US2146585A

US2146585A - Means for supporting pottery and other goods during firing processes

Info

Publication number: US2146585A
Application number: US125803A
Authority: US
Inventors: Maddock William Edward
Original assignee: JOHN MADDOCK AND SONS Ltd
Current assignee: JOHN MADDOCK AND SONS Ltd
Priority date: 1936-06-18
Filing date: 1937-02-15
Publication date: 1939-02-07
Anticipated expiration: 1956-02-07

Description

Feb. 7, 1939. I w E MADDOCK 2,145,585 I MEANS FOR SUPPORTING POTTERY AND OTHER GOODS vDURING FIRING PROCESSES Filed Feb. 15, 1937 Fig;l.

Patented Feb. 7, 1939 UNITED STATES MEANS FOR SUPPORTING POTTERY AND OTHER GOODS DURING FIRING PROC- ESSES William Edward Maddock, Wolstanton, Stoke-on- Trent, England, assignor to John Maddock and Sons Limited, Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England Application February 15, 1937, Serial No. 125,803 In Great Britain June 18, 1936 1 Claim.

This invention relates to means for supporting pottery, enamelled iron ware and other goods during firing processes, and is intended more especially for use in the firing of goods having I vitreous surfaces which are therefore held in spaced relation during firing.

The object of the invention is to economize space in the kilns, which is done by supporting the pieces of ware at the lowest possible levels in stacks or columns, so that in any given height of stack or column the maximum number of pieces can be held in position.

Further objects of the invention are to enable the supporting devices to be held in correct alignment one above another in the stacks or columns, and at the same time to permit of their being rotated on their pillars or supports to compensate for or minimize any crookedness or leaning which may develop in use.

A further object of the invention is to provide a form of device in which the whole of the components can conveniently be made of earthenware, fire-clay or other ceramic material, instead of as heretofore, partly of metal, which has the disadvantage of expanding with the repeated heating and eventually fracturing the ceramic members.

Referring to the drawing which forms a part of this specification:

Figure 1 is a plan.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of a ring member to be described.

Figure 3 is in part an elevation and in part a section on line 4-4 of Figure 1.

The complete device consists of a base or bottom stand l8 having three or more holes 20, in each of which a vertical pillar I! is fitted. In Figure I, however, only one pillar is shown in position, the other two being omitted in order to show the holes 20 in the base l8. On these pillars are fitted a series of ring members, hereinafter called pillar rings. Each pillar ring comprises a substantially cylindrical body portion II], which however as shown may be of maximum diameter at its centre and taper slightly to the top and bottom. A circular hole I 1 passes axially through the body portion ID. A stepped formation l2 or its equivalent is formed on the top of the pillar ring and a correspondingly shaped formation 13 is formed on the underside thereof. A supporting arm or tongue l4 extends from the side of the ring at the bottom thereof, the underside of the arm being more or less flat and the upper side bevelled off to a thin edge as shown at l5 with a point or tip H5 at the outer end: this will be at about the same height as the middle of the ring if a straight arm is used, but the arm will sometimes be curved to suit the camber of the piece of ware to be supported.

Rings such as described are fitted one over the other on the circular rods or pillars ll, which are supported in a bottom stand or base IS with the projecting tongues I4 pointing radially inwards to support plates or other articles thereon. The base l8 has stepped or like formations I 9 adjacent the holes 20 which receive the pillars, the formations l9 engaging with the formations I3 on the underside of the lowest pillar rings. Figure 1 shows the substantially triangular shape of the base, and Figure 3 shows how the pillars l1 fit in the holes 20 and the pillar rings are fitted on the pillars and engaged by means of their stepped formations. The pillar is broken away in Figure 3 and only two pillar rings are shown for convenience in illustration, but naturally the pillars would extend to any desired or suitable height, with pillar rings fitting as shown all the way up the pillars. The pillars may be hollow if desired, and by reason of the fact that they can be rotated in their holes they can be adjusted to compensate for or minimize any crookedness or leaning which may develop in use. A top retaining member or cover may be provided, fitting on top of the pillars, but is not necessary. The base, the pillars and the pillar rings are preferably all made of earthenware, fireclay or other ceramic material. In use the underside of the plates or other articles rests on the tips I 6 of the arms I 4, the plates being supported in a horizontal position one above another in spaced relation.

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

Apparatus for supporting face uppermost relatively flat articles of pottery and other goods during firing processes, comprising a flat substantially triangular base having a plurality ofpart of each of said ring members, the arrangement being such that when the ring members are placed in position on the pillars with their mutually stepped formation in engagement with one another and the stepped formations on the lower faces of the lowest ring members in engagement with the steps on the base, all the arms are directed inwardly of the triangle.

WILLIAM EDWARD MADDOCK.