHINERY AND MEANS IN CONNECTION THEREWITH TO BE USED IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF EARTHENWARE AND OTHER ARTICLES MADE FROM PLASTIC
MATERIALS," to be as follows:-
Upon a suitable iron foundation plate I mount two vertical metal
standards opposite to each other at convenient distances apart, and

page_text: furnished with planed surfaces on their inner sides in the centre portion
of their length. On the top of the standards I mount a horizontal shaft
on which I key or otherwise secure an eccentric, so placed that it is free
to work between the standards, and is connected by means of a strap and
rod with a cross head to which it imparts when in motion a reciprocating
movement, the cross head being guided by the planed surface referred to.
To the under side of the cross head I connect a die of the size and shape
which it is desired to impress on the plastic material to be operated
upon. This die may be heated as explained in the Specification of a
Patent granted to me conjointly with Sydney Woolf, dated 27th November
1866, and numbered 3120. To a cross stay between the two standards,
and placed in proximity to the foundation plate, is secured the mould of
the article to be formed. Within this mould is a false bottom on to which
the plastic material to be formed is placed, and from the under side of
such false bottom depends a spindle the lower end of which is slotted to
receive one end of a lever having its fulcrum in a bracket secured to the
foundation plate, the other end of such lever being connected by a
vertical rod with a crank upon the end of the overhead shaft. This
crank is so arranged relatively to the eccentric referred to that when the
die descends to impress the plastic material within the mould the false
bottom is down to the bottom of the mould, and when the die ascends
the false bottom also rises and urges out the article moulded.
I may here mention that the false bottom is recessed all round its
edges, and within such recess some suitable absorbent substance saturated
with oil or other lubricant is inserted, being kept up to the face of the
mould by means of springs placed within the recess, so that in each
ascent the sides of the mould, are greased. The lubricator is kept
supplied with the lubricant by a small reservoir in the bottom of the
mould, each descent of the false bottom causing some of the lubricant to
be forced up to it. This mode of lubrication is chiefly applicable to
square and rectangular moulds, such as those for bricks and tiles. I
also heat the mould as well as the die. In some instances in lieu of the
heated metal mould I prefer to use moulds made of plaster of Paris, and
placed on a suitable cushion adapted to receive them, or such moulds
may be of tin, copper, or brass, and the articles moulded taken in
away
them to be dried. The face of the die may be lubricated by means of a
small oil cistern secured to one of the. standards near the middle of the

page_text: stroke and furnished with a pipe having a perforated termination. The
oil may be heated to a slight pressure, and turned on to the perforated
part by a cock or tap, when it is delivered on to the face of the die in
the form of a spray through the small perforations at the end of the
pipe. The same means may also be adopted for lubricating the mould.
when shallow articles, such as plates, et cetera, are being formed. In
some cases I use a small cylinder and piston to urge out the oil through
the perforations. The "eccentric" arrangement described above neces-
sitates a driving pulley on the overhead shaft. In some cases I dispense
therefore with the eccentric and substitute a steam cylinder, the lower
end of the piston rod of which is connected to the cross head as in the
case of steam hammers, whilst the upper end is connected to an over-
head crank secured to a shaft above the cylinder. By this means
uniformity of stroke is attained, equal thickness in the article stamped
being the result. If desired, endless bands may be used for carrying the
clay or plastic material from the pug mill to the mould, and also for
carrying away the stamped article from the mould.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Henry Atterbury in the Great Scal Patent
Office on the 19th February 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JoпN
HENRY ATTERBURY, of Ferrybridge, in the County of York, Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-cight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Henry Atterbury, Her special licence
that I, the said John Henry Atterbury, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Henry Atterbury, my
exccutors, 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,

page_text: the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVED
MACHINERY AND MEANS IN CONNECTION THEREWITH TO BE USED IN THE MANUFAC-
TURE OF EARTHENWARE AND OTHER ARTICLES MADE FROM PLASTIC MATERIALS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Henry Atter-
bury, my executors or administrators, by an instrument 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 John Henry Atterbury, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
Upon a suitable iron foundation plate I mount two vertical metal
standards opposite to each other at convenient distances apart, and
furnished with planed surfaces on their inner sides in the centre portion
of their length. On the top of the standards I mount a horizontal
shaft on which I key or otherwise secure an eccentric so placed that it is
free to work between the standards and is connected by means of a strap
and rod with a cross head to which it imparts when in motion a
reciprocating movement, the cross head being guided by the planed
surface referred to. To the under side of the cross head I connect a
die of the size and shape which it is desired to impress on the plastic
material to be operated upon. This die may be heated as explained
in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me conjointly with
one, Sydney Woolf, dated 27th November 1866, & numbered 3120. To
a cross stay between the two standards and placed in proximity to the
foundation plate is secured the mould of the article to be formed.
Within this mould is a false bottom on to which the plastic material
to be formed is placed, and from the under side of such false bottom
depends a spindle the lower end of which is slotted to receive one end
of a lever having its fulcrum in a bracket secured to the foundation
plate, the other end of such lever being connected by a vertical rod
with a crank upon the end of the overhead shaft. This crank is so
arranged relatively to the eccentric referred to that when the die

