Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for Making Mortar.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Sevt., 1894-Accepted, 20th Oct., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by FENTON LAWSON MOORES, of 317, Plum Street,
Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America, Merchant.]
Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for Making Mortar.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 :-
My invention relates to the production, on a commercial scale, of mortar, such
as is used in plastering, bricklaying and the like and it comprehends a plant with
the necessary machinery and mechanical appliances for automatically handling,
bringing together and mixing, the ingredients and for measuring and gauging the
ingredients in the course of their movements towards and into the mixing chambers
so as to bring them together in proper and pre-determined relative proportions for
the production of mortar of given strength, character or quality, the objects
principally aimed at being uniformity in quality and character of successive
outputs, economy in time, thorough slaking of the lime, thorough mixing of the
ingredients and the production of a homogeneous and uniform mortar, and the
dispensing with the skilled supervision and manual labor heretofore required in
mortar making.
To these ends I provide a suitable building having, preferably, four floors or
stories on, or in, which the various machines and mechanical appliances for
manipulating and handling the materials are located and connected by suitable
conveyors and chutes to deliver from one to the other during the passage of the
materials through the plant. The lower story may be, and preferably is-a
basement or cellar, and here is located the sand bins, the lime crusher, the slaker
or slakers, the paste vat, the pump for elevating the paste, and the engine or
other power by, or from, which the machinery of the plant is driven.
On the main floor which, for the purposes of this description may be denominated
the first floor, and at one end thereof I locate an office, back of the office a lime
bin arranged to deliver to the crusher below, a water tank connected with the
slaker an elevated mortar-bin for the storage of mortar not required for immediate
delivery, and a drive-way for carts or other vehicles bringing supplies to or taking
mortar away from the plant, the said drive-way leads into the building at one side
of the office and out of the same at the opposite side, and passes in such relation
to the several bins as to enable passing carts to deliver supplies to the receiving
bins and to receive mortar from the mortar-bins. Preferably I locate, at an
appropriate point in the drive-way a platform scale for weighing mortar in the
loaded carts.
When sand is to be hauled into the building the receiving floor is provided with
openings through which it is dumped into the sand-bins below; otherwise it may
be introduced from the outside by means of lateral conveyors, or in any other
preferred manner.
On the second floor are located paste storage vats, a gravel-bin, the mixer and
sand and paste-feeders, these feeders being located vertically, above the mixer and
arranged to deliver thereinto by gravity.
Lime paste is sometimes sold as a separate commodity, and I therefore provide
the storage-vat with a hopper-bottom and a spout or outlet arranged to deliver
above the drive-way so that the paste may be conveniently drawn off into carts or

page_text: other receptacles. The mixer is preferably located above the mortar-bin so as to
deliver the mixed mortar by gravity.
On the third floor are located a sand screen, a paste agitator, a hair picker and a
hair hin, the screen, agitator, and picker being arranged to deliver into the paste
and sand feeders on the second floor. A chute or conveyor is arranged to convey
the gravel into a gravel-bin.
It will be understood that the sand and lime paste are elevated from the basement
to the upper part of the building by suitable conveyors or pumps, and that all of
the operative mechanism of the plant is geared with, and driven by, or from, a
source of power located, by preference, in the basement.
It is also to be understood that the arrangement above outlined is merely a
preferred arrangement and that the same may be varied at will, it being only
essential that the different mechanisms be connected to deliver from one to the
other, and that the storage vats be located and arranged to deliver into carts or
other receptacles for conveyance from the plant as required by use.
In the accompanying drawings which illustrate an embodiment of my invention
Figure 1 represents a vertical section through the building on the line x-x of
Figure 2.
Figure 2 is also a vertical section at right angles to that shown in Figure 1, on
the line y-y in Figures 1 and 4.
Figure 3 is a plan of the basement or cellar.
Figure 4 is a plan of the first or main floor.
Figure 5 is a plan of the second floor.
Figure 6 is an end view partly in section, of the paste vat and lime slakers.
Figure 7 a longitudinal vertical section through one of the slakers, and
Figure 8, a similar section through the mixer and its feeder.
Referring to the drawings Figures 1 and 3, 1 designates a sand-bin located in
the basement or cellar and having a hopper bottom. A conveyor-screw 2 extends
through this bin and beyond it to an elevator boot 3 from which rises an elevator
trunk 4 for carrying the sand to the sand-screen 5 on the upper floor. The
conveyor 2 and the elevator in the trunk 4 are driven from a main power shaft 6
preferably located in the basement, as shown. Thus the sand being dumped into
the bin 1 through an opening or trap in the floor of the drive-way above is conveyed
from the bin to the elevator and thence by the latter to the sand screen.
7 designates the paste-vat, and 8, 8, two slakers mounted to deliver the slaked
lime or paste into said vat.
It has been demonstrated by actual experience that lime slakes more expeditiously
and more thoroughly in a closed chamber which retains the heat evolved during
the slaking operation, than in an open trough, such as commonly used, that the
slaked product is of superior quality and that the volume of paste produced from
a given quantity of lime is greater.
