IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING BRICKS, TILES, OR OTHER ARTICLES OF SIMILAR CHARACTER
Year: 1852

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ARAD
WOODWORTH, 3d, and SAMUEL MOWER, of Boston, in the State of Massa-
chusetts, of the United States of America, send greeting.
WHEREAS Queen Victoria, by Letters Patent under the Great Seal of
Great Britain, bearing date at Westminster, the Twenty-fourth day of
January, A.D. 1852, did give and grant unto us, the said Woodworth and
Mower, our exors, adiñors, and assigns, Her especial license, full power, sole
privilege and authority, that we, they, and such others as we or they should
at any time agree with, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within that part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland termed England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed,
the Islands of Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, and in all the
Colonies and Plantations abroad belonging to the said Kingdom, our Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING BRICKS, TILES, OR
OTHER ARTICLES OF SIMILAR CHARACTER;" in which said Letters Patent there is
contained a proviso that we shall particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of our said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an
instrument in writing under our hands and seals, to be inrolled in the High
Court of Chancery within six six calender months next and immediately
after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as, reference being
thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, we do hereby
declare the nature of our Invention, and the manner in which the same

page_text: is to be performed, are particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following Instrument of Writing, and the accompanying Drawings, letters,
figures, and references thereof:-
Of the said Drawings Figure 1 denotes a top view of our machine;
Figure 2 is an elevation of one side of it; Figure 3 is an elevation of the
opposite side of it; Figure 4 is an end elevation of it;. Figure 5 is a central,
vertical, and longitudinal section of it. Figure 6 is a transverse section on an
enlarged scale of the cam that produces upward compression on the brick and
the expulsion of it from the mould. Figure 7 is a view to be herein-after
explained.
We are aware that the mere employment of a ram or falling weight to
produce density is not new, consequently we do not consider such as our
Invention, the nature of which may be said to consist as follows:-
First, in the combination of a percussion ram and its piston or pistons
(whether connected to it or separated from it), a mould or moulds, and a lower
expulsion piston or pistons, so made to operate as to compress the clay or
plastic material in and afterwards expel it from the mould or moulds.
Second, as auxiliary to the above mechanism, our Invention consists in a
combination therewith of machinery for elevating the lower piston or pistons
in the mould or moulds, in order to produce direct compression on the lower
face of the brick or bricks, or article to be moulded.
Third, we wish it understood that we do not consider a sliding mould
charger in connection with a mould and hopper as constituting any part of our
Invention, although necessary to our machine; but what, thirdly, we consider
as our improvement and making part of our Invention is to so construct
and use the sliding charger in connection with the ram and piston or pistons
as to render it (the said charger) a part of the mould or moulds during and
for some time after a percussion of the ram.
Fourth, our Invention further consists in so constructing the mould with
flaring or inclined sides, and to combine them with mechanism for lifting the
brick (or article to be moulded) a short distance previous to the second
percussion, as not only to enable the brick to be freed in a measure from its
adhesiveness to the mould, but to permit the compressed air or part of the
same in the immediate vicinity of the surface of the edges of the brick to
escape, the diminution of adhesiveness tending to lessen the friction of the
clay or plastic material against the sides of the mould under the second
percussion of the ram.
Fifth, in combining with the percussion machinery the lower piston or
pistons and machinery to produce a compression of the bottom surface of the

