US3655319A

US3655319A - Clay-ware shaping machine with adjustable tool supporting means

Info

Publication number: US3655319A
Application number: US16233A
Authority: US
Inventors: Arthur Bradshaw; Frank William Meadows
Original assignee: Service Engineers Ltd
Current assignee: Service Engineers Ltd
Priority date: 1969-03-07
Filing date: 1970-03-03
Publication date: 1972-04-11
Anticipated expiration: 1989-04-11
Also published as: FR2037782A5; JPS4926047B1; GB1268521A; DE2010237A1

Abstract

An improved machine for producing ceramic flatwear by shaping clay pieces to a plaster mould carried on a rotatable mould support using a roller shaping tool. The improvement which reflects itself in increased production is obtained by inclusion of means for raising the mould support to a uniform height in successive operating cycles of the machine and means for providing vertical adjustment of the tool with respect to the mould during operation of the machine.

Description

Unite States ate Bradshaw et a1.

15] 3,655,31 [451 Apr. 11,1972

CLAY-WARE SHAPING MACHINE WITH ADJUSTABLE TOOL SUPPORTING MEANS Inventors: Arthur Bradshaw; Frank William Meadows, both of Stoke-on-Trent, England Assignee: Service (Engineers) Limited, Cobridge,

Stoke-on-Trent, England Filed: Mar. 3, 1970 Appl. No.1 16,233

Foreign Application Priority Data Mar. 7, 1969 Great Britain ..12,067/69 U.S. Cl ..425/267, 25/26 Int. Cl ..B28b 1/02 Field of Search ..25/26, 24, 25

Primary Examiner-Robert D. Baldwin Attorney-Richard A Wise, Richard B. Megley and Cornelius A. Cleary [57] ABSTRACT An improved machine for producing ceramic flatwear by shaping clay pieces to a plaster mould carried on a rotatable mould support using a roller shaping tool. The improvement which reflects itself in increased production is obtained by inclusion of means for raising the mould support to a uniform height in successive operating cycles of the machine and means for providing vertical adjustment of the tool with respect to the mould during operation of the machine.

10 Claims, 1 1 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAPR 11 I972 3.655319 Inveniors Arziz ur' Brads/2 a w Frank WMeadows By zheir Afforney PATENTED APR 1 1 I972 SHEET on HF 11 PATENTEDAPR 11 I972 3,655,319

SHEET DSUF 11 fikum \\1\ PATENTED R H 1912 655,3 1 9 sum 09m 11 VPATENTEDAPR 1 1 I972 SHEET 10 0F 11 QRQ This invention is concerned with improvements in or relating to machines adapted for use in the manufacture of ceramic ware; the phrase ceramic ware is used herein to denote ware made by a process in which a material having a clay basis is formed to a required shape while in a moist plastic condition and is dried and then fired at a high temperature to render it hard and water resistant. The invention is especially, but not exclusively, concerned with machinery adapted for use in the manufacture of pottery flatware (which term is used herein generically to include plates and saucers) by means of a roller shaping tool.

In recent years, increasing use has been made in the pottery industry of roller flatware-making machines for shaping moist clay on plaster moulds. The expression roller flatware-making machine where used herein is to be understood as denoting a machine of a type comprising a rotatable mould support, a support for a roller shaping tool of generally conical shape, means for rotating the mould support and the tool, and means for causing relative movement of approach to take place between the tool and a piece of clay on a mould on the mould support in the operation of the machine whereby the clay is worked by the tool and caused to spread over the surface of the mould.

United Kingdom patent specifications Nos. 621712 and 765097, for example, describe roller flatware-making machines in which the mould support is carried by a spindle rotatable about a vertical axis and the roller shaping tool is mounted on an arm arranged to rock about a horizontal axis to bring the tool into working engagement with the clay in the operation of the machine.

Whereas roller flatware-making machines hitherto commercially available have been satisfactory for some of the contemporaneous requirements of the pottery industry, there have been limitations, depending to some extent on the clay bodies used, in the sizes and shapes of pieces of ware that can be reliably and uniformly made on the machines without reducing their output to well below the normal production rate of, for example, 12 pieces per minute for each roller tool. Moreover, practice has shown that significant production time is lost in potteries where a variety of shapes of ware are to be made on a roller flatware-making machine owing to the period for which the machine must necessarily be idle while the roller tool is changed and the machine set up again and put in condition for operation on each fresh shape; adjustments for re-setting the machine after a tool change have involved reaching parts of the machine to which it would be difficult to gain access if the machines were to form part of an automatic production line with mechanical conveyor means linking the machine with other machines and a drying unit.

It is one of the various objects of the present invention to provide an improved roller flatware-making machine which enables ware to be made more uniformly and reliably at a higher rate of output or with a wider range of clay bodies than has usually been obtainable hitherto.

