US2355172A - Appendage moistener - Google Patents

Description

Aug; 8,

' w. J. MILLER Erm.

APPENDAGE MoIsTENER .Filed July 23, 19,40

In ven ions' y E lorn y Patented Aug. 8, 19.44

p 2,355,1 72' 'APPENDAGE MoIsTENEa Y William J. Miller, Swissvale, Pa., and Lewis P. I Reese, Scio, Ohio Application July 23, 1940, Serial No. 346,978

5 Claims.

This invention relatesr tc an appendage moistener by means of which liquid slip is applied to such items as handles, lugs and the like preparatory to sticking them to potteryware.

It is customary to make the appendage and the ware body separately and then join them together. In the case of cups, the Ware body is jiggered, dried to optimum, preferably leather-- hard, condition, sponged and topped and then the handle is cemented thereto. 'Ihe handleis made by casting clay slip in plaster molds and when the clay is solidified, the handle is removed, fettled, ends trimmed then placed in damp storage for several days or until it is in proper hyglc.- static condition for 'joinder to the cup. The trimmed ends of the handle are then dipped into slip and stuck onto the cup and then completely dried.

The object of this invention is to facilitate the handle stickers work in moistening and applying appendages vto potteryware.

In the drawing,

Fig. l is an elevation View of apparatus incorporated in the system and utilized by the handle sticker for applying liquid slip to appendages.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a right end elevation of the apparatus Or" Fig, 1.

Fig. 4 is' a sectional elevation of modification in the construction oi the apparatus shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the apparatus of Fig. 4. n

Fig. 6 isa left end elevation of the apparato. shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. i' is an enlarged detailluustraung the process of applying liquid slip to a handle.

In regard to the provisions for moistening appendages with slip preparatory to joinder to an article of pottery ware, it is customary for the handle sticker who usuallyworks at a bench surrounded by stacks of ware to dip the attaching face of the appendage in a bowl of slip and to press it against the article to which it is to be attached. It is diiicult to gage the depth of i..

mersion, particularly where the operator is working at high speed and the handle may be dipped too deeply in the slip andthe excess must be sponged off after the handle is stuck onto the ware. This necessitates an additional operation which slows down the processI and adds to production expense. Only small amounts of slip are used at a time and unless the bowl is stirred frequently (and it is not a custom to do so), the

solid constituents gradually settle out, leaving a properties. l l V out, the viscosity, concentration and stickiness of vmore or less watery fluid into which the vhandle is dipped having little or no permanent bonding In other words, due to the settling theV slip is deleteriously affected and it no longer has the capacity t0 cement the handle to the cup Handles or appendages stuck on with this inferior binder may separate from the article during drying or firing and such separation may be only partial or complete and in either case the prod-y uct must be classed as defective and is either scrapped or given a lower grading. Sometimes thefdefect does not become prominent until the articlel is in use thereby resulting in complaints y, to the manufacturer. "I 'o avoid defective bonds` from the aforesaid cause, We have providedl equipment disclosed in Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive adapted to supplant the conventional bowl and to enable the quick application of slip of proper consistency to the attaching face of the appendage and without spreading excess slip over surfaces where it does not belong. Furthermore, with the equipment in question there is no further need for the handle sticker to gage the depth of immersion and with this handicapV removed production speeds rare automatically increased. Furthermore, by virtue ci the present improvement, substantially the correct amount of'material as is required to stick the appendage to the Ware may be applied and ythe consistency ofi the material may be held at a uni# form and proper condition at all times.

The apparatus shown in' Figs. 1, 2 and 3 in#` cludes a receptacle 6!) adapted to contain a relaV` tively large volume of slip and the level of the slip in the receptacle is automatically controlled by means of`a oat valve 62 which is 4connected to anv inlet pipe 6| for'conducting slip trompa source of supply to the receptacle. While` the slip level1 in the receptacle may be maintained at any dey sired height, it is preferred thatlsuch level Vre` v' main about one-half the overall height of the receptacle.

the form of a wheel rotatably supported on an axle 64 journaled in bearing 65 and driven by an' adjustable'speed motor 66 through double reduc-v tion gearing enclosed in housing 61. The wheel provides a Asurface at the rim thereof capable oi transporting slip above the level of the slipin the reservoir to a moistening position and the Wheel isv therefore partly submerged in the liquid slip and in order to prevent drying out and to exclude atrelease of the appendage when moistened. Fur- Within the receptacle and partly submerged in the liquid is an Octagon shaped wheel 80, with a surface covering of absorbent material 61. This Wheel may be turned by hand or mechanically. As a means of turning the wheel mechanically, there is illustrated a ratchet 8| mounted on wheel shaft 82 and the ratchet is turned by means of a pull rod 83 and a cam 84 rotated by gearing 85. Due to the Octagon shape, a substantially at rather than an arcuate surface is presented at the moistening position.

