Patent Grant
8864487
The present invention relates to the field of pottery, and, in particular, to devices and methods for selectively securing a preformed shape of pottery to the wheelhead of a pottery wheel during rotation.
A pottery wheel, also known as a potter's wheel or potter's lathe, is a machine used to facilitate forming, trimming, decorating and other manipulation techniques of pottery. At a basic level, a potter's wheel is a device that provides rotation to a workpiece or “form”, such as an unformed piece of clay or a preformed shape. As the art of pottery has existed for centuries, pottery wheels have taken many different forms. A typical modern-day pottery wheel includes a frame, a power source (such as a motor or kickwheel) and a wheelhead coupled to the power source such that the power source rotates the wheelhead. Some pottery wheels include attached work tables and splash pans that surround the wheelhead to catch any trimmings or other debris thrown off the wheelhead by centrifugal force as the wheelhead rotates.
The wheelhead provides a rotating planar upper-surface on which a potter can work a workpiece or form. Wheelheads can take any form and size, but a typical wheelhead is a planar disc of metal or other sturdy material, such as cast aluminum, and includes concentric markings or rings on the top surface about the center of the wheelhead. The concentric markings or rings aid a potter in centering a workpiece, especially a workpiece with a circular or other symmetrical profile.
Wheelheads often also include mechanisms for selectively attaching a bat (also known as a batt or batten) to the upper surface of the wheelhead. A batt can allow for removal of a workpiece from the wheel without damaging or deforming the workpiece. A batt can also simply provide an alternative working surface to suit a potter's tastes. For example, some potters prefer to shape or “throw” clay on plaster, therefore bucket-style wheelheads have been designed to allow for plaster bats. However, wheelheads more commonly include bat pins and/or bat pin apertures that mate with corresponding bat pins or bat pin apertures in the bat to secure the bat to the wheelhead. Such mechanisms aid in adding centripetal force to a bat to secure the bat to the wheelhead such that the bat rotates with the wheelhead and is prevented from disengaging from the wheelhead due to centrifugal force.
Similar to bats, other devices are occasionally applied to the upper surface of a wheelhead via the bat pins and bat bin apertures to facilitate certain pottery processes. In particular, prior art devices for centering and temporarily holding pottery forms, such as semi-pliable greenware bowls, cups and vases, on the wheelhead are known in the art. Such devices aim to reduce or eliminate off-center rotation, wobble and the like to facilitate shaping, forming and finishing of workpieces. More specifically, some devices facilitate the removal of excess clay from the bottom area of the workpiece to create a foot. A foot is typically a circular ring on the bottom of the workpiece formed by the removal of material with a trimming tool as the workpiece rotates on the wheel. The foot provides a level (if desired) stable base for the workpiece. With circular workpieces, or other symmetrical forms, the foot is usually formed about the center of the workpiece so that the workpiece is symmetric and thus aesthetically pleasing.
One popular prior art wheelhead device for centering and temporarily holding pottery forms to facilitate shaping and formation of a foot is the Giffin device, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,222,577. The Giffin '577 device essentially is a three jaw self-centering chuck, like the typical chuck of a power tool. The Giffin '577 device uses three sliding arms (like the jaws of a common chuck) interconnected via a spiral groove in a bottom plate (i.e., a scroll plate) to center and hold a workpiece. As the spiral groove is concentric about the center of the bottom plate and the movement of the sliding arms is fixed with respect to one another (i.e., the sliding arms move in unison), the sliding arms self-center a circular workpiece placed therebetween as they slide within the spiral groove and move towards the center of the plate. In this way, the sliding arms of the Giffin '577 device securely hold and self-center a circular workpiece.
One of the drawbacks encountered with prior art wheelhead devices for centering and securely holding workpieces is that they can only provide three points of contact with the outer surface of a workpiece, such as with the Giffin device described above. While three points of contact may be sufficient to secure circular or three-sided workpieces, three points of contact are not sufficient for some uniquely shaped workpieces. For example, square, rectangular, other multi-sided forms with 4 or more sides, oblong, bisymmetric, asymmetric, abstract curvilinear and other non-circular, irregular or “organic” shapes often cannot be fully supported with three points of contact. When these types of irregular or organic workpieces are not fully supported, they may slide, twist or otherwise move on the device during rotation thereof. Movement of workpieces during rotation prevents a potter from being able to create a circular foot, can break or distort the workpiece, or, in the worst case scenario, can eject the workpiece from the pottery wheel.
Another drawback encountered with prior art wheelhead devices for centering and securely holding workpieces is that the support members of the devices are spatially locked with respect to one another and the center of the device (thus the support members move in unison) and are positioned symmetrically about the center of the device. Therefore, in the prior art devices with three support members, the support members are equally spaced with respect to the center of the device and each support member is spaced about 120 degrees from an adjacent support member. In such a fixed symmetric relationship, the support members are unable to fully support an irregular or organic workpiece—as it is likely that only two support members will contact a workpiece.
