AN IMPROVED METHOD AND MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF VARIOUS ARTICLES IN POTTERY, EARTHENWARE, OR PORCELAIN, BY MECHANICAL PROCESS
Year: 1865

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Edward Gedge at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 17th
February 1865. A communication from abroad by Edme Mercier,
of 15, Passage des Petites Ecuries, Paris, France, Geometrician.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD GEDGE, of the Firm of John Gedge and Son, of No. 11,
Wellington Street, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED METHOD
AND MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF VARIOUS ARTICLES IN POTTERY,
EARTHENWARE, OR PORCELAIN, BY MECHANICAL PROCESS," (a communication to me
from abroad by Edme Mercier, of 15, Passage des Petites Ecuries, Paris,
France, Geometrician,) to be as follows:-
The machinery is composed of four principal parts, which are, firstly, a
mould suited to the shape of the article to be made; secondly, a moveable
piece, which supports the said mould; thirdly, a revolving shaft, at the lower
part of which is fixed a small board which hangs from it; fourthly, a driving
wheel. When it is desired to manufacture plates, the mould will present on
its upper side a cavity shaped like a plate. This mould will be placed on the
moveable piece which serves as support for it, or upon any other arrangement
provided it can rise and descend, it must set freely on and in this piece like a

page_text: tenon in a mortice without the aid of a mallet. The revolving shaft formed of
a piece of iron round at the top, and having at the bottom a board about two
inches thick, and the breadth of which will somewhat exceed the diameter of
the mould which is that of a plate. The under side of this small board will
cut to bevel, or rather cut to an obtuse edge; this edge, which will exist on the
projecting breadth of the lower part of the small board will be cut or modeled
so as to enter the mould which it will resemble, being in projection what the
mould is in hollow. This edge will turn in bevel so as to press and polish the
clay, instead of simply scraping it, this board being intended as a substitute for
the hand of the workman. It will be fixed, that is to say, will not rise and
lower, and the framing which holds it will be arranged accordingly. It will be
held upright by being passed into two holes made in two cross pieces forming
part of the framing. A toothed wheel attached to it will gear with the driving
wheel, both placed horizontally. The movement of this small board may,
however, bo effected by any suitable mechanical contrivance. Hand or any
other motive-power may be used.
The method of operating is as follows:-For this purpose the piece which
carries the mould must be lowered; we will therefore suppose it lowered and
without the mould, then take a mould, in which placo a cake of soft clay and
set it in the hollow made to receive it; this done, raise the piece carrying the
mould and the cake will come against the edge of the bottom of the board;
this edge in turning will spread the clay over the entire space, and the plate is
made; the mould containing the plate will then be removed and replaced by
another, and the operation be continued indefinitely. The setting or intro-
duction of the small board into the mould must be effected without deviation,
especially if it is desired to make a tea or coffee cup, the sides of which are
relatively very high, because the slightest deviation in the setting will suffice to
render the cup too thick on one side and too thin on the other, but nothing is
more easy than to avoid this defect.