An Improved Method of Making Tiles and other Articles of Ceramic Ware with Undercut or Dovetailed Indentations on the backs thereof.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Dec., 1897-Accepted, 26th Mar., 1898
An Improved Method of Making Tiles and other Articles of Ceramic
Ware with Undercut or Dovetailed Indentations on the backs
thereof.
I, THOMAS HILL STUBBS, of 51, Florence Street, Newcastle-under-Lyme, and of
Portland Tile Works, Burslem, both in the County of Stafford, Tile Manufacturer,
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:-
This my invention has reference to an improved method or methods of making
tiles with vertical and oblique projections and indentations on the back or underside
thereof and the object of my said invention is to make tiles and other articles which
can be more firmly and easily fastened in cement to walls floors ceilings and other
like places and to economise labour and time.
In carrying my said invention into practice I make use of an ordinary tile press to
which the ordinary or usual tile box is fitted. To the bed of the press within the tile
box are attached a number of pins or pillars and the bottom or lower die which fits
into the tile box is pierced with holes corresponding in size and position with the
before mentioned pins or pillars. The length of the pins or pillars is such that when
the bottom or lower die is in position they project slightly above the upper surface
of the bottom or lower die. The bottom or lower die has also a suitable number of
projections which are of the thickness or height of about one eighth of an inch at one
end and diminish in thickness gradually until level with the general surface of the
bottom die. The said projections at the thick or highest end are undercut or bevelled
inwards so as to form a sharp acute angle. When the bottom die prepared in this
manner is placed in position in the tile box, tiles may then be made in the ordinary
or usual way namely by placing the necessary quantity of tile dust or clay in the tile
box above the bottom die and afterwards bringing down thereupon the top die with
sufficient pressure. When this has been done the top die is raised. The bottom die
is then raised or thrown up by the lever arrangement now in ordinary use or. by
another method that may be suitable, until its surface is above the top of the tile box.
The tile may now be removed from the top of the bottom die. The pins or pillars
being attached to the bed of the press remain in the same fixed position and the tile
is removed from contact with them when the bottom die is raised. The undercut or
bevelled projections may be placed in one of two positions firstly by having all the
raised bevelled edges of the projections pointing in the same direction or secondly
the said raised bevelled edges of the projections may be arranged so as to follow round
in a circular direction (all running in the same direction). In the first case the tile
would be removed from the bottom die by lifting it obliquely in the same direction as
that in which the said bevelled edges of the projections point and in the second case
the tile would be removed by lifting it and at the same time twisting it round in
the circular direction in which the said bevelled edges of the said projections may
point.
In order that my said invention may be more readily understood and explained in

page_text: Figure 1 is a plan of the surface of the bottom die.
Figure 2 is a section of the bottom die.
Figure 3 is a section of the tile box with the pins or pillars and the bottom die
in position.
Figue 4 is a section shewing the bed of the tile press, the tile box, the pins or
pillars and the top and bottom dies raised for the purpose of removing the tile from
the surface of the bottom die.
In these figures A represents the undercut or bevelled projections. B represents
the holes through the bottom die through which the pins or pillars pass, C and D
represent a sectional line through Figure 1 and Figure 2 is a representation of such
section. E represents the bottom die. F represents the shaft by which with the
aid of a lever or other method the bottom die is raised. G represents the tile after
pressure has been applied. H represents the pins or pillars which penetrate through
the holes in the bottom die. I represents the bed of the tile press. J represents the
tile box and K represents the top die.
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:-
1. An improved method of making tiles either from dust or clay with backs or
undersides so indented as to enable the said tiles to be firmly and securely fixed in
position when bedded in cement or other suitable material and such indentations
are made by means of pins or pillars fixed to the bed of a tile press passing through
the bottom die of the tile box above the surface of the die and which pins or pillars
are removed from the tile by the raising or elevation of the bottom die on which
the tile rests and also by means of projections upon the upper surface of the bottom
die of a suitable height and diminishing in thickness gradually until level with the
general surface of the bottom die and which projections are undercut or bevelled
inwards. The raised bevelled projections either point all one way so that the tile
when raised on the bottom die may by lifting it obliquely be removed from the die
or the said projections can be arranged to follow round in a circular direction and
then the tile may be removed by lifting it and twisting it round at the same time
as herein substantially described and set forth.
2. An improved method of making indented surfaces of articles of ceramic ware
which require to be fixed firmly in cement or other suitable material by means of
pins and pillars passing through the bottom die used in a press or the lower portion
of a mould and by means of projections on such bottom die or lower portion of a
mould in a similar manner to that described when used for tiles as substantially set
forth in the first claim and the foregoing specification.
Dated this 17th day of December 1897.
JOHN WARNER,
4, Bagnall Street, Hanley, Agent for the Applicant.