IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MIXING AND KNEADING CLAY OR OTHER PLASTIC OR PASTY MATERIALS, AND FOR MANUFACTURING BRICKS, TILES, PIPES, OR OTHER PRODUCTS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alphonse Theyskens, of Duffel, in the Kingdom of
Belgium, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS FOR MIXING AND KNEADING CLAY OR OTHER PLASTIC OR PASTY
MATERIALS, AND FOR MANUFACTURING BRICKS, TILES, PIPES, OR OTHER
PRODUCTS."
Sealed the 20th February 1880, and dated the 28th November 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alphonse Theyskens at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th November 1879.
ALPHONSE THEYSKENS, of Duffel, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Manufacturer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MIXING AND KNEADING CLAY
OR OTHER PLASTIC OR PASTY MATERIALS, AND FOR MANUFACTURING BRICKS, TILES,
PIPES, OR OTHER PRODUCTS."
My Invention relates to machinery or apparatus for mixing or kneading clay or
other plastic or pasty materials, and for manufacturing bricks, tiles, pipes, and other
products.
The said machine or apparatus consists of a horizontal body or hollow cylinder of
diameter and length suitable for the purposes to which it is applied. The said
hollow cylinder, which is closed at both ends by means of covers, and is supported
by a suitable frame, may be of the same diameter throughout its length; or that
end into which the material to be operated upon is charged, hereinafter called the
feed or rear end, may be funnel shaped, the larger diameter of the funnel being at
the end and tapering inwards towards the cylindrical body. The other end of the
said cylinder, hereinafter called the delivery end, is of larger diameter than the
body, the part of larger diameter forming the delivery chamber from which
the material operated upon is delivered or discharged.
In the sides of the delivery chamber are formed or made two suitably shaped
openings, one on each side, and the axes of the said openings are situated one above
and the other below a horizontal plane passing through the axis of the said
cylinder.
Through the said openings the material operated on is discharged from the
machine or apparatus. At the feed end of the said hollow cylinder is an opening
which may be provided with a funnel or hopper, through which the material to be

page_text: operated on is charged into the cylinder, and in a suitable part of the length of the
said cylinder is an opening closed by a cover, which when removed allows the
inside of the apparatus to be examined and cleaned.
The axis of the said hollow cylinder is traversed longitudinally by a rotatory
shaft passing through the two covers to the outside, when it is supported in
suitable bearings.
Upon the said rotatory shaft and within the cylinder are affixed helical arms or
blades extending from the said shaft to near the inner surface of the cylinder, and
The said helical arms or blades are
describing each a portion or arc of a helix.
mounted upon the said shaft in pairs in the same vertical plane, but diametrically
opposite one to the other, thus forming a portion of a double threaded screw.
The said pairs of helical blades or arms, of which there may be more or less
according to the length of the cylinder and the nature of the material operated
upon, are placed one before the other a little distance apart, so as to form a series of
the said pairs of helical blades or arms extending to near the delivery chamber. In
the delivery chamber the said shaft is provided with a slightly curved arm or vane
extending the whole length of the delivery chamber, and from the shaft to the
inner surface of the cylinder, and upon the said shaft between the last mentioned
curved arm or vane and the first pair of helical arms or blades are mounted knives
or cutters of suitable width, and extending from the said shaft to the inner surface
of the cylinder.
Rotatory motion is communicated to the said shaft by suitable gearing or other
mechanical means. When it is required to manufacture bricks or other articles
with my improved machine or apparatus, the openings in the sides of the delivery
chamber, which are shaped according to the work to be performed, are provided
with suitable moulds, forms, or plates, constructed and arranged so as to impart to
the mixed and kneaded material issuing from the delivery chamber the required
shape and outline.
The action of the machine is as follows
The material to be mixed, kneaded, and worked up being charged into the feed
end of the cylinder, the said material is by the rotatory motion of the shaft mixed,
kneaded, and worked up by the helical blades and knives hereinbefore described,
and is by them caused to move forward to the delivery chamber, where by the
action of the curved arm or vane it is forced out alternately through one and then
the other of the openings in its sides, either in the shape imparted to it by the
moulds or forms applied to the said openings, or, if no moulds or forms be used, in a
plastic or pasty state.