Similarly, even symmetric non-circular workpieces will not be fully supported by the fixed symmetrically disposed support members of these prior art devices. In use of such devices with support members in a “locked” arrangement, a single support member will likely first contact the exterior surface of the workpiece. If the support members are further extended toward the center of the device, the lone support member contacting the workpiece will push or twist the workpiece until at least one other support member contacts the outer surface of the workpiece. At this stage, the workpiece is not fully supported. If the support members are extended even further, the support members will either deform the workpiece or the workpiece will further slide and/or until another support member contacts the outer surface of the workpiece. At this point, if the device only has three support members (as in the prior art), the workpiece has been translated about the device into an arrangement where the outer surfaces of the workpiece that are in contact with the support members are radially equidistant from one another and from the center of the device. However, because the workpiece is non-circular, the true center of the workpiece is not aligned with the center of the device. In such a non-centered arrangement, a foot cannot be formed in the center of the workpiece, and the potter has no ability to select the position of the foot. Further, as is understood in the art, such pushing and twisting of the workpiece about the device will scratch, deform or otherwise mar the workpiece. Still further, in all likelihood, an irregular or non-circular symmetric workpiece will not define three outer surface locations that are radially equidistant from one another and from a central point, and therefore a third support member would never reach the outer surface of such a workpiece (at least without deforming the workpiece).
Yet another drawback encountered with prior art wheelhead devices for centering and securely holding workpieces is that the workpieces, including circular workpieces, cannot be selectively secured in locations other than the center of the device. For certain processes, a potter may wish to secure a workpiece off-center from the axis of rotation. For example, in order to apply glaze in an uneven and aesthetically pleasing pattern, potters would prefer to place a workpiece off-center and apply a glaze soaked applicator against the outer surface of the workpiece. By keeping the applicator in the same position with respect to the axis of rotation, the off-center rotation or “wobbling” of the workpiece would create thinner, wider and/or random patterns of glaze on the workpiece's outer surface. Further, the location of the foot of workpieces cannot be chosen by the potter. As described above, prior art devices are self-centering because the support members are in a fixed relationship and symmetrically opposed about the center of the device. Thus, these prior art devices automatically center and support a workpiece (i.e., when the last support member contacts the outer surface of a circular workpiece, the workpiece is centered and fully supported). Thereby, such an arrangement and configuration of the support members in the prior art devices prevents a potter from securing workpieces anywhere else besides the center of the device (including circular workpieces), i.e., the self-centering feature prevents the potter from deciding where to secure a workpiece. As a result, the prior art devices do not allow a potter to select the secured position and orientation of a workpiece, and therefore do not allow the potter to elect where the foot of a particular workpiece should be formed, such as circular workpieces, or apply such an “uneven” glaze process.
Still further, the fixed symmetrical arrangement of the support members of prior art devices does not allow the potter to control where irregular shaped workpieces are secured on the devices (assuming an irregular shaped workpiece can actually be secured). Even if a prior art wheelhead device can secure a particular irregular or asymmetric workpiece without destroying the workpiece, the workpiece would be automatically positioned (as discussed above), and the potter thus had no ability to select the secured position. As a result, the prior art devices do not allow a potter to select the secured position and orientation of an irregular or non-circular symmetric workpiece, and therefore do not allow the potter to elect where the foot of a particular irregular or non-circular symmetric workpiece should be formed.
Another drawback encountered with prior art wheelhead devices for centering and securely holding workpieces is that the devices are thick and thereby significantly elevate workpieces with respect to the wheelhead. A thick wheelhead device, and therefore an elevated workpiece, will allow trimmings or other debris thrown off the wheelhead by centrifugal force to be thrown at a higher trajectory as compared to if the device was not used. Splash pans are typically designed or configured based on the height of the wheelhead of a potter wheel. Therefore, if a particular pottery wheel includes a splash pan, workpieces that are significantly elevated with respect to the wheelhead will tend to throw trimmings or other debris past or over the splash pan. As such, prior art wheelhead devices for centering and securely holding workpieces that are thick tend to elevate workpieces to such an extent that they eliminate or reduce the debris capture advantages of splash pans.
Yet another drawback encountered with prior art wheelhead devices for centering and securely holding workpieces is that they only function properly with a particular direction of rotation. Prior art devices are designed for either clockwise or counter-clockwise rotation of the pottery wheel. Prior art devices, like the Giffin device described above, include support members held in slots of a top plate and in a spiral groove of a bottom scroll plate. The spiral groove provides for translation of the support members within the slot along a radius of the device as the scroll plate and top plate rotate with respect to one another (i.e., as the support members move angularly along the spiral, they move closer or farther away from the center of the device). However, the spiral groove is limited to providing movement towards the center of the device only when the support members rotate about the spiral groove either in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction, depending upon if the spiral groove spirals from the outer edge to the center in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction. As a result, if a clockwise designed prior art device were installed on a pottery wheelhead that rotated counter-clockwise, the support members would be biased away from the workpiece during rotation of the wheelhead, and thus fail to support the workpiece. The same lack of support would occur if a counter-clockwise designed prior art device were installed on a pottery wheelhead that rotated clockwise.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to overcome one or more of the above-described drawbacks and/or disadvantages of the prior art.