It is another of the various objects of the present invention to provide an improved roller flatware-making machine so constructed and arranged as to permit quicker setting up for a change of shape than has usually been the practice hitherto.

It is yet another of the various objects of the present invention to provide an improved roller flatware-making machine which can readily be accommodated in an automatic production line.

There now follows a detailed description, to be read with reference to the accompanying drawings of a machine illustrative of the invention. It will be realised that this illustrative machine has been selected for description by way of example and not of limitation of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. I is a view in perspective of the illustrative machine;

FIG. 2 is a view in plan, partly broken away and partly in section, of that part of the illustrative machine which lies below a table thereof;

FIG. 3 is a view in front elevation and partly in section of part of the illustrative machine including a mould support;

FIG. 4 is a view in right-hand side elevation and largely in section of a roller shaping tool and support therefor of the illustrative machine;

FIG. 5 is a view in front elevation and partly in section of a column upstanding from the table of the illustrative machine 7 and on which the tool support is mounted with provision for vertical adjustment;

FIG. 6 is a view in right-hand side elevation and partly in section of the column and mounting means shown in F IG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view in front elevation showing means of the illustrative machine for tilting the roller shaping tool about a horizontal axis;

FIG. 8 is a view in plan of the illustrative machine in part broken away and in part largely in section on the line VIII VIII of FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary view in section on the line IX -IX IX of FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary view of a trimming tool assembly of the illustrative machine; and

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary view of means of the illustrative machine for lubricating a profile of the roller shaping tool.

The figures of the drawings are not all drawn to the same scale.

The illustrative machine is shown generally in FIG. 1 and comprises a rectangular housing 20 made largely of angled and channel-shaped bars cased in by side panels and a horizontal table 22 and arranged to stand upon the floor. At a central rearward position, a hollow cast column 24 of the machine stands up from the table 22. A mould support 26 is mounted on the housing 20 for rotation about a vertical axis, and is reciprocable along such axis, and a roller shaping tool 28 is carried by tool-supporting means comprising a supporting head 30 mounted on the column 24 with provision for vertical adjustment and for tilting about a horizontal axis.

Bearings 32 (FIG. 2) mounted in the housing 20 of the illustrative machine provide support for a horizontal cam shaft 34 which is disposed with its axis extending forwardly and rearwardly of the machine; the shaft thus extends from left to right as viewed in FIG. 2. At its rearward end, the cam shaft 34 is received in a gear reduction unit 36 driven by an electric motor 38 which drives the shaft 34 anticlockwise (as viewed in FIG. 3).

The mould support 26 of the illustrative machine comprises a cup-shaped annulus 40 (FIG. 3) the upper margin of which is bevelled on the inside at 42 to provide a seating for a metal ring R on which a mould M sits in the operation of the machine. Such a ring R may, as indicated in FIG. 3, form part of conveyor means for automatically presenting moulds to the illustrative machine.

A piece of clay P, which is to be shaped in the operation of the illustrative machine is shown in position on the mould in FIG. 3.

The annulus 40 of the illustrative machine is bolted to a flange 44 at the upper end of a vertical spindle 46, the flange resting on an inner sleeve 48 of a roller thrust bearing 50, the outer sleeve of which is supported by an annular internal lip 52 part way down a hollow cylindrical casting 54. The casting 54 is slidable vertically in a bearing sleeve 56 which has an external flange 58 bolted to the underside of a boss 60 integral with the table 22. A vertical keyway 62 in the wall of the casting 54 accommodates a key 64 bolted to the sleeve 56 to prevent the casting from rotating about its vertical axis. An annular cap 66 is fitted on the top of the casting 54 around the flange 44 with an annular seal 68 between the cap and the inner bearing sleeve 48 to protect the bearing from dust.

A reduced diameter lower end portion of the casting 54 of the illustrative machine has diametrically opposed flat-faced bosses 70 from which integral pins 72 project in opposite directions. The pins 72 are received in longitudinally disposed slots 74 at right-hand ends of two parallel arms 76 (see also FIG. 2) of a composite lever 78 pivoted at its left hand end to a bracket 80 supported by the housing 20. At an intermediate position, the arm 76 of the lever 78 are joined by a bolt 82 which carries a spacer 84 between the arms 76 and at each end, beyond the arms, a bearing for a roller 86. The two rollers 86 rest on the peripheries of two similar cams 88 secured to the shaft 34 in radial register with one another. Each cam 88 comprises a part-annular portion with a parallel sided portion cut away to allow the cam to be passed over the shaft 34 and with three holes 90 tapped to receive bolts 92 which pass through three arcuate slots 94 in a flanged collar 96 secured to the shaft. Thus the cams can readily be detached from the shaft of illustrative machine and replaced by others, and can be adjusted through 60 about the axis of the shaft, as permitted by the slots 94. Thus in a cycle of operation of the illustrative machine in which the shaft 34 rotates once, the lever 78 rises and falls to raise and lower the casting 54, the cams determining the limit of approach of a mould on the mould support towards the tool in the operation of the machine. Bolted to one side of one of the cams 88 is a beak 98 a face 99 of which is arranged to ride against a roller 100, carried by a depending bracket 102 on the lever 78 when the casting 54 is in its raised position and to force it downwardly if it does not readily so fall sufiiciently quickly under gravity in the operation of the machine.

