IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING BRICKS, TILES, OR OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Short Batley, of Rotherham, in the County of
York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS
FOR MAKING BRICKS, TILES, OR OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES."
Sealed the 17th January 1879, and dated the 19th July 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Short Batley at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th July 1878.
WILLIAM SHORT BATLEY, of Rotherham, in the County of York. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING BRICKS, TILES, OR OTHER
SIMILAR ARTICLES."
This Invention relates to machinery and apparatus used for making bricks, tiles,
pipes, or other similar articles of clay or other suitable material, which is first pre-
pared and thoroughly incorporated into a homogeneous mass by means of revolving
knives or mixing arms working in a mixing vessel or hopper, and is then expelled
through one or more suitable openings in continuous lengths, which lengths are cut
off at intervals into pieces of suitable size, as desired, by cutting mechanism operating
at corresponding intervals.
My Invention has for objects improved methods of constructing such mechanism,
by which it is more effective and more certain and reliable in its operation than has
heretofore been the case.
I take a horizontal hopper or mixing vessel in which is fitted a strong shaft or
axis, upon which are fixed a sufficient number of knives, blades, or mixing arms,
some or all of which are arranged helically upon the shaft, so that when the latter
revolves, the clay or other material which is fed into the hopper is thoroughly
mixed and incorporated, and at the same time is forced forward towards the end of
the vessel.
At or near the end of the vessel to which the clay is thus forced is an opening
through which the thoroughly mixed and incorporated clay is propelled by one or
more plates spirally or otherwise suitably arranged upon the revolving axis. This
opening is fitted with one or more dies of suitable shape and size, having two
openings, preferably circular, through which two columns of clay are expelled con-
tinuously along a suitable table provided with parallel troughs or guides, along
which they pass.
Upon each side of this table is arranged a shaft revolving in bearings firmly fixed
to a suitable foundation, and each shaft is fitted with a sufficient number of circular

page_text: discs or blades, preferably of steel, and fixed at a distance apart upon the shafts
equal to the length of the pieces into which it is desired that the columns of clay
should be eut.
Through these discs, and near their circumference, I make a number of openings
equidistant from each other, and preferably circular in shape, sufficiently large to
allow the moving column of clay to pass freely through them.
The openings through all the discs upon each shaft are arranged so as to be in
line with each other, and the edges of the set of dises upon one shaft may be made
to overlap the edges of those upon the other shaft, transverse slots or openings being
made in the troughs or guides above described, so that the discs and shafts can
revolve freely when desired.
Upon each of the two revolving shafts which carry the discs I fix a ratchet wheel
having as many teeth as the number of openings in each disc, and I suspend to each
shaft a vibrating link, the lower end of which carries a pall or ratchet tooth which
operates upon the teeth of the ratchet wheel when its upper or outer end is brought
into gear with the latter, but has no effect when its outer end is allowed to fall out
of gear.
The lower ends of the two suspended vibrating links described are coupled
together by a link or bar jointed to them, and the links, together with the coupling
bar and the ratchet teeth, are made to vibrate backward and forward by means of
a connecting rod, one end of which is jointed to the lower end of one of the links,
whilst its other end is connected to a crank or excentric upon a shaft fitted in
bearings, and driven at a suitable speed by means of toothed wheels or pullies from
the driving shaft of the machine or other suitable power.
To each ratchet tooth is attached a rod connected by means of levers and shafts
with a handle, so that an attendant by moving this handle can throw the ratchet
tooth in or out of gear with its ratchet wheel, as desired; or flexible cords, wires, or
ropes may be used for the same purpose.
Instead of the incorporated material being forced continuously through the dies,
as first above described, it may be forced into a chamber, from whence it is
expelled at intervals through dies by means of a plunger or ram made to reciprocate
backward and forward by cams or by a revolving crank and connecting rod.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-The machinery being set in motion,
the two columns of incorporated clay or other material are expelled forward along
the troughs or guides which support them. At the same time the two shafts are
arranged so that one set of holes through each set of circular blades is in a line with
the columns of clay, the latter passing through them, whilst the suspended links and
ratchet teeth are vibrating rapidly backward and forward, but without actuating
the ratchet wheels and shafts. When a sufficient length of the column of clay has
passed through either of the sets of discs, the attendant pulls the handle, which
raises the ratchet tooth into gear with the ratchet wheel operating that set of discs,
which immediately revolve through a space equivalent to one tooth of the ratchet
wheel, and in doing so cut the column of clay into pieces and bring the next set of
holes into a line with the column. The handle being then released, the ratchet tooth
falls out of gear, and the discs remain stationary until a fresh length of the column
has issued, and in doing so has forced forward to a proper delivery place the pieces
which have been cut.