The present disclosure is directed to devices and methods for securely holding a workpiece during rotation of the workpiece. The disclosed devices and methods have particular utility with rotating workpieces on wheelheads of pottery wheels. In exemplary embodiments, the disclosed devices are configured for attachment to a wheelhead of a pottery wheel for securely holding a workpiece thereon during rotation of the wheelhead and device.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a device includes a wheelhead member including a substantially planar bottom surface configured to engage at least a portion of the top surface of a wheelhead, and a substantially planar top surface defining a working surface for acceptance of a workpiece thereon. The device may also include at least three holding members configured to abut a workpiece that has been placed on the working surface of the wheelhead member. In some embodiments, the at least three holding members are independently movable with respect to one another and the wheelhead member, and each of the at least three holding members are manually engageable to facilitate movement of the holding members between at least two positions. In some such embodiments, the at least two positions may include: (1) a first position wherein the at least three holding members abut at least three separate and distinct points of said workpiece, and each holding member being selectively locked with respect to the wheelhead member to securely hold the workpiece to substantially maintain the position and orientation of the workpiece during rotation of the wheelhead and device; and (2) a second position wherein the at least three holding members are spaced from the first position to allow the workpiece to be placed on, or removed from, the working surface of the wheelhead member.
In some embodiments, the wheelhead member may include at least two apertures extending from the bottom surface towards the top surface, and the at least two apertures being shaped and sized to at least partially receive a bat pin of the wheelhead therein. In embodiments where the wheelhead member defines a substantially circular shape when viewed from the axis of rotation of the wheelhead when the wheelhead member is coupled to the wheelhead, the at least two apertures may be positioned in the wheelhead member such that when the wheelhead member is coupled to a wheelhead a bat pin is at least partially received in each aperture and the center of the wheelhead is substantially aligned with the axis of rotation of the wheelhead.
In accordance with another aspect, the wheelhead member may include a magnetic material disposed substantially throughout the wheelhead member when viewed from the axis of rotation of the wheelhead when the wheelhead member is coupled to the wheelhead. In some such embodiments, the at least three holding members may include a magnetized member. In some such embodiments, in the first position the at least three holding members may be selectively locked with respect to the wheelhead member due to the magnetic attraction between the holding members and the wheelhead member. Further, in the second position the at least three holding members may be either removed from the working surface of the wheelhead member or are magnetically coupled to the wheelhead member and spaced from their location in the first position.
In accordance with another aspect, the wheelhead member may include at least three slots extending from the bottom surface to the top surface, and each of the at least three holding members may be coupled to a slot. In some such embodiments, the wheelhead member may define a substantially circular shape when viewed from the axis of rotation of the wheelhead when the wheelhead member is coupled to the wheelhead, and the slots may be symmetrically disposed about the circular shape of the wheelhead member and extend substantially linearly along radiuses of the wheelhead member.
In some embodiments, each holding member may be configured to be slidably coupled and selectively locked to its corresponding slot. In some such embodiments, each holding member may include a sliding member adjacent the bottom surface of the wheelhead member and a slot, a stop member adjacent the top surface of the wheelhead member and the slot, and a locking member coupled to the stop member, the slot and the sliding member. In some such embodiments, each slot may include a recess disposed about the slot in the bottom surface of the wheelhead member, and the sliding member may be threadably coupled to the locking member and positioned at least partially within the recess of the particular slot such that it is prevented from substantially rotating within the recess.
In some such embodiments, rotation of the locking member in a first direction may draw the locking member and the sliding member toward one another, and in the first position the locking member may have been selectively manually rotated in the first direction to such a degree that the sliding member exerts force against the recess and the stop member exerts force against the working surface to selectively lock the holding member to the wheelhead member.
In some embodiments, the holding members may be moved from the first position to the second position by manual rotation of the locking member in a second direction that is substantially opposite to the first direction to such a degree that the forces between the sliding member, stop member and wheelhead member are reduced to a degree that the holding member is slidably coupled to the wheelhead along the slot, and by manually sliding the holding member away from the center of the wheelhead.
In some embodiments, the stop members may be substantially disc-shaped. In other embodiments, the stop members may be substantially L-shaped.
In some embodiments, the device includes at least four holding members. In some such embodiments, the wheelhead member thereby includes at least four slots and corresponding recesses. In some such embodiments, the at least four holding members abut at least four separate and distinct points of a workpiece. Such embodiments may be particularly advantageous for four-sided, non-symmetrical and organic shaped workpieces.
