Improvements in Brick Making Machines.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Sept., 1896-Accepted, 19th Dec., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Brick Making Machines.
1, JOHN GEORGE KERST of Springfield in the County of Sangamon, State of
Illinois, U.S.A., Mechanic, 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 brick making machines, and it has for its objects among
others to provide an improved brick sander and rougher in which the main shaft is
provided with a crank wheel and connections whereby the pusher is operated slowly
in pushing but returned rapidly. I provide a mechanism operated from the main
shaft for turning or edging the bricks after they have been roughened and sanded.
The doors which serve to edge the bricks are provided with a space between the
same and at their edges to prevent catching of, and injury to, the hands of the
attendant should he accidentally get his fingers between the doors or between
the same and the walls of the opening in which the doors are arranged. The
roughing plates are adjustably and detachably held in position, and the chamber
for the sand and the saud tubes are capable of adjustment to regulate the amount
of sand to be delivered as circumstances may require. I employ a hinged spring-
actuated sweep for trimming the edges of the bricks and for supporting and
controlling the rougher.
I aim further at improvements in the details of construction of the various parts
as well as in the machine as a whole. I provide a guard for preventing the bricks
from falling over when they are turned or edged, and in case the bricks are not
removed in time, but are there when the next two bricks come along this guard
which is substantially V shaped will serve to prevent injury to the machine by
cutting the bricks in two.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear and the
Lovel features thereof will be specifically defined by the appended claims.
The invention in this instance resides in the peculiar combinations, and the
coustruction, arrangement and adaptation of parts, all as more fully herein-
after described, shown in the drawings, and then particularly pointed out in the
claims.
The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which, with
the letters of reference marked thereon, form a part of this specification, and in
which:-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved machine.
Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section on the line 2-2 of Figure 4.
Figure 3 is a detail in plan, with portions in section, showing the mechanism for
operating the doors that serve to turn or edge the bricks.
Figure 4 is a vertical cross section on the line 4-4 of Figure 1, looking in the
direction of the arrow.
Figure 5 is a top plan of the platform, showing the doors and the partitions.
thereof and their springs.
Figure 6 is an enlarged end elevation showing the arms and the slide forming a
part of the mechanism that actuates the doors that edge the bricks.
Figure 7 is a detail in end elevation showing the pusher and its hinged plate and
spring.
Figure 8 is a vertical section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 4, on an enlarged scale.
Figure 9, shows the needle-bar and its needles.

page_text: Figure 10 is a detail of the plate employed on the platform to engage the
bricks as they are turned on edge and which serves to prevent injury to the
machine in case the bricks, are not taken away before another lot are delivered
onto the platform.
Figure 11, is a plan and Figure 12, a detail of a modified form.
Like letters of reference indiente like parts throughout the several views.
Referring now to the details of the drawings by letter. A, designates the
supporting frame, B the endless apron or belt mounted to travel upon
rollers a, the shafts a of which are mounted to travel or revolve in
suitable boxes or bearings 6 on the frame of the machine. This belt or apron
receives the brieks as they come from the moulds or machine by which they are
formed in any well known manner. This belt is designed to travel in the direction
of the arrow in Fig. 2. It derives its motion in this instance from the sprocket
wheel C, secured to the shaft of the forward roller over which the belt travels and
this sprocket wheel is connected by the sprocket chain C with the sprocket
wheel D on the main shaft E. This latter shaft is designed to receive its
motion from any suitable source in any well known manner (not shown). The
shaft E is mounted in suitable bearings or boxes on the frame. In this instance
I have shown intermediate rollers e over which the belt travels, but these need
not always be present. The bearing of the rear shaft a' is rendered adjustable
by means of the screw rods .c which are screwed into the vertical portions of
the brackets & and are provided with adjusting nuts e' as seen best in Figures 1
and 2.
F is a disc fast upon the extended end of the main shaft E and provided with a
crank pin which works in the elongated alot g of the arm G which is fast upon
and depends from the oscillating shaft G' mounted in suitable bearings in the
opposite side portions of the frame, and fast to this shaft, one near each end, are
the rods or levers H to the upper end of which are pivotally connected as at h the
push-bars H which push-bars are connected at their other ends with the pusher I,
the ends of which are provided with the pins or projections i which are designed to
travel in the cam-paths J provided by the substantially diamond-shaped switch-
plates, one on each side of the machine, and each pivoted near its centre as at j
and beneath which plates the said pins are designed to travel in pushing the bricks
forward, and over which plates the said pins travel in the backward movement of
the pusher, as will be readily understood.