The spindle 46 of the illustrative machine passes through a bearing (not shown) at the lower end of the casting 54, the spindle being threaded to receive a nut 112 to prevent axial displacement of the spindle relative to the casting. Above the last-mentioned bearing, a chamber (not shown) within the casting surrounds the spindle 46 and is sealed above and below a transverse bore through the shaft which connects with an axial bore 103 which opens into the annulus 40, its exit being covered by a filter 104. The aforesaid chamber is connected by a bore through the casting 54 with a tubular outlet 106 to which is attached a flexible hose 108. The hose 108 leads to a suction pump which is arranged to withdraw air from the annulus 40 beneath a mould M in the operation of the illustrative machine. A reduced diameter portion of the spindle 46 of the illustrative machine depends below the nut 112 and has a vertical keyway 114 to accommodate keys 116 of an inner, rotatable sleeve 118 of a roller bearing, an outer sleeve 120 of which is supported by brackets in the housing 20. The outer sleeve 120 supports, through

ball races

122, 124, a pulley 126 freely rotatable on the sleeve 120 about the axis of the spindle 46. The inner sleeve 118 has at its lower end a flange 128 (formed with a peripheral groove so that it can serve as a pulley), the sleeve 118 being displaceable vertically relative to the outer sleeve 120 and constantly urged downwardly by spring pressed plungers 130 (one only shown in H6. 3) bearing on a ball race 132 inserted in the flange 128. A friction disc 134 is boited to the upper end portion of the sleeve 118 and has a downwardly facing annular friction pad 136 opposing an annular upper face of the pulley 126. The pulley 126 is driven continually while the illustrative machine is in use by a V-belt 138 at an infinitely variable speed from an adjustable two-part pulley 140 on a shaft of an electric motor 142. The two parts of the pulley are urged together by spring means (not shown) and adjustment of the speed of the shaft 46 is effected by swinging an arm 141 on which the motor 142 is mounted towards and away from the shaft 46. The arm 141 is pivoted to the housing 20 at 143, and a rod 145 rotatably mounted on the housing in bearings 147, 149 (the rod having a shoulder which abuts the bearing 149 to prevent its axial displacement to the right) is threaded into a finger 151 pivoted to the arm 141. Thus, by turning the rod 145, which is accessible at the left-hand side of the machine, the motor 142 can be shifted to vary the speed of the shaft 46.

The sleeve 118 and friction disc 134 are held, when the illustrative machine is at rest, in a raised position against the action of the plungers 130 by a brake disc 144 having an annular brake lining 146 engageable with an underface of the flange 128 of the sleeve 118. The disc 144 is mounted to slide up and down on three headed posts 148 (one only visible in FIG. 3) depending from the sleeve 120; compression springs 150 disposed diametrically opposite the posts act between the sleeve and disc 144 to urge the disc constantly downwardly. The disc 144 has a central hole to allow clearance for the spindle 46. Two pins 152 project forwardly and rearwardly from the disc 144 and rest on yoked arms 154 of a lever 156 pivoted on the housing 20 at 158. An arm 160 of the lever which projects forwardly (i.e., to the left viewing FIG. 3) adjustably carries a support 162 for a cam roll 164. The roll 164 engages the periphery of a cam 166 on the shaft 34, being constantly urged upwardly into engagement with the lower surface of the cam by the lever 156 under the influence of the springs 150 acting on the disc 144. The cam 166 is adjustable about the axis of the shaft 34, being secured by bolts to an arcuately slotted collar in the same manner as the cams When the illustrative machine is at rest between cycles of operation, the disc 144 is held in an uppermost position by the lever 156, the disc acting as a brake by frictional engagement with the sleeve 118 which it has raised out of contact with the pulley 126. Rocking of the lever 156 clockwise under the influence of the cam 166 allows the disc 144 to be lowered out of contact with the sleeve 118, which, being urged downwardly by the plungers 130, is rotated to drive the spindle 46 by engagement of the disc 134 with the pulley 126. The drive to the spindle is disengaged and the brake applied when, on continued rotation of the shaft 34, the cam 166 rocks the lever 156 anticlockwise.

