IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF EARTHENWARE BOTTLES, AND OF OTHER EARTHENWARE, POTTERYWARE, AND PORCELAIN ARTICLES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Murray, of Rutherglen, near Glasgow, in the
County of Lanarkshire, North Britain, and Spencer Crighton, of Manchester,
in the County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF EARTHENWARE BOTTLES, AND OF OTHER
EARTHENWARE, POTTERYWARE, AND PORCELAIN ARTICLES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Murray and Spencer
Crighton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th November
1877.
THOMAS MURRAY, of Rutherglen, near Glasgow,.in the County of Lanarkshire,
North Britain, and SPENCER CRIGHTON, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF EARTHENWARE
BOTTLES, AND OF OTHER EARTHENWARE, POTTERYWARE, AND PORCELAIN ARTICLES."
Our Invention relates to the manufacture of earthenware bottles and jars, and of
other earthenware, pottery ware, and porcelain articles, and consists more par-
ticularly of improvements in former Inventions for which Her Majesty's Royal
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of October, in the year One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-four, and Numbered 3422, and the Thirtieth day of
September, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, Number 3400, have been
granted to us.
In such Inventions inner shaping rods or fingers are employed in connection
with outer profiles or shaping rollers or parts, and upward and downward move-
ments were imparted to such rods or fingers.
Since the dates of the said Letters Patent we have discovered that a better
result may be obtained by lowering the revolving head which carries the plastic
material than by raising the rod or finger. We now lower the wheel head together
with the bat or mass, or moulded, or preliminarily shaped mass of clay as the
formation of the article proceeds, the fulcrum of the said rod or finger remaining
stationary.

page_text: In some cases, or if preferred, the said rod or finger may be raised or lowered, or
raised and lowered to some extent, during the formation of the article, the wheel
head being also lowered or raised and lowered during such formation.
The article may be outwardly shaped by means of suitable profiles or revolving
shapers, or by the means indicated in the said previous Patents.
The shaper which we find to be suitable in the formation of bottles and narrow
mouthed articles is formed of lignum vitae or other suitable material, and is fitted
to revolve on a spindle or axis so as to shape the article by rolling contact. The
said spindle is hinged at one end and is acted upon by means of a cam or sliding
cam plate or other suitable appliance, in such a manner as that when the wheel
head is being lowered the shaper is moved towards the axis of revolution of the
wheel head, and is at the same time inclined, or further inclined, or partly turned
over so as gradually to bring a different portion of its surface into contact with
the clay.
By making the shaper of a shape suitable for each case the required outward
form is imparted to the article.
The said spindle may be mounted in or fixed to a frame, which is rotated or
moved to impart the required motion to the said shaper.
To impart a better finish to the article, we may lower and raise the wheel head
so as to cause the shapers to re-act upon the surfaces of the article.
In conjunction with the rising and falling wheel heads, we may employ inner
shapers fitted to revolve upon or carrying rods or frames to form the interiors of the
articles by rolling contact or shapers, either fixed or revolving upon their axes,
and revolving around the axes of motion of the wheel heads, and acting in concert
with outer shapers fixed or revolving around the same axes.
We effect the lowering and raising of the wheel heads by means of cams or
appliances acting upon levers or parts, which lower and raise the spindles of the
said wheel heads, or the footsteps of the said spindles, without interfering with the
action of the parts which impart the revolving motions.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Murray and Spencer Crighton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 4th May 1878.
THOMAS MURRAY, of
and SPENCER CRIGHTON, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF EARTHENWARE
BOTTLES, AND OF OTHER EARTHENWARE, POTTERYWARE, AND PORCELAIN ARTICLES."
Our Invention relates to the manufacture of earthenware bottles and jars, and
of other earthenware, potteryware, and porcelain articles, and consists more par-
ticularly of improvements in former Inventions for which Her Majesty's Royal
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of October, in the year One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-four, Numbered 3422, and the Thirtieth day of September,
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, Numbered 3400, have been granted
to us.
In such Inventions shaping rods or fingers were employed in connection with
outer profiles or shaping rollers or parts, and upward and downward movements
were imparted to such rods or fingers.
Since the dates of the said Letters Patent we have discovered that a better result
may be obtained by lowering the revolving head which carries the plastic material
than by raising the rod or finger. We now lower the wheel head together with the
bat or mass, or moulded, or preliminarily shaped mass of clay or plastic material as
the formation of the article proceeds, the fulcrum of the said rod or finger remaining
stationary.
In some cases, or if preferred, the said rod or finger may be raised or lowered, or
raised and lowered to some extent, during the formation of the article, the wheel
head being also lowered or raised and lowered or moved in the direction of its axis
during such formation.
The article may be outwardly shaped by means of suitable profiles, rollers, or
revolving shapers, or by the means indicated in the said previous Patents.