In accordance with another aspect, the present invention may be directed toward a device that may include first means for engaging the top surface of a wheelhead and for accepting a workpiece thereon, and at least three second means for abutting a workpiece positioned on the first means. In some such embodiments, the at least three second means may be independently movable with respect to one another and the first means, and wherein each of the at least three second means is manually engageable to facilitate movement of the second means between at least two positions. In some such embodiments, the device may be configured such that the at least two positions include: (1) a first position wherein the at least three second means abut at least three separate and distinct points of said workpiece, and each second means being selectively locked with respect to the first means and each other to securely hold the workpiece to substantially maintain the position and orientation of the workpiece during rotation of the device; and (2) a second position wherein the at least three second means are spaced from the first position to allow the workpiece to be placed on, or removed from, the first means.
In accordance with another aspect, the first means may be a wheelhead member including a substantially planar bottom surface configured to engage at least a portion of the top surface of a wheelhead, and a substantially planar top surface defining a working surface for acceptance of a workpiece thereon, and the at least three second means may be at least three holding members.
In some embodiments, the wheelhead member may include a magnetic material disposed substantially throughout the wheelhead member when viewed from the axis of rotation of the wheelhead when the wheelhead member is coupled to the wheelhead, and the at least three holding members may include a magnetized member. In some such embodiments, in the first position the at least three holding members may be selectively locked with respect to the wheelhead member due to the magnetic attraction between the holding members and the magnetized member.
In accordance with another aspect, the wheelhead member may include at least three substantially linear slots symmetrically disposed about the wheelhead member extending from the top surface to the bottom surface, and each holding member may be coupled to a slot. In some such embodiments, each holding member may include a sliding member adjacent the bottom surface of the wheelhead member and a slot, a stop member adjacent the top surface of the wheelhead member and the slot, and a locking member coupled to the stop member, the slot and the sliding member. In some such embodiments, rotation of the locking member in a first direction may draw the locking member and the sliding member toward one another to such a degree that the sliding member exerts force against the bottom surface of the wheelhead member and the stop member exerts force against the working surface of the wheelhead member to selectively lock the at least three holding members to the wheelhead member.
In some embodiments, the device includes at least four holding members. In some such embodiments, the wheelhead member thereby includes at least four slots and corresponding recesses. In some such embodiments, the at least four holding members abut at least four separate and distinct points of a workpiece. Such embodiments may be particularly advantageous for four-sided, non-symmetrical and organic shaped workpieces.
In accordance with another aspect, the present invention may be directed toward a method for securely holding a workpiece during rotation of the workpiece on a wheelhead of a pottery wheel. In some embodiments, the method may include the step of coupling a wheelhead member to a wheelhead of a potter wheel, and the step of independently manually repositioning at least three holding members configured to abut a workpiece that has been placed on the working surface of the wheelhead member from a first position to a second position wherein the at least three holding members abut at least three separate and distinct points of said workpiece, and each holding member being selectively locked with respect to the wheelhead member to securely hold the workpiece to substantially maintain the position and orientation of the workpiece during rotation of the wheelhead and device. In some such embodiments, the wheelhead member may include a substantially planar bottom surface configured to engage at least a portion of the top surface of a wheelhead, and a substantially planar top surface defining a working surface for acceptance of a workpiece thereon. In some such embodiments, in the first position the at least three holding members may be spaced from the second position to allow the workpiece to be placed on, or removed from, the working surface of the wheelhead member.
In accordance with another aspect, the wheelhead member may include a magnetic material and the at least three holding members may include a magnetized member, and the step of independently manually repositioning the at least three holding members from the first position to the second position may include positioning the at least three holding members on the working surface of the wheelhead member in abutment with the workpiece at at least three distinct locations to selectively lock the at least three holding members with respect to the wheelhead member due to the magnetic attraction between the holding members and the wheelhead member.
In accordance with another aspect, the wheelhead member may include at least three substantially linear slots symmetrically disposed about the wheelhead member extending from the top surface to the bottom surface, and each holding member may be coupled to a slot. In some such embodiments, each holding member may include a sliding member adjacent the bottom surface of the wheelhead member and a slot, a stop member adjacent the working surface of the wheelhead member and the slot, and a locking member coupled to the stop member, the slot and the sliding member. In some such embodiments, the step of independently manually repositioning the at least three holding members from the first position to the second position may include rotating the locking member in a first direction and drawing the locking member and the sliding member toward one another to such a degree that the sliding member exerts force against the bottom surface of the wheelhead member and the stop member exerts force against the working surface of the wheelhead member to selectively lock the at least three holding members to the wheelhead member.
