CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MOULDS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF EARTHENWARE, PORCELAIN, AND OTHER SIMILAR SUBSTANCES, WHEREBY SUCH MOULDS ARE RENDERED MORE DURABLE
Year: 1840

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOIN
RIDGWAY, of Cauldon Place, in the County of Stafford, China Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Eleventh day of January, One thousand eight hundred
and forty, in the third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said John Ridgway, Her especial
license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said John Ridg-
way, my executors, administrators, and assigns, and such others as I, the
said John Ridgway, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should agree
with, and no other, from time to time and at all times during the term of
years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my
Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MOULDS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF EARTHENWARE, PORCELAIN, AND OTHER SIMILAR SUBSTANCES, WHEREBY SUCH
MOULDS ARE RENDERED MORE DURABLE;" in which said Letters Patent is con-
tained a proviso that I, the said John Ridgway, shall cause a particular
description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be enrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
n part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto
ad, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Ridgway, do hereby declare that the nature of my Invention, and the

page_text: manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described and
ascertained in and by the Drawings hereto annexed, and the following
explanation thereof (that is to say) :-
My Improvement in the Moulds used in the Manufacture of Earthenware,
Porcelain, and other similar Substances, whereby such Moulds are rendered
more Durable, consists in the union or combination of two suitable substances
to form the mould for shaping or working carthenware or porcelain, instead
of making the mould of one substance or material throughout.. The face
of the mould which gives the shape or form to the article to be moulded is
to be composed of a thin layer of the substance usually denominated "pitcher"
(this term being well understood by potters and persons conversant with such
manufacture), and is to consist of a mixture of, say, eight pounds of flint, two
and a half pounds of blue clay, and one pound of china clay, more or less,
as may be found most desirable, and baked; which is then to be backed and
strengthened by a composition back, consisting of, say, three parts of sand,
two of Roman cement, and one of plaster of Paris, the whole mixed with water,
whereby after standing it becomes hard and durable. The union of these two
substances to form the mould will allow it to receive any form or size most
convenient for use. For the sake of illustration, I have attached to these
Presents a Sheet of Drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a face view; Fig. 2, an
edge view; and Fig. 3, a section of the mould; the "pitcher" face being
represented at a, a, a, and the composition back is shewn at b, b, b.
Having now particularly described the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be particularly
understood, that I do not intend to confine myself to the exact proportions or
materials, either of the "pitcher" face or of the "composition" back for
moulds, as it may be necessary to vary the same in order to suit convenience,
but I include all or any materials whatever which, being baked, come under
the general denomination of " pitcher "for the face of moulds, and also any
materials, metals, or modification whatever, to form the back of moulds. But
I claim as my Invention the union or combination of the two parts consti-
tuting a "pitcher" face, and a composition mixed or metal back, to form
moulds used in the manufacture of earthenware, porcelain, and other similar
substances.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Ridgway, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty.
JOHN (L.S.) RIDGWAY.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Third day of July, in the
fourth year of the reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, the said John
Ridgway came before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and
acknowledged the Instrument aforesaid, and all and everything therein
contained and specified, in form above written. And also the Instrument
aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made in the fifty-
fifth year of the reign of His late Majesty King George the Third.
Inrolled the Sixth day of July, One thousand eight hundred and
forty.