Each shaft with its revolving discs and ratchet wheel is independent of the other,
and can be set in motion and stopped when desired; and one column of clay
and one shaft with revolving discs and openings may be used if desired instead
of two.
Instead of the particular arrangement above described, the ratchet teeth may be
Inade to vibrate backward and forward by means of connecting rods or links, which
connect them to levers upon a bar or shaft made to oscillate by incans of a crank or
excentric similar to that already described.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Short Batley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th
January 1879.
WILLIAM SHORT BATLEY, of Rotherham, in the County of York.
"IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING BRICKS, TILES, OR OTHER
SIMILAR ARTICLES."
**
.f.
My Invention relates to machinery and apparatus used for making bricks, tiles,
pipes, or other articles of a similar kind of clay or other suitable plastic material,
which is first prepared, mixed, and thoroughly incorporated into a homogeneous
mass by means of revolving knives, blades, or mixing arms working in a mixing
vessel or hopper, and is then expelled from the mixing vessel through one or more
openings of any desired shape and size in continuous lengths, which lengths are cut
off at intervals into pieces of such size or length as may be desired by cutting
mechanism or apparatus operating at corresponding intervals.
My present Invention has for its objects improved methods of constructing and
operating such mechanism, by which it is more effective and more certain and
reliable in its operation than has heretofore been the case.
"In order to carry out my Invention I take a suitable hopper or mixing vessel,
preferably horizontal, in which is fitted a strong shaft or axis, upon which are fixed
a sufficient number of strong-knives, blades, or mixing arms, some or all of which
are arranged helically upon the shaft or axis, so that when the latter is made to
revolve, the clay or other plastic material which is fed into the hopper is thoroughly
mixed and incorporated, and at the same time is propelled or forced forward towards
the end of the mixing vessel.
At or near the end of the mixing vessel to which the clay or plastic material is
thus forced I make an opening through which the clay, thoroughly mixed and incor-
porated, is propelled by one or more plates arranged for the purpose upon the axis
or shaft, spirally or in any other suitable manner. In this opening I fit one or more
dies of suitable shape and size, having two openings, preferably circular in form,
through which corresponding columns of the clay or other plastic material are
expelled continuously along a table provided with parallel troughs or guides through
which they travel.
Upon each side of this table I arrange a shaft revolving in bearings firmly fixed
to a suitable foundation, and upon each of these two shafts is fitted and fixed a
sufficient number of circular discs or blades, preferably of steel, and fixed upon the
shafts at a distance apart equal to the length of the separate pieces into which it is
desired that the issuing columns of clay or other plastic material shall be cut.
Through these discs, and near their circumference, I make a number of openings
equidistant from each other, and preferably circular in shape, and sufficiently large
to allow the columns of clay, moving as above described, to pass through them.
The openings through all the discs upon each shaft are arranged so as to be in
line, and the edges of the sets of discs upon one shaft may be made to overlap the
edges of the discs upon the other shaft, transverse slots, grooves, or recesses being
made in the troughs or guides above described, so that the two sets of discs upon
the shafts may be made to revolve freely when desired, the planes of the discs being
at right angles to the direction in which the columns of clay are travelling.
Each of the two revolving shafts which carry the perforated discs, as described,
has fixed upon it a ratchet toothed wheel having as many teeth as the number of
openings in each disc, and upon each shaft I joint or suspend a vibrating link, the
lower end of which has jointed to it a pall or ratchet tooth which operates upon the
teeth of the ratchet wheel when its upper or outer end is brought into gear with
the latter, but is inoperative when its outer end is withdrawn or allowed to fall out
of gear.
The two vibrating links, suspended from the two shafts, as described, are coupled
together by a bar or link jointed to them, and the two links with their palls or

page_text: ratchet teeth and the coupling bar or link are made to vibrate backward and
forward by means of a connecting rod, one end of which is jointed to one of the
links, whilst its other end is operated by a crank or excentric upon a shaft fitted
in bearings, and made to revolve continuously at a suitable speed by means of
toothed wheels or pullies and bands from the driving shaft of the machine or other
suitable power.
Each of the two palls or ratchet teeth, jointed to the vibrating links as described,
is connected by rods and levers, and shafts if necessary, with a handle, so that an
attendant by pulling or moving this handle can throw the pall or ratchet tooth in
or out of gear with its ratchet wheel whenever desired; or flexible cords, wires, or
ropes may be used for the same purpose.
Instead of the mixed and incorporated clay or other plastic material being forced
continuously through a die or dies, as first above described, it may be forced into a
chamber or receptacle, from which it is expelled at intervals through the die or
dies by means of one or more plungers or rams made to reciprocate backward and
forward by means of cams, or by a revolving crank or excentric and connecting
rod.
