IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MAKING BRICKS, TILES, PIPES, AND OTHER ARTICLES MADE OF PLASTIC MATERIALS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Eccles, of Blackburn, in the County of
Lancaster, Cotton Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR MAKING BRICKS, TILES, PIPES, AND OTHER ARTICLES MADE
OF PLASTIC MATERIALS."
Sealed the 12th May 1857, and dated the 12th November 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Eccles at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th November 1856.
I, JOSEPH ECCLES, of Blackburn, in the County of Lancaster, Cotton
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Iμ-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MAKING BRICKS, TILES, PIPES, AND OTHER ARTICLES
MADE OF PLASTIC MATERIALS," to be as follows:-
Firstly, my Invention relates to machines for making bricks, acting on the
principle of that for which a Patent was granted to James McHenry, on or
about the Twentieth day of July, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two,
and my present Invention may be considered as supplemental to that for which
a Patent was granted to me, numbered 2283, and dated the Twenty-sixth day
of October, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, which was for making
hollow bricks in machines, acting on the principle of the one above referred to.
In the manufacture of hollow bricks it is desirable that the hollow should

page_text: extend through or perforate the brick to cause it to be more readily dried and
burned. This is not perfectly accomplished by the plugs or cores fixed in the
mould box, as a thin layer of material is left over them, and it is the object of
my Invention to break through this layer and thus completely perforate the
brick, and my Invention consists in accomplishing this purpose by certain
mechanical arrangements while the bricks are being forced from the moulds,
or when they have been pushed on to the receiving plate. This is performed
by points or plugs made to give the shape of the perforations required, which
are secured to a bar or frame, so that when arranged to come over the mould
boxes, the bricks on rising will be forced against the points, and thus be
perforated; or if the bar or frame is placed in suitable guides over the position
of the bricks, when pushed on to the receiving plate it is caused to perforate all
the bricks at the same time, by having a movement imparted to it which
forces the points or plugs through the bricks, and then retires to be out of the
way. The mechanism may be actuated from the reciprocating table in which
the mould boxes are placed, or from a suitable cam on the mangle-wheel
shaft.
Secondly, my Invention relates to the manufacture of bricks, tiles, pipes,
and other articles made by expressing plastic materials through moulding
orifices, and consists in combining machinery or apparatus for this purpose
with a machine on the principle of that herein-before referred to as patented
by M Henry. In this proposed combination, the reciprocations of the table
carrying the mould boxes in MoHenry's machine is made to actuate the piston
which forces the plastic material through the moulding orifices. The tablo
may be made to operate at both ends.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Eccles in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th May 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPII
ECCLES, of Blackburn, in the County of Lancaster, Cotton Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Royal
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of November, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Joseph
Eccles, Her especial license that I, the said Joseph Eccles, my executors,

page_text: administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Joseph Eccles, 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, TILES, PIPES, AND OTHER ARTICLES MADE OF
PLASTIC MATERIALS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Joseph Eccles, by an instrument in writing under my hand and scal, 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 said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Joseph Eccles, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement and accompanying Drawings (that is to say):-
:-
Firstly, my Invention relates to machines for making bricks, acting on the
principle of that for which a Patent was granted to James McHenry, on or
about the Twentieth day of July, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two,
and my present Invention may be considered as supplemental to that for which
a Patent was granted to me, numbered 2283, and dated the Twenty-sixth day
of October, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, which was for making
hollow bricks in machines, acting on the principle of the one above referred to.
In the manufacture of hollow bricks it is desirable that the hollow should
extend through or perforate the brick to cause it to be more readily dried and
burned. This is not perfectly accomplished by the plugs or cores fixed in the
mould boxes, as in practice a thin layer of material is left over the plugs or
cores, and it is the object or purpose of my Invention to break through this
layer, and thus completely perforate the brick, and my Invention consists in
accomplishing this purpose by certain mechanical arrangements, which net to
perforate the bricks when they are being pushed out of the mould boxes,
or when being pushed on to the receiving plate, or immediately after they
have been pushed on to the receiving plate. This is performed by points or
plugs made to give the shape of the perforation required, which are secured
to arms, or to a bar or frame, which is arranged so that the bricks when forced
from the mould boxes will come against the points or plugs, or is arranged so
that the bar or frame has a movement which forces the points or plugs
into the bricks.