Turning now to F IG. 4, the roller shaping tool 28 of the illustrative machine comprises a circular plate to which is keyed at 181 and bolted a conical stub 182 terminating in a cylindrical sleeve 184 with an axial tapped bore to receive a bolt 186. The stub 182 of the roller tool 28 is accommodated in a complementary shaped recess in a shaft 188 rotatably mounted in

roller thrust bearings

190, 192 of the supporting head 30. The shaft 188 is hollow and the bolt 186 passes through it to hold the roller tool firmly in position. A driving lug 194 bolted to the shaft 188 at its lower end is received in a recess in a flange of the stub 182 to key the tool to the shaft to ensure that rotary motion is transmitted from the shaft to the roller tool 28 without relative displacement.

The roller tool 28 of the illustrative machine also comprises, secured to the plate 180 by bolts 196 (one only shown in FIG. 4) a circular metal holder 198 for six electrical cartridge heaters 200 accommodated in radially disposed bores 202 in the holder. The heaters are connected two by two in series, each of the three pairs being connected in parallel to two terminals 208, one only visible FIG. 4. Each terminal 208 is mounted in an insulating body 210 secured to an insulating insert 212 in the holder 198 so that the terminal projects upwardly through one of two holes 212 in the plate 180. Above and opposite to each terminal 208, is a terminal 214 against which the terminals 208 make abutting contact when the roller tool is assembled on the supporting head 30 and the bolt 186 tightened. The terminals 214 are mounted on a collar 218 secured by a grub screw 219 to the shaft 188 and connected through leads to rings 216 mounted on an insulating sleeve on the shaft 188 and through which electricity is conducted to the cartridge heaters from brushes (not shown) bearing on the rings and connected to a source of current.

Bolts (not shown) passing freely through holes in the holder 198 secure a profile 222 of the roller tool to the plate 180.

An annular groove 224 and vertical passage 226 in the shaft are provided for the electrical leads to the terminals 214. A temperature sensitive probe (not shown) is also provided in the tool 28 of the illustrative machine in contact with the inner, upper, surface of the profile 222, the leads therefrom passing through a set of terminals similar to the terminals 208, 214 and through the passage 246 to two of the rings 216 and thence to means for controlling the current to the heaters 200 to maintain the profile at a uniform, or a substantially uniform, operating temperature.

The foregoing arrangement is such that the roller tool 28, including the plate 180 and stub 182, can readily be detached from the supporting head 30 of the illustrative machine by unscrewing the bolt 186; thus changing of the roller tool for one of a different shape can be effected by immediate replacement by another tool which, by supplying electrical current to the terminals 208, can already have been warmed up before stopping the machine to make the change, thus enabling the machine to be put into service again without delay due to the time necessary to heat up a cold profile. Alternatively, the profile 222 alone can readily be detached by unscrewing the bolts securing the profile 222 to the holder 198 and the plate 180.

The profile 222 of the illustrative machine is generally conical with an obtuse apical angle. Interdigitating radial lugs on abutting sides of the profile 222, holder 198 and plate 180 ensure transmission of rotary motion from the shaft 188 to the profile 222.

The supporting head 30 of the illustrative machine comprises a casting 230 having parallel vertical sides bridged by upper and

lower webs

232, 234 respectively, the head 30 overhanging the mould support 26. The upper web provides a recessed boss 236 in which the bearing 192 is seated and retained by a ring 238 bolted to the boss and bearing on an outer casing of the bearing. The shaft 188 is threaded to receive a nut 240 which bears on the inner casing of the bearing. Integral with the lower web 234 is a cylindrical housing 242 in which the bearing 190 and collar 218 are accommodated, together with a sleeve 246 which carries a sealing ring 248. A protective panel 244 covers the front of the casting 230.

The supporting head 30 of the illustrative machine also comprises a two-part hollow support 250 (FIG. 4) provided by front and

rear castings

252, 254 bolted together by bolts 256 (FIG. 7). The casting 230 is mounted for up and down adjustment on the front casting 252; thus a rear face of the casting 230 has a slide portion comprising a longitudinal dove-tailed tongue 258 (FIG. 8) which is received in a groove 260 in a guide portion of the front casting 252, one side of the tongue mating with a complementary wall of the groove, and the other with a complementary face of a wedge 262 which mates with an inclined wall 264 of the groove 260. The wedge 262 can be loosened or tightened in the groove to release the casting 230 or secure it firmly in adjusting heightwise position by turning a bolt 266 (FIG. 4) captive (with) freedom to rotate but not to move axially) in a lip 268 of the casting 252 at the bottom of the groove. An adjusting screw 270 captive in an upper wall of the casting 252 is threaded into a lug 272 projecting rearwardly from the casting 230 through an upwardly and downwardly extending slot 274 in the casting 252 opening into the groove to facilitate heightwise adjustment of the casting 230 when the wedge is loosened.

