Year: 1887

page_text: I, CYRUS CHAMBERS Junior of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, in the
United States of America, Founder and Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to that general class of brick making machines in which the
clay is tempered within a case, and forced out therefrom, through a die of suitable
form, in a continuous bar whose breadth and thickness are those of the bricks to be
made, and said bar is severed into brick lengths by means of cut-off devices adapted
to that end.
Machines of this class have long been known in the United States and elsewhere as
"Chambers Brick Machines."
My improvements relate more particularly to the cut-off mechanism described in
the specifications of Letters Patent No. 1802 of 1883 and 6971 of 1884 especially the
latter although, as will appear, a number of improvements in other parts of the
mechanism of the machine will be hereinafter described and particularly pointed out.
In describing the general construction and operation of the machine, and the several
features and combinations that will hereinafter form the subject of specific claims, I
shall, for order and perspicuity, commence with the rear part of the machine wherein
the clay is delivered in the tempering case, and proceed as nearly as conveniently may
be, seriatim, to the forward part thereof, where the bricks are finally conveyed into
position to be taken away by the "off-bearers," for hacking, to be dried preparatory
to removal of the same to the kilns for burning.
My improvements will be clearly understood by reference to the accompanying
drawings in which
Fig. 1 is a sectional side elevation of the entire machine as it appears in operation.
Fig. 1 is a section on an enlarged scale on line xx, Fig. 1.
Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the tempering case, pugging shaft, feed roller and
hopper, as on the line a-b, Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a rear end view of the tempering case, the pugging shaft being cut off.
Fig. 4 is a plan of the hopper.

page_text: Fig. 5 is a front or screw-end view of the pugging shaft and knives in position, the
screw having been removed.
Fig. 6 is a view of the pugging shaft detached with the forcing screw thereon
showing two of the tempering knives in place, the others removed.
Fig. 7 is a plane diagram illustrating the relative positions occupied by the tempering
knives on said shaft.
Fig. 8 is a plan view of the "cut-off" wheel and its adjuncts and connections, the
box enclosing the tappet wheel and the other parts being broken away.
Fig. 8 represents one of the "cut-off" wires detached.
Fig. 9 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the "cut-off" wheel, wire cleaner,
cam and lever mechanism for operating the slide plate, and the friction belt tightener
and adjuncts.
Fig. 9 is a section of part of the cam casing.
Fig. 10 is a side outline of the tappet wheel and cut-off wheel, the double cam and
slide plate, also the friction belt system, regulating belt and off-bearing belt, in dotted
lines all as seen from the side opposite to that of Fig. 9, the casing of the cam,
tappet wheel &c. being removed.
Fig. 11 is a plan view of the measuring pulley, slide-plate, and adjacent parts, all
the mechanism above the line of the bar of clay having been removed.
Fig. 12 is a side sectional elevation of a portion of the "cut-off" wheel, the
measuring pulley, &c. showing the relative position of the parts at the instant the bar of
clay is completely severed.
Fig. 13 is a side elevation of a section of the off bearing frame enlarged from Fig. 1,
and return-belt carrying pulley and bracket.
Fig. 14 is a section of the off-bearing frame, as on line c d Figs. 1 and 13.
C
Fig. 14° is a section on line ef, Fig. 14, of one of the cross stays of the off-bearing
belt frame.
Fig. 15 is a side elevation of what I term a bow-clamp, for aiding in the ready
attachment of the cut-off wires to the U shaped elastic bows; the full lines showing
the position of the said bows and clamp when the limbs of the bow are compressed
toward each other, and the dotted lines showing the position of the bow and clamp
when the latter is first applied to the bow.
Fig. 16 is a plan view of the full line parts shown in Eig. 15, looking underneath
into the bow.
The clay is dumped from a suitable platform into the tempering case A, by way of
the vertical hopper B wherein it is tempered by the spirally set knives C, operated by
suitable gearing (not shown in the drawings) and is forced out by said knives and the
screw D, on the end of the pugging shaft D, through a die D³, in a continuous bar X,
which passes through a sand box D³, thence into an endless belt E, supported by
rollers e¹, running over pulleys F, F, respectively, journalled in the frame f. This
belt is termed the "regulating belt," and will be hereinafter referred to as such. The
bar of clay advances beneath a wheel G having arms g¹, that carry at their free
extremities elastic steel bows H, such as those described in the specification of the
said Patent of 1884. To each of these bows is attached a cut-off wire w. By
mechanism to be described, the wheel is rotated and the wires caused to be carried
across the path of the bar of clay, and thereby sever the same at right angles, into
bricks which pass on to the off-bearing belt V.
