An Improved Apparatus for Casting Hollow and other Ware of China and other Materials.

摘要

4806. Stubbs, J. March 3. Casting pottery. -Relates to apparatus for making cups, jugs, and other hollowware by casting slip into porous plaster moulds, which, when they have absorbed sufficient moisture from the slip to cause a layer of clay to form in the mould, are tilted so as to discharge the surplus slip back into the slip trough. The apparatus comprises a rotary frame a for carrying the moulds, mounted on rollers f on a stationary frame c, which is supported by standards e se-. cured to the bed or floor ; a main slip trough q provided with valves r which may be operated either simultaneously or independently so as to fill the moulds; mechanism, actuated either by hand or power for giving the rotary frame a step-by-step or slow continuous motion, so as to enable a series of frames carrying moulds to be fed thereto and removed therefrom; and mechanism for tilting the moulds so as to discharge the surplus slip. The moulds l are mounted in a number of wooden frames i, which are secured by turn-catches k in channelled brackets j pivoted to the rotary frames a. Flexible projections, preferably consisting of rubber disks m carried by springs n attached to frames n2 secured to the brackets j, bear on the edges of the moulds and retain them in position in the mould frames in such a manner as not to interfere with the insertion or removal of the latter; or a cover u1, carrying a number of countersunk rings u2, is hinged to the mould frame and secured by a spring catch u3, as shown in Fig. 8. The rotary frame a is moved, so as to bring the mould frames successively under the valves r, by a pivoted counterweighted or spring lever g1 carrying a pawl h1 adapted to engage with projections j1 on the frame. The moulds are filled with slip, as they pass under the valves r, by operating a lever w on a shaft v having arms u which carry a bar t engaging the valve spindles s through the medium of springs x. The amount of slip in each mould may be adjusted by providing the valves with independent operating-means, consisting of forked levers a1 which have long arms b1 and are mounted on the operating-bar t so as to engage nuts on the valve spindle s. The slip is filtered before passing into the moulds by sieves c1 arranged just below the valve r. As the frame rotates, each mould frame remains horizontal until, on reaching a position A, Fig. 2, projecting arms d1 on the brackets j engage with a fixed cam-surface f and tilt the moulds, so as to discharge the surplus slip into a slip trough o, from which it filters through a sieve at the bottom into a vibrating filtering - trough p and then passes into the main slip trough q. When the frame is further rotated, the mould frame on reaching the end of the cam-surface f1 resumes the horizontal position, and the rough edges of the cast vessels may then be removed, for example by a revolving scraper device suitably supported and driven. The mould frame containing the cast ware is then removed from the rotary frame, a fresh one containing empty moulds is substituted, and the cycle of operations is repeated. The filtering-trough p is given a vibratory movement, as the frame a rotates, by means of a ratchet-wheel n1 actuated by a weighted pawl r1 carried by a crank-arm o1, which is operated by the lever g1 through links p1 and a bell-crank lever q1. The bell-crank lever q1 is mounted on a shaft s1 which carries a number of arms t' for agitating the slip in the trough q. In the Provisional Specification it is stated that each mould, before being filled from the main trough, may be damped with thin slip by means of a revolving brush, or by two perforated cones fitting one within the other. The brushes or cones are moved into the operative position by hand or foot levers.