The casting 254 (FIGS. 1 and 8) is pivotally mounted on a reduced end portion of a horizontal shaft 276 (FIG. 6) supported by a roller bearing 278 in a block 280 accommodated in the column 24. The shaft 276 is held in the block by spring washers 282 which bear on a ball race 284 mounted in the block, a bolt 286 passing through an annular cap 288, which bears on the washers near their periphery, and into a tapped bore in the shaft; the shaft has an integral flange 290 which overlaps an inner sleeve of the bearing 278 to limit retraction of the shaft. A cover plate 292 surrounds the shaft 276 and is secured to the block 280 by screws 294 (FIG. 5). The block 280 (FIG. 8) has a vertical dove-tail tongue 296 at each side slideable in grooves 298 of the column 24; two vertical threaded shafts 300 (FIG. 5) are received in tapped bores in the block to enable the block to be adjusted lengthwise in the groove 298. The shafts 300 are rotatable in holes in a bridge piece 302 of the column, compression springs 304 acting between collars 306 on the shafts below the bridge piece and a flat upper surface of the block. Pinions 308 are fixed to the shafts above the bridge piece and mesh with a common pinion 310 secured to a vertical shaft 312 which projects above the column 24 and is provided with a hand wheel 314. Thus, by turning the hand wheel 314 the heightwise position of the block 280 in the column can be adjusted. Wedges 316 extending longitudinally in the grooves 298 to engage front surfaces of the tongues 296 enable the block to be firmly secured in its adjusted position by tightened bolts 318 which pass through side wallsof the column (FIG. 8).

The column 24 has a flat front vertical bearing plate 320 which extends beyond the left-hand side wall of the column as seen at 322 in FIGS. 5 and 7. The plate 320 provides a surface against which bear three rollers 324 mounted on the casting 254 so as to project from the rear side thereof, the roller axes being radial to the shaft 276.

Means of the illustrative machine whereby the support 250 is adjustable upon the shaft 276 about the axis of the shaft, and whereby the supporting head 30 is rocked, in the operation of the machine, about this axis, which lies at right angles to the axis of the mould support 26, will now be described. Received in an annular recess in the casting 254 surrounding the shaft 276 is a ball thrust bearing 330 (FIGS. 4 and 8) against a front side of which bears a brush portion 332 of a lever 334 having a depending arm 336 (FIG. 7). The portion 332 of the lever is recessed to receive a front end portion of the shaft 276. Two bolts 338 passing through holes in the portion 332 and threaded into the end portion of the shaft hold the lever 334 on the shaft and act through the bearing 330 to hold the casting 254 in position, thus to retain the supporting head 30 on the shaft 276. The rollers 324 on the casting 254 are thus urged resiliently against the plate 320 under the influence of the spring washers 282. The lever 334 has an arcuate channel 339 at its rear side which accommodates the rollers 324 (FIG. 7).

The bush portion 332 of the lever 334 has an arcuate recess 340 at its upper rear side which accommodates a worm wheel gear sector 342 (FIG. 7) secured to the lever by bolts 344 (FIG. 4). The sector 342 has two arcuate slots 346 with upper and lower walls which converge towards the front of the sector and in the slots are received tapered rectangular nuts 348 in which are threaded bolts 350 which pass through bosses 352 (FIG. 4) projecting from the rear side of the front casting 252 of the support 250, the bolts 350 being tightened to hold the leer 334 and support 250 rigidly together. The arrangement is such that by loosening the bolts 350, the support 250 (and the supporting head 30 as a whole) can be rotatably adjusted, relative to the lever 334, about the axis of the shaft 276. To facilitate such adjustment, a worm 354 in mesh with the gear sector 342 is mounted on a transverse shaft 356 rotatable in the casting 254 and provided, at one end portion which projects from the right-hand side of the casting, with a knob 358 by which the shaft can be turned. This adjustment provides for the roller tool axis to be varied between the vertical and an inclination (anticlockwise as viewed from the front of the illustrative machine) of 30 independently of the depending arm 336 of the lever 334.

With the supporting head 30 of the illustrative machine secured to the lever 334 in adjusted inclination by the nuts and

bolts

348, 350, the lever is rocked to tilt the head 30 and roller tool 28 in the operation of the machine by a cam 362 on the shaft 34 (FIG. 7). The cam 362 is adjustable in the same manner as the cams 88 about the axis of the shaft, and, like the cams 88, readily detachable from a flanged collar. The cam 362 is engaged peripherally by a roller 364 carried on a slide 366 mounted for horizontal movement in

guides

368, 370 supported by the housing 22. Cylindrical end portions of the slide 366 are received in bores in the guides, a pin 376 projecting transversely through a slot 378 in the guide 370 to hold the slide upright. The slide 366 has a vertical abutment face 372 which is engaged by a roller 374 mounted on a lower yoked end portion of the arm 336 of the lever 334. Springs 380 acting between the lever 334 and the housing 20 constantly urge the lever in a clockwise direction about the axis of the shaft 276 and the roller tool 28 into the most upright position to which it is adjusted. Thus, in each cycle of operation of the illustrative machine, the head 30 rocks once anticlockwise and returns to its upright position, and the timing of such tilting in relation to the lifting of the mould support 26 is determined by the setting of the cams 88 and the cam 362.

