IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MAKING BRICKS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Cowdery, of Llanymynech, in the County of
Salop, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR MAKING BRICKS."
Sealed the 18th September 1863, and dated the 26th March 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Cowdery at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 26th
March 1863.
I, GEORGE COWDERY, of Llanymynech, in the County of Salop, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE,
KENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MAKING BRICKS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in machinery for making
bricks, whereby they may be made with greater rapidity and in a moro
efficient manner than by the methods ordinarily in use. I propose to employ
a hopper for receiving the brick earth, having triangular revolving shafts and
a roller placed therein, or other equivalent contrivance, for the purpose of
pressing the clay or loam into the moulds previous to their meeting a cylinder
hereafter described. The bricks having been thus partly formed in the brick
moulds, of which a series are connected together as a cylinder or drum, the
moulds revolve meeting a cylindrical roller, which is supplied with projection

page_text: moveable on the roller, so that a flat pressure is obtained, and by thus passing
against the said roller the clay not only becomes thoroughly pressed, but
receives the "heck" or indent on one bed; the brick cases or moulds after
leaving the roller immediately pass under a series of stampers or plungers, so
that the bricks are forced out of their moulds on to an endless band, from
whence they are taken to be dried and burnt. The machine may be worked
by horse-power, steam or other power, and may be mounted on wheels for
portability, suitable gearing being used to obtain the required speed of the
various parts.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Cowdery in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
26th September 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
COWDERY, of Llanymynech, in the County of Salop, Civil Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said George Cowdery, Her special licence that I, the said. George
Cowdery, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said George Cowdery, 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MAKING BRICKS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said George Cowdery, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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 Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Cowdery, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be

page_text: performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to the manufacture of bricks, the object being to
produce them at a more speedy rate and in a more efficient manner than by
the means ordinarily adopted for that purpose, and is an improvement on my
former Patent dated February 16th, 1860, No. 425.
.
In order that my said Invention may be completely understood, I will now
proceed to describe the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the
same into practical effect, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of
illustrative Drawings, and to the numeral figures and letters of reference
marked thereon respectively, as follows:-
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved brick-making machine, Fig. 2
being a section taken through the barrels thereof. Similar letters of reference
denote corresponding parts, where such parts appear or can be seen in each.
Figure.
I employ a hopper a, a, for receiving the brick earth, having triangular
revolving shafts and roller placed therein (shewn in section, Fig. 2), or other
suitable contrivance, for pressing the clay or loam into the moulds previous to
their meeting a cylindrical roller. The bricks having been thus partly formed
in the brick moulds b, b, of which a series will be seen connected together as
a cylinder c, the moulds now revolve on their own axis meeting a cylindrical
roller d, which is supplied with projections e, e, which are moveable on the
roller, so that a flat pressure is obtained through rolling, and by thus passing
against the said roller the clay not only becomes thoroughly pressed, but
receives the "keck" or indent on one bed; the brick cases or moulds after
leaving the roller, immediately pass under a series of stampers or plungers, so
that the bricks are forced out of their moulds on to an endless band, from
whence they are taken to be dried and burnt. This machine can be worked
either by horse, steam, or other convenient power, and may be mounted on
wheels, as shewn, for portability, suitable gearing being used to obtain the
required speed of the various parts.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention of
"Improvements in Machinery for Making Bricks," together with the manner
in which the same is to be performed, I would remark, in conclusion, that I do
not confine or restrict myself to the precise details herein described and shewn
in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, as many slight modifications and
variations may be made therein without in any way departing from the
principlo of my Invention; but what I claim is, the use of triangular feeding

page_text: shafts and a cylinder of moulds or clay holders, as shewn and described,
together with the moveable projections on the pressing roller in combination
with the stampers or plungers herein described and shewn, for the purposes
set forth.
In witness whereof; I, the said George Cowdery, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
Witness,
JOHN E. WHALLEY.
GEORGE COWDERY. (L.S.)