IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MAKING BRICKS AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Julius Frederick Moore Pollock, of Leopold
Street, New Leeds, Leeds, in the County of York, Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MAKING BRICKS AND
OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES."
Sealed the 10th December 1869, and dated the 6th October 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Julius Frederick Moore.
Pollock at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his.
Petition, on the 6th October 1869.
I, JULIUS FREDERICK MOORE POLLOCK, of Leopold Street, New Leeds,
Leeds, in the County of York, Engineer,, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MAKING BRICKS AND.
OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in. machinery for
making bricks and other similar articles, for which purposes according. to,
my Invention the crushing rolls, pug mill, moulds, and pressing dies.
with their actuating mechanism are all arranged in combination upon.
one base plate, and the material to be worked is fed through a hopper.

page_text: to the crushing rolls, passing thence into the pug mill, wherein it is
tempered, and which forces it into the moulds wherein it is formed.
(when making bricks) into perfect common or unpressed bricks of
the ordinary well known descriptions, and these unpressed bricks aro
afterwards conveyed by self-acting means from the moulds to the
pressing dies, which latter are made slightly larger laterally than the
former, and wherein the bricks are finally pressed and condensed (to
prepare them for drying or baking) between top and bottom plates
combined with cross heads and side rods, according to the Specification
to certain Letters Patent, No. 2195, granted to me, and bearing date the
25th day of August 1866, preferring for greater convenience in this
instance to reverse the position of the cylinder shown in the Drawings
of my aforesaid Specification. The crushing rolls are actuated by worm
wheels and worms or endless screws running in vessels containing oil
or other lubricant, and the pug mill is provided with an adjustable
trap door or opening at its lower end, which serves as a vent in caso
of an excessive downward pressure of the clay, and for other useful
purposes.
The moulding table is caused to rotate intermittently by means of a
ratchet and paul held in position by a spring, and provided with an
eccentric cam or device for throwing it out of gear, the paul receiving
motion through suitable connections from a crank, disc, or cam worked
by gearing from the main shaft. The bottom plates of the moulds in
the upper portion of the moulding table are provided with projecting
stalks or rods passing through guides in a lower portion of the table to
prevent the plates from getting jammed in the mould boxes, and are
furnished with antifriction rollers running an inclines for lifting the
plates, and thereby raising the moulded bricks out of the moulds, The
moulds are lubricated by a pad carried by a rod or plunger to which
reciprocating motion is imparted, and the upper parts of the moulded a
bricks are afterwards passed under a lubricating roller or pad. By these
means the bricks on afterwards entering the pressing dies are caused to
lubricate them and their respective plates so as to prevent the adhesion
of the bricks thereto, far which purpose also the top plate of the press is
suitably heated, preferably by passing steam through it. The shaft for 3
giving motion to the moulding table carries also a cam, which by means
of suitable connections actuates the slide of the steam cylinder. The
moulded bricks are moved from the moulding table to the pressing dies

page_text: by means of a lever or rod which receives intermittent motion from à
cam carried by the cam shaft already referred to, and in connection with
this lever is a stop or guard lever, or rod arranged to act in combination
therewith, so that the guard lever approaches the other lever and
determines the precise point to which the moulded bricks are delivered.
Each pressed brick on being expelled from the pressing die is pushed'
forward by the approach of the succeeding moulded brick to the
delivering apparatus, by which it is removed away from the machine
ready for drying or baking. This delivering apparatus consists of an'
endless band or belt, or bands or belts, receiving motion in a peculiar
manner by passing under and over driving pullies or rollers, by which it'
or they is or are held so. as. to prevent slipping ;. and in combination with
the delivering apparatus is. a brush placed above it, and rotating in a
contrary direction, so as to remove the excrescences and loose particles.
of clay or plustic material from the faces of the bricks or cakes..
My improvements are applicable to the manufacture of tiles and other
similar articles by adapting the moulds and dies to the articles to be
moulded and pressed. The moulds and dies may be arranged singly or
in sets of two or more so as. to produce several bricks or other articles
simultaneously..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Julius Frederick Moore Pollock in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 6th April 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JULIUS
FREDERICK MOORE POLLOCK, of Leopold Street,. New Leeds, Leeds, in.
the County of York, Engineer, send greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of October,.in the year, of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Julius Frederick Moore Pollock; Her,
special licence that I, the said Julius Frederick Moore Pollock, my.
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said,
Julius Frederick Moore Pollock, my executors, administrators, and,
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to

