A CERTAIN MACHINE FOR THE PURPOSE OF MAKING OR MOULDING OF BRICKS
Year: 1798

page_text: DOUGLASS SPECIFICATION:
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
DOUGLASS, of the Parish of Christchurch, in the County of Surry, Machinist,
send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third did, by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twentieth day of February, in the thirty-eighth year of
His reign, give and grant unto me; the said James Douglass," His especial
licence that I, 'the said James Douglas, during the term "of years therein
mentioned, should and lawfully might use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales; and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "A CERTAIN
MACHINE FOR THE PURPOSE OF MAKING OR MOULDING OF BRICKS;" in which said
Letters Patent there is contained a proviso, obliging me, the said James
Douglass; by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, "to cause a
particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed; to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court
of' Chancery within one calendar month after the date of the said recited
Letters Patent, as in and by the same (relation being thereunto had) may
more fully and at large-appear.
n
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
James Douglass, do hereby declare that my said Invention is described in the
Drawings and description thereof hereunto annexed, and in manner following
(that is to say):—
My method of making bricks consists of the following principles: first, to
prepare the clay by the assistance of the mechanical powers or machinery

page_text: moved by manual labour, by animals, water, wind, or steam, and by making
prongs and cutters, beaters and rollers, pass thro" it, which prongs, cutters,
beaters, or rollers shall at the same time turn round and describe circles
of smaller or greater diameters, or shall describe any other sort of figure or
shape; or the prongs or cutters, beaters and rollers, shall have various
motions from side to side, or up and down among the materials to be prepared,
and to mould bricks of any form and dimensions by means of a body
body or bodies,
roller or rollers, scraper or scrapers, with spring or springs attached thereto,
of any proper form and materials, which when loaded with a suitable weight is
made to pass over a convenient number of brick moulds, having fast or loose
bottoms,.or: having no bottom, by means of the mechanical powers or ma-
chinery moved by manual labour, by animals, by water, wind, or steam, the
materials of which the bricks are to be formed being previously placed in
such a manner on the moulds as to be filled into them by the motion of the
pressing body over the mould.
In the machine, the Drawing of which is annexed, a certain number of brick
inoulds are secured side by side, and the pressing body consists of two inclined
planes joined together, forming a solid figure, terminated at the bottom by an
obtuse angle, which in passing presses the clay in all directions into the moulds
and carries the superfluous quantity over the ends or sides of the row of
moulds.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Douglass, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of March, in the year of our Lor
on hundred and ninety-eight

page_text: one
Fig 1AAAAA.A. represent the upright posts.. B.B.B.B. The four side rails C.C.C.C.C.C. The six Cross
hails for holding the frame together. D. D. D.D The uprights for supporting the platform BE, FEFEF and
supporters of the frames G. G. wherein the moulds H. H. stand, I.I.I.I.The Apparatus or double inclined
plane for moulding the bricks supported by brass wheels applied to decrease the friction. I. the handle on the
Axle on the one end and the Flywheel I on the other. which & gives motion to the bevel pinion M. fixed on the same
Axle working into the underside of a horizontal bevel wheel. N the horizontal level wheel having cogs only
half the diameter on the top side working into two bevel pinions O.O. on the top shaft as been in Fig: 4, which
produces the effect of reversing the motion to a given length - P. P. Two small wheels fixed on the end of the top
shaft working into the Rack Q Q on each side of the frame R. R. as seen in Fig: 2. Srepresents a strap or
rope for the Drum drove by the Nut that works into the House Wheel, which puts the Machine in operation, by
the said Strap or Rope going round the pully T. as seen in Fig: 2. V.U.U.U. The four wheels on two axles for
removing the Machine to any place required. Fig: 2nd is the ground plan of Fig: 1 which represent the Moulds
Hplaced at the four corners of the Machine side by side - I represent the top of the apparatus which moves over
the top of the Moulds which contains water in the one end and Sand in the other, the same being required to keep
the Moulds in proper state for delivery of the Bricks – C. The frame whereon the Moulds are placed which
will rise for Moulding, or full for delivering the Bricks through the Moulds in the position they now stand
G is also considered to move from the side or end of the Machine when the Bricks are moulded, the Brick
Moulds H may likewise pull out like Drawers and deliver the Bricks with fast or loose bottonis or without
bottoms Q. Q. Q. Q. the two racks on each side of the moving frame worked by the two small wheels P. P. and
the horizontal wheel N. which produces the effect of reversing the body
over the moulds which said Cutters or Scrapers shall cut or.
Cutters o
carry
a
or bodies roller or rollers cutters or vcrapers
• all surplus clay over the end of the Moulds -
Fig. 3. Is another ground plan for reversing the motion over the Moulds the effect of which is produced by a
double rack Q. Q Q. Q. worked by two small wheels P. P. and the horizontal spur wheel N which wheel
having cogs only half the diameter will reverse the rack backward and forward for every revolution of the said
Wheel... Fig 4, Is the end view of Fig: I representing the framing wheels axles racks &c for putting the Machine
in operation by manual labour and refers to the same Letters as in Fig: 1. Fig: 5. B.1 and 1,2,3.4, is the side
view and form of different apparatus's body or bodies for moulding of the bricks. Fig. 6 is the ground plan of
Fig: 5 supported by Two wheels and representing four cutters or scrapers fixed before and behind the wheel for
carrying away the surplus clay that may obstruct the motion of the wheels - Fig: 7 representing Two Rollers which
may be applied as a moving body and pressure for filling the Moulds. Fig: 8 represent the different form of the
Moulds which may be applied for moulding of common bricks. Fig 9 represents three circles A. C.E- A the circle
where the bricks are moulded by the apparatus B. C the circle wherein the clay is prepared by the apparatus or
machine D.D.. E represents the horse track_ F.F.F shows the framing which supports the house wheel. G. a
circular rack. Ha small wheel,
I working into the rack G going round with the House wheel and working the
apparatus D. D. which is for preparing the Clay in the Circle C. Fig: 10 Is the ground plan of Fig: 9. and refers to
the same letters for the explanation only including the Lock or Sluice I, opening to let the prepared clay run into the
Reservoir K as prevented in Fig. 11. LL.L.L. is that part of the Circle where the Clay is thrown in to be
-prepared in the Reservoir C. M represents the top side of a faced wheel working into the Circular Rack Of
and is carried round by the Horse Wheel into which is screwed prongs or cutters as seen more fully in
Fig. 14
Fig: 12 Is an end and sectional view of Fig: 10 representing the Liquid or prepared Clay
running through below the Brick moulds into the reservoir K. Fig: 13 representing a frame or buck
-running upon Wheels, whereon a convenient number of Brick Moulds is placed which said Frame or Truck,
with the prepared Clay fillid in the Moulds is then to be moved under the four comers of the Machine to
receive the operation of moulding the Bricks by the Apparatus I as seen in Fig: 1 And lastly removed to
the place where the Bricks are delivered.