IMPROVEMENTS IN PLASTERING MACHINES
Year: 1884

page_text: I WILLIAM EXCELL BAKER of Little Wellington Street Aldershot in the County
of Hants, Plasterer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN PLASTERING MACHINES to be as follows:-
This invention relates to mechanical means for plastering the walls and ceilings
of houses and other buildings.
For this purpose I firmly fix two vertical rods or guides (which may be telescopic)
by cramping or screwing so as to cause them to stand firmly between the floor and
ceiling of the room, the walls of which it is desired to plaster. Upon these vertical
rods or guides is fitted a plaster box with a hinged bottom to which a chain is
attached and passed over a pulley at the upper part of the apparatus. Upon pulling
the chain the hinged bottom of the box is drawn so as to close with its plaster
contents against the wall to be plastered at the same time if the pull on the chain
be strong enough ascending upwards on the vertical rods or guides. A trowel is
fixed to the front of the box so that as this ascends the plaster is smoothed off to
a regular thickness and surface. When the plaster box has reached the top of its
travel, a short distance will remain to be accomplished by the trowel which is then
forced upward this remaining distance by a separate lever mechanism attached to
the plaster box and operated by pulling a chain or cord, a separating plate attached
to and hanging from the trowel separating the plaster still remaining in the box
from the finished surface, after the passage of the trowel.
When it is required to plaster a ceiling (or a ceiling and walls at the same time)
I employ two of these sets of vertical rods which I similarly fix, one at each end
of the room, the two sets of vertical fixed rods being connected by horizontal rods
or guides (which may also be adjustable telescopically) over which the plaster box
is caused to travel with its plaster contents continuously pressed against the ceiling
by means of a spring or by toothed wheel work or lever mechanism operated by
pulling a chain or cord, the trowel being fitted and operated in the manner herein-
before described for plastering walls.
Dated this first day of January 1884

page_text: I, WILLIAM EXCELL BAKER, of Little Wellington Street, Aldershot, in the
county of Hants, Plasterer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PLASTERING MACHINES" and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
--
This invention relates to mechanical means for plastering the walls and ceilings
of houses and other buildings.
For this purpose
firmly fix two or more vertical rods or guides, which may be
telescopic, by cramping or screwing so as to cause them to stand firmly between
the floor and ceiling of the room the walls of which it is desired to plaster. Upon
these vertical rods or guides is fitted a plaster box. Inside of this box I fix
a hinged bottom, to which a chain is attached and passed over a pulley at the
upper part of the apparatus. Upon pulling the chain the hinged bottom is drawn
so as to close with its plaster contents against the wall to be plastered, at the same
time if the pull be strong enough ascending upwards on the vertical rods or guides.
A trowel is fixed to the front of the box (at the lower end of the box) so.as this
ascends the plaster is smoothed off to a regular thickness and surface. When the
plaster box has reached the top of its travel a short distance will remain to be
accomplished by the trowel which is then forced upwards this remaining distance
by a separate lever mechanism attached to the plaster box and operated by pulling
a chain or cord, a separating plate being attached to and hanging from the trowel
separating the plaster still remaining in the box from the finished surface after the
passage of the trowel.
When it is required to plaster a ceiling (or a ceiling and walls at the same time)
I employ two of these sets of vertical rods which I similarly fix one at each end
of the room the two sets of vertical fixed rods being connected by horizontal rods
or guides (which may be also adjustable telescopically) over which the plaster
box is caused to travel with its plaster contents continuously pressed against the
ceiling by means of a spring, wheel work, screw or lever mechanism operated by
pulling a chain or cord, the trowel being fitted and operated as in the manner
hereinbefore described for plastering walls.
But in order that my invention may be fully understood I will proceed to
describe the same by the aid of the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved apparatus for applying plaster to walls;
Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same; and Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are detail views,
showing the construction of the box for holding the plaster, and certain modifications
of the actuating mechanism as will be hereinafter more fully explained.
A are vertical rods composed of two or more pieces sliding telescopically one
within the other so as to be capable of adjustment, to cause them to fit tightly
between the floor and the ceiling and act as guides to the box containing the plaster.
At top these rods are formed to partially embrace a transverse rod B fixed between
the two end walls of the apartment, for which purpose the rod B is made adjustable
like the vertical rods A, and if desired a similar rod may be arranged for the rods A
to rest upon at the bottom. Upon the rods A the plaster box C is capable of
being raised and lowered, for which purpose an actuating pulley or wheel D is
suitably supported on a shaft E at the upper end of the rods A, and round it is

