Abstract: A pottery holding device and method for securely holding a workpiece during rotation and working of the workpiece on a wheelhead of a pottery wheel. The pottery holding device includes a wheelhead member and at least three holding members. The wheelhead member configured for attachment to the wheelhead of a pottery wheel. The at least three holding members and wheelhead member configured to allow selective locking of the at least three holding members in positions about the periphery of a workpiece. The device adapted to securely hold circular, non-circular symmetric and irregular, asymmetric or organic shaped workpieces. The device further adapted to securely hold workpieces in positions and orientations such that the center of the workpieces is aligned with the axis of rotation of the device, and positions and orientations such that the center of the workpieces is spaced from the axis of rotation of the device.

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: Making candles, vases or ornamental articles, by rotating a mold in elevation and azimuth, pouring wax into the mold, allowing the wax to partially or completely harden, and repeating these steps to build up layers of wax in different inclined planes. Apparatus is described for carrying out this method, having a support rotatable in elevation and a mold holder rotatable in azimuth on the support. An alternative apparatus is described having a vessel that may be optionally temperature controlled and containing flowable material supporting a mold. Further apparatus is described having means to support a mold at variable angles of elevation and azimuth. The apparatus and materials for carrying out the method may be supplied as a kit, with the apparatus either fully assembled or supplied as separate parts to be assembled by the user.

Abstract: A system and method for centering a clay plug on a potter's wheel before rotation of the potter's wheel includes a rotatable adapter having a central axis aligned with the central axis of the potter's wheel, a rotatable toroidal disk bat whose central axis is aligned with central axis of the rotatable adapter, and a clay plug having a central axis aligned with the central axis of the rotatable toroidal disk bat.

Abstract: An apparatus for converting expended thermoplastic material, specifically empty plastic bottles, into artificial rocks, by placing the empty thermoplastic bottle in the apparatus between two sliding carriages, on each of which a rock has been mounted; and each carriage attached to a hydraulic jack, which, when the handle is pumped, moves the carriage toward the bottle which has been heated to malleability by heat lamps mounted above and sideways to the bottle, and the said heated, flexible bottle is squeezed between the two rocks mounted on the carriages, and then the bottle is rotated and the process repeated to give the bottle a rock shape. The rock shape may be further altered using a portable heat gun.

Abstract: A potter's wheel for forming an oval pottery, such as dish, bowl or the like, has a die (26) for positioning clay to be formed and a revolution-rotation device (24). The revolution-rotation device (24) provides the revolution of the die about a first axis and the rotation of the die about a second axis. A tool is held at a predetermined position with respect to the first axis. While the direction of the rotation is same as that of the revolution, the speed of the rotation is a half of that of the revolution.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for making products having various shapes. The apparatus is for making a product by shaping or processing work piece using a relative movement between the work piece and a tool. The apparatus is provided with a work piece support on which the work piece is located, a revolution-rotation driving device including a first axis and a second axis in parallel with the first axis and revolving around the first axis, the device revolving the work piece support around the first axis and rotating the work piece support on the second axis; and a tool support for supporting the tool in such a manner that the tool is maintained in a predetermined position with respect to the first axis. The revolution-rotation driving device further includes a revolution-radius adjustment for adjusting so a distance between the first axis and the second axis.

Abstract: A method for fabricating large aperture optical fiber preform using a sintering apparatus for gel tube, includes the steps of: forming a uniform sol by mixing/dispersing for mixing fumed silica with deionized water, and adding a dispersing additive to form uniform sol; injecting the sol into a mold with a certain tubular form, and then gellifying the sol; demolding the tube-shaped gel from the mold; drying the tube-shaped gel; processing (or Binder burn-out & Purification) organic compounds including remaining moisture, alkali metallic impurities, and hydroxides in the gel; inserting a primary preform into the tube-shaped gel and then fastening the preform; and after arranging the gel with the primary preform therein into a sintering apparatus, sintering/over cladding the gel with the primary preform therein under vacuum atmosphere at high temperature.

Abstract: A rotary trowel (1) for use in the molding of ceramics (15) comprising a trowel matrix (2) and a trowel surface (3) provided on said trowel matrix (2) so as to make contact with a raw clay composition (15) and calender the raw clay composition (15), characterized in that said trowel surface (3) is formed by providing an epoxy resin composition containing an abrasion-resistant material on the inner surface of a casting mold (6).

