Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
1068885
The present inventlon relates to kiln lurniture
and has particular reference to devices, traditionally termed
"cranks", for holding and supporting articles of
refractory or ceramic flatware in spaced and stacked
relationships during kiln firing.
Such cranks conventionall~ comprise a set of three
triangularly spaced upstanding pillars or posts maintained
between upper and lower end units, forming a cover and
base respectively, having sockets into which fit or plug
the respective end portions of the pillars or posts to
form a fra~e structure. Along their length said pillars
or posts have a series of aliEned holes, disposed at
spaced intervals in mutual horizontal planes, into which
are fitted laterally projecting replaceable pins or
pegs directed generally towards a central axis ~o form
a rack adapted to support articles of refractory or
ceramic-flatware--inserted or stacked therein-by engagement--~
of said pins or pegs with peripheral portions of said
flatware articles.
The cover, base and pillars have generally been
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1~ 3885
made as individual pieces and it has been the common
practice for them to be held together by gravity and
the weight of flatware supported b~ the assembled-crank.
One reason for this method of assembly has been to enable
the crank to be dismantled after the flatware content
has been fired in a kiln so that the pins or pegs can
then be replaced by new ones, an operation which i9
usually carried out in a machine and which is generally
necessary due to contamination of the pins or pegs by
the flatware during firing.
One disadvantage of such arrangements in which the
end plates and pillar or post components are all
detachably interconnected is that the frame structure
so formed tends to lack rigidity and cranXs c~nnot be
stacked one crank vertically supporting another wqthout
the possibility of the structure and the flatware
contained therein becoming unstable and collapsing.
~ Lack of rigidity also limits the practical height to which
s a single crank assembly can be made.`
, 20 According to the present invention, in a cr~nk
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10688~5
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for holding and supporting articles of refractory or
ceramic flatware in spaced and stacked relationship
during kiln firing having a set of spaced-apart
upstanding frame pillars or posts extending between and
interconnecting an upper end unit and a lower end unit
forming a cover and a base respectively, said frame
pillars or posts are each bonded and fixed at their
ends to the respective said end units so as to form
therewith a rigid unitary frame structure, and means
provided for holding and supporting the articles of
refractory or ceramic flatware in spaced and stacked
relationship comprises a set of separate detachably
mounted spaced-apart support pillars or posts which
each have a series of spaced sockets into which plug
or fit laterally projecting pins or pegs to form
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collectively a rack for supporting the flatware articles
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by direct engagement with peripheral portions thereof.
Also according to the invention, a crank, for
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holding and supporting articles of refractory or ceramic
flatware in spaced and stacked relationship during kiln
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firing, comprises a rigid unitary frame structure composed
of an upper end unit forming a cover, a lower end unit
forming a base in vertically spaced relationship below
said upper end unit, together with a set of at least
three spaced-apart frame pillars or posts extending
: vertically between and interconnecting the upper and
lower end units to which they are each bonded and fixed
at their ends, and, detachably mounted in said frame
structure, there is provided a set of separate spaced-apart
~ 10 support pillars or posts each having a series of
spaced sockets into which plug or fit laterally projecting
. pins or pegs that form collectively a rack for holding
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and supporting the flatware articles at different
levels in spaced and stacked relationship by direct
engagement with peripheral portions of said flatware
articles.
The end units may be adapted to recei~e the
~ ends of these support pillars or posts in loose fitting
`~ engagement within locating sockets or recesses which
-~ 20 permit each support pillar or post, complete with
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10688~5
its pegs or pins, to be removed from and replaced in the
frame structure of the crank by a sequence of
predetermined manipulatory movements. Conveniently, each
such removable support pil~ar or post is mounted closely
adjacent and in parallel relationship with one Or the
fixed ~rame pillars or posts.
The fixed frame pillars or posts are each preferably
bonded at their ends to the respective end units by
cement or ceramic jointing, and the surfaces of these
frame pillars or posts at their ends may advantageously
be roughened or otherwise shaped e.g. ridged, to key
into and provide a grip for such cement or jointing.
~he end units may also advantageously be formed
of such a shape, such as an open V-shaped configuration,
as will enable a plurality of identical cranks to be
fitted together in compact nested relationship for
tFansport and storage.
, ~y way of example, the invention will now be more
particularly described with reference to the accompanylng
drawings in which:-
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~068885
Figure 1 i8 a perspective view of a crank according
to one preferred embodiment of the invention;
Figure 2 is a sectional view on line II - II of
Figure 1;
` 5 Figure 3 is a detail view showing the fitting of
removable pegs or pins in supporting pillars or posts
o~ the structure of Figure 1;
Figures 4a, 4b and 4c are diagrams showing the manner
of fitting and removal of the supporting pillars or
posts in the structure of Figure 1;
Figures 5a, 5b, 5c and 5d are diagrams showing an
. alternative manner of fitting and removal of the
supporting pillars or posts in a modification of the
structure of ~igure 1; and
Figure 6 shows a modified shape for the end units
of the structures of the cranks in accordance with the
invention which permits fitting together in compact
nested relationship.