I prefer to make the hopper B of the form shown, that is to say, gradually tapering
upwards, nearly square in cross section and with rounded corners, as shown in
Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4. It is made square so as to give a large opening into the tempering
case and to correspond with the straight side or line required by the feeding rollers B¹
(which is hereinafter described); and the corners are rounded in order to prevent the
clay as a whole mass from becoming lodged.
To the contracted upper end of the hopper is secured a plate or flange b² whose
dimensions are sufficient to close the opening in the feeding floor or platform 9,
Fig. 2, through which the hopper passes.
The first of the present improvements to be set forth consists in placing what I

page_text: term a feeding roller B₁ within the tempering case at the side thereof, immediately
below the hopper, in position however, to just clear the rear tempering
knives. The object and operation of this roller is to break or cut off the connection
between the clay lining of the tempering case beyond the reach of the knives, and
thereby prevent the clay from packing on to said lining and forming an arch that
finally, as it grows, closes the bottom of the hopper and thus obstructing further
feeding of the clay until the arch is broken. The tempering knives in their rotation,
force the clay against the roller, but, as the latter is caused to turn by the action of
the devices to be described, the knives passing close to the underside of the roller
clear off any clay adhering thereto. One end of the shaft 63 of this roller runs in a
box lug 6 within the case, and the other end extends outside the rear wall of the
tempering case, as seen in Figs. 1 and 3. Upon the outer end of the shaft, Figs. 1
and 3, is a ratchet wheel 6 which is actuated by means of a cam 66, on the pugging
shaft d', and a bell crank lever 67 and pivoted pawl 68. It will be obvious that as the
pugging shaft rotates, the desired intermittent rotation of the roller B¹ will take
place.
The second improvement relates to a peculiar position or arrangement of certain of
the tempering knives on the pugging shaft, and its object is to obviate a defect in the
operation of the horizontal fast running shafts in machines of this class, wherein
the knives are arranged in regular spiral around the shaft as has hitherto been the case.
I have observed that one or more of the knives in that arrangement were always
under the hopper, and these had a tendency to hold the clay up and prevent the free
and uniform feeding thereof; also that when the spiral made by the position of the
knives (the direction of which spiral is the reverse of that of the screw on the end of
the shaft) met at the screw, or within one or more knives from the same, the knives
adjacent to the screw forced or jammed the clay against the side of the outside threads
of the screw, and thereby interfered with the proper feeding of the clay to the screw.
I now arrange the knives (C³ to C18 both inclusive) at the rear or hopper end of
the shaft in the same position as heretofore relative to the longitudinal axis of the
shaft, but instead of following circumferentially, the regular spiral in regular order, I
arrange said knives in two rows parallel to the axis of the shaft, as shown in Fig. 6,
and in the diagram Fig. 7, which latter represents a plan of the periphery of the
shaft, all the knife sockets being consecutively numbered thereon, and so far as visible
in Fig. 6. Fig. 5 shows the knives as arranged on the shaft, looking at the end of the
latter. Said two rows of knives instead of being arranged parallel, as shown, may,
however, be set at an oblique spiral, one knife slightly in advance of the other, and
produce the same result substantially as if the rows were quite parallel.
The described arrangement of the knives at the hopper end allows the whole volume
of clay descending from the hopper to slide down to the shaft after the passage of the
one row of knives; and before the arrival of the succeeding row. This greatly
facilitates the feeding of the clay, and with much greater uniformity than before.
The other peculiarity above alluded to in the position of the knives, consists in the
peculiar location of those knives near the screw end of the shaft, relatively to each
other and to the screw. It will be observed, referring to Figs. 5, 6 and 7, that
the knife marked C¹ next the screw, is set just in front of the mouth of the screw, so
as to deliver the clay directly therein; the second knife C, just in front of the first in
the spiral so as to insure the latter knife C² receiving its full complement of clay;
whilst the third knife (³, is located on the side of the shaft opposite to the second, in
order to have room to move the clay over into the path made by knife C³, yet far
enough back or behind the latter so as not to bind the clay between the knives C¹, C²,
or against the side of the screw. The pitch or direction of the spiral of the knives is
reversed, beginning with the fourth knife C, instead of at the second as heretofore.
