IMPROVEMENTS IN BRICK MAKING MACHINERY
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Apr., 1886.
Complete Left, 14th Jan., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 15th Feb., 1887.
I, THOMAS CONSTANTINE FAWCETT of Burmantofts Foundry, Leeds, Yorkshire
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BRICK
MAKING MACHINERY" to be as follows:-
The first part of my invention has reference to prior Letters Patent granted to me
on the 9th day of January A.D). 1880 No. 102 which consisted of a horizontal plastic
brick making machine having a clay mixer on the top thereof for feeding the brick
machine with clay.
My present invention consists in combining with a horizontal pug-mill a clay mixer
placed on the top thereof in a vertical position. On the bottom of the clay mixer
shaft I place two wings or vanes so as to more equally distribute the clay, and in
order to prevent the clay from falling into the pug-mill in large pieces I place a
perforated plate or grate at the outlet of the clay mixer, so that the clay can only enter
the pug-mill through the grate, consequently only small pieces drop into the
pug inill.
On the pug mill shaft are a number of rings or collars which receive the thrust of
the rotary winged shaft as it is forcing the clay forward. These collars have hitherto
been welded on the shaft, but as great and continuous strain is upon the said collars,
they wear away and have to have fresh collars welded upon the shaft necessitating a
long stoppage of the machine.
My invention in reference to the clay mixing shaft consists in forgeing or casting the
collars in one part of steel, or other suitable metal and keying the same upon the shaft,
so that when they wear away they can be easily removed and fresh ones substituted.
Instead of all the collars being cast together they may be cast separately, and put on
the shaft side by side, so that any one could be removed.
Secondly. My invention relates to machines for pressing bricks, brickettes, tiles,
and similar articles; and my improvements in such machines consist in forming at
every operation of pressing, exactly the same size of brick or other article under
operation notwithstanding that a varying amount of clay be introduced into the
mould.

page_text: In carrying out my invention I arrange the sides of the mould like a shell or box
without top or bottom; to form the top a separate plate is employed in the ordinary
manner, but a portion of the bottom is arranged to be loose and is connected to certain
toggle jointed levers as set forth in a prior patent granted to me, and James Dawson
Fawcett No. 5213, A.D. 1885. At a certain part of the operation the top plate is
prevented from ascending by means of a bell crank lever catching under a fixed stud
carrying a pulley, the said lever being operated by an eccentric from the crank shaft
of the machine.
When the machine is pressing a brick the top plate is kept down, and prevented
from ascending by means of the bell crank lever catching under the stud, but the
portion of the bottom will ascend, and make an indent in the bottom of the brick, the
size of the indent varying according to the amount of clay in the mould, but the action
of the various parts is such, that the brick is always the same size notwithstanding the
amount of clay put in the mould, the size of indent made in the brick will however
vary, but that makes no difference to the outline of the brick.
TASKER & CROSSLEY,
Commercial Street, Halifax,
Agents.

page_text: I, THOMAS CONSTANTINE FAWCETT, of Burmantofts Foundry, Leeds, Yorkshire,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
The first part of my invention has reference to prior Letters Patent granted to me
on the 9th of January A.D. 1880, No. 102, which consisted of a horizontal plastic
brick making machine having a clay mixer on the top thereof for feeding the brick
machine with clay. My present invention consists in combining with a horizontal
pug-mill a clay mixer placed on the top thereof in a vertical position. On the bottom
of the clay mixer shaft I place two wings or vanes so as to more equally distribute the
clay and in order to prevent the clay from falling into the pug-mill in large pieces, I
place a perforated plate or grate at the outlet of the clay mixer so that the clay can
only enter the pug-mill through the grate, consequently only small pieces drop into
the pug-mill.
Such being the nature and object of my improvements I will now proceed to
describe the same more fully and for that purpose make reference to the accompanying
sheet of drawings illustrative thereof, wherein Fig. 1 is section of a pug-mill shewn at A.
This pug-mill is of ordinary construction and consists of a central shaft B provided
with wings or vanes C and a screw-thread D which is employed for working the clay
from the inlet part of the pug-mill to the outlet part of the pug-mill at E, where the
screw C forces the clay into a brick mould as is well understood.
My invention consists in combining with such pug-mill a clay mixer placed
vertically over the pug-mill as shewn at F; this clay mixer may have one or more
winged shafts G, and on clay being introduced into the hopper I at the top of the clay
mixer, the said clay is mixed and worked gradually to the bottom of the clay mixer,
the central shaft of which is provided at its bottom end with two or more wings or
vanes J and J' for the purpose of more equally mixing and distributing the clay which
is forced or squeezed through the grate K, by which means the mixed clay is fed in
small quantities to the pug-mill, consequently by the time the clay gets to the outlet.
part of the pug-mill it is thoroughly mixed and in a fit condition to be forced into the
brick mould.
On the shaft of the pug-mill and clay mixer are a number of rings or collars which
receive the thrust of the rotary wings as they are forcing the clay forward. These
collars have hitherto been welded on the shaft, but as great and continuous strain is
necessarily placed upon the said collars they wear away and require to have fresh
collars welded upon the said shaft, necessitating a long stoppage of the machine.
My invention in reference to the pug-mill and clay mixing shaft consists in forging
or casting the collars in one or more parts of steel or other suitable metal and keying
the same upon the shaft, so that when they wear away they can be easily removed and
fresh ones substituted. Instead of all the collars being cast together, they may be cast

page_text: separately, and put on the shaft side by side, so that any one of them could be
removed.
This part of my invention is shewn in section Fig. 2, where B is the pug-mill shaft
and L is a thirst collar made with grooves therein cast separately, and after being
placed on the said shaft is made secure thereon by key or other means. In the
grooves of the thrust collar L are placed brass rings M which are made in two parts
as seen in cross section Fig. 3, or the said rings may be cast in the grooves. P is the
bracket or pedestal in which the rings and shaft work, such pedestal being grooved to
receive the rings and it is made with a loose cap so as to be placed on to the rings and
grooves. It will therefore be seen that if the collars and rings wear away (as they
will do by the pressure placed upon them) that they can be easily removed and fresh
ones substituted which is a considerable advantage over the present methed as the
collars or rings were forged upon the shaft.
In Fig. 4 I have shewn another arrangement of thrust collars and rings which
consists of collars N having flanges O cast thereon, such flanged collars being placed
on to the end of the shaft, all of which are kept in position by the last one being made
secure by a key as shewn in dotted lines. It must be understood that the adjustable
collars can be and are used in connection with both the pug-mill shaft and the clay
mixer shaft.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is. to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
Firstly. The combination of a clay mixer such as F, with a pug-mill such as A
arranged in the manner and for purposes substantially as described and shewn in the
drawings.
Secondly. The employment of a grate K at the bottom of the clay mixer to prevent
large pieces of clay entering the pug-mill.
Thirdly. The employment of loose collars, bushes, or rings on the pug-mill or clay
mixer shaft for receiving the thrust placed upon it substantially as set forth.
TASKER & CROSSLEY,
Halifax, Agents.