Improvements in Machines for Forming, Turning, and Shaping Pottery.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 19th Mar., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 19th Mar., 1895-Accepted, 19th Mar., 1896
Improvements in Machines for Forming, Turning, and Shaping
Pottery.
I, CASSIDS CLARK THOMPSON, of 167 Walnut Street, East Liverpool, in the
County of Columbiana and State of Ohio United States of America, Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
o
My invention relates to improvements in machines for forming, turning and
finishing pottery, and it consists in the combination and arrangement of parts
which will be fully described hereinafter and particularly referred to in the
claims.
The primary object of my invention is to provide a machine for forming,
turning and finishing pottery and other plastic materials, in which the tool may be
given either simply an up and down movement, or a compound up and down
movement as the operator may desire.
Another object of my invention is to so construct the machine that the amount
of movement given to the tool laterally or horizontally may be regulated at will.
Another object of my invention is to so construct the parts of the machine, that
the horizontal movement of the tool can be regulated independently of the amount
of vertical throw given the vertically moving operating rod, whereby the wrist
pin for accomplishing said horizontal movement will start at the same point always
in its slideway no matter what the amount of lateral motion of the tool may be,
and whereby the tool moves a short distance in the same time that it moves its
longest distance.
In the accompanying drawings :-
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the machine which embodies my invention
complete.
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal, horizontal, sectional view, through the tool holder,
showing the tool held in place thereby.
Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the tool holder the bell crank lever being shown in
dotted lines.
Fig. 4 is a detached view of the slotted plate, the crank, and the roller carried
by the crank which moves in said slotted groove for giving the tool a lateral and
up and down movement.
A represents a vertical standard or rod having at its lower end a base adapted
to be secured to the floor, and B a tube through which the said standard or
rod A passes, and D arms extending laterally from said tube, which arms are
provided with set screws C, which engage the standards or rod A for holding the
tube and the arms in any desired vertical adjustment.

page_text: Attached to the outer end of the arms D, are the guideways E, in which
guideways the vertically moving head J slides, which head J carries at its lower
end the tool holder as will be fully described later on.
Depending from the upper arms D is a web s in which the outer end of a shaft F
is journalled, the inner end of said shaft being suitably journalled against the
tube B as clearly shown. A band wheel or pulley G, is rigidly attached to this
shaft F, by means of which it is revolved from any desired source of power, and
attached to the outer end of the shaft F outside of the depending web s is a
crank H carrying a wrist pin I. This wrist pin I is provided with a friction roller
or sleeve which moves in the slot of the plate K, which plate is rigidly attached to
the inner side of the vertically moving head J. From this it will be seen that as
the crank H is revolved, the vertically moving head J is carried up and down
thereby. Attached to the lower end of this vertically moving head J is a slide-
way M, in which a tool holder R moves and is held by a tongue and groove as
clearly shown in Fig. 1. This head J is provided on the outer side with an
enlargement N, through which freely passes a rod O, the lower end of this said rod
being connected to the upper end of the bell crank lever t, the said bell crank
lever being intermediately pivoted to the lower end of the cross head J just above
the slideway M.
The upper end of the rod O extends through and beyond the upper end of the
portion N of the head J, and is provided with a nut P and sleeve v thereon which
are capable of vertical adjustment. An arm Q is rigidly connected to one of the
slideways E, and extends inward a suitable distance and partially embraces the
portion N, and this arm Q forms a stop for the nut and sleeve as will be fully
described presently.
