IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING POTTERY WARE IN KILNS AND OVENS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Elias Leak, of Longton, in the County of Stafford;
Potter's Machinist, and John Edwards, of Fenton, in the same County,
Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
SUPPORTING POTTERY WARE IN KILNS AND OVENS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Elias Leak and John
Edwards at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th October
1878.
ELIAS LEAK, of Longton, in the County of Stafford, Potters' Machinist, and
JOHN EDWARDS, of Fenton, in the same County, Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING POTTERYWARE IN KILNS AND OVENS."
This Invention, which relates to certain improvements in apparatus for supporting
potteryware in kilns and ovens, has especial reference to the "saggers" in which the
ware is placed, and by which the ware is supported while in the kiln or oven.
Saggers as hitherto used are made of any required form, or shape, and size, and
they are sometimes formed with inner ribs or broadened and thickened parts in which
vertical series of recesses are made and into which removable pins are placed, and
upon which pins the ware is supported. Now these pins, unless well pushed in,
which the carelessness of the workmen often prevents being done, are very liable to
fall out of such recesses, by which the ware slips and gets damaged.
"
.
"
According to another system the saggers are made plain within and the ware is
thimble
supported by inner projecting arms of vertical series of "sockets" or
pins," which fit one within another, and the lowermost of which is usually fitted in
il foot." Now according to this system the series of thimble pins are very liable
to fall forwards or sidewards and let the ware slip, and consequently get damaged.
The especial object of our present Invention is to prevent this liability of the
ware getting spoiled and to provide means by which it shall be rigidly supported,
[Price 6d1

page_text: and thus by considerably reducing the per-centage spoiled economize the pro-
duction.
In order to attain these most desirable objects we proceed as follows:-
According to one modification we make the sagger with three (or other suitable
number-of-)-vertical grooves, either-in-its-substance or in inner ribs forming part of
the sagger. These grooves may either be of a dovetailed, angular, round, or any
other desired or suitable shape when viewed downwardly, but they are open
throughout their length, but preferably only a portion of their width into the interior
of the sagger, and into them we place thimble pins, or pins with similarly shaped
-socket or solid-ends, and-with-arms-which-project-into-the-sagger-so-as-to-support-
the ware.
These grooves thus prevent any movement of the series of supporting
pins, so that the latter are firmly kept in place and the ware rigidly supported. In
this modification we can use either thimble pins (that is, pins with socket ends which
fit one within another), or pins with solid ends, these ends being of angular, flat,
wedge, square, polygonal, round, or any other convenient shape, the vertical grooves
in the sagger being correspondingly formed. If the grooves are open for the whole
of their width thimble or socket pins must be used, the lowermost one of each series
being placed in a widened or broadened outfoot to support the series of pins, the
sides or ribs of the grooves preventing any lateral movement thereof.
According to another modification we form supports for the series of pins inde-
pendently of the saggers, that is, we form a series of separate standards, each of
which is formed with a vertical groove in like manner as the saggers, the grooves
being of any desired shape, and the pins or thimble pins fitting in them, but these
standards we form with feet or widened bottoms, by which they are supported
against the sides of the sagger, which we then form plain internally, and thus
similarly prevent the series of pins from rocking about or falling. These standards
may also be provided with loose or separate "feet" for the lowermost thimble pin
to rest in if the grooves are open into the sagger for the whole of their width; or
these grooved standards may be made separate without feet and fastened or secured
to the sagger either in the clay state or when fired. Or they may be made in small
parts or pieces and then fastened to the sagger one above another, not necessarily
touching each other, but still forming a continuous groove wherein the supporting
pins may be placed, and by which they may be firmly held.
According to another modification we make the saggers with dovetailed or any
other suitably-shaped vertical grooves, and fit or slide these separate supports or
standards (or parts thereof) already charged with supporting pins down within
them. In this modification we do not form the standards with feet, though they
may be provided with separate feet for the lowermost pin to rest in.
In all the above modifications the pins may be used either as thimble pins and
fit one within another, or they may be solid-ended and fit one upon another, but if
the grooves in the saggers or in the standards are open for their full width socket
pins must be used. In all other cases solid-ended pins may also be used, and the
pins may be formed either with single or double, or narrow or broad, one or two
nibbed arms. And in all the above modifications the saggers may be formed either
with or without bottoms, and of any required form, shape, or size.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Elias Leak and John Edwards in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 25th April 1879.
ELIAS LEAK, of Longton, in the County of Stafford, Potters' Machinist, and
JOHN EDWARDS, of Fenton, in the same County, Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING POTTERYWARE IN KILNS AND OVENS."
