IMPROVEMENTS IN STACKING OR HOLDING BISCUIT. EARTHEN, CHINA, AND GLOSSED WARE FOR FIRING
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Edwards, of Fenton, in the County of Stafford,
Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STACKING OR
HOLDING BISCUIT. EARTHEN, CHINA, AND GLOSSED WARE FOR FIRING."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Edwards at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st March 1859.
I, JOHN EDWARDS, of Fenton, in the County of Stafford, Manufacturer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STACKING
OR HOLDING BISCUIT, EARTHEN, CHINA, AND GLOSSED WARE FOR FIRING," to be as
follows:-
'
My Invention consists in the construction of frames or holders for con-
taining plates and other articles in biscuit, earthen, and china ware; and glossed"
ware, while in the oven for firing. The frames consist of rings of fire-clay
with an inner projecting flange, and for every separate plate or other article I
use a separate frame. In stacking plates I invert them and place the rim or
edge of the plate upon the flange of the ring, and pile ring upon ring up to
any height desired. For china and tender ware I raise the flange according
to the shape of the article in course of manufacture, in order that it may be
supported while hardening. In some cases I form a complete shaped bottom
to the rings. For glossing after the ware has been hardened, I cause the
inner projecting flange to extend further inwards, and then rest the bottom of
the plate or other article upon the flange.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Edwards in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
1st September 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM. THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
EDWARDS, of Fenton, in the County of Stafford, Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Edwards, Her special licence that I, the said John Edwards, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Edwards, my executors, 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 STACKING OR
HOLDING BISCUIT, EARTHEN, CHINA, AND GLOSSED WARE FOR FIRING," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Edwards, 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 Edwards, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say :-
My Invention consists in the construction of frames or holders for con-
taining plates and other articles in biscuit, earthen, and china ware, and
glossed ware, while in the oven for firing. The frames consist of rings, made
by preference of fire-clay, but other clay may be used, with an inner pro-
jecting flange; and for every separate plate or other article use a separate
frame. In stacking plates I invert them and place the rim or.edge of the
plate upon the flange of the ring, and pile ring upon ring up to any height
desired. For china and tender ware I fashion the flange according to the
shape of the article in course of manufacture, in order that it may be supported

page_text: while hardening. In some cases I form a complete shaped bottom to the rings.
For glossing after the ware has been hardened, I cause the inner projecting
flange to extend further inwards, and then rest the bottom of the plate or
other article upon the flange.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a plan, and Figure 2 is a section
of a ring frame or holder for containing articles in earthen and china glossed
ware, in order to form a stack while in the oven for hardening or firing, con-
structed according to my Invention. The tops of the ring frames are rabetted
all round, and the bottoms are formed to fit into the rabbets, thus making stop
joints round the whole circumference. Instead of rabetted joints, any other
similar stop joints may be used, in order to form air and dust-tight joints, as
shewn at a, a', which keep the ware clean while in the oven, whereby the roll
of clay, as is now generally used to keep out dust and dirt, is dispensed with.
6 is an inner projecting flange, curved, as shewn in the section, Figure 2. In
forming a stack with the ring frames, as shewn at Figure 3, I place at bottom
a ring frame without any aperture in the centre, and finish the stack with a
similar frame at top, in order to exclude dust and dirt entering the stack
through the bottom and top. For some ware I employ ring frames which
need not have stop joints as they fit sufficiently tight to exclude dust and dirt,
by being accurately placed over one another. These frames have an inner
projecting flange or rim, as shewn in perspective view and section at Figures
4 and 5. For earthenware plates and saucers, and other like articles, these
narrow flanged ring frames will be found sufficient. I invert-the plates, when
plates are the articles to be fired, and rest the edges upon the flanges, using,
as before stated, a separate ring frame for every separate piece of ware.
Figure 6 shows a stack of these frames. For dishes and other large articles
and tender ware, I shape the flange to correspond with the form of the article,
and cause it to entirely or partially fill up the centre of the frame, as shewn in
the sectional views, Figures 7 and 8. Any of my ring frames, when made of
fire-clay, may be used alone to form stacks or bungs, being simply piled one
over the other; but where the frames are not of sufficient diameter to support
a bigh pile, they may be placed in saggers of the usual description, or in an
carthen cylinder or tube. Figures 9 & 10 show a ring frame and stack with.
another form of stop joint; and Figures 11 & 12 show also different forms
of joints.
I have used the term "ring frame" to designate the general character of
my hollers; but I do not limit myself to a circular frame, as its external
shape must be varied to correspond with the form of the dish or other article
to be held therein.

page_text: By the employment of my ring frames, few, if any, of the pieces of ware
will become distorted in firing and hardending; and among numerous other
advantages, many more articles can be placed in the same oven than when
"saggers" of the usual kind are used.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim, as my improve-
ments in stacking or holding biscuit, earthen, china, and glossed ware for
firing, the employment for each separate article of a ring frame or holder, with
a rim or flange projecting inwardly, so as to occupy the whole or part of the
centre of the ring, substantially in manner herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Edwards, have hereunto set my
hand and scal, this Twenty-ninth day of August, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-nine.
JOHN EDWARDS. (L.B.)