Apparatus and method for forming a clay slab

A method for forming a clay slab comprising:

• providing a slab roller comprising a frame, a first panel supported on the frame and a second panel supported on the frame, the first panel and the second panel defining a gap therebetween;
• positioning a block of prepared clay adjacent the gap between the first panel and the second panel with the slab roller in an initial position;
• moving the first panel and the second panel of the slab roller from the initial position to an intermediate position to draw the block of prepared clay into the slab roller between the first panel and the second panel;
• moving the first panel and the second panel of the slab roller from the intermediate position back to the initial position with the clay slab disposed on the second panel;
• and
• removing the clay slab from the second panel.

A slab roller for forming a relatively thin clay slab having a generally uniform thickness, the slab roller comprising:

• a frame oriented in a vertical direction and comprising a pair of side frame members, a lower frame member and an upper frame member, the frame defining a central opening;
• a front panel disposed within the central opening and having a forward end and a rearward end;
• a rear panel disposed within the central opening and having a rearward end and a forward end operatively coupled to the rearward end of the front panel;
• at least one outer cable having an end attached to the rearward end of the rear panel and another end attached to the forward end of the rear panel and to the rearward end of the front panel;
• an inner cable having an end attached to the forward end of the front panel and another end attached to the rearward end of the front panel;
• and
• a drive axle rotatably supported on the frame and configured to simultaneously wind and unwind the at least one outer cable about the drive axle and thereby move the front panel and the rear panel from an initial position wherein a block of prepared clay is disposed adjacent a gap defined between the front panel and the rear panel to an intermediate position wherein the block of prepared clay is drawn into the slab roller between the front panel and the rear panel, the drive axle being further configured to simultaneously wind and unwind the at least one outer cable about the drive axle in the opposite direction and thereby move the front panel and the rear panel from the intermediate position back to the initial position wherein the clay slab is disposed on one of the front panel and the rear panel.