In the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2, thecrank i8
i 20 in the *orm of a rigid unitar~ frame structure made up
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^-` 1l)68885
from substantially triangular plate-like upper and lower
end units, 10a and 11a, interconnected by three
vertical frame pillars or posts 12a adjacent the
corners.
~he components are all composed of refractory
material and the ends of the pillars or posts 12a are
each ritted into complementary sockets 15a in the
end units wherein they are bonded and permanently fixed
in place such as by a cement or ceramic jointing as
shown at 14a in the sectional view of Figure 2. Al~o,
to improve the grip of and tonkey-in" the bonding
material, the surfaces of at least the ends of the
.~ pillars or posts are advantageously roughened, but in
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.~ alternative modifications there may be a special
profiling of the surfaces to give a keying effect. In-
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this example which is illustrated, the ends of the
pillars or posts 12a have ends of slightly reduced
cross-section fitting into blind sockets whilst shoulders
abut and locate against the faces of the end units
10a, 11~, but the precise form of the sockets and of
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10~8885
the ends of the pillars or posts may be varied somewhat,
as desired.
The pillars or posts 12a have plain faces without
projections and serve only as frame members rigidly
interconnecting the end units. For supporting the
flatware articles, three separate vertical support
pillars or posts 25 are provided which are mounted
detachably between the end units 10a, 11a, one closely
adjacent and in parallel relationship with each of the
fixed frame pillars 12a. As shown, each of these
support pillars or posts 25 has a series of spaced
sockets 27 into which plug and fit laterally projecting
triangular-section pins or pegs 29 in a conventional
manner to form collectively a rack for supporting the
flatware articles by direct contact with peripheral
portions thereof.
~he support pillars or posts 25 are detachably
mounted so that after a kiln firing, they can be
readily removed to facilitate the replacement of the
pins or pegs ~9 which i8 usually necessary and which
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10~88l~5
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is customarily carried out in a single operation on
each pillar or post by a machine.
The detachable mounting of the support pillars
or posts 25 is achieved by forming the lower end unit
11a with shallow sockets 30 for receiving in loose
fitting engagement the lower ends of said pillars or
posts which can be inserted therein by a lateral movement
through a relatively deep gap 31 at one side, the
upper end unit being formed with openings 32 which are
sufficiently large as to accommodate the upper ends of
the support pillars or posts and to permit the angular
movement nece~sary in positioning the lower ends in
the sockets 30. The full sequence of operations in
removing a pillar or post 30 which involves a small
vertical lifting movement followed b~ a sideways angular
. movement is shown in ~igures 4a to 4c, and replacement
is carried out in the reverse sequence.
In the modification shown in Figures 5a to 5d, the
support pillars or posts, here designated 25 , each
; 20 have at their upper end a neck portion 40 of reduced
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- 106888S
width terminating in a head portion 41 and the openings
32 in the upper end unit 10 a are of counterbore form
with a narrower lower section having a width which is
only slightly greater than that of the neck portion 40
and which is the same as that of a slot 42 at one side
which opens out through to the periphery of the end
unit. With this arrangement, as illustrated in the
sequence of Figures 5b, 5c and 5d, each support pillar
or post 25 can be removed by first lifting to bring
the head portion 41 above the top of the upper end unit
10 a and b~ then moving the pillar or post sideways
- so that the neck portion 40 passes through the slot 42,
no angular movement being needed in this operation.
Again, replacement is a reverse sequence of movements.
In both the above arrangements, no additional
securing or fastening devîces are needed, the support
pillars or posts being fitted and removed solely by
manipulatory movements which facilitates easy handling
under operational conditions.
A further useful modification, which can be applied
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iO~;8885
to each of the embodiments hereinbefore described,
consists in shaping the end units so as to permit
fitting together of a plurality of identical cranks in
compact nested relationship. ~igure 6 shows in full
lines one example of a modified shape for each of the
upper and lower end units which has an open V-shaped
or re-entrant configuration to enable this result to
be achieved as demonstrated by the illustration in broken
lines of another end unit of identical shape placed
' ~0 adjacent thereto. Since the frame structures of the
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cranks are of rigid unitary form, this feature is
important and useful for reducing the total bulk
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volume required when transporting and storing a number
of the cranks together.
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