IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MOULDING AND PRESSING BRICKS, TILES, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis Chamberlain, of Barnsley, in the County of York,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR
MOULDING AND PRESSING BRICKS, TILES, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES."
1
BOUL
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis Chamberlain at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th September 1876.
FRANCIS CHAMBERLAIN, of Barnsley, in the County of York. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MOULDING AND PRESSING BRICKS, TILES, AND
OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES."
My Invention relates to machinery or apparatus for moulding and pressing
bricks, tiles, and other similar articles composed of dry or semi-dry clay or other
suitable material, and it has for its object securing articles (bricks for example) free
from the laminated air cracks on their exposed surface, and extending horizontally
through the brick which are incidental to the ordinary process of manufacture.
The machine or apparatus appertains generally to that class in which the material
is fed into a mould or moulds, and is then subjected to compression between a
compound upper piston and a lower piston, the brick thus produced being
subsequently delivered from the mould in a condensed or consolidated condition.
An important feature of my Invention consists in the construction, arrangement,
and mode of operation of the compound upper piston. This piston is made in two
parts, viz., an inner, designated the "panel," and an outer, encircling it, which forms
the body of the piston as has heretofore been proposed, but according to my
Invention I impart a positive pressure to the panel and actuate it, and the outer
piston body (which I make of an area less or not greater than that of the panel) in
such a manner that the material is first subjected to positive pressure by the joint
action of the outer piston body and the panel, or by the action of the panel alone,
and is then relieved of the positive panel pressure, and that the final pressure is
given by the outer piston body alone, the object being to apply pressure when the
material in the mould has arrived at the usual density at which bricks are manu-
factured to a narrow edge encircling strip, whilst the central or inner surface is free
from pressure.

page_text: In carrying out my Invention the machinery or apparatus is constructed and
arranged in the following manner :-Referring first to the arrangement and means
of actuating the compound piston two horizontal beams are employed working the
one above the other and between one and the same set of guide bars, the lower
beam carrying the outer piston body herein-after designated the upper piston, and
the upper beam carrying the panel which is able to pass through the lower beam
and through the upper piston. These beams are actuated with a vertical
reciprocating motion by means of compound cranks or eccentrics in the following
manner-On the main shaft there is fixed at each end thereof an eccentric con-
nected by means of a strap and rod with the lower or piston beam, which eccentric
carries an adjustable crank pin to which is attached a rod connected with the upper
or panel beam. The crank pin is so placod as to possess a slight lead of the eccentric,
whereby the panel will be caused to recede from the panel surface of the brick, the
operation being completed by the eccentric alone acting on the upper piston,
which by its pressure on the encircling outer edge only of the brick, whilst the
central or inner portion of the surface is free from pressure, condenses the brick on
its sides or exposed surfaces, and forces the confined air towards the centre, whence
should the pressure and volume be greater than the brick can sustain without
fracture, it may escape through the panel surface of the brick leaving the vertical
faces free from cracks.
If desired the weight of the panel inay be allowed to remain on the brick after
its positive pressure is relieved, and whilst the outer edge is being subjected to the
final pressure of the outer piston by suspending the panel from the upper bean by
means of bolts in such a manner, that although the upper beam has receded, and the
positive pressure has thus been relieved, the panel itself shall not leave the brick
until the final pressure is completed, and the upper piston commences its stroke in
the upward direction
The lower piston and its accessories may be of any suitable construction and
arrangement, for example, its lower end may work between two sets of guide
bars, and may carry a roller to be acted upon by a cam fixed on the main shaft.
The supply of clay which the mould box receives is regulated by adjusting the
distance to which the lower piston is allowed to fall, which adjustment may be
effected by means of inclined blocks passing through the lower guide bars.
The clay is supplied to the mould by a charging box or tray having a to-and-fro
reciprocating motion, and into which the change is conducted from a hopper or
other suitable receptacle, which box or tray also serves as a pusher for removing the
bricks as they are ejected from the mould. The charger or pusher is connected by
levers and links to a weigh shaft which is caused to oscillate under the action of
the upper beam by means of a roller carried by the latter, and engaging or travelling
in or on a groove or guideway of a lever fast on the weight shaft, whereby the to-
and-fro motion of the charger or pusher is obtained.
It is obvious that in lieu of employing a compound upper piston and simple
lower piston, the converse of this arrangement may be adopted, that is to say, the
upper piston may form the passive resisting body, and the lower piston may consist
of two parts, vie, an outer encircling edge and an inner panel, both arranged and
operated in the manner herein-before described; the compound lower piston in this
case constituting the active pressing body, the pressure of which is sustained by the
1esisting upper piston, or both the upper and the lower pistons may be of compound
form if desired.
I also propose to subject pannelled bricks or other similar articles moulded by
ordinary or other apparatus to pressure on their outer edge, in order to condense
them at those portions which formn their vertical faces and to dispose the confined
'air, so that it shall be in the least manner detrimental to the appearance of the
bricks, as herein-before described.