The tool holder R is capable of horizontal movement upon the slideway M, and
is provided with a longitudinal slot S through which the bolts V, of the tool U
pass and secure the said tool to the holder as clearly shown in Fig. 2. A. portion
of the tool holder R consists of the slotted plate r, through which the said bolts V,
pass as just described, and the forward end of this plate is made inclined as shown
at u, which engages a corresponding incline upon the holder R, and passing
through the rear end of the holder is a tightening screw T which engages the
opposite end of the slotted plate r. By means of this tightening screw T the said
slotted plate is indved forward and owing to the incline u is drawn inward thus
holding the tool U tight against the outer face of the tool holder R and making it
much more rigid and firm than would otherwise be the case. Extending laterally
from the tool holder R inward and within the slideway M as clearly shown in
Fig. 2 is an arm a, carrying a gas pipe b which gas pipe moves through the opposite
end of the slideway M as the tool reciprocates laterally. Placed around this gas
pipe is a spring c which by its expansion normally holds the tool holder forward
and the arm a against a buffer d.
The tool holder R is provided with an inclined slot e, through which a bolt X
passes, and this bolt is adapted to be engaged by the lower end of the bell crank
lever t as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3.
A weight has a rope or chain connected thereto and passing over the sheaves
or pulleys g, to the upper end of the vertically moving head J, whereby the
weight of the said head J and tool holder and tool are substantially counter-
balanced thus making the up and down movement of the head and tool holder much
easier, and with less jar than would otherwise be the case.
While I here show the frame consisting of the arms D, tube B and the
guideways E supported upon a vertical standard A, I do not limit myself to this
manner of supporting it for the said frame can be supported directly from the
wall as will be readily understood. Neither do I desire to limit myself to a
weight for counterbalancing the vertically moving head J and its attachments,
for this may be accomplished by means of a spring as will be also readily
conceived.
Reference being had to Fig. 4 showing the slotted plate K, attention is directed

page_text: to the fact that between the points 1 and 2 of said figure the slot is on the arc
of a circle of which the shaft F is the center, and from the point 1 out the slot is
straighter, and from the point 2 to the other end of the said slotted plate, the slot
is formed on the arc of a different circle. The object of this is that as the crank
revolves in the direction indicated by arrow in said figure, and when descending the
wrist pin owing to the shape of the slot at the point 2 to the right hand end of
said slot forces the tool-holder down, and from the point 2 to the point 1 the tool
holder is held quiet as will be readily understood, and when the wrist pin reaches
the point 1 the tool holder is moved upward.
The operation of my invention is as follows:-As the vertically moving head J
moves downward, and the washer vengages the stop Q, any further movement.
downward of the head J causes an upward pull upon the rod O and through the
medium of the bell crank lever connected with the said rod, the tool holder R is
moved in the direction indicated by arrow in Fig. 1, by engaging the adjustable
bolt X. When the nut and washer V are at their lowest point upon the rod O as
shown in Fig. 1, the tool holder R is given its greatest amount of movement, say
three inches. When at this adjustment the nut and washer V engage the stop Q
just as the wrist pin I moves in the slot of the plate K, so that the tool holder is
then depressed a sufficient distance to accomplish the three-inch lateral movement
of the tool while passing from the right hand end of the slot to the point 2.
From this point on to the point 1, as before stated, the tool remains without
either being raised or moved laterally, owing to the fact that between the points 1
and 2 the slot is formed on the arc of a circle of which the shaft F is the centre..
As the wrist pin moves from the point 1 to the left hand end of the slot, the tool
holder is forced laterally in the opposite direction by means of the spring c, and
then the tool by the vertical movement of the head J is moved upward and out of
the article being formed.
When it is desired to give the tool holder a limited amount of movement, it is
only necessary to move the bolt X upward within the slot e and the amount of
lateral movement of the tool can be adjusted to the smallest degree.
From this description it will be seen that the vertical movement of the rod o
will at all times be uniform and the same distance, no matter what may be the
lateral movement of the tool holder and its tool. The lateral movement of said tool
holder is regulated by means of the bolt X being moved nearer to or farther from.
the pivotal point of the bell crank lever c.
When it is desired to give the tool only a vertical movement it is only necessary
to turn the nut P up to the upper end of the rod O, so that it will not engage the
stop as the head J moves up and down, which as will readily be understood will
prevent any lateral movement being given to the tool, the tool being held normally
inward by the spring c.