The said material whether shaped or not is delivered onto a table, of which one
is provided for each opening, and the material may there be cut into lengths, and
may be removed or allowed to fall on the ground. The action of the machine is
continuous.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alphonse Theyskens in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th May
1880.
'
ALPHONSE THEYSKENS, of Duffel, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Manufacturer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MIXING AND KNEADING CLAY
OR OTHER PLASTIC OR PASTY MATERIALS, AND FOR MANUFACTURING BRICKS, TILES,
PIPES, OR OTHER PRODUCTS."
My Invention relates to machinery or apparatus for mixing or kneading clay or
other plastic or pasty materials, and for manufacturing bricks, tiles, pipes, and
other products.
The said machiue or apparatus consists of a horizontal body or hollow cylinder
of diameter and length suitable for the purposes to which it is applied. The said
hollow cylinder, which is closed at both ends by means of covers, and is supported
by a suitable frame, may be of the same diameter throughout its length; or that
end into which the material to be operated upon is charged, hereinafter called the
feed or rear end, may be funnel shaped, the larger diameter of the funnel being at
the end and tapering inwards towards the cylindrical body. The other end of the
said cylinder, hereinafter called the delivery end, is of larger diameter than the body;
the part of larger diameter forming the delivery chamber from which the material
operated upon is delivered or discharged.
In the sides of the delivery chamber are formed or made two suitably shaped
openings, one on each side, and the axes of the said openings are situated one above
and the other below a horizontal plane passing through the axis of the said cylinder.
Through the said openings the material operated on is discharged from the machine
or apparatus. At the feed end of the said hollow cylinder is an opening which may
be provided with a funnel or hopper, through which the material to be operated on
is charged into the cylinder, and in a suitable part of the length of the said cylinder
is an opening closed by a cover, which, when removed, allows the inside of the
apparatus to be examined and cleaned.
The axis of the said hollow cylinder is traversed longitudinally by a rotatory
shaft passing through the two covers to the outside where it is supported in suitable
bearings.
Upon the said rotatory shaft and within the cylinder are affixed helical arms or
blades, extending from the said shaft to near the inner surface of the cylinder, and
describing each a portion or arc of a helix.
The said helical arms or blades are mounted upon the said shaft in pairs in the
same vertical plane, but diametrically opposite one to the other, thus forming a
portion of a double threaded screw.
The said pairs of helical blades or arms, of which there may be more or less
according to the length of the cylinder and the nature of the material operated
upon, are placed one before the other a little distance apart, so as to form a series
of the said pairs of helical blades or arms extending to near the delivery chamber.
In the delivery chamber the said shaft is provided with a slightly curved arm or
vane extending the whole length of the delivery chamber and from the shaft to the
inner surface of the cylinder, and upon the said shaft between the last mentioned
curved arm or vane and the first pair of helical arms or blades are mounted knives
or cutters of suitable width, and extending from the said shaft to the inner surface
of the cylinder.
Rotatory motion is communicated to the said shaft by suitable gearing or other
mechanical means. When it is required to manufacture bricks or other articles
with my improved machine or apparatus, the openings in the sides of the delivery
chamber, which are shaped according to the work to be performed, are provided
with suitable moulds, forms, or plates, constructed and arranged so as to impart to

page_text: the mixed and kneaded material issuing from the delivery chamber the required
shape and outline.
The action of the machine is as follows:-
The material to be mixed, kneaded, and worked up, being charged into the feed
end of the cylinder, the said material is by the rotatory motion of the shaft mixed, 5
kneaded, and worked up by the helical blades and knives herein before described,
and is by them caused to move forward to the delivery chamber, where, by the
action of the curved arm or vane, it is forced out alternately through one and then
the other of the openings in its sides, either in the shape imparted to it by the
moulds or forms applied to the said openings, or, if no moulds or forms be used, in 1
a plastic or pasty state. The said material whether shaped or not is delivered
onto a table, of which one is provided for each opening, and the material may there
be cut into lengths, and may be removed or allowed to fall on the ground. The
action of the machine is continuous.