The roller shaping tool 28 of the illustrative machine is driven continuously in the operation of the machine by an electric motor 384 (FIGS. 1 and 8) mounted on the right-hand side of the casting 230. The motor 384 has a split pulley 386 which drives a V-belt 388; the two parts of the pulley are urged together by a spring (not shown). The belt 388 passes round a split pulley 390 (FIG. 4), a lower part of which is keyed to the shaft 188 at 392 and the upper part of which is keyed to the lower part at 394. A ball bearing 396 accommodated in a cap 398 is received on the upper part of the pulley 390 and on the cap bears an arm 400 of a bell-crank lever pivoted on a cross pin 402 supported by a bracket 404 secured to the casting 230. A depending arm 406 of the bell-crank lever bears against a transverse wedge 408 slidable in a channel in the casting 230 and movable longitudinally by turning a screw 410 captive in the casting and threaded longitudinally into the wedge. Thus, by turning the screw to rock the

lever

400, 406, the upper part of the pulley can be depressed or allowed to rise (complementary adjustment occurring on the pulley 386 of the motor) thereby to reduce or increase respectively the speed of rotation of the roller tool 28.

The illustrative machine comprises a trimming tool support 430 shown generally in FIG. 10. It comprises a vertical shaft 432 mounted for axial reciprocation in bearings 434 (FIG. 7) provided by the housing 30 to which it is keyed to prevent rotation. At its lower end, the shaft 432 carries a roller 436 which normally rests on a peripheral face of a rotary cam 438 secured to a horizontal lay shaft 440 driven from, and at the same speed as, the shaft 34 to which it is connected by a chain 442 and

sprockets

444, 446 on the shafts (FIG. 2). The cam 438 is adjustable, by means of bolts in arcuate slots in a collar, in the same manner as the earns 88. At its upper end, the shaft 432 has secured to it a bracket 448, a split portion of which is tightened on to the shaft by a bolt 450 (FIG. 10). A yoke 452 is pivoted over an upstanding boss of the bracket by means of a horizontal pin 454. The yoke 452 is bored to provide a guideway for an arm 456 which has a flat upper surface so that it can be secured in a longitudinally adjusted position by a screw 458 threaded into the yoke. The yoke rests on an upper end of an adjusting screw 460 threaded through a projecting portion of the bracket, the yoke being urged downwardly by a pair of tension springs 462. A finger 464, constituted by a cylindrical bar, is secured to the arm 456 by a coupling 466, the finger being adjustable lengthwise and rotationally about its axis. An end portion of the finger has two tapped holes to receive bolts 468 by which a trimming tool, in the form of a knife blade 470, is secured to it.

When the illustrative machine is at rest, the trimming tool lies in a raised position, dictated by the cam 438, a little above the level to which the mould is raised, and in an operating cycle is allowed to fall by the cam until an arm 472 secured to the shaft 432, rests on an arm 474 (FIG. 2) secured to the casting 54 by bolts (not shown); the cam 438 thereafter continues to rotate, its periphery leaving a space below the roller 436. When, therefore, at the conclusion of a shaping operation, the mould M falls away from the tool 28 and the clay loses contact therewith, the trimming tool support descends under the influence of a spring 471, the arm 472 still resting on the arm 474, until the roller 436 again engages the periphery of the cam which lifts it again to its raised position. Thus, the knife blade 470 remains in operative relationship to the mould for a few revolutions after the shaping tool has stopped spreading the clay, ensuring trimming of the shaped clay piece after spreading thereof has ceased. I-leightwise adjustment of the trimming support can be effected by loosening the bolt 450. A spring (not shown) acting between the arm 472 and the housing 30 takes up any rotational play of the shaft 432 in the bearings 434.

