IM- PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MOULDING CONCRETE PIPES AND IN PREPARING THE MATERIALS THEREFOR
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James William Butler, of Stonebridge Park,
Willesden, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of “IM-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MOULDING CONCRETE PIPES AND IN PREPARING
THE MATERIALS THEREFOR." -A communication from abroad by John
W. Stockwell, of Portland, State of Maine, United States of
America.
وو
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James William
Butler at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 28th April 1874.
I, JAMES WILLIAM BUTLER, of Stonebridge Park, Willesden, in the.
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said In-
vention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MOULDING CONCRETE PIPES AND
IN PREPARING THE MATERIALS THEREFOR." -A communication to me from
abroad by John W. Stockwell, of Portland, State of Maine, United
States of America, to be as follows:-

page_text: employed for drainage and other purposes, and consists of a peculiar
arrangement and combination of apparatus, by means of which the
materials of which the pipes are composed are thoroughly mixed
together or incorporated, and of an improved machine and adjuncts
thereto, for moulding or forming and finishing the pipes with facility and
despatch.
In carrying out this Invention the cement and sand or gravel are first
subjected to the action of a "mixer " in a dry condition.
This apparatus consists of a receptacle in which the materials in the
usual proportions are inserted, from which receptacle there extends a
trough or channel open at its lower end, the whole- being placed in an
inclined position, so that the mouth or open end of the trough or channel
is lower than the opposite end. An opening is formed in the lower end
of the receptacle in one corner, in which opening there are placed a
number of vertical rods, so as to form a screen or grating, and diagonal
partitions arranged alternately in opposite directions are provided at
intervals along the trough or channel, each of such diagonal parti-
tions. having at its lower end a "mixing gate," consisting of vertical
rods and similar in construction to the screen or grating herein-
before referred to.
"
The
The apparatus so constructed is suspended from arms, one of which
is attached to the upper end of the receptacle at one extremity, and to a
fixed centre at the other extremity, whilst another arm extends laterally
from the side of the trough or channel, and is connected with a crank shaft
(having a fast and loose pulley for the convenience of stopping and recom-
mencing the motion) by means of which a lateral reciprocating motion
on the fixed centre of the other arm.
is imparted to the "mixer
cement and sand or gravel are caused under the action of this motion
to pass through the screen or grating in the lower end of their receptacle
and down the inclined trough or channel by a zig-zag course, following
the inclination of the diagonal partitions to the "mixing gates," with
which they come in contact, and (which they also successively pass
through, the materials being during the whole time subjected to
the vibratory or lateral shaking motion of the trough or channel,
whereby they become thoroughly and uniformly commingled. On
leaving this apparatus the materials are introduced into another trough
or channel, where they are mixed with water, which trough or channel-
is vibrated in a similar manner to that of the primary "mixer." This

page_text: trough or channel is open at one end and is provided with any desired
number of gratings or gates placed at right angles to its sides, and
formed of vertical rods; the spaces between the rods of each successive
grating or gate are arranged narrower than those of the preceding
grating or gate as they approach the mouth or open end. By means of
this arrangement the wetted cement is fully broken up and the lumps
destroyed, and it is left in a soft, fine, and light condition suitable for
the manufacture of the pipe.
In some cases a series of removable gates or screens may be employed
in combination with the stationary gratings or gates herein-before
referred to. These removeable gates or screens are connected together
by a cross bar or otherwise, and so arranged that when applied to the
trough or channel each removeable gate or screen bears against the upper
side of one of the stationary gratings or gates in the direction of its
length, and they are held firmly in one position, while the "mixer
with its stationary gratings or gates is moved laterally in the manner
herein-before described, by which means a rubbing operation of the two
sets of gates is produced, whereby the materials are prevented from
collecting around the rods, and their thorough reduction and more
perfect union and intermixture are effected.
"
This mixing apparatus may be employed for the manipulation and
preparation of the materials for subsequent treatment in any description
of moulding machine, but I prefer to adopt the moulding machine
herein-after described.
The materials having been thoroughly mixed together or incorporated
either by the improved apparatus or in any other suitable manner are
introduced from a hopper into a mould, the body of which consists of a
slicet of sheet metal bent into a cylindrical form with its edges fitting to
each other. A core is provided in the centre of the mould of the exact
shape and size of the interior of the pipe to be produced, the lower end
of which core passes through and fits into a hole in the base plate of
the mould and rests upon the floor of the framing whilst its upper
end has formed in it a socket or recess for the reception of a pin or pivot
carried on the lower end of a vertical shaft, which has its upper bearing
in the framing of the machine, and is driven through the intervention
of pulleys from a driving shaft actuated in any. convenient manner.
Around the core there is placed a tube carrying at its lower end inclined.

