IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINARY FOR BATTING POTTERS CLAY
Year: 1885

page_text: RICHARD CLARKE Potters Machinist King Street Tunstall Staffordshire do
bereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINARY
FOR BATTING POTTERS CLAY, to be as follows :—
By means of my invention Potters clay can be batted to the required thickness
by a very simple and reliable process. The clay when batted being of equal density
all over and not so liable to crack at the edges. My invention consists of an upright
standard or frame. The said frame contains a vertical bearing through which I
work an upright spindle by means of a cam screw or crank. On the bottom of
said upright spindle I have a profile and as the spindle rises and falls the said
profile compresses the clay to the required thickness. The profile can be regulated
to descend to within any given distance of the base of Machine or table on which
it may be fixed, thus determining the thickness to which the ball of clay may be
compressed. I also claim as part of my invention, the mode of driving said machine
and my mode of automatically disengaging and stopping same. By my invention,
my Machine can be driven at any speed according to the size of Bat required.
Tinted thin oond A... of 100%

page_text: Improvements in Machinery for Batting Potters' Clay.
RICHARD CLARKE .Potters Machinist King Street Tunstall Staffordshire do
hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR BATTING POTTERS CLAY and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
By means of my invention, Potters clay can be batted to the required thickness
by a very simple and reliable process. The clay when batted being of equal density
all over, and not liable to crack at the edges. For the purpose of my invention,
I use an upright spindle or horizontal lever, which is caused to rise and fall, by
means of a cam, screw, or crank, actuated by a combination of spur and friction
gearing. On one end of said upright spindle or horizontal lever, I attach a profile,
which in its downward movement, compresses the clay, which is placed upon a
revolving table. The said profile can be regulated to decend to within any
distance from the said revolving table, thus determining the thickness, to which
the ball of clay, may be compressed. My invention also consists in the mode of
driving said machine, and of automatically disengaging, and stopping same. My
machine is driven by means of a belt or rope, or other suitable means, which is
caused to come into contact with driving pulley, by means of a tension pulley.
Sometimes however I use said tension pulley in the reverse way, by moving it from
driving rope or belt, which arrangement is shown in accompanying drawings. In
automatically disengaging and stopping machine, when the clay is compressed to
the required thickness I arrange an arm or lever to come into contact with a catch,
which releases the tension pulley, and also causes a break actuated by a spring, to
come into contact with driving pulley, thereby stopping machine. By my invention
my machine can be driven at any speed, according to the size of bat required, by
means of the friction pulley and plate.
The accompanying drawings show a machine, constructed according to my
invention. Fig. 1 is part sectional elevation. Fig. 2 a front elevation. Fig. 3
a plan. Fig. 4 a section at a. b. showing automatically disengaging and stopping
motion. The same letters refer to the same parts in each figure.
A is a box or frame of cast iron or other suitable material, B is a frame or table,
O is a lever supported at D and carrying a profile E at one end, for forming the
required bat, and a balance weight F, and catch G at other end, H is a cam or
wiper, engaging with catch G, and raising lever C. I is a friction pulley, working
upon friction plate J, the lower part of which, forms a spur wheel, K. is a pinion,
gearing into said spur wheel, L is a revolving table which receives the clay to be
operated upon, M is the driving spindle upon which is keyed pulley N, from which
said pulley, by means of a belt or rope, motion is communicated to spindle O, upon
which is keyed another pulley, upon spindle O is keyed spur pinion K which drives
the before named friction plate J, which in its motion revolves friction pulley I,
upon which is fixed cam or wiper H. Friction pulley I is so fastened to the spindle
with which it revolves that it can easily be removed and fixed at any required
distance from centre of friction plate J, thus enabling lever C to be worked at any
required speed.

page_text: The mode of driving and automatically disengaging and stopping my machine is
as follows. From the main shaft I have an endless rope or strap, working in an
horizontal direction, and passing within a short distance of pulley P on driving
spindle M. Upon an upright M* I fix a lever or quadrant T. Upon a pin fastened
to one angle of lever or quadrant T, I have a small tension pulley U, by means of
which, I either bring driving rope or strap into contact with pulley P, or lift it away
from same as the may be. To other angle of quadrant T, is connected spring S,
actuating break strap R. It will be seen that when lever V is moved inwards,
spindle M will be partly revolved, and tension pulley U will bring driving belt
or rope into contact with driving pulley P. At the same time lever or quadrant T,
will relieve break R, by pressing against spring S, and be held in that position, by
a notch on lever V..
In automatically disengaging and stopping my machine when the required bat is
made, a short arm or lever W, attached to same, spindle and revolving with, cam
or wiper H, in its motion comes into contact with a vertical rod X, which it causes
to decend. The said vertical rod X, being connected to one end of lever V, which,
when depressed, causes the other end to rise and lift lever V out of the before
named notch which holds same in position. Spring S actuating break R, and
pressing against lever or quadrant T, in its motion partly revolves spindle M which
forces lever V forward. Tension pulley U being fixed to said spindle M² and at
other angle of lever or quadrant T, removes driving rope from contact with driving
pulley P, thereby disengaging and stopping machine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1st I claim the combination of spur and friction gearing, and the mode of raising
levers, or spindles as shown on accompanying drawings.
2nd I also claim the mode of disengaging and stopping my machine, by means of
a tappet, spring, quadrant, and levers, as shown on said drawings. The before
named lever or quadrant may be made, in one or more parts, and fixed either above
or below tension pulley as the case may require.
Date 11
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