page_text: .
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Francis Chamberlain in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th March 1877.
FRANCIS CHAMBERLAIN, of Barnsley, in the County of York
"IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MOULDING AND PRESSING BRICKS, TILES, AND
OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES."
My said Invention relates to machinery or apparatus for moulding and pressing
bricks, tiles, and other similar articles composed of dry or semi-dry clay or other
suitable material, and it has for its object securing articles (bricks, for example) free
from the laminated an cracks on their exposed surface, and extending horizontally
through the brick which are incidental to the ordinary process of manufacture.
The machine or apparatus appertains generally to that class in which the
material is fed into a mould or moulds and is then subjected to compression between
a compound upper piston and a lower piston, the brick thus produced being
subsequently delivered from the mould in a condensed or consolidated condition.
An important feature of my Invention consists in the construction, arrangement,
and mode of operation of the compound upper piston. This piston is made in two
parts, vie, an inner, designated the "panel," and an outer, encircling it, which
forms the body of the piston, as has heretofore been proposed; but according to my
Invention I impart a positive pressure to the panel and actuate it and the outer
piston body (which I make of an area less or not greater than that of the panel)
in such a manner that the material is first subjected to positive pressure by the
joint action of the outer piston body and the panel or by the action of the panel
alone, and is then relieved of the positive panel pressure and that the final pressure
is given by the outer piston body alone, the object being to apply pressure when
the material in the mould has arrived at the usual density at which bricks are
manufactured to a narrow edge-encircling strip, whilst the central or inner surface
is free from pressure.
Another feature of my Invention consists in imparting motion by means of the
reciprocating movements of the compound upper piston to a reciprocating charger,
employed for supplying the material to the mould, and also acting as a pusher for
removing the moulded or condensed article when ejected from the mould.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to
the several Figures on the annexed two Sheets of Drawings, the same letters of
reference indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures
Figure 1, Sheets 1, of my Drawings is a front elevation of a brick machine con-
structed according to my Invention; and Figure 2 is a corresponding end elevation
of the same.
Figure 3, Sheet 2, is a vertical section (drawn to an enlarged scale) illustrating
the construction and arrangement of the mould and pistons; Figure 4, Sheet 2,
is a similar section taken at right angles to Figure 3; and Figure 5 is a plan of the
under side or face view of the compound upper piston.
A, A, are two frames or standards bolted to a base plate B, and carrying at their
upper ends a moulding table C, upon which the mould charger D is caused to
reciprocate, and bars E for guiding the upper piston in its vertically reciprocating
motions.
The clay is supplied to the mould charger D from a feeding hopper or otherwise,
and is conducted by the said charger into the mould box C¹ by the forward move-
ment of the former in its reciprocating motion. The to-and-fro motions of the
mould charger are caused to take place at the requisite periods under the action of
the rising and falling motions of the beam carrying the panel of the compound
apper piston, as herein-after described, through the intervention of links F and

page_text: connecting rods G, the latter being keyed on a weigh shaft H working in bearings I
carried by the guide bars E.
The compound upper piston is arranged and actuated in the following manner: -
Two horizontal beains K, L, are fitted to work the one above the other and
between one and the same set of guide bars E, the lower beam L carrying the
outer piston body M (Figures 3 and 4, Sheet 2), herein-after designated the upper
piston, and the upper beam K carrying the panel N, which is able to pass through
the lower beam L and through the upper piston M. These beams K and L are
actuated with a vertical reciprocating motion by means of eccentrics O fixed at each
end of the main shaft P, and connected by means of straps O¹ and rods Qwith the
lower or piston beam L, each of which eccentrics carries an adjustable crank pin R,
to which is attached a rod S connected with the upper or panel beam K. The
crank pin R is so placed as to possess a slight lead of the eccentric, as shewn in
Figure 2, whereby the positive pressure of the panel will be removed from the
panel surface of the brick before the final pressure is imparted by the piston M to
the encircling outer edge thereof, the operation being completed by the eccentric
alone acting on the upper piston M, which by its pressure on such encircling outer
edge only whilst the central or inner portion of the surface of the brick is free from
pressure, condenses the brick on its sides or exposed surfaces and forces the confined
air towards the centre whence should the pressure and volume be greater than the
brick can sustain without fracture, it may escape through the panel surface of the
brick leaving the vertical faces free from cracks.
If desired, the weight of the panel N may be allowed to remain on the brick
after its positive pressure is relieved, and while the outer edge is being subjected to
the final pressure of the outer piston by suspending the panel from the upper
beam K by means of the bolts, which connect them together in such a manner
that although the upper beam has receded, and the positive pressure has thus been
relieved, the panel itself shall not leave the brick until the final pressure is com-
pleted and the upper piston commences its stroke in the upward direction.
The lower piston T forming the bottom of the mould box C¹ is provided at its
lower end with slides U, U, working between two sets of guide bars V, V, con-
nected to the mould box C, and by rods or bars W to the standards A, a roller X
being also fitted to the bottom of this piston to be acted upon in the usual manner
by a cam Y fixed on the main shaft P, so as to sustain the pressure of the upper
piston and to expel the moulded brick from the mould box.
The supply of clay to the mould box is regulated by adjusting the distance to
which the lower piston T is allowed to fall, which adjustment is effected by means
of inclined blocks introduced between the slides U, U, and the lower ends of the
guide bars V.
The machine operates in the following manner :-The mould charger D is first
supplied with clay from a hopper or otherwise, and during the time it is receiving
such supply the beam K carrying the panel N is caused to rise by the action of
the eccentrics O and the rods S. This beam carries a friction roller a, which when
the beam arrives at a certain elevation enters a curved groove or trough-shaped
recess b formed in or upon the upper end of a lever o keyed on the weight
shaft H;
the roller by acting upon the side a¹ of the groove or recess b causes the
shaft H to partially 1otate in one direction, and thereby through the levers G and
links E herein-before referred to impart a forward motion to the mould charger D,
so as to bring the clay contained therein over the mould box C¹, into which the
clay thence passes through an opening in the bottom of the charger. The upper
beam K, together with the panel N, then commences to descend, when the friction
roller a will by acting upon the opposite side a² of the groove or recess b in the
lever c cause the weigh shaft H to partially rotate in the reverse direction, and
thereby bring the mould charger beneath the hopper again to receive a fresh supply
of clay. The beam K together with the panel N continues to descend by the action
of the eccentrics O, O, and the rods S, S, and at the same time the piston M is