In some embodiments, the method includes the step independently manually repositioning at least four holding members configured to abut the workpiece that has been placed on the working surface of the wheelhead member from the first position to the second position. In some such embodiments, the at least four holding members abut at least four separate and distinct points of the workpiece. Such embodiments may be particularly advantageous for four-sided, non-symmetrical and organic shaped workpieces.
Other objects, aspects and advantages of the pottery holding devices of the present invention, and/or of the currently preferred embodiments thereof, will become more readily apparent in view of the following detailed description of the currently preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings.
In
As shown in
Exemplary bottom disc 12 may be formed from any material, but preferably formed of a material that is capable of lying flat on the top surface of a wheelhead 18 and providing stability to the exemplary pottery holding device 10. However, in alternative embodiments, the bottom disc 12 may be soft or pliable and not provide stability to the pottery holding device 10, but rather stability may be provided by other aspects of the pottery holding device 10. The thickness of the bottom disc 12 may depend upon the material properties of the bottom disc 12, but preferably the bottom disc 12 is relatively thin, such as less than about 1 inch, and more preferably less than about 0.75 inches. In the illustrative embodiment shown in
As also shown in
As illustrated in
In the illustrated embodiment, the top disc 14 substantially corresponds in shape, size and configuration to that of bottom disc 12. The potential variations to the size, shape and configuration of the bottom disc 12 discussed above equally apply to potential variations of the top disc 14. Exemplary Top disc 14 also includes pin apertures 22B that correspond to the pin tapertures 22A of the bottom disc. The potential variations of size, shape and configuration of the pin apertures 22A of the bottom disc 12 discussed above equally apply to potential variations to the pin apertures 22B of the top disc 14. In this way, the wheelhead member 11 (the combination of top disc 14 and bottom disc 12) preferably defines a disc shape with uniform edges and pin apertures 22A, 22B extending therethrough. However, the top disc 14 and the bottom disc 12, as well as the pin apertures 22A, 22B, may be of differing sizes, shapes and configurations, and therefore the wheelhead member 11 may not form a disc shape.
As best shown in
In some embodiments, the top disc 14 is made from a magnetic material, such as a magnetic metal. In the illustrated embodiment, the top disc 14 is made from sheet steel and at least the working surface 26 has been coated with a light-colored substrate, such as a white powder coat, as shown in
As also shown in
Once the device 10 is properly seated on the wheelhead 18 of a pottery wheel 16, a workpiece 30 can be applied to the exemplary working surface 26 of the exemplary device 10, as illustrated in
As shown in
When the holding members 16 are applied to the wheelhead member 11, the combination of the frictional force and the magnetic attraction force between the holding members 16 and the top disc 14 of the wheelhead member 11 should be sufficiently strong to securely hold a workpiece 30 positioned between the holding members 16 during rotation of the device 10. When the holding members 16 are applied to the working surface 26 such that the forces between the holding members 16 and the wheelhead member 11 resists forces acting to translate and disengage the holding members 16 about the working surface 26, the holding members 16 can be said to be selectively locked with respect to the wheelhead member 11.
The flexible nature of the placement and movement of the holding members 16, facilitated by the magnetic attraction between the top disc 14 and the holding members 16, may lend itself to use with asymmetric or organic forms because the holding members 16 can be easily added, removed and repositioned about the device 10 to provide adequate support to a particular asymmetric or organic form in any location on the device 10. For example, the holding members 16 can be applied to the working surface 26 and positioned such that they abut at least three separate and distinct points of the workpiece 30 to securely hold the workpiece to substantially maintain the position and orientation of the workpiece 10 during rotation of the wheelhead 18 and device 10. Similarly, the holding members 16 can be applied to the working surface 26 such that they are spaced from the workpiece 30, or removed from the wheelhead member altogether, so that the workpiece 30 can be placed on, or removed from, the working surface 26 of the wheelhead member 11. In this way, the device 10 can be infinitely adapted to hold workpieces 30 of different shapes and sizes about the entire working surface 26 of the device 10.
In embodiments including at least four holding members 16, for example, the holding members 16 can be applied to the working surface 26 and positioned such that they abut at least four separate and distinct points of the workpiece 30 to securely hold the workpiece to substantially maintain the position and orientation of the workpiece 10 during rotation of the wheelhead 18 and device 10. Such embodiments may be particularly advantageous for some four-sided, non-symmetrical and organic shaped workpieces.