By this arrangement less power is required to run the machine, and greater uniformity
is secured than has been the case with previous arrangements.
The third improvement pertains to the construction of the series of rollers e¹,
Figs. 1 and 1, which support the regulating belt E, with relation to the latter.
Heretofore, and as shown in the specification of the Letters Patent of 1884 before

page_text: "
referred to, the face of these rollers has been wider than the width of the belt, conse-
quently pieces of clay and stones sometimes dropping on the projecting ends of the
rollers lodged between the same, the rollers being always comparatively close together
caused friction and thereby retardation of the rollers, and sometimes bits of clay
squeezed under the edge of the belt, thereby causing it to run irregularly, and pre-
venting the close adhesion of the clay bar to the belt, and so seriously affected the
regulation." In order to remedy these defects, I now make the said rollers narrower
on their face than the width of the regulating belt, as clearly shown in Fig. 1". I
have found a similar construction to be advantageous when applied to the off-bearing
belt V, also, whereby it permits the cap-boards (see Fig. 14) to be brought close to
the off-bearing belt, thereby facilitating the "edging up" of the brick on the cap-
boards by the off-bearers," in position to be taken away for conveyance to the hacking
sheds.
The next and fourth improvement, which I remark is the most radical and important,
relates to the devices for and pertaining to the severing of the bar of clay into brick
lengths, and is specifically an improvement upon the cut-off devices shown in the
specification of the aforesaid Patent of 1884. As will appear by reference to said
Patent, the bar of clay was cut off by means of wires secured to elastic bows mounted
equidistantly upon an inclined endless belt, which being driven by the mechanism
therein described, carried said wires successively in continuous rotation gradually
through the bar of clay and severed the same at right angles into bricks. I found
after some experience, that this endless belt cut-off device although practically
successful, was, in certain respects imperfect in its operation, and was otherwise
objectionable, whereupon I was led to devise the construction which I shall now
proceed to describe. This consists of a wheel or hub G, Figs. 1, 8, 9 and 10, having.
equidistant radial arms g¹, to the expanded free ends of. which are bolted elastic steel
bows H, whose form and function are identical with those of the bows shown and
described in the specification of the aforesaid Patent, that.is, their form is V shaped
with tapering sides, and their function to hold, with a yielding tension, the cut-off
This cut-off wheel as I term it, is secured to a stud shaft g², journalled in a
box g³ borne by a rigid standard f, Fig. 9, that extends up from the frame f of the
regulating belt. The position laterally and vertically of said cut-off wheel, with
relation to the advancing bar of clay X, see Figs. 1, 10 and 12, is such that as the
wheel is rotated in the proper direction (that of the arrow), the wires w carried by the
bows H will pass across the path of the clay bar, and also at one point or stage of their
movement a short distance below the latter.
wires w.
As the motion of the bar of clay forced from the die in the end of the tapering case,
is forward in a straight line, whilst that of the cut-off is rotary across the path of the
clay bar, and as also owing to the varying consistency of the clay, and other causes,
the speed of the bar is not uniform, it is necessary in the first place, to the production
of perfectly rectangular bricks that the rotary movement of the cut-off wheel shall be
controlled or regulated so as to compel the cut-off wires in traversing the bar of clay,
to pass through the same at right angles; and in the second place it is requisite in
order to secure accurate results, that the rate of rotation of the cut-off wheel shall
correspond with the speed of the bar of clay as the same shall vary. The means for
securing these requirements are as follows: Premising that the distance apart of the
cut-off wires is greater than the length of the longest brick the particular machine is
designed to make; or, to state it more precisely, greater than the length of a diagonal
from the upper corner of one end of the brick to the lower corner of the other end of
the brick.
The exact length of the brick to be made is measured by the pulley F, which I term
the "measuring pulley "-at one end of the regulating belt frame f, around which
pulley as previously stated, the said belt runs and propels the pulley with a velocity in
unison, so to say, with the advancing bar of clay resting upon the belt. The circum-
ference of this pulley being the length of a brick or a multiple of their length. In
the present case it is equal to two brick lengths. Hence this pulley makes half a
revolution for each brick length. In calculating the proper diameter for said pulley,

page_text: I allow for the thickness of the belt and the kind of belt. A four-ply belt in bending
over a pulley retains its normal length at the centre, that is to say, the half of the belt
next the surface of the pulley upsets, whilst the outer half stretches, so that half the
thickness of the belt is to be added to the radius of the pulley F, in calculating the
circumference in order to secure exact length of bricks.