The slaking is also expeditated by agitating the entire mass of lime and water
and therefore, I provide and use a slaker comprising a horizontal cylindrical shell
or case 9 having longitudinal trap doors 10 at the top through which the lime is
introduced. These doors serve as valves to tightly close the cylinders and confine
the heat. They are also hinged as shown and supported at their inner edges by
cords or chains 11 connected with a revoluble shaft or winch 12 whereby they are
raised and lowered as indicated in Figure 6.
Within the slaker is an agitator in the shape of a longitudinal reel 13 having
slightly spiral blades whereby the lime is thoroughly agitated during the slaking
operation. The slaked product is drawn off through a discharge opening 14 into
the paste-vat below, a suitable screen being interposed between the slaker and vat.
I preferably employ duplicate slakers, arranged side by side as shown in
Figures and 6, whereby I am enabled to carry on the slaking operation
continuously, by drawing off the slaked product from one and recharging the same
while the other is in operation. The reels of the two slakers are geared together
and are driven from the power shaft 6 as indicated in Figures 1 and 3.

page_text: The slaking cylinders are provided with hoppers 15 of which the trap doors 10
form the bottoms, and above and between these hoppers is located a lime crusher
comprising two parallel co-acting rollers 16, 16 mounted in a suitable casing from
which the two delivery spouts 17, 17 lead into the respective hoppers 15, 15; the
crushed lime being directed into one or the other of said hoppers by a swinging
gate 18.
The hoppers 15 are proportioned in size to the capacity of the slakers and are
preferably graduated to measure the lime before it is delivered int the slakers.
It has been found beneficial to start the slaking process by spraying or sprinkling
the lime before it passes into the slakers, and as a means for doing this I arrange
around the interior of the hopper, at or near their tops spraying pipes 19, connected
with the water supply, whereby, as the lime passes into the hopper it is sprayed
and moistened and the slaking process begins before it enters the slakers.
Referring now to the devices on the main or first floor 20, designates the office
located centrally at one end of the building, the said office being so proportioned
relatively to the width of the building as to leave at either side a passage or
drive-way 21, by which vehicles may enter and leave the building to deliver
supplies and take away mortar and lime paste.
Back of the office is the lime-bin 22 arranged to receive unslaked lime from
supply carts. It is located directly over the slaker and has a hopper bottom
through which the lime is delivered by gravity to the crusher, the feed being
regulated and controlled by a suitable gate or cut-off. Back of the lime-bin is a
water tank 23 supplied by a pipe 24. The said tank is connected by a pipe 25
with the spraying pipe 19 and with the slaker, the supply for spraying and slaking
being controlled by suitable cocks 26, 27.
In order to produce uniform results in slaking successive charges of lime it is
necessary that each charge of lime and the quantity of water for slaking the same
be accurately proportioned to each other: hence I provide a water tank with a
gauge 28, by which the required charge may be measured. The character of the
lime, and the proper quantity of water for slaking a given charge, having once
been ascertained uniform results may be obtained by following these measurements,
the tank 23 and hopper 15 serving as meters for measuring and proportioning the
respective charges. The pipe 24 is provided with a stop-cock or cut-off 29 for
controlling the supply of water, the said cock being closed when the tank has been
filled to the proper height. The cock may be controlled by a float in the tank
whereby it will close and cut off automatically.
At the side of the lime-bin and water tank is a sand-bin 30 into which sand
may be dumped from supply carts and from which it is discharged into the bin 1
below or used as required. Back of the water tank and sand-bin is an elevatel
mortar storage-bin 31 for the reception of mixed mortar ready for delivery and
This bin is provided at opposite sides with delivery spouts 32 through which
the mortar is discharged and delivered into carts or other receptacles standing on
the drive-way 21.
use.
Back of the mortar-vat is the elevator 4 which conveys the sand from the
basement to the screen on the upper floor as already described.
The drive-way extends around back of the mortar-bin, as shown in Figure 4, so
that carts or other vehicles bringing supplies may drive in at one side of the
office, discharge their loads into the appropriate bins, drive around to the office
side, and pass out, receiving a return load during their passage through the
building.
Mortar and lime paste are sometimes sold by weight and for convenience in
selling by weight a platform scale 33 is located at a suitable point in the drive-way
(preferably at the side of the office, with the scale-beam inside of the same) to
enable the loaded vehicle to be weighed on the way out.
Referring now to the second floor, 34 designates a paste storage-vat located at
one side of the building over the drive-way on the floor below, and having a hopper
bottom and a discharge spout 35 through which the paste is delivered into carts or

page_text: receptacles below. This vat is used for paste to be delivered as a separate
commodity and has no connection with any of the apparatus of the plant except
the paste vat in the basement into which the slaked lime or paste is delivered
from the slaker, and from which it is pumped, by a pump 36, through a pipe 37
leading to the upper floor, to agitator-the said pipe having a branch 38 leading to
the vat 34 and controlled by a valve or cock by the manipulation of which the
upper floor may be cut off and the paste directed into the storage-vat.