page_text: 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 AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Julius Frederick Moore Pollock, 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
Office within six calendar months, next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent,
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Julius Frederick Moore Pollock,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to
say:
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for
making bricks and other similar articles, for which purposes according
to my Invention the crushing rolls, pug mill, moulds, and pressing dies
with their actuating mechanism are all arranged in combination upon one
base plate, and the material to be worked is fed through a hopper to the
crushing rolls, passing thence into the pug mill, wherein it is tempered,
and which forces it into the moulds, wherein it is formed (when making
bricks) into perfect common or unpressed bricks of the ordinary well known
descriptions; and these unpressed bricks are afterwards conveyed by self-
acting means from the moulds to the pressing dies, which latter are
made slightly larger laterally than the former, and wherein the bricks
are finally pressed and condensed (to prepare them for drying or baking)
between top and bottom plates combined with cross heads and side rods,
according to the Specification of my former Patent, No. 2195, dated the
25th day of August 1866, preferring for greater convenience in this
instance to reverse the position of the cylinder shown in the Drawings
of my aforesaid Specification. The orushing rolls are actuated by worm
wheels and worms or endless screws running in vessels containing oil or
other lubricant, and the pug mill is provided with an adjustable trap-
door or opening at its lower end, which serves as a vent in case of an
excessive downward pressure of the clay and for other useful purposes.

page_text: The moulding table is caused to rotate intermittently by means of a.
ratchet and pawl held in position by a spring, and provided with an
eccentric cam or device for throwing it out of gear, the pawl receiving
motion through suitable connections from a crank, disc, or cam worked
by gearing from the main shaft. The bottom plates of the moulds in tho
upper portion of the moulding table are provided with projecting stalks
or rods passing through guides in a lower portion of the table to prevent
the plates from getting jammed in the mould boxes, and are furnished
with antifriction rollers running on inclines for lifting the plates, and
thereby raising the moulded bricks out of the moulds. The moulds are
lubricated by a pad carried by a rod or plunger, to which reciprocating
motion is imparted, and the upper parts of the moulded bricks are after-
wards passed under a lubricating roller or pad. By these means the
bricks on afterwards entering the pressing dies are caused to lubricate
them and their respective plates, so as to prevent the adhesion of the
bricks thereto, for which purpose also the top plate of the press is
suitably heated, preferably by passing steam through it. The shaft for
giving motion to the moulding table carries also a cam, which by means
of suitable connections actuates the slide of the steam cylinder. The
moulded bricks are moved from the moulding table to the pressing dies
by means of a lever or rod, which receives intermittent motion from a
cam carried by the cam shaft already referred to, and in connection with
this lover is a stop or guard lever or rod arranged to act in combination
therewith, so that the guard lever approaches the other lever and
determines the precise point to which the moulded bricks are delivered.
Each pressed brick on being expelled from the pressing die is pushed
forward by the approach of the succeeding moulded brick to the
delivering apparatus by which it is removed away from the machine
ready for drying or baking. This delivering apparatus consists of an
endless band or belt, or bands or belts receiving motion in a peculiar
manner by passing under and over driving pulleys or rollers, by which it
or they is or are held so as to prevent slipping, and in combination with
the delivering apparatus is a brush placed above it and rotating in a
contrary direction so as to remove the excrescences and loose particles
of clay or plastic material from the faces of the bricks or cakes.
My improvements are applicable to the manufacture of tiles and other
similar articles by adapting the moulds and dies to the articles to be
moulded and nuasood The moulds and dies may be arranged singly