In order to secure the first of the two requirements above recited, that is, to insure
a cut-off at right angles to the .bar of clay, I provide on the end of the shaft f³ of the
measuring pulley a double heart-shaped cam J, and on the shaft g² of the cut-off wheel
I place a wheel J₁ (which for a purpose to be hereinafter mentioned, is also a belt
wheel) with tappets corresponding in number and relation to the cut-off wires on
the wheel G. As the shaft is turned by the bar of clay operating by its friction the
regulating belt, the edge of the cam engages these tappets, whereby the course of
the cut-off wheel is controlled; the cam by its peculiar shape governing the rate and
course of movement of the cut-off, so that the wires can pass through the bar of clay
only at right angles thereto, providing, of course, that it is desired to make rectangular
or straight edged bricks. If the ends of the bricks are to be of other configuration,
that is, "ogees,"
" "rounds" or "hollows," the shape of the cam must be varied
accordingly. This cam which runs within an oil-tight and dust-proof casing T, is
made heavy, so that it will serve both as a fly wheel to maintain uniform motion, and
as an anvil to take up the blow of the somewhat irregular motion of the tappet wheel
and its adjuncts, and thus relieve the bar of clay from unequal strains and the impact
jars of the tappets. It will be understood that the cam does not drive the tappet
wheel, it simply governs the necessary variability of its rotation. The tappet wheel
is driven in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 10, so as to always hold the tappets
sufficiently in contact with the edge of the cam, by a friction belt j³, which passes
around said wheel, and around a tightener pulley, and a grooved pulley which
latter is positively driven through suitable belt and gear connections (not shown in
the drawings) intervening between it and the main source of power. The rate of
motion thus imparted to the tappet wheel tends to exceed relatively that of the bar of
And as the friction
clay, so that the tappets always have a bearing against the cam.
of the bar of clay upon the regulating belt moves the latter and its pulley F as also
the cam J, and as the cam restrains and governs the course of the tappet and conse-
quently the cut-off wheel, the wires upon the latter must sever the bar of clay at right
angles, whatever be the speed of the bar issuing from the die of the machine. As
owing to the difference in clays, or the consistency of the clay, there frequently occurs
a tendency of the friction belt to drive the tappet wheel with greater force than is
really necessary (owing to the fact that the positively driven pulley jrotates more
rapidly than the bar of clay advances), I provide the frictional belt device above
alluded to, and also means for regulating the same. These are as follows, particular
reference being had to Figs. 1, 9, 8 and 11.
As previously stated the friction belt j³ passes around the tappet wheel pulley J¹,
thence in contact with the tightener pulley, and around the driving pulley. The
arm of the frame in which the shaft of the tightener pulley is journalled, is attached
to a shaft journalled transversely in the main frame. To a rearward projection of
said arm is secured a spring lever j terminating in a handle piece, which bears
against an upright segment that is fastened to the foot of the frame. This piece
has also attached thereto a spring finger", the end of which bears against the inside
of the segment, see Fig. 8, and the latter is clamped between the piece and the said
finger by means of a clamp screw. 18, and thus the spring arm j³ is retained in the
required position. The function of this spring arm is to allow for the small
irregularities that may occur in the running of the belt, such for instance as those
cased by a piece of clay or stone getting under the belt.
Other devices for retaining the spring arm in any desired position may be
substituted for those described.
The shaft of the tightener frame also carries a hand lever j¹³, which is intended to
be used when it is necessary for the operator to temporarily increase or diminish the
friction, which is done by raising or depressing said lever, and consequently the

page_text: tightener pulley. Thej elasticity of the arm j permits this to be done without freeing
the same from the segment.
I may remark that the measuring pulley with a circumference which is a multiple
of the bricks to be made may be used in connection with other cut-off devices than
those above described and referred to.