The size and shape of the holding members 16 may be of any size and shape. The only requirements to the size and shape of the holding members 16 is that they are manually engageable and of a sufficient size and shape to support, secure or otherwise resist movement of a workpiece 30 when the workpiece 30 is placed on the working surface 26 and the device 10 is rotated with the wheelhead 18. In the illustrated embodiment shown in
As shown best in
In
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In
As shown in FIGS. 8 and 11-14, the top surface of the wheelhead member 212 defines an exemplary working surface 216, and as shown in
Exemplary wheelhead member 212 may be formed from any material, but preferably formed of a material that is capable of lying flat on the top surface of a wheelhead 220 and providing stability to the exemplary pottery holding device 210. However, in alternative embodiments, the wheelhead member 212 may be soft or pliable and not provide stability to the pottery holding device 210, but rather such stability may be provided by other aspects of the pottery holding device 210. The thickness of the wheelhead member 212 may depend upon the material of the wheelhead member 212, but preferably the wheelhead member 212 is relatively thin, such as less than about 0.375 inch, and more preferably less than about ½ inches. In the illustrative embodiment shown in
The wheelhead or bottom surface 218 of wheelhead member 212 may include a surface texture that provides an amount of friction with the top surface of the wheelhead 220 that aids in securing the exemplary pottery holding device 210 to the wheelhead 220 during rotation of the wheelhead 220. Such friction may aid in preventing the pottery holding device 210 from sliding about the wheelhead 220, as well as preventing twisting or other movement in reaction to the rotational force exerted by the wheelhead 220. The surface texture of wheelhead surface 218 may be natural to the material comprising the wheelhead member 212, or may be machined or applied to the wheelhead member 212. For example, the wheelhead surface 218 of the wheelhead member 212 may be sanded or deformed, or a mild adhesive may applied thereto, to increase the surface friction between the wheelhead 220 and the wheelhead member 212 above what the natural finish of the wheelhead surface 218 would have provided if it were not treated.
As also shown in
The pin apertures 222, 222′ may be sized, shaped, oriented or positioned differently from one another. In the illustrated embodiment shown in
As shown in
The holding member slots 226 may be configured to carry or otherwise allow movement of the holding members 214. To fully secure and hold a workpiece 230 with the holding members 214, the holding member slots 226 may be disposed radially equidistant from one another and from the center of the device. In such an embodiment including four holding members, as shown in the illustrated embodiment in
As described above, the holding member slots 226 may be substantially radially equidistant from one another, substantially equally spaced from the center of the wheelhead member 212, substantially equally spaced from the outer edge of the wheelhead member 212, and shaped and sized substantially the same. The holding member slots 226 may define substantially linear, elongated slots with parallel side walls extending from a portion of the wheelhead member 212 adjacent the outer edge to a portion of the wheelhead member 212 adjacent the center of the wheelhead member 212 along a diameter of the wheelhead member 212. As shown in the illustrated embodiment, and as indicated in
The wheelhead surface 218 of the wheelhead member 212 may include recesses 228 extended into the wheelhead member 212 toward the working surface 216 about the holding member slots 226, as illustrated best in
In some embodiments, the particular size and shape of the recesses 228 of the holding member slots 226 may be dependent upon a size and shape of a sliding member 234 of the exemplary holding members 214. As shown best in an unassembled state in
As most clearly illustrated in
As described above, in some embodiments the recesses 228 define a planar channel 232. In some such embodiments, the top surface of the flange member 234 (the surface adjacent the post member 242) is also planar so that the flange member 234 sits substantially flat in the channel 232 and at least a substantial amount of the top surface of the flange member 234 abuts the channel 232. In some such embodiments, the depth of the planar channel 232 and the thickness of the flange member 240 may be dependent upon each other such that the thickness of the flange member 240 is fully received in the recesses 228 (i.e., the flange member 240 does not extend past the wheelhead surface 218 of the of the wheelhead member 212). In such a configuration, the wheelhead member 212 is capable of coupling to the wheelhead 220 such that the wheelhead surface 218 is in substantially full abutment with the top surface of the wheelhead 220 while the sliding members 234 are received with the recesses 228, and the sliding members 234, and therefore the holding members 214, are able to slide freely along the holding member slots 226.
The width or diameter of the internally threaded post member 242 of the sliding members 234 and the second width W2 of the holding member slots 228 may be sized and shaped with respect to one another to allow the post member 242 to be received within the holding member slots 228 and slide freely therein. In order to allow the post member 242 to freely slide within the holding member slots 228, the width or diameter of the internally threaded post member 242 may be substantially equal to or less than the second width W2 of the holding member slots 228. The height or length of the internally threaded post member 242 measured from the top surface flange member 240 may be less, greater or equal to a thickness of the wheelhead member 212. In the illustrated embodiment, the height or length of the internally threaded post member 242 measured from the top surface flange member 240 is about equal to the thickness of the wheelhead member 212 measured from the channel 232 to the working surface 216. Therefore, in the illustrated embodiment the top of the post members 242 are substantially flush with the working surface 216.
In the illustrated embodiment, the post member 242 of the sliding member 234 of the pottery holding members 214 is internally threaded, as shown in
An exemplary stop member 236 of the device 210 is shown in
As best shown in
As illustrated in
The degree to which the manually engageable member 252 is rotated will directly affect how freely the holding members 214 will slide along the holding member slots 226. In practicality, the holding members 214 will be movably coupled with respect to the wheelhead member 212 and device 210 as long as the holding members 214 can be manually slid along the holding member slots 226. Stated differently, in practicality the holding members 214 will be movably coupled with respect to the wheelhead member 212 and device 210 if the force between the holding members 214 and wheelhead member 212 is less than a degree that would prevent manually translation of the holding members 214 in the holding member slots 226.
