IMPROVEMENTS. IN THE MANUFACTURE OF POTTERY AND CHINA WAREB
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Andrew Hind, of. 60, High Street, Poplar, and
Julius Lowenthal; of 16, Little Tower Street, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS. IN THE MANUFACTURE OF POTTERY AND CHINA WAREB."---A
communication from abroad by Gustav Gumpel, of.No. 1, Stobenstrasse,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said 'Andrew Hind and Julius
Lowenthal at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 6th October 1859.
We, ANDREW HIND, of 60, High Street, Poplar, and JULIUS LOWENTHAL, of
16, Little Tower Street, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE. OF POTTERY AND CHINA WARES," being
a communication from abroad. by Gustav Gumpel, of No. 1, Stobenstrasse,
Brunswick, Germany, to be as follows:-.
This Invention consists-in a more expeditious and cheaper mode of making
pottery and china wares from various descriptions of earth in a fluid state
poured into moulds made of plaster of Paris or fire-clay. The preparation of
the material is by reducing the earth and bringing it into a fluid state, it is
then kept in a reservoir, and preserved in the same condition. by being kept in

page_text: continual motion, from whence it is poured into the moulds. The excellence
of this process consists in the absorption of the water, and the adherence of
the earth at the same time in an even and uniform manner to the internal form
of the mould, thus producing the utensil uniform at all times, the surplus fluid
being let out either at the top or bottom, thereby manufacturing a much
larger number of utensils in a much shorter space of time than it is possible
by any other method.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Andrew Hind and Julius Lowenthal in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 4th April 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ANDREW
HIND, of No. 60, High Street, Poplar, and JULIUS LOWENTHAL, of No. 16,
Little Tower Street, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs. and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Andrew Hind and Julius Lowenthal, Her special licence that we,
the said Andrew Hind and Julius Lowenthal, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Andrew Hind and
Julius Lowenthal, our 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
THE MANUFACTURE OF POTTERY AND CHINA WARES," a communication from
abroad by Gustav Gumpel, of No. 1, Stobenstrasse, Brunswick, Germany,
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Andrew Hind and
Julius Lowenthal, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under our 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 we, the said Andrew Hind and Julius Lowenthal,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner

page_text: the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement, that is to say:-
The said Invention relates to a peculiar mode or method of manufacturing
pottery and china wares, and consists in moulding or casting such articles or
wares from clay or plastic earth reduced to a fluid or semi-fluid state, and
poured into moulds of the required form composed of plaster of Paris, fire-
clay, or other similar absorbent material. The material from which the
articles or wares are to be made is prepared by first grinding and mixing it
well by the aid of rollers, or other suitable grinding or triturating apparatus,
and when all impurities and stones have been removed therefrom it is mixed
with water until the whole is reduced to a fluid or semi-fluid, or creamy state,
of sufficient consistency to admit of its being readily poured into moulds. The
prepared material which we prefer to use consists of the following ingredients
in the following proportions, namely:-
German clay
Fire-clay
Common salt
Ground chalk
80 parts.
10
"
5
"
-
5
"
the whole to be well ground and mixed together in manner herein-before
mentioned or referred to. Although we have specially mentioned the above
ingredients and proportions as giving good results, we wish it to be distinctly
understood that we do not limit or confine ourselves thereto, as various com-
binations of other ingredients of similar properties in different proportions
may be used.
In practice it will be found advantageous to employ reservoirs or tanks to
contain the fluid or semi-fluid material. Each reservoir or tank should be
provided with agitators or stirrers, for the purpose of keeping the material
therein constantly stirred, so as to keep it in a fluid or semi-fluid state, and
prevent the earthy matter from being deposited in the reservoir or tank.
By these means the material will be kept in a proper condition to be poured
into the moulds, as herein-after mentioned or referred to.
The moulds to be employed in the manufacture of articles or wares according
to this Invention, should be composed of some material which will absorb
water freely. We have found in practice that a good result may be obtained
by using moulds of plaster of Paris or fire-clay mixed with lime water. These
moulds may be shaped in suitable matrices composed of wood, metal, or other
suitable material, and then allowed to harden and dry, and may be made in
one or more pieces, as occasion may require. When the moulds are ready for
use, the fluid or semi-fluid material may be either ladled out of the reservoir

page_text: or tank and poured into the moulds until they are filled, or the reservoir or
tank may be provided with pipes fitted with valves or stoppers, through which
the fluid or semi-fluid material. is allowed to flow into each mould as it is
brought beneath the pipes, the valves or stoppers being closed after each
mould is filled until the next succeeding one is brought into its place to
receive its charge. The moulds should be kept full until a sufficient quantity
of the material therein, has been deposited on the sides of the moulds. After
the moulds have been charged, an absorption and consequent subsidence of the
material therein will take place. To compensate for this subsidence, and to
keep the moulds full until a sufficient quantity of the material has been
deposited on the sides of the moulds, the moulds should be kept constantly
supplied with fresh material. This may be conveniently effected by means of
a funnel fitted into or over the filling aperture of the mould, and filled or
partially filled after the mould itself is filled, and allowed to remain there until
a sufficient quantity of the material has been deposited on the sides of the
mould. The material contained in the funnel will gradually descend into the
mould as the subsidence takes place. It will be found advantageous to employ
a rail or tramway for running the moulds successively beneath the mouths of
the filling pipes, and when filled for conveying them to the drying chambers,
where they are allowed to remain for a few hours before being packed in
saggers and burned in kilns in the usual manner, the glazing being partly
effected by the agency of the salt contained in the prepared material. If
found desirable, the complete glazing and ornamenting of the articles may be
effected according to the well-known methods. The material is allowed to
remain in the moulds until the required quantity of earthy matter. has been
deposited on its walls or sides. When the superfluous material which has not
been entirely absorbed by or deposited on the walls or sides of the mould
itself, may be poured off through the filling aperture by inverting the mould,
or let off through an aperture in the bottom of the mould into which a plug is
inserted, and the hole in the moulded article occasioned by this plug may be
filled or closed up by pressing or drawing the clay over it, or by inserting a
piece of clay therein. The charged moulds are now run into the drying
chamber, and when sufficiently dry the articles are taken out of the moulds,
packed in saggers, and burnt in the kiln in the usual manner. By this
mode of continuous operation, the same moulds can always be filled and
emptied in one day, and may usually be refilled at night, thereby effecting a
considerable saving of time in the manufacture of earthenware articles com-
pared with the processes at present adopted.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said

page_text: Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, we would observe, in conclusion, that what we consider to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is, the system or mode of
moulding or shaping articles of pottery and china wares by introducing clay
or other plastic earth or compounds of a similar nature in a fluid or semi-fluid
state into moulds composed of plaster of Paris, fire-clay, or other similar
absorbent material, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Andrew Hind, on behalf of myself and
the said Julius Lowenthal, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this
Fourth day of April One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
ANDREW HIND.
(L.8.)