IMPROVED COMPRESSING APPARATUS TO BE USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BUTTONS AND OTHER ARTICLES FROM CLAY
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Edward Newton, of 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVED
COMPRESSING APPARATUS TO BE USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BUTTONS
AND OTHER ARTICLES FROM CLAY." A communication from abroad by
Jean Félix Bapterosses, of Paris, in the Republic of France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Edward Newton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th November 1879.
HENRY EDWARD NEWTON, of 66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Civil Engineer. "IMPROVED COMPRESSING APPARATUS TO BE USED IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF BUTTONS AND OTHER ARTICLES FROM CLAY." [A communication
from abroad by Jean Félix Bapterosses, of Paris, in the Republic of France.]
This Invention relates to a mode of applying certain and well defined pressures in
the moulding of buttons and other small articles, for the purpose of insuring
uniformity of manufacture in the articles produced.
To this end I employ for the working of the press, which contains the moulding
dies, hydraulic pressure, the cylinder of the press being brought into communication
at pleasure with one or other of two reservoirs, the one being calculated to supply
water at a low and the other at a high pressure. The cylinder which is set over
the bed of the press is brought into communication by means of pipes and cocks
with both these reservoirs, its upper part being capable of receiving water from
both reservoirs in turn, and its lower part water only from the low pressure
reservoir.
The piston of this cylinder is fitted with a piston rod which is made bollow at
its lower end, and attached at this end of the rod is the platen or counter die of
the press.
Within the hollow of the piston rod is fitted a rack rod, which carries
and is intended to operate piercing needles for forming holes in the moulded button.
The piston rod is slotted transversely to receive a toothed sector or pinion, which
gears into the rack, and serves to depress and raise it, the sector being actuated by
a hand lever provided for the purpose.

page_text: In the water supply and discharge pipes two cocks are provided, by the turning
of which the rise and fall of the piston is controlled at pleasure. When the com-
pressing operation is commenced the cocks in connection with the low pressure
reservoir is turned so as to supply to the top of the piston water therefrom.
This water passes through the second cock on its way to the cylinder, and forces
down the platen or counter die, thereby compressing the plastic composition
contained in the die or dies on the bed plate. The piercing needles are now brought
into action, and forced through the plastic material by means of the hand lever
before mentioned.
The next operation is to bring the high pressure reservoir to bear upon the goods.
This is effected by turning the second cock which brings the high pressure reservoir
into communication with the upper end of the cylinder, the lower end being open
through a second passage in the first cock to a waste pipe. By maintaining the
head of water in this reservoir at a given level an uniform amount of pressure will
be applied to the articles under manufacture, and from this will result an uniform
or nearly uniform product. For releasing the goods from pressure it is only
necessary to turn the second cock so as to cut off communication between the
cylinder and the high pressure reservoir, and to turn the first mentioned cock so
as to open a communication through it with the top of the cylinder and the waste
pipe. This change in the position of the cocks will permit of water passing in below
the piston, and thus the platen or counter die will be raised clear of the work. The
piercing needles are then to be drawn back ready for repetition of the above described
operation.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th
May 1880.
HENRY EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVED COMPRESSING APPARATUS TO
BE USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BUTTONS AND OTHER ARTICLES FROM CLAY."
A communication from abroad by Jean Félix Bapterosses, of Paris, in the
Republic of France.
In the manufacture of buttons and analogous articles from clay it is necessary
first to mould or form the articles in a press before they are fired. Hitherto
presses worked either by hand or by steam have been used, but by neither of these
plans have the results been as perfect as could be desired.
By the use, however, of hydraulic pressure a regular and intense pressure which
may be regulated at will, with consequent advantages in the density as well as the
sharpness of form of the articles produced, can be obtained.
Now the object of the present Invention is to provide a means whereby this
pressure may be rendered most effective for the desired purpose.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the improved press
as applied to the manufacture of buttons; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same taken
on the line x, x, Fig. 1 ; and Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the hydraulic cylinder
showing the means for actuating the needles for piercing the holes in the buttons;
Fig. 4 shews a vertical section of one cock; and Figures 5 and 6 shew respectively
a vertical and horizontal section of another cock for opening and closing the
communication between the hydraulic cylinder and the reservoirs.
As will be seen by the Drawing the press proper, which may be of any well
known form, is surmounted by a cylinder A containing a piston B, the rod C of
which is connected to the presser plate of the moulding die. The cylinder A is
supported on columns connected with or forming part of the framing of the press.
The interior of the cylinder and the piston are made tight by means of the rings D.
of leather, india-rubber, or other suitable substance. These rings are held in position
by metal rings or plates, which are screwed to the piston and to the cylinder ends,
and are so arranged (as will be seen by the Drawing) that the pressure of the liquid
in the cylinder will serve to keep the parts watertight.
The piston rod C at its lower end is formed with a socket, into which is inserted
and secured therein by screws a tubular piece E, which forms a continuation of the
rod C.
A rack rod F attached at its lower end to the needle carrier G of the ordinary
form for piercing the holes in the buttons projects into the tubular piece E, and
engages with a toothed sector on the end of a lever H, which lever is pivotted at I
to the piece E. A slot is made in the tube E to receive the tail of the lever H,
and the lowering or raising of the lever by the attendant causes the needle carrier
to rise or fall. A bowl or grooved roller H¹ is pivotted at 1 to the tube E, and
serves to keep the rack in contact with the teeth of the sector.
The cylinder A is placed at will in communication with a reservoir containing
water at a low pressure, and with an accumulator at high pressure, by means of
two cocks K and L, the working of which will be seen at Figures 4 and 5.
The press works in the following manner :-Suppose it is desired to force down
the piston which is at the highest point of its stroke, the cocks K and L being in
the position shewn at Figures 4 and 5, the water is conveyed from the reservoir by
the pipe M, and after passing through the cock L it descends the pipe N, and
passing through the cock K enters the cylinder above the piston by the pipe P. At
the same time the water which is below the piston runs out through the pipes O
and Q, and cock L The piston B is thus caused to descend, and with it the presser

page_text: plate, which gives to the material in the moulds a first pressure.
The workman
then, by raising the lever H, forces down the needle carrier and pierces the holes in
the button, he also turns the cock K into the dotted position, Fig. 5.
The new position of the cock K brings the space above the piston into communi-
cation with the accumulator by means of the pipes R and P, and the piston
continues to descend, and the presser plate is caused to act with energy on the
material in the moulds, and thoroughly compress it.
The upward motion of the piston is effected by returning the cock K to its
original position, and turning the cock L into the dotted position shewn at Fig. 4.
The space above the piston is thus placed in connection with the emptying tube Q,
and the space below the piston with low pressure reservoir.
By the use of the above described apparatus the molecular elements constituting
the clay submitted to the moulding, after having undergone considerable pressure,
are presented to the firing operation under the best conditions, the shrinkage of
the objects and the consequent departure from their true form are considerably
reduced, and a considerable saving of material in the manufacture is effected.
It will thus be seen that by simply operating the cocks K and L the material in
the moulds will be subject to an energetic and increasing pressure, with the advan-
tages both of saving of manual labour, and of greater perfection in the manufactured
articles.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention of "Improved Com-
pressing Apparatus to be used in the Manufacture of Buttons and other Articles
from Clay," as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and explained
the manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under
the above in part recited Letters Patent, I claim, the arrangement of apparatus
herein shewn and described for applying hydraulic pressure in the manufacture of
buttons and other articles from clay, as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Edward Newton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twenty fourth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.