The illustrative machine comprises means for lubricating the profile 222 of the roller shaping tool 28. Bolted to the lefthand side of the support 250 is a housing 480 (FIG. 11) which accommodates a double-acting pneumatic cylinder 482 with a piston (not shown) from which a piston rod 484 depends. A collar 486 secured to a lower end portion of the rod 484 supports a sleeve 488 which is free to rotate on the collar and is siidable over a cylindrical boss 490 bolted to a lower end wall of the housing. The sleeve 488 has a spiral slot 492 into which a pin 494 projects from the boss 490. A collar 496 is secured to the collar 486 above an annular lip of the sleeve 488, which is captive between the collars, and has a pin 498 which projects into a vertical slot 500 in the housing 480 to prevent rotation of the piston rod. The arrangement is thus such that as the piston rod reciprocates, the sleeve 488 rises and falls with a spiral movement. A torsion spring 499 acting between the boss 490 and the sleeve 488 constantly urges the sleeve in a clockwise direction, as viewed from above. The axis of the cylinder 482 is parallel to the axis of rotation of the roller shaping tool 28.

Integral with the sleeve 488 is an arm 502 which projects through an opening 504 in the housing. At its free end, the arm carries a pin 506 by which it pivotally supports an elongated base piece 508 of a lubricating device 509, the piece 508 having an upper, flat, surface to which is stuck a contoured felt pad 510. A leaf spring 512 secured to the underside of the arm 502 constantly urging the device 509 upwardly about the pin 506 to an adjusted position determined by engagement of the base piece 508 with a stop screw 514 threaded into an upstanding lug of the arm 502 and secured by a locknut 516. In the operation of the illustrative machine, as the mould is lowered, and after the tool 28 has rocked back to its initial, most upright position, air under pressure, admitted from a source (not shown), to the cylinder 482 below the piston through a hose (not shown) under control of an adjustable cam 518 (FIG. 2) on the shaft 34 causes the sleeve 488 and arm 502 to rise with a swinging movement to bring the pad 510 into contact with the profile 222 of the tool 28. After the pad 510 returns to its at rest position, below and behind the tool 28 by admission of air into the cylinder 482 above the piston, a few drops of oil are ejected on to the pad from noules 520 (FIG. 11); ejection of such oil is effected through a hose 522 from a reservoir 523 (FIG. 2) by means of a pump (not sown) actuated by a lever 525 from an adjustable cam 524 on the shaft 440. A gauge 526 (FIG. 1) indicates the level of oil in the reservoir.

In setting up the illustrative machine, for example for making a dinner plate on the mould M the moulding surface of which is about eleven inches in diameter and the profile 222 having been selected, the roller tool 28 is assembled on the supporting head. Before doing so, in order to reduce the period which will elapse between stopping the machine and starting it again, the profile 222, holder 198 and base portion may have been pre-assembled and connected to a source of electrical current to the terminals 208 in order to raise the temperature of the profile. In such a case, after releasing the bolt 186 and removing the previous tool, the stub 182 of the fresh tool is inserted in the shaft 188, the tool turned so that the lug 194 is received in the recess in the flange of the stub, and the bolt 186 threaded into the sleeve 184 and tightened, thus firmly holding the tool in place with the terminals 208 and 214 (and those from the probe) in contact. Conveniently, the illustrative machine may be provided with means (not shown), for example a swinging arm carrying a cradle which can be swung into a position beneath the tool 28, to receive the tool from the support 30 when it is detached and to present a fresh one, to take the weight of the tool and thereby assist the operator in changing one tool for another.

The operator may now conveniently turn the screw 270 as necessary to adjust the height of the tool 28 so that the tip of the profile 222 is in alignment with the axis of the shaft 276. He also adjusts, as necessary, the inclination of the axis of the tool by loosening the bolts 350 and turning the knob 3S8, thereafter re-tightening the bolts 350. Adjustment or replacement of the earns 88 for lifting the mould support 28 and of the cam 362 for tilting the roller tool 28 may also be effected.

Such adjustment or replacement of the cams is primarily desirable to vary the rate of approach of the mould support to the roller tool while the clay is being worked and to vary the rate of tilt of the tool while in contact with the clay, and these rates, being governed to an appreciable extent by the body of the clay, are not usually necessary in a factory where the clay supply is consistent and the tool is being changed for a change in size or shape of the ware to be made.

The operator may also adjust the speeds of rotation of the mould support 26 (by turning the rod 145) and of the roller tool 28 by turning the screw 410, and make any adjustment necessary of the trimming tool 470 and wiper 510.

The profile 222 of the roller tool 28 having reached its operating temperature, the illustrative machine is now ready for a trial run. Further adjustments, following examination of the pieces of clay P after shaping by the machine, may include fine adjustment of the distance at the end of the shaping operation between the tool 28 and mould support 26, which distance determines the thickness of the ware; such fine adjustment can be made while the illustrative machine is in operation by turning the hand wheel 314 to raise or lower the shaft 276.

With the roller tool 28 preheated, the illustrative machine can be changed from operating on one shape of ware to another, in very much less time than has usually been necessary with roller flatware-making machines hitherto, for example, in cases where replacing the

cams

88 and 362 is not called for, with an unproductive period of the machine of little more than ten minutes.