page_text: In the annexed Sheet of Drawings I have illustrated two methods of carrying
my Invention into effect. One arrangement in which the points or plugs are
forced against and into the bricks, and the other in which the bricks are forced
against the points or plugs. The former arrangement is represented by Figs.
1, 2, and 3, and the latter by Figs. 4, 5, and 6. Figs. 1 and 4, 2 and 5, 3 and 6
are, respectively, end elevations, side elevations, and plan views of such portions
of McHenry's machine (as improved and now in use) as will be necessary to
describe the manner in which my Invention is carried into effect; these Figures
also shew the arrangements forming my Invention. It will be understood that
the Figures only exhibit portions of one end (or side) of the machine, the arrange-
ments being precisely the same for each end (or side) of the machine.
a is the frame of the machine; b, part of the hopper; c, the table in which
the mould boxes are formed or fixed; d, supporting antifriction pulleys. The
table (c) is shewn in its extreme outward position. When the moulded bricks
are forced out of the boxes they are pushed on to the receiving plate (6), which
is on a level with the surface of the table. The pusher which forces the bricks
on to the receiving plate (e) is a frame (f), which has studs (f') fixed on its
ends, upon which antifriction bowls are placed; these work in paths or grooves
formed in the framing of the machine, as shewn. The pusherf carries a shaft
(9), to which a sieve (9³) is attached, in which suitable material is placed for
dusting the mould boxes when the pusher passes over them. By means of a
lever (g) on the end of the shaft g, and the corrugated surface g attached to
the framing, the dusting sieve (g) receives the requisite shaking motion.
will be observed that the face of the pusher f is formed in steps; this arrange-
ment is made so that the pusher will not come in contact with all the bricks at
the same time, as they have a certain amount of adhesion to the pistons that
force them out of the mould boxes. By this arrangement this adhesion is
overcome in detail, and consequently less strain and shock is put upon the
mechanism. Those parts shown in the Drawings, and hitherto referred to,
form no part of my Iuvention, but are already in use.
It
I shall now describe that modification of my Invention shewn in Figs. 1,
2, and 3. Two carriers h are attached to or formed on the pusher frame (f)
to serve as the bearings of a shaft h'; to this shaft arms h' are secured, one for
each mould box; to these arms are fixed the points or plugs k, which are to
perforate the bricks. On the end of the shaft h' a bent lever (h³) is fixed, and
this lever is in contact with two antifriction pulleys h' fixed in the framing.
This lever h³ is so shaped that the antifriction pulleys h will cause it to give
the required movements to the shaft h' for perforating the bricks while the
pusher (f) is forcing them on to the receiving plate (c). If the face of the

page_text: pusher (f) was a straight line, and came against all the bricks at the same time,
then the lever (3) might be so shaped as to cause the points or plugs to enter
the bricks at the moment the pusher came in contact with them; but as the
pusher (f) is stepped, the points or plugs must not touch the bricks till the
pusher has come against the whole of them. The lever h³ should be so shaped,
that the points or plugs are made to descend and perforate the bricks, and
ascend clear of them before the movement of the pusher ceases. It will be
observed, by reference to Fig. 3, that the points or plugs are not all in a line,
their positions depending upon the situation of the face pushing each brick.
The points or plugs (k) may be fixed on a bar or in a frame, which may be
arranged to move vertically in guides attached to the pusher (f), the vertical
movement being given by arms on the shaft h¹. A suitably shaped groove or
path may be substituted for the bent lever hand the antifriction pulleys (h 4).
I will next describe that modification of my Invention exhibited by Figs. 4, 5,
and 6 of the annexed Drawings. Projections are made from the pusher frame
(f), to which a cross bar (f") is attached; to this cross bar and to brackets
or projections (f) from the pusher two studs (h') are fixed. On each stud
one end of a lever or arm h is placed, so as to be free to oscillato; the other
ends of these levers or arms (h³) are jointed with a bar (h 5), having formed on
it or fixed to it points or plugs (k) for perforating the bricks. From this
explanation it will be seen that the bar h³ can move in the same line or direction.
as the table (c) and at the same time have a vertical movement. The bar h³
is caused to move with the table by a stud or antifriction bowl h* fixed on the
side of the table (c), which comes against a bent bar h³, secured to the bar h',
and so causes it to move along with a velocity exactly corresponding to that of
the table c. When the arms h² are in the vertical position the points or plugs
(k) are in their nearest position to the surface of the table (c); and at that
monent, when each mould box arrives exactly under its respective perforating
points or plugs (k), the antifriction bowl h* comes in contact with the bent
bar h, so that the points or plugs (k) are thus kept vertically over their
respective mould boxes. The bricks are pushed from the mould boxes by arms
or levers, and a bar, similar in arrangement to the bar and arms h³, but
reversed in position, consequently the bricks have the greatest ascending motion
at the time when they begin to be delivered from the boxes, and least move-
ment when their delivery is nearly completed, while the velocity of vertical
movement of the bar h will be just the contrary; the bricks when forced from
the mould boxes come against the points or plugs k on the bar h³, and are
thus perforated, while the arms or levers h³ are comparatively in a vertical
position, and the bar h³ has least vertical movement. After perforation, both