page_text: wound an endless rope or chain F hanging down to within a suitable distance of the
floor of the apartment, and by means of which the shaft E can be caused to
revolve. Upon shaft E are mounted two drums G, to each of which one end of two
ropes or chains H are attached, such ropes being led over guide pulleys I at top of
guides A and then continued down and their ends secured to the plaster box C.
The construction of the plaster box C is shown in detail in Fig. 3, by which it
will be seen that it is provided with a hinged lid C₁ for the purpose of supplying
the plaster to the box, the lid being then closed and fastened. The bottom of the
box consists of a plate C2 secured to an axis C³ passing through the box and
capable of turning in suitable bearings and carrying with it the plate C². The
front of the box is open and faces the surface to which the plaster is to be applied.
Outside the box on each side a rod or lever J is secured to the axis C³ and to these
levers the ends of the ropes or chains H are respectively secured, such ropes first
passing over guide wheels K mounted on the box.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-By pulling the rope or chain F the
shaft E is caused to revolve whereby the chains H are wound on the drums G, and
cause the axis C³ to turn and carry with it the plate C2 forming the bottom of the
plaster box C. The axis C³ will continue to turn in its bearings until the plaster
in the box is pressed by the plate C' through the open front of the box and against
the wall to which it is to be applied with sufficient pressure, when the continued
rotation of the shaft E will cause the box C to be raised up to the top of the
guides A applying the plaster to the wall in its passage. In order to smooth off
the surface of the plaster applied a trowel L is provided at the lower front faco
of the box C, and when this box is at the top of its course the plaster applied
above it remains unacted upon, and in order to smooth this off, the trowel is made
capable of moving upwards over the open face of the box C. A suitable means of
effecting this consists in mounting a ratchet wheel M on each side of the box and
pivotting a hand lever N on its axis, the lever carrying a pawl engaging with the
ratchet wheel. On the same axis as ratchet wheel M is mounted a chain wheel O,
a chain P passing over such wheel and also over guide wheels Q, its two ends
being secured to the trowel. It will be seen that by actuating lever N the trowel L
will be caused to travel over the front of the box C. In order to prevent the
plaster being pressed out of the box C below the trowel L, as the latter travels
upwards on the box C it will be necessary to secure a plate or shutter to the lower
edge of the trowel, such shutter being detached when the box is returned to the
bottom of its travel or course.
In Fig. 4 a modification is shown in which the chains H besides turning the
axis C³ for pressing the plaster against the wall and then raising the plaster box,
are also utilized for causing the trowel to travel over the front of the plaster box
when the latter reaches the limit of its upward movement. For this purpose the
chains H are carried over additional guide wheels R and S (the former mounted on
the lever J and the latter near the top of the plaster box) and then secured to the
trowel L, which until the plaster box arrives at the top of its travel is secured in
position at the bottom of such box by a spring catch, such catch being then
released either by hand or automatically so that the continued upward movement
of the chains H will raise the trowel to the top of the plaster box.
So as to provide for a final adjustment of the guides A and to enable them to be
readily loosened for shifting the apparatus along the wall as each strip or width of
plastering is finished, a spring catch T is mounted on the bottom length of the
guides and is carried by a screw U formed on a shaft V fitted with a hand wheel,
by turning which the catch T is caused to travel on said screw U. The catch
engages with either one of a series of recesses in the length of the guide A sliding
within the bottom length, in which latter a slot is formed to allow of the vertical
movement of the catch.
As the plaster box in its apward movement will pass from one length of the
guides A to the one above (the latter sliding telescopically in the lower length

page_text: must be smaller) it is necessary to provide means to permit the box to fit closely
against the upper lengths of the guides, and for this purpose a sleeve or collar W
is mounted on top of the lower lengths of the guides and provided with a projection,
so that the plaster box on arriving at the top of the lower lengths will pass over
such collar or sleeve and carry the same with it up the upper lengths of the
guides A.
A similar provision is made for shifting the apparatus along the transverse rod B
fixed at the top of the apartment.
In order to prevent the plaster from being pressed outwards at the sides of the
open front of the plaster box C, a spring plate C is mounted on the side of the box,
(as shown in Fig. 5) its front edge resting upon the surface to which the plaster is
to be applied, and the springs allowing the plate to yield to pass over irregularities
in such surfaces.
A ratchet wheel with which a pawl engages is mounted on the shaft E for the
purpose of holding the box at any point of its upward travel.
The apparatus as employed for applying plaster to ceilings is illustrated in Fig. 6,
and consists in placing the guide rods A horizontally between the end walls of the
apartment, and, securing them in such position close to the ceiling by adjusting
their length and causing them to bear upon transverse rods supported by vertical
end and intermediate supports (preferably adjustable) if necessary. The chains H
from the drums G will then be secured to the modified form of plaster box shown,
such chains passing over the guide pulleys X and X1 on the plaster box C, and then
down over a drum Y mounted on an axle supported in bearings carried by guide
rods Z fixed to the plaster box C, then up over another guide pulley X2 and down
to be secured to a slide Z¹ moving in the guides Z, and carrying a plate C2 forming
the bottom of the box C. The plate C is lowered to receive a load of plaster and
the movement of the chains H raises the same inside box C and presses the plaster
to the ceiling, after which the continued movement of the chains H causes the
box C to travel along the guides A. When the box C arrives at the end of its
travel similar means as those described in the first arrangement may be employed
for causing the trowel L to travel over the open end of the box in order to finish
or smooth off the plaster applied to the ceiling in front of same.
Any suitable arrangement of springs or weights may if required be employed
to exert an increased pressure of the plaster against the ceiling besides that due to
the actuating chains.
The trowel may be provided with a false front acted upon by springs, to work
with an adjustable pressure when the thickness of plaster required cannot be
applied in one coat or when using thin materials, and the acting surface of this
trowel may be scalloped for the purpose of "rendering" or applying the first coat
when more than one is necessary.
The guide rods both at top and bottom may be provided with rollers to facilitate
the shifting of the whole apparatus along the room or apartment.
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. The improved apparatus for plastering walls and ceilings in which the box
containing the plaster is caused to travel along suitable guides over the surface to
which the plaster is to be applied, such box being formed with an open face through
which the plaster is forced as the box travels, substantially as herein set forth.
2. In the improved apparatus for applying plaster to walls and ceilings, the use
of the same ropes or chains for actuating suitable mechanism to press the plaster
against the surface to which it is to be applied and also to cause the box containing
the plaster to travel over or along such surface, substantially as herein set forth.
3. The use of adjustable or telescopic rods for guiding and supporting the
improved apparatus for applying plaster to walls and ceilings, substantially as
herein set forth.
J

page_text: 4. In the improved apparatus for applying plaster to walls and ceilings the use
of a trowel applied to one edge of the open face of the travelling box carrying
the plaster, such trowel being capable of moving along over such open face when
the box arrives at the end of its travel, substantially as and for the purpose
described.