IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MAKING BRICKS AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Williams, of Stanley, Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, Brick Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY FOR MAKING BRICKS AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES."
Sealed the 13th May 1864, and dated the 21st November 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Williams at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st November 1863.
I, WILLIAM WILLIAMS, of Stanley, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Brick Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "In-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MAKING BRICKS AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES," to be
as follows:-
I construct a trough or framework of cast iron or other rigid material,
preferably of a circular form, with openings in the bottom corresponding in
shape to the bricks or articles to be made. Between, and above the said.
openings, there are transverse pieces which join the sides together, so that the
said trough or framework when ready for use resembles and may be said to
consist of a series of small hoppers. A roller similar to an "edge runner," to
which I may affix projecting pieces to fit into the hopper-shaped spaces, is
made to travel over and in the said trough or framework, and press the clay
or other plastic material supplied to the trough or frame by hand or otherwise

page_text: through the openings in the bottom into moulds placed just under such
openings. The roller can be made to travel by any suitable means; a horse
could be yoked to a lever or arm coupled to the roller in the usual way, the
other end of such lever or arm being connected to an upright shaft resting
in a step placed in the middle of the circle described by the trough or
framework.
In brick-making, "half tempered "clay may be used, the action of the
roller on the clay being such as to prepare it for the moulds. Moulds of the
ordinary hand class could be employed, a platform being provided on which to
place them to receive the clay, and wires or other means provided for cutting
the clay through at the top of the mould before removal. For convenience of
work, the whole machinery should rest on a raised foundation, say of brickwork
or masonry.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Williams in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th May 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
WILLIAMS, of Stanley, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Brick Maker,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said William Williams, Her special licence that I, the said
William Williams, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or, such others
as I, the said William Williams, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the term therein. expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "In-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MAKING BRICKS AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Williams, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to
be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent

page_text: Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent. .
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Williams, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say) :-
I construct a trough or framework of cast iron or other rigid material,
preferably of a circular form, with openings in the bottom corresponding in
shape to the bricks or articles to be made. Between and above the said
openings there are transverse pieces which join the sides together, so that the
said through or framework, when ready for use, resembles, and may be said to
consist of a series of small hoppers. A roller, similar to an "edge runner,"
to which I may affix projecting pieces to fit into the hopper-shaped spaces, is
made to travel over and in the said trough or framework, and press the clay or
other plastic material, supplied to the trough or frame by hand or otherwise,
through the openings in the bottom into moulds placed just under such
openings. The roller can be made to travel by any suitable means; a horse
could be yoked to a lever or arm coupled to the roller in the usual way, the
other end of such lever or arm being connected to an upright shaft resting
in a step placed in the middle of the circle described by the trough or frame-
work.
In brick-making, "half-tempered" clay may be used, the action of the
roller on the clay being such as to prepare it for the moulds. Moulds of the
ordinary hand class could be employed, a platform being provided on which to
place them to receive the clay and wires, or other means provided for cutting
the clay through at the top of the mould before removal. For convenience of
work the whole machinery should rest on a raised foundation, say, of brick-
work or masonry.
That
my Invention may be clearly understood, I have hereunto attached a
Sheet of Drawings illustrative of that modification of my Invention which I
consider most advantageous for general use. All the views represent the
apparatus with details for the manufacture of bricks of about the size ordinarily
made, but it will be seen that the several parts can be constructed or arranged
to produce paving and other tiles and other articles.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation, Fig. 2, a vertical section through the pressers,
and Fig. 3, a plan. In all these views like letters denote the same parts..
a shews the brick work foundation;. b, columns placed on, d, and supporting
the circular trough-like framework c, here shewn made of metal, into which
::

page_text: the clay is fed by hand or otherwise, as may be convenient; d, openings in the
bottom of the said framework through which the clay is forced by the edge-
runner like pressers e, e¹, into the moulds f, resting on the platform g. The
projections h on the presser e² are "spaced off," so that they will fit exactly
over and into the openings d. The said pressers e, e', are free to rotate on the
levers or arms i, to the end of one or both of which a horse could be yoked in
the usual way; and the four levers or arms shewn, which are loose on the
vertical support j, made to travel round. On the ends of the levers or arms k
there are side scraping pieces 1, which bring the clay into the middle of the
trough or framework c, and in this way (with the assistance of the plain
periphery of the presser e) leave a sufficient quantity over the openings to be
forced through by the projecting pieces h into the moulds f. In some cases,
indeed in most cases, more particularly where half or partially tempered clay is
used, I place or form in the trough-like framework c transverse divisional cross
pieces, between and rising above the openings d for the purpose of bringing
the projecting pieces h into position, and ensuring uniform consistency and
solidity of the bricks; these transverse pieces, which are circular on the top,
are denoted by lines marked m in Fig. 2, and pass from the outer to the inner
sides of the framework c."
When the machinery is in use, the moulds e are removed after the presser e¹
has passed over and replaced again before it returns; where very firm and
smooth skin'd bricks are required, however, the pressers e, e¹, may pass over
the moulds f, before they are removed from the platform g, oftener than once.
The moulds by being placed close up to the bottom of the framework do not
require clay-cutting apparatus, the simple action of removal causes the bottom
of the framework c to cut through the clay. During the manufacture of many
articles, however, where the clay is forced out in lengths, and where the moulds
do not present straight lines on the top, cutting wires or other cutting means
would be employed.
Having now described and particularly ascertained my said Invention, I
would have it understood that I do not confine myself to the particular
disposition and form of parts shewn on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,
as many modifications may be made without departing from the leading
features of my said Invention, such as making the trough-like framework in
one straight length or of other form, and causing the pressers to travel back-
wards and forwards, using one presser only, or a larger number than
two pressers, using only one, or more than two, scrapers, or dispensing
with them altogether; applying steam or other power to the vertical support,

page_text: to drive round the levers or arms and parts thereto attached; but what I claim
as my Invention, is,―
Machinery for making bricks and other like articles in which a travelling
presser is made to force clay through openings in a trough or framework,
workable arrangements of the same having been described herein, and shewn
on the accompanying Sheet of Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Williams, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
In the presence of
JOHN THOMSON KING,
Patent Agent,
4, Clayton Square,
Liverpool.
WILLIAM WILLIAMS. (Ls.)