IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MOULDING OF CLAY AND OTHER PLASTIC SUBSTANCES.
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Henry Sharpe, of Billesden, in' the
County of Leicester, Pottery Manufacturer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MOULDING OF CLAY AND OTHER
PLASTIC SUBSTANCES.”.
Sealed the 23rd September 1873, and dated the 1st April 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Henry Sharpe
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 1st April 1873.
I, THOMAS HENRY SHARPE, of Billesden, in the County of Leicester,
Pottery Manufacturer,-do.hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MOULDING OF CLAY AND OTHER.
PLASTIC SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
The object of the Invention is to obtain economy, uniformity, and
dispatch with increased finish in the manufacture of articles of clay
and other plastic materials.
For this purpose I employ a suitable mould, in the interior of which
is placed a lining of metal formed in sections or parts capable of being

page_text: slided in or on grooves or guides on the sides of the mould. The material
to be moulded is placed in the mould, and a plunger suitably formed is
forced thereon, causing such material to spread evenly into the space
between such mould with its lining and the plunger, and thereby receive
the desired form. A part of such plunger may be formed so as to
produce a hole or holes in the bottom of the moulded article when so
required.
The lining may be discontinued at a short distance from the mouth
of the mould and thereby form a rim or thickness around that part of
the article produced.
In some cases the rod or shaft that carries the plunger is formed with
a screw thread of a somewhat quick pitch capable of freely revolving
in a corresponding screw thread formed in or carried by another shaft
actuated for the desired motion for forcing the plunger or forcer on to
the material to be moulded by a screw thread thereon working in
suitable bearings and caused to revolve by fly wheel or other power.
This screw on the plunger rod revolving freely, in its corresponding
screw bearing. enables it and the plunger, to receive. rotatory, motion
when pressed into, and before. being drawn. from the moulded article.
Such rotatory motion may also be obtained by a handle or wheel affixed
to such plunger.
In order to the removal of the moulded article from the mould it is
forced partially out of the mould and the sections or parts of the lining
of metal are caused to slide in or on their guides on the mould, and by
such movement to detach or clear themselves from the moulded article
by being forced up by a disc or plate carried by a hollow shaft, in which
hollow shaft slides another shaft which carries a disc or plate, which
plate forms the bottom of the mould, and this plate then further forces
the moulded article out of the mould ready for removal, and it then
draws back the parts or sections of the lining by acting on a flange or
turned over part at the bottom of such sections together with the
hollow shaft and plate affixed thereto into position to receive fresh
material to be moulded.
-
Several plungers and parts, acting therewith to form several articles
as described may be worked together and operated by the same means.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Henry Sharpe in the Great Scal Patent.
Office on the 30th September 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
HENRY SHARPE, of Billesden, in the County of Leicester, Pottery
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Henry Sharpe, Her special
license that I, the said Thomas Henry Sharpe, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Henry
Sharpe, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MOULDING OF CLAY AND OTHER
PLASTIC SUBSTANCES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Thomas Henry Sharpe, my exccutors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, 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 I, the said Thomas Henry Sharpe, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same-is-to-be-performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
The object of the Invention is to obtain economy, uniformity, and
dispatch with increased finish in the manufacture of articles of clay and
other plastic materials..
For this purpose I employ a suitable mould, in the interior of which is
placed a lining of metal formed in sections or parts capable of being
slided in or on grooves or guides on the sides of the mould. The material

page_text: to be moulded is placed in the mould, and a plunger suitably formed is
forced thereon, causing such material to spread evenly into the space
between such mould with its lining and the plunger and thereby receive
the desired form. A part of such plunger may be formed so as to
produce a hole or holes in the bottom of the moulded article when so
required.
The lining may be discontinued at a short distance from the mouth
of the mould, and thereby form a rim or thickness around that part of
the article produced.
In some cases the rod or shaft that carrie's the plunger is formed with
a screw thread of a somewhat quick pitch capable of freely revolving
in a corresponding screw thread formed in or carried by another'shaft.
actuated for the desired motion for forcing the plunger or forcer on to the
material to be moulded by a screw thread thereon working in suitable
bearings, and caused to revolve by fly wheel or other power.
This screw on the plunger rod revolving freely in its correspondingly
screw bearing enables it and the plunger to receive rotatory motion when
pressed into and before being drawn from the moulded article. Such
rotatory motion may also be obtained by a handle or wheel affixed to
such plunger.
In order to the removal of the moulded article from the mould it is
forced partially out of the mould, and the sections or parts of the lining
of metal are caused to slide in or on their guides on the mould, and by
such movement to detach or clear themselves from the moulded article
by being forced up by a disc or plate carried by a hollow shaft, in which
hollow shaft slides, another shaft which carries a disc or plate, which
plate forms the bottom of the mould, and this plate then further forces
the moulded article out of the mould ready for removal, and it then
draws back the parts or sections of the lining by acting on a flange or
turned over part at the bottom of such sections, together with the hollow
shaft and plate affixed thereto into position to receive fresh material to
be moulded.
Several plungers and parts acting therewith to form several articles as
described may be worked together and operated by the same means.
But that the Invention may be fully understood I will by the aid of
the accompanying Drawings proceed to describe means pursued by me
in carrying the same into effect.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shews a front view of apparatus arranged to carry out my
Invention. Figures 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 shew detail views to a larger
scale. In each of the views the same letters are used to indicate corrc-
sponding parts.
a, a, is the framing of the apparatus; b, b, are a series of moulds into
which the plastic substance is placed, and by the action thereon of the
plungers c, c, the desired moulded forms are obtained. The moulds b.
and plungers c thereto, shewn by these Drawings, are suitable to producing
garden pots moulded from ordinary clay, but it will readily be understood
that the character and form of the article produced may be varied.
materially as may also that of the plastic substance employed in the
production thereof. Apparatus of the character described may also be
used in moulding dough into various forms. Each of the plungers c is
formed with a projection c² to act in producing a hole through the
bottom of the pot, and cach of these plungers is connected by a stem c¹
to the cross bar d, which is capable of movement up and down on the
guide rods e, e, and is actuated for such movement by means of the
screw by that screw passing through a suitable female screw f¹ carried
by the cross head a', and the lower end of the screw being formed with
a neck f by which it is connected with but so as to turn in the cross
bar d, whilst the upper end of this screw f has applied to it the fly
wheel f³ and handles f4, by which rotary movement to the screw in
either direction is obtained to actuate the bar d and plungers c.
The apparatus as thus far described in reference to these Drawings is
simply similar to what has heretofore been employed for various purposes
and separately considered forms no part of my present Invention.
The moulds bare supported on a strong cross rail a² adapted to sustain
the force exerted in pressing the plungers into the moulds.
--According-to-my-Invention_cach of the moulds b is formed with a
metal lining 9, and this lining is formed in sections so that when in
position in the mould 6 to receive plastic substance to be moulded the
several sections of the lining 9 may be close together to form one con-
tinuous surface, and although I have shewn the lining formed in three
sections such linings may be formed in other numbers of sections. Each
section is formed with a projection g¹ of a dovetail or other suitable form
to fit and slide in a corresponding groove formed for it in the internal
side surface of each mould b, by which whilst a sliding motion may be