The shaper which we find to be suitable in the formation of bottles and narrow
mouthed articles is formed of lignum vitæ or other suitable material, and is
fitted to revolve so as to shape the article by rolling contact. When 'the wheel head.
is being lowered the shaper is moved downwards and towards the axis of revolution
of the wheel head, so as gradually to bring a different portion of its surface into
contact with the clay.
By making the shaper of a shape suitable for each case the required outward
form is imparted to the article.
In conjunction with the rising and falling wheel head we may employ inner
shapers fitted to revolve upon, or in rods, carriers, or frames or shapers, either fixed or
revolving upon their axes, and revolving around the axes of motion of the wheel
heads, and co-operating with outer shapers fixed or revolving around the same axes;
or in conjunction with the rising and falling wheel head we may employ inner
moulds and outer revolving or rolling shapers, or outer moulds and inner revolving
or rolling shapers.
And in order that our Invention may be readily described and understood, we
have appended hereunto a Sheet of Drawings, marked with letters of reference.
Referring in this place to the said Drawings, Fig: 1, drawn to a scale of about
one and a half inches to the foot, represents so much of the complete machine as is
necessary to the illustration of our Invention.
In the said Figure A is a central pillar, which is surmounted by a pug mill B,
which supplies the clay to the wheel heads. Around and upon the said pillar a
table C is fitted to revolve.
In the complete machine from which the example is taken, this table carries
three sets of wheel heads, each set consisting of four heads, four articles being
formed simultaneously, but this simultaneous formation of several articles forms no
part of our Invention.

page_text: The said table is formed with bearings, in which long bushes A are fitted to
trevolve. One of the bearings and the enclosed bush are seen in section. In each
bushi a spindle:b is fitted to slide, and on the upper end of each spindle a suitable
"wheel head" is fixed or formed. The lower end of each spindle rests on a foot-
step c, which is fixed to a plate d, which is fitted to slide up, and, down upon pillars
which are secured to the table. One of the said pillars is seen at e.
The arrange-
ment is such as that when the plate d is moved upwards or downwards, the four
'spindles are caused to slide within their bearings, upwards or downwards, as the
case may be. A hook piece is fitted to slide in a bracket g, which is fixed to
the foot of the column A, or is otherwise suitably, fixed. The upper end of the
part is formed to engage with a hook-shaped "bracket 7, which is fixed to the
plate d. A lever i is mounted upon a fixed fulcrum, at k, and is acted upon by a
cam", which receives a revolving motion from the drawing shaft m.
A worm on
the said driving shaft gears with a worm wheel n, which is connected with the said
cam. The said cam acts upon a sliding block
o, which jointed to the lever.
When the table is rotated so as to bring a set of wheel heads into position for the
articles to be moulded,, the projecting part of the bracket h passes below the pro-
jecting part of the hook piece f. The cam l now acts upon one end of the lever i
so as to depress the other end thereof, and thereby to draw down the said hook
piece, and the said hook piece engaging with the bracket h; the plate d is also drawn
down, thereby causing the wheel head spindles to slide in their bearings and the
wheel heads to be lowered. This lowering of the wheel heads takes place gradually
during the formation of the article.
*
from
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11
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The return movement of the plate d is effected by means of balance weights,
by other suitable means.
"
or
In case only one wheel head is to be in operation at once, the lever may engage
with a loose collar mounted upon the spindle, and acting as a footstep, the lever
also acting to raise the spindle as indicated by Fig. 2. Upon the bush ba friction
disc q is secured, and during the formation of the articles this disc is in contact
with a friction wheel r, which is fixed to a shafts. The shaft s is connected by
gearing t with the driving shaft m, whereby a revolving motion is imparted to the
wheel head as in our first Invention.
Motion is transmitted from the said bush to the other bushes in the series by
means of friction gearing or by other suitable means.
To avoid confusion we will herein-after refer only to the parts used in the
formation of one article.
In the example the inner shaper, which imparts form to the interior of the article,
is in the form of a rod or finger D fitted to swivel upon a fulcrum E, as in our said
former Inventions; but instead of the said fulcrum sliding upwards, it is stationary.
The lower end of the finger is moved to and fro from the axial line of the wheel
head, or is moved as may be required according to the nature of the article being
formed.
In the example, the upper end of the rod is connected by rods u, u, and a bell,
crank lever with a sliding block w, provided with an antifriction bowl, which is
acted upon by a cam x on the same shaft as the cam . As the cam revolves the
rods are acted upon to move the lower end of the rod D inwards towards
the axial line of the wheel head at the times and to the extent required.
The return movement is imparted by a spring p to avoid back lash, but such
return movement is regulated by the cam as will be well understood.
We do not confine ourselves to this method of actuating the rod D, and, if
preferred, sliding in lines or other suitable means may be employed, and the move-
ments of the rod may be made suitable to each case. The form of the cam x will
be made suitable to the article to be produced.