It will be readily understood that the amount of lateral movement given to the
tool holder R could be regulated by the nut P, and I have constructed a machine
upon this principle. This is however objectionable in that when the movement of
the rod O is adjusted, the wrist pin I begins to operate upon the slide K at various
points according to the adjustment of the said nut P, and the tool is moved its
adjusted distance quickly. By making the adjustment of the tool holder as just
described through the medium of bolt X, the tool though adjusted to move but
half an inch will move that half inch in the same time that it moves three inches
owing to the fact that the rod O is given the same amount of vertical movement
It will be seen
no matter what the lateral movement of the tool holder may be.
that this lateral movement may be regulated by the nut P as well as by the bolt X,.
and I do not desire to limit myself to either particular construction.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
--
1
A nottery forming, turning and shaping machine comprising a frame having

page_text: a rear extension, parallel arms extending from opposite ends of the said extension,
the said arms having their outer ends bifurcated or diverging, guideways secured
to ends of the bifurcated arms, a web s having its ends connected with the said
outwardly extending arms between their ends, a driving shaft having its inner
end journalled in the inner extension of the frame, its outer end journalled in the
said web, a head for a tool, moving upon the said guideways, substantially as shown
and described.
2. A forming, turning, shaping and finishing machine comprising a vertically
moving head, a laterally moving tool holder at its lower end, a spring carried by
said bead, for normally holding the holder in one position, and a means carried
by the head for moving the holder in the opposite direction, substantially as
specified.
3. A forming, turning, shaping and finishing machine comprising a vertically
moving head, a laterally moving tool holder at its lower end, a means carried by
the said head for moving the tool holder laterally, and a stop which engages the
said tool operating device, substantially as described.
4. A forming, turning, shaping and finishing machine comprising a vertically
moving head, a laterally moving tool holder at its lower end, an independently
movable rod carried by the said movable head, a stop which engages the said rod,
and a connection at the lower end of the rod for moving the tool holder laterally,
substantially as set forth.
5. A forming, turning, shaping and finishing machine comprising a vertically
moving head, a laterally movable tool holder at its lower end, a vertically moving
rod carried by the said head, a stop adapted to engage the said rod, a bell crank
lever having one end connected to the said rod, and its opposite end adapted to
move the tool holder laterally, substantially as specified.
6. A forming, turning, shaping and finishing machine comprising a vertically
movable head, a tool holder at the lower end of the head, a vertically moving rod
adapted to operate said tool holder laterally, and a movable stop carried by the
said rod whereby it can be thrown out of motion for the purpose specified.
7. A forming, turning, shaping and finishing machine comprising a vertically
movable head, a laterally movable tool holder at its lower end, a means carried by
the said head for moving the tool laterally, and an adjustable device carried by the
tool holder and adapted to engage the said operating means for regulating the
lateral movement of the tool holder, substantially as specified.
8. A forming, turning, shaping and finishing machine comprising a vertically
movable head, a laterally movable tool holder at its lower end, a vertically moving
rod adapted to operate the tool holder laterally, and an adjustable means carried
by the tool holder for regulating the amount of lateral movement given to the tool
holder, substantially as set forth.
9. A forming, turning, shaping and finishing machine comprising a vertically
moving head, a laterally movable tool holder at its lower end, a bell crank lever
carried by the movable head, a means for operating the bell crank lever, and an
adjustable device carried by the tool holder adapted to engage the bell crauk lever
at various points for the purpose of regulating the lateral movement of the tool
holder, substantially as described.
10. A tool holder for forming, turning, shaping and finishing machines,
comprising a slideway, a movable tool holder upon said slideway, a slotted plate
adapted to carry the tool, one end of the plate being inclined, and a set screw for
forcing the plate endwise and wedging it inward by the said incline, substantially
as shown.
F. WISE HOWORTH,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.