The illustrative machine is especially suitable for incorporation in an automatic production plant. It is able to maintain a high degree of uniformity and reliability at a high rate of output, for example twelve pieces per minute, and with a wide range of clay bodies. The housing of the illustrative machine, as visible in FIG. 1, is cut away at 530 so that, if the machine is incorporated in a plant so that moulds are brought by an upper conveyor means to the mould support 26, there is accommodation for the passage of the trays of a lower conveyor means of that plant. Moreover, manual control means of the illustrative machine, including an electrical control and switch panel housing 532 mounted at the back of the housing 20, are so arranged as to be accessible to the operator when the illustrative machine is installed as part of such an automatic plant with conveyor means for presenting moulds to the support 26 and thereby obstructing access to the front of the illustrative machine.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A clayware shaping machine comprising a mould support rotatable about a vertical axis, means for raising the mould support to a uniform height in successive operating cycles, tool supporting means including a roller shaping toolsupporting head mounted and freely rotatable on a shaft to rock about an axis which lies at right angles to the axis of rotation of the mould support, with the said shaft having secured thereto an arm operable with cam means to rock the said shaft during operation of the said machine, means for securing the head to said arm in adjusted position about the axis of the shaft, guide means on which the tool supporting means is mounted for up and down adjustment, and readily accessible means for effecting adjustment of the tool supporting means 'whereby the thickness of a piece of clay to be spread on the mould can be changed while the machine is in operation by adjustment of the heightwise position of the tool supporting means.

2. A machine according to claim 1 in which the means under the control of which the mould support is raised comprises a cam which determines the limit of approach of a mould towards the tool in the operation of the machine 3. A machine according to claim 2 in which the cam comprises a part-annular portion secured by a bolt-and-arcuateslot arrangement to a collar on a shaft of the machine whereby said portion can be readily ad'usted about the axis of the shaft and etached from the shaft or replacement by another such portion.

4. A machine according to claim 1 comprising a worm and gear sector for effecting relative adjustment of the tool-supporting head and said arm about the axis of the shaft of the tool supporting means.

5. A machine according to claim 1 in which the tool-supporting head comprises a slide portion which is received in a guide portion of said head to provide for adjustment of the head in the direction of the axis of rotation of the tool.

6. A machine according to claim 5 wherein said shaping tool-supporting head includes a shaft having an axial recess at one end to accommodate a conical stub of a roller shaping tool, the shaft having also an axial bore therethrough to accommodate a bolt which is threaded onto the stub to secure the tool to the shaft.

7. A machine according to claim 6 in which in addition to the stub and recess, a lug and recess interconnection is provided between the shaft and tool to ensure that rotary motion is transmitted to the tool when the shaft is driven.

8. A machine according to claim 1 wherein the tool supporting means supports a roller shaping tool for the manufacture of flatware.

9. A machine according to claim 1 comprising a ware shaping trimming tool support mounted to hold a tool supported thereby in position to trim surplus clay from the periphery of a piece of clay on a mould as it is spread thereon in a cycle of operation of the machine, the trimming tool support being mounted with provision for up and down movement, and means being provided whereby, at the conclusion of a shaping operation on a piece of clay, when a mould carried by the mould support is lowered away from the shaping tool, the trimming tool moves down with the mould while remaining in its trimming position relative thereto, to ensure that the shaped piece of clay is trimmed round its periphery after spreading has ceased.

10. A machine according to claim 9 in which the mould support has an arm on which the trimming tool support rests when the mould support is lowered away from the shaping tool at the conclusion of a shaping operation in the cycle of operation of the machine.

Claims

1. A clay-ware shaping machine comprising a mould support rotatable about a vertical axis, means for raising the mould support to a uniform height in successive operating cycles, tool supporting means including a roller shaping tool-supporting head mounted and freely rotatable on a shaft to rock about an axis which lies at right angles to the axis of rotation of the mould support, with the said shaft having secured thereto an arm operable with cam means to rock the said shaft during operation of the said machine, means for securing the head to said arm in adjusted position about the axis of the shaft, guide means on which the tool supporting means is mounted for up and down adjustment, and readily accessible means for effecting adjustment of the tool supporting means whereby the thickness of a piece of clay to be spread on the mould can be changed while the machine is in operation by adjustment of the heightwise position of the tool supporting means.

2. A machine according to claim 1 in which the means under the control of which the mould support is raised comprises a cam which determines the limit of approach of a mould towards the tool in the operation of the machine.

3. A machine according to claim 2 in which the cam comprises a part-annular portion secured by a bolt-and-arcuate-slot arrangement to a collar on a shaft of the machine whereby said portion can be readily adjusted about the axis of the shaft and detached from the shaft for replacement by another such portion.