page_text: given to the lining g that lining may at the same t time open and move
outwards in a radial direction. 92 are stops moving in grooves g³ and
which in the rising of the sections 9 come against fixed stops of to
prevent the sections from coming fully out of the moulds.
The surface of the linings g next the material to be moulded may be
formed to produce letters or other devices on the surface of moulded
articles. The linings g rest in the moulds b, cach partly directly on the
bed or supporting plate a² and partly on a head h', to a hollow lifting
rod h, by lifting which the lifting of the lining g is effected, and i are
other lifting rods passing through the hollow rods h and carrying each
on its upper end a plate or head ¹ to receive a moveable wooden bottom
plate j, by which-form is given to the exterior of the bottom of the pot.
It will be seen that the lining g when down fully in the mould d does
not rise fully to the top edge of that mould, and the object of this is that
the upper edge of the lining 9 together with the upper part of the
mould dat d² with the part c³ of each plunger c may give form to the
top rim of the pot.
The hollow rods are connected to a cross bar which is embraced
towards its opposite ends by the forked ends of the lever arms affixed
to the rocking shaft, which is supported to rock in bearings carried by
the main framing, and has applied to it a lever handle in position to be
operated by the operator, and by which the desired motion is given to
these parts. In like, manner the rods i are connected to another cross
bar which is operated by other arms and another lever handle. But as
these lifting movements are well understood, and separately form no
part of my Invention, I have not thought it necessary to encumber
the Drawings by shewing them.
In using apparatus such as described the clay or other plastic substance
will be placed in the moulds b, when the parts of the lining g are down
and in contact with each other, and the quantity sufficient for the desired
article. The plunger c will then be forced therein to give form to the
article.
The operator will then first operate on the lever arm to raise tlic
lining g, in doing which he will also raise the parts i and and the
sections of the respective parts g will separate from cach other and from
the outer surface of the newly moulded article. When the lining g has
been thus partially raised so as fully to clear it of the surface of the
article the parts i will also be acted upon by means of the other lever

page_text: handle to raise the moulded article bodily, as indicated by Figure 3, so
that such may be removed for drying and baking as may be desired.
In some cases I form the stems c¹ of the plungers c with a screw
thread on them to pass through female screws formed for them in the
cross bar d, as shewn by Figure 8, so that when pressure is applied
thereby on the plastic substance a slight yielding and rotary motion
may take place by the plungers rising in a curved direction in the act of
effecting pressure.
Figures 9 and 10 shew a modification of the parts adapted more
especially to forming single articles of large size. In this case the same
letters are used to indicate corresponding parts to those referred to in
the previous Figures. The plunger c is in this case prevented when so
required from turning round by the turning of the screw f by the pro-
jections or handles c³ thereon, having vertical rods c* screwed or simply
slipped into them, and such rods c* passing up through holes in the
bar d. Or when desired the vertical rods c* may be removed and the
mould may have a slight rotary motion given to it by the operator
acting on the handles c³. The mould 6 is held to the plate a² by dogs
and screws 6', but this may be varied. The hollow rod h is in this case
shown to be operated by the handle lever h² which turns upon the axis
of motion h³ carried by the fixed bracket hª whilst the rod i is operated
by the handle lever 2, which turns upon the axis carried by the
bracket i³.
Having thus described my Invention and means which I adopt in
carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that what I
claim is, the arranging or combining parts whereby moulds for moulding
plastic substances may be formed with metal linings capable of sepa-
rating in sections and of being operated substantially as described.
Also I claim the arranging and combining parts whereby plungers are
capable of a yielding and rotary motion in the act of effecting the desired
pressure substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Henry Sharpe, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand
THOMAS HY. SHARPE. (L.S.)