From such a movably coupled state described above, the manually engageable member 252 of the locking member 238 can be engaged and further rotated so that the holding member 214 is selectively locked with respect to the wheelhead member 214. In the illustrated embodiment, further rotation of the locking member 238 will selectively lock the holding member 214 with respect to the wheelhead member 214 because as the locking member 238 is further advanced into the post 242 of the sliding member 234, the sliding member 234 and the manually engageable member 252 are drawn closer together. The sliding member 234 and the manually engageable member 252 can be drawn together to such an extent such that the flange 240 of the sliding member 234 is forced against the channel 232 of the recess 228, and the manually engageable member 252 is forced against the top surface of the stop member 236 such that the bottom surface of the stop member 236 is forced against the working surface 216 of the wheelhead member 214. When the locking member 238 (via the flange 240) and the stop member 236 (via the manually engageable member 252) are forced against opposing surfaces of the wheelhead member 212 (the channel 232 and the working surface 216, respectively), the holding member 214 can be said to be in a selectively locked state. As such, the holding members 214 of the exemplary holding device 210 can be locked and unlocked in any location along the holding member slots 226 by simply rotating the manually engageable member 252.
The degree to which the manually engageable member 252 is rotated may directly affect how much load is applied to the wheelhead member 212 via the holding member 214. Stated differently, the degree to which the holding members 214 are selectively locked to the wheelhead member 212 may depend upon the amount of load applied to the wheelhead member 212. As a result, in use, the holding members 214 are selectively locked with respect to the wheelhead member 212 and device 10 to a degree that prevents translation of the holding member 214 by forces exerted during rotation of the device 210.
Typically, a potter will lock the position of the holding members 214 by rotating the locking members 238 until enough resistance is encountered such that it becomes uncomfortable for the potter to further rotate the locking member 238. In such a state, the amount of force or load applied by the clamping effect of the holding member 214 will typically provide more than enough resistance to resist the greatest amount of forces that the holding members 214 would experience during most pottery processes of most workpieces.
In use, the exemplary device 210 is capable of securely holding both circular and non-circular symmetric workpieces and irregular or organic shaped workpieces 230 anywhere about the central portion of the wheelhead members 212, as shown in
Turning to
When a particular holding member 214 is configured in a slidably coupled state and positioned adjacent the outer edge of the wheelhead member 212, a potter can manually engage the particular holding member 214 and slide the holding member 214 along the associated holding member slot 226 such that the abutment member 246 of the stop member 236 is in abutment with the portion of outer surface of the workpiece 230 that is aligned with the holding member slot 226. It is noted that the abutment member 246 may be positioned adjacent the surface of the workpiece 230 such that force is not exerted on the workpiece 230 before the device 210 is rotated (such as being spaced a relatively small distance away from the workpiece 230). Conversely, the abutment member 246 may be positioned in contact with the workpiece 230 such that a force is exerted on the workpiece 230 before the device 210 is rotated (such as a position where the abutment member 246 is deformed by the workpiece 230). The term “abut” or “abutment” is used herein to refer to either of these two states.
Once a particular holding member 214 is translated into abutment with the workpiece 230, a potter can selectively lock the holding member 214 in the abutment position by engaging the manually engaging member 252 of the locking member 236 and rotating the locking member 236 in a second direction. As described above, when the locking member 238 of a particular holding member 214 is rotated in a second direction, the holding member 214 clamps onto the wheelhead member 212 to secure the holding member 214, and a workpiece 310 in abutment therewith, during rotation of the device 210. As also described above, a potter will typically rotate the locking members 238 until enough resistance is encountered such that it becomes uncomfortable for the potter to apply more rotational force to the manually engaging member 252. These holding member translation and locking steps can be repeated for each of the at least four illustrated holding members 214 to securely hold the workpiece 230 during rotation of the wheelhead 220, as depicted in
In
In the arrangement illustrated in
In
In
The pottery holding device 310 includes at least three holding members 314 provided in the corresponding holding member slots 326 for selectively fixing the holding members 314 about a workpiece 330. In the illustrated embodiment, the pottery holding device 310 includes four holding members 314, and thus four corresponding holding member slots 326. The holding members 314 utilize the sliding member 334 for interaction with the recesses 328 and holding member slots 326, as described above with respect to the holding members 214 of the holding device 210. Similarly, the holding members 314 also utilize the fixing member 338 for interaction with the sliding member 334 to selectively clamp the holding members 314 to the wheelhead member 312 to provide both slidably coupled and selectively fixed states, as described above with respect to the holding members 214 of the holding device 210. The exemplary stop members 336 of the holding members 314 of the device 310 define an “L” shape, as opposed to the disc-shape of the exemplary stop members 236 of the holding members 214 of the device 210.