.. .This means that the attaching face of the hanthermore, the absorbent material helps preventvv` drying out at the point where the rim is exposed. An auxiliary roller 68 is pressed firmly against 'the rim of the wheel by spring 69 in order to compel the absorbent material to expel and reabsorb. slip each revolution, thus insuring that a fresh supply of slip will always be presented at the moistening position.L Furthermore, the accumulation of solid residue in the absorbent material is thus effectively prevented. The actionis much the same as dle may be pressed against the material from any position and such wheel is particularly advantageous in the case of handles wherein the handle ends are joined by a substantially at running the absorbent material through a wringer f each revolution. Av second roller 68a adjustably pressed against the wheel but lightly sohas the effect of preventing saturation ofthe absorbent material or the carrying up of excess. Roller 68a may be considered as predetermining the V,volume of slip presented at 'the moistening position or* lifted from the reservoir. It will beV understood that the absorbent vmaterial may be omitted if desired and also that means other than the wheel may .be substituted to convey the slipabove the.

level of the material in the reservoir to a moistening position such as belts, paddles, etc. and all. of said variations in construction are considered as coming within the spirit and scope of this invention. In order to agitate the slip and maintainproper distribution of solids, the receptacle is provided with means for agitating the material in the form of a pair of propellers II- mounted on a common shaft 12 and driven by a-,motor 13. These propellers operate continuously and serve to keep the liquid Well agitated and prevent the settling out of solids. It is preferred to rotate themoistening Wheel 39 .very slowly, however, in actual practice it will be rotated at a speed commensurate with the requirements ofthe handle sticker, taking into consideration the amount of exposed area of the Wheel riml and the volume of slip capable vof being transported per a given interval to the moistening position..

The handle sticker moistens the handle by touching the attaching surface crosswise of -therim of the moistening wheel-as illustrated in` Fig. 7. This occasions but an instant to perform and the handle is brought away clean with only the surface of the attaching face wet with slip and the handle is then immediately pressed against the Ware and set aside to dry as hereinbefore explained. Where the apparatus is operated as an individual unit `and notin conjunction withv a mass producing. system, a conveyor 15 may be constructed as a part of the apparatus for the purpose of delivering handles or cups to the operator or removing the completed product from the apparatus. Said conveyor is driven by a belt 15a and pulleys 15b, the speed of travel thereof being synchronized with the speed of rotation of the wheel 39.

The apparatus shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 comprises a receptacle 'l1 adapted to-be partly filled with slip through a spout 'l8 having a lid 19..

attaching surface.

` Spring pressed rollers 86 and 86a are comparable to the rollers 68 and 68a shown in Fig. 1 and'servevthe same purpose. A manual agitator 8l inthe form of a blade located close to the bottom of the receptacle and having a handle projecting externally thereof through a universal joint is provided for an obvious purpose.

It will be observed that the wheel or disc 39 serves, by rotation thereof (as would substantially any disk-like slip transporting means which operates partly submerged in the iluid mix) to agitate the material and therefore the said wheel or disc, whether operated by hand, or mechanically, and turned continuously or intermittently, may be considered as an agitator and as agitating the mix.

One advantageous feature of this invention resides in the fact that We provide a relatively thinv laye!` of slip supported by 0r on a resistance surface against which the appendage may vbe pressed in order'to moisten the attaching surface without promiscuously wetting zones of the appendage not intended to be moistened. In the case of a solid surface such as would result from the use of a Wood or metal Wheel,

, the slip would be disposed thereon in the form of a thin film or layer to a depth such that only the attaching surface of the appendage when pressed thereagainst, and no other surface, would be moistened. In the case of a wheel or other slip transporting means covered with an absorbent material, even of substantial thickness, it is found that little or no slip accumulates on the side surface of the appendage when it is pressed thereagainst and at least not in such quantity that sponging is required.

It is intended that the present invention shall 4 encompass forms of moistening equipment constructed as an endless belt composed of fabric or other material upon which slip may be poured or, as along the lines illustrated herein, may become covered with a lm of slip by running it through a slip reservoir. Apparatus of this description may be utilized not only for moistening the appendage but for transporting the same from one position to another.

y Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

1. Apparatus for moistening the attaching surface of pottery appendages with fluid slip preparatory to being joined to prefabricated pottery ware comprising a receptacle adapted to hold a quantity of fluid slip, said receptacle having a slotted top, a rotatable disk-like moistening ripheral surface of the member, a pressure roll rotatably mounted in contact with the absorbent facing adapted to express fluid therefrom and another roll engaging the absorbent material adapted to control the degree of saturation thereof.

2. Apparatus for moistening the attaching surface of pottery appendages with uid slip pfeplaOry to being joined to prefabricated pottery Ware, comprising a receptacle adapted to hold a quantity of uid slip having a float valve controlled inlet and a slotted top, a rotatable disklike slip conveyor located Within the receptacle and partly submerged in the slip with a portion of the periphery projecting through the slot, the periphery of the moistening member being covered with an absorbent material, a power drive for rotating said conveyor, an independently powered motor-driven agitator in said receptacle, a, pressure roller resiliently urged against the periphery of the moistening member to squeeze slip therefrom.

3. In apparatus for supplying slip and the like for moistening the attaching surface of pottery appendages preparatory to joinder to prefabricated articles of pottery Ware, a slip reservoir and a moistening Wheel adaptedto rotate in the reservoir having the peripheral surface covered with an absorbent material, means for stripping the material of slip and means for pre-determining the thickness of the deposit of slip which is raised to the moistening Zone by the Wheel.

4. In apparatus for supplying slip and the like for moistening the attaching surface of pottery appendages preparatory to joinder to prefabricated articles of pottery Ware, a receptacle adapted to hold a quantity of slip, a rotatably mounted diskalike member partly submerged in the slip, means for stripping the wheel of used slip, means for predetermining the thickness of the coating of slip on the peripheral surface of the member, means for intermittently rotating said disk-like member comprising a cam actuated ratchet mechanism and an agitator disposed within the receptacle.

5. In apparatus for supplying slip and the like for moistening the attaching surface of pottery appendages preparatory to joinder to prefabricated articles of pottery Ware, a receptacle adapted to hold a quantity of slip, a disk-like member adapted to rotate in the receptacle with a portion of its periphery projecting above the level of the slip therein, a cam actuated mechanism for rotating the disk-like member and pressure rollers engageable with the peripheral surface of the disk-like member.

WILLIAM J. MILLER. L. P. REESE.

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