Improvements in the Manufacture of "Pins" Used in Supporting Pottery Ware while being Baked or Fired.
Year: 1888

page_text: Improvements in the Manufacture of "Pins" Used in Supporting
Pottery Ware while being Baked or Fired.
We, ELIAS LEAK, and HARRY AYNSLEY, Manufacturers, both of Stoke on Trent,
Staffordshire, do hereby declare the nature of our 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 the Specifications of Letters Patent Nos. 4298 of 1878 and 17763 of 1887, there
are described certain grooved saggers and attached and separate grooved supports
formed with grooves adapted to support superposed series of pins which are so forined
as to support the pottery ware while being baked or otherwise fired, and depend for
their own support upon the conformation of the grooved parts of the said saggers or
supports.
Heretofore such pins have been made in dies singly which is a slow and laborious
process enhancing the cost of production of the pins.
The object of the present Invention is to avoid this waste of time and other
attendant disadvantages and to cheapen the cost of production, and to this end the
Invention consists in moulding such pins simultaneously in series of any suitable or
convenient number from a sheet of clay substantially as hereinafter described.
The Invention is illustrated on the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1.
represents a top view of a mould adapted to produce in conjunction with a top
descending die plate or its equivalent a series of twelve pins at a time, each of such
pins being of the kind hereinbefore referred to and of the formation represented in
perspective view Fig. 2. Fig. 3. is an under plan view of the mould; and Fig. 4. is
a transverse section through the line, a, b, Fig. 1.
It should be understood that Fig. 2. is merely given as representative of the class
of pins to which the Invention relates and that the Invention is not in any way limited
to the form of pins illustrated in such Figure. Pins of such class are each formed
with a part, 5, adapted to fit and slide within the groove of the sagger or other
grooved support herein before referred to, and with a projecting part, 6, adapted for
supporting the ware under its rim, foot or otherwise as required. The shape of such

page_text: part, 5, of the pins may be varied in accordance with the formation of the groove in
which it is intended to fit, and the part, 6, may also be made of any other suitable
shape than that shown in Fig. 2.
It will, of course, be understood that the series of moulds in which, in accordance
with the present improvements, a series of such pins are simultaneously formed, will
require to be made in agreement with the particular form of such pin which it is
desired to produce. The moulds may be made of cast iron or of other suitable
material.
Referring to the accompanying drawings:-The mould plate, 7, is formed with a
series of cavities or recesses, 8, each of the required shape and dimensions to produce
the part, 5, of the pin, and with a series of recesses, 9, extending from the recesses, 8,
each of the required shape to produce the part, 6, of the pin, each pair of such
recesses, 8, 9, forming a complete mould for one pin.
The lowest part of each such mould is formed with a through hole or opening, 10,
extending into an under-cut outlet, 11, for permitting of the escape of air from the
mould so as to allow of the compression of the clay from which the pins are formed
into every part of the mould by the operation of the descending die plate or its
equivalent, and the consequent perfect formation of the pin therein.
It is preferred that the adjacent moulds should be arranged alternately in opposite
directions, the parts, 9, thereof being arranged side by side, and the parts, 8, endwise
thereof as represented in Fig. 1. in order that space may be economised and the
greatest convenient number of pins made from a given superficial extent of clay. The
adjacent moulds may, however, all be arranged in the same direction, in which case
a greater superficial extent of clay would be required to produce a given number
of pins.
The upper surface of the mould-plate is grooved and bevelled off, as at, 12, in order
that the surplus clay, if any, as it is compressed by the descent of the die plate may
readily escape at the edges thereof and to permit of the die plate descending into
contact with the top of the mould-plate.
The modus-operandi is as follows a sheet of clay of about sufficient substance to
form the desired series of pins is laid over the mould-plate and a suitably supported
top die plate is caused by suitable means to descend theroonto, in so doing compressing
the clay into the adjacent series of moulds, the air from which escapes through the
holes, 10, and the excess of clay, if any, being caused to exude from between the die
and mould-plates as aforesaid, after which the die plate is raised and if a film of clay
is left over any part of the top level of the mould-plate it is scraped off by a scraper
or other suitable means.
In lieu of the top die-plate a roller or equivalent means may be used for
compressing the clay into the adjacent series of moulds.
The pins may be fired in the usual manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
The manufacture of pins of the class herein before referred to by moulding them
simultaneously in series from a sheet of clay substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 29th day of September 1888.
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
321, High Holborn, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.