The fifth improvement relates to the specific construction of what I have termed the
measuring pulley F. I have found that in order to ensure uniformity in the speed of
the regulating belt, and consequently the accuracy of cut-off, this pulley should be
straight on its face so that its speed relative to the movement of said belt shall be
uniform. Such I discovered was not the case with a " crowning" pulley, yet, in
order to guide the belt a crowning pulley is desirable. It is also desirable, (in fact
necessary) to obtain a perfect cut-off by the wires, that this belt shall be made to take
a rounding form at the point where the wires finally pass through the bar of clay
beneath which point the periphery of the pulley F is located so as to compensate for
the spring of the wires. Therefore, in order to secure positive accuracy in the
propulsion of the pulley, and also at the same time, the helt guiding function, I divide
this pulley into independent sections as shown in Fig. 11, each constituting, say,
one-third of the width of the pulley; the middle section Fa being straight faced, and
tight on the shaft f³, and the outer sections F³, tapering or rounding, as shown, and
running freely upon the shaft. Thus, the straight tight section which determines the
lenght of the bricks, takes an even positive motion from the regulating belt, whilst
the loose sections take whatever speed the belt may impart to them; and their
rounding faces permit the cut-off wires to take a curve similar to that described in
my aforesaid specification.
The sixth improvement relates to the "slide-plate" and mechanism for operating
the same, which plate is placed just at the back of the measuring pulley between it
and the pulley of the off-bearing belt V. Said plate supports the end of the bar of
clay, which slides upon it, before and immediately after it is severed, and is caused to
drop at the proper intervals in order to allow the passage of the cut-off wires as
I shall now describe.
Referring to Figs. 1, 8, 9, 11 and 12, L is the slide-plate whose upper surface is in
line with the underside of the bar of clay. It is held by a tilting yoke, which is
attached to a rock-shaft 12, journalled across the frame. To this shaft is connected
a lever 13, whose free end is upwardly curved and extends over a small double cam 1
(see Fig. 9) on the end of the shaft 3 of the measuring pulley. This cam runs in
an oil-tight and dust proof case T¹. The arrangement and the shape of the face of the
cam are such as shown in Fig. 9, that it holds up the lever 13, and consequently the
yoke and slide-plate whilst the brick is being cut-off, and then as it (the cam)
continues in its rotation, allows the yoke and plate to drop by gravity and thereby
move away from the path of the cut-off wires on the rotating wheel G. This cam is
so timed that this drop of the plate does not occur until the centre of gravity of the
brick is in advance of a vertical line passing through the centre of the off-bearing belt
pulley, so that the brick will be carried smoothly forward upon the plate by the
push of the unsevered end of the bar behind the brick.
As it sometimes is necessary to adjust the height of the slide-plate, I provide the
following convenient means for accomplishing the same :-
On the shaft 12, close to the lever 13, I key an arm, having extensions or lugs 18
above and below, and a vertical slot, through which passes a bolt 18 that is connected
with the lever, and which when tightened up firmly clamps the lever and arm 15
together. Through the extensions 16, pass adjusting set screws 1 whose ends extend
into slots 1. Now, it is clear that, when the bolt 18, and the adjusting screws 1° are
slackened, or one retracted and the other correspondingly advanced, the arm will be
free to be moved independently of the lever 13, and if it be raised or depressed it will
rotate the shaft 3, to which it and the slide-plate yoke are secured, and thereby raise
or lower said plate, as may be desired. And when the desired adjustment is made by
means of the set screws, the arm and lever are again bolted together, and thus whilst
the extent or throw of the lever by the cam always remains the same, the limit of

page_text: elevation of the slide-plate may be changed at will. This plate is used in lieu of the
roller described in my aforesaid specification but it performs an additional function in
holding back by friction the bar of clay partly severed, so as to counteract the
parting strain.
The seventh improvement relates to the construction of the cut-off wires. I learned
by experience that when the eyes to¹, of these wires were made round, or nearly so,
the wire would cut off at the point where it was bent short at the eye and where the
strain was greatest. In order to obviate this defect, I now make the eyes as repre-
sented in Fig. 8, that is to say, I make them so that their straight converging sides
form an acute angle (the ends being rounded as shown), and so as to allow the
contiguous parts of the wire to lay almost parallel with each other so that when one is
twisted around the other the bends or twists of the wire will be comparatively long or
form a twist of comparatively great pitch. I also discovered that when the portions
of wire were wound around each other only, and subjected to a heavy strain, they
would untwist, the one sliding back on the other. To obviate this I first wind the
wires around each other a certain distance, say, from a to b, Fig. 8, and when near
the short end I leave the long portion or body of the wire straight, and then wind the
remainder to² of the short end close around the wire, and in order to secure still
greater resistance I sometimes solder the ends of the wire. In this way I produce
a very strong eye without any very short bends at or about the points that are subject
to the heavy strains.