page_text: or curved trowels, the lower ends of which are made of such a breadth
as to fill or nearly fill the space between the core and the sides of the
mould, while the upper end of such tube is connected to the vertical
shaft hercin-before referred to by a pin passing through the tube and a
longitudinal slot in the shaft so that the tube is carried round with
the shaft. in its revolution. By this means as the material is fed into the
mould it. is smoothed down and packed evenly. by the trowels, the tube
with its trowels rising as the mould fills.
In the case of oval pipe the tube may be made short and the trowels
connected with it by means of flexible or pivotted arms or shanks, so as
to admit of such trowels readily adjusting themselves to the oval shape
of the internal core. The trowels may be provided with small pro-
jections on their under side, and be cast in one piece with a ring to be
attached to the tube. A stud may also be employed to prevent the core
from turning with the tube. When the mould is filled the vertical shaft
is disconnected from the core, and the tube with its attached trowels is
raised and held suspended, and a tool provided for the purpose of forming
the tip or flange upon the end of the pipe is placed upon the upper end
of the core, and turned round by hand, or by lowering the shaft upon it
and revolving it by the motion of the machine. This tool is made in
the form of a short tube having a shoulder upon the inner side of its
lower end, and provided with inclined cutters or trowels on its outer side
which as the tool is revolved cut away and remove the outer part of the
upper end of the pipe, until the shoulder of the tool comes in contact
with the top of the pipe and stops the action, when a few turns of the
tool backward will smooth off the end of the pipe and leave the tip or
flange perfectly formed. The socket or recess at the opposite end of the
pipe for the reception of the tip or flange of the adjacent length of pipe
is formed by means of the base plate of the mould, which is provided
with an internal shoulder for that purpose. The base plate has also
formed on it an external shoulder to receive the lower end of the case
which forms the body of the mould, and is secured in a hole or recess in
a platform which is supported upon the floor of the framing of the
machine, and may be mounted on wheels or rollers for convenience in
removing and replacing it as required.
For the purpose of feeding the material into the mould it is proposed
to employ a hopper, the rear end of which is suspended from the frame
by jointed rods, whilst its front end rests upon a detachable platform

page_text: having a central aperture and arranged over the mould. A vibratory or
shaking motion is imparted to the hopper from a vertical shaft, to which
it is connected by a rod pivotted at one end to the hopper and at the
other end eccentrically. to the lower end of the shaft, such shaft carrying
at its upper end a pulley driven by a band which transmits motion from
the driving shaft to the vertical shaft first herein-before described. The
flow of the material is regulated by means of a slide, the ends of which
work in grooves in the sides of the hopper, and are split and turned
outward so as to admit of the slide being securely fixed in any adjusted
position.
The sheet metal case which forms the body of the mould may be
constructed and fitted in various ways. According to one arrangement
the ends of the case are held together while the material is being packed
into it by bands passed round it, and the ends of which are bent outward
and secured by clamping screws, which are unscrewed when the material
is set and the core has been withdrawn to admit of the case being opened
out for the removal of the pipe.. Or the ends of the case itself may be
bent out and secured by clamps or by screws. The clamps or bands
serve as handles to facilitate the. handling of the mould.
-
In lieu of the preceding arrangements the case may be provided with
latches and catches for the purpose of holding the two ends together, and
a strip or plate may be employed attached to one end and overlapping
the other end so as to cover the seam, or an outer picce having bands
connected thereto may be placed over the two edges, to which bands
there are attached chains which pass round the case and are provided
with inclined pins to enter sockets in such bands.
In some cases the core employed for the purpose of forming the
interior of the pipe may be made elastic or expansible in a similar.
manner to that of the case of the mould, and pivotted parallel bars may
be applied to the interior of the core during the operation of. moulding
in order to maintain the core in its expanded condition, the subsequent
movement of one side of a parallel allowing the pipe to contract. A
dome or conical shaped piece. may also be used in combination with the
base plate of the mould for the purpose of expanding the core sufficiently
for the desired size of pipe.
+
According to another modification the two ends of the clastic sheet
metal core are secured by a curved latch, which takes into a catch and..