page_text: in sets of two or more so as to produce several bricks or other articles
simultaneously.
I have described above a complete process of making a completely
compressed brick, but my apparatus is so constructed and arranged that.
if necessary that part of it only which is used in forming unpressed
bricks can be detached and be successfully employed in making ordinary
unpressed bricks, which in that state are fit for ordinary use.
I will now proceed to describe the manner of carrying my said
Invention into effect, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,
in which Figure 1 (Shect 1) is a sectional elevation through the lines
A, B, Figures 2 and 3, of a machine constructed according to my
Invention; Figure an elevation, partly in section, at right angles to
Figure 1; Figure 3 (Sheet 2) a sectional plan through the line C, D, of
Figures 1, 2, and 5; Figure 4, a detached section (through E, F, Figures
1 and 2) of the ratchet motion by which intermittent motion is given to
the moulding table; Figure 5, a detached elevation of the steam press;
Figure 6, a plan of the press cylinder, and Figure 7 (Sheet 3) a plan of
the top of the machine with worm wheels in section.
'
a, a, are a pair of crushing rollers, and a', a', scrapers to prevent the
clay clinging to them. These scrapers rest in bearings at each end in
the ordinary manner, and are kept in contact with the rollers by balance
weights placed at the ends of rods, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. 6 is
the pug mill; it is made in four parts bolted together, as shown, for
greater convenience in erection and management, and is provided as
usual with a hopper 6 for catching all that falls from the rollers, and
having a sliding or adjustable door 63 provided with a suitable handle, as
shown; c is the pug-mill shaft provided with knives d, and a double-
bladed bottom knife d'; e is the table turning on a fixed stud e*, and
bearing upon an antifriction roller y placed under that part of the table
which is beneath the pug mill; e¹, e¹, are the moulds in the table;
e, e, their bottom plates; e³, es, their stalks or guides rods, and e*, e*,
the antifriction rollers which raise the rods by passing up an incline e³
(seen best in Figure 1), and move the plates and moulded bricks from
the position shown at X to that at Y. f is the bottom disc, and g the
ring from which it receives motion by means of the pawl h; h¹, a spring
which presses the pawl h into the recesses of the ratchet disc f, and h³
my improved eccentric or cam arrangement for drawing the pawl h back
and holding it out of gear, so that the other parts of the machine may

page_text: g
be worked without turning the table. The eccentric or cam h² has its
eccentric portion in contact with the ring 9, and turns on an axis fixed
to the pawl h; it is shown in Figure 4 in such position that the pawl h
will gear with the teeth of the ratchet disc fand cause it to rotate, but
if the position of the eccentric or cam ³ is reversed by turning it half-
way round on its axis in the direction shown by the arrow by means of
the handle attached to it for that purpose the pawl h will then be
lifted clear of the teeth in the ratchet disc f, and the machine may then
continue to operate, and the ring g to reciprocate without moving the
table e. Reciprocating motion (in this case through about a quarter of
a revolution) is given to the ring 9 by means of the connecting rod g³,
whose other end is actuated by the pin of the rotating crank or disc g*
affixed to the shaft o. A second pawl y¹ prevents any return motion of
the table. i is the cylinder of the press by which the moulded bricks are
pressed, and its piston and piston rod, which I prefer to cast in one
picce as shown. The piston rod is rigidly connected with two cross
Leads j,, and side rods j. The upper cross head j carries the top
pressing plates, and the lower cross head is connected with the
bottom plate j* by means of vulcanized india-rubber springs, passing
at their upper parts over pins fixed to the bottom pressing plate *,
and at their lower parts under similar pins attached to the lower cross.
head. These elastic rings serve to keep the bottom plate and lower
cross head as closely together as possible and to prevent the up stroke of
the cross head from projecting the plate upwards. kis the die in which
the bricks are pressed. This die is made slightly larger laterally than the:
moulds e; the proportion of increase which I have found best in making
ordinary pressed bricks being about two-tenths of an inch in each direc-
tion.,,, are the rollers for driving the delivery belt or band m, which
passes also over a small roller & for bring it close to the press die; n is
the valve rod actuated intermittently from the shaft o by means of the
cam p
and lever p², whose fulcrum is carried by a bracket at the point b³::
as will be readily understood from the Drawing. The lever p' is slotted,
and in its slot it carries an adjustable spindle provided with an anti-
friction roller, which takes into the groove in the cam p, but may be drawn
back out of the influence of the cam by unscrewing a nut and sliding
the spindle along the slot in the lever. The nut is by preference made
in the form of a small hand wheel, as shown at p³. r is the delivering
lever by which the moulded bricks are delivered from the rotating
moulding table e to the press die k. This lover, whose fulcrum is at +1