page_text: the bricks and bar h³ continue to rise, but the former at a decreasing, and the
latter at an increasing speed, so that by the time the table has arrived at the
end of its movement the points or plugs (k) will be quito clear of the bricks.
Apart from the difference of vertical movement between the bricks and tho
bar h³, due to this arrangement, the rapid riso of the bar h is further increased
by making the levers or arms h of less radius than those employed for forcing
the bricks out of the mould boxes. The perforation of the bricks should take
placo as near as possible while the levers or arms h³ are in the vertical position,
otherwise, if much past the vertical position, when the bricks come in contact
with the points or plugs (k) the bar and points or plugs may be lifted by the
bricks without effecting the perforations, as some force is required to cause the
points to penetrate. But this may be rendered quite certain by causing
the levers or arms h to move past the vertical position, which may be done by
a weight and chain attached to the bent bar h, as shewn in dotted line in
Fig. 4 and 5. The points or plugs (4) must be arranged so as to be clear of
the bricks before the pusherf begins to move.
When the pusher f begins to
move the bent bar is slided off the bowl h', but before the bar h³ leaves the
bowl completely it rests against an edge he fixed to the end of the framing.
This arrangement prevents the bar h³ from lowering when the table (c) begins
to move back. The back movement of the pusher (f) draws the bent bar h³
clear of the piece h, and when clear the bar he assumes by its own weight that
position nearest the surface of the table (c).
. Secondly, my Invention relates to the manufacture of bricks, tiles, pipes, and
other articles made by expressing plastic materials through moulding orifices,
and consists in combining machinery or apparatus for this purpose with a
machine on the principle of that herein-before referred to as patented by Mr.
Henery. In this proposed combination the reciprocations of the table carrying
the mould boxes are made to actuate the piston which forces the plastic
materials through the moulding orifices. The table may be made to operate at
both ends. This part of my Invention is illustrated by Fig. 7, a side elevation.
a, framing; b, hopper; c, table. The frame a' carrying the apparatus is
attached to the end framing (a). Tho box in which the clay is placed, and
other parts in connection with it, may be of ordinary construction. This box
is supposed to be represented by 1; and m may be considered to be the rod or
stem of the piston plate sliding between ribs on the frame a'. Advantago is
only taken of a portion of the reciprocating motion of the table. A shaft n is
fixed in bearings formed in the end of the stem (m). On this shaft (n) are
fixed pieces, which in one position of the shaft will stand up so as to be caught
by the end of the table (c), but in the other position of the shaft the table

page_text: passes clear over. The shaft (n) is turned by a handle n'. On one or on each
side of the table (c) a latch n is jointed on a stud or fulcrum n 3. Each latch
(n 2) has a tail piece which rests against a pin in the side of the table, which
is intended to prevent the hook end of the latch, which is made heavy, from
falling below that position in which it is shewn in the Drawing. Each latch
catches on a piece fixed on the shaft n. These latches are for the purpose of
drawing the piston back after each forward stroke, being arranged so that they
may be lifted when drawn back to a point fixed upon, and released from the
pieces on the shaft n. This is accomplished by an incline p, against which
comes a pin projecting from the tail picce of the latch.
I have now particularly described the nature of my Invention and the modes
of carrying the samo into effect, and wish it to be understood that I do not
restrict myself to the details herein given, which may be variously modified
and still retain the peculiarities of my Invention; but would have it understood
that I claim as my Invention,-
Firstly, I claim, in combination with machines acting on the principle herein-
before referred to, arrangements for perforating hollow moulded bricks, sub-
stantially in the manner herein-before described under the head of the first
part of my Invention.
Secondly, I claim the combination of the machines described under the head
of the second part of my Invention, so that one shall actuate the other,
substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Eccles, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventh day of May, in the year of our Lord Ono
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
JOSEPH ECCLES. (L.S.)