IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MACHINES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BRICKS AND TILES
Year: 1875

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Edward Griffith Brewer at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
23rd December 1875.-A communication from abroad by Mathäus
K. Muchin, of Riga, in Russia.
I, EDWARD GRIFFITH BREWER, of Chancery Lane, London, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF MACHINES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BRICKS AND TILES," (a
communication to me from abroad by Mathäus K. Muchin, of Riga, in
Russia,) to be as follows:-
A machine contructed according to this Invention consists mainly of
a cylinder with horizontal shaft; this cylinder is provided with a
number of recesses cut out circumferentially; at one side of the cylinder
there is a pressing die or piston which is worked by two cranks and the
cylinder, and the cranks are connected by means of a large tooth wheel
on the cylinder shaft and pinion and on each crank shaft, so proportioned
that the wheel is as many times larger than the pinions as there are
places or recesses cut out in the circumference of the cylinder. The
stroke of the cranks is such as to suitably press the clay into the recesses
of the cylinder.

page_text: .
The machine is worked by means of strap pulley on a spindle, which
by tooth pinion gears with a wheel on one of the crank shafts, and a
pinion on the latter gears with a tooth wheel on the cylinder shaft.
The pressed brick or tile is forced out of its recess by means of a
cast-iron plate of a form corresponding to the tile; this plate is guided
at the sides by means of slotted projections, having also pegs working in
a cam groove, whereby each plate at the proper places is pushed out
and drawn in. In order that the tile when the plate is pushed out
shall not adhere to it, each plate has in its outer face two dovetail
shaped slides with stalks, by the turning of the pressing cylinder these
slides are worked horizontally backwards and forwards, and thus diminish
the surface of adhesion of the plate to the tile. The tiles drop on to
an endless band which receives motion from one of the crank shafts.
For making ridge titles-the-presser plate is made with an eye, to
which is jointed a connecting rod, the other end of which is connected
to a head which forms the outer end of a lever oscillating on a fulcrum
pin; in its extreme inner position (nearest to the cylinder) a space is
left between this movable head and an angle shaped cross bar, in
which space the tile is pressed into the required angular ridge shape.
The tile is forced out as follows:-The oscillating lever has on each side
pegs working in angular cam grooves formed in levers, and thus cause
the latter to rise and fall periodically. The ridge tile is at the top and
at both sides enclosed by a frame or tongs moving in joints, and having
its sides connected to the ends of the aforesaid levers with the angular
cam grooves; the frame or tongs thereby obtain up-and-down movement,
which is so timed and arranged that the ridge tile in the down stroke, is
forced on to an endless travelling band, while the tongs stand still
during the pressing of the tile; when the tongs have gone down a little
the curved lower ends of same are forced against pegs, whereby the
jointed sides of the tongs open and allow the tile to drop. The material
is put into a hopper, and thence passes between pressing rollers which
are connected by wheel gearing, and obtain motion from a wheel
gearing into another wheel on one of the crank shafts. There are
adjustable guide boards or slides for guiding the material passages
leading to the pressing die, or for cutting off the supply thereto
altogether. The side walls of the passages cover the ends of the
recesses in the pressing cylinder and the space for forming ridge tiles.

page_text: Steam from the boiler or the exhaust of the engine is let into the
hopper for facilitating the working of the material, and the subsequent
drying of the tiles or bricks.
For working on a larger scale the mechanism for making ridge tiles
may be arranged in a separate machine. The pressing dies may be
arranged for pressing other than roofing tiles.