IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR DIVIDING CLAY INTO BLOCKS FOR MAKING BRICKS AND SIMILAR ARTICLES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Henry Murray, of Loman Street, Southwark, in
25
the County of Surrey, Engineer, for the Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR DIVIDING CLAY INTO BLOCKS FOR MAKING
BRICKS AND SIMILAR ARTICLES."
aled the 23rd May 1879, and dated the 12th February 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Henry Murray at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th February 1879.
CHARLES HENRY MURRAY, of Loman Street, Southwark, in the County of
Surrey, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR DIVIDING
CLAY INTO BLOCKS FOR MAKING BRICKS AND SIMILAR ARTICLES."
My Invention consists in improvements in machinery or apparatus for dividing
clay into blocks for making bricks and similar articles, and relates more especially
to what are known as Murray's Patent brick cutting tables and similar apparatus, in
which a column of clay after issuing from the mouth or "die" of a moulding
machine is divided into lengths each sufficient to make from 8 to 12 or other con-
venient number of bricks. This length of clay is then moved forward over a series
of rollers on to the "table," at one side of which is a series of fixed wires and on
the other side a pusher board, the latter serving the purpose of pushing the length
of clay through the fixed wires (spaced the thickness of a brick apart) on to a
moveable board. Heretofore this operation of pushing the clay through the wires
has been performed by hand, by means of a lever, rack, and pinion, or some equiva-
lent contrivance. My present improvement has for object the performing this
operation by motive power from the same source as drives the moulding machine,
thus dispensing with one of the two attendants usually required to work the
cutting apparatus as heretofore. In some cases I dispense with the moveable board
altogether and move the barrow on which the green bricks are to be taken away
up to the side of the cutting table close to the wires, so that the green bricks after
being forced through the wires will be delivered on to the barrow direct. Each
barrow may take from 40 to 50 green bricks, say, 4 or 5 rows, so that each row as
it is forced on to the barrow will push the previous row or rows farther on.
rn 077

page_text: In order to bring the motive power into operation for dividing the stream of clay
into green bricks I arrange in a convenient position on the table an abutment
board jointed to a lever so weighted or adjusted that it will always tend to return
to its normal position on the table.
-This-lever-is-connected-by-rods-to-striking
tackle.or_gear_whereby_the_gear_for
working-the-push-board is thrown in or out of operation as required.
-The attendant after separating the length of clay from the main stream moves
Fit-forward-on-to-the-table against the abutment, and so sets the self acting gear in
motion.
111
The abutment may be omitted and the gear set in motion by a lever moved by
the attendant after the length of clay has been placed on the table.
The frame in which the cutting wires are fixed is held in its normal position by
springs so as to be able to move slightly towards the barrow, and when the clay
has been divided the frame automatically returns, leaving space between the wires
and the green bricks for insertion of a small board to prevent the green bricks of the.
succeeding row from sticking, and also to enable the green bricks to be subsequently'
moved on the barrow one or more rows at a time.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles Henry Murray in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 2nd
August 1879.
CHARLES HENRY MURRAY, of Loman Street, Southwark, in the Connty of
Surrey, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR DIVIDING
CLAY INTO BLOCKS FOR MAKING BRICKS AND SIMILAR ARTICLES."
My Invention consists in improvements in machinery or apparatus for dividing
clay into blocks for making bricks and similar articles, and relates more especially
to what are known as Murray's Patent brick cutting tables and similar apparatus,
in which a column of clay after issuing from the mouth or "die" of a moulding
machine is divided into lengths each sufficient to make from 8 to 12 or other con-
venient number of bricks. This length of clay is then moved forward over a series
of rollers on to the "table," at one side of which is a series of fixed wires, and on
the other side a pusher board, the latter serving the purpose of pushing the length
of clay through the fixed wires (spaced the thickness of a brick apart) on to a
moveable board. Heretofore this operation of pushing the clay through the wires
has usually been performed by hand by means of a lever, rack, and pinion or some
equivalent contrivance.
Now according to my present Invention the green bricks are forced through the
wires directly on to a barrow by motive power from the same source as drives the
moulding machines, in such a manner as to dispense with one of the two attendants
usually required to work the cutting apparatus as heretofore, and with the separate
operation of transferring the green bricks or blocks from a moveable board on to a
barrow. Each barrow may take from 40 to 50 green bricks, say, 4 or 5 rows, so
that each row as it is forced on to the barrow will push the previous row or rows
farther on.
In order to bring the motive power into operation for dividing the
stream of clay into green bricks I arrange in a convenient position on the table an
abutment board jointed to a lever so weighted or adjusted that it will always tend
to return to its normal position on the table. This lever is connected by rods to
striking tackle or gear whereby the gear for working the push board is thrown in
or out of operation, as required.
The attendant after separating the length of clay from the main stream moves it
forward on to the table against the abutment, and so sets the self-acting gear in
motion. The abutment may be omitted and the gear set in motion by a lever
moved by the attendant after the length of clay has been placed on the table. The
frame in which the cutting wires are fixed is held in its normal position by springs
so as to be able to move slightly towards the barrow, and when the clay has been
divided the frame automatically returns, leaving space between the wires and the
green bricks for insertion of a small board to prevent the green bricks of the
succeeding row from sticking, and also to enable the green bricks to be subsequently
moved on the barrow one or more rows at a time.
In order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect, I now proceed to describe the accompanying Drawings.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying my improvements.
Fig. 2 is a plan, and
Fig. 3 is an end view with so much of the machine removed as is shewn to the
left of the line A, B, Fig. 1.
a is the mouth or die of a moulding machine; b, b, a series of rollers fitted into
the main standards c, c, of the apparatus; b¹ is one of the rollers fitted with a
crank-handle; 62 is a lubricating roller working in a trough 63 filled with oil
supplied by the can b; d is a small reciprocating frame fitted with a single strained
cutting wire; e is a plane surface table fixed to the standards c, c; f, f, are strained
cutting wires fitted into the straining frame f¹ which is capable of a slight movement.
from the side of the table on four guide pins f2 fitted with springs to hold the straining
frame normally in the position shewn in Fig. 2; g is a pusher sliding in guides gl