This Invention, which relates to certain improvements in apparatus for supporting
pottery ware in kilns and ovens whilst being baked, glazed, or otherwise fired, has
especial reference to the " saggers " in which the ware is placed and supported
while in the kiln or oven.
Saggers as hitherto used have been made of various forms or shapes and sizes, and
they are sometimes formed with inner ribs or broadened and thickened parts in
which vertical series of recesses are made, and into which removable pins are thrust,
and upon the projecting ends of which pins the ware is supported.
Now these pins unless well thrust or pushed into the said recesses, which the
carelessness of the workman often prevents being done, are very liable to fall out of
the same and let the ware fall or slip, by which it gets damaged.
A sagger of this make is illustrated in perspective view on the accompanying
Drawings in Figure 1, in which 1 represents the sagger; 2, the inner ribs; 3, the
recesses therein; t, the removable pins; and 5, the projecting points thereof upon
which the ware is supported.
According to another usual system the saggers are made plain within, and the
ware is supported by inner projecting arms of vertical series of socket or thimble
pins which fit one within another, and the lowermost one of which is usually fitted
in a foot.
Now according to this system the vertical series of supporting pins are very liable
to fall forwards or sidewards and let the ware slip and consequently get damaged.
A sagger of this make is illustrated in perspective view, partly broken away, in
Figure 2, in which 1 represents the sagger; 0, the thimble pins which fit one within
another; 5, the points or arms thereof which support the ware; and 7, the foot in
which the lowerinost thimble pin is placed so as to support the series above it.
The especial objects of our present Invention are to prevent the liability of the
ware getting spoiled through such instability of its supports and to provide means
by which it shall be rigidly supported in the sagger while being baked, glazed, or
otherwise fired in the kiln or oven, and which shall also allow of the ware being
placed in and removed from the sagger with greater facility and freedom from
accident or damage than hitherto, and thus by considerably reducing the per-centage
spoiled and facilitating the placing and removal of the ware greatly economize the
production.
In order to attain these most desirable objects we proceed as follows:-
According to one modification, illustrated in Figures 3 to 8 (of which Figures 3
and 6 are perspective views, the remaining Figures representing plan views), we
make the saggers 1 with vertical grooves 8 either in its substance, as shown in
Figures 5 and 8, or in inner ribs 9 forming part of the sagger, as shown in Figures 3,
4, 6, and 7.
These grooves may vary in number and be differently situated in
relation to each other, as shown in Figures 5, 7, and 8, depending principally upon
the kind or shape of ware required to be supported. When the grooves 8 are made
in the substance of the sagger so as to economize the space within the latter as much
as possible for occupation by the ware the sagger is preferably strengthened at the
parts where the grooves are made by outer ribs 10 so as to render all parts of the
sagger of about the same strength and prevent fracture thereof, due to unequal con

page_text: traction under the influence of the great heat to which it is subjected in the kilns
or ovens. But when the grooves S are made in the inner ribs or thickened parts 9
of the sagger the latter is formed plain externally, not then needing further
strengthening at the grooved parts.
The-grooves.8, besides varying in number and situation as above described, may
also be formed of a great variety of shapes, either dovetailed, angular, round, or
otherwise, some of the most advantageous forms being illustrated in Figures 3 to 8,
but various other forms (not shown on the Drawings) are equally as advantageous
as those illustrated in these Figures, and we desire that it should be distinctly
understood that we do not limit ourselves to any particular forms of grooves, but
use those which we find most convenient to make and most useful in practice.
According to this modification the grooves 8 are open into the interior of the
sagger throughout their length, as shown in Figures 9 to 11, but preferably only a
portion of their full width or widest part, as will be best seen-on-reference_being_
had to Figures 3 to 8.
Figure 9 represents a sectional elevation of Figure 7 through the line a, b;
Figure 10 represents a similar view through c, d, Figure 8; and Figure 11 repre-
sents a similar view through e, f, Figure 5.
Figures 7 and 9 represent the improvements embodied in this modification as
adapted to a bottomless sagger; Figures 8 and 10 represent them as adapted to a
sagger having an inner ledge 11 around the bottom; and Figures 5 and 11 repre-
sent them as adapted to a full-bottomed 12 sagger.
When using the bottomless saggers illustrated in Figures 7 and 9, we prefer to
plug up the bottom ends of the grooves 8, as shown at 13, by removable plugs, or
by fast or fixed plugs with holes 13* made through them for the purposes herein-
after described, and when using the inner ledged 11 or full bottomed 12 saggers,
illustrated in Figures 8 and 10, and 5 and 11 respectively, we prefer to make
holes 14 through the ledge or bottom for the purpose also hercin-after described.