page_text: brick machinery to produce a compression of the top surface of the brick, and
whether in order to finish the brick the said top and bottom surface com-
pressing machinery be made to act simultaneously, or at different times after
a percussion of the ram, the said machinery for producing a compression of the
top surface of the brick being the addition of another element. By com-
pression of the brick on its top or bottom surface we do not mean such
compression of the same as is produced by the percussion of the ram, but a
separate or additional compression produced by other means.
Sixth, in constructing the orifices of the mould charger with flaring or
inclined sides inclining inwards towards each other as they descend, instead of
making them vertical, the same being to effect an object, as herein-after
specified.
Seventh, in the combination of an adjustable gate or striker with the
hopper and mould charger, the same being for the purpose of striking off, to
any desired height or level, the top surface of the clay deposited in the mould
charger.
Eighth, in combining with the moveable or adjustable gate or striker a
mechanism that will cause it to rise up as the mould charger moves forwards,
such rising upwards of the striker being for the purpose of leaving the top
surface of the clay in the charger higher at the back than it is at the front of
cach orifice thereof, in order to obviate the difficulty of more clay being con-
densed in the front part of the charger than in its rear part by the back
movement of the charger.
Before proceeding to describe our improvements we will specify the prin-
cipal parts of the machine to which they are applicable. The framework by
which the principal operative parts of the machine are supported is represented
at A in the several Figures. Connected with this framework are two hori-
zontal rails or ways B, B', arranged as seen in Figures 2, 3, and 5, and made
to support a horizontal sliding carriage or mould charger C, which carriage
consists of a thick plate or frame of metal, having one more apertures a made
down through it, each of which is to be of sufficient size for the reception of
the quantity of clay necessary to form a brick in the mould or matrix belonging
to it. In Figure 8 a transverse vertical section of the mould charger and the
mould is shewn, while in Figure 9 a longitudinal and vertical section of the
same is exhibited. The movements of the mould charger are such as to carry
the charging aperture or apertures a, a, of it directly beneath the lower part
of or into a hopper D (in order that the said charger may be filled with clay
previously prepared and introduced into the said hopper), and next out from
underneath the same, and directly over one or more other rectangular or other

page_text: °
proper-shaped orifices 6 formed through a stationary metallic bed plate or
frame E (which may be termed the mould frame), each of the orifices 6 being
a matrix for the formation of a brick. The arrangement of a mould frame E
is represented in the Drawings. Directly above the stationary part E are
suitable vertical and parallel ways or guides c, d, between which a heavy
ram, weight, or hammer F is placed, and in which it slides and is guided in
its vertical movements. On the lower part or end of this ram one or more
rectangular or other proper-shaped pistons x, x, is fixed, each of which is
made to fit into and enter the two orifices a, b (situated directly under it),
when the ram is dropped or falls. To each orifice 6 there is another piston H
which passes up into it from below, and is suitably supported and guided, so
that it may have vertical movements. The several pistons H, connected
together by a bar a', rest, or the bar rests, on a long cam I arranged beneath
the same, and fixed on a horizontal shaft K, such cam, in conjunction with
the gravitating power of the pistons, being for the purpose of operating the
pistons. The weight of the several pistons and their connecting bar a is
employed to depress them, but, if necessary, one or more springs or other
suitable equivalents may be applied to effect such purpose. The rotation of
the shaft K is produced by a train of geers L, M, N, the former of which is
fixed on the shaft, while the latter is attached to the main driving shaft O,
disposed as seen in the Drawings. The cogged wheel M is fixed on a hori-
zontal shaft P, arranged as seen in the Drawings, which shaft P carries or has
fixed on it the cams Q, Q, that elevate the ram, the shape of one of such cams
being given in Figure 5, the other cam being similar to it. They act against
the under sides of projections or shoulders 6, 6, from a lifter bar c¹ attached
to the ram, and extending around and above the shaft P, as seen in
Figures 2, 3, & 5. These cams should be so constructed as to produce two
elevations, and allow two percussions or falls of the ram to the formation of
each brick or series of brick made at one time. During the downward stroke
or first percussion of the ram the piston or pistons affixed to it are driven into
the aperture or apertures a, a, of the mould charger, and so as to compress, by
concussion and momentum, the clay which may be within the apertures a, b (or
the latter), and resting on the top surface or surfaces of the lower piston or
pistons H. When the blow of the ram is taking effect the said lower piston
or pistons should be kept perfectly stationary. For this purpose a part g of
the cam I (see Figure 6) is made with a cylindric surface. Immediately
after the ram is fallen to give the first percussion, the lower piston is elevated
a little, or while the part h of the cam is moving against the lower piston frame.
This rise of the lower piston or pistons is for the purpose of raising the brick

