Improvements in the Manufacture of Tiles, and Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Tiles, and Apparatus therefor.
I, WILLIAM HEWITT, trading as Godwin & Hewitt, of Victoria Tile Works, Here-
ford, in the County of Hereford, Tile Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the manufacture of tiles with dovetailed projections
and grooves on the backs thereof and with or without grooves on the edges.
The apparatus which I employ for carrying out my invention comprises a fixed
bottom plate over which slides the die box. A die plate, which is to form the
dovetail projections and grooves, is constructed with a number of projections with
taper or inclined edges. Against these inclined edges are placed loose pieces
the outer edges of which are undercut. Between each pair of loose pieces I arrange
vertically sliding pieces.
The dust or clay from which the tiles are to be moulded is placed in the box
and my die plate placed on the latter which is pressed downwards by the top plate
thereby compressing the dust between the lower plate and my die plate and into
the dovetail spaces between the undercut loose pieces. The top plate is now raised
and the die plate is removed from the box carrying with it the tile which is then
released from the die plate by forcing the sliding pieces outwards so as to cause
the loose pieces forming each dovetail projection to slide apart from one another.
This operation may be effected by the use of a plate having a number of projections
adapted to pass into holes at the back of the sliding pieces.
After the discharge of a tile the loose pieces are brought back to their normal
position by means of springs thereby returning the sliding pieces to their working
position.
With this apparatus I can also form grooves in the edges of a tile.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Tiles and Apparatus therefor.
I, WILLIAM HEWITT, trading as Godwin & Hewitt, of Victoria Tile Works, Here-
ford, in the County of Hereford, Tile Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:
-
This invention relates to the manufacture of tiles with dovetailed projections
and grooves on the backs thereof and with or without grooves on the edges.

page_text: The apparatus which I employ for carrying out my invention comprises a fixed
bottom plate over which slides the die box. A die plate, which is to form the
dovetail projections and grooves, is constructed with a number of projections with
taper or inclined edges or faces. Against these inclined edges are placed loose
pieces the outer edges of which are undercut. Between each pair of loose pieces
I arrange vertically sliding pieces.
The dust or clay from which the tiles are to be moulded is placed in the box
and my die plate placed on the latter which is pressed downwards by the top plate,
thereby compressing the dust between the lower plate and my die plate and into
the dovetail spaces between the undercut loose pieces. The top plate is now raised
and the die plate is removed from the box carrying with it the tile which is then
released from the die plate by forcing the sliding pieces outwards so as to cause
the loose pieces forming each dovetail projection to slide apart from one another.
This operation may be effected by the use of a plate having a number of projections
adapted to pass into holes at the back of the sliding pieces.
After the discharge of a tile the loose pieces are brought back to their normal
position by means of springs, thereby returning the sliding pieces to their working
position.
In the accompanying drawing:-
Figure 1 is a section through a die plate made according to my invention, the
parts being shewn in the position they assume when a tile is being moulded:
Figure 2 is a similar view shewing the parts in the position they are caused to
take to discharge a moulded tile;
Figure 3 is an underside view thereof;
Figure 4 is a plan view of the die plate shewing the details of the mechanism;
Figure 5 is an edge view of the tile discharging plate;
Fig. 6 is a plan; and
Figure an end elevation of one of the vertical sliding pieces; and,
Figures 8 and 9 are views similar to Figures 6 and 7 of one of the loose pieces.
Figures 6 to 9 are drawn to a larger scale than Figures 1 to 5.
My improved die plate is, as above described, employed with moulding apparatus
of ordinary construction of the kind wherein a die box is arranged to slide over
a fixed bottom plate, this apparatus not being shewn in the drawing which only
illustrates my improved die plate.
a is the die plate and b, bare the projections having the taper or inclined edges
or faces 61, 61. The die plate shewn in the drawing is arranged for forming tiles
with three dovetail projections with corresponding undercut recesses extending
the whole breadth of the tile; it will be obvious, however, that the said plate can
be constructed to form any number of such projections and undercut recesses which
can be arranged so as to only partially extend over the face of the tile or upon the
face and edges or to form recesses or grooves of any suitable shape upon the
edges alone.
c, c are the loose pieces having the outer undercut edges c¹, cl; these loose pieces
(see Figures 8 and 9) are arranged in pairs to form the dovetail projections and are
made of the length it is desired to give the said projections; they are held against
the inclined edges b1, 61 of the projections b, which are arranged as clearly shewn
in Figure 4 at each end of the said loose pieces, by headed studs which engage in
slots formed in the said projections b. Springs 63, which bear against the
studs and the ends of the slots in the projections b, normally hold the loose
pieces c, c in their outermost positions with respect to the projections b, b, that is
to say, in the position' for moulding a tile illustrated in Figure 1; these springs,
however, are not necessary to the proper working of the apparatus although in
practice I have found it advantageous to employ them.
d, d (Figures 6 and 7) are the vertical sliding pieces, the said pieces being formed
with tapered lower edges so that when pressed downwards in the manner herein-
after described they can force each pair of sliding pieces c, c apart for releasing, a
moulded tile.

page_text: e is a back of wood or other suitable material with which the plate a is provided
for holding the parts together, the said back e being furnished with a number of
holes or slots e¹, el opposite each end of the sliding pieces d, d the said holes being
designed to receive projections f', f' formed upon a plate f (see Figure 5) for dis-
charging a moulded tile as hereinafter described.
The apparatus is employed as follows, that is to say, the dust or clay from which
the tiles are to be moulded is placed in the usual die box and my die plate a is
placed upon the latter which is pressed downwards by the usual top plate so as
and into the
to compress the dust between the bottom plate and the die plate a
dovetail spaces left between the pairs of loose pieces c, e, thereby forming a tile
with undercut projections corresponding to the said dovetail spaces. The top plate
of the apparatus is now raised and the die plate a is removed from the box carrying
with it the tile (held thereto by the dovetail projections) which is then released
from the plate a by forcing the sliding pieces c, c apart through the medium of the
discharge plate f, the projections f¹ of which are passed into the holes e in the
back e so as to force the sliding pieces d, d downwards until their lower faces
are flush with the faces of the pieces c, c and the face of the tile plate becomes a
plain surface (see Figure 2) the tile being thereby released therefrom. The plate f
is then removed from engagement with the die plate and the loose pieces are
brought back to their normal position by the springs c³, c.
By suitably arranging the mechanism it will be clear that with this apparatus
I can also form grooves in the edges of a tile either alone or in combination with
projections or grooves upon the face thereof.
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. Moulding tiles with dovetail projections and undercut grooves by means of
a die plate having a number of taper or inclined projections, loose pieces having
undercut edges and held against the inclined or taper edges or faces of the inclined
projections and sliding pieces arranged between the loose pieces, the faces of the
sliding pieces being normally, that is to say, when the tile is being moulded,
below those of the loose pieces but adapted to be brought flush therewith for dis-
charging a moulded tile, substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. Apparatus for moulding tiles in the manner described in Claim 1 comprising a
plate having a number of projections with taper or inclined edges, undercut sliding
pieces held in engagement with the inclined edges of the projections, vertically
sliding pieces in connection with each loose piece or pair of loose pieces and means
such as a plate having projections for forcing the loose pieces apart, substantially
as herein before described.
3. Tiles manufactured substantially as hereinbefore described.
4. The combination and arrangement of parts forming the improved die plate
for moulding tiles, hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawing.
e ford day of January 1999.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.