Now according to this modification we obtain the means of rigidly supporting
the ware within the saggers by placing or simply dropping into the said grooves
thereof removable supporting pins 15, the ends of which may or may not be shaped
correspondingly with the shape of the grooves to which they are adapted, and
having arms which project into the sagger and support the ware in the usual manner
upon points thereof.
In each of Figures 3 to 8 one groove is shown as thus fitted with one or more
pins 15, the pins shown having differently shaped arms, as herein-after referred to.
In this modification we can use either thimble pins (that is, pins with socket
ends which fit one within another), or pins with solid ends, these ends (the parts
which fit into the grooves of the saggers) being of angular, flat, square, wedge,
polygonal, round, or any other convenient shape.
The shape of the arins with which the pins 15 are provided is quite immaterial,
as the pins may be formed either with single or double, or narrow or broad, one or
two nibbed arins, as described in the Specifications, and illustrated in the Drawings
annexed thereto, of certain Letters Patents granted to us on the 28th day of March,
A.D. 1877, No. 1239, and on the 27th day of November, A.D. 1877, No. 4457.
The grooves 8 in the saggers thus prevent any movement of the series of sup-
porting pins 15, so that the latter are firmly kept in place, and the ware rigidly
supported.
The plugs 13 are adapted to the grooves 8 of the bottomless saggers to prevent
the supporting pins 15 from falling through, and they are made removable or with
holes 13 through them, as above described, to allow of the pins being tapped out
of the grooves by a rod and hammer should any get stuck fast therein owing to the
contraction of the sagger, due to the heat of the kiln or oven or to any other cause,
and the holes 14 are formed in the inner ledged and full bottomed saggers for a
similar purpose, namely, to allow of any of the pins which may get stuck fast in the
grooves being quickly tapped out,

page_text: In using saggers and pins constructed according to the above described modifica-
tion the pins only required to be dropped into the grooves, when they fall without
trouble or delay into their proper places, and allow of the ware being placed and
removed with great rapidity.
Figures 12 and 13 represent plan views of an adaptation of this modification, in
which the grooves 8 are open for the whole of their width into the sagger.
In using saggers of this construction they must be formed with an inner bottom
ledge 11, or with a full bottom 12, or with inner extensions 19 in the manner shown
in Figure 15, and dotted at 19, Figure 12, and the supporting pins 15 must be made
with socket ends. The lowermost pin of each series may either fit into a suitably
shaped recess 16 in the ledge or bottom of the sagger at the lower end of the
groove 8, as shown in Figure 12, or be placed in a widened or broadened out foot 17,
as shown in Figure 13, to support the series of pins and prevent them from falling
forwards, the sides or ribs 9, 10, of the grooves 8 preventing any lateral movement
thereof.
Figures 14 to 16 represent plan views of another adaptation of this modification,
in which the saggers are formed with inner ribs 18 of a dovetailed, angular, round,
or other suitable shape, some of which are shown in these Figures, and down which
the supporting pins 15 are slid or dropped into position, as above described. The
ends of the pins may or may not be formed correspondingly with the ribs 18, but
are so formed as to be retained firmly thereby.
Figure 15 represents a bottomless sagger made with these ribs 18, which at their
lower ends are formed with extensions 19 to prevent the supporting pins 15 from
dropping off them. Figure 14 represents an inner-ledged sagger; and Figure 16,
a full-bottomed sagger.
Figure 17 represents in plan view or combination of the above, representing a
full-bottomed sagger as formed with inner grooves 8, within and up which vertical
ribs 18 extend. These ribs may be of any of the shapes above referred to, and this
combination may be also applied to bottomless or inner-ledged saggers, as will be
well understood from the preceding description.
According to a second modification illustrated in Figures 18 to 29 (of which
Figures 18, 23, 28, and 29, are perspective views, the two latter views being partly
broken away, the remaining Figures representing plan views) we make or form the
grooved or ribbed parts 20 of the saggers for supporting the pins in separate pieces
or parts from the saggers, and make them with vertical grooves 21, as illustrated
most clearly in Figures 18 to 22, or with equivalent ribs 22, as illustrated most
clearly in Figures 24 to 27, in like manner as the whole saggers in the previously
described modification, the said grooves 21 or ribs 22 being of any desired shape
(some of the most suitable shapes being illustrated in the Figures, to which reference
is drawn), and the supporting pins 15 fitting in or on them, as illustrated with
reference to the saggers in the preceding modification.