I
.In the example the article is outwardly formed by means of a revolving shaper
or profile F, which is separately represented by Fig. 3, which is drawn to a larger
scale. A ring y is fitted to revolve in a bearing formed in a lever z, which is
mounted on a shaft or fulcrum at a¹. The said ring is lined with a ring of lignum

page_text: vitæ, which is turned internally to such a form as will impart or aid in imparting
the required outer form to the article, when the said ring is moved in the manner
herein-after indicated.
In the example the ring of the form indicated is designed for use in the formation
of earthenware bottles.
The lever z is acted upon by an incline plate 6', which is fitted to slide up and
down, and is connected by a lever c' and a rod d' with the lever i. The slot on the
plate b' is so formed as, that during the time when a parallel cylindrical form has
to be imparted to the article, the lever z is kept at rest, but when the diameter of
the article, say, for example, a bottle has to be reduced, the inclined portion of the
plate 61 acts upon the said lever to move it in the direction indicated by the arrow,
the lever turning upon its fixed fulcrum. As the lever turns the shaper ring is
moved outwards, and the surface in contact with the clay is, as it were, partly
turned over and moved downwards so as to bring upper parts of the surface into
contact with the clay being moulded. As the formation of the article proceeds, the
table d is drawn downwards, whereby the wheel head carrying the clay is lowered.
As the shaping proceeds, the clay is raised by the combined actions of the rod D,
and the shaper ring and the shaping surface, when moving inwards, also moves
downwards, thus meeting the rising clay. This movement of the moulding surface
downwards as well as inwards we have found to be more beneficial as compared
with simply moving a roller or profile inwards towards the axis of revolution of
the wheel head.
In the example the shaper ring is arranged to be revolved by means of a band,
but we do not confine ourselves to this.
Fig. 4 illustrates another form of shaping surface. In this example a lignum
vitæ roller e¹ is fitted to revolve upon a spindle formed on the lever z. The said
roller is turned to aid in imparting the required form to the article, and the lever z
is caused to turn upon its fulcrum, as in the other example, the action being
similar.
In some cases a roller, having a similar action may be employed to operate upon
the interior of the article.
In the formation of bottles we prefer to use the ring shaper, as we have found
it to have a better effect than the roller shaper.
We do not confine ourselves to the use of lignum vitæ for the indicated
purposes.
The ring shaper or roller may be fitted to revolve in or upon any suitable frame
or part arranged to be actuated in any suitable manner to impart movement to the
shaper, substantially as herein indicated.
Although, when forming earthenware bottles, we prefer to combine the use of
the falling head with the rolling profile having the indicated movements, we do not
confine ourselves to such combination.
Fig. 5 indicates one arrangement for making other articles. In this example a
shaping roller is employed to impart or aid in imparting the required form to the
interior of the article, the wheel head being lowered as the formation proceeds.
We may also employ any suitable form of inner shaping rod, roller, or finger, or
inner or outer revolving shaper, or other shaping arrangements indicated herein, or
in the Specifications of our said former Inventions, in combination with the wheel
head arranged to be lowered during the formation of the article.
If it be necessary or advisable for any reason, as for example, if it be desired to
impart a superior finish to the article, the wheel head may be raised after the
preliminary forming has been completed, so as to cause the shapers to re-act upon
the inner and outer surfaces, and this may be repeated as often as required in
any case.
Although we have described the fulcrum of the rod D as being stationary, it may
be moved during the shaping process if considered to be advisable.
Having now fully set forth and indicated the nature of our said Invention, and

page_text: means whereby the same may be carried into effect, we would have it to be under-
stood that we claim,―
First. The wheel head lowered or drawn down during the formation of such
articles, as herein indicated, the rod or finger for shaping or aiding in shaping the
interior, and the roller or rolling profile for shaping or aiding in shaping the
exterior of the article, each acting substantially as and for the purpose set forth
and indicated.
Second. The roller shapers and ring shapers formed and acting substantially as
set forth and indicated.
Thirdly. The employment, in conjunction with wheel heads arranged to be
lowered, of revolving shapers, so mounted and arranged as, that when moved
towards the axis of the wheel head, the shaping surface also moves towards the
wheel head, substantially as set forth and indicated.
Fourthly. Wheel heads arranged to be lowered or drawn down during the shaping
operation, and used in combination with revolving shapers acting upon the articles
with rolling contact, or with shapers arranged to revolve around the axial lines of
the wheel heads, or with such rolling or revolving shapers acting in concert with
fixed shapers or profiles, or with moulds.
And, lastly. The combinations and arrangements of parts, substantially as and for
the purposes set forth and indicated herein-before and in the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Spencer Crighton, for myself and on behalf of
the said Thomas Murray, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Third
day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-eight.
Signed and sealed by the
said Spencer Crighton in
in the presence of
EDWARD K. DUTTON,
Agent to the Patentees,
St. Ann's Churchyard,
Manchester.
SPENCER CRIGHTON. (L.S.)