Improvements in the Manufacture of Flower Pots.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Apr., 1887.
Complete Left, 27th July, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 30th Aug., 1887.
JOHN HENRY WITTY, 19, Chester Road, Highgate, London, N. Gardener. I do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
These pots are composed of an admixture of cowdung, clay, fibre & sanguinary
products and are made (in various sizes) by specially prepared machinery consisting
of Zinc moulds or casts with false bottoms, and cores for shaping the pots. They are
stated by me to possess special advantages over the ordinary hard baked clay pots,
and will be found, as the name implies the ne plus ultra of what is required for the
perfect growth of plants especially for bedding purposes.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Flower Pots.
:
1 JOHN HENRY WITTY of 19 Chester Road Highgate in the County of Middlesex
Gardener, 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 :-
The object of this invention is to manufacture or make flower pots in such a way as
to render them less fragile than is ordinarily the case and at the same time to contruct

page_text: them of such materials that they may not only act as receptacles for the roots but as
fertilizers to the plants.
In carrying out my Invention I use the following materials as the constituents for
the pots & in the proportions following that is to say-Cowdung 60 parts clay 10 parts
Cocoa fibre 20 parts sanguinary products i.e. blood and offal from a Butchers slaughter-
house 10 parts = 100 parts the Cowdung being first well separated from straw or other
extraneous matter or substance—the Clay well pounded or ground so as to detach or
pulverise all gritty matter or material adhering to the clay-the Cocoa fibre is first
well sifted & the Sanguinary products are treated in such a manner as to detach all
the fluid portions the residum being baked & afterwards powdered the whole mass is
then put into a pound mortar mill or other suitable apparatus and thoroughly mixed
until the mass has been reduced to the consistency of a thick pulp when it is ready
for moulding into pots but if the pots are to be large before this is done I add about
2 parts, for every 100 parts, of super phosphate of lime.
The material is moulded into pots by machinery or hand moulding consisting of
(1) a cylindrical hollow mould of somewhat tapering form constructed of zinc or any
other durable & suitable material.
The bottom or tapering end of the cylindrical mould is fitted with a rim extending
externally and internally-The external portion of the rim is to give greater strength
to the mould and power to the operator in discharging the pot when made-The
internal portion of the rim is to act as a stop or support to the false bottom or plunger
& keep it in position.
(2) The false bottom or plunger consists of a rod of iron or other suitable material
surmounted by a circular plate in the centre of which is inserted a stop pin for the
purpose of making the drainage hole to the pot-The false bottom or plunger is
dropped into the hollow cylinder and the edges of the circular plate rest on the
internal rim of the hollow cylinder the rod fitting into a hole or aperture prepared for
its reception The whole is thus retained in position.
The material for constructing the pots is now put into the hollow cylinder and (3) a
solid cylindrical mould or core having an insertion in the centre of its base for the
stop pin of the false bottom or plunger to work in and form the drain hole is inserted
and pressed down and round the material which is thus forced against the walls of the
hollow and the solid cylinders and the pot formed. The core is then withdrawn and
the pot driven out of the mould by the false bottom or plunger being pressed up
through the hollow cylinder when it is taken off the false bottom or plunger and
placed on the plates to dry.
The pots may be dried by artificial or Sun heat.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is
1st The construction of flower pots of the materials hereinbefore described but I
do not bind myself to the exact proportions of the constituent parts and
2ndly The machinery as hereinbefore described, or any mere modification thereof,
for the manufacture of the pots.
Dated this 27th day of July 1887.