These grooved or ribbed parts or pieces made separate from the saggers may be
either fastened or secured, or made fast in one or more parts, to the sagger, as illus-
trated in Figure 28, by glaze, clay, or otherwise, either when they or the saggers
are either in the clay state or after they have been fired; or they may be used
loose from the saggers and fastened thereto or stuck against the inner sides of the
same at the time of being used by a piece of clay, glaze, or by any other suitable
or convenient means.
The separate grooved parts 20 may also be provided with loose or separate
feet 23, as illustrated in Figure 22, for the lowermost one of the series of
supporting pins 15 to rest in, as illustrated in Figure 23, if the grooves 21 are
open (into the sagger) for the whole of their width, as illustrated in these
Figures.
Or these separate grooved or ribbed parts 20 may be made in one or more small
parts or pieces and fastened to the sagger one above another, as illustrated in

page_text: Figure 29, not necessarily touching each other, but still forming a continuous
groove 21 (or rib), wherein (or whereon) the supporting pins may be placed, and
by which they may be firmly held.
A very great advantage is derived when thus making the grooved or ribbed
parts or pieces separate from the saggers, as manufacturing potters can then make
-their-own-saggers and grooved or ribbed parts or pieces to be used therewith
separately by any suitable means at hand, and then coinbine them together, that is,
place and use two, three, or more of the separate grooved or ribbed parts or pieces
in any form of sagger in any desired quantity or number, and in any desired
position, depending principally upon the shape of the ware to be supported.
According to a third modification. illustrated in the perspective views, Figures
30 to 32, partly broken away, we make the saggers with dovetailed or any other
suitably shaped vertical grooves 8, or equivalent ribs 18, as described with reference
to the first modification, and fit or slide-these-separate_grooved or ribbed parts 20,
described with reference to the second modification, down within or around them,
the parts 20 being at the same time, if required, fully charged with supporting
pins 15, or being subsequently filled up, as previously described.
In this modification the separate parts 20 may also be provided with separate
feet 23, as illustrated in Figure 32, for the lowermost supporting pin to rest in
when the grooves 21 thereof open into the sagger for their full width, as illustrated
in this Figure.
;
In the lastly described modifications, as described with reference to the first
modification, the supporting pins 15 may be used either as socket or thimble pins,
and fit one within another, or they may be solid-ended, and fit one upon another;
socket or thimble pins only requiring to be used when the grooves in the saggers or
in the separate grooved or ribbed parts 20 thereof are open for their full width;
and the pins may be formed either with single or double, or narrow or broad, one,
or two nibbed, arms, as previously referred to.
The above-described improved saggers and separate grooved or ribbed parts
thereof, which are used therewith, can be formed either by hand or be moulded,
stamped, or pressed out or otherwise formed by any suitable machinery; the saggers
being formed of any required form, shape, or size, and bottomless, with inner
ledges, or with full bottoms, as desired.
Having now described the nature and objects of our said Invention, together
with the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into
practical effect, we would remark in conclusion that we claim as our Invention,-
Firstly. The construction or manufacture of "saggers," in which potteryware
is placed and supported whilst being baked, glazed, or otherwise fired, with
inner vertical grooves, or with equivalent inner vertical ribs, the said grooves or
ribs being of a dovetailed or other suitable or required shape; and in or on which
supporting pins, which may or may not correspond in shape therewith, are placed,
and by and upon the points or arms of which the ware is supported whilst being
treated as above referred to; the parts being so adapted and combined as that the
said supporting pins are firmly held and prevented from slipping, and the ware is
rigidly supported without danger of falling.
Secondly. The manufacture and use in combination with ordinary saggers of
separately made parts formed, as above described, with vertical grooves or equi-
valent ribs, in or on which the said supporting pins are placed, the separate grooved
or ribbed parts being made fast to the saggers either permanently or temporarily,
or otherwise adapted or fitted thereto, so that the series of pins are firmly supported
and prevented from shifting their position.
And, Thirdly. The use, in combination with saggers provided with grooves or
ribs as above described, of separate grooved or ribbed parts, which fit in or on the
grooves or ribs of the saggers, the supporting pins being adapted to the said
grooves or ribs of the said separate or detachable parts, and thus firmly held.

page_text: Each and all substantially as and for the purposes above described, and as illus-
trated on the accompanying Sheets of Drawings, or any mere modification or
evasion thereof.
In witness whereof, we, the said Elias Leak and John Edwards, have hereunto
set our hands and seals, this Twenty-second day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.
ELIAS LEAK.
(L.S.)
JOHN EDWARDS. (L.S.)