As shown in
As shown best by
As also shown best by
In
As shown in
In
The exemplary pottery holding device 510 otherwise differs from the exemplary pottery holding device 210, the exemplary pottery holding device 310, and the exemplary pottery holding device 410 described above with respect to the number of holding members 514. As such, the number of respective slots 526 and recesses 528 of the exemplary wheelhead member 512 differs from the number of respective slots 226, 326, 426 and recesses 228, 328, 428 of the wheelhead members 212, 312, 412 of the exemplary pottery holding devices 210, 310, 410.
As shown in
Although the exemplary pottery holding device 510 may not be particularly advantageous for securely holding some organic or four-sided workpieces, such as square or rectangular workpieces, the exemplary pottery holding device 510 is capable of securely holding some circular, symmetric, three-sided, organic and other shaped workpieces that can be secured by three points of contact. As such, exemplary pottery holding device 510 is particularly advantageous for securely holding workpieces that can be supported by three points of contact in both centered and off-centered arrangements. As such, the exemplary pottery holding device 510 can be used to securely hold a workpiece that can be supported by three points of contact off-center of the wheelhead member 512, and thus off-center from the axis of rotation. The exemplary pottery holding device 510 thereby allows the potter to decide where to secure on the wheelhead member 510 such workpieces that can be supported by three points of contact—such as either centered or off-centered locations on the wheelhead member 512, and thus centered or off-centered from the axis of rotation. For example, the exemplary pottery holding device 510 securely holds and allows a potter to decide where to form the foot on workpieces that can be supported by three points of contact (via deciding which portion of such workpieces should be placed on the center of the wheelhead 512, and thus aligned with the axis of rotation).
One advantage of the illustrated embodiments of the present invention is that the pottery holding devices are relatively thin and thereby sit relatively low in pottery wheels that include splash pans so that trimmings or other debris are adequately caught by the splash pan. Another advantage of the illustrated embodiments of the present invention is that the pottery holding devices properly function with pottery wheels that rotate either clock-wise or counter-clockwise. Another advantage of the illustrated embodiments of the present invention is that the pottery holding devices securely hold workpieces of different shapes, sizes and configurations, such as irregular or organic workpieces. Another advantage of the illustrated embodiments of the present invention is that the pottery holding devices can securely hold workpieces, including circular, non-circular symmetric, asymmetric, three-sided, four-sided and organic workpieces, in both centered and off-centered positions and/or orientations selected by a potter.
As may be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the pertinent art based on the teachings herein, numerous changes and modifications may be made to the above-described and other embodiments of the present invention without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the claims. For example, the components of the pottery holding devices may be made of any of numerous different materials that are currently or later become known for performing the functions of such components. In addition, not all elements or all features disclosed herein are necessary, and if desired, additional elements or features may be added. Further, components, aspects or combinations thereof described with a particular embodiment may be incorporated in another described embodiment to achieve the same or similar function as it achieved in the particular embodiment. Similarly, the components of the pottery holding devices may take any of numerous different shapes and/or configurations. For example, the wheelhead members may include one bat pin aperture, more than two bat pin apertures, or not include any bat pin apertures so that a potter can selectively make their own apertures to customize the device for a particular wheelhead. As another example, the holding member slots may not be symmetrically disposed radially about the wheelhead member, but rather may be asymmetrically or partially symmetrically radially disposed on the wheelhead member. Similarly, the holding member slots may define differing lengths and widths, and may be located at differing distances from the center of wheelhead. As yet another example, the post of the sliding member may be externally threaded and the pin of the locking member may be internally threaded. Alternatively, the sliding member and the locking member may be alternatively designed or configured in any known manner capable of providing selective clamping or locking and unlocking of the holding members to the wheelhead member, such as cam lever clamps to quickly and securely load and unload the sliding member, holding member, wheelhead member and/or locking member. Still further, the holding members may include other components, or may include fewer components. For example, the sliding member and/or stop member may include another member that is disposed between them and the corresponding surface of the wheelhead member, such as washers. As another example, the stop members may not include an abutment member, as the stop members themselves may provide sufficient rigidity and softness to securely hold a workpiece without scratching or marring the surface of the workpiece.
Accordingly, this detailed description of the illustrated and exemplary embodiments of the present invention is to be taken in an illustrative, as opposed to a limiting sense.
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| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 2354040 | Oct 1973 | DE |
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| Entry |
|---|
| http://warmglass.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=22857. See Mar. 7, 2007 post by Bob Stephen on p. 3.4 and Mar. 22, 2007 post by Denise DeMarco on p. 7. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20120216659 A1 | Aug 2012 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61447276 | Feb 2011 | US |