The eighth improvement relates to the construction of a device for cleaning the
cut-off wires of dirt, roots &c., which would otherwise collect thereon and prevent a
clean cut-off of the clay.
My improvement shown in Figs. 8 and 9 consists of a curved arm M, that is
attached by bolts m¹ to lugs m² projecting laterally from the standard f which
supports the shaft of the cut-off wheel. Longitudinal adjustment of the arm is
secured by means of the bolts m¹ that pass through slots m³. Said arm carries at its
free extremity a curved inclined and twisted plate m, to which a strip m² of india-
rubber or other suitable flexible material, which I term the "wiper" is secured by
means of bolts me. The plate and the wiper are below the centre of the cut-off wheel,
and by reason of that fact and of the twist and inclination of said plate and wiper,
the latter always projects upward and presents its surface radial to the centre of
motion of the wires. Hence any dirt lodging in the wiper is carried back and down
away from the wires, and slides down and is carried off by the dirt spout hereinafter
referred to.
As the cut-off wheel rotates (in the direction of the adjacent arrow), each of the
wires thereon, continuously in succession, comes into contact with the edge of the
flexible wiper, striking the same first at the top, and by the time the wire has passed
beyond the lower end of the edge of the strip, the latter has, so to say, gradually
traversed the length of the wire, and thereby the wire has, by the friction of the wiper,
been entirely freed of the clinging roots, dirt &c., that would otherwise interfere with
the integrity of the cut-off. To the arm M, is also attached an inclined dirt spout m²,
immediately below the wiper, which spout extends transversely beyond the line of the
cut-off and the bar of clay. The spout being below the wiper and projecting beyond
the perpendicular of the same, catches the dirt &c., as it is wiped off and falls from
the wires, and delivers the same away from the possibility of contact with the bar of
clay.
The ninth improvement relates to the pulley and frame for supporting the return
part of the off bearing belt V, Figs. 1, 13, and 14; and it consists of a bifurcated frame
frame O, secured to the underside of the longitudinal pieces, of the off-bearing frame,
by means of bolts o¹, that pass through longitudinal slots indicated by the dotted lines
in Fig. 13. Between the limbs of this bracket is journalled the pulley ³, which
supports the return part of the off-bearing belt. To the cross piece beneath the
pulley, which connects the two limbs of the frame, is secured a scraper of, whose edge
bears against the periphery of the pulley. The scraper is adjustable by means of the

page_text: fastening bolts of, that pass through slots o°. It will be seen that by the described
construction, the pulley may be adjusted to carry the return belt without throwing
the journal boxes of the pulley shaft out of line with each other and the scraper
always retains its adjustment with the pulley.
The tenth improvement is a minor one, and relates to the construction of the cross-
stays N, Figs. 14 and 14ª, between the longitudinal frame pieces of the regulating
and off-bearing belt frames. Heretofore I have made these stays round or arched,
I found that this construction was
the bolt n passing through or under the same.
objectionable, as particles of clay falling from the belt. would stick and accumulate
upon said stays until they would build up against and interfere with the running of
the rollers that supported the belt. To obviate this, I now make said stays a vertically
open frame, as shown by the vertical section, Fig. 14, and thus the droppings of clay
are allowed to fall through. I prefer to connect the uprights f, f, which support the
stringers of the frame of that sustains the regulating belt, with side extensions or
plates (see Fig. 1) projecting some distance beyond the frame, so as to form
steps at intervals, along the length of said frame. Upon these steps pass vertical
screws f, f, for adjusting the height of the longitudinal pieces of the roller frame and
consequently the regulating belt.
The final improvement relates to a device which I term a bow-clamp whose purpose
is to afford a ready means for drawing toward each other the limbs of the elastic
U shaped bows H, so as to allow of a quick attachment of the cut-off wires to the
ends of said bows, and to replace broken wires with new ones, which may be done
with the device whilst the machine is in operation. The said device consists of a lever
with a handle 1, and an arm 2, to which is hinged at x, an open or double yoke 3,
said lever and yoke forming a toggle-joint.
The distance from the free end of the arm 2, to that of the yoke is equal to the
distance between the limbs 4, of the elastic steel bows H to which it is required to
compress the latter in order to allow the eyes w¹ at the ends of the cut off wires w,
to be passed over the projections 5 on the ends of the bows; or to slacken the wire
sufficiently to allow the said eyes to be detached.