page_text: ข
is actuated by a second cam 7³ on the shaft o, and gives a reciprocating
motion to a slide ³ faced with felt or other woollen material, and working
on a fixed slide bar 7. The lever r also gives motion through a con-
necting rods to the check or guard levert having its fulcrum at . The
moulds e¹ are lubricated in succession by the padded plunger u, which is
attached to and reciprocates with the rod working in the fixed
guide us, and actuated by the disc us and connecting rod u, as shown
best in Figure 2. In combination with this arrangement for lubricating
the sides and bottoms of the moulds, and from them the corresponding
parts of the bricks, I employ a lubricating roller carried by an arm v¹
hinged at v. This roller lubricates the upper sides of the moulded bricks
as they pass under it on their way to the press. w is a tank or vessel
formed in the cast-iron framing of the machine, and contains oil or other
lubricant, which is supplied to the plunger u and roller by means of
pipes w¹ provided with regulating taps or cocks w³. I prefer to use a
pipe having two branches with taps or cocks (as shown in Figure 3) for
supplying lubricant to the plunger, but for the roller I have found that
one orifice is sufficient. To further guard against adhesion of the brick
to the top plate of the press I heat the latter by passing steam through
it. The steam may be taken from the under side of the press cylinder
by elastic or jointed pipes, and passed through a hole formed in the top
plate, the waste steam being conducted away from the opposite end of
the hole by means of another elastic or jointed pipe leading to a drain or
otherwise as may be most convenient. 1 is the driving pulley by which
motion is imparted to the machine through the medium of a clutch 2
keyed to the shaft 3, and which clutch may be thrown out of gear by
the handle 4 in the ordinary manner; 5 is a pinion keyed to one end of
the shaft 3, and giving motion to the wheel 6 keyed on to the shaft 7;
this shaft 7 also carries the spur wheels 8 and 9 and the mitre wheel 10.
The spur wheel 8 gives motion to another spur wheel 11 turning on a
fixed stud. This wheel 11 gives motion to the vertical shaft o through
the medium of the mitre wheels 12 and 13. The wheel 9 gives motion
to the wheel 14 for actuating the disc u³. The mitre wheel 10 gives
motion to the mitre wheel 15, which is keyed upon the shaft c of the
pug mill. The driving shaft 3 also carries two worms, one of which is
shown in section at 16, Figure 2, and both of which are scen in plan at
Figure 7. These worms run in vessels containing oil or other lubricant,
as shown in section at 17 in Figure 2, and in plan at Figure 7. The worms
impart motion in opposite directions to two worm wheels, one of which

page_text: is keyed to the shaft of each crushing roller, as shown at 18 in Figures 2
and 7. The shaft o carries a spur wheel 19, which drives the delivery
rollers through the medium of the spur and mitre wheels 20, as is
shown in plan at Figure 3. The shaft of one of the delivery rollers
carries a band wheel 21, from which motion is imparted to the band
wheel 22 secured to the axis of the cylindrical brush 23, as shown in
Figures 1 and 3. In the arrangement I have drawn the motive power of
the press is obtained from steam entering the valve chest by the
pipes 24, and exhausting through the pipe 25, but I do not confine
myself to this precise arrangement of press. Q is the base plate upon
which the whole of the mechanical parts are arranged to operate in
combination, z, z, being the main pillars and framing of the machine,
as is clearly illustrated in the Drawings; z¹ is an ordinary platform for
the attendant, which is shown only in Figure 1.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-The clay or brick earth
is thrown into the hopper H above the rollers a, a, by passing between
them it is crushed, and it then enters the pug mill b, falling by its own
gravity until it comes under the influence of the helical knives d, d.
These knives d, rotate and so cause the clay or brick earth to descend,
and while it is descending the said knives mix and amalgamate it, and
water is admitted through perforations in the pipe P (the supply of
which may be regulated by the attendant) for the purpose of rendering
the clay or brick earth plastic. The descent of the clay continues until
it is forced by the double bottom knife din a compact mass into the
mould X. When this mould is full the table e rotates by means of the
intermittent motion it receives from the disc f and ratchet / before
referred to, the brick is then passed under the lubricating roller v, by which
its top is lubricated, it is then raised by the incline e to the position
shown at Y in Figures 1 and 3, and from this position it is removed by the
delivering lever r and its slide to the press; steam is then admitted
above the piston and gives the pressing blow, after which the steam
is admitted below the piston and lifts the brick out of the die k. The
pressed brick is finally pushed forward on to the delivery belt or band m
by the advance of the next moulded brick, and is carried to any
convenient distance from the machine ready for drying or baking. The
moulds e¹ (in the table) from which the bricks have been taken after-
wards successively assume the position in which the lubricating plunger