K is a spring, one for each switch-plate, and each attached at one end to its
plate to the rear of its pivot and its other end held in any suitable manner
in a lug or bracket k on the vertical portico A' of the frame as shown in Figure 1,
to normally hold the rear end of the said plate in its downward position by its
compression.
The pusher has hinged thereto a pusher-plate L' by suitable hinges the pintle
of which has coiled therearound a spring L one ende which bears against the
acting face of said plate to hold it to its work but allows the plate to yield and
prevents injury to the machine or to the brick or pusher in ease a brick happens to
come irregularly along the belt.
M is a box designed to contain sand, from which it is fed or caused to flow
through the tubes M', the lower ends of which are preferably flaring as seen in
Figure 2, the box being provided with a portion of its lid or cover hinged as seen
at m. The outlets from the box to the tubes are controlled by the moveable gates
or valves m¹ which are arranged within the box and moveable over the bottom
thereof as seen best in Figure 2. These gates or valves are operated by the
handles m 2 arranged upon the under side of the bottom of the box and secured to
the vertical pins M 2 to the upper ends of which the gates or valves are also fast,
so that by movement of these handles the valves may be moved to govern the flow
of sand from the box through the tubes.
This box with its tubes is removably supported above the platform N in the
following manner; near each end of the box to the underside thereof is secured

page_text: a plate N' the ends of which are bent downward as seen best in Figure 1, the
ends thereof being provided with openings to receive the vertical posts n
upon which are the nuts n so that the box may be adjusted vertically when
desired.
The sand-box is supported over the chamber O and this chamber is provided
with the partitions o which have their front faces rounded as shown while at their
rear ends they have the openings or chambers of open at the side to discharge the
sand into the compartments of the chamber, the two outer ones having the spring
plates O urged inward by the springa O 2 around the rods o2 and the tension of
the springs being adjusted by means of the nuts o 3.
At the discharge end of the chamber O are the plates P the upper edges of
which are serrated and the plates are secured in any suitable manner in the
transverse recess p at the discharge end of the chamber and which communicates
by the passage P with the spout Q arranged beneath the opening in the platform
which is closed by the doors soon to be described; this permits of the escape of
the sand that is carried forward from the chamber; into the said spout and clogging
of the machine by reason of accumulated sand is prevented.
On the tubes nearest the discharge end of the machine is secured the cross-
bar Qrendered adjustable by means of the elongated slots and bolts and in
suitable openings in this cross-bar are mounted to slide the vertical rods or
pins Q2 the lower ends of which are hinged to the upper faces of the.
sweeps Q3 the rear ends of which are pivoted on a rod q¹ supported at the
lower ends of the tubes as shown. Springs 92 around these vertical rods serve
to hold the sweeps down to their work but allow them to yield when meeting
an obstruction as a hard substance in the brick. The front ends of these sweeps
carry serrated plates Q4 as shown in Figure 4, although I sometimes employ in
lieu thereof a bar g4 carrying a plurality of needles q5 as shown in Figures 8
and 9. The plates Q4 are vertically adjustable by slots and screws or bolts as seen
in Figure 4.
R is an opening in the platform N at the discharge end of the machine, and R¹
are two oppositely-moreable doors hinged at opposite sides of this opening as
shown best in Figure 5. There is a space or opening left between the ends
of the doors and the adjacent walls of the opening, as well as between the adjacent
edges of the doors and between their sides and the adjacent walls of the opening as,
shown clearly in Figure 5; this is to prevent catching of an injury to the fingers
of the attendant.
These doors are designed to be operated simultaneously in the following manner;
on the main sbaft E is a cam S which is arranged to act upon the under side of the
arms S which is slotted as seen in Figure 3 and which is provided with the anti-
friction rollers against which the cam acts, the other end of this arm being fast
on the transverse shaft S2 supported in suitable bearings s' in which it is adapted
to rock. These bearings are on the cross bar or portion A 3 of the frame. This
cam is adjustably mounted on its shaft so that it can be adjusted to vary the throw
of the arm as occasion may require. Fast on the shaft S 2 is another arm T to the
under side of which between its ends is pivotally connected as at t the depending
rod T which works through an opening in the lug on the cross portion A. 3 of
the frame as seen in Figure 2, and around this rod between the upper side of
the lug and a nut t 2 on the lower end of the rod is a spring T 2. The free end
of this arm T has pivotally connected therewith as at t3 the vertical arm or
bar T 3 the upper end of which is guided in a guide-way t 4 in the cross portion A 3
of the frame as shown best in Figure 6. Between its ends this vertical bar is
provided with the projection or pin T 5 which is designed to work in the slots u of
the arm U the ends of which overlap as shown best in Figure 6 and the other eads"
of which are fast upon the oscillating or rocking rods or shafts U₁ extending.