The width of yoke 3 at its free end is such as to allow it to pass over into the bow
(which is usually made tapering from its back, as in the present instance) in order to
allow the ends of the bow to project through between the arms of the yoke, so as to
facilitate the ready attachment of the cut-off wire. The arm 2, is provided with two
ears 6 which project obliquely beyond its end or point, as shown, so that when the
end of said arm is brought over the tapering limb of the bow, the inner ends of said
ears embrace and impinge against the edges of the bow at such point as will allow the
ends of that limb of the bow to project above the yoke similarly to the opposite limb,
and for a like purpose, that is to say, when the device is operated to force the limbs of
the bow together and the yoke is brought down, as hereinafter described, from the
-position of the dotted lines in Fig. 15, to that of the full lines.
The extent of movement of the toggle-joint is limited in both ways, in opening out,
by lugs 7 abutting against the upper side of the yoke; and in closing by lugs 8
which project laterally from near the end of arm 2 and engage with the underside of
the bars of the yoke. The closing limit is made in the manner when the free end
of the yoke, the joint x, and the end of the lever are in a straight line, as shown.
Having described the device, I will now explain its action and mode of using it, in
order to bring the limbs of the bow which are sprung out by their elasticity, as
indicated by the broken lines in Fig. 15, into position to allow the cut-off wires wc,
to be attached.
The free end of the yoke 3 is passed over the farthest limb of the bow, and, at
about the same time, the arm 2 is brought over the nearest limb, the ears 6, finding a
bearing against the edges of the bow, and the free end of the arm resting against the
side of the latter, the handle 1 is depressed until the stop lugs 8 strike the yoke bars,
the parts assuming the position shown in the full lines of the figures. This obviously
draws the limbs of the bow near enough towards each other to allow the eyes or loops

page_text: of the wire to be passed over the points or projections 5, on the ends of the bow, or to
be secured by such other means as may be employed. The ears and stop lugs 8 and 7
may be dispensed with, but, of course at some disadvantage.
The device may be applied and operated, the wire secured, and the implement
detached (by reversing the movement of the handle) with great ease and celerity,
whilst the brick machine is working at usual speed. In fact an expert operator is
enabled by this device to attach a wire without stopping the machine whilst making
as many as eighty bricks per minute.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The combination, with the tempering case, the pugging shaft and knives thereon,
of the roller B¹ journalled within said case with relation to said knives, substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.
2. The combination of the tempering case, pugging shaft and knives, and
roller B jourualled within said case with relation to said knives, together with
the mechanism for actuating said roller, substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
3. The combination with the tempering case, pugging shaft and knives, of the
rollor B, the ratchet wheel, the cam, and pawl and lever, substantially as and for the
purpose specified.
4. The combination, with the pugging shaft, of the knives immediately beneath
the delivery opening into the tempering case, arranged in two opposite lines, and the
knives in advance thereof, arranged spirally upon said shaft, substantially as and for
the purpose specified.
5. In that class of brick machines wherein the clay is tempered in, and forced out
from, a tempering case by means of a series of knives spirally set on the pugging
shaft and screw on the end of said shaft, the first three knives arranged with relation
to each other and to the screw as specified, upon a spiral running in the same
direction as that of the screw and the succeeding knives arranged on a spiral
whose direction is in the reverse of that of the screw, all as shown and for the purpose
specified.
6. The combination, with the regulating belt, of the series of rollers e¹ having their
faces of less width than the width of said belt, substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
7. The combination, with the off-bearing belt and its frame having its cap-boards
close to said belt, of the rollers e¹ having their faces of less width than the width of
Baid belt, substantially as and for the purposes specified.
8. In a brick machine of the class recited, the combination, with the regulating
belt, and cut-off mechanism, substantially as described of the measuring wheel F
having its circumference plus that of the middle line of the belt around said pulley,
equal to the length of the bricks to be cut off from the bar of clay, or a multiple
thereof, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
9. In a brick machine of the class recited, the combination of the rotatable
wheel journalled above the continuously moving bar of clay, the series of transverse
cut off wires mounted thereon so as to successively cross the path of the clay bar, as
said wheel rotates, together with mechanism substantially as shown, whereby
said wheel is caused to rotate in the same direction as that, of the movement
of the clay bar, and in unison therewith, substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
10. In a brick machine of the class recited, the combination of the rotating wheel,
having transverse cut off wires mounted thereon, and arranged to move with, and
across the path of the moving bar of clay, the tappet wheel and the rotating cam,
engaging with the tappets for determining the movement of the cut off wheel, and
thereby the movement of the wires thereon through the bar of clay, substantially as
and for the purpose set forth.