page_text: enables the core to be readily adjusted to any required size, and
maintained when so adjusted it its expanded or contracted shape. These
arrangements admit of the core being expanded whilst the operation of
moulding is being proceeded with, and of its contracting in order to
facilitate its removal when the pipe is completed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James William Butler in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 8th October 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
WILLIAM BUTLER, of Stonebridge Park, Willesden, in the County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of April, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four,
in the thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs,
and successors, give and grant unto me, the said James William Butler,
Her special license, that I, the said James William Butler, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
James William Butler, my executors, administrators, or 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 APPARATUS FOR MOULDING
CONCRETE PIPES AND IN PREPARING THE MATERIALS THEREFOR," a communica-.
tion to me from abroad by John W. Stockwell, of Portland, State of
Maine, United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said James William Butler, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should par-
ticularly 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 date of the said Letters Patent.
"

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James William Butler, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement, reference being had to the accompa-
nying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is
to say:-
-
The said Invention relates to the production of concrete pipes to be
employed for drainage and other purposes, and consists of a peculiar
arrangement and combination of apparatus, by means of which the
materials of which the pipes are composed are thoroughly mixed
together or incorporated, and of an improved machine and adjuncts
thereto for moulding or forming and finishing the pipes with facility and
dispatch.
And in order that the 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 Sheet of Drawings, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the
corresponding Figures.
Figures 1, 2, and 3 represent perspective views of mixing apparatus
constructed in accordance with this Invention.
Figure 4 represents a longitudinal section of the improved moulding
machine; Figure 5 shews a modification of same; and Figures 6, 7,
and 8 represent details of parts which will be herein-after referred to.
In carrying out this Invention the cement and sand or gravel are first
subjected to the action of the "mixer," Figure 1, in a dry condition.
This apparatus consists of a receptacle A, in which the materials in
the usual proportions are inserted, from which receptacle there extends
a trough or channel B open at its lower end a, the whole being placed.
in an inclined position, as shewn, so that the mouth or open end a
of the trough or channel B is lower than the end of the receptacle A.
An opening is formed in one corner of the lower end of the receptacle A,
in which opening there are placed a number of vertical rods, so as to
form a screen or grating c, and diagonal partitions. d, d', arranged
alternately in opposite directions are provided at intervals along the
trough or channel B, such diagonal partitions d, d', having at their lower
end "mixing gates" c,c³, respectively consisting of vertical rods, and-

