Improvements in Machines for Moulding and Pressing Clay or other Plastic Materials.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd May, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Feb., 1892-Accepted, 30th Apr., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Moulding and Pressing Clay or other
Plastic Materials.
We THOMAS ALFRED AUSTIN PILE and WILLIAM ALBERT PILE both of
No. 34 Great St. Helens in the City of London, Engineers, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object to provide a simple and efficient machine for
moulding and pressing clay or other plastic material intended more particularly
for making bricquets or blocks of artificial fuel but it is also applicable for making
bricks of other materials and other articles of various shapes and sizes.
According to this invention a mould box is caused to reciprocate to and fro over
a table and beneath vertically reciprocating plungers the motions of the mould box
and the plungers being so regulated or timed that when the plungers are in their
elevated position a charge of material is automatically fed into a mould or die and
while one of the plungers is pressing a charge of material in one of the moulds in
the mould box another of the plungers is expelling a previously moulded article
from another of the moulds in the said mould box. The reciprocating motions may
be given to the mould box and plungers by any convenient arrangement of
mechanism, for example direct motion may be given to the plungers by means of a
crank or eccentric on a shaft driven from any suitable source of power the crank
or eccentric strap being connected by a rod to a crosshead or slide to which the
plungers are fixed and motion may be transmitted from this crosshead or slide to
the mould box by cams and gearing or the crosshead may be connected by a rod to
one arm of a bell crank or cam disc the other arm of the bell crank or the cam
disc being connected to the mould box so that by this means motion may be
transmitted from a single crank or eccentric through the crosshead or slide to the
mould box and the plungers at the required periods. The material be supplied
to the moulds in the mould box in measured quantities by providing in a shoot or
conduit through which the material passes to the said moulds two slides or valves
arranged at a suitable distance apart and caused to act alternately to close and
open the passage through the conduit so as to admit the material to the space
between the two slides or valves and then to discharge this material into the mould
before fresh material is allowed to enter or any other suitable measuring device
may be employed. Two or more mould boxes and corresponding plungers may
be arranged in one machine to be operated from one and the same driving shaft.
Dated this 2nd dor of Mar 1891
may
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Moulding and Pressing Clay or other
Plastic Materials.
We THOMAS ALFRED AUSTIN PILE and WILLIAM ALBERT PILE both of
No. 34 Great Saint Helens in the City of London Engineers do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same to be performed to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention has for its object to provide a simple and efficient machine for
moulding and pressing clay or other plastic material the said machine being
intended more particularly for making briquets or blocks of artificial fuel but it is
037

page_text: also applicable for making bricks of other materials and other articles of various
shapes and sizes.
According to this invention a mould box is caused to reciprocate or move to and
fro over a table and beneath reciprocating plungers the motions of the mould box
and the plungers being so regulated or timed that when the plungers are in their
elevated position a charge of material is fed into a mould or die the mould box
and while one of the plungers is pressing a charge of material in one of the moulds
another of the plungers is expelling a previously moulded article from another of
the moulds in the said mould box.
The reciprocating motions may be given to the mould box and plungers by any
convenient arrangement of mechanism for example direct motion may be given to
the plungers by means of a crank or eccentric on a shaft driven from any suitable
source of power the crank or eccentric strap being connected by a rod to a cross-
head or slide to which the plungers are fixed and motion may be transmitted from
this crosshead or slide to the mould box by any suitable device so that motion may
be transmitted from a single crank or eccentric through the crosshead or slide to
the mould box and the plungers at the required periods. The material may be
supplied to the moulds in the mould box in measured quantities by any convenient
means but preferably by means of a frame or slide caused to reciprocate to and fro
beneath the outlet from a chamber or hopper containing the material to be moulded
the motions of this frame or slide being so timed that while the plungers are
descending to compress material in one of the moulds and to expel a pressed or
moulded article from another of the moulds the said frame or slide will be moved
so as to open the discharge opening of the hopper and allow a supply of the material
sufficient to charge a mould to pass therethrough and then as the plungers rise the
said frame or slide will move forward and push the material into a mould and at
the same time close the outlet from the hopper. Two or more mould boxes and
corresponding plungers may be arranged in one machine to be operated from one
and the same driving shaft.
In order that this invention may be well understood we will describe with
reference to the accompanying drawings the best means with which we are
acquainted for carrying our invention into practical effect but we do not restrict
ourselves to the details illustrated and described as variations may be made therein
without departing from the nature of our invention.
Figure 1 represents partly in elevation and partly in vertical section a machine
constructed according to this invention for moulding briquets of artificial fuel or
bricks of clay or other material and
Figure 2 is an elevation of the machine at right angles to Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a front elevation and Figure 4 a plan partly in section of the cams
or rocking levers for giving motion to the mould boxes. The drawings illustrate
a duplex machine, that is to say a machine having two mould boxes and two sets
of plungers and feeding devices and parts connected therewith the whole being
operated from one and the same driving shaft but it is obvious that a machine may
be provided having only one set of moulding apparatus or with more than two sets
if desired.
As the moulding devices are the same on both sides of the machine we will
describe one set only and letter the other set with the same reference letters. To
the base A of the machine are bolted strong upright standards B connected
together at their upper ends by a frame C carrying a driving pulley and gearing
for operating the mixing devices for the components of the material to be moulded
as hereinafter described. E is the mould box which is caused to reciprocate on a
table D beneath plungers F F and G the material being pressed in the moulds by
the plunger G and the moulded articles being expelled from the moulds by the
plungers F and F¹. The plungers are carried by a frame or crosshead H fitted to
slide up and down between the standards B. I is a hopper or chamber containing
the material to be moulded and K is a reciprocating frame or slide by which the
material is fed into the moulds, the said frame or slide K being caused to reciprocate

page_text: beneath the outlet g from the hopper I at right angles or transversely to the line of
movement of the mould box E and is provided with a plate or projection n which
alternately closes and opens the said outlet so as to admit of a definite quantity of
the material being passed from the hopper I to charge one of the moulds at each
reciprocation. This feeding slide is operated by the up and down motions of the
cross head H to which it is connected by a rod M the lower end of the rod being
connected to one arm of a bell crank lever L the other arm of the said lever being
attached to the said feeding slide.
N is the first motion shaft which may be driven from any suitable prime mover
by a strap passing round a wheel or pulley O. The shaft N carries a pinion P
gearing with a spur wheel Pi fast on a crank shaft Q mounted in bearings Q₁ on
the base A of the machine. The crank R on the shaft Q is connected by a rod S
to the crosshead or frame H so that by the rotation of this shaft the required
vertical reciprocating motions are given to the plungers FF' and G. The
piunger G by which the material is pressed in the moulds is arranged between
the plungers FF' which expel the pressed material or briquets from the moulds.
The mould box which is caused to reciprocate beneath the plungers is connected
to an arm W fast on a rocking shaft X mounted in the bearing Y on which shaft is
also fixed a lever or cam Z (Figs. 3 & 4) having therein a V shaped slot or groove a a¹
in which works a stud or friction bowl carried on a rod e suspended from the
crosshead H. The stud or friction bowl is arranged at such a distance from the
crosshead that when the said crosshead is in its highest position the said stud is in
contact with the upper end of one or other of the branches a or a' of the V shaped
groove in the cam or lever Z and maintains the said lever tilted on one side of its
axis and consequently the mould box E in one of its extreme positions on the
moulding table D.
When the crosshead descends the stud or friction bowl travels down the branch
of the groove in which it is situated and when the crosshead reaches its lowest
position the rod c swings on its centred and brings the stud or friction bowl into
the other branch of the V groove so that when the crosshead rises the said stud or
friction bowl will travel in this branch of the groove and come into contact with the
upper end thereof so that by the time the crosshead reaches its highest position it
will have rocked the cam or lever Z on its axis and consequently have moved the
mould box E into its extreme opposite position.
Assuming that blocks of artificial fuel are to be moulded the materials of which
they are to be composed are placed in the hopper I and thoroughly mixed by
suitable arms or stirrers fast on the vertical shaft e.
These stirrers may be of any suitable kind. They are not shewn in the
drawing.
The said shaft also carries at its lower end arms by which the material is
forced through the opening g in the bottom of the hopper.
The vertical shafte is rotated by means of gearing from a shaft i mounted in
bearings in the frame C and driven from any suitable prime mover by a strap
passing round the pulley l.
When the feeding frame or slide K is in the position shewn in Figure 1 the
outlet from the hopper I is closed by the plate or projection on the feeding
frame and remains in this position until the crosshead has descended to within a
short distance of its lowest position by reason of the arm of the bell crank lever L
to which the feeding frame is connected being slotted as shewn at p to admit of the
descent of the plunger G into the mould U and partly press the material contained
therein. By the continued descent of the crosshead to complete the pressing of the
material the upper end of the slot in the rod M by coming into contact with the
stud y on the arm of the bell crank L causes the feeding frame K to move back so as
to uncover the outlet g from the hopper 1 and admit of a fresh charge of the material
being forced from the hopper by the arms onto the moulding table D ready to
be pushed into a mould at the next forward movement of the feeding frame K.
The crosshead having completed its downward motion and effected the pressing of

page_text: the material in the mould U, commences to rise, the friction bowl or stud b on the
swinging rod c (having travelled down the branch a¹ of the V groove in the cam or
rocking lever Z) rising with it in the other branch a of the groove, the rod M also
rising without operating the bell crank lever L in consequence of the slot p therein
sliding on the stud 9. When however the crosshead has risen sufficiently to raise
the plungers F F' and G above the mould box E the stud or friction bowl b by
coming into contact with the upper end of the branch a of the V groove in the cam
or lever Z will cause the lever to rock on its axis and through the arm W move the
mould box so as to bring the mould V beneath the plunger G and the mould U
containing the pressed material beneath the plunger F and at the same time the
lower end of the slot p in the rod M by coming into contact with the stud 9 on the
bell crank lever L will cause the said bell crank to rock on its axis and move
the feeding frame forward so as to push the charge of material which passed from
the hopper onto the moulding table into the mould V. The crosshead having
completed its upward movement again descends, the plunger G then entering the
mould V and the plunger F entering the mould U the material in the mould V being
pressed in the said mould whilst at the same time the plunger F which is longer
than the plunger G forces the material previously pressed in the mould U through
the bottom of the mould into a shoot or onto an endless apron by which it may be
conducted to any desired place. The crosshead will then commence to rise again
and the cycle of movements hereinbefore described be repeated the mould U being
brought into position to receive a fresh charge of material to be pressed by the
plunger G and the mould V containing the pressed material being brought into
position for the plunger F¹ to force the pressed material therefrom. It will thus
be seen that the mould box E is moved by the rocking cam or lever Z alternately
in opposite directions so that the moulds U and V are alternately brought into
position, to receive a charge of material to be pressed therein by the plunger G
and while the material is being pressed in one of the moulds the pressed material
in the other mould is being expelled by either the plunger For F¹ as the case may
be. In the upper end of each of the branches of the V grooves a a¹ in the rocking
cam or lever Z is a stud » pressed inwards by a spring s which studs act as cushions
to prevent undue concussion of the friction bowl or stud b when it reaches the upper
ends of said branches.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
First. In a machine for moulding and pressing briquets or blocks of artificial
fuel or other articles of plastic material the combination of reciprocating plungers
and a transversely reciprocating mould box or mould boxes containing moulds the
motion of the plungers and the mould box or mould boxes being so arranged and
timed that while one of the plungers is pressing the plastic material in one of the
moulds a pressed block or article is being expelled by another of the plungers from
another of the moulds substantially as hereinbefore described.
Second. In a machine for moulding and pressing briquets or blocks of artificial
fuel or other articles of plastic material the combination with reciprocating plungers
and a transversely reciprocating mould box or mould boxes each mould having
moulds charged alternately with material by a reciprocating feeding device the
movements of the plungers the mould box or mould boxes and the feeding device
or feeding devices being so arranged and timed that while the material is being fed
into one of the moulds in a mould box and pressed therein by one of the plungers
a previously pressed or moulded article is being expelled or forced from another of
the moulds in the same mould box by another of the plungers substantially as
herein before described.
Third. In a machine for the purpose hereinbefore mentioned in which a mould
box is caused to traverse to and fro beneath reciprocating plungers a rocking lever
or cam such as that described and illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings

page_text: operated by the cross head or slide carrying the plungers so as to impart to the
mould box the necessary reciprocating motions to bring each mould alternately
into position beneath the pressing plunger and then beneath an expelling plunger
substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described.
Fourth. In a machine for the purpose herein before mentioned the combination
of the reciprocating plungers F F and G the transversely reciprocating mould
box E with its moulds U and V a hopper such as I to contain the plastic material
to be moulded and having a discharge opening therein for the material to pass to
the moulding table a frame or slide for feeding the material into the moulds and
provided with a plate or projection for opening and closing the outlet from the
hopper and means for imparting motion to the several parts at the required periods
so that while material is being pressed by the plunger G in one of the moulds a
previously moulded article is being expelled by either the plunger For F' from
another mould substantially as herein before described.
Fifth. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting a machine for
moulding and pressing briquets or blocks of artificial fuel or other articles of
plastic material substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 2nd day of February 1892.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, Agents.