NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CLAY PIPES, GAS AND OTHER RETORTS, AND OTHER ARTICLES MADE OF CLAY
Year: 1877

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Brothers at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 7th March 1877.
WILLIAM BROTHERS, of Livesey Fire Clay Works, near Blackburn, in the County
of Lancaster, Manufacturer. "NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE USED IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF CLAY PIPES, GAS AND OTHER RETORTS, AND OTHER ARTICLES
MADE OF CLAY."
My Invention consists of new or improved apparatus, the parts of which are
constructed and worked as herein-after described, to be used for cutting off the
clay pipe, gas retort, or other clay article from the vertical column or hollow
cylinder of clay which has been forced upwards through the dies of the press, and
also for supporting the said cut off pipe or article, and also for lifting and trans-
porting it to the drying shed, or elsewhere, as required.
The parts of the said apparatus are constructed essentially as follows:-I will
describe the apparatus as used in the manufacture of a clay pipe. The body of the
apparatus consists of a cylindrical (or other shaped) metallic barrel or hollow
mandril, of a size proper to fit the inside of the partly made pipe. The said body
bas at top a ring or flange, and at bottom a supporting plate. In bearings in the
said flange and plate a spindle in the axis of the said body turns. The top of the
said spindle is furnished with a handle or lever for turning it. To the bottom of
the spindle a cross piece consisting of four equidistant hollow arms is fixed, sliding
bars working in the said four arms of the cross piece. To the outer end of each
sliding bar a quadrant-shaped knife is affixed, the four knives described forming
together a circular knife. The four parts of the compound circular knife are
capable of being simultaneously drawn within the barrel or mandril of the apparatus,
or of being projected outwards from the said barrel or mandril.
This motion of the knives is effected as follows:-The outer end of each of the
sliding bars described is furnished with a vertical pin, having at its top a roller.
In the bottom plate of the barrel or mandril of the apparatus four cycloidal slots
are made, in each of which slots the roller described on the end of the knife slide
works. By moving the handle at the head of the apparatus in the proper direction
motion is transmitted through the axial spindle and cross piece to the knife slides,
and the rollers carried by the said slides are made to travel in the cycloidal slots,
and effect either the simultaneous withdrawal of the circular knife into the barrel
or mandril, or project the said knife outwards from the said barrel or mandril.

page_text: In using the apparatus the handle is so turned as to withdraw the circular knife
within the barrel or mandril. The apparatus is then inserted into the pipe which
has been forced through the dies of the press until the flange at the upper part of
the barrel or mandril bears upon the shoulder of the socket of the partly made pipe.
The handle of the apparatus is then turned in the direction proper to cause the
circular knife to be projected outwards. The said knife in its outward motion cuts
through the pipe, separating it from the column or cylinder of clay below it, the cut
off pipe being supported upon the circular knife. The pipe thus supported by the
apparatus is now lifted by grasping a swivel or handle at the head of the apparatus,
and is transferred to and deposited on the floor of the drying shed, or elsewhere.
The position of the handle or lever of the axial spindle being reversed the circular
knife is withdrawn into the barrel or mandril, leaving the pipe resting on the shed
floor. The apparatus is now lifted out of the pipe, and is ready to be used again in
the manner described.
Although I prefer to actuate the compound circular knife by mechanism within
the barrel or mandril, as before described, yet the said circular knife may be worked
by external arins or levers jointed to the top of the apparatus, the bottoms of the
said arms or levers carrying the circular knife. In this modification the cutting off
of the pipe is effected by simultaneously pressing the arms or levers carrying the
knife inwards or towards the barrel or mandril.