39 is the mixer. It comprises an open trough-shaped vessel provided at one
end with feeders 40, 41 for feeding the ingredients to be mixed, and at the opposite
end with an outlet 42 through which the mixed mortar is discharged. A shaft 43
provided with stirring and mixing blades 44 extends longitudinally through the
mixing trough and is driven by suitable gearing or belting, or both, from a counter-
shaft 45, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The blades 44 are set at an angle to the
plane of rotation and serves the double purpose of stirrers and conveyors to move
the mass of material gradually towards the discharge end. Preferably the bottom
of the mixer inclines slightly towards the discharge end to facilitate the movement
of the material. The discharge of the mixed mortar is regulated and controlled
by a sliding gate by the adjustment of which the mixing may be carried to any
desired extent. At the receiving end of the mixer are the vertical feeders
through and by which the sand and paste are supplied to the mixer. These feeders
each comprise a vertical cylindrical shell, open at the top for the receptacle. of
material, and having an open hopper bottom arranged to deliver by gravity into
the mixer (see Figs. 2 and 8).
Within the shell is a vertical shaft 48 which extends downward into the feeder
and has its lower end stepped in a bracket arm 49, and at its upper end gearing
by which it is driven from any available shaft, represented in the drawings as
shaft 45 which also drives the mixer.
The shaft 48 is provided in the lower or bottom portion of the casing with a
screw 50 of low pitch which forms a bottom for the hopper, the pitch being such
that the material will be retained while the shaft and screw are at rest. In the
operation the shaft revolves in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 8,
the screw thus forming a receding bottom which allows the material to feed by
gravity.
51 is a gravel bin for the reception of gravel screened out of the sand. It has
a spont 52.
A spout or conveyor 53 conveys the gravel from the screen to
the bin.
Referring now to the upper floor, 5 designates the sand-screen which is located.
directly above the sand feeder 40, which latter is provided with a hopper 54 into
which the sand is screened and which delivers by gravity into the feeder. Different
grades or qualities of lime require different relative quantities of sand, and therefore
in order to adapt the hopper 54 to be used as a meter for the sand, I provide it
with a movable side 55, indicated by broken lines in Figure 2, so that by moving
this side in or out, the capacity of the hopper may be varied and regulated to hold
the requisite quantity of sand for a given charge of lime paste of known quality, or
strength.
56 designates an agitator into which the paste is delivered by pipe 37 leading
from the paste-vat in the basement, as already explained. This agitator is
provided with shaft 57 gearing with and driven from a shatt 58, and provided
with stirrer arms 59, as indicated by broken lines in Figure 2, to thoroughly
stir and mix the paste and prevent the heavier portions from settling to the
bottom.
The agitator delivers, by gravity, to the paste feeder 41 through a spout or
conveyor 60 provided with a cut-off 61. 62 designates a hair bin and 63 a
conventional hair picker which delivers through a spout 64 into either of the
feeders 40 or 41 (preferably the former) so that the hair is uniformly mixed
into, and incorporated with, the other ingredients during its passage to the
mixer.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be perforined as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In an organized mortar making apparatus the combination of a dry lime meter
means for spraying the lime within the meter, a lime slaking vessel below the meter
and a water supply connected with the slaker.
2. In an organized mortar making apparatus the combination of a lime slaker,
a lime meter and a gauged water tank, the meter being arranged to discharge
into the slaker by gravity and the water arranged to deliver to both meter and
slaker.
3. In an organized mortar making apparatus the combination of a paste-vat,
duplicate lime slakers arranged to discharge by gravity to said vat, each
slaker being provided with a hopper-meter, a lime bin arranged to discharge
by gravity to said hoppers and a gate for admitting the lime into either hopper
at will.
4. In an organized mortar making apparatus the combination of a lime bin,
a lime crusher, duplicate hopper-meters, duplicate slakers and a paste receptacle
lime bin being arranged to discharge to crusher, thence through meter and slaker
to paste vat.
5. In an organized mortar making apparatus the combination of a mortar mixer,
a lime slaker and means for agitating the lime paste to bring it to uniform consistency
preparatory to its delivery to the mixer.
6. In a mortar making apparatus the combination of a lime slaker, a mortar
mixer, an agitator-vessel, between the slaker and mixer, means for conveying the
slaked lime or paste to said vessel, and a stirrer in the vessel to thoroughly agitate
and bring the paste to a homogeneous consistency before delivering the same to
the mixer.
7. In an organized mortar making apparatus the combination of a mixer, paste
and sand meters and synchronously operating paste and sand feeders for
simultaneously delivering the paste and sand at a uniform rate to the mixer.
8. In a mortar mixing apparatus the combination of a mixer, a feed hopper open
at the bottom and arranged to deliver into the mixer, and a receding bottom for
said hopper, whereby the material is fed into the mixer gradually.
Dated this 15th September 1894.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.