page_text: a little in the mould, the vertical sides of which are made a little flaring as
they proceed upwards. The raising of the brick a very little under such
circumstances frees it in a measure from its adhesiveness to the sides of the
mould, and permits compressed air around the edges of the brick to escape, the
diminution of adhesiveness tending to lesson the friction of the clay against
the sides of the mould under the second percussion of the ram. Next, or
while the part of the cam is moving directly under and against the lower
piston or pistons, the said piston or pistons are held perfectly stationary, and
this while the upper pistons and ram are elevated high enough to remove the
upper pistons entirely out of the moulds, and the mould charger is moved back,
and directly underneath the hopper, for the purpose of being again filled with
clay, and a second percussion or fall of the ram and its pistons takes place, all of
which in the meantime is produced. Next, the part k of the cam is brought
into action, so as to raise the lower pistons, while at the same time the upper
pistons are forced downward by cams O, O, fixed on the shaft P, which cams
respectively act against friction rollers p, p, placed at the top of the ram.
Thus are compressed not only the bottom surface of the brick, but the top
surface of it also; and we have found it necessary to so compress the top
surface of it, in order to produce good work, for the mere pressure of the
lower pistons against the brick while its top surface is at rest is so prevented
(by the adhesion of the brick to the sides of the mould) from producing the
requisite density of the top surface, that, unless we compress the top surface by
direct compression, produced by a downward movement of the upper pistons,
we fail in getting so good or smooth a top surface as is desirable. While
the part of the cam is in action against the lower pistons, they are raised up
in the mould so as to expel the brick, the upper pistons being raised in the
meantime, and also entirely off the bricks, so as to allow them to be moved off*
the lower pistons by the mould charger, which in its advance with fresh clay
crowds the bricks off while the part m of the cam (which part is a circular
arc) is in action against the lower pistons. The machinery that operates
the carriage or mould charger C consists of a cam V, fixed on the shaft k, a
horizontal fulcrum or rocker shaft W, and thee armis X, Y, Y, extended from
the said shaft W, as seen in the Drawings. A projections from the arm X
is made to enter and work against the cam V. The upper ends of the
arms Y, Y, are suitably connected to the carriage C by such joints or con-
nections as will allow of the horizontal movements of the carriage produced
by the combined operation of the cam V and the arms X, Y, Y, when the
said cam is put in rotation by the shaft to which it is affixed. The mould
charger has its orifices a, a, constructed with flaring or inclined sides, as seen
in Figure 9 at ff. When made with vertical walls or sides it has been

page_text: found that the clay, in falling out of the orifice a into the matrix b, would be
denser in the middle; consequently, when impression of the clay took place,
there being more clay in the middle of the pile, the said pile would be pressed
denser in its middle than at its sides, thus often making imperfect edges on
the brick. By making the orifice a flaring on its two opposite sides, and on
the ends also if desirable, it has been found that the pile of clay deposited in
the matrix b is highest on the sides and lowest in the middle. This is presumed
to arise from the fact that the central part of the clay in the charger C falls
into the matrix b, and nearly fills before the clay resting immediately above
the inclined sides f, f, has a chance to fall, and as it falls last it causes the
mass in the matrix to assume the concave shape on top that makes it lowest
in the middle. Under such circumstances the clay forming the brick when
compressed becomes as dense or denser on the edges than in the middle, and
thereby more perfect edges are formed than can be when the orifices a, a,
are made with vertical sides. The hopper D is made with an opening d
through the lower part of its front side, as seen in Figure 5, such opening
being made to extend from end to end of the hopper, and directly above the
upper surface of the mould charger C. To this opening on its front side
we apply an adjustable gate or striker c' arranged as seen in Figures 5 and 7;
the latter being an end view (on an enlarged scale) of the hopper and the
supporting arms and ways of the striker. The striker is supported by two
arms e, e', each of which turns freely up or down on a pin or fulcrum f at
its rear end. An adjusting screw g¹ passes down through each arm, and
rests on a rail h¹ affixed to the carriage or mould charger C. The screw
enables us to adjust the height or level of the lower edge of the striker,
so as to cause it when the mould charger is moved towards the moulds to
strike off to any required height or level the top surface of the clay deposited
in the mould charger. This contrivance is by no means like the scraper that
we sometimes apply to the lower part of the front of the mould charger to
scrape off the upper edges of the mould, for in this instance the adjustable
striker is applied to the hopper and acts on the top of the mould charger
instead of acting on the top of the mould; when applied to the hopper and
mould charger, its office is entirely different from that of a scraper applied
to the mould charger and made to scrape over and on the mould. In the
present instance it has nothing to do with the mould, but operates on the
mould charger, and enables us to regulate the height of clay in the charger, as
such may be required in accordance with the nature of the clay, some clay, in
order to produce a brick of the desired thickness under the compression and
ercussion it receives in the machine requiring to be struck off to a little
greater height than other kinds. It has been found during the return or back