The accompanying Drawings are in illustration of my Invention.
In Sheet 1, Figure 1 is a plan, Figure 2 a side view, and Figures 3 and 4 trans-
verse sections of parts of my improved cutting apparatus.
In Sheet 2, Figure 5 is a plan, and Figure 6 a longitudinal section of similar
apparatus somewhat differently arranged, and shewing mixing and expelling
machinery as last described.
In Sheet 1, Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, and in Sheet 2, Figures 5 and 6, a, a¹, are the
dies through which the clay is expelled from the mixing vessel; b, b¹, are the troughs
or guides; c, c¹, are shafts revolving in bearings d, d¹, and carrying the circular
blades e, e, e, e, and e¹, e¹, e¹, e¹, respectively, having holes through them, as shewn in
Figures 3 and 4; ff, are ratchet wheels on the shafts c, c', actuated by palls g, g¹,
jointed to the suspended links h, h¹, the connecting bar i, and the crank and con-
necting rod k, which are driven by toothed wheels from the shaft m, or other
convenient power; n, n¹, are cords or handles attached to the palls g, g¹, by pulling
or releasing which, as desired, the palls g, g', can be thrown in or out of gear with
the ratchet wheels f,f¹. A delivering table is shewn at o, upon which the pieces of
clay, cut up as described, are delivered from the machine.
In Figures 5 and 6 A is a mixing vessel or trough in which the shaft B revolves,
having fixed upon it the inclined mixing arms or blades C, C, C, and the cam D, by
which the mixed clay is forced through the opening E into the chamber F, whence
a certain quantity is expelled at intervals through the dies a, a, by the plunger or
ram G, which is actuated by the cam H, and after having forced the clay through
the dies is withdrawn by the cam I.
The machinery is driven by driving pullies L, L, actuating the toothed wheels
M, M, M, (shewn in dotted lines in Figure 6).
In Figures 5 and 6 the palls or ratchet teeth which actuate the ratchet wheels
ff, are driven by the connecting rod k and levers 7, which are actuated by a crank
pin upon one of the toothed wheels M.
-
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-The machinery being set in motion,
the two columns of clay or other plastic material are expelled forward along the
troughs or guides b, b', which support them. The two shafts c, c¹, are arranged so
that one set of holes through each set of circular blades e and e¹ is in a line with a
column of clay, the latter passing forward through the holes, whilst the suspended
links h, h, and palls or ratchet teeth g, g¹, are vibrating backward and forward by
the action of the revolving shaft m, the crank and connecting rod k, and the coupling
link c, but without actuating the ratchet wheels f, f¹, and the shafts c, c', with their
circular blades. When a sufficient length of the column of clay has passed through
either of the sets of dies, along the guide b¹, for instance, the attendant pulls the
handle or cord n³, which raises the pall and brings it into gear with a tooth of the
ratchet wheel f¹, and causes the shaft c¹ and the circular blades e¹, e¹, e¹, e¹, imme-

page_text: diately to revolve through a space equivalent to one tooth of the ratchet wheel, and
in doing so they cut the column of clay into pieces and bring the next set of holes
into a line with the column, which then passes through them. The handle n' being
then released, the pall g' falls out of gear, and the circular blades remain stationary
until a fresh length of the column has issued, and in doing so has forced forward the
pieces which have been already cut to the delivering table o.
Each of the shafts c, c¹, with its revolving discs e, e¹, is independent of the other,
and can be set in motion and stopped when desired; and in some cases one column
of clay with one revolving shaft and set of circular blades and openings may be
used instead of two.
I prefer to make the openings through the revolving discs circular in shape, but
they may be made of any other shape to suit varying requirements, and radial knife
blades or arms may be used instead of discs.
The arrangement of the levers and rods or cords for operating the palls or
ratchet teeth, as described and shewn, may be modified to suit varying circum-
stances.
Having now described my Invention, and the manner in which it is to be per-
formed, I claim,-
The revolving shafts carrying cutting discs or blades and driven by ratchet
wheels actuated by palls which are made to oscillate continually backward and
forward by means of levers, links, cranks or excentrics, and connecting rods, which
palls can be thrown into gear or out of gear with the ratchet wheels-as-desired; sub-
stantially as and for the purpose described and shewn in the Drawings.
Also the combination of the said cutting mechanism with mixing machinery, by
which, clay or other plastic material is mixed and delivered to the said cutting
mechanism, substantially as described and shewn in the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Short Batley, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.
TITLI
M CHADT DATI V
TIVITATT AL
MT TATANA
TITLE ETA ME Спорт РАТГ
(L.S.)