page_text: The apparatus so
one-e of which is
similar in construction to the screen or grating c.
constructed is suspended from two arms e, f, the
attached to the upper end 6 of the receptacle A at one extremity and to
a fixed centre at the other extremity 9, whilst the other arm f extends
laterally from the side of the trough or channel, and is connected with a
crank shaft, not shewn in the Drawings (such shaft having a fast and
loose pulley for the convenience of stopping and recommencing the
motion), by means of which a lateral reciprocating motion is imparted to
the "mixer" on the fixed centre of the arm e. The cement and sand
or gravel are caused under the action of this motion to pass through the
screen or grating c in the lower end of their receptacle A and down the
inclined trough or channel B by a zig-zag course following the angle or
inclination of the diagonal partition d to the " mixing gate" c¹, with
which they come in contact and pass through. The materials are thence
conducted along the diagonal partition d¹ to and through the mixing
gate c², such materials being during the whole time subjected to the
vibratory or lateral shaking motion of the trough or channel B, whereby
they become thoroughly and uniformly commingled. It is obvious that
any suitable number of the diagonal partitions may be employed. On
leaving this apparatus the materials are introduced into the trough or
receptacle C, Figure 2, where they are mixed with water, which trough
or receptacle is vibrated in a similar manner to that of the primary
"mixer." The trough or receptacle C is open at the end h, and is
provided with any desired number of gratings or gates (three of which
i, ¹, are shewn in the Drawing) placed at right angles to its
sides and formed of vertical rods, the spaces between the rods of each
successive grating or gate being arranged narrower than those of the
preceding grating or gate as they approach the mouth or open end h.
By means of this arrangement the wetted cement is fully broken up and
the lumps destroyed, and it is left in a soft, fine, and light condition
suitable for the manufacture of the pipe.
:
A series of removable gates or screens, as shewn in Figure 3, may be
employed in combination with the stationary gratings or gates i, i¹, i³,
Figure 2, when found desirable. The removable gates or screens (three
of which k, k¹, k³, are shewn) are connected tegether by a cross bar 7 or
otherwise, and so arranged that when applied to the trough or receptacle C
each removable gate or screen k, k¹, k², bears against the upper side of
one of the stationary gratings or gates i, i, ³, in the direction of it

page_text: y
position, while the trough or receptacle C, Figure 2, with its stationary
gratings or gates i, i¹, ³, is moved laterally, in the manner herein-before
described. A rubbing operation by the two sets of gates is thereby pro-
duced, which prevents the materials from collecting around the rods.
and ensures their thorough reduction and more perfect union and inter-
mixture.
The mixing apparatus herein-before described may be employed for the
manipulation and preparation of the materials for subsequent treatment
in any description of moulding machine; but I prefer to adopt the
moulding machine shewn in Figure 4 of the Drawings.
The materials having been thoroughly mixed together or incorporated
either by the improved apparatus or in any other suitable manner, are
introduced from a hopper into a mould A (Figure 4), the body of which
consists of a sheet of sheet metal bent into a cylindrical form with its'
edges fitting to each other. A core B is provided in the centre of the mould
of the exact shape and size of the interior of the pipe to be produced,
the lower end of which core passes through and fits into a hole in the
base plate a of the mould, and rests upon the floor 6 of the framing
whilst its upper end has formed in it a socket or recess for the reception.
of a pin or pivot c carried on the lower end of a vertical shaft C. The
shaft C has its upper bearing in the framing D of the machine, and
is driven through the intervention of pulleys E, F, from a driving
shaft D actuated in any convenient manner; or in lieu of this arrange-
ment any other suitable mode of driving may be employed. Around
the core B there is placed a tube H carrying at its lower end inclined
or curved trowels d, the lower ends of which are made of such a breadth
as to fill, or nearly fill the space between the core B and the sides of
the mould A, while the upper end of such tube H is connected to the
vertical shaft C by a pin e passing through the tube H, and a longi-
tudinal slot f formed in the shaft, so that the tube is carried round
with the shaft in its revolution, a stud being employed to prevent
the core from turning with the tube. By this means as the material
is fed into the mould A it is smoothed down and packed evenly by the
trowels d, the tube with its trowels rising as the moulds fill..

