Improvements in the Method or Means for Supporting Pottery-ware whilst being Fired.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Jan.; 1890
Complete Specification Left, 8th Oct., 1890- Accepted, 8th Nov., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method or Means for Supporting Pottery-ware
whilst being Fired.
CHARLES FREDERICK BAILEY, Holly Villas, Lawton in the County of Chester,
Potter's Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to an improved method of constructing supports for pottery
ware, whilst being fired.
After pottery ware has been fired in the "biscuit" oven, it is dipped in liquid glaze
and set to dry; the ware is then placed in saggars and fired in a "glost" oven.
The articles should not touch each other whilst being fired in the "glost" oven,
but should be supported upon as few points as the size and weight of the articles will
permit; as each point of support leaves a mark on the articles when withdrawn from
the oven, decreasing their value.
The supports should also be constructed to allow the ware to be easily and quickly
placed in or removed from the saggars.
The ordinary method of supporting pottery ware is by "thimble pins,” but experience
proves that they are liable to give way, and are sometimes difficult to separate when
the articles they support are heavy. Several other methods have been suggested and
tried, but they do not overcome the difficulties, some giving way under the strain,
others not adapted to the speedy withdrawal of the ware from the saggars.
"
The object of my invention is to overcome these difficulties in a simple and efficient
manner. My invention consists in constructing a standard or stack provided with
apertures in which I insert one end of the "pins." The "pins" here mentioned are
short pieces of pottery ware of a triangular section, the ends of which, projecting
from the standards or "stacks" support the ware.
The apertures in the standards or *"stacks" are so formed that the projecting ends
of the "pins" will sustain a downward pressure-the article to be fired,--but will
allow the "pins" to slide out easily when pressed upwards, as in lifting the ware out
saggars.
A convenient number of these standards or "stacks" with "pins" are placed round
the interior of the saggars to support the ware, the number varying with size or shape
of the articles to be supported. The pins being of a triangular section may be used
several times, by turning the different edges to support the ware.
Dated this 14th day of Ian 1800
CHARLES FREDERICK BAILEY.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method or Means for Supporting Pottery-ware
whilst being Fired.
CHARLES FREDERICK BAILEY, Holly Villas, Lawton in the County of Chester,
Potter's Manager, 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:―
My invention relates to an improved method of constructing supports for pottery
ware, whilst being fired.
After pottery ware has been fired in the "biscuit" oven it is dipped into liquid
glaze and set to dry; the ware is then placed in saggars and fired in a "glost"
oven.
It is important that the articles should not touch each other whilst being fired in

page_text: the glost oven, and should only be supported upon as few points as the size and weight
of the articles will permit: as each point of support leaves a mark on the articles.
The supports should also be constructed to allow the articles to be easily and quickly
placed in or removed from the saggars.
The ordinary method of supporting articles of pottery ware whilst being fired is by
means of thimble pins, but experience proves that they are liable to give way and are
sometimes difficult to separate after supporting heavy articles. Other methods have
been tried but they do not successfully overcome the difficulties; some giving way
under the strain, and others not adapted to allow the ware to be speedily withdrawn
after it has been fired.
By means of my invention I overcome these difficulties in a simple and efficient
manner. My invention consists of a standard or stack provided with apertures or
recesses to receive pins. The pins here mentioned are short pieces of pottery ware of
a suitable shape the ends of which projecting from the standards or stacks support
The apertures or recesses in said standards or stacks 1 so form that the
projecting ends of the pins will sustain a downward pressure-the article to be fired-
but will allow the pins to tilt out of the way when pressed upwards as in lifting the
ware out of the saggars.
the ware.
In order to explain my invention more clearly I have annexed a sheet of drawings
and will now proceed to describe same having reference to the letters and figures
marked thereon. The same letters refer to the same parts in each figure.
Fig. 1 is a front view of my improved stack or standard with a few pins in their
respective positions.
Fig. 2 is a side view partly in section to show the shape of the recesses, and
Fig. 3 is a plan of my improved stack.
Fig. 4 is a plan of a pin constructed according to my invention,
Fig. 5 is a side view of same.
Fig. 6 is a modified form of my improved stack and pins.
I will first describe my invention as shown at Figures 1 to 5.
a represents the
stack, the pins, c the trunnions on each side of the pins, d the apertures or recesses
which support the trunnions, e the projecting nibs for the ends f of the pins to press
against when supporting the articles to be fired on their outer points g. On the sides
of the stack I form dovetail or other suitably shaped pieces h to fit between two nibs
in the saggar to steady said stack; the dovetail or other suitably shaped pieces may
occupy any position on the stack between the top and the bottom."
In placing pottery ware in the saggars with my improved stack and pins, and
assuming three stacks to be employed, I put two stacks in position with their pins
projecting out horizontally ready to receive the ware as shown by the lower parts of
Figs. 1 and 2, the third stack I put in with its pins tilted out of the way as shown by
the upper part of Figs. 1 and 2, the pins being put horizontal by the placer as each
piece of ware is put upon the pins.
The stacks may be used a dozen times or more if carefully used, and the pins may
also be used several times. Where it is intended to use the pins several times, and to
save the trouble of putting the pins in the stack each time, I use a modified form of
my invention, shown at Fig. 6, the difference between Figs. 1 and 6 is that holes are
made through the stack and pins, and a small spindle or pin i passed through both of
them to act as trunnions for the pins instead of making them together with the pins
as in Figs. 1 to 5.
The object in making the pins to tilt is not only for placing the ware in the saggars,
but to tilt up out of the way when withdrawing the ware after it has been fired. I
make the pins with a flat side on each trunnion to cause them to stay in their tilted
positions when required as shown by the upper half of Figs. 1 and 2, said pins being
balanced.
Although I have described my invention particularly with reference to the annexed
drawings I do not confine myself to the exact details therein shown, so long as I
adhere to the principle; for instance, I may make the trunnions on the pins square if
necessary.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention as in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. The method or means for supporting pottery ware whilst being fired, consisting
of a stack or standard with tilting pins, constructed substantially as herein set forth
and shown.
2. A standard or stack constructed with apertures or holes to support tilting pins,
substantially as, and for the purpose herein set forth and shown.
3. A pin to support pottery ware whilst being fired, constructed either with trunnions
or with an aperture to receive a trunnion substantially as, and for the purpose herein
set forth and shown.
Dated this 7th day of October 1890.
CHARLES FREDERICK BAILEY,
Applicant.