lengthwise of the machine, one at each side thereof as seen best in Figure 3, and
mounted in suitable bearings on the frame. The euds of these rods or shafts
nearest the discharge end of the machine have fast thereto the arms U 2 which

page_text: extend inward toward each other as seen best in Figure 4 and to the adjacent ends
thereof are pivotally connected as at u¹ the substantially vertically disposed
arms 2 the upper ends of which are pivotally connected with the under sides of
the doors R' as seen in Figure 4.
The spout Q is supported from the frame beneath the opening in the platform in
which the doors are hinged as shown and is provided with an adjustable extension Q6
having provision for its adjustment; this consists of the links g6 pivotally suspended
from the shaft g7 secured to the side of the spout and to the lower ends of these
links or hangers are pivotally connected the ends of the yoke Q7 which embraces
three sides of the extension and is pivotally mounted thereon as at 78 and the
pivots thereof work in the vertical slots Q8 in the lower ends of the spout. Qas
seen best in Figure 4. The upper end of the extension is sleeved over the lower
end of the spout and the yoke is provided with a handle or lever portion Q9 by
means of which the extension may be moved on its pivots to raise it so that a
bucket or other receptacle 99 may be placed thereunder to catch the sand that
passes through the openings in the platform and save waste of the same. W is an
angle iron which is secured to the platform in proximity to the doors thereof and
is designed to prevent the bricks from falling over when turned up or edged; there
is one of these at each side of the door opening, and each is substantially V-shaped
with a rounded edge and is so constructed and arranged that if the bricks are not
removed in time the following two bricks would force the first ones against this
V edge and cut them in two on the same and thus prevent injury to the
machine.
With the parts constructed and arranged substantially as above set forth, the
operation is as follows: Motion being given to the various parts and the bricks
fed to or placed on the apron or belt which travels in the direction of the arrow in
Figures 1 and 2, the levers H and push-rods H¹ are actuated through the medium
of the crank dise and its wrist pin and the slotted arm, the pins or projections on
the ends of the pusher entering the grooves or ways beneath the switch plates and
in the continued movements of the parts the said pins or projections are pushed to
the utmost forward limit of the grooves and as soon as the pins or projections have
passed the lower ends of the said plates the springs K serve to force the upper
ends of the plates up and their lower ends down, so that in the continued movement
of the crank dise the pins will travel up the upper faces of the said plates, com-
pressing the springs till the pins free themselves from engagement with the plates
and drop down again to repeat their travel upon the under side of the plates to
push another brick along to the sanding chamber. It is to be understood that the
crank disc and the other parts are so timed that the bricks will be carried along
by the belt or apron at just the required intervals, so that by the time the pusher
returns to its normal position after having pushed one brick into the sand-chamber
the next brick will have moved so as to be in front of the pusher to be in position
to be engaged by the same. The first brick acted upon is pushed by the pusher
into the sand chamber and there left until the next brick is forced against it by
the pusher and forced through the chamber between the partitious thereof and
through the sand that has dropped thereinto through the tubes connected with the
sand-box and the sand is partially rubbed off by the partitions and spring plates O
and as the bricks emerge from the chamber they are roughened top and bottom by
the rougher plates or the needles when the latter are employed. As the bricks
emerge from the chamber they are forced onto the doors R¹ after which the said
doors are turned on their hinges so as to turn the bricks upon their edges so that
they may be more easily bandled, the cam S being so timed and the connections
being such that the doors are actuated at proper intervals to turn or edge the
bricks and be back in their places to receive the next bricks. The sand that
follows the bricks out of the chamber is allowed to fall into the spout and from
thence into the receptacle provided to receive it.
Modifications in detail may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of
the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages. The machine may be adapted

page_text: for more or less bricks by varying the width of the belt and the number of
compartments in the sanding chamber. In Figure 11, I have shown a platform
adapted for a four brick machine. In this form the inner partitions that rub the
sand on the bricks are vibratory as seen in Figure 11 and in enlarged detail in
Figure 12 in which the sides of the partition Y are hinged at y and their ends
turned inward as at y', a plate or other device Y being provided to prevent too great
separation or movement of the parts Y on their hinge, the inner faces of the said
parts being provided with pins or studs y 4 on which is held the spring Y 2.