page_text: u enters them and oils their sides and bottom plates previously to
their again passing under the pug mill, as herein-before described, after
which the moulds are refilled from the pug mill for making other bricks,.
and the operation proceeds as before. In starting the machine the
ratchet motion of the table is thrown out of gear in the manner herein-
before described and the vent door of the pug mill opened wide, the
machine is then put in motion (with the table standing still) until a
stream of compact clay issues from the pugmill vent 6; the vent is then.
nearly closed and the table thrown into gear. By these means the first
brick is produced perfect without leaving any mess or loose dirt about
the working parts of the machine. The novel combination of parts
arranged as herein-before described, forms a compound machine capable
of making either pressed or unpressed bricks, and of changing from one
to the other without stopping the machine, the change being readily
effected at the will of the attendant, who for that purpose throws the
press into or out of gear by means of the hand wheel p³ working in the
slotted lever p' herein-before described. I would remark that extra rolls
may be added for crushing stony earth, and in this case they are driven
(by preference) by connecting rods from the lower rolls, the upper and
lower ones being coupled like locomotive wheels, thus avoiding the use
of gearing and introducing a particularly neat arrangement. For this
purpose an engine may be attached to the machine for driving it and
may be contained on the same base plate.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing it, I would remark that the details shewn in the Drawings
may be modified without departing from the distinctive features of my
improvements, which relate to,—
Firstly. The combination of parts forming the machine for grinding,
pugging, moulding, lubricating, pushing off from the moulding table e,
pressing, delivering, and brushing the bricks or blocks constructed,
arranged, and operating substantially as described.
Secondly. Constructing the moulding machine for producing the
complete common bricks without pressing them in the moulds of the
rotating table so that it may be either used for producing unpressed
bricks or used in combination with the apparatus for subsequently
pressing the bricks in a separate die of different dimensions, the whole
being arranged upon the one base plate so as to form a compound
machine, as herein-before described.

page_text: Thirdly. The application of the plunger and roller arranged
and operating together substantially as herein-before described for the
purposes specified.
Fourthly. The application of the worm wheels and worms or endless
screws running in oil or other lubricant in the vessels 17 for driving
the grinding rollers, the whole being arranged and operating as herein-
before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Fifthly. The use in the machine above described of the delivery lever
or rod in combination with the stop, check, or guard lever or rod t,
for determining the exact position of the brick to be pressed, as
described.
Sixthly. The use for the purposes above specified of the delivering
rollers and A, and band m in combination with the rotating brush 23,
for removing excrescences and loose particles of clay or plastic material
from the faces, of the bricks or cakes as they leave the machine, the
whole constructed and operating substantially as described.
Seventhly. The use of the lower disc f of the circular table e as
described to form guides for the stems e³ of the mould plates e³, such
guides being situated below the antifriction rollers e, and the use, in
combination with the said disc f of the ring 9 carrying the pawl /
arranged to be thrown out of gear and to operate together with the pug
mill vent 6 in the manner and for the purpose described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Julius Frederick Moore Pollock,
have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of
March, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy.
Witness,
W. LLOYD WISE,
Patent Agent,
London.
JULIUS F. M. POLLOCK. (L.S.)