Abstract: A splash pan of a pottery wheel arranged to cover bottom and side areas of a turntable, includes a plurality of split dish members split in a circumferential direction and provided with a clay-storing concave portion, the split dish members being separably connectable to each other through substantially horizontal movement thereof. The split dish members are two in number and include a first split dish member having boss portions formed on an outer surface thereof and a second split dish member having engagement portions engageable with the boss portions. The engagement portions are formed on an outer surface of the second split dish member in radial positions corresponding to the boss portions and opened toward the boss portions. The engagement portions of the second split dish member are elastically deformable when engaging with the boss portions of the first split dish member.

Abstract: A rotation drive unit having a first reduction mechanism of traction transmission system comprising a drive roller attached to a drive shaft and a driven roller attached to a driven shaft, and a second reduction mechanism of gear transmission system comprising a drive gear attached to the drive shaft and a driven gear attached to the driven shaft. The first reduction mechanism generates a braking effort while making slippage between the rollers during transmission of a rotational driving force from the drive shaft, and exerts a torque load on the second reduction mechanism of the gear transmission system. Since this unit transmits the rotational driving force via the first reduction mechanism while exerting the load upon the second reduction mechanism, it provides a satisfactory and reliable speed-reducing function as well as reliable and accurate transmission of the rotational driving force even if equipped with a plurality of driven shafts coupled to the single drive shaft.

Abstract: A potter's wheel for working clay and other pottery material on a turntable driven by a DC brushless motor. In order that driving speed is not affected by the load due to user's access to the work of clay, the speed of the motor detected by a speed detector is fed back to a speed control signal generator and a motor driving control signal is generated as a function of the difference between the detected motor speed and a directed speed inputted through a speed setter in response to the operation to a manipulation member. Then, a motor control generates such a motor driving signal as to make the motor driving control signal zero, with the motor driving signal being fed to the motor, thereby controlling the rotational speed of the turntable to be a directed value regardless of the load applied to the turntable via the work.