Having now explained the nature of my said Invention I will proceed to describe 1
with reference to the accompanying Drawings the manner of performing the same.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal elevation of a machine or apparatus for mixing and
kneading clay and other plastic or pasty materials, and for manufacturing bricks,
tiles, pipes or other products, constructed according to my Invention.
Fig. 2 is an end view of the same, and Fig. 3 is a plan of the same; Fig. 4 is an 2
elevation of the rotatory shaft traversing the machine or apparatus longitudinally;
and Fig. 5 is an end view of Fig. 4. The same letters of reference indicate like
parts where they occur in the different Figures of the Drawing.
The said machine or apparatus consists of a horizontal body or hollow cylinder A
closed at both ends by covers B, and supported by a suitable frane A', A. The 2
said hollow cylinder A may be of the same diameter throughout its length, or the
feed or near end a into which the material to be operated on is charged may be
funnel shaped, the larger diameter of the funnel being at the end and tapering inwards
towards the cylindrical body A. The delivery end of the said cylinder marked a*
is of larger diameter than the body A, to which it is connected by the shoulder a³. 3
The material operated upon is delivered or discharged alternately through two
openings a, a, one on each side of the delivery chamber a³, the axis of the said
openings being situated one above and the other below the horizontal plane passing
through the axis of the cylinder A and delivery chamber a. At the top of the
feed end a of the cylinder A is formed an opening a', upon which may be placed a
a funnel or bopper to charge the material into the cylinder; a5 is a man-hole closed
by a cover which when removed gives access to the inside of the apparatus. In the
axis of the cylinder A is a rotatory shaft b, which passes through the two covers B
and is supported in suitable bearings b¹, b, carried by the standards A2, A²
The said shaft b, which is shewn separately in Figs. 4 and 5, is provided within 4
the body of the cylinder A with helical arms or blades c, c', extending from the
said shaft b to near the inner surface of the said cylinder A, and describing each
a portion or are of a helix. The said arms or blades c, c', are mounted upon the
shaft bin pairs in the same vertical plane, but diametrically opposite one to the
other, so as to form a portion of a double threaded screw.
Four of the said pairs of helical arms or blades c, c¹, are represented in
Figs. 1 and 4.
Upon the said shaft bare also affixed knives or cutters d, d, between the helical
arms or blades c, c', and the delivery chamber a, and within the said delivery
chamber the said shaft b is provided with a slightly curved arm or vane i extending
the whole length of the said chamber and from the said shaft to near the inner
surface of the said chamber. Upon the shaft b is mounted a bevil wheel e, the teeth of
which take into the teeth of a bevil piuion f affixed upon the shaft g; h is a pulley
upon the said shaft g, which pulley receives motion from any suitable motive power,
and communicates rotatory motion to the shaft, g and through the pinion fand
wheel e to the shaft b. If preferred, any other suitable mechanical means may be
used to communicate rotatory motion to the said shaft b.
4

page_text: The material is charged into the cylinder A through the opening a¹, and by the
action of the helical arms or blades c, c¹, of the knives d, d, and of the arm or vane
i is caused to move forward through the machine, is mixed, kneaded, and
worked up, and is delivered alternately through one and then the other of the
openings a', at
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of perform-
ing the same, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the
precise details hereinbefore described and represented in the accompanying Drawing,
as the same may be varied without departing from the nature of my Invention,
but I claim as my Invention,-
The combination and arrangement of parts of machinery or apparatus for mixing
and kneading clay or other plastic or pasty materials, and for manufacturing bricks,
tiles, or other products, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawing, that is to say, a horizontal cylinder or barrel in which is
a rotatory shaft provided with helical arms for blades mounted in pairs so as to
form portions of a double threaded screw, and with knives or cutters and a
slightly curved arm or vane, constructed and disposed essentially as described
and represented.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alphonse Theyskens, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.
ALPHONSE THEYSKENS. (L.S.)