IMPROVEMENTS IN DIES EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SEWERAGE PIPES, CHIMNEY LININGS, AND OTHER HOLLOW BODIES OF CLAY
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Armour, of Perceton Fire-clay Works, Kil-
marnock, North Britain, Manager, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN DIES EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SEWERAGE PIPES, CHIMNEY
LININGS, AND OTHER HOLLOW BODIES OF CLAY."
Sealed the 26th April 1861, and dated the 3rd November 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Armour at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 3rd
November 1860.
I, JOHN ARMOUR, of Perceton Fire-clay Works, Kilmarnock, North
Britain, Manager, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN DIES EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SEWERAGE PIPES,
CHIMNEY LININGS, AND OTHER HOLLOW BODIES OF CLAY," to be as follows:-
To the outside of the die I attach two guide bars with grooves placed
parallel to each other, and on opposite sides of the opening of the die; I
then place two thin plates of steel or other suitable substance, properly
strengthened, opposite to each other, sliding in the grooves of the parallel bars,
and having their inside faces shaped to the size, or nearly so, of the half of
the bell or portion of the die that forms the interior of the article. To these
plates I connect levers, which move them in opposite directions, so that when
the hollow article is pressed out of the machine to the length desired these

page_text: thin plates cut it square off, and, by meeting tight against the bell of the die,
prevent any further exit until the plates are opened, thus allowing the article
to be taken from the machine, and the guiding apparatus which carries the
article while it is being made, to be brought up before the exit of another
article is allowed to commence.
When it is required to produce pipes or other articles that are to have a
faucet or half faucet on one end, I make a die with a recess in the bottom of
it corresponding to the outside of the faucet required. The cutting plates are
then made to act below this widened portion, which on being moved up to
the bell formis a space to be filled with the clay corresponding to the required
shape of the faucet outside and of the bell inside. By placing a small opening
at the top of this recess it can be ascertained when it is pressed full of clay by
the clay oozing out of the opening. On the plates being opened, the pipe
proceeds having this collar or band of clay formed on its end. The inside
thickness of clay is afterwards cut or turned out to complete the formation of
the faucet. The cutting plates may be divided into two, three, four, or more
segments of the circle, and made to act as above described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Armour in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
3rd May 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
ARMOUR, of Perceton Fire-clay Works, Kilmarnock, North Britain, Manager,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Armour, Her special licence that I, the said John Armour, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I; the said Jobn
Armour, iny 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
DIES EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SEWERAGE PIPES, CHIMNEY LININGS, AND
OTHER HOLLOW BODIES OF CLAY," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,

page_text: the said John Armour, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particu-
larly 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 Armour, 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:
To the outside of the die I attach two guide bars with grooves placed
parallel to each other, and on opposite sides of the opening of the die; I
then place two thin plates of steel or other suitable substance, properly
strengthened, opposite to each other sliding in the grooves of the parallel bars,
and having their inside faces shaped to the size, or nearly so, of the half of
the bell or portion of the die that forms the interior of the article. To these
plates connect levers, which move them in opposite directions, so that when
the hollow article is pressed out of the machine to the length desired these
thin plates cut it square off, and, by meeting tight against the bell of the die,
prevent any further exit until the plates are opened, thus allowing the article
to be taken from the machine and the guiding apparatus, which carries the
article while it is being made, to be brought up before the exit of another
article is allowed to commence.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a vertical section, and Figure 2
a plan of the under side of a die, in which the foregoing improvements are
embodied. a, a', are guide bars secured to or formed in a piece with, the
plate b, and made with grooves, as shewn in the section; c, c, are the plates
of steel or other suitable material carrying knives or cutters c¹, c', and free to
slide in the grooves. These plates are made, as shewn, to suit the shape of
the mouth of the pipe or other article to be manufactured. d is the "bell,"
between which and the frame or die e the clay from the pug mill passes;
ff, are links jointed to the levers 9, 9, which are free to move about the
points h, h, on the guide bar a'; i, i, are other links jointed to the levers g, g,
and to the lever k, which is, free to move about the point on a lug projecting
from the frame b; m is a handle by which the levers are operated. It will
be seen that these levers are so arranged as to move the plates c, c, in opposite
directions along the grooves, thus by moving the lever in the direction of the
arrow, the plates are opened, and vice versa. To use the apparatus, open the

page_text: plates, and admit clay from a pug mill or pipe-making machine between
the bell d and die e. As the clay advances, and, consequently, as the pipe
is made, it descends below the bell, resting on a guide board descending with
it until sufficient clay is admitted to make it of the desired length. The two
plates c, c, are then brought quickly together, which sever the made pipe from
the bell and it is removed from the guide, which ascends to the mouth of the
bell ready to receive another pipe; the knives c¹, c', prevent the exit of more
clay until they are again opened ready to make a fresh pipe. When it is
required to produce pipes or other articles that are to have a faucet or half
faucet on one end, I make a die with a recess in the bottom of it cor-
responding to the outside of the faucet required. The cutting plates are then
made to act below this widened portion, which, on being moved up to the
bell forms a space to be filled with the clay corresponding to the required
shape of the faucet outside and of the bell inside.
Figure 3 is a vertical section, and Figure 4 a plan, of the under side of a
die and bell for producing pipes with a faucet or half faucet, as just described.
n is the recess at the bottom of the die; the mouth of the bell is made longer
than in the arrangement shown at Figures 1 and 2. It will be observed,
that in the die for the straight pipes the small portion of the bell under the
knives c', c', or plates c, c, is somewhat less in diameter than it is at its upper
part. This is also the case in the faucet die, but to a greater extent, the
portion removed extending in this case to about the shoulder of the bell,
where the faucet part strikes off. This is done to avoid friction as much as
possible; in other respects this apparatus is similar to that before described,
and the same letters of reference refer to like parts in both Figures.
I prefer to make the dies separate from the flange by which they are
attached to the apparatus, by which means the grooves and levers, being
placed on the flange, can be fitted to a number of cutting plates for different
dies. By placing a small opening at the top of the recess n, it can be ascer-
tained when it is pressed full of clay by the clay oozing out of the opening.
On the plates being opened, the pipe proceeds, having this collar or band of
clay formed on its end. The inside thickness of clay is afterwards cut or
turned out to complete the formation of the faucet.
The cutting plates may be divided into two, three, four, or more segments
of the circle, and made to act as above described; or they may be made in 4
or in any other number of straight or other shaped plates, to correspond with
any shaped die, whether it be round, oval, oblong, or otherwise.
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-

page_text: ments in dies employed in the manufacture of sewerage pipes, chimney linings,
and other hollow bodies of clay,-
First, the employment of knives or plates sliding in grooves, and formed
so as to correspond when brought together to the shape of the bell of the die,
substantially in manner and for the purposes herein-before described and
illustrated at Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying Drawings.
Second, lengthening the bell of the die so as to form, with the ring
corresponding to the outside of the faucet, a chamber which is pressed full
of clay, while the knives are close, substantially as herein-before described
with reference to Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Armour, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of April, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-one.
JOHN ARMOUR. (L.S.)