page_text: movement of the mould charger, or its movement from over the moulds and
directly under the hopper, that such movement causes the clay to pack more
closely in the front part of each orifice a of the charger than it does in the
back part of it. In consequence of this the front part of the brick when
formed becomes denser than the back part, the latter in consequence thereof
not being likely to be properly formed. In order to prevent this difficulty, we
combine with the moveable or adjustable gate or striker c', a mechanism
(such being an inclined cam or inclination of each rail h¹, as seen in Figure 7)
that will cause it to rise up as the mould charger moves forwards towards the
moulds, such rising up of the striker being for the purpose of leaving the
top surface of the clay in the charger higher at the back than it is at the front
of each orifice thereof. Such rising up or elevation of the striker should be
such as will leave a sufficiency of clay in the back part of each orifice of the
charger to make the brick of a uniform density when pressed.
As we are aware that the mere employment of a ram or falling weight to
produce density is not new, we by no means claim such as our Invention, but
what we do consider our Invention and claim is as follows:-
We claim the combination of a percussion ram and its piston or pistons
(whether connected to it orse parated from it), a mould or moulds, and a lower
expulsion piston or pistons so made to operate as to compress the clay or
plastic material in, and afterwards expel it from the mould or moulds; and as
auxiliary thereto or to such mechanism, and in combination therewith, we claim
machinery for elevating the lower piston or pistons in the mould or moulds in
order to produce direct compression on the lower face of the brick or article
moulded.
We wish it understood that we do not consider a sliding mould charger in
connection with a mould and hopper as constituting any part of our Invention,
although necessary to our machine; but what we consider as our improvement,
and as making part of our Invention is, to so construct and use the sliding
charger in connection with the ram and piston or pistons as to render it, the
said charger, a part of the mould or moulds during, and for some time after, a
percussion of the ram.
We also claim to so construct the mould with flaring or inclined sides, as
specified, and to combine them with mechanism for lifting the brick (or article
to be moulded) a short distance previous to the second percussion, as not only
to enable the brick to be freed in a measure from its adhesiveness to the mould,
but to permit the compressed air or part of the same in the immediate vicinity
of the surface of the edges of the brick to escape, the diminution of adhesive-
ness tending to lesson the friction of the clay or plastic material against the
sides of the mould under the second percussion of the ram.

page_text: We also claim the combination with the percussion machinery the lower
piston or pistons and machinery to produce a compression of the bottom
surface of the brick, of machinery to produce a compression of the top
surface of the brick, and whether in order to finish the brick, the said top and
bottom surface compressing machinery be made to act simultaneously or at
different times after a percussion of the ram, not meaning such compression
of the brick as is produced by the percussion of the ram, but a separate or
additional compression produced by other means.
We also claim the improvement of constructing the orifices of the mould
charger with flaring or inclined sides inclining inwards towards each other
as they descend, instead of making them vertical, the same being to effect an
object, as herein-before specified.
We also claim the combination of an adjustable gate or striker with the
hopper and mould charger, the same being for the purpose of striking off, to
any desired height or level, the top surface or part of the clay deposited in the
mould charger.
We also claim the improvement of combining with the moveable or
adjustable gate or striker a mechanism that will cause it to rise up as the
mould charger moves forwards, such rising upwards of the striker being for the
purpose of leaving the top surface of the clay in the charger higher at the
back than it is at the front of each orifice thereof, in order to obviate the
difficulty of more clay being condensed in the front part of the charger than in
its rear part by the back movement of the charger.
In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our hands and scals this Twenty-
first day of February, A.D. 1852.

page_text: Samuel Carpmael, of Old Square, Lincoln's Inn, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, maketh oath and saith, that he hath been informed
and believes that the signature "Edmund A. Grattan," Her Britannic
Majesty's Consul for the State of Massachusetts, in the United States of
America, set, subscribed, or written in the margin of the Specification
hereunto annexed, and marked with the letter A, and dated the Twenty-
first day of February now last past, and purporting to be executed and
acknowledged by Arad Woodworth, 3d, and Samuel Mower, both of Boston,
in the State of Massachusetts aforesaid, before the said Edmund A. Grattan,
on the said Twenty-first day of February, is of the proper handwriting of the
said Edmund A. Grattan."
Enrolled the Tenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-two.