page_text: also caused to descend by the action of the said eccentrics O and the rods Q, both
the panel N and the piston M acting simultaneously upon the clay contained in
the mould box C¹, so as to compress it between them and the lower piston T, which
latter is supported so as to sustain the pressure of the upper piston by the cam Y.
5 Before the piston I completes its down stroke the panel N rises slightly, so as to
relieve the clay of its pressure by reason of the connection of the lower ends of the
rods $ with the eccentrics O being slightly on one side of the centre line thereof, as
shewn in Figure 2, the piston M at the same time being further depressed, so as to
impart a final pressure on the outer edge surrounding the panel surface of the brick
for the purpose herein-before explained. So soon as the compression of the clay is
completed the lower piston T under the action of the cam Y is caused to rise and
expel the moulded brick from the mould box C¹, so as to bring the lower surface of
the brick level with the moulding table C. The mould charger then moves forward
with a fresh supply of clay, and in its motion forces the moulded brick from the
piston T on to the moulding table, and at the same time deposits the charge of
clay in the mould box C¹, to be subjected in its turn to the series of operations
herein-before described, the moulded bricks being subsequently removed from the
moulding table by hand, or otherwise, to be dried or baked by any usual or well
known means.
It is obvious that in lieu of employing a compound upper piston and simple
lower piston the converse of this arrangement may be adopted, that is to say, the
upper piston may form the passive resisting body, and the lower piston may
consist of two parts, videlicet, an outer encircling edge and an inner panel, both
arranged and operated in the manner herein-before described, the compound lower
piston in this case constituting the active pressing body, the pressure of which is
sustained by the resisting upper piston. When this modification is adopted the
mould charger may be operated by means of the compound lower piston in its rising
and falling motions. Or both the upper and the lower pistons may be of compound
form if desired, either piston being in that case utilized for operating the mould
charger.
I also subject panelled bricks or other similar articles moulded by ordinary or
other apparatus to pressure on their outer edge in order to condense them at those
portions which formn their vertical faces, and to dispose the confined air so that it
shall be in the least manner detrimental to the appearance of the brick, as herein-
beforo described.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same 18 or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original,
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent is,-
First In a machine for moulding and pressing bricks, tiles, and other similar
articles, by subjecting the material or article to compression in a mould between an
upper piston and a lower piston, one or both of which is or are constructed in two
parts, videlicet, an inner portion or panel and an encircling outer portion or body,
arranging, combining, and operating the panel and the outer piston body in such
manner that the material or article under treatment is first submitted to the
positive pressure of the panel in conjunction or not with that of the outer piston
body, and that it is then relieved of the positive panel pressure, and the final
ressure is given by the outer piston body alone, all substantially as and for the
urposes herein-before described.
Secondly. Imparting motion to a reciprocating mould charger (also acting as a
usher for removing the moulded or condensed article ejected from the mould) by
eans of the reciprocating movements of one of the pistons, substantially in the
anner herein-before described.
Thirdly. The general arrangement and combination of apparatus for supplying
he material to be moulded to the mould, moulding and compressing such material,

page_text: and finally ejecting from the mould and removing the moulded and condensed
article, substantially as herein-before described and illustrated by the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis Chamberlain, have to this my Speci-
fication set my hand and seal, the Second day of March, One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-seven.
FRANCIS CHAMBERLAIN. (L.S.)