page_text: In the case of oval pipe the tube may be made short and the trowels
connected with it by means of flexible or pivotted arms or shanks so
as to admit of such trowels readily adjusting themselves to the oval
shape of the internal core. The pin or pivot c may if desired be dis-
pensed with, as shewn in the modification, Figure 5, and the shaft C
be entirely supported by the framing above in any suitable. manner.
In lieu also of forming a slot in the shaft C, such shaft may be provided
with two or more longitudinal groves g, and studs h may be formed
on or attached to the tube H for engaging in such grooves so as to
admit of the tube rising as the mould fills, whilst at the same time
causing it to rotate with the shaft. When the mould is full the
vertical shaft C is disconnected from the core B (Figure 4) by the
aid of the shifter" d¹, and the tube H with its attached trowels d
is raised and held suspended, and the tool I, Figure 6, which is provided
for the purpose of forming the tip or flange upon the end of the pipe
is placed upon the upper end of the core B and turned round by hand,
or by lowering the shaft C upon it and revolving it by the motion of
the machine. The tool I consists of a tube having a shoulder i upon
its interior, and provided with inclined cutters or trowels k on its
exterior. As the tool I is revolved the cutters or trowels k cut away
and remove the outer portion of the upper end of the pipe until the
shoulder comes in contact with the top of the pipe and stops the
action when a few turns of the tool backward will smooth off the end
of the pipe and leave the tip or flange perfectly formed. The socket or
recess at the opposite end of the pipe for the reception of the tip or
flange of the adjacent length of pipe is formed by means of a projection
or flange formed on or attached to the base plate a of the mould. The
base plate a may also have formed on it an external shoulder for the
reception of the lower end of the mould case A; this base plate is
secured in a hole or recess in a platform m which is supported upon
the floor of the framing of the machine, and may be mounted
on wheels or rollers for convenience in removing and replacing it as
required.

page_text: to the hopper from a vertical shaft L to which it is connected by a rod p
pivotted at one end to the hopper K, and at the other end eccentrically
to the lower end of the shaft L, such shaft carrying at its upper end
a pulley q driven by the band M which transmits motion from the
driving shaft G to the vertical shaft C. The flow of the material is
regulated by means of a slider, the ends of which work in grooves
in the sides of the hopper K, and are split and turned outward so
as to admit of the slide being securely fixed in any adjusted position.
.
Figure 7 represents on an enlarged scale one mode of constructing and
fitting the mould case A. In this arrangement the edges of the case
which is formed of sheet metal bent round to shape are held together
while the material is being packed into it by bands 8 passed round it,
and the ends of which are bent outward and secured by clamping
screws which are unscrewed when the material is set and the core
has been withdrawn to admit of the case being opened out for the
removal of the pipe.
Figure 8 shews another modification in which the ends of the case A
itself are bent out and secured by clamps u and screws w, or screws
alone may be employed for the purpose. The clamps or bands serve as
handles to facilitate the handling of the mould.
In lieu of the preceding arrangements any other suitable method of
constructing and fitting the mould case so as to admit of its being
readily expanded or opened for the removal of the pipe may be employed.
The core B may also be constructed of thin sheet metal so as to render
it elastic, and admit of its being expanded whilst the operation of
moulding is being proceded with, and of its contracting in order to facili-
tate its removal when the pipe is completed.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is 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. The peculiar mixing apparatus with its receptacle, divisions,
and mixing gates, screens, or gratings, the whole arranged and operating
substantially in the manner herein-before described and illustrated by
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings.

page_text: Second. The application and use of a trough or receptacle having fixed
graduated partitions in combination or not with removable graduated
partitions for effecting the reduction and intermixture of the materials
to be moulded, substantially as herein-before described and illustrated
by Figures 2 and 3 of the Drawings annexed.
Third. The combination of a suspended and oscillating hopper, an
adjustable slide, and an auxiliary hopper plate for feeding and regulating
the supply of the materials to the mould of a pipe moulding machine,
substantially as herein-before described and illustrated by the accom-
panying Drawings.
Fourth. The combination with the mould of a pipe moulding machine
of an internal core, a revolving trowel carrier, and an actuating shaft,
the whole constructed, arranged, and operating substantially in the
manner and for the purposes herein-before described and illustrated by
the accompanying Drawings.
Fifth. The application and use of a tool or device having an internal
shoulder and external cutters or trowels for forming the tip or flange
on the end of the pipes, substantially as herein-before described and
illustrated by Figure 6 of the Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said James William Butler, have to
this my Specification set my hand and seal, the Second day of
October One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
JAMES WILLIAM BUTLER. (L.S.)