A plate y 2 shown by dotted lines is arranged under the spring by a pin or other
means y 3 and can be easily removed when it is desired to adjust the tension of the
spring. The outer partitions are adjustably secured to the platform as seen in
Figure 11 so they may be adjusted for different sized bricks. The partitions seen
in Figure 5, are rendered adjustable by means of the slots S 11 shown therein and
through which pass the screws or other means which secure them to the platform.
The support W is also adjustably mounted in position, having its base portion
provided with a slot as seen in Figures 5 and 10. Other minor changes may be
made and still be within the scope of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. The combination, in a brick sanding machine with the sanding devices and
the brick-carrying belt and with a pusher having pins of pivoted plates forming
with plates on the sides of the machine a path to be traversed by the pins on the
pusher, and a crank disc and connections between the same and the pusher for
actuating the latter, substantially as specified.
2. The combination with the pusher, the push-bars connected therewith, and the
levers of a shaft carrying the levers, an arm secured to said shaft and having an
elongated slot, and a disc provided with a crank pin working in said slot,
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
3. The combination with the sanding devices and the means for moving the
brick, of pivoted devices for turning the bricks on edge, as set forth.
4. The combination with the brick-moving devices and the sanding mechanism;
of hinged doors arranged at the discharge end of the sanding chamber for edging
the bricks, as set forth.
5. The combination with the brick moving devices and the sanding mechanism,
of the hinged doors for edging the bricks, the main shaft and the cam thereon
and intermediate connections for actuating said doors, as and for the purpose
specified.
6. The combination with the brick-moving devices and the sanding mechanism
of the hinged doors for edging the bricks, the main shaft, the cam thereon, the
arm with roller engaged by said cam, and connections between the shaft of said
arm and the doors for actuating the latter, as and for the purpose specified.
7. The combination with the platform and the means for edging the bricks
thereon, of means for preventing the bricks from falling over after being edged, as
set forth.
8. The combination with the platform and the hinged doors for edging the
bricks of the vertical arm having a sharpened edge as and for the purpose
specified.
9. The combination with the platform having an opening, of the doors hinged
within said opening with a space around the same, substantially as and for the
purpose specified.
10. The combination with the platform with opening of the hinged doors and
their actuating means, and a spout supported beneath the opening in the platform,
substantially as specified.
11. The combination with the sanding chamber having partitions and the means
for forcing bricks therethrough of the tubes for supplying sand to the chambers

page_text: through the top of the same and means for regulating the supply of sand to pass
through said tubes, as set forth.
12. The combination with the platform with its opening and hinged doors, of the
spout beneath said opening, and the extension adjustably suspended from the spout,
as set forth.
13. The combination with the sanding chamber and its partitions having their
front ends rounded and having openings with side outlets, of the tubes for supplying
sand to the chamber, and valves for regulating the flow of sand to said tubes,
substantially as specified.
14. The combination with the sanding mechanism and the means for moving the
bricks to the same, of a hinged sweep, substantially as specified.
15. The combination with the sanding mechanism and the means for moving the
bricks of a hinged sweep and a rougher carried thereby, as set forth.
16. The combination with the sanding devices and the brick-moving mechanism,
of a hinged spring-actuated sweep and a rougher carried thereby, as set forth.
17. In a brick-sanding and roughening machine, a hinged spring-actuated sweep,
as and for the purpose specified.
18. In a brick-sanding and roughening machine, the combination with a hinged
spring-actuated sweep, of a rougher carried thereby, as set forth.
19. The combination with the main shaft and the cam thereon of the hinged
doors, the oscillating rods arranged at right angles to said shaft, connections
between said rods and the doors, a carn on the main shaft, a shaft parallel there-
with, a slotted arm mounted on said shaft and provided with a roller with which
the cam engages, and connections between said shaft and the oscillating rods, all
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
20. The combination with the hinged curved parts, of a spring arranged between
the same, and means for limiting the outward movement of said parts, as set forth.
21. The combination with the hinged curved parts of the partition, of the spring
connecting the same, the plate, and the plate for engaging the ends of said parts to
limit their movement, as set forth.
22. The platform designed for a four brick machine, the same having inner
vibrating partitions with spring pressed walls, substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
Dated this 8th day of September 1896.
THOMAS R. SHILLITO,
89 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.