page_text: descends to impress the plastic material within the mould the false
bottom is down to the bottom of the mould, and when the die ascends
the false bottom also rises and urges out the article moulded.
I may here mention that the false bottom is recessed all round its
edges, and within such recess some suitable absorbent substance saturated
with oil or other lubricant is inserted, being kept up to the face of the
mould by means of springs placed within the recess so that in each
ascent the sides of the mould are greased. The lubricator is kept
supplied with the lubricant by a small reservoir in the bottom of the
mould, each descent of the false bottom causing some of the lubricant
to be forced up to it. This mode of lubrication is chiefly applicable to
square and rectangular moulds, such as those for bricks and tiles. I also
heat the mould as well as the die. In some instances in lieu of the
heated metal mould I prefer to use moulds made of plaster of Paris,
and placed on a suitable cushion adapted to receive them, or such
moulds may be of tin, copper, or brass, or tin, and the articles moulded
taken away in them to be dried. The face of the die (or if needful the
article to be formed) may be lubricated by means of a small oil cistern
secured to one of the standards near the middle of the stroke and
furnished with a pipe having a perforated termination. The oil may be
heated to a slight pressure (although I prefer to use it cold), and turned
on to the perforated part by a cock or tap, when it is delivered on to
the face of the die in the form of a spray through the small perforations
at the end of the pipe. The same means may also be adapted for
lubricating the moulds when shallow articles such as plates, &c., are
being formed. In some cases I use a small cylinder and piston to urge
out the oil through the perforations. The "eccentric" arrangement
described above necessitates a driving pulley on the overhead shaft.
In some cases therefore I dispense with the eccentric and substitute a
I steam cylinder, the lower end of the piston rod of which is connected
to the cross head as in the case of steam hammers, whilst the upper end
is connected to an overhead crank secured to a shaft above the
cylinder. By this means uniformity of stroke is attained, equal thickness
in the article stamped being the result. If desired, endless bands may
be used for carrying the clay or plastic material from the pug mill to the
mould, and also for carrying away the stamped article from the mould.
In order however that my Invention may be better understood,

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS..
Figure 1 is an end elevation, and Figure 2 a side elevation of the
apparatus; Figure 3 a detailed view of the die; Figure 4 shows the
false bottom of the mould; Figures 5 and 6 show views of the oil
wiper; Figure 7 a brand and pricker when biscuits or articles of con-
fectionery are manufactured; Figure 8 is a section of mould.
Letters A show the standards of the machine upon the foundation
plate B; letter C shows the eccentric through which motion is imparted
to the die D; letter E shows the claw by which the plastic material is
carried to position under the die, deriving its motion from a stud or
tappet on the centre shaft F; letter G shows the drum which actuates
through belting the lower drum H and the ratchet motion connected
therewith for projecting the plastic material within reach of the radius
of the claw E; letter I denotes the lever which is in conjunction with
the shorter lever i working within the slot of the false bottom J of
the mould; letter K denotes the oil cistern for lubricating the face of
the die as well as the inside of the mould, which latter as before
remarked has a lubricant from the absorbent material placed in the
recess of the false bottom J. Lubrication issues from the oil cistern
by the combined action of the weighted piston K' and the descending
action of the die tappet d upon the cocks c of the lubricating tubes c¹.
The mould may be heated when required both under the false bottom
and its periphery. The die may likewise be heated in the recess shown
in its periphery. In making tiles I prefer to dispense with the false
bottom and to carry the plastic material on an endless sheet through the
ratchet motion on the band drum over the mould and use the die cold.
This is also applicable to confectionery. Garden moulds of varied
patterns may be made with the false bottom or for the ornamental part
for such articles as lozenges. The heated die is not always needful, and
the lozenges may be made by hand or power motion.

page_text: do not claim as novel the use of a heated die by itself, but the general
arrangement of the machine shown with the appurtenances described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Atterbury, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of February,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
nine.
Witness,
P. H. SHARP,
Agent,
Leeds.
JOHN HENRY ATTERBURY. (L.S.)