page_text: and g²; h is a casting bolted to the main framing and carrying the bracket i to
which the gear for operating the pusher is attached; j is a connecting rod working
at one end on a pin j¹ on the pusher and at the other on a pin 2 fixed to the back
of a bevel wheel k; is a pinion fixed on a spindle m which runs in bearings in the
—bracket ; n-is-a-fixed-pulley and n¹a loose pulley on the outer end of the spindle m;
2 is a belt driving these pullies and driven by a pulley fixed on the shaft operating-
the inoulding machine, but this mode of driving may conveniently be modified, as
for instance, a chain or-gut, or spur gear, or bevel gear, or friction gear, or a clutch
arrangement may be employed-;-o-is-a-reciprocating rod having fingers o¹ for
changing the belt n² between the pullies n, n'; p is a bell crank lever communicating
motion to the rod o from the bar q;r-is-a-curved-arm-keyed_to_the_outer end of
the bar ĝ projecting over the end of the table and supporting an abutment board ¹;
-a-hand lever t, jointed to the main frame is connected to the inner end of the bar q,
which is held normally in the position shewn in the Drawings (see Figs. 1 and 2)
by the weights on the end of the chain s running over a pulley s²; q' and q² are
two adjustable screws fixed into the bar q and bearing against the framing end so
as to act as stops to prevent the bar moving beyond the requisite distance; q³ is a
projecting arm bolted on to the bar q; u is a barrow and ware thin boards which
may be placed between successive rows of bricks.
The action of this apparatus is as follows:-After a sufficient length of clay to
form say 10 or other convenient number of green bricks has issued from the mouth a
of the moulding machine on to the rollers b, the attendant cuts it off by moving
transversely the small frame & fitted with the, cutting wire 1, the block of clay, is
then advanced towards the table by moving the roller b¹, thus enabling the
attendant to place his hand at the back end of the block of clay, and push it against
the abutment board r¹, forcing it backward, and so communicating notion to the
bar q, bell crank lever p, rod o, and fingers o¹, which transfer the belt n² from the
loose pulley n¹ to the fixed pulley n. Instead of pushing the block of clay against
the abutment board the attendant may simply place it in the proper position on
the table, using a fixed abutment board attached to the pusher g, then by moving
the hand levert operate the bar q and the striking gear as above. In either case
motion derived from the steam engine or motor which works the expressing or
moulding machine is transmitted to the pusher After the pusher has advanced
a short distance towards the wires f the projecting arm q³ on the bar q catches
against the side of the pusher so as to prevent the bar from being drawn back by
the weights and by the continued advance of the pusher the block of clay is forced
through the wires f, f, which divide it, and deposited directly on the barrow in the
form of bricks or small blocks, as shewn on the Drawings. In practice it is con-
venient to run the barrow u end on close up to the fixed wires, and to insure its
being in the proper position both vertically and horizontally to guide it by a tram
plate having suitably curved flanges.
After pushing the block of clay through the wires f the pusher continues its
forward movement against these wires, forcing the straining frame f¹ about 3/4 of
an inch outwards from-its-normal-position, pushing the bricks still further on
to the barrow, As the pusher returns the springs on the guide pins fbring
the straining frame f' back to its normal position, and thus allow thin boards
w to be placed between each successive row of bricks and the next to prevent
any sticking to one another. Before the pusher has completed its return
motion it becomes free of the projecting arm q3 on the bar q, allowing the latter to
be drawn back to the position shewn on the Drawing, by the weight 8 which
operates the striking gear, and throw the driving belt n² from the fixed pulley n
on to the loose pulley n¹ thus leaving the gear at rest, but in readiness to again
set in operation for forcing clay through the wires f on to the barrow.
Fig. 5 shews in side elevation; and Fig. 6 in end view an arrangement of barrow
and tram plate designed to insure the barrow being in its proper position both
vertically and horizontally, and also to prevent it tipping sideways 'during the
operation of loading.

page_text: 1* is a tramplate having suitably curved guiding flanges 2; 3 is a lever operating
a locking bolt 4 to prevent the barrow running back when the bricks are being
forced upon it; 5, 5, are curved horn plates fixed to the cutting apparatus; 6 is a
rod fixed to the barrow which fits easily between the horn plates, and thus prevents
the barrow tipping sideways when being loaded.
Having described the nature of my said Invention, and explained in what
manner the same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical effect, I
hereby declare that what I consider to be novel and original and therefore claim
as the Invention secured to me under the Letters Patent hereinbefore in part
recited is,-
1. Dividing the clay into bricks or blocks and delivering them on to a barrow by
mechanism connected with and driven from the same prime mover as the expressing
or moulding machine, substantially as herein before described.
2. The use or employment in combination with a table cutting wires and a
barrow, of a pusher operated by steam power in such manner as to force clay past
the said wires and deliver it on the said barrow, substantially as herein before
described.
3. The improved machine for dividing clay into blocks, constructed, arranged, and
operating as shewn in and described with reference to the accompanying Drawings,
Figs. 1, 2, and 3.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Henry Murray, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Second day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.