D

page_text: 11. In a brick machine of the class recited, the cut off wheel having the radial
arms and U shaped elastic bows, secured to and around the periphery thereof,
to which the wires are adapted to be secured, substantially as and for the purpose
sot forth.
12. In a brick machine of the class recited, the combination of the regulating belt,
the cam J, the wheel carrying the transverse cut off wires arranged and adapted to
move with and across the bar of clay, the tappet wheel whose tappets engage with the
said cam, together with the positively driven friction belt device for driving said
wheel, all constructed and adapted to operate substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
13. The combination, with the regulating belt, the cut off wheel, the cam J and the
friction belt, of the pivoted tightener and spring regulating arm, with devices for
locking said arm in the required position, substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
14. In combination, with the regulating belt, cut-off wheel, cam J, the friction belt,
the pivoted tightener, and the spring regulating arm, of the lever j¹³, substantially
as and for the purpose described.
15. In a cut-off brick machine, the combination with the endless belt running over
pulleys F F and regulated by the moving bar of clay thereon, the compound
pulley F, composed of the middle straight faced section fixed to its shaft, and rounding
or tapering side sections loose upon said shaft, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
16. In combination with the regulating belt and the cut-off wheel, arranged with
relation to each other substantially as shown and described, the compound pulley F
composed of a middle straight faced section fixed to the shaft, and rounding or
tapering side sections loose upon said shaft, substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
17. In a wire cut-off brick machine of the class recited, the combination, with the
cut-off wires and mechanism for moving the same with and across the path
of the bar of clay, of the slide-plate located with relation to the bar of clay, as
shown, the pivoted yoke to which said plate is attached, the lever 1, and the rotating
cam, all constructed and adapted to operate substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
18. The combination of the slide-plate relatively located as shown, the pivoted
yoke, the lever, the rotatable cam 1, and the adjustable arm 1, for regulating the
elevation of said plate, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
19. In a brick machine of the class recited, the combination, with the wheel
carrying the cut-off wires of the flexible wiper inclined and twisted with relation
to said wheel and the wires thereon, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
20. In a brick machine of the class recited, the combination with the clay-bar
supporting belt E, the wire cut-off wheel, and the wiper, of the spout m², arranged
as shown so as to carry off the droppings from the wires, beyond the line of said belt
and its supports, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
21. In a brick machine of the class recited, the combination with the cut-off wheel,
of the adjustable arm M, provided with the plate m* for holding a flexible wiper, and
the spout m', whereby the said spout and the wiper may be adjusted together
simultaneously, substantially as described.
22. The hereinbefore described method of forming the eyes or looped ends of the
cut-off wires, which consists in bringing over the end of the wire so that the straight
converging sides form an acute angle, and twisting the contiguous parts of the wire
so as to form a long twist, or one of comparatively great pitch, and then winding a
part of the end of the wire with a loose coil around the adjacent main portion of the
wire substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
23. The wire provided with loops or eyes and having the contiguous parts of the
wire adjacent to the eyes, respectively, twisted together with a long twist and a part
of the end of the wire wound around the adjacent main portion thereof in a close

page_text: coil, and the ends soldered to the body of the wire, substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
24. The cut-off wire for brick machines, provided with loops or eyes, and having
the contiguous parts of the wire adjacent to the eyes, respectively, twisted together
with a long twist, and a part of the end of the wire wound around the adjacent main
portion thereof in a close coil, substantially as specified.
25. The return belt support, consisting of the combination of the adjustable
bifurcated bracket O, adapted to be secured to the frame upon which said belt is
carried, the pulley journalled in said bracket, together with the scraper secured
thereto, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
26. The implement for attaching the cut-off wires, shown and described, consisting
of the combination of the yoke and the toggle-lever, substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
27. The combination of the yoke, the arm 2, and handle pivoted thereto, and the
ears 6, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
28. The combination of the yoke, the arm and handle pivoted thereto, and the
stop lugs 8, substantially as and for the purpose described.
29. The combination of the yoke, the arm and handle pivoted thereto, and the
stop lugs 7, substantially as and for the purpose described.
Dated this 2nd day of May 1987
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London,
Applicant's Agent.