Abstract: Jiggering for ceramic ware is effected while providing a jiggering surface of a jiggering profile tool with a gas to produce a thin gas film between the jiggering surface and plastic clay. The gas film is formed by a gas fed from the outside of the jiggering surface and the jiggering profile tool is heated to 50.degree.-60.degree. C. High-temperature heating of the tool is dispensed with.

Abstract: An apparatus for use when manufacturing a substantially circular dough product, said apparatus comprising a turntable defining a planar surface, and conical roller means adapted to cooperate with said turntable and defining a rolling line in the region of the roller close to said planar surface, the turntable being rotatable to permit effective movement between said rolling line and the turntable, the apparatus being provided with means to cause the roller and turntable to move from a relative space to part position to an operative position with a reduced spacing therebetween for a predetermined operational period of time and to cause the roller and the turntable subsequently to return to the initial spaced apart position.

Abstract: Jiggering for ceramic ware is effected while providing a jiggering surface of a jiggering profile tool with a gas to produce a thin gas film between the jiggering surface and plastic clay. The gas film is formed by a gas fed through or from the outside of the jiggering surface. High-temperature heating of the tool is dispensed with.

Abstract: An automatic machine for the internal fettling of sanitary appliances in general, which comprises a tappet device elastically loaded towards a cam having a profile conforming to the mouth of the bowls of the articles to be fettled, said device controlling the horizontal excursions of a double slide which supports in an overhanging manner, to lie above a surface on which the articles are arranged, a verticle slider provided with a stepwise-rotatable coaxial shaft on which there is lowerly mounted, in an orientation-adjustable manner, a rotating brush arranged for insertion into the bowls in order to make contact with their entire inner surface extension by virtue of the combination of the aforesaid movements.

Abstract: An automatic machine for the fettling of the syphon of sanitary appliances, comprising a vertical flat structure of overall elastically deformable configuration, which tapers downwards in such a manner as to be able to be inserted into the syphons of the articles provided laterally with two fettling sectors arranged to contact the walls of the syphons, and which is supported by an operating head arranged to subject it to vertical reciprocating recitlinear motion and to simultaneous stepwise rotary motion; the operating head is mounted on a vertical slider for its positioning at the required level.

Abstract: For the manufacture of oval dishes, a machine has two work supports arranged to rotate moulds eccentrically for clay on the moulds to be shaped into oval forms. At a first, spreading, station the clay is engaged by a pancake-type spreading roller which squeezes a piece of clay into an oval shape. The mould is transferred to a second, or finishing, station where a finishing roller rolls the clay to the desired configuration of the oval dish. The spreading roller is driven. The finishing roller may be driven or it may rotate freely, a brake being applied to the free roller, for the end of a finishing operation, to improve the surface finish of the ware.

Abstract: An oval dish forming machine has two revolvable wheels each of which is supported on a structure permitting the wheel to move in an eccentric pattern so that discs of clay on carriers on the wheels may be formed in desirable oval shapes. One of the wheels comprises a first or spreading station where the disc of clay is subjected to a rolling extruding action of a cone-shaped roller which squeezes the clay against the carrier to form a desirable oval shape. The carrier and the initially shaped clay is then manually moved to a second or finishing station where a dumbbell shaped roller engages the clay shape on the carrier and rolls the excess clay from the shape to the desired configuration of the oval dish. The dumbbell shaped roller is stopped in the last revolution of the wheel so as to smooth the clay by a sliding action. Motion of the two shaping and finishing rollers is controlled to properly process and shape the clay so as to insure the removal of air and excess moisture therefrom.

Abstract: A crust former for use with a wall-equipped container to construct crust therein from a mass of crust material provided within the container for this purpose. The crust former includes a forming head adapted to rotate about the center of such container to distribute the mass of crust material therein usually along both the bottom and side walls of the container to construct such crust. The head is carried by structure to positionally relate the forming head in a predetermined spatial relationship with the bottom and side walls of the container necessary for construction of the crust therealong. This structure enables the head and container to be relatively rotatable, and means are included in the crust former for preventing accumulation of crust material along the upper edge portion or rim of the container.

Abstract: 5H-Aminoacetamido-10,11-dihydrodibenz[b,f]azepines and their physiologically tolerable acid addition salts are disclosed to be useful as central nervous system depressant agents with anticonvulsant and muscle relaxing activity and as antihypertensive agents. A process for their preparation and for the preparation of their novel precursors is also described.