VARIOUS IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS USED IN THE MAKING OF BRICKS, AND CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE DRYING OF BRICKS BY MEANS OF FLUES AND STEAM
Year: 1824

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
LEAUT, of Great Guildford Street, in the Borough of Southwark, Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain and Ireland,
bearing date at Westminster, the Eleventh day of November, in the fifth
year of His reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said William Leahy, my exors, admors, and assigns, His especial
licence that I, the said William Leahy, my exors, admors, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said William Leahy, my exors, admors, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the term of years therein expressed, should and law.
fully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the
Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "VARIOUS IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS USED IN THE MAKING OF BRICKS, AND CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE DRYING OF BRICKS BY MEANS OF FLUES AND STEAM;" in
which said Letters Patent there is a proviso obliging me, the said William
Leahy, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to
describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in His
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in
and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large
annear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Leahy. do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described
and ascertained in and by the Plan or Drawing hereunto annexed, and the
following description thereof (that is to say):-
My said machinery or or apparatus used in the making of bricks consists in
a new combination and application of known parts with other new or improved
parts, in such a manner as to make bricks by machinery in a superior manner
to what I believe has been hitherto effected.
In the Drawing Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine; Figure 2, a
plan of it; Figure 3, a longitudinal section of it, taken at the dotted linc A, B,
in Figure 2, the wheelwork and side of the machine being removed to shew the
internal parts more clearly; Figure 4, an end elevation of the machine, taken at
A in Figure 2; and Figure 5, a virtical section of the circular frame of brick
moulds hereafter to be described, and its appendages; for all of which said
Figures the same letters of reference indicate the similar parts of the machine.
C, C, &c., the machine frame. D, the cast-iron feeding hopper, into which the
clay is to be delivered, either by means of an endless chain of buckets worked
by machinery, or other elevators. E, E, &c., Figure 3, are cast or wrought iron
or steel knives or blades affixed in the hopper. F, F, &c., other knives or blades
secured to the hollow upright shaft G, and turning with it between the fixed
blades E, E, &c. The upper end of the hollow shaft G turns in a plummer
block H affixed to the machine frame, and the lower part of it is supported by
and turns upon the upright shaft I. This latter shaft I turns in a bottom
step J, and in an inverted cup or collar K, in the carriage L, affixed above to
the machine frame. M is a cylindrical ring affixed to the lower end of the
conical hopper D, and in the centre of which the step J is supported. Upon
the bottom of the shaft I the circular inclined plane N is affixed. Opposite
and contrary motions are given to the shafts G and I by the toothed pinions
upon them O and P, they being actuated by wheelwork in the manner to be
described hereafter. The blades or knives F, F, &c., being kept continually
revolving at the rate of about fifteen turns in a minute, grind or divide the
clay and other materials the bricks are to be made of more completely than
can be done in the usual way of brick-making, and it is regularly driven or forced
down towards the moulds by the action of the circular inclined plane N, which,
as aforesaid, revolves in a contrary direction to the knives F, F, &c., and is turned
at the slower rate of about four or five times only in a minute. The step J
being supported on a bar or bridge Q allows the prepared clay to pass or bo
forced down around it into the receptacle R, which is opened both in front and

page_text: behind, but has two parallel side cheeks, between which the lever or forcer S
(shewn in Figure 3, acts, and fits closely, so as to prevent the escape of the
clay behind it, and it is prevented from escaping over it by the curved part T.-
which is affixed to it, coming into contact with the top of the opening in the
back of the receptacle. The clay can only then pass into the moulds as it
is driven towards them from time to time by the action of the forcer S upon.
it, as will be described hereafter: U is a circular frame of brick moulds, or
containing a number of moulds around it, consisting of two or more flat cast-
iron rings, and arms V, V, with holes in their centres, and turning upon the
fixed shaft W, as shewn in Figures 1, 2, and-8; between these rings the
wedge-shaped plates X, X, &c., are let into and secured in grooves formed in:
the plates for their reception, and thus the whole constitute the sides and ends-
of the moulds. The outside plates are circular, and have a projecting ring on.
each, which is divided into twenty-five planes, forming so many polygons..
The circular parts of the rings fit against circular recesses Y, Y, made in the-
side plates of the receptacle R, to prevent the escape of the clay, &c. Within
each mould a moveable block or plate of cast iron Z, Z, &c., is fitted, which form
the bottoms of the moulds. Into each block two wrought-iron rods a, a, &c.,
are firmly fixed by means of pins or keys, and the ends of which rods are bent
at right angles, as shewn in the vertical section Figure 5. b, b, are guide rings
affixed withinside of the arms of the rings V, V, and having holes around them
through which the rods a, a, &c., are put, previous to affixing them in their
places in the blocks. c, c, are other circular rings, likewise affix'd withinside
the arms, the use of which will be described hereafter. Upon the fixed axis W
two pairs of arms d, d, &c., are firmly secured; one of the arms d of each pair
carries or supports the eccentric pieces e, e, (one of which is shewn in Figure 3,
and in plan at Figure 5). The arms which carry these eccentric pieces pass
between the bent ends of the rods a, a, &c., and the pieces themselves being
broader than the arms project on each side, and pull down or draw inwardly
the blocks or plates Z, Z, &c., as the ring of moulds revolves, so as to prepare
the moulds to receive the clay as they come in succession opposite to the
receptacle R, or rather to draw in the clay after them by their adhesion to it,
and which is also promoted by the pressure made by the forcer S against the
clay, as will be described hereafter. The moulds being thus filled, as the ring
revolves the bent ends of the rods a, a, &c., come into contact with the cylindri-
cal rollers f, f, with gaps or grooves made around them at equal distances,
and which are mounted upon axes affixed in the arm d, d, the rods a, a, &., are
thus thrust outwards, together with the blocks Z, Z, and the moulded bricks
fall or are thrust out below on the boards g, g, &c., which are placed upon tho

page_text: endless chains h, h, &c., to receive them, and which carry them forwards ready
to be taken away to be dried. The blocks Z, Z, &c., are prevented from being
thrust out too far by the bent ends of the rods a, a, &c., coming into contact
with the insides of the guide rings b, b, and they are also prevented from being
drawn in too far within the moulds by their coming into contact with the out-
sides of the stop rings c, c, &c., and as shewn in Figure 3. The forcer S turns
upon necks or pivots at its lower edgo affixed to the bottom of the receptacle R,
and it is moved backwards and forwards by means of the connecting rod i
coupled upon the neck of the crank k upon the axis 6, which turns in bearings
affixed to the machine frame. When the forcer S is withdrawn the clay, &c.,
urged downwards by the action of the circular inclined plane N, enters between
it and the ring of moulds, and as the moulds revolve in succession the clay is
driven into them on the return of the forcer. m is a scraper, being a plate
of steel supported upon the two friction rollers n, n, and driven towards the
moulds by means of two springs affixed to the sides of the receptacle R, one of
which is shewn at o, in Figure 1. The ends of the scraper pass through slits
or holes made in the sides of the receptacle, and the springs act against the
scraper so as to bring it into contact with the plane edges of the moulds, and
thus to level the faces of the bricks as they pass before it in succession.
Motion is communicated to the machine in the following manner:-p is a
horizontal shaft driven by a steam engine or other first moving power, at the
rate of about two and a half revolutions per minute. Upon this shaft is
affixed a toothed bevel wheel q, which drives a bevel pinion r upon the upright
shafts, turning below in a step t affixed in a bridge secured to the machine
frame, and above in a plummer block u, likewise affixed to the machine
frame; near the top of the upright shafts a spur wheel v is affixed, which
works into a pinion w affixed upon the upper end of the hollow shaft G, which
carries the knives or blades F, F, &c., in the hopper. Upon the upper end of
the shafts a pinion is affixed, which works into an intermediate pinion y
turning upon an axis acting in bearings affixed in the carriage L and the top
of the machine frame. This intermediate pinion y acts in another pinion
affixed upon the upright shaft I, and communicates a slow and reversed motion
to it, and the circular inclined plane N affixed to it, as before described. 1 is
another spur wheel mounted upon the horizontal shaft p; this wheel actuates
the pinion 2 which gives motion to the crank axis I, and to the forcer S
connected with it. A fly-wheel may be also affixed upon this crank axis
should it be thought desirable, although not shewn in the Drawing. The
wheel one likewise gives motion to another spur wheel 3 atlixed to the
circular frame of moulds U. The endless chains h, h, are supported upon the

page_text: two polygonal faced wheels 4, 4, which are affixed upon the horizontal shaft p
and upon two others 5, 5, mounted upon an axis 6, which turns in bearings
upon the carriages 7, 7.
;
Having thus described the machinery or apparatus used in the making of
bricks, I shall now proceed to describe my said improvements in the drying of
them. And,
.
First, by means of fines. This I effect in the following manner:-A drying
house, furnished with proper stages and shelves for the bricks to be laid upon,
is to be provided, around and across the lower part of which, flues, formed
either of brick or of cast iron, are to be placed, through which flues flame or
heated air from proper fireplaces are to be conveyed, and the heat from which
circulating amongst the bricks will: dry them ready for being baked in kilns in
a much shorter time than can be. done. in the open air as usual; and also
in winter as well as in summer; or otherwise I convey steam through cast-
iron pipes, which may be arranged in the drying house as. shewn in the
Drawing, which, as before said, is annexed to this Specification, at, Figures 7
& 8, the former being a plan, and the latter an elevation, of part of the
drying house, drawn upon a smaller scale. p, p, are the endless-chains, passing
from the machine over the polygonal wheels-5, 5, and carrying upon them the
boards g, g, &c., and the bricks upon them as delivered from the machine;
these are to be arranged upon the stages 8, 8, &c., so as to leave spaces or
intervals between them. 9, 9, are two main steam pipes, which conduct tho
steam from a boiler erected either within or withoutside the drying house.
10, 10, are branch steam pipes, which pass under each stage; the opposite
ends of these branch pipes are flanged to the pipes 11, &c., which receive the
condensed steam and convey it back to the boiler. Fig. 9 is a bench or stool,
being part of the apparatus used by me in brick-making, and is intended to
hold the boards g, g, &c., and the bricks upon them, when drying them in the
open air, and to allow other bricks to stand upon the earth, or other benches
above or below them, so as not to touch each other.
In order more fully to elucidate the internal construction of the parts of the
circular frame of bricks moulds U, I have, besides the vertical section Fig. 5,
which represents the lower half of it below the fixed axis W, likewise added a
horizontal section of another half, supposed to be viewed from the under side
of the dotted line W, 12, in Fig. 8.
I do not mean or intend hereby to claim as my Inventions any of the
various parts of this machinery and apparaths which may be allready known or
in use; but I do hereby claim the new combinations or arrangements of those
parts as applied by me to the purposes of brick-making, and, in particular, the

page_text: circular inclined plane N, the forcer S, the circular frame of brick moulds U,
and the drying apparatus, whereby the bricks can be made during all the
seasons of the year.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Leahy, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of May, in the year of our Lord Ono.5
thousand eight hundred and twenty-five.
HARVEY.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Eleventh day of May, in the
year of our Lord 1825, the aforesaid William Leahy came before our said
Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification aforesaid,
and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of tho
Statute made for that purpose.