US1141134A - Method of making tile. - Google Patents

Description

0. METZNER. METHOD OF MAKING TILE.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- IJllU I .Pl II n V r v w m z a M 2 v /0 a M 2 t D F m W w m A 0 m u P A n THE NORRIS PETERS CQ. PHDTO-LITHO.. WASHING TON D. C.

0. METZNER.

METHOD OF MAKING TILE.

v APPLICATION FILED NOV. 25 19l 3. 1 1%1 1 84 Patented June 1, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- i arena ornrbn.

OTTO METZNER, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIG'NOR TO THE ROOKWOOD POTTERY COMPANY, OF CINCINNATI, OI-IIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

METHOD OF MAKING TILE.

1,1a1,1aa.

Application filed November 25, 19 13.

T all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, O'rro METZNER, a cit1- zen of the United States, and a resident of 3 the city of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Making Tile, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

Heretofore in glazing tile particularly made by the semi-dry dust process, it has not been found practicable to apply the glaze until the clay has been given a preliminary firing, then the glaze material is applied to the tile after firing, and another firing is necessary. When the glaze is applied, a number of coats of glaze may have to be given, with drying between each operation, so that the manufacture of glazed tile is a matter of considerable expense in the necessary manual handling of the tile and the repeated drying necessary.

It is the object of my invention to obviate the necessity of this manual labor and the cost of one firing in the kiln by so applying the glaze to the clay before it is compressed into the final shape in the press, that glaze and tile may be molded in the press simul taneously in the semi-dry state and the tile with its glazed surface manufactured in finished condition with one firing in the kiln.

My invention consists in my novel method of treatment whereby the relations of the glaze and the clay both in the loose and comparatively dry state are maintained without disturbance from air bubbles and the like when the layers of clay and glaze are simultaneously compressed in the die and also in my novel construction and arrangement of apparatus whereby glazed and other tile are accomplished.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved press. Fig. 2 is a top plan view with the plunger and screw removed. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the sieve for the glaze. Fig. 1 is a central vertical section of the middle portion of the press. Fig. 5 is a detail vertical section showing the position of the dies after pressure is applied. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the frame for holding the slide plate and. sieve. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the slide plate.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 1, 1915.

Serial No. 803,011.

I The press in which the tile are made is in lts general construction the ordinary hand press for making tile and the like, and comprises standards 1, 1, carrying a bed plate 2 fixed thereon, upon the central portion of which is mounted the stationary lower plunger 3. Mounted around this lower plunger and inclosing it on all four sides is the movable die box 4, which die box with the top of the stationary lower plunger comprises the sides, ends and bottom of the die. The lower plunger is held in position by the screw 5, mounted in the bed plate, and different patterns for the tile may be readily formed by changing the die.

The movable die box 1 is provided with ears 6, 6, at the front and rear, and the box is supported in position by vertical rods 7 7, which pass down through openings in the bed plate and arecarried by the cross head 8, mounted on a plunger 9. The lower end of this plunger 9 is seated in a guiding socket 10 at the bottom of the framework, and the plunger 9 with the movable die box is raised or lowered by foot levers 11 and 12. One of these foot levers, as 12, is mounted on a rock shaft 18, carrying an arm 14: coupled to the plunger with a slotted connection, and the other lever 11 is pivotally mounted at 15, and the inner end of this lever engages a crank arm 16 on the rock shaft. With this construction, when the foot lever 12 is depressed, the die box will be raised, and when the foot lever 11 is depressed, the die box will be lowered. Mounted in the overhead cross frame 17 supported by the side standards 18, is a powerful screw 19, operated by a hand wheel 20. The lower end of this screw is coupled to the plunger 21, which carries the topper 22.

Mounted on the movable die box is a frame shown in perspective in Fig. 6. This frame is made up of side bars 23, 23, formed with overhanging inwardly projecting flanges 24, 24, and held together at one end by the cross piece 25, which also serves as a stop and near the other end by a cross piece 26. Stops 27, 27 are secured near the outer end of the longitudinal bars 23. Mounted to slide between these cross bars in the channel formed by the flanges 24, 2/1, is a slide plate 28 of the thickness required for the layer of glaze which is to be applied to the clay in the die. This slide plate is tion of the clay,

from over the die box and clay is the die. The slide plate 28 is then pushed pushed forward over the provided with a central opening 29, of a size to register with the size of the die, and also with a handle 30 at one end and a guiding cross piece .31 at the other. Resting upon and carried by the sliding plate 28 is the sieve box 32 for the glaze. This box is provided with the sieve 33, which is located some distance above the bottom edge of the sides of the box, and underneath the sieve a series of plates 3-1 are arranged transverse the box, which extend to the bottom edge and form scrapers, as will be explaine p The front and rearside walls of the movable die box 4 are provided with a series of holes 35, 35, which extend from inside the die out through the side walls. When the box is in its normal position for the recepthese openings extend inside the die, but when pressure is applied and the die box depressed, as will be described, these openings are carried below the top surface of the lower plunger 3. With this apparatus, I proceed to mold the clay andthetile, The slide plate 28 is withdrawn placed lnwardly to bring the opening 29 in register with the die box which levels off the clay, by pushing the surplus over the edge of the die box and the plate then gives the thickness forthe layer of glaze. The glaze is placed in the sieve box 32, and the box opening 29. By shaking the box, the glaze is sifted through the sieve, filling up the space formed by'the side walls of the opening 29. .The sieve box is then withdrawn on the slide plate, and the scraper plates 34 with the end wall of the box scrape the surplus glaze smooth and level with the top of the plate 28. It is quite important that this glaze should be properly leveled off, for the reason that if the end wall of the sieve box 32 were alone relied on for thispurpose, the glaze would be rolled or gathered up as the box was withdrawn, and an even top surface would not result. It will be understood that the glaze v is not absolutely dry, but contains sufficient moisture to pack, and consequently in smoothingoif there would be a tendency for the surplus to roll up or gather some of the material below the top surface. For

this reason, it is important to see to it that the surface ofv the glaze is properly leveled,

. which I accomplish by the series ofscrapers 34c. The clay and glaze having thus been deposited in the die, with the glaze as a layer on top of the clay, the operator works 7 the wheel 20. to bring the topper 22 to bear cause: this patent maybe' obtained for glazed material simultaneously for' on the movable die box. This pressure compresses the clay and glaze into the form desired, the pressure acting between the topper 22 and the lower plunger 3. Under this pressure, the die box 4 is pushed down, bringing the openings 35 below the surface of the lower plunger 3. When the first pressure is applied by the hand wheel, the air which is entrapped in the clay is forced out through the openings 35, while after the material is under full compression, the openings are brought below the lower plunger 3, and none of the material can be forced out. This construction under which I provide the air passages is a very important feature, and these air openings 35 may be arranged on all four sides of the die. Heretofore no provision has been made for the release of the air entrained in the clay, and the pressure causes wind blown tile, the air forming a stratified structure instead of a granular structure, and the material is no longer properly bonded as a whole. In the case where glaze is applied as herein described, the means provided for allowing for the escape of air prevents the compressed air forming a mixture of the clay and glaze, which is destructive to the finished product. By taking care that the layer of glaze is sifted into position on the clay and properly leveled off without rolling up the top surface and making provision for the escape of the air, by providing lateral passageways, I have discovered that I can compress the glaze and clay simultaneously in the die, and with a single firing perfect glazed tile are obtained. After the tile are thus formed in the die, they are subjected to heat in the kiln in the usual way, and thus the expense of handling and refiring, as heretofore required, is entirely obviated.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The method of manufacturing glazed tile, which consists in depositing the powdered clay in a die, sifting a substantial layer of glaze thereon, smoothing off the top surface of the glaze, compressing the two materials to form a tile, at the same time first permitting the entrained air to escape laterally at points opposite the body of tile, thus preventing any disturbance of the glaze, then before final compression cutting off the air escape, and then firing the tile in a kiln to form the finished article.

, OTTO METZNER.

Witnesses:

ROBERT P. HARcrrT,

ANNA F. DIENST.

flve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, 'waghington, D. 0.

Images