GB595248A - Improved method of and apparatus for manufacturing potteryware - Google Patents

Abstract

595,248. Moulding potteryware. MILLER, W. J., and REEK, A. May 25, 1944, No. 10189. [Class 87 (ii)] Appendages such as handles, lugs &c., are formed on prefabricated pottery ware, e.g. cups, by advancing a line of appendage casting moulds and prefabricated pottery ware along a predetermined path, feeding slip to the moulds along one part of the path, solidifying and uniting the appendages to the ware along another part of the path and opening the moulds, in a further part of the path, prior to refilling the moulds. The ware, e.g. cups, after pre-fabrication and drying to leather hardness are removed, manually sponged, inverted, and placed each on a separate appendaging unit, as the units, which are travelling from right to left as shown in Fig. 1. on an endless conveyer, reach the loading station C. The appendaging limits comprise wheeled carriages running on tracks, each carriage having a resilient longitudinally slidable support 32, Fig. 6, which presses the ware into sealing contact with a pair of appendage mould halves 24 mounted in frames hinged on a vertical pivot 22 on the carriage. The mould halves are of absorbent material e.g. plaster of Paris, which may be cast against the perforated hinged frames, or may be cast in cases remote from the machine, the cases having tongues mating with dovetailed slots in the hinged mould frames, so that replacement of moulds may be readily effected. A runner 24d forming a reserve well communicates with the mould cavity 24a by way of a slit 24c so that any excess material solidifying in the reserve well may be easily snapped off the handle. The mould orifices 24c and the well 24d may have a shallow lining to control solidification. The hinged mould frames are moved to closed or open position by linkage actuated by a cross bar 37. The linkage includes a curved link whose connection with the bar 37 moves over a dead centre position so that the mould halves are locked together in the closed position. The moulds on each carriage are closed by the engagement of the bar 37 with an adjustable stop 88 on the track and the well of the mould then moves under one of a number of feeders which supply slip from a container 77, the feeders being mounted on the shaft 5 of the sprocket wheel 8 driving the conveyer chain 1, so that the feeders move synchronously with the moulds. The feeders comprise flexible pipes 78 coupled to tubular members 57 Fig. 3 which are guided vertically in a bush 58 in a bracket 44 screwed to the shaft 5, the vertical movement of the tubes 57 being controlled by arms 49 pivoted on the brackets 44 and having rollers 53 running on a ramp 54. The arms 49 have a lost-motion connection with the tubes 57 and a linkage 66, 63 operates a plunger 60 which is able to close a resilient insert 62 in the tube 57 thereby stopping the flow of slip. The operation is such that whilst the rollers 53 are traversing the ramp 54 flow of slip is cut off, but upon the rollers 53 moving clear of the ramp, downward movement of the tube 57 into sealing engagement with the runner in the mould takes place, and supply of slip commences. If no mould is in position, a feeler 73, Fig. 4, on a rod 70 is not actuated by contact with the ware so that an abutment 68 is not tripped from a stop 67 and the arms 49 in that case remain horizontal and the supply of slip remains cut off. After the mould charging operation the mould carriage passes through an appendage setting chamber comprising a hood 83 having air-conditioning means for control over the humidity and temperature of the air in the chamber. As the ware emerges irom the chamber 83 an adjustable stop 87 trips lever 37 and opens the mould. The handle by this time has hardened and united to the ware. The operator removes the appendaged ware, snaps off the material formed in the well 24d and smooths the mould joint fin (if any) off the appendage. The ware is then glazed if desired, placed on a conveyer adjacent the unloading station D, transported through a drying chamber, and then transferred from the'drying conveyer directly to the kiln. Meanwhile, the moulds after leaving the unloading station D pass into a chamber 91 where they are subjected to a blast of hot dry air to dehydrate and clean the moulds. The hot air pipe 92 with nozzles 93 moves longitudinally with the moulds for a short distance during this operation, this movement being permitted by a flexible supply pipe 94. After a predetermined travel the pipe 92 is released from driving connection with the mould carriage and returns to initial position under the influence of the spring 99. The reconditioned moulds pass to the loading station C to commence a fresh cycle of operations. The conveyer may travel in a horizontal plane, in an undulatory path or preferably in helical courses as shown in Fig. 2 to conserve floor space and may have a number of feeding stations, e.g., P, Q, R. The machine may be operated intermittently